Wandering Eyes

A reimagined Saddling Paddock with centralized saddling stalls and a ceremonial Stakes Winner's Circle, along with the new Show Bet Bonus for on-track patrons, are among the highlights of Keeneland's 17-day Fall Meet from Oct. 3-25. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features 3.7 million gns debuter Act Of Kindness. 4.45 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT ACT OF KINDNESS (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), the third-highest-priced yearling sold at last year's Tattersalls October Book 1 bonanza at 3.7million gns, had been taken out of her intended debut at Sandown last month and Charlie Appleby sticks much closer to home with the half-sister to Frankel's Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang. Godolphin's precious commodity is taken on by nine peers including TBT Racing's Forbidden Colours (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), an Ed Walker-trained 750,000gns purchase at the same auction whose dam is an unraced sister to the Oaks runner-up Dance Sequence. 3.50 Haydock, Mdn, 2yo, c/g, 7f 212yT POSEIDON'S WARRIOR (IRE) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is another big-money acquisition by Godolphin to debut on the afternoon, being a 900,000gns purchase at the Goffs Orby Book 1 which made him the second-highest-priced colt sold at that auction. A grandson of the Preis der Diana heroine Amarette, the Charlie Appleby representative encounters Amo Racing's 625,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 buy Saxophonic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Karl Burke-trained relative of the luminary Alice Springs. 5.20 Newmarket, Mdn, 2yo, f, 7fT OTTOMAN EMPRESS (GB) (Zarak {Fr}) may not have cost as much as Godolphin's other high-profile debutantes earlier on the afternoon, but as a 550,000gns half-sister to the Appleby stable's five-times Group and Graded-Stakes scorer Ottoman Fleet (Sea The Stars) is no back number. If she likes this track half as much as her Wise Dan-winning half-sibling, she could be okay as she faces eight rivals on her first outing. The post Seven-Figure Tattersalls Sensation Act Of Kindness Debuts At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Enoch (Frankel), a half-brother to Wootton Bassett's Prix du Jockey Club, Champion and Irish Champion-winning sire Almanzor, was sent off at 4-1 for Newmarket's seven-furlong maiden on Friday and raced in rear after a tardy start. Staying on powerfully up the hill inside the final furlong, George Strawbridge's homebred collared the long-time leader Battle Apple (Cracksman) en route to a 1 1/4-length success. “He's been a horse we've taken our time with,” John Gosden said. “The mare had one brilliant horse and it's not worked out too well since then, but this is hopefully a smart colt. He's not over-big, but I like the way he's improved in his work through the last six weeks. Rab [Havlin] had a nice feel off him the other day in his work, we weren't expecting him to come and win but he's done it well.” “We're still in September, so I might see what else there is for him,” he added. “Whether he can go for a novice or something more interesting, we'll see. I think he'd handle a bit of cut in the ground.” The winner is out of Darkova (Maria's Mon), who other than Almanzor has produced three Stakes performers including this colt's Listed-placed full-sister Natasha. The family includes the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and Prix d'Astarte-winning champion Darjina (Zamindar), Polish Precedent's Prix du Jockey Club-winning sire Darsi and Wootton Bassett's GIII Franklin-Simpson Stakes winner Guildsman. Unfortunately, Darkova's 2024 filly by Lope De Vega died this year. Impressive debut Enoch (Frankel) thunders home to make a winning start, providing John & Thady Gosden and Rab Havlin with quick doubles @NewmarketRace @BoyleSports | @BritishEBF pic.twitter.com/gcxTKYiAhG — Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 26, 2025 6th-Newmarket, £23,000, Mdn, 9-26, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:26.16, g/f. ENOCH (IRE) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}–Darkova, by Maria's Mon) Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $15,818. O/B-George Strawbridge; T-John & Thady Gosden. The post Winning Debut For Almanzor’s Half-Brother Enoch At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple Graded/Group winner Drafted (Field Commission) has been named the 2025 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award recipient, the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP) announced Friday morning. Named for the late past chief steward Bill Kraatz, the award recognizes a graduate horse that has gone on to serve as an ambassador for the athleticism and trainability of retired racehorses in their career beyond racing. Selected by a committee of Makeover officials, Drafted will be presented as the newest member of the honor roll. A millionaire on track, and a globetrotter who visited two other regions of the world during his career, Drafted is described by owner Katie Tarasevich as not what she expected as a 10-year-old, but saw similarities early enough to believe that it was a match meant to be. “I travel a lot, and I noticed that his race career took him to all of the same places I've traveled–I've been to England, I've been to Dubai. And we both have screws in our right ankle!” “He's game for anything,” Tarasevich said, who was still moving between an electric wheelchair and a walking boot when she brought Drafted home. “I wanted an all-rounder, because I like to do a lot of different things with my horses: we've done some hunter shows, some dressage, we've showed in-hand, and we do trail obstacles and trail events all the time.” Drafted participated in the Thoroughbred Makeover and the Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championships in 2024 as well as numerous shows and organized trail and endurance rides. Tarasevich says that, while he's a professional in competitions and during outings, at home he's let the bright lights get to him. “I joke that the fame of his international racing career went to his head,” laughs Tarasevich. She says if Drafted doesn't feel that he's getting enough attention from people nearby, he's been known to pick up objects and throw them. The grey knows how to work a zipper and also turns the lights on and off in the barn if he can reach the switch. For his owner, Drafted has been the perfect partner to bring back her confidence and show just what a Thoroughbred is capable of beyond the track. “I haven't found anything that he's scared of or won't try.” The post Drafted is 2025 Bill Kraatz Thoroughbred Makeover Ambassador Award Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A 16-strong field loaded with two past winners of the G1 Sprinters Stakes will vie for the 1200-metre feature at Nakayama on Sunday. Seventh in the 2024 edition to Lugal (Duramente) with Namura Clair (Mikki Isle) third, Satono Reve ran third in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint last December. After defeating Namura Clair in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March, he was a good second to Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize a month later. In action during Royal Ascot, the Lord Kanaloa entire ran second to Lazzat (Territories) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Sunday is his first start back and he leaves from stall seven. Said trainer Noriyuki Hori, “His two seconds in his recent overseas races were disappointing, but they were both very solid performances. The horse has a lot more experience now and has developed considerably as a racehorse. I don't think he's not suited to the Nakayama 1200 meters. I think he's capable of getting good results and proving that he is suited to the race.” Since taking the 2023 Sprinters Stakes, Kurofune mare Mama Cocha has enjoyed mixed fortunes. This term she has fared better, winning the G3 Ocean Stakes in March over this course and distance. Third in the Takamatsunomiya Kinen later that month, she has rolled a pair of twos–in the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup to Toshin Macau (Big Arthur) and to Kangchenjunga (Big Arthur) in September's G2 Shankei Sho Centaur Stakes, respectively. Adding an extra dash of intrigue is Hong Kong raider Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse). In his pomp when the champion four-year-old and champion sprinter on the island in 2023, the four-time Group 1 winner appears to be rounding back into form. A winner of the G2 Sprint Cup over this trip in April of 2024, he was sixth and fourth, respectively, in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize and the G3 Sha Tin Vase in the spring. The current racing season is less than a month old, and he ran an encouraging second in a Class 1 handicap on opening day. Ka Pilina (Dunkirk) enters after defeating June Blair (American Pharoah) in the 1200-metre G3 Hakodate Sprint Stakes in June in a record 1:06.60, while Puro Magic (Asia Express) won the G3 Ibis Summer Dash over 1000 metres in August. The post Star Sprinters Clash At Nakayama As Top-Level Racing Resumes In Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland's 2025 Fall Meet is set to be the most lucrative in the track's history when it kicks off Friday, Oct. 3, and will also highlight a re-imagined saddling paddock–among other projects–for the 17-day season, the track announced Friday. The purses for 22 stakes during the course of the meet will be worth a total of $10.85-million, led by the GI Coolmore Turf Mile at $1.25-million that Saturday, Oct. 4 during Fall Stars weekend. It will dually function as a showcase of horses taking aim at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar in November. Fans coming onto the track will notice the saddling paddock with centralized stalls and a ceremonial Stakes Winner's Circle, and will have the opportunity to partake in the new Show Bet Bonus for on-track patrons. Keeneland will also host ever-popular special events like Make-A-Wish Day; College Scholarship Day, presented by Lane's End; Kids Club Day, sponsored by Kentucky Children's Hospital; Heroes Day, and Sunrise Trackside. As is tradition, weekend tailgating on The Hill will also return. Racing will be conducted Wednesday through Sunday during the Fall meet, and gates open at 11:00a.m. First post is 1:00p.m. with complimentary digital programs available for download here. “Keeneland's Fall Meet is a joyous celebration of Thoroughbred racing's most cherished traditions brought to life by the people, the moments and the legacy that connect us season after season,” Keeneland president and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We're thrilled to unveil the enhancements we've made to elevate the race-day experience, bringing fans closer than ever to the excitement and pageantry of our sport. With the richest purses in Keeneland history and the 40th anniversary of our iconic turf course, this Fall Meet is set to be a landmark celebration.” The post Keeneland Fall Meet Will Showcase Most Lucrative Season Ever, Construction Enhancements appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Lucky Sweynesse looks to become the third Hong Kong-based horse to win the Sprinters Stakes, one of only two Grade 1 sprints on the Japanese racing schedule.View the full article

Straight No Chaser is back for a repeat bid Sunday in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, and he's already secured a berth to this year's Sprint Nov. 1 via a win earlier this year in Saudi Arabia.View the full article

This week's radio and television schedule, compiled by America's Best Racing.View the full article

Coming into Friday's G2 Joel Stakes a colt on the rise, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Zeus Olympios (Night Of Thunder) emerged from the mile feature with unbeaten record intact and reputation firmly enhanced. Delivered by Clifford Lee to upstage Godolphin's 4-5 market-leader Opera Ballo (Ghaiyyath) heading out of the dip, the 2-1 second favourite who had taken the G3 Superior Mile earlier this month drew away to score by 2 1/4 lengths. “The Godolphin horse settled better than we did early on and had first run on us, so he's obviously a good horse,” trainer Karl Burke said. “He arrived to us at the end of last year and had a little injury as soon as he came, but sometimes with those immature two-year-olds with stress fractures it can be a blessing in disguise as they can really develop and strengthen.” “The Night Of Thunders that I have had can be a little bit fragile as two-year-olds and he's over all that now and moving really well. He came with a bit of a reputation from Roger [Varian]'s, but we were working with the handbrake on until we knew he had an engine [on debut] at Kempton.” “It's been small stepping stones all the way, but next year with that big turn of foot I would imagine we'll start off in the Lockinge and go from there. The owner has Rosallion in the QEII next month, so I would think he won't go there but I will have to speak to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid.” He's fast! Zeus Olympios remains unbeaten, winning the the Group Two Joel Stakes impressively under @CliffordleexLee for @karl_burke @BoyleSports | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/qXLyB1EwT8 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 26, 2025 The post ‘He’s Obviously A Good Horse’: Burke Thinking Big With Night Of Thunder’s Unbeaten Zeus Olympios appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Remington Park's Thursday night nine-race card had to be cancelled after technical difficulties, the track announced via press release Sept. 25. All wagers made that night were refundable and any guest who bought an official program on track could also seek a refund from the program stands. Racing will resume Friday through Sunday, Sept. 26-28 with Sunday hosting the GIII Oklahoma Derby. The first race nightly is at 6:00p.m. central while first post for Derby Sunday is 3:00p.m. The Thoroughbred season at Remington Park continues through Dec. 20. The post Remington Park’s Thursday Card Canceled Due to Technical Difficulties appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Express Train is ready to defy Father Time again Sept. 27 for the C R K Stable of Lee and Susan Searing in the Goodwood Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Due to technical difficulties beyond Remington Park's control, The Sept. 25 nine-race card was canceled.View the full article

Victorious Forever's Simon and Ed Crisford trainee Zanthos (Sioux Nation), a €1-million Arqana Breeze-Up sale graduate, attained TDN Rising Star status in the colours of KHK Racing at Newmarket's July course in August and rebounded off a second behind Touleen (Lope De Vega) earlier in the month to make all for a career high in Friday's G2 BoyleSports Home Of Early Payout Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket. “We just said to Oisin [Murphy] to keep her happy and let her use her stride,” explained Ed Crisford. “I thought she was maybe doing a bit too much in the early part, but she was travelling so well. I was a bit nervous the last half-furlong, but she stuck on well and she's a classy filly. We didn't realise the pace was going to be that slow [at Leicester last time], we'd tried to do something different and it turned into a two-furlong sprint. Whether that suited Touleen that day I'm not sure, but we put our filly behind and she was doing too much. Oisin told us to put a line through the race and to move on, so we were confident we were going to run well today, but maybe not beat the Leicester winner. She's obviously a very talented filly with a lot of ability and hopefully she can turn into a proper filly.” Looking ahead, Crisford added, “We always felt she'd definitely stay a mile, but today it looked like she was tying up coming up the hill. The sensible thing is probably to put her away [for the season] and bring her back for a [G3] Fred Darling or a [G3] Nell Gwyn in the spring and see where we go from there. We always felt she would stay a mile, the riders at home felt she would stay a mile and Oisin feels she could stay a mile. She's a good quality filly and an exciting filly for next year.” Breaking smartly and racing in isolation with a clear advantage underneath the stands' side rail until well beyond halfway, the 15-2 chance was never seriously threatened and maintained a high tempo in the closing stages to withstand the late threat of The Prettiest Star (Starman) by a half-length for a black-type breakthrough. Pedigree Notes Zanthos, a half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Bakhchisaray (Motivator), is the latest of six reported foals and one of four scorers from as many runners produced by the dual stakes-placed Brioniya (Pivotal), herself a half-sister to G2 Ridgewood Pearl Stakes victrix Beshaayor (Iffraaj) and to the dam of stakes-winning G2 Mill Reef Stakes runner-up La Bellota (Mehmas). The May-foaled chestnut's second dam, the miltiple Group-placed Listed Pipalong Stakes and Listed Bosra Sham Fillies' Stakes victrix Bahia Breeze (Mister Baileys), is a half-sister to the dams of G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte victrix Classic Flower (Calyx) and the dual stakes-placed duo Rock On Baileys (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Orchid Bloom (Farhh). Zanthos makes most to land the G2 @BoyleSports Home Of Early Payout Rockfel Stakes pic.twitter.com/xsSgkbm8Nl — Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 26, 2025 The post Sioux Nation’s TDN Rising Star Zanthos Makes All for Rockfel Triumph at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress) is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time to mature and develop, and he seems to have come back a different horse this time in.” The Scunner debuted as a summer four-year-old and recorded a win and a placing from four starts in that 2023-24 season. He took a step forward at five, collecting three wins in an eight-start campaign that culminated with a 1600m Rating 75 success at Trentham in May. Friday’s first-up assignment marked another big step up, tackling open company for the first time. The Scunner got in on the 54kg minimum weight and was sent out as a $4.60 second favourite on the strength of a trial win at Foxton on September 16. Jockey Samantha Collett slotted The Scunner into fifth spot through the first half of the race as Liquid Les and Turn The Ace duelled for the lead. Collett allowed The Scunner to stride forward down the side of the track, and he cruised up alongside the leaders under his own steam. The race was all over when Collett pushed the button in the straight. The Scunner dashed clear and opened up a winning margin of four and a half lengths over Turn The Ace and the late-finishing Enrico. “I was really happy with everything he’d shown me this time in, and his trial on Tuesday last week was great, so I was expecting him to do something pretty good today,” Meadows said. “It was nice to see him deliver.” The Scunner won a $65,000 race on New Zealand Cup Day in November of last year in his first and only look at Riccarton. Meadows has yet to commit to a return to that Christchurch carnival. “I’ve got nothing set in stone as far as plans with him for this season are concerned,” the Awapuni trainer said. “We’ll enjoy this win and let the dust settle, then decide where to head next.” The Scunner was bred by Gloria Kenny and is out of the Diamond Express mare Miss Daphne, whose dam Miss Katella is a half-sister to Group One winner Gee I Jane and the stakes winner Miss Jessie Jay, who produced Group One winners Katie Lee and Banchee. View the full article

The Challenge, presented by GaineswayView the full article

Lucky Sweynesse canters around Nakayama on Friday morning. Picture: HKJC. Derek Leung will carry an immense sense of pride to the races in Tokyo, Japan this weekend as he relishes the challenge of international competition and representing Hong Kong, China aboard Lucky Sweynesse in the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama. Leung, 37, has 499 Hong Kong racing wins and will aim to become only the fourth local rider — after Tony Cruz, Vincent Ho and Matthew Chadwick – to reach the 500-win milestone at next Wednesday’s National Day fixture at Sha Tin. Before that, though, he will take two mounts on Saturday at Nakayama in readiness for his pairing with Lucky Sweynesse on Sunday. “I can’t wait for this Sunday. It’s my honour to represent Hong Kong. I’m very lucky to have the trainer and owner’s support to go overseas and ride. I hope everything goes smooth and that we can run a good race,” Leung said. “My dream is to try and get as many winners as I can and win Group 1s as well. If I am lucky enough to represent Hong Kong overseas, for me, it’s an honour and a big achievement.” Leung links with Smart Weiss in the Shufu Stakes (1600m) and Sumire First in the programme’s finale (Race 12) on Saturday. Smart Weiss is a three-time winner from seven starts. The son of Lord Kanaloa sports the familiar pink and black colours of owner Toru Okawa, who raced dual Sha Tin winner Smart Charade with trainer Chris So. “I have two rides on Saturday in races 11 and 12. I will see the draws and try to get good results. Thank you to the owners for their support,” Leung said. Aboard Lucky Sweynesse in trackwork this week, Leung has gained a valuable feel ahead of the weekend for Nakayama’s unique contours, featuring a long sweeping back section which heads downhill before turning into a short home straight (310m) with a steep incline. The Manfred Man-trained Lucky Sweynesse steps from gate 10 in Sunday’s Sprinters Stakes against 15 rivals, including Satono Reve (barrier seven) – who brings Ka Ying Rising and Royal Ascot form to Nakayama – as well as Mama Cocha (four), Namura Clair (six), Toshin Macau (11), Lugal (15) and Win Carnelian (16). “You can see Satono Reve has performed very well in Hong Kong, Europe and Japan. Of course, he is a hot favourite here. I think, I respect all of the horses, it’s a very strong field and hopefully we can get some luck and a good result,” Leung said. “The draw is a bit wide. We will see on Saturday and Sunday what the racecourse is like, coming from behind, midfield or forward. We’ll try to plan it out later. There are quite a few leaders positioned outside, so they need to work a bit to get in.” A product of The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Apprentice Jockeys’ School, Leung has won two Group 1 races in Hong Kong aboard Beauty Generation in the 2017 G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and Victor The Winner in the 2024 G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m), although success aboard Lucky Sweynesse this Sunday profiles as a new pinnacle for Leung. “His fitness is improving. We know his action is fine and that he keeps getting better and better, but with this class you need to be in top form to run well. This season, he sounds good, though the weather limited him to less training before the season started because of the rain,” Leung said. Man, 68, became a fully-fledged trainer in 2001. He won the 1979 QEII Cup on Go-Getter as a jockey before climbing the local ranks as an assistant trainer, notably under the tutelage of top trainer John Moore. Earlier this month, Man united with jockey Jerry Chau as the second all-local combination to win a race abroad – a feat that he is aiming to repeat on Sunday with Leung – in South Korea’s Group 3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) on September 7. Trainer Ricky Yiu and Alex Lai first secured the landmark with Ultra Fantasy in the 2010 Sprinters Stakes. “My horse’s form is very well. We are all satisfied about this trip and everything is fine. He has come to Japan and at first, he feels like a stranger, but after a few days it looks like he loves Japan more than Hong Kong,” Man said. “We feel that everything is fine. The draw is a little bit wide and the better chances from Japan have a better draw.” The trainer has worked Lucky Sweynesse each day on the turf course at Nakayama since Wednesday’s final gallop, citing added experience as the reason ahead of Sunday’s 59th running of the Sprinters Stakes. “In Hong Kong the grass track isn’t always open. In Japan over these few days, they have opened the grass track for us each day, so we decided to have the horse practice on the grass track so that he can get more experience,” Man said. “Thank you to the JRA (Japan Racing Association) for inviting us to race here. I hope my horse gets a good result.” Barrier 10 is the joint-second most successful draw since 1990 (to 2024) with five wins, equal to gate 13, while barrier eight leads the way with seven winners. Overall, 16 attempts have been made by runners from Hong Kong to capture the Sprinters Stakes, with Silent Witness (2005) the only other triumphant, along with Ultra Fantasy. View the full article

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes will rely on Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) as their major chance in a Stakes race at Sandown. Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor) was also an acceptor for the Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday but instead will head to Sydney to contest the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill. Ben Hayes said a rich race in Sydney during the spring was in the back of their minds with Rise At Dawn who resumed at Flemington on September 13 finishing third to stablemate Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt). “He’s in great order and with him we’re thinking the Five Diamonds over 1800 metres might be a good race for him,” Ben Hayes said. “He ran so well so well in the Doncaster going that way as well. “It was a tough run first-up and he’s really come on well and there is the option of coming back down here and running in the Toorak.” Rise At Dawn had been posted as third favourite in the Sandown Stakes behind stablemate Evaporate and Transatlantic (Snitzel) before his scratching and being Sydney bound. Hayes said Evaporate had overcome a slight virus which ruled the galloper out of the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last Saturday. “He got a little virus which put him back a week, so we had to back off,” Hayes said. “We didn’t want to take any risks being the horse he is, but he trialled last Friday and trialled well. “We’ve done a gear change, which I think a lot of the punters will like, taking the earmuffs off, and he’s right back on track and I feel it’s a good race for him to run well on a nice big track.” Evaporate has not raced since finishing a first-up fifth to Private Eye (Al Maher) in the Gr.2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16. On the corresponding weekend of racing last year, Evaporate won the Gr.2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley before going on to finish third in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). Hayes said Saturday’s set-up where Evaporate has drawn off the track will suit. “He’s drawn a barrier where he will get a bit of galloping room, which he needs,” Hayes said. “I think you’ll see the real Evaporate on Saturday.” The Lindsay Park operation will also have The Pendragon (NZ) (US Navy Flag) in Saturday’s race who had his first start for the stable when last to Angel Capital (Harry Angel) in the Listed Chatauqua Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 6. Hayes said the rise in distance would suit The Pendragon and the stable was expecting an improved performance. View the full article

Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece. He won the 2014 edition of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Vespa and the inaugural Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018, when training in partnership with Hollie Wynyard, and exciting juvenile De Armas put herself in a strong position to qualify for the former race when winning on debut at her home track on Friday. After winning her 600m trial at Foxton last week by 10 lengths, she was backed into a $1.70 favourite in the Vets On Riverbank Two-Year-Old (800m) and won accordingly. She jumped away well under jockey Kelly Myers and settled outside leader Spellbound. The pair matched stride for stride for much of the journey before De Armas showed her class in the final 200m when dashing away to score by 4-3/4 lengths. “She was very good,” Benner said. “She has done a lot in a short time, she is definitely pretty smart. “She has always shown plenty. It is hard to line the trial form up, we could only go off what we had seen with all of the other horses there. She definitely showed what we hoped she could and has the action of a filly that is going to appreciate a bit of a drier surface and a bit further again. It is all looking positive.” Benner was also buoyed by her impeccable barrier manners, having been forced to wait in the starting stalls for several minutes while the subsequently late-scratched Singletary failed to load. “She has got above average ability, but she has also got a very good brain, which helps these young ones go a long way,” he said. Benner purchased the daughter of Ardrossan out of Elsdon Park’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus for $16,000, and he is pleased she is fulfilling the potential he saw in her last April. “I like the Ardrossans,” he said. “She is a beautifully balanced, athletic filly and she just moved so well. She had a great head and eye and had that look of a sharp filly. “I did a bit of study and saw the dam won her first couple of starts and showed a lot, so I thought you can’t make them for that money. I was rapt to get her for $16,000, and being a filly, there are a lot of upsides to that. I am glad I kept hitting bid.” De Armas has already exceeded he purchase price in earnings, having banked $23,000 for Friday’s win, which will go a long way in qualifying her for the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO at Ellerslie on January 24. “Something that I have learned over the years is that if you are chasing it (Karaka Million start), you are probably doing the wrong thing,” Benner said. “They are either not good enough to be there or you are pushing a horse that shouldn’t be pushed. The good ones take care of it for you. “$23,000 should get her in, but we have obviously got a fair bit of water to go under the bridge before January, but it is a good start.” De Armas will now have a freshen-up before chasing valuable black-type in the Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Stakes (1100m) prior to Christmas at Awapuni. “She is going straight to the paddock and she will have a few weeks off and all going well she will target the Wakefield at Awapuni on the 20th of December,” Benner said. “We will possibly look at one more run at Ellerslie before the Millions, but we will just take it as it comes.” While he has tasted success in the Karaka Millions, Benner is under no illusions of the task ahead, but is confident he has the filly to give it a good shake. “She is up there with him (Vespa, prior winner) and we have thought that for a fair while, just because of natural ability,” Benner said. “I feel it is a lot harder now because I think the competition is a lot stiffer than it was back in 2014 for obvious reasons, Te Akau being one of them. “You have got to have a serious horse to compete, but she definitely ticks a lot of the boxes that are required.” View the full article

The father-son training partnership of Peter and Trent Didham recorded their first win when Danjuro scored a tough victory in Friday’s The Tele Otaki Handicap (2100m). A fourth generation of trainers was added to the Didham dynasty when 27-year-old Trent joined his father in partnership earlier this month, and the pair made a promising start with two seconds, a fourth and a fifth from their first six starters. The breakthrough came with Danjuro in Friday’s $50,000 open handicap at Otaki. Ridden by Kavish Chowdhoory, the talented five-year-old settled in third behind Revo and Jack Morrison. That pair began to feel the pinch coming down the side of the track and faded right out to finish second-last and last. Chowdhoory got Danjuro rolling and took command, rounding the home turn with a clear lead. Royal Flower, King Khan and Swingit Our Way all tried hard to reel him in down the straight, but Danjuro kept finding and held on to beat King Khan by a long head. It was a 99th career training success for Peter Didham, and a highly satisfying first for Trent. “It feels good to get that first win, and it was a good tough effort by the horse,” he said. “He’s always had the ability and he’s starting to put things together now. His attitude and things like that have really picked up this time in. Hopefully he can go on with it. “We’re working towards the Waverley Cup (2200m) in a few weeks as his next target, and then we’ll go from there.” The Waverley Cup will be run for a $50,000 stake on October 19. Waverley is also in the stable’s sights this Sunday, where Shameless Star contests the NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m), Can Do lines up in the O’Keefe Ultra Scan Maiden (1400m), and Felucca resumes in the J Swap Contractors (1200m). Shameless Star showed promise as a two-year-old last season, finishing fourth in both of her first two starts to earn a shot at the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). She resumed with a close and strong-finishing second in a 1200m maiden race at Wanganui on August 30. Shameless Star was a $55,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and is Karaka Millions eligible, putting her in line for a $25,000 bonus if she wins Sunday’s Mega Maidens race – $20,000 for the owners and $5,000 for the trainers. “She ran a really good race first-up,” Didham said. “She didn’t do much for a week or so after that race, but then we started to pick things up with her again and we’re really happy with how she’s been going. Hopefully we can get that Mega Maiden bonus for her owners.” Can Do was a last-start placegetter on the Awapuni synthetic track and will wear blinkers for the first time on Sunday. “It was a solid effort last time and we’re hoping putting the hood on might improve him a little bit more,” Didham said. “His work on Tuesday morning was very good.” Felucca has been off the scene since February but has pleased her trainers with two trial wins leading into her return to racing this weekend. “I’m quite surprised that she’s opened as a $19 chance,” Didham said. “Her trials have been very impressive. She beat Bold Belle in the most recent one, and that horse went well in the open sprint at Trentham last weekend. We think she can run a good race fresh.” View the full article

Trainer John O’Shea has confirmed that Group One winner Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) will bypass the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after striking a minor setback in his spring campaign. “He won’t go to the Epsom, he’s had a little setback,” O’Shea said. “We had a day in Sydney where there was seven inches of rain. He must have just put his foot down awkwardly when he was trotting out to work and he just had a bit of a sprain of his ankle.” “We’ve resolved that. He spent a week at the beach and it settled down.” With the Epsom now off the table, O’Shea and his team have recalibrated Linebacker’s spring campaign. “We’re probably going to trial him on the 7th at Randwick and then head to the Silver Eagle (A$1 million, 1300m) on Everest Day before heading to the Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) on November 1,” he said. Winner of the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) in the Autumn, Linebacker resumed earlier this month in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m), finishing seventh. While the result was plain on paper, O’Shea said there was no cause for concern. “We weren’t too worried about that. We were actually really pleased with the way he was going,” he said. “We were desperate to run him in the Epsom. Obviously, with 54 kilos, he was extremely well-weighted, and that was his main target in the spring. “But anyway, it’s not to be, and hopefully we can get him back on track in the coming weeks.” View the full article

The Scunner wins at Otaki on Friday first-up. The Scunner winning at Otaki on Friday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time to mature and develop, and he seems to have come back a different horse this time in.” The Scunner debuted as a summer four-year-old and recorded a win and a placing from four starts in that 2023-24 season. He took a step forward at five, collecting three wins in an eight-start campaign that culminated with a 1600m Rating 75 success at Trentham in May. Friday’s first-up assignment marked another big step up, tackling open company for the first time. The Scunner got in on the 54kg minimum weight and was sent out as a $4.60 second favourite with betting sites on the strength of a trial win at Foxton on September 16. Jockey Samantha Collett slotted The Scunner into fifth spot through the first half of the race as Liquid Les and Turn The Ace duelled for the lead. Collett allowed The Scunner to stride forward down the side of the track, and he cruised up alongside the leaders under his own steam. The race was all over when Collett pushed the button in the straight. The Scunner dashed clear and opened up a winning margin of four and a half lengths over Turn The Ace and the late-finishing Enrico. “I was really happy with everything he’d shown me this time in, and his trial on Tuesday last week was great, so I was expecting him to do something pretty good today,” Meadows said. “It was nice to see him deliver.” The Scunner won a $65,000 race on New Zealand Cup Day in November of last year in his first and only look at Riccarton. Meadows has yet to commit to a return to that Christchurch carnival. “I’ve got nothing set in stone as far as plans with him for this season are concerned,” the Awapuni trainer said. “We’ll enjoy this win and let the dust settle, then decide where to head next.” The Scunner was bred by Gloria Kenny and is out of the Diamond Express mare Miss Daphne, whose dam Miss Katella is a half-sister to Group One winner Gee I Jane and the stakes winner Miss Jessie Jay, who produced Group One winners Katie Lee and Banchee. View the full article

Manfred Man Ka-leung and Derek Leung Ka-chun were left slightly disappointed when Lucky Sweynesse drew barrier 10 for Sunday’s Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) at Nakayama Racecourse. Bidding for a fifth elite-level success, Lucky Sweynesse will have to overcome the double-figure draw in the capacity field of 16, while key rivals Satono Reve and Namura Clair fared better than the Hong Kong sprinter with barriers seven and six, respectively. Lucky Sweynesse heads into the feature sprint, which...View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz Romeo Foxtrot proved once again that grit and determination count for plenty when he claimed victory in the IRT. Your Horse. Our Passion. Handicap Trot at Cambridge Raceway last night. The eight-year-old son of Majestic Son, trained locally by Susan Branch, began brilliantly off his 25-metre mark and quickly took control of the race with Zachary Butcher in the sulky. The pair dictated terms from the outset and, despite a late charge from Johnny Who, held strong all the way to the post. Branch, who has enjoyed a fruitful season this year, admitted she wasn’t brimming with confidence heading into the race after the gelding had endured a health setback following his previous start. “We were absolutely rapt with his last start at Alexandra Park over the 1700m, he worked hard early and was only three lengths off of them at the line,” she explained. “But the next morning he couldn’t walk, he came out in boils all over his chest, so we did very little with him between runs.” “We weren’t overly confident heading into last night, we knew he was a little under-done and he did blow out a bit, but he held on long enough to get the job done!” That resilience has been a hallmark of Romeo Foxtrot’s career under Branch’s care. Since joining her stable, he has put together an admirable record of six wins and 14 placings, proving himself a reliable campaigner. “He’s such a cool dude, he tries hard every time and is perfect to do anything with,” Branch said. Romeo Foxtrot’s consistency has also turned 2025 into Branch’s most successful season since she first took out her trainer’s license back in 1978. All of her stable’s $88,343 in stake earnings this year have come courtesy of him. While Branch is realistic about where her trotter sits in the pecking order, she couldn’t be prouder of his efforts. “He’s not quite level with the best of them, but he always tries his heart out.” View the full article

The field for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup has had a trans-Tasman shake-up. Western Australian trainer Greg Bond has officially withdrawn Minstrel and (Gee) Heza Sport from the country’s biggest race at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Minstrel, the winner of 27 races and over $1.6m, was third in his last race at Gloucester Park on September 12, with Gee Heza Sport finishing fifth. Minstrel was ninth in this week’s rankings and Heza Sport 13th. Their defections mean there will be a juggling of places in next week’s rankings. It is particularly good news for the connections of horses like Dalton Shard and American Me, who are currently just outside the top 15 cut off. The next rankings list will be released on Tuesday night on The Box Seat (Trackside, 8pm). View the full article