Wandering Eyes

Odds Bookmakers News Field Past Winners Autumn Stakes Group Two Betting Guide Date: Saturday, February 8, 2025 Location: Caulfield Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria Prize Money: $300,000 Distance: 1400m The Autumn Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-olds conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield Racecourse. First held in 1979, the race was won by Gondolier. The Autumn Stakes is currently run over 1400m under Set Weights and Penalties conditions, offering a prize pool of $300,000 in 2025. Initially contested as a Listed race, the Autumn Stakes was upgraded to Group 3 status in 1980 and then elevated to Group 2 in 2008. The race has seen few fillies succeed, with only three—Catechuchu, Special Harmony, and Blaze The Turf winning in the past 25 years. It has been a notable lead-up to the Australian Guineas, with five horses completing the Autumn Stakes/Australian Guineas double: Light Fantastic, Apache Cat, Dash For Cash, Dignity Dancer, and King’s High. Over the years, several high-profile winners have emerged, including Lord Ballina (1983), Centaine (1984), King’s High (1989), Canny Lad (1991), St Covet (1995), Dignity Dancer (1999), Apache Cat (2006), Light Fantastic (2008), Denman (2010), Mahuta (2016), and Microphone (2020). In 2024, Snow Patrol claimed victory, defeating Southport Tycoon and Zipaway 2025 Autumn Stakes betting odds Betting odds for the 2025 Autumn Stakes are currently unavailable. HorseBetting will update the Autumn Stakes odds once released. How to bet on the Autumn Stakes Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! 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Join Boombet Review 18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms. 8 On Your Side Betfair Australia Australia’s only betting exchange Visit Betfair Review What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit. Full terms. 9 By Players, For Players UniBet Unibet offer daily promotions to registered and logged in customers only Join Unibet Review 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Chances are you are about to lose. Full terms. 10 Ladbrokes Switch Ladbrokes Ladbrokes offer daily promotions to registered and logged in customers only Visit Ladbrokes Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Ladbrokes does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. All of the trusted betting sites listed offer markets on the Autumn Stakes, including futures, all-in and fixed-odds options. Due to the popularity of betting on marquee races in Melbourne, horse racing bookmakers frame markets as early as possible which is often months in advance. Autumn Stakes News Feroce set for Autumn Stakes return Australia horse racing news 1 day ago Feroce is set to trial on January 17 before kicking off in the Autumn Stakes, with trainer Dom Sutton favouring … Read More Snow Patrol gets the head down in Group 2 Autumn Stakes Australia horse racing news 11 months ago Mark Zahra and the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr team have combined with Snow Patrol to grind away to … Read More Glint Of Silver causes boilover in Group 2 Autumn Stakes Australia horse racing news 2 years ago Blake Shinn and David Pfieffer have combined with a last start Kembla Grange Class 1 Handicap runner-up to take out … Read More Sandown full racing tips & quaddie tips | Saturday, February 11 Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago The C.F Orr Stakes headlines the action out of Sandown on Saturday, and HorseBetting’s James Herbert presents his race-by-race preview … Read More Coastwatch grips on in the Autumn Stakes Australia horse racing news 3 years ago The Chris Waller-trained Coastwatch has taken out the Group 2 Autumn Stakes at Caulfield, with Group 1 targets the main … Read More Poland Set To Conquer Australian Guineas Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Mike Moroney admonished himself after Poland’s first-up win in the Autumn Stakes as he said he should not have run … Read More 2025 Autumn Stakes Final Field HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Autumn Stakes final field is released. Previous Autumn Stakes Fields 2024 Autumn Stakes field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Zipaway Neville Parnham Steven Parnham 7 58.5kg 2 Carbonados Ben, Will & JD Hayes Luke Currie 1 58kg 3 Flying Trapeze Gary Portelli Craig Williams 8 57kg 4 Southport Tycoon Ciaron Maher Damian Lane 5 57kg 5 Hey Fat Cat Robbie Laing Michael Dee 4 57kg 6 Shiny New Deel Gavin Bedggood Jamie Kah 2 57kg 7 Snow Patrol Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Mark Zahra 6 57kg 8 Sacramental Mitchell Freedman Jarrod Fry 3 57kg 2024 Autumn Stakes result https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Caulfield-2024-Group-2-Autumn-Stakes-10022024-Snow-Patrol-Mick-Price-Michael-Kent-Jnr-Mark-Zahra.mp4 1st – Snow Patrol (+800) 2nd – Southport Tycoon (-1000) 3rd – Zipaway (-125) Recent runnings of the Autumn Stakes: 2024: Snow Patrol fends off Southport Tycoon Mark Zahra and the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr team combined with Snow Patrol ($9.00) to win the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m). It was a perfectly timed steer by Zahra who elected to stalk the favoured runner Southport Tycoon ($2.10) every step of the way, taking a mid-field sit throughout the 1400m journey. There was a strong tempo mid-race setup by the team Hayes-trained Carbonados ($6.50), as the third market elect strode to the front under Luke Currie, attempting to make every post a winner. As the leader was fading turning into the home straight, the eventual quinella pair cleared out on their respective rivals as Snow Patrol and Southport Tycoon sat down to fight out the finish, with the former just able to get the upper hand in the shadows of the post. Hey Fat Cat ($6.00) was the clear firmer in the market but bombed the start significantly, putting an end to his winning chances despite flashing home into a fourth-place finish, while Western Australian invader Zipaway ($7.50) managed to hold third. 2023: Glint Of Silver causes boilover Blake Shinn and David Pfieffer combined with Glint Of Silver to cause a boilover in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, after finishing as a runner-up in a Class 1 Handicap at Kembla Grange last start. This three-year-old son of Rubick has gone to another level this preparation, beginning his campaign by breaking his maiden first-up in a Canterbury Maiden three starts back, to now winning a Group 2 at Sandown. After jumping as an $11 outsider with online bookmakers, Glint Of Silver sat outside the leader and just kept finding down the straight to hold on and beat the fast finishing and luckless Amenable and The Fortune Teller. The race favourites, Pericles and Calico Jack, were somewhat disappointing which left some owners and punters scratching their heads. 2022: Coastwatch grips on to victory The first Group race at Caulfield on CF Orr Stakes Day in 2022 was taken out by the sole Sydney visitor, as Coastwatch proved too strong in the Autumn Stakes (1400m). The Chris Waller-trained gelding sat outside the heavily backed Decent Raine in the run, before going clear at the top of the straight under Craig Williams. The three-year-olds battled it out for every inch of the 1400m affair, as Burning Power surged from last, going down by only a narrow margin. Coastwatch was having his first run for the autumn, after having a successful spring campaign, which saw him take out the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Stakes and run 1.6 lengths behind In The Congo and Anamoe in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes. Previous winners of the Autumn Stakes Autumn Stakes Past Winners Year Horse Jockey Trainer 2024 Snow Patrol Mark Zahra Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) 2023 Glint of Silver Blake Shinn David Pfieffer 2022 Coastwatch Craig Williams Chris Waller 2021 Poland Jordan Childs Michael Moroney 2020 Microphone Damian Lane James Cummings 2019 Beauty Legacy Mark Zahra David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig 2018 Holy Snow Michael Dee Mick Price 2017 Oak Door Damian Lane Robert Smerdon 2016 Mahuta Brad Rawiller Darren Weir 2015 San Nicasio Ben Melham Peter Moody 2014 Thunder Fantasy Mark Zahra Anthony Cummings 2013 Mulaazem Luke Nolen Peter Moody 2012 Pied a Terre Mark Zahra Peter Snowden 2011 Dusty Star Craig Williams Peter Morgan 2010 Denman Kerrin McEvoy Peter Snowden 2009 Fravashi Kerrin McEvoy Peter Snowden 2008 Light Fantastic Steven King Mick Price 2007 Catechuchu Craig Williams David Hayes 2006 Apache Cat Glen Boss Greg Eurell 2005 Shinzig Steven King Chris Waller 2004 Special Harmony Damien Oliver Lee Freedman 2003 Titanic Jack Patrick Payne Tom Hughes 2002 Dash for Cash Greg Childs Rick Hore-Lacy 2001 Desert Sky Greg Childs Mathew Ellerton 2000 Sudurka Patrick Payne Brian Mayfield-Smith Autumn Stakes winners pre-2000 Autumn Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 Year Horse 1999 Dignity Dancer 1998 Blaze The Turf 1997 Tampir Lane 1996 Nick On The Run 1995 St Covet 1994 Royal Rubiton 1993 Just Juan 1992 Laranto 1991 Canny Lad 1990 The Oval 1989 King’s High 1988 Havelock’s Pride 1987 Northern Copy 1986 Beach Gown 1985 Testimony 1984 Centaine 1983 Lord Ballina 1982 Pure Of Heart 1981 Deck The Halls 1980 Tolhurst 1979 Gondolier Recommended! Take It To The Neds Level Home of the Neds Toolbox Check Out Neds 18+ Gamble Responsibly Punters Prefer Blondes It’s a fact, Blondes have more fun Join BlondeBet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?. Next Gen Racing Betting Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? It Pays To Play New online bookmaker Check Out PlayUp 18+ Gamble Responsibly Say Hey to the social bet! You Better Believe It Join Dabble 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?. Full terms. View the full article

The Magic Millions race day, postponed last Saturday due to heavy rain, returns this Friday night for a special twilight meeting at the Gold Coast. One of the rescheduled highlights is the $2 million Magic Millions Cup 2025, a handicap race promising an exciting clash of talented sprinters and middle-distance runners. Moravia Seeks Redemption Michael […] The post 2025 Magic Millions Cup Heats Up Under the Friday Night Lights at the Gold Coast appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Magic Millions 3YO Guineas Rescheduled for Friday Night Under the Lights The highly anticipated Magic Millions 3YO Guineas 2025, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been rescheduled for Friday evening, January 17th, at the Gold Coast. Heavy rainfall forced the abandonment of the majority of the Magic Millions race day on Saturday, leading to the decision […] The post Updated 2025 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas Betting appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

The rain may have delayed the party, but the glamour and excitement return to the Gold Coast this Friday night as the rescheduled 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic takes centre stage. A Wide-Open Race for $3 Million Sixteen talented juveniles will vie for a share of the $3 million prize purse in this prestigious race. […] The post Magic Millions 2YO Classic Rescheduled for Friday Night Lights! appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

What 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic Where Gold Coast Turf Club – Gold Coast, Queensland When Friday, January 17, 2025 Prizemoney $3,000,000 Distance 1200m Conditions Restricted Listed 2024 winner Storm Boy (9) | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Adam Hyeronimus (57kg) Visit Dabble Following the postponemnet of the Magic Millions Day meeting last Saturday, the remaining seven races will take place at the Gold Coast Turf Club this Friday Night. The Magic Millions 2YO Classic is scheduled to be run as the second race on the night, with a full field of 16 expected to clash over 1200m. With the track being rated as a Heavy 8 at the time of acceptances and some rain forecast in the lead-up, the track is expected to remain wet, but there is a possibility of an upgrade to a Soft rating on raceday. 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic odds Horse racing bookmakers have opened their Magic Millions 2YO Classic market with only six runners marked under $10. The Peter Snowden-trained Memo leads the betting at $5.50, slightly ahead of Invincible Woman and La Bella Boom at $6. Gallo Nero ($6.50) sits alone on the third line of betting, with Icarian Dream ($7.50) and first emergency, Space Rider ($8), rounding out the horses in single figures. 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic speed map The speed for the 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic will be very fast, with the likes of Invincible Woman, The Playwright, Space Rider, and Hi Barbie expected to fight for the lead. Vein Girl, Gallo Nero, Don’tdoubthelady and O’Ole will push forward from inside to middle barriers and settle behind the speed. Meanwhile, Quietly Arrogant, Memo, and Icarian Dream are likely to settle worse than midfield and enjoy the hot tempo. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2025 preview & form With so many speed influences engaged in this year’s edition of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Icarian Dream will go on top in the 1200m contest. The Ciaron Maher-trained filly was way too good for her rivals in the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm last start, as she sailed down the middle of the track and recorded a 1.5-length win. The daughter of Blue Point has been to the races four times so far, with each of her performances showing that she is only getting better with the experience. If Jason Collett can settle Icarian Dream in a good position from barrier 21, she will prove very hard to hold out late. Gallo Nero was very good when taking out a 2YO Handicap at Rosehill last start. The son of Wootton Bassett settled behind the speed before taking a gap between runners at the 200m mark to finish off strongly over 1100m. After drawing barrier five, the Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained colt will get the run of the race behind a strong speed. Invincible Woman and Space Rider have been impressive in their debut victories and must be given a chance if they can finish off after racing on speed. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2025 selections & best bets Selections: 6 ICARIAN DREAM 2 GALLO NERO 10 INVINCIBLE WOMAN 17 SPACE RIDER $100 betting strategy $50 win Icarian Dream (#6) @ +650 with BlondeBet $50 win Gallo Nero (#2) @ +550 with Playup 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic Field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Quietly Arrogant Peter Snowden Joshua Parr 16 57kg 2 Gallo Nero Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes Tyler Schiller 5 57kg 3 Secret Sort Donna Stanbridge Vld Duric 2 57kg 4 Luva Flutta Stuart Kendrick James Orman 7 57kg 5 Cool Archie Chris & Corey Munce Martin Harley 20 57kg 6 Icarian Dream Ciaron Maher Jason Collett 21 55kg 7 O’ Ole Bjorn Baker Tommy Berry 3 55kg 8 Vein Girl Chris & Corey Munce Cejay Graham 6 55kg 9 La Bella Boom Tony Gollan Craig Williams 10 55kg 10 Invincible Woman Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans Damian Lane 9 55kg 11 Hi Barbie Tony Gollan Tim Clark 14 55kg 12 The Playwright Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Blake Shinn 8 55kg 13 Memo Peter Snowden Kerrin McEvoy 1 55kg 14 Formula Rossa Tony Gollan Angela Jones 18 55kg 15 Don’tdoubthelady Clinton Taylor Justin Stanley 17 55kg 16 Forgotten Spirit Scott Morrisey Linda Meech 11 55kg 17 Space Rider (1E) Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Chad Schofield 4 57kg 18 Blitzburg (2E) Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou TBC 19 57kg 19 Earn To Burn (3E) Jack Bruce TBC 12 57kg 20 Lovebug (4E) Wendy Bannerot TBC 13 55kg 21 Insain Lady (5E) Adam & Dallas Simpson TBC 15 55kg Horse racing tips View the full article

Ben Allen returns to the mounting yard aboard Bittercreek after winning the Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Bittercreek is shaping up as the standout contender for Friday night’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m), according to co-trainer Will Larkin, who hopes the colt can live up to expectations in the rescheduled $3 million feature on the Gold Coast. Originally set to run in Saturday’s abandoned Magic Millions meeting, the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) runner-up has had to adjust his preparation, but Larkin remains optimistic about his chances. “He’s trialled well here and his form in Queensland from his two-year-old season is really good,” Larkin, who trains in partnership with Leon and Troy Corstens, told Racing.com. “He loves going this way. He’s done everything right, looks terrific, and his trackwork has been incredible. “I think (Saturday) he was ready to peak, and heading into Friday he will be the same. “He’s probably the best horse in the race. If he gets a bit of luck from the draw (and) we get a track better than a Soft (6) he can definitely win.” Stablemate Zou Sensation is also on track for the rescheduled Magic Millions Cup (1400m), with Larkin confident both runners will present well on race day. “You have to scramble to make things happen and they’ll be there in good order. “Our two both handle the wet, but I reckon they are more effective on top of the ground. “If we happened to get a dry track it would definitely be a positive.” Horse racing news View the full article

Accredited. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Accredited has been one of Sydney’s standout performers this summer, stringing together three consecutive city wins since early December. The five-year-old, trained by Joe Pride, has twice tasted success at Randwick and will now step up to stakes level for the first time in the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) on January 25. “You can only be impressed by what he’s been doing, he’s done really well,” Pride said. “He’s having a good preparation, to state the obvious, and he still looks like there’s a little bit of improvement in him. “This race should do him for this preparation.” Accredited’s latest victory came in dominant fashion on January 4, when he won a Benchmark 88 (1400m) by four lengths. Pride is pleased with how the gelding has pulled up since that run. “I’m happy with him,” he said. “The handicapper didn’t miss him, he gave him nine points so that’s 4.5 kilos. So he basically has to go up in grade again, which is fine. “I had that Carrington Stakes in mind anyway.” If Accredited can deliver another strong performance at Listed level, Pride is considering a potential winter campaign for the in-form gelding. Horse racing news View the full article

An appreciation, by T.D. Thornton In the mid-1960s, Rocco Gabriella started his career as a jockey by literally standing on his head to try and make it into the winner's circle. He didn't get his photo taken there all that many times during a two-decade career that largely played out in and around his beloved hometown of Philadelphia. But his flair for showmanship and a drive do just about anything to put a smile on the faces of his fellow racetrackers, to help those in need, and to take chances on just-for-fun endeavors fueled by nothing more than his unbridled optimism stood out, even in a sport that has never lacked for characters. Gabriella died last week at age 82 at his home in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, where he and his wife, Deatra, had retired two decades ago. His only son, Michael Gabriella, told TDN in a Monday phone interview that after a 2021 fall caused a brain bleed, Gabriella suffered a series of strokes that led to his demise. He passed peacefully Jan. 6 surrounded by his extended family, with Michael holding his hand. “He was always looking for ways to bring joy,” Michael Gabriella said. “He didn't go the track just to collect a paycheck.” Richard Orbann, a retired racetrack executive, came up through the officiating ranks with Gabriella in the 1980s after Gabriella had hung up his tack. Orbann was the clerk of scales at Philadelphia Park and Gabriella was his assistant. When Orbann rose through the ranks and become president of Garden State Park, Gabriella took over in the jockeys' room. Gabriella, who started singing at age five when the nuns at his Catholic school had him stand up in front of the class to demonstrate hymns to classmates with his pitch-perfect voice, had often filled the jockeys' rooms at tracks in the mid-Atlantic with song. Over the years he belted out everything from Motown to oldies to pop rock, just like he did when he performed crooning solo in talent contests, or at parties with his four-piece band, Dead Heat. “Rocco was a very interesting and very talented guy, and he was a guy with a good soul,” Orbann told TDN. “Everybody liked Rocco, is the best way to put it. “He was an amazing singer,” Orbann said. “He sang professionally in nightclubs, and had two or three CDs out. He had a Frankie Valli kind of a voice.” Born and raised in South Philly, Gabriella at first embarked upon a career as a plumber's apprentice. But he gave it up in his early 20s after hearing so many people say his muscular, 104-pound, 5'2″ frame would be better suited to riding racehorses. An established jockey who lived in his neighborhood, Kevin Daly, helped to influence his decision. Gabriella hatched a plan to head to New Orleans for a winter to learn hotwalking and then exercise riding. Because he was broke, he had to ride the entire way down in the back of a horse van, and slept in the stables until he got his first paycheck. “When I decided to become a jockey, I wanted to prove to my bigger friends that I could do as much or even more than they could,” Gabriella said in a 1973 interview with the Courier-Post of Camden, New Jersey. Gabriella returned to Philly and won his first race Oct. 5, 1965, at Atlantic City. He then ventured north to New England, where he was a leading apprentice at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park. On the opening day of the spring 1966 meet at Suffolk, the Boston Globe reported that Gabriella “startled the other jockeys and valets in the jocks' room [when] he stood on his head for 10 minutes” before the first race. “This is yoga. It's the art of relaxation,” Gabriella explained. “It eases the tension in your body. You're supposed to be able to stand on your head as you stand on your two feet. The blood doesn't circulate in the brain naturally. It has to be pumped there. That's why you have tension.” The Globe reported with a touch of skepticism that, “The others weren't convinced even though Gabriella won the only race he rode that day.” Within a few months though, the 24-year-old rookie had converted at least a few of his fellow reinsmen. One was the more experienced jockey John Giovanni, who had fractured spine and was nearly paralyzed in a spill around the same time Gabriella was getting started. The apprentice showed the journeyman a few yoga positions to help with strength and flexibility, and Giovanni later publicly credited Gabriella for providing “excellent therapy” to speed his recovery. A year later, Gabriella got married and decided to move to California to try his luck on a more competitive circuit. But four weeks into the venture, he, too, broke his back. During his time recuperating, Gabriella got homesick, so he and Deatra returned home from Santa Anita Park. In the early 1970s, Gabriella was based at Liberty Bell in Philly and the nearby New Jersey tracks. But he accepted long-shot mounts wherever they were offered, riding at now-defunct Thoroughbred venues like Commodore Downs, Pocono Downs, Dover Downs and the Marshfield Fair. Although he rarely ranked at the top of any track's win standings (his career predated statistics now available on Equibase), Gabriella did evolve into a go-to jockey whenever reporters wanted a good quote or an entertaining story. For Halloween in 1971, the clean-shaven Gabriella grew a long, full beard so his costume as a whirling dervish would look authentic. When he kept the mass of facial hair long into 1972, he joked in a Philadelphia Daily News article that its purpose would serve him well if he ever had to shave it to drop a few pounds to make riding weight. Based on numerous newspaper clippings from that era, even after a decade of riding, Gabriella still got more ink for his yoga than he did for winning races. Although he gamely fielded questions from reporters who didn't understand the practice decades before yoga went mainstream, Gabriella seemed to sense he was getting pigeonholed as a novelty for standing on his head. When Gabriella opened up about other aspects of his life, turf writers began to get curious about what they regarded as non-traditional interests for a racetracker, like the jockey's voracious library habit and his penchant for watching documentary films. “I find myself reading a lot of information books,” Gabriella told the Hackensack Record. “I just read Alvin Toffler's The Third Wave, which was very interesting. He says the world is becoming an information world. I don't want to become stagnated in my thinking. I want to look to the future.” Gabriella was ahead of his time with that choice. The Third Wave was a landmark book written nearly a half-century ago that correctly predicted how the planet would transition from centuries of being agriculture- and industry-based to the data-driven societies that dominate our daily lives today. “I don't want the label 'pinhead,'” Gabriella said by way of explaining his numerous off-track interests. Gabriella was a member American Society of Inventors. He always seemed to have ideas for in-the-pipeline patents, but the only one that came close to fruition was a “novelty gift” that he told one interviewer had made him “a little money.” Gabriella also liked to box, and although he never fought professionally, he was a sparring partner for others in the lower weight classes who did. He even managed to make that pastime mesh with his interest in show biz and all things Philly: He acted as a stand-in for Rocky Balboa's son in one of the Rocky films (although Michael said his dad's appearances did not make the final cut). Over the decades, injuries took their toll. “My dad broke his back, twice,” his son said. “And his collarbone. And his wrist. He had to have knee surgery from all the running he had to do to lose weight. He had six concussions. Multiple hernias. And one time, in addition to him falling off of horses, a horse tried to jump over his car one morning and totaled it. Luckily, it didn't land on him.” Michael Gabriella said those injuries were the reason that later in his life, his father never turned down a request to perform as entertainment at charity fundraisers that benefitted causes like the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. By 1983, when Gabriella was 41, good mounts were difficult to come by. He wound up his career as the “house jockey” at the Meadowlands and Garden State, getting paid a modest fee to stay late each racing night until the last race was over just in case another rider got hurt and a substitute jockey was needed so the track wouldn't lose betting handle by having to scratch the mount. In 2004, while working as the scales clerk at Philadelphia Park, a local horse was improbably on the cusp of winning the Triple Crown. Gabriella co-wrote and performed a song titled “The Legend of Smarty Jones.” The bluesy number got quite a bit of local airplay in the weeks leading up to the colt's near-miss, one-length loss in the GI Belmont Stakes. Although he had once told an interviewer that he would probably remain at the racetrack until he died, Gabriella retired to South Carolina in the mid-2000s. But before he could settle in and relax, his son said he almost did die after contracting a potentially fatal (and then little-known) autoimmune disease. He was failing fast and down to 90 pounds before a doctor came up with the correct diagnosis and initiated treatments that saved his life. “He had to go through chemotherapy, lost his hair, and came out of remission twice,” Michael Gabriella said. “But he always powered through and made it.” The retired jockey didn't exactly take it easy once he bounced back. Gabriella landed a regular gig singing in a supper club, and even tried out for the reality television music competition X Factor. “He did this in his 60s, ever the optimist,” his son told TDN. “He made it through three rounds. Never made it on TV, but he didn't get turned away at the door, either.” Even as far back as four decades ago, Gabriella knew that the racetrack had provided him with a full and interesting way of life and a second family. “I won a small stakes and had a couple of seconds in stakes races.” Gabriella told the Courier-Post shortly after retiring from riding in 1986.. “I never really had any nice horses. I rode a lot of claimers. I didn't really get any big stakes or anything. I guess I was never that much of a success as a rider. But I made a living at it, and I made a good living.” The post Remembering Rocco Gabriella, Renaissance Rider With a ‘Good Soul’ and a Flair for Showmanship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY – The Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale opened with the first of its three sessions Monday and figures at the end of the day were well ahead of the pace set during the opening session of its four-day 2024 renewal. “It was a good, solid day,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think it was a continuation of November in large part. We saw good, solid trade for quality horses.” For the session, 200 horses sold for $18,087,000 for an average of $90,435–up 11.11% from last year's opening session–and a median of $65,000, which increased a whopping 103.13% from 2024. In 2024, 225 horses sold during the opening session of the January sale for a gross of $17,547,500, an average of $77,989 and a median of $32,000. With 95 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 32.20% Monday. It was 30.12% a year ago. “The demand was high, reflected in the median up over 100%, which is fantastic,” Lacy said. “We were up in all three major indices, which is encouraging. We did have a tick up in RNA rate. We will dive into that, but there definitely has been some protectionism, as we mentioned in the November sale, and has been evident here as well.” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach added, “For a long time, the January sale was a little brother to the November sale, but this is a strong median and huge growth from last year, when we had seven figure offerings in the first session.” With a slimmer catalogue this year, the January sale has been condensed to three days, making direct comparisons between opening sessions difficult, Breathnach acknowledged. “The catalogue in general is a little stronger top to bottom because we lost primarily from the lower end of the market,” Breathnach said. “This first day [Monday] is probably a little enriched because a lot of Book 1 sort of got forced into this. But there is a lot of quality, particularly tomorrow [Tuesday], because some of the big consignors are selling everything tomorrow. It's not really a Book 1 and a Book 2 situation, but generally speaking, today was enriched a little bit. So that's probably helping the median jump, but that doesn't change the fact that it more than doubled, which could never have been anticipated either. It's not quite apples to apples because of the format tweak, but we will know more in a couple of days.” In addition to the smaller catalogue, the first day of the January sale had a large number of outs. From a catalogue of 459, there were 164 horses withdrawn from the session. “We are watching the scratch rate and RNA rate as indicators of not everybody getting what they needed to out of the session,” Breathnach said. Lacy added, “A lot of the scratches came in early. They were ones that we knew about for a while, so it wasn't that there wasn't enough activity on the grounds. There was fairly regular traffic of late scratches, there was nothing extraordinary in that sense.” Hip 447 – Delahaye | Keeneland Adrian Wallace of Coolmore, bidding on behalf of David Nagle's Barronstown Stud, went to a co-session topping $700,000 to acquire Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) (hip 453). The 6-year-old mare, in foal to Candy Ride (Arg), was consigned by Gainesway on behalf of the estate of John Hendrickson. Winner of the 2021 GIII Schuylerville Stakes, she had sold for $1.1 million at the 2024 Keeneland November sale, but was returned after she was observed cribbing. “She's a lovely mare,” said Wallace. “We loved her the first time we saw her. She was a very precocious race mare herself and obviously coming from the estate of the late John Hendrickson, we are privileged to buy into one of his great families–and that of Marylou Whitney, as well.” Of her announced status as a cribber at Monday's sale, Wallace, who confirmed the Coolmore team had bid on the mare in November, said, “We are delighted to get her this time at a slightly discounted rate. You take [cribbing] into account, but we've got lots of fence posts at Ashford Stud and hopefully she won't do too much damage.” Wallace said Pretty Birdie will likely have a date with a Triple Crown winner this spring. “The plan is to keep her in America,” Wallace said. “She is very well covered at the moment, so we will see what the foal is like, but probably you will find that she will go to Justify.” Three Chimneys Farm bought out partner William Lawrence on GIII Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes winner Delahaye (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 447) with a $700,000 bid late into the supplemental catalogue Monday. The 5-year-old mare was consigned by Four Star Sales as agent. “That's the exact number I had appraised her at to [Three Chimneys owner] Goncalo [Torrealba] before she walked in,” said the farm's Chief Stipe Cauthen. “It wouldn't have shocked me if she had brought $800,000 or $900,000 and we knew she wasn't going to bring $500,000 or $600,000.” Kerry Cauthen of Four Star Sales agreed on the price point. “It was a great price for a Grade III filly,” he said. “And as has consistently happened year round and year over year, if they're as pretty as that and they show the performance, there's plenty of people that want to buy. [The price] was actually a little better than I thought she'd bring. I thought she was kind of a $500,000 to $600,000 filly. It's just a matter of finding two people who ant the same thing.” Both co-topping mares were supplements to the main January catalogue. “The nice thing about the supplements is that, when the time comes, I think they felt it was time to retire this filly and put her to the breeding shed,” Kerry Cauthen said. “And it was a partnership where one breeds and one doesn't, so that's why she went in here.” Of the market during Monday's first session of the auction, Kerry Cauthen said, “I think it's been a very fair January. Sometimes January doesn't always have the same sizzle that you get in November, so you have some odd happenings but, as a market overall, I think it's been very fair.” Delahaye is the first foal out of Bella Carina (War Front), a full-sister to MGSW Valid and a half-sister to a pair of talented runners in GISW Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon), a $2-million KEENOV broodmare, and MGSP Grand Love (Gun Runner). Three Chimneys, which bred Delahaye, will add the young mare to Gun Runner's upcoming 2025 book. “She was extremely consistent and talented on the track and we just felt like it's an important family,” said Chief Stipe Cauthen. “Her dam is producing really nice horses. It's really hard to find quality that you can buy. Three Chimneys already owned half of her, she was on the market and if she brought more, she would've sold, but [Goncalo] was comfortable buying out the partnership. It's a win-win for everybody. The partner made money and had fun at the races. She made nearly a half million dollars. Now, she'll go to Gun Runner. She's a great young mare for Gun Runner.” Chief Stipe Cauthen noted a slight down tick from the November market to January. “The sale has been a very good quality sale, but maybe it just didn't have the electricity of November,” he said. In addition to offering Monday's co-topper, Gainesway also consigned the day's top-priced short yearling. A colt by Tapit, hip 293 is out of stakes winner Maybe Wicked (Mizzen Mast) and was purchased for $400,000 by JPM Bloodstock, agent. “It's typical,” Gainesway's Brian Graves said of the January market. “You're unhappy with a lot of what you are getting until you identify a horse that you really want to buy and then you go to the sale ring and you can't obtain the horse. It's a little bit feast or famine, a little spotty in January. But so far, it's been pretty fair.” The Keeneland January sale continues through Wednesday with sessions beginning each day at 10 a.m. The post With ‘Pretty Spectacular Increase in Median’, Pair of $700,000 Mares Share Top Billing at Keeneland January Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $2m Avantage Filly.

Haunui Farm will head to Karaka next week with a 51-strong draft for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales, led by a number of blueblood fillies in Book 1. “We have got a very nice draft of Book 1 yearlings and we have got some pretty special fillies in that draft,” Haunui Farm managing director Mark Chitty said. Lot 345, the Savabeel filly out of Group Three performer Symphonic is set to garner plenty of interest, being a full-sister to multiple Group One winner and last season’s New Zealand Champion three-year-old Orchestral, while this year’s standout three-year-old Savaglee also features close-up in the pedigree, being out of a full-sister to Symphonic. Chitty is also excited about the prospects of two other Savabeel fillies in his draft – lot 255, the filly out of Group One performer Rondinella, and lot 450, the filly out of Arabian Night, an Oasis Dream half-sister to Group Two winner Olaya. “We have got three Savabeel fillies. The full-sister to Orchestral is a lovely filly,” Chitty said. “We have another one out of Rondinella, who we raced from our foundation family. I think she is the ninth generation from that family that hails all the way back to a mare called Foxona, who we bought off Trelawney back in the mid-fifties, so there is a lot of history there.” Chitty is also upbeat about the fillies by Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto. “We have a couple of nice Per Incanto fillies, including lot 123, out of Moet Belle,” he said. “She is a really nice, athletic filly. We also have a filly out of Black Mascara (lot 489), who was a handy race mare and a full-sister to a handy horse called Mascarinto.” Haunui are also well represented by their colts in the Book 1 session, and they hope to kick their sale off positively when lot 18, the Proisir colt out of Group Two winner Irish Colleen, goes through the ring. The colt is a half-brother to Group One performer Crosshaven and Group Three winner Killarney, and is a half-brother to the dam of Group One winner Crocetti. “He is a really nice horse,” Chitty said. Haunui’s draft has plenty of variety to offer prospective buyers, with a large number of stallions represented in their Karaka offering. “Of the 50 yearlings we have got, 22 stallions are represented,” Chitty said. “That is one of the things we are tailored towards with a larger draft, which is a wide variety of stallions.” Heading into the Book 2 session, Haunui’s shuttle stallion Ribchester is represented by half a dozen yearlings, while buyers also get one of their last chances to secure progeny of Haunui’s former stallion Belardo. “We have got a couple of really nice yearlings by Ribchester,” Chitty said. “The filly out of Broadway Express (lot 984) is arguably pretty close to a Book 1 pedigree. She is a really nice, athletic filly. “He also has a colt out of Tokyo Lil (lot 898), and a nice half-brother (lot 1057) to Whisky ‘N Roses, who performed well earlier in his three-year-old year. “Belardo is a top five stallion in New Zealand at the moment, and we have got three yearling colts by him. “There are no other Belardos, the only Belardo you are going to get is through Haunui. They are well worth looking at.” Chitty is heading into the sale cautiously optimistic, but said Haunui is prepared to meet the market. “The very good horses will sell well, but it will be a buyers market,” he said. “Thankfully racing is where it is at at the moment in New Zealand, which is certainly a lot better than it was three or four years ago with stake money and opportunities. “It will have its challenges, but we go there with a really nice crop of horses and we are there to meet the market.” View the full article

Darryn Weatherley is unable to split his talented stayers Ess Vee Are (NZ) (Shocking) and Arby (NZ) (Proisir) ahead of Saturday’s Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation And Sport Wellington Cup (3200m), and with the same ownership group in both horses, he would be happy to see either take the Trentham feature. The stablemates are half-brothers and strikingly similar, as big staying types with plenty to respect about their records. A seven-year-old by Shocking, Ess Vee Are won the Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m) nearly two years ago at the Upper Hutt course, and this term has found little luck since winning at Te Rapa in October. In the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m), the gelding was severely hampered when Arby jumped the crossing and dislodged his rider, then in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), he struggled to find room for much of the final straight. Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter Briar, was happy to look past his most recent effort at Taupo, finishing 10th behind Doddle. “His run in the Waikato Cup was super, then he went to Taupo and we were expecting a bit more than what we got,” he said. “But he had a couple of excuses that we’ve taken from that, he was off-colour and his blood wasn’t quite 100 percent, he also went down on his front bumpers on a track that was never going to suit him. “That was enough for us to suggest he’s worth a shot at Wellington, his work since has been super and he’s won the St Leger down there.” Meanwhile, his younger sibling Arby bounced back from the Counties incident with a game second placing in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Day, where he had the race won everywhere but the line, where he was caught by Son Of Sun. “It was a great run and he didn’t have all favours really, it was a hard watch going out of the straight,” Weatherley said. “I thought it was a very good ride by Jasmine (Fawcett) because she was going to be caught wide, she elected to go forward when the pace came out of the race and that was almost the winning of it. “He tried very hard and he deserves his spot in the field on Saturday, I’m really looking forward to stepping him over two miles.” The pair currently lie at $12 (Ess Vee Are) and $14 (Arby) in the TAB Futures market for the Cup and Weatherley hopes a dry surface will allow them both a shot at the major spoils. “Both these boys, they’re half-brothers and are just out-and-out stayers,” he said. “At the two miles, I think they will eat up the ground, but I’m hoping that will be on good footing. The weather is looking okay, so if we can get between that 4-6 range, it’ll be right up their alley. “I can’t separate them, on Arby’s run at Ellerslie and Ess Vee Are’s history at Wellington. It’s a hard race to win, but it would certainly be a thrill if one of them could put their hand up. “I’m looking forward to it.” A long-standing association with owners RBC Racing would make a title all the more special for Weatherley. “The owners were my first clients, they are family friends of ours and own the mare (Reiveke),” he said. “They bred both of these horses, Ess Vee Are by Shocking and then Proisir for the other boy. We are very fortunate to have them on board. “The first horse we ever trained, aside from our own horse who is the mother of Pier and Maria Farina (La Vitesse), was called Soda, who was owned by these people. “We’ve got two out of the mare both by Vadamos, one is a three-year-old who finished second at his first trial, and the other is a two-year-old filly, she’s had a couple of jump-outs and is just coming back into work. “She’s showing the family promise as well.” View the full article

Heat 10 Angel's Brew trained by Pam Gerard. Very good trial. Watch for its next start. Best Rose power finish down the inside after climbing over horses.

Heat 9 won by Ocean Park filly Au Fait. Zonza colt Zivou a close second.

Matamata today Tuesday 14 January Melbourne Wednesday Gold Coast Friday Hong Kong at the weekend!

Zonza and Rondinella colts One by Bivoac and the other by Snitzel

Rigney Racing's Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Jonathan's Way is settling into Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the winter, and trainer Phil Bauer has a target on the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes (G2) as the colt's next start.View the full article

Nice looking colt from Wexford. L'Agle Noir

Very impressive trial by Return To Conquer. Watch out Sydney!

Master Fay and the 2yr old colt Return To Conquer

Cagliostro (Upstart), who was a stakes winner and twice Grade III-placed after being acquired privately by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's Wathnan Racing in the spring of 2024, has been sent to Meydan for the Dubai Carnival, where he will be trained by Hamad Al-Jehani. The operation's American representative, Case Clay, confirmed the news via text Monday. Bred in Florida by Lance Colwell and Janice Clark, Cagliostro was originally trained by Cherie DeVaux for a partnership that included her husband, bloodstock agent David Ingordo, West Point Thoroughbreds, Nice Guys Stable, Talla Racing and James Spry. A maiden winner at second asking the bay was third in the GIII Indiana Derby and runner-up in the GIII Smarty Jones Stakes before finishing unplaced in the GIII Oklahoma Derby. A Keeneland allowance winner on 4-year-old debut last April, Cagliostro was subsequently acquired by Wathnan Racing and, with DeVaux still handling training duties, was run down late by Highland Falls (Curlin) in the GIII Blame Stakes June 1 ahead of a one-length defeat of the commonly owned Tumbarumba (Oscar Performance) in the June 30 Hanshin Stakes going the one-turn mile at Churchill Downs. A stumbling start cost Cagliostro any chance of making an impact in the Aug. 24 GI Forego Stakes at Saratoga and he was third as the odds-on favorite in the GIII Ack Ack Stakes back in Louisville Sept. 28. Cagliostro was most recently unplaced in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar Nov. 2. Should he acclimatize rapidly, it is possible the 5-year-old could be ready for a race such as the G3 Jebel Ali Mile on Feb. 15, or if more time is needed, the G3 Burj Nahaar at Meydan on Super Saturday Mar. 1. The latter is the course-and-distance prep for the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile on the Dubai World Cup undercard Apr. 5. Cagliostro also holds an entry for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 22. Good luck to this guy. https://t.co/U5Vlnwg6t4 — Cherie DeVaux (@reredevaux) January 13, 2025 The post Wathnan Racing To Campaign Cagliostro In Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Babylon Berlin easy win lead as always. Damask Rose second.

Babylon Berlin and Damask Rose

Move To Stike nice easy trial winning under a hold

The new Knight.