Wandering Eyes

Calumet Farm's homebred grade 2 winner and first-crop sire Bravazo was represented by his first winner Sept. 23 at Prairie Meadows, where Excellent Empire took the ninth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight.View the full article

The rich Eddie D. Stakes down the hillside turf course and the City of Hope Mile, a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge race, figure prominently on a big stakes day Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

After emerging victorious in the $1 million Cotillion (G1) despite her rivals' best efforts to keep her pinned on the rail, Thorpedo Anna was rewarded with the top spot of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll.View the full article

Calumet Farm's homebred grade 2 winner and first-crop sire Bravazo was represented by his first winner Sept. 23 at Prairie Meadows where Excellent Empire took the ninth race, a six-furlong maiden special weight.View the full article

Four stakes for 2-year-olds–including a pair of graded races–highlight the upcoming Winter Thoroughbred meet at Los Alamitos. The six-day season is scheduled to begin Friday, Dec. 6 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 15. Racing will be conducted on a Friday-Sunday basis (Dec. 8-10 and 15-17) both weeks. Post time will be 12:30 p.m. The $200,000-guaranteed GII Starlet Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies, will be renewed for the 11th time at Los Alamitos Saturday, Dec. 7 one week before the $200,000-guaranteed GII Los Alamitos Futurity, which was captured by Wynstock in 2023. Won a year ago by Nothing Like You, the Starlet–like the Futurity–will be contested at 1 1/16 miles. The other two stakes for juveniles will be run at one mile and are ungraded. The $100,000 Soviet Problem Stakes will be offered Sunday, Dec. 8 while the $100,000 King Glorious will be run Sunday, Dec. 15. Both are for horses bred or sired in California. For the complete stakes schedule, visit www.losalamitos.com. The post Futurity, Starlet Top Los Alamitos Stakes Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Globetrotting star Lord North has been retired from racing at age 8 after a lucrative career that yielded more than £6.4 million in prize money and 10 wins, including four at group 1 level.View the full article

Ferocious is a hopeful for this year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).View the full article

A total of 90 lots will be offered at the Goffs British NH Breeders Showcase which takes place at Doncaster on Friday, November 1. The full catalogue can be viewed here, comprising seventy-seven foals, seven yearlings and six breeding stock. As part of the Breeders Showcase, the sale will once again be preceded by a Foal Show which will honour two much missed figures of the British breeding world. The colts' class commemorates Richard Aston from Goldford Stud and the fillies' class Robert Chugg of Little Lodge Farm. Goffs are offering a total prize pool of £10,000 to be shared among the top three colts and fillies. The show, which will be held in association with LH Woodhouse, will take place the day before the sale on Thursday, October 31. Potential highlights of the sale include lot 7, a colt foal by Walk In The Park (Ire) out of a winning half-sister to the multiple Grade 1 winner Facile Vega (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}), with the champion racemare Quevega (Fr) (Robin Des Champs {Fr}) as his second dam; lot 9, a filly foal by Golden Horn (GB) out of the dual Cheltenham Festival heroine Put The Kettle On (Ire) (Stowaway {GB}); lot 80, a Walk In The Park (Ire) yearling filly out of the Grade 1-winning hurdler Bitofapuzzle (GB) (Tamure {Ire}); and lot 85, the winning Astarabad mare Femme En Or (Fr), a full-sister to the multiple Grade 1 scorer Whisper (Fr) and already dam of the three-year-old Femme Bleue (Fr) (Gemix {Fr}), who impressed when making a successful debut at Auteuil earlier this month. Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “The 2024 catalogue is very strong and we are delighted with the quality; in fact it's outstanding. Last year this sale celebrated its debut with a fantastic set of results and those have not been lost on vendors as they have targeted this with their best stock. “The Goffs inspection teams have also been more selective this year with the goal of producing a more focused catalogue of top quality, early season foals, and the result is a line-up that reads extremely well. “Given the quality of the sire profile and the pedigrees on offer, we are confident that this will be a 'not to be missed' sale for pinhookers and for those looking to secure early racing or breeding prospects.” The post Catalogue Released for the Goffs British NH Breeders Showcase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two-time UAE champion Lord North (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who raced for His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing, has been retired to Godophin's Rehoming after a lengthy career at the highest level. Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the bay's biggest claim to fame was a trio of victories in Meydan's G1 Dubai Turf in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He also won the 202 G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and a pair of Group 3s, including the 2023 Winter Derby. He was second in the 2022 and 2024 editions. The 8-year-old gelding, out of Najoum (Giant's Causeway), retires with a mark of 24-10-4-2 and $8,148,646 in earnings. His career finale was an eighth-place finish in the 2024 Prince of Wales Stakes. Jonn Gosden told Racing Post, “Lord North has been retired to join Godolphin Rehoming after an illustrious career. He retires a sound horse, but the years have caught up with him. “He's been a pleasure to train over the years and he's a horse who has always had a lot of character. He's provided his groom and rider Aldir Centuriao as well as head man P J O'Gorman with a lot of pleasure over the years and they will be sad to see him go, as will all of us at Clarehaven Stables.” The post Four-Time Group 1 Winner Lord North Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Nurlan Bizakov's undefeated Lazzat (Fr) (Territories {Ire}) will forego the G1 Prix de la Foret on Oct. 6 and instead target Australia's Golden Eagle, trainer Jerome Reynier revealed. The Sumbe homebred is a perfect six-for-six in her career, with group wins in the G3 Prix Djebel in April followed by the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac in June and the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest in August. The gelding will shortly travel to Newmarket and begin quarantine. “He's going for the Golden Eagle in Sydney, so he's not going to run in the Foret,” Reynier confirmed. “Tomorrow [Wednesday] morning he's going to Newmarket to start his quarantine, he stays in quarantine before taking a flight to Sydney on Oct. 13, he will be there on the 15, he will be released from quarantine on the 29 and will be racing on Nov. 2. “It's quite exciting. It will be a change of environment and he needs to adapt to so many variables, but if he arrives safe and happy there, I think he will have a good chance. “He's one of the best sprinters in Europe and is unbeaten in six starts, so it's a very exciting prospect and an exciting challenge.” The post Lazzat Prepares For Golden Eagle Instead Of Foret appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars FOREMOST TEDDY - R4 (8) Will strip fitter for first-up third, draws the inside and Purton jumps on Jay Rooney FOREMOST TEDDY - R4 (8) Was only caught late in his return, comes into barrier one with Purton on Jack Dawling AEROINVINCIBLE - R3 (2) Step back in trip should suit and he can outclass this bunch Phillip Woo SUNNY BABY - R1 (7) Good run first up this term and now gets preferred Valley 1,800m Shannon (Vincent Wong) BEAUTY DESTINY - R7 (4) Trialled well in Conghua and looks ready to return to the winner's circle Racing Post Online FOREMOST TEDDY - R4 (8) Drawn to get a lovely run and can salute with Zac Purton aboard Tom Wood NEBRASKAN - R3 (5) Looks to certainly be on the improve after a good recent trialView the full article

Guest speakers include Carrie Brogden, David Ingordo, Damon Thayer, Dr. Alex Sano, Anna Seitz Ciannelo, Leif Aaron and more. The clinic is open to the public, with a special discount for TOBA members.View the full article

Charge It is bred on the same cross as 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, who is also by Tapit out of an Indian Charlie mare. He will stand at Gainesway for the 2025 season, with a stud fee to be announced at a later date.View the full article

David Erwin of Charlottesville, Virginia took home the grand prize of this year's Beat Byk NHC Challenge, earning his first-ever berth to the National Horseplayers Championship next March. This year's contest drew more than 12,000 entries throughout the eigh weeks of competition, which saw entrants “Beat Byk” 14 out of 17 times. The Beat Byk final qualifier Sept. 14 had 918 individuals who played for the winning ticket. “I've been trying to qualify for the NHC for a few years, but I do not have time to put the work in to play in very many contests,” said Erwin. “I started playing in contests about 10 years ago and have played in several Beat Byk challenges. I'm very happy to get to go to the NHC this year and thank Steve Byk for offering this contest.” Together with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Steve Byk, host of the Thoroughbred radio news magazine “At the Races” on Sirius XM, partnered to send one NHC Tour member to Las Vegas. Throughout eight weeks this summer, Byk selected the weekend stakes races to comprise the competition for that week. There were 17 chances to qualify before the Beat Byk NHC Online Qualifier Sept. 14. All who correctly selected the winning horse in each round advanced to the qualifier. “Beat Byk is my favorite highlight of the summer season,” Byk said. “Congratulations to David on a great effort to win his way to Vegas as the Beat Byk representative. I'm proud that Beat Byk is a free contest that gives small budget players a chance to qualify for NHC.” The post David Erwin Takes Beat Byk Contest appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As most of us can attest from painful experience, this business will always be an exception to the axiom that “a rising tide floats all boats.” Even a record, boomtime sale like the one just completed at Keeneland will inevitably have left many a vessel beached or taking on water. As usual, the September Sale extended a wide spectrum even among the losers, never mind between losers and winners, from the single colt that changed hands for as little as $1,000, to the granddaughter of Take Charge Lady who fell short of her reserve even at $1,450,000. Overall, however, the single most instructive bloodstock auction of the year yielded gains sufficient that we can once again gratefully defer the revelation famously anticipated by Warren Buffet: “Only when the tide goes out do you learn who's been swimming naked.” While a $5-million colt provided fresh entertainment for your friends outside the industry (“What do you mean, he's never had a saddle on his back?!”), the two most significant indices were embedded deeper in the sinews of the sale. One was a median of $70,000, back up from $67,000 last year to match the sale record set in 2022, and maintaining an extremely wholesome consolidation relative to the years preceding the 2020 pandemic. During what had been depicted as a bull run, the years 2016 to 2019 produced fragile and fluctuating medians of $40,000, $55,000, $50,000 and $47,000. But while the median is always the key barometer, perhaps the most astounding metric of the whole auction was the one reported after its opening session, when the 21 highest prices were paid by 20 different entities. It's hard to believe that anything like that could ever have happened before in Book 1. And while geopolitical uncertainty continues to haunt the wider world, with the next auction at Keeneland scheduled alongside a febrile election, our own parish is evidently feeling comfortable in raising the stakes. For we can do so in an environment favored, among other things, by a communal (if hardly unanimous!) effort to stamp out cheating and abuse and a purse structure, in places at least, that threatens to dignify many a yearling investment with viability. The sheer range of the September Sale makes it uniquely informative, combining as it does every layer of the pyramid. As has been said, it isn't just a market, it is the market. So while the overall picture will only be completed by blue-collar domestic auctions this fall, not to mention the premier yearling auction in Europe, we have certainly reached a point where we can validly quantify the vigor of current trade. The accompanying table (Table A) charts the summer-through-September U.S. yearling circuit across the last decade, excluding the emergency calendar improvised for 2020. It shows that the overall value of the market, between Fasig-Tipton's July and Saratoga (Select and NY-bred) auctions and Keeneland September, reached its post-2008 crash/pre-Covid peak in 2018 at $478.2 million. Having virtually matched 2019 trade as soon as 2021, at $448.2 million, it surged 14.8% to $514.4 million in 2022, when both houses set records. Having stabilised last year at $510.8 million, this time round trade has reached a new peak of $530.5 million. These numbers having been realized from generally stable demand–3,230 American yearlings have changed hands this year, compared with 3,271 to this point in 2014–it stands to reason that the average price of an American yearling has behaved accordingly. Sure enough, having retrieved its 2018 high in 2021, at $139,264, the average has jumped ($152,774) and consolidated ($153,039) before now making another 7.3% leap to $164,225. Privately, no doubt, the Keeneland team will be relieved by a record-breaking sale as the imperative response to the pressure being applied by their great rivals across town. Despite having sold 495 yearlings this summer, down from 584 last year, Fasig-Tipton actually achieved a marginal increase in gross for a significant hike in average, rounding out to $240,000 from $200,000. That reflects a particular encroachment on the elite sector, precisely when the biggest spenders have been intensifying competition. As Table B shows, between 2016 and 2021, a total of 120 seven-figure yearlings changed hands at the auctions under review; of these, Saratoga accounted for 19 (15.8%). In just three years since, there have been 132–and its share has advanced to 36 (27.3%). Both houses have prospered from this increased muscle at the top of the market. Yearlings selling for $1 million or more have accounted for 12.7% of overall turnover, building on a tick over 11% in the two preceding years. These returns at least double the proportion of the market credited to seven-figure sales in 2016 and 2017. So much for all those complaints, over recent years, about the dilution of competition by partnerships between big spenders! On the other hand, growth at the top could easily disguise what is always the consignors' greatest fear: a middle market hollowed out by polarization. It feels all the more crucial, then, that the September median should have proved so resilient. The median made year-on-year gains across all 12 sessions, sometimes only marginally, but peaking with a giddy 25% hike on day four. There is, moreover, far more coherence to the measuring of performance since Keeneland resolved to stop meddling with the sale format. However irritably consignors receive the distribution of their drafts, it does feel as though the structure is bedding down in such a way that buyers can reliably find big fish in the biggest pond. There is supposed to be give and take, though one major consignor just seems to pull its late allocation altogether. In total one-fifth of the catalogue was scratched, a rate recently exceeded only in the exceptional circumstances of 2020 (22.3%). No fewer than 804 hips, moreover, left the ring unsold–equivalent to 22.7%, up from 20.2% last year. In some cases, true, that might actually reflect the kind of ambitious reserves stimulated by a strong market, and post sales have evidently been brisk. Nonetheless the RNA rate must qualify our satisfaction with all these records, for the reality is that the conventional indices of median and average will always exclude the weakest elements of any sale. That always feels especially pertinent to the performance of stallions. Sometimes, admittedly, vendors retain a horse as a sign of faith, persevering in the hope that it can get closer to a deserved value at the 2-year-old sales or even racing in their own silks. In other cases, however, cold horses will be dumped at a loss. So while there are duly no hard-and-fast rules, I always feel a little wary about “rewarding” a stallion, through a higher average yield, for failing to find buyers for a relatively high proportion of his stock. Those caveats duly noted, let's take a look at how the new sires have been faring with their debut crops. (Table C) As we all know, despite the certainty that the great majority will never again command so high a fee, these horses are the annual refuge for an appalling proportion of commercial mares. Hard to blame the breeders, who are merely anticipating ringside demand, but history shows that a warm reception at the sales is no guarantee that a new stallion will actually sire runners. It's becoming pretty clear, however, which ones have (or have not) done their job to this point. To their credit, the pair that most exposed clients to catalogue saturation have maintained demand in pretty emphatic fashion. Charlatan stands top of the class, by average and median alike, much as you would hope if you had paid the second-highest fee of the intake. He has already offered as many as 107 yearlings, finding homes for 88 of them, for a median four times the conception fee. But even that pales next to Yaupon, whose next yearling to bring down the hammer will achieve his 100th sale of the crop! That's out of 112 offered to date, yet they have managed a median five times his $30,000 opening fee. This horse impressed a lot of people on inspection and proves how some bandwagons can nowadays keep rolling even against the challenges of inundation. Next year, of course, we will have a record-breaking rookie coming to market, but Yaupon and Charlatan are giving supporters of that horse room for optimism. Yaupon is actually matching the $150,000 median of two pricier stallions, neighbors at Darley, who divide him from Charlatan in the averages. Of this pair, Essential Quality will for now be avoiding Maxfield's eye around the barn–but these remain the very earliest of days. Charlatan and Maxfield both landed a seven-figure sale at Keeneland, where Yaupon sold a colt for $900,000. In terms of punching above weight, meanwhile, Tacitus has a pedigree that has become still more regal since his retirement, and is multiplying his $10,000 fee very nicely on median and average alike. But the standout performer, strictly on yield, is Beau Liam. Priced at little more than a case of good bourbon, he is registering an eightfold yield by median–and hitting a factor of nearly 12 by average! The sensational speed he exhibited in a curtailed career make him a luminous candidate for the 2-year-old pinhookers, in particular, but he also has an auspiciously seeded family. Among the established sires, the big guns remain Curlin (50 of 59 sold so far, at a median $455,000, with his September sale-topper contributing to an average of $610,800); Into Mischief (53 of 73 at $450,00/$593,679); and Gun Runner (74 of 87 at $425,000/$546,729). The venerable Tapit's diminishing output has been duly prized (26 of 32 at $501,230/$355,000). But it's the next in the list, Not This Time, whose supporters have most to celebrate. These yearlings were still only conceived at just $45,000, remember, and he has processed 97 of 115 at $300,000/$388,855. Given what he is also doing in Europe, meanwhile, it felt rather surprising at Keeneland that Justify did not beat a single sale of $1 million (a very glamorous colt presented by Woods Edge), matching one son sold at Saratoga. I would willingly wager that one or two major European programs will end up reproaching themselves for missing a trick or two, among his less expensive sales. Perhaps Norman Williamson and Mags O'Toole will instead have to be rewarded for having the good sense to go back to the well! The post Median Key to Maintaining Record September Tide appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Breanna Moore and Raines Gammon both found immediate success in their first forays in the TAKE2 Junior Rider Program, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. Moore led all Junior Riders in the Hunter division of the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League, and Gammon was the high-score Junior in the Jumper division. In addition to trophies for the champions and saddle pads for the top five in each division, TAKE2 this year added a $500 award to the high-score Junior Riders. “Congratulations to Breanna and Raines for taking the top honors in the TAKE2 Junior Rider categories,” said Erin Halliwell, executive director of TCA. “We are thrilled to once again support TAKE2 as they work to offer incentives to Hunter Jumper riders to select a Thoroughbred as their next mount. TAKE2 successfully highlights the versatility of former racers and the success that they can find after their racing careers.” Moore, the regular rider of 8-year-old Nickel Ride (registered as Candy Major by The Jockey Club), picked up 950 points this season. She finished fourth overall in the 2024 TAKE2 Thoroughbred League Hunter Standings, and was the Reserve Champion against 23 rivals in the $10,000 TAKE2 Hunter Finals at the Kentucky National Horse Show Sept. 22. Nickel Ride (aka Nicholas), a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase, is an unraced son of the stallion Candy Ride (Arg). Adopted from New Vocations in 2019 by Jamie Barkau, the Florida-bred was subsequently purchased by the mother and daughter team of Brooke and Breanna Moore. “It's been a really amazing experience,” Moore said of her first experience with Take2. “It's nice to have that Thoroughbred connection and be competitive and broadcasting that to everyone else that Thoroughbreds can be competitive after their racing careers. It's been awesome.” With the help of veteran The Girl Next Door (registered as A P Jet Stream by The Jockey Club), Gammon also capped off the 2024 season as the divisional leader, heading the Junior Jumpers with 316 points, 118 points clear of her nearest competitor. “We were looking for something for me to do and we came across [TAKE2],” explained Gammon. “I had fun, so we just did it for the rest of the year. It really worked out.” The 14-year-old Maryland native joined forces with 'Dinky' in October of 2023. Leased from West Coast-based Patty Arnett, the 21-year-old mare stands just over 14 hands. “It took me a little bit to figure her out. She's very opinionated,” Gammon said of the New York-bred. “She knows her job and she likes to do her job, but it just took me a little time to figure out how to ride and work with her.” Created for the 2018 season in partnership with TCA, the TAKE2 Junior Rider Award recognizes the juniors competing on Thoroughbreds in nationwide TAKE2-affiliated Hunter and Jumper classes. In addition, all who are enrolled for the award and compete in TAKE2 classes are eligible for a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship grant from TAKE2. The grant can be used to pay tuition and expenses for higher education anywhere in the U.S. Individuals are eligible as TAKE2 Junior Riders until the end of the TAKE2 season in which they reach the age of 18. “Since we joined forces with TCA to start this program, it has grown every year, with the young horsewomen and men getting more and more interested in riding Thoroughbreds,” said TAKE2 Executive Director Andy Belfiore. “That's no surprise, as they are fun and exciting to ride. Congratulations go out to Breanna and Raines, and all our Junior Riders.” The post Moore, Gammon Earn Take2 Junior Honors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Whisper Hill Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Charge It (Tapit–I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next season at Gainesway. Charge It followed a 'TDN Rising Star' maiden victory with a runner-up effort in the 2022 GI Florida Derby. He demolished the field with a 23-length victory in the GIII Dwyer Stakes and returned as a 4-year-old to win the GII Suburban Stakes. “Winning any graded race by 23 lengths, as Charge It did in the Dwyer, takes an immensely talented horse. Charge It's ability was at the Grade I level,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. Charge It registered Beyer Speed Figures of 100 or higher on four occasions and retired with four wins and earnings of $887,270. A homebred for Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, Charge It's second dam is broodmare of the year Take Charge Lady (Dehere), making his dam a half-sister to champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) and Grade I winner Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy), as well as to the dam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and multiple Grade I winner Omaha Beach (War Front). “Charge It is an exceptional-looking horse that possessed brilliance,” said Gainesway general manager Brian Graves. “His pedigree is among the very best available to breeders.” Charge It is currently available for inspection at Gainesway. A stud fee will be announced at a later date. The post Charge It Retired to Gainesway appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Andre Fabre has issued a positive bulletin on his pair of contenders as he seeks a record-extending ninth win in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday, October 6. Fabre is responsible for the ante-post favourite in the shape of the three-year-old Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who has won his last two starts over the Arc course and distance, first making the breakthrough at the top level in the Grand Prix de Paris in July and then returning from 10 weeks off with a comfortable victory in the G2 Prix Niel. Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), on the other hand, is yet to prove herself over the Arc trip, but Fabre expects the step up to a mile and a half to play to the strengths of a mare who is already a five-time Group 1 winner. This summer she returned to Deauville to repeat her 2023 victories in the Prix Rothschild and Prix Jean Romanet. “They are doing well,” Fabre said of his potential Arc runners. “They just worked this morning and I was very pleased with them. “I fancy the mare. So many people seem to think the Arc may be a bit far for her, but I have exactly the opposite opinion. I actually think an extra two furlongs will help her. She loves soft ground and her ability is not in question. She will adapt to the course and distance very well and she's in very good shape.” He added, “Sosie is a nice horse as well and he is coming forward at the right moment. If it goes very heavy ground, that won't help him, but soft ground will be fine. He's like a few horses I've had who have won the Arc, in that he is coming good at the right moment. “I would not like to say one in front of the other, but I think both have a good chance of being in the first four, say it like that.” The post Andre Fabre Unable to Split Arc Pair Sosie and Mqse De Sevigne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After a gutsy last-start win in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes, Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) will accept to run in Friday night’s Gr.2 Feehan Stakes at The Valley, but that doesn’t mean he’s a guaranteed starter. “We’ll have a look at that, see how we draw, see what’s in the race, see how much rain comes and then we’ll make a decision if we run or not,” co-trainer Ben Hayes explained. “There is also an option a week later in the Turnbull, we can look to head in that direction as well. “We’ve just got to discuss with the team and work out what’s best for him getting to his grand final in the Cox Plate.” Should Mr Brightside run on Friday night, he could renew hostilities with Pride Of Jenni, as the pair continue a rivalry established over the past 12 months. “It’s a great rivalry and she’ll be very hard to catch if she does go around but we can’t worry about her,” Hayes said. “We’ve got to place our horse to what we believe is the best way to get to the Cox Plate and we’ll definitely be seeing how he draws and what we do, but the horse himself is in great order, we can’t fault him and he’ll be very hard to catch again.” Lindsay Park will send out two of their smart three-year olds on Friday night: Bold Bastille and Evaporate. Bold Bastille is due to run in the Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes after two competitive showings thus far this spring. “We’re very happy with Bold Bastille, she came through a good run last start well,” Hayes said. “She’s looking fantastic, she’s out to 1200m but I thought she was very tough down the straight, she got taken on, ran really quick time, she was still strong on the line, so I don’t think that extra 100m will be an issue, especially at The Valley.” As for Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto), he’ll step up in grade on Friday when he runs in the Gr.2 Stutt Stakes and will chase his fourth-straight win in the process. “He’s undefeated there, he’s in great order, he has really come on for his last run,” Hayes said. “He’s really gone the right way, so we’re excited. He’s obviously stepping up in class for the first time, but he needs to race against those kinds of horses to warrant going to a Caulfield Guineas. “He’s a genuine good horse and he can show everyone.” View the full article

Split (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) may have been the sole maidener and the $70 outsider in Tuesday’s NZB Airfreight Road To The Jericho (3200m), but that didn’t stop him from outstaying his rivals and booking a ticket to the Australian feature for Jo Rathbone. Initially set to be run at New Plymouth on September 14, the Road To The Jericho was rescheduled on two occasions as a result of abandonments at that meeting, and at Waverley on Sunday. A final field of 12 assembled after scratchings, with Split the first off the ballot in the Rating 75 contest. Split carried just 51 kilograms courtesy of Toni Davies’ three-kilogram claim, but that was where the favours stopped for the five-year-old, who faced a tough trip three-wide throughout the race from his wide barrier draw. Star hurdler Berry The Cash was favourite for the contest at $4.80 and followed proceedings from the outset before making a sweeping run at the 800m, while fellow jumper Dictation also made his claim and lead the field into the home turn. While many started to weaken, Split continued to improve and hit the front at the 200 metres, holding off Dictation and Berry The Cash to bag the upset by just shy of two lengths. The son of Turn Me Loose had 11 starts on the board prior and finished in the first five on eight occasions, without picking up that elusive maiden victory. Rathbone, who owns Split alongside Simon Harrison, saw the staying potential in her charge and was duly rewarded. “Toni rode him really well, she got stuck out wide but there wasn’t too much she could do about that,” Rathbone said. “He’s not the sort of horse that you can pull back, he’s one-paced and just keeps on going, so she had to keep him in that rhythm and he just kept on kicking.” Rathbone hadn’t initially intended to start Split in the New Plymouth edition, but closer to her Wanganui base, the rescheduling mapped out perfectly for her charge, who is set for a career over fences. “He raced on the Awapuni Synthetic the day after (New Plymouth), so it was really an afterthought when it was shifted to Waverley,” she said. “The distance really appealed, he’s been schooling over fences all year and had a jumping trial in Cambridge, so our plan has always been to jump him and get out to that range. “He jumps very well but we wanted to wait until next year before he races over jumps, and in all of his 2000m starts, he’ll always be the last one to pull up and hardly be blowing.” The winner of the Road To The Jericho earns the North Island’s golden ticket (ballot-free entry) into the A$300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m), to be run at Warrnambool in Victoria on December 1. Last year’s winner of the race, Nassak Diamond, went on to win the Jericho Cup, an opportunity that Rathbone intends to take up with Split. “We definitely intend to go, the extra distance in the Jericho will suit him because he’ll just keep on going,” she said. “Even today after the two miles, he’s pulled up really well.” Co-bred by Wellfield Holdings, Split is out of an unraced Street Cry mare in Cry For Terre, and was sourced by Rathbone through Peter Didham. “We got him through Wellfield when they were dispersing, but I had spoken to Peter Didham about horses that needed a bit more time and he quite liked him,” she said. “I think he’ll still improve, he’s still a long-legged type of horse.” Rathbone’s team had a successful outing with Billy Boy and Mr Twinkletoes also placing in their respective contests on the card, with the former putting in a bold performance over 1600m following a win over hurdles last-start. “I’ve always quite liked Mr Twinkletoes, he’s had to race on quite heavy tracks recently and I just think he appreciated the slightly better surface today,” she said. “I think he’ll go over ground as well, so that’s something for his future. “Billy Boy really impressed me today, it was great to see him get back and run on so well only over a mile. “He always seems to go really well for Amber (Riddell) too.” View the full article

Likeable Mornington trainer Mick Nolan won’t be pushing his stable star Stylish Secret. Nolan says the VRC Derby trial winner has earned a break. Mick Nolan 24.09.2024 – Racing HQ with Steve Hewlett – Apple Podcasts View the full article

Dominic Sutton joined Racing Pulse to discuss the latest developments following Feroce’s fourth-place finish in the Guineas Prelude at Caulfield and he also shared an update on the other horses in the stable. Dominic Sutton shares insights on Feroce and a stable update – Racing Pulse with Michael Felgate – Omny.fm View the full article

Last Saturday, the key lead-ups for some of the spring’s biggest races headlined the meetings at Caulfield and Randwick. With a look ahead to the Victoria and Sydney carnivals, we have found three runners that are expected to feature prominently after strong performances early in their preparation. Randwick Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: True entire circuit Race 9: Group 2 Shorts (1100m) | Time: 1:02.40 Horse to follow: Stefi Magnetica (2nd) The Bjorn Baker-trained mare Stefi Magnetica won the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in Queensland at the end of her winter campaign, and she proved it was no fluke with a strong performance in the Group 2 Shorts at Randwick on Saturday. Zac Lloyd couldn’t have given her a better ride, settling on the rail at the rear of the field before picking them up in the final 400m. The daughter of All Too Hard had to wait for an inside run behind I Am Me before putting in a dive on the line to just miss in a photo finish. When to bet: Stefi Magnetica holds a nomination for the Golden Eagle on November 2, so it is expected that she will have one more run before the target race. The Group 3 Nivision over 1200m at Rosehill on October 12 looks like the ideal race for her next. Race 6: Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:22.36 Horse to follow: Gringotts (2nd) Following his undefeated autumn preparation, Gringotts returned at Randwick and took on Group 3 company for the first time in the Bill Ritchie Handicap. The Ciaron Maher-trained gelding won at Listed grade before going out for a spell, and he nearly landed a Group 3 first-up but was just nosed out by Mchale. Held up until the 300m mark, Gringotts savaged the line but couldn’t quite reel in the winner. When to bet: Although Gringotts holds a nomination for the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, he may not get into the race due to his rating. However, he would be very hard to beat in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes at Caulfield on October 19 if the stable chose to target that race. Caulfield Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: +6m entire circuit Race 10: 4YO Open Mares Handicap (1200m) | Time: 1:10.55 Horse to follow: Revolutionary Miss (3rd) Revolutionary Miss kicked off her career under new trainer Ciaron Maher at Caulfield, where the daughter of Russian Revolution was beaten by less than a length over 1200m. Damian Lane settled his mount on the fence in the middle of the pack before picking a way through the field in the final 300m to finish in the placings. This five-year-old mare has done her best work over 1400m to 1600m throughout her career, so it was encouraging to see her perform so well first-up. When to bet: Revolutionary Miss has performed at her best against her own sex, so the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes over 1400m at Flemington on October 5 looks like the best race for her second-up. Top horse racing sites for blackbook features Recommended! The Better Bettors! Australian-owned and operated bookmaker! Join MarantelliBet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Horse racing tips View the full article

New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing celebrated a black-type double last week, with Group Three winners in Australia and Ireland, highlighting the success of their dual hemisphere strategy. Five-year-old gelding Etna Rosso was a brave winner of the Gr.3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) in New South Wales on Friday. “It was just a good tough staying run,” Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt said. “You could see that he got clearly headed in the straight, but he rallied, fought back and was quite comfortable on the line, so it was a good run from him.” He is now on an Australian Group One path with Friday’s win automatically qualifying him for the A$750,000 Gr.1 The Metropolitan (2400m) on October 5, with the A$5 million Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the A$8.56 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) his longer term targets. Etna Rosso was successful on debut in Ireland as a three-year-old, stakes placed at his second start and then finished fifth in the Gr.2 Queen’s Vase (2847m) at Royal Ascot, giving his New Zealand-based ownership group a once in a lifetime experience before heading to Australia. He kicked off his Australian campaign in February and Friday’s win was his third down under. He broke the track record at Warwick Farm in his first preparation and shapes as an exciting stayer in Australia. “He looks to be a really talented stayer, and he has an exciting season ahead of him,” Allnutt said. “He’s still young but he’s showing what a good horse he is already.” Several households across New Zealand were wide awake and tuned into the racing at Gowran Park in Ireland at 3am on Sunday morning as their three-year-old filly Je Zous powered home to win the Gr.3 Denny Cordell Lavarack and Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes (1902m). “It was a really good victory from her and to be fair it was a thoroughly deserved win,” Allnutt said. “She’s been super consistent all the way through her career.” A winner and stakes placed as a two-year-old, Je Zous has shown great promise this season, placing twice at Group Three level and finishing fifth in the Gr.2 Ribblesdale Stakes (2400m) at Royal Ascot and then sixth in the Gr.1 German Oaks last start. Go Racing Director Albert Bosma said that while official plans are yet to be confirmed, Je Zous will head to the Waller stable in search for Australian black-type at some stage before being sold as a broodmare prospect. Both horses were purchased from the United Kingdom in partnership with Blandford Bloodstock agent Stuart Boman, who has been instrumental in Go Racing’s recent success. “Stuart has been a really big help to us over the last few years,” Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt said. “He’s a very good bloodstock agent and a really good guy who we’ve been lucky to partner with and our association with him has really strengthened Go Racing and added another string to our bow.” Go Racing’s strategy is to buy young horses in Europe and race them there as two and three-year-olds, targeting black-type races, from the stable of Joseph O’Brien in Ireland. Then the horses are transferred to champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller to take advantage of the lucrative prize money on offer there. “We’re really excited to be giving our owners the best of both worlds,” Allnutt said. “They have the chance to race horses up in Europe where they’re aimed at the best races, they’ve been able to go to Royal Ascot and watch their horses run, and then we bring them down to Australia where they’re trained by the best in the business in Chris Waller. “It’s a formula that’s proving very successful. Albert (Bosma, Go Racing director) has put a hell of a lot of work into it to get it off the ground and Stuart has been an instrumental part of the plan, presenting us with these horses, it’s just going from strength to strength.” View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has unveiled a uniquely crafted trophy, named Te Puhoro, to mark a significant milestone in the journey towards the inaugural running of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old horse race – the NZB Kiwi. The governing body has commissioned a piece by renowned carver Deane Moreton of Moko Pounamu in Ōtautahi Christchurch, featuring a special design incorporating Māori imagery. The trophy will be awarded to the winner of the NZB Kiwi – a race sponsored by Thoroughbred auction house New Zealand Bloodstock, held on 8 March 2025 at Ellerslie Racecourse. Designed and crafted by Christchurch-based company Frontal Lobe, the contemporary Te Puhoro features a split Koru pattern symbolising swiftness, speed, and agility. In Māori culture, this design can also represent a storm or something tempestuous, mirroring the fiery temperament of a stallion. A standout feature of Te Puhoro is the pounamu stone, carved in the silhouette of Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Hāpopo variety of pounamu is found near Big Bay in South Westland and sourced by expert carver Deane Moreton. Reflecting on Te Puhoro, Moreton said “This has been a rewarding project, allowing us to highlight the unique qualities of the pounamu we selected and showcase it alongside other native materials incorporated in this impressive trophy.” “The multi-layered effect is striking and represents whakapapa, the Māori word for ancestry and bloodline, which is of immense importance and a source of mana for Māori,” he said. NZTR Chairman Russell Warwick expressed his excitement about Te Puhoro on behalf of New Zealand’s Thoroughbred racing code. “This trophy will celebrate the best of our world-class breeding and racing industry, featuring a lineup of premier three-year-olds conceived, born, or sold in New Zealand,” Warwick said. “It has been an honour to work alongside Deane Moreton, who sourced and carved the magnificent pounamu, and the team at Frontal Lobe, who brought the design to life. “We also received strong support from acclaimed writer and poet Ben Brown, who guided us through the process, helping us name the special piece, as well as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei who blessed Te Puhoro in an intimate ceremony for Slot Holders and partners of the NZB Kiwi.” Warwick also highlighted the significance of Te Puhoro as part of a broader initiative to enhance New Zealand’s Thoroughbred racing scene. “We are thrilled to unveil this uniquely stunning piece for the sport of Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. This is just one part of a series of new initiatives aimed at elevating the country’s first-ever Thoroughbred slot race” he added. NZTR has announced the highly anticipated slot race will take place on Champions Day during the revamped Thoroughbred racing Summer Carnival. The Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race, the NZB Kiwi, will be held on 8 March 2025, with New Zealand’s premier three-year-olds competing over 1500m at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland. View the full article