Wandering Eyes

ASCOT, UK — If the wait had been a while for Golden Horn to have his first Group 1 winner on the Flat, for the coterie of folk involved with his son Trawlerman it had been a worthwhile one. “He's just like his father – very brave,” said John Gosden as he assessed the performance of Trawlerman in the Gold Cup, Thursday's showpiece event. “When they go wire to wire like that, it takes a bit of doing.” It was something the old warhorse had attempted last year, when still a mere stripling of a six-year-old, only to be headed in the final furlong by Kyprios. With that old foe now permanently off the scene, the way was paved for Trawlerman to add to a tremendous week for the Gosdens' Clarehaven Stables, where his sire, too, was trained to win the Derby and the Arc. As Trawlerman was led back in after his record-lowering effort – the fifth Royal Ascot winner in three days for John and Thady Gosden and the second in the Godolphin blue – Golden Horn's former rider Frankie Dettori was on hand to congratulate William Buick. Though Dettori couldn't cajole him into a flying dismount, Buick was flamboyant in his urging of the crowd's roar for his most valiant of partners. Over the last decade or so, the Gold Cup has often been passed back and forth between Ballydoyle and Clarehaven, with Stradivarius claiming it three times, Kyprios twice, and then Courage Mon Ami handing Wathnan Racing and the partnership of John and Thady Gosden a first victory in the week's most celebrated race. “If anyone is going to go by him they'll know that they've been in a race,” Gosden Sr added of the Godolphin-bred Trawlerman. “With Kyprios not here he deserves that, to come back and show that he's a proper horse. “We like the Cup races – you can have a cup of tea or coffee and a chat halfway through – but also it's so important to have those lovely staying horses for the future of racing in England, Ireland and France.” Casting his mind back to the 1970s and to the turn of foot of treble Gold Cup winner Sagaro, he added, “That is what I like – horses than can go the distance – and then go.” Gosden has gone the distance himself and, at 74, shows no sign of slowing up, especially with a new sprint kick added to the training partnership from his youngest son, Thady. In Westminster on Monday Gosden was one of only two trainers, along with Jim Boyle, to attend a presentation of the report to government from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Racing and Bloodstock on the looming threat of betting duty harmonisation. There he spoke eloquently, as usual, on the lure of British racing for the major international owners-breeders before bouncing on to Ascot to pick up a Group 1 prize per day. Yesterday he chatted with the future king after Ombudsman won the Prince of Wales's Stakes, and then with the King and Queen following Trawlerman's triumph – and if anyone from government was taking notes, those Group 1s have come for the two biggest patrons of the British turf of the last half-century in Juddmonte and Godolphin. It has been a decade since Golden Horn's great Classic season and he has had quite the year in celebration of that landmark. In many ways this was the perfect race in which to break his Group 1 duck. Trawlerman ran half a mile less than Golden Ace had to when winning the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but then she had the small matter of eight flights to jump. Their sire will struggle for popularity with breeders of a commercial mind but he is nevertheless an important crossover sire to have on this isle – one who could get you a Gold Cup winner of either variety. His owner Jayne McGivern is of course his most passionate supporter and took obvious delight in Trawlerman's success. She said, “He throughly deserved this and I do hope this is the first of many races where people recognise the value of a middle-distance, staying stallion like Golden Horn. I worry that we are losing that in Britain.” Garden Comes Up Roses for Breeder Hanly At the other end of the scale for both age and distance, Coolmore's grip on the two-year-old races continued, with No Nay Never's Charles Darwin bossing the Norfolk Stakes, just as True Love, by the same sire, had done the day before in Queen Mary. Aidan O'Brien later landed the Ribblesdale with Garden Of Eden, providing a dream result for breeder Mark Hanly, who produced the daughter of Saxon Warrior with his mother Stephanie. He said, “It doesn't get much better than this. It's gobsmacking. She's incredible, I just didn't see it coming.” Hanly, who is married to the broadcaster Sally Ann Grassick, travelled to Spain to buy Garden Of Eden's dam Komedy (Kodiac) after her full-sister On Her Toes was Listed-placed for Cheveley Park Stud and was quick to credit agent Barry Lynch for his assistance in finding the mare. He continued, “I flew down there, I got a call that there was a filly and these fillies don't hang around. I was in Newmarket and I flew to Madrid straight away to buy her privately. Then I had all the vultures ringing me to try to buy her after her sister won her Listed race, but we sent her to Saxon Warrior, who is a great sire, and here we are.” The post A First Flat G1 for Golden Horn as Trawlerman Joins the Clarehaven Greats appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rich Mendez will not be able to attend Royal Ascot this week but is acutely aware of the significance of having a runner who rates as a fascinating outsider in the June 20 Commonwealth Cup (G1) with his multiple stakes winner Shisospicy. View the full article

1st-BAQ, $85K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:10p.m. Mathiesen Racing's ELLA GRACE (Nyquist) gets her start for trainer George Weaver, who calls on the services of the red-hot Flavien Prat. Bred by Killora Stud, the Kentucky bred is out of MSP Golden Artemis (Malibu Moon), herself a first-out winner who tasted limited success on the racetrack. Her greatest achievement to date is producing My Conquestadory (Artie Schiller), who also won at first asking in the one-mile GII Summer Stakes in 2013 before adding a victory over a synthetic surface in the GI Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland. Following the success of My Conquestadory, Golden Artemis brought $1 million while in foal to Artie Schiller at Fasig-Tipton November in 2013 before re-selling for $110,000 to Killora Stud in 2020. She RNA'd for $1.15 million at KEENOV in 2015. A $70,000 KESEP yearling purchase, My Conquestadory brought $240,000 at OBS March before ultimately hitting paydirt in the sales ring when realizing $1.5 million at Keeneland November in 2016. TJCIS PPs The post Friday’s Racing Insights: Half to GISW My Conquestadory Debuts at Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bouncing out of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, Ballydoyle's Trinity College (Dubawi) made all to turn Thursday's G3 Hampton Court Stakes into a procession. Sent off the 5-2 favourite having been fourth in that Chantilly Classic, the son of Hermosa (Galileo) was placed on the front end from the outset and had plenty left when asked to kick in the straight by Ryan Moore. Surging to the line to record a 3 1/2-length success from the 2,000 Guineas fourth Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot), he completed a Group-race Royal Ascot treble on the afternoon for trainer and jockey. Glittering Legend (Too Darn Hot) was a further length away in third. “He could be an Eclipse or an American Derby horse,” O'Brien said. IMPRESSIVE! TRINITY COLLEGE WINS THE HAMPTON COURT STAKES! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/7wFTbPOU2I — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025 The post O’Brien And Moore Royal Ascot Treble As Trinity College Strikes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Without much notice or attention–the way he prefers it–lifelong racetracker John Pimental is easing back into a sense of shedrow normalcy as spring morphs into summer at Monmouth Park. “It feels good to be back to working–making a living again,” Pimental told TDN one recent afternoon before feeding time. The 70-year-old trainer has five Thoroughbreds bedded down in the same barn his former outfit of eight occupied on the morning of July 28, 2023, when agents for the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) descended upon the modest racing stable he had run for five decades with his wife, Diana. John, a second-generation horseman who had never incurred any medication run-ins with any state racing commission authorities, was shocked to be served with a federal violation alleging that a gelding he owned had tested positive for 193 picograms per milliliter of methamphetamine, a human drug of abuse classified as a “banned” substance. The couple's troubles grew exponentially worse when a HIWU search of their vehicle turned up Levothyroxine, another banned substance. Faced with being ruled off for three years and a $25,000 fine (18 months and $12,500 per violation), John was one of the first trainers in the summer of 2023 to attempt to navigate the unfamiliar framework of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)'s new Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program (ADMC). HIWU had just started implementing the ADMC one week before Golovkin–sixth and last in a $5,000 claiming sprint–tested positive for meth on May 29, 2023. Nothing in John's five decades of owning, training, working as an outrider and ponying starters at tracks up and down the East Coast had prepared him for trying to defend himself against charges he feared might end the only livelihood he had ever known. The Pimentals believed, but could not prove, that Golovkin's meth positive was a case of inadvertent contamination from contact with something or someone who had handled the gelding between the post parade and the test barn. And while they freely admitted they should not have had any Thyro-L on track property, they tried to explain it was an instance of not realizing a repackaged, three-year-old container of prescription medicine for their 17-year-old pony, Richard, was buried amid the clutter of their truck. Despite their pleas for leniency because of the circumstances and John's clean record, by the time TDN first profiled the Pimentals' plight almost two years ago, in October 2023, John had already given in to what he described as stress and pressure. Under the terms of a “case resolution without hearing” that John told TDN he signed under duress because he didn't have the money to hire a lawyer, John accepted HIWU's three-year ban and $25,000 fine, knowing it might equate to never being able to restart his career. “John's a tough man, but he was crushed during this thing,” said Diana, 67, who has spent her entire life on the backstretch, helping John run the stable while at times working as a jockey agent and in various racing offices. “He was innocent, but they made him guilty,” Diana said. “John was forced off the racetrack. Forced to get rid of the only way he knew how to make a living. We were broke. I mean absolutely broke. We had to start all over again.” Against long odds, the Pimentals have managed to make a fresh start. After his trouble with HIWU became more widely known, John and Diana said they were “blown away” by the support and offers of assistance they received. HISA and HIWU even took notice, and proactively made changes to the ways some drug positives got adjudicated. Those modifications allowed John to get connected to an attorney after his case prompted HISA to initiate a program to provide free legal help for trainers who fall under certain income thresholds. That assistance eventually led to the October 2023 withdrawal of the admission he had signed, then a February 2024 renegotiation of the Thyro-L charges, which reduced his penalties to a 15-month suspension and $10,000 fine. Meanwhile, John's meth charge is currently stayed pending approval of proposed rules that HISA submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in November 2023 regarding lesser penalties for human substances of abuse if HIWU determines the positive was likely a result of an inadvertent transfer. With credit for the time he was provisionally suspended, John returned to training Dec. 4, 2024, at Tampa Bay Downs. After going 2-for-20 during the winter/spring meet there, this spring the Pimentals decided to venture north to Monmouth, retracing the Florida-to-New Jersey path they had followed since relocating a decade ago from their now-closed home circuit in New England. Speaking to John and Diana about their return yields a mix of emotions. They are at once elated to be back in action, with Diana's effusive laugh and John's wry wisecracks punctuating the conversation in an easygoing manner. They also recognize that some of the changes John's case brought about have been beneficial to other horsemen and women. But they say they are still distrustful of HISA and HIWU. On one level, John and Diana have a desire to let the whole thing go and get on with their lives. Yet on another, they remain stung by what the ordeal has cost them, both in terms of money and their well-being. “Yes, we care about other people now being able to get some help,” Diana said. “But it's too bad that we had to be the examples, and I will never be able to get over the money that we lost–ever, ever.” The Pimentals' financial difficulties extended beyond just the $10,000 fine and the $2,000 they spent on split-sample testing. Diana is also factoring in the 15 months of lost income from the racing stable that vanished overnight. “I mean, we worked so hard. And it wasn't like we had put a lot of money away. But we were trying to save so that someday we could retire. Now we've started all over again,” Diana said. “Mentally, John aged,” Diana continued. “And I'm not insulting you, babe!” she added as a playful aside to John before continuing in a quieter tone. “But mentally, he really did. I was really worried about him. He lost a lot of weight. Couldn't sleep. Couldn't get work. “I think if it wasn't for the help of our friends and family, plus our dog, Rosie, things would have been a lot different,” Diana said. HISA's Point of View Lisa Lazarus has been the chief executive officer of HISA since early 2022, taking charge five months before HISA's first racetrack safety regulations went into effect on July 1, 2022, and nearly a year and a half before its ADMC program got rolled out on May 22, 2023. When John's case became widely publicized in October 2023, Lazarus had to mitigate the first serious public relations challenge to ADMC enforcement. Five days after the Pimentals' story initially ran, Lazarus penned a letter published in TDN emphasizing the “tremendous empathy” she felt for John and Diana. But she also stated that the article “implied that HISA and HIWU are devoid of concern for regular horsemen, are looking to wipe out smaller training operations, and are ignorant to endemic drug use on the backstretch of many racetracks. “None of those are true,” Lazarus emphasized nearly two years ago. Now, in mid-2025, Lazarus said she can understand why the Pimentals might still hold a grudge against HISA and HIWU. But she also wanted to underscore the steps she has taken to fulfill the mandate she was first tasked with–guiding the sport through a dramatic period of change. “To start with, I would just say that all of our experiences, since HISA is so new, are important and inform future rulemaking,” Lazarus said in a recent phone interview. “You know, people can criticize HISA any way that they want, but I think one way that people would mostly agree is that we listen and try to be responsive if we think there's something that's not quite working. “Generally speaking, I think the one thing I'll say is I'm very sympathetic to the Pimentals, and I obviously can understand if they still have misgivings,” Lazarus said. “But the one misconception that I always try to clear up is that the anti-doping program isn't just in place to prevent cheating. It's also in place to protect horses for horse welfare reasons,” Lazarus said. “And the reason that Thyro-L is on the prohibited list is because of concerns that the experts have about its use in horses from a horse welfare standpoint. That's the rationale. The rationale is not necessarily that anybody thinks they were cheating,” Lazarus said. “If something is in a horse and it shouldn't be there, or if you possess something that you shouldn't be using on horses, [there are] consequences. And obviously, it was difficult for folks who were some of the first cases that arose,” Lazarus said. Even before John signed the resolution that he later withdrew, HISA and HIWU, in September 2023, had appointed an ombudsman so that trainers would have an impartial and unbiased resource to help explain the daunting new rules and provide guidance at no cost. The person who took on that role was the well-respected Alan Foreman, a Maryland-based attorney specializing in racing law who is also the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. It surprised no one who knows Foreman that he pledged to donate all compensation paid to him in connection with his ombudsman duties to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. In the early stages of that role, Foreman was swamped with inquiries. The Pimentals were among them, although they did not initially know that the services of an ombudsman were available to them. The creation of the HISA/HIWU ombudsman, plus the very public plight of the Pimentals, was the “catalyst” for the implementation of HISA's pro bono legal program, Lazarus said. “What really became clear to me from their situation, and one of the things that really resonated with me, was that no trainer should be in a position where cost is the barrier to full due process,” Lazarus said. “Since then, I think we've probably have granted 15 or 20–maybe even more–lawyers to trainers who can demonstrate that their income is not sufficient. “And we're pretty generous with what those [income thresholds] are,” Lazarus added. “[The Pimentals] had an exceptional lawyer, Howard Jacobs, who has a national reputation for athlete representation, both human and equine. He represented them, and they didn't pay for it. “We also agreed to, if they meet the same income requirements, to pay for [testing of the split] B sample” of an alleged positive, Lazarus said. “And in situations where there's an anti-doping case where the consequences are serious, we've even allowed for [paying for the defense team to hire] expert witnesses and that kind of thing. So we've really tried to address that issue,” Lazarus said. “We've also changed the provisional suspension rules. That is not only because of the Pimentals, but certainly that was one case that shed light on those consequences,” Lazarus said. “The authority to provisionally suspend still rests with HIWU,” Lazarus explained. “They don't have to for every case. We directed them to stop applying it, except for cases where you have multiple violations with the same trainer or a barn search turns up the same substance that was found in the horse. But [provisional suspensions] are now much more rare because of that.” While John isn't provisionally suspended for the alleged meth positive in the gelding he trained two years ago, those charges haven't gone away, either. In response to a TDN email query, Alexa Ravit, HIWU's communications director, detailed where John's case stands: “Mr. Pimental's pending Presence case for methamphetamine is currently stayed pending approval of proposed rules that are before the FTC. The proposed rule change would cap the period of Ineligibility related to human substances of abuse to 60 days if HIWU determines that it has a reasonable basis to conclude that the finding was likely the result of inadvertent human transfer. Until the FTC acts on the proposed rules and his case is resolved, Mr. Pimental is able to race and train uninterrupted,” Ravit wrote. TDN asked Lazarus if it was fair for John (and other trainers facing similar charges) to be kept in limbo for so long while the FTC decides whether or not to approve the rule change. “They're not really 'in limbo' because the provisional suspension is just an interim measure,” Lazarus said. “So their cases are still proceeding. They just are not suspended during the pendency of their case.” But the rule change has been before the FTC for nearly two years, since October 2023. What's taking so long? “Obviously, we're waiting on the FTC,” Lazarus explained. “And the anti-doping rules are specialized. You need a certain amount of expertise. And, as I'm sure you've noticed, there's been a reduction of [federal] government staff, et cetera. So I think all of those factors play into it.” The FTC “doesn't tell us why they're taking a long time,” Lazarus added. “Obviously, we would prefer [quicker passage]. We propose the rules because we want them to be approved. So we sort of sit on the same side as the horsemen on this. But the one thing that we have done is that where the change in the rules would be of benefit to the horsemen, we give them that benefit, notwithstanding the fact that the [FTC rule change] is still pending,” Lazarus said. “We recognize that these are real people with real lives, and we don't take these decisions lightly,” Lazarus said. “But I do think [the Pimentals'] case, amongst others, led to some positive steps forward, and obviously [their difficulties were] a consequence of being one of the first cases.” Riding Out the Winter After the initial publicity of their situation subsided, the Pimentals faced some difficult decisions beyond how John's case would turn out. They first had to help several longtime clients find new trainers for the horses they owned. They also had to give away Richard, who was John's longtime equine partner in his gate-ponying gig. The HIWU ruling also meant they had to take back Golovkin, who had been claimed for $5,000 on the day he tested positive for meth. The gelding had raced twice for different connections, finishing last both times, but that claim got voided by the ruling against John. Given three straight last-place finishes and the fact that Golovkin had to sit out a mandated 60-day period of inactivity, they were having trouble finding anyone at Monmouth who wanted to buy or adopt him. But the Pimentals were flooded with offers after TDN wrote about the gelding, and they eventually found a group of horsewomen in Kentucky willing to retire and rehome the dark bay with the handsome, half-blazed face. The Pimentals with Golovkin and Richard the pony at Monmouth in 2023 | Sarah Andrew John and Diana decided to follow through with going to Tampa Bay Downs for the winter of 2023-24 even though they understood that John would not be allowed to enter the racetrack property or work with racehorses at any nearby farm. Diana still had a job with the racing office there, taking entries in the mornings and working in the photo-finish stand during the races. But their drive south was delayed because Diana had to await clearance from her doctor to travel. She needed to make sure new medication was working to control the high blood pressure that Diana said had spiked during the initial months of their ordeal. When they finally made it to Florida and settled in, John applied for jobs but found it difficult to land interviews. He speculated that being in his late 60s and lacking a traditional resume didn't help. “I know horses,” John said. “What else do I know?” So how did John spend his days? “My dog, Rosie, she kept me busy,” John said of the terrier mutt the couple took in around the time the HIWU troubles first hit. According to Diana, the energetic pup doesn't leave John's side. “And we have a mobile home, so I was painting rooms, doing all kinds of things around here,” John explained. Diana added with a laugh: “Things he's never done before–he even did the laundry! We've been married 51 years, and he'd never done laundry!” Diana's attempt at humor couldn't completely cover how difficult some of their days were. After their story first appeared in TDN, a number of people offered fundraising efforts to help the Pimentals. But the couple respectfully declined any organized offers of financial assistance. “We thanked them and said we don't need any of that,” John recalled. “We couldn't take any money from anybody through GoFundMe. We just had to work through it,” Diana said. Yet having said that, Diana also admitted there were several close friends who pressed checks upon them that the friends refused to take back. “It wasn't a whole bunch, but it was something to get us groceries,” Diana said. “And all three of our daughters really helped us out. If it wasn't for them…” Diana let that last thought go unfinished. In the spring of 2024, John and Diana decided not to return to Monmouth, even though that's where their close circle of friends would be heading for the summer. The couple decided to pare expenses by not traveling and hunkering down until the next Tampa racing season started in November. The two started drawing on their Social Security, and Diana took a job working in a Publix supermarket. John's Suspension Ends Despite tight times financially, Diana doesn't want to dwell on that void without racing, the first summer in both of their adult lifetimes that the Pimentals weren't working on a backstretch somewhere. “We had three miracles happen while all of this was going on,” Diana said, beaming. “We now have three great-grandsons. They're two years old, 10 months, and three months. It's been awesome.” The Pimentals also weathered two hurricanes during John's suspension. Despite widespread devastation in their Florida neighborhood, their mobile home remained relatively unscathed, except for an air conditioner getting blown out. “We were so lucky. All around us homes were wrecked,” Diana said. “We got blessed. God was on our side. I think he said, 'These people have been through enough.'” Diana Pimental | Sarah Andrew Still, as his suspension neared its end in late 2024, John wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to training. But at the urging of a longtime client, Margaret Palomino of Pine Branch Stables, he came around. “I think when one of our owners decided to ask John to train for them again, at first he was like, 'Nah…'” Diana explained. “But deep down inside, I knew his attitude was 'Yes!'” Palomino, a small-scale, Tampa-based breeder and owner, had been in involved in the sport for decades with her recently deceased husband, Juan, a former jockey. “I had some horses on my farm and I had some horses at a training center, and they were ready for the track,” Palomino told TDN. “John's suspension was about to be up, and I kept asking him, 'When are you going to be ready to go back?' and he kept saying, 'I don't know if I want to.' I said, 'Hey, c'mon, this is what you do, and I need some help here!' “John and Diana are really very nice people, and as far as I'm concerned, they didn't do anything wrong,” Palomino said. “That shouldn't have happened to them at all.” Palomino continued: “And it did affect me, because at one time I had maybe a dozen horses with them. I had to all of a sudden scramble around and find another trainer in, what, two weeks, to get my horses off that track according to all these new rules. It was really hard for me, but I managed to do it by finding a trainer at Delaware Park and got things done. “At the time my husband was getting sicker and sicker [from Parkinson's disease]. He passed away this past September, but Juan believed in John and Diana too, and he didn't want to have anybody else training our horses,” Palomino said. “So it was just waiting it out and hoping that John would be able to get back to the track,” Palomino said. Around the same time last fall, Diana said, another longstanding client, Robert Knych, got wind that John was considering a comeback, and he asked if the Pimentals would start scouting for horses to claim on his behalf. “I saw a spark at that point, and he totally became John again,” Diana said. Palomino was asked by TDN what she thought of HISA and HIWU, beyond how the agencies handled John's case. “I think they had the cart before the horse,” Palomino said after a long pause to give the question some thought. “The concept with the medications, everything being on the same equal playing field nationally is a good thing, and I think that's right,” Palomino said. “The ideology was good,” Palomino summed up. “But the methodology, the way things were put into operation, was a little bit heavy-handed.” Overcoming the Aftershocks One day when Diana was working in the Tampa photo-finish stand, she went out to a common area near the stewards' booth to get coffee. Although she couldn't come up with the person's name, she recognized someone affiliated with HIWU who was visiting the stewards and whose face she remembered from the Zoom meetings related to John's charges. Diana said that person recognized her, and came up to offer a polite introduction. Perhaps wanting to defuse an awkward situation, the person said, “I hope you're not going to throw that coffee pot at me.” Diana didn't want to engage in small talk with anyone from HISA or HIWU. But she didn't want to be completely rude, either. “I said, 'Nah, I'm not that kind of person. But you got it wrong. You really got it wrong,'” Diana recalled. “And that was all I said. I wasn't going to go any further or make conversation. I just wanted that person to know that they got it wrong,” Diana said. It took John 11 starts at the 2024-25 Tampa meet to get back in the winner's circle. Then he won right back with the very next horse he saddled. John was glad to be back, but said the experience was unsettling in some ways, because he found himself acting differently around the shedrow. Pimental saddling Victory Girl | Sarah Andrew “You've got to tiptoe around. You've got to make sure nobody goes in your stalls. You've got to be careful with supplements. You have to be careful who you hire to walk a horse up for a race. I tie all my tongue-ties myself. I don't trust anybody else putting their hand's near a horse's mouth. I sit in front of a horse's stall all day now when he's running,” John said. “Allllll day,” added Diana in exaggerated fashion, trying to make light of a trying topic. Then she added more seriously: “But that's the truth. As much as we love the business, you get scared. When the horses were in at Tampa last winter, John was a wreck. You get scared every time you run a horse now.” John said that HIWU officials made themselves subtly known to him early in his comeback. “In Tampa they came by,” John said. “The guy looked at me and said, 'Do you know who I am?' And I said, 'Yeah, I sure do.' And that was about it.” It wasn't until late this spring that John and Diana decided that they'd be able to make a go of it at Monmouth, returning to the familiarity of their circuit. A personal decision they had to make first, though, involved Richard the pony, now nearing age 20. Trainer Don Hunt had been caring for him at Tampa Bay Downs with the open invitation for the Pimentals to take him back any time they wanted to. John missed ponying horses to the gate prior to races, but also recognized that Richard was getting up there in age. When the Pimentals learned from Hunt that “a young man, about 18 years old” had taken an interest in Richard and wanted to give the pony an off-track home, they let him go. “He's just an old man, retired now on a farm in Ocala,” Diana said wistfully. John has hit the board with three of seven starters at Monmouth and Parx since he shipped north this spring. The Pimentals said they have been welcomed by people on the backstretch at the Jersey shore. But there are times they wonder if their reputation has taken a hit. “Like John says, even if you're innocent, you know people are out there thinking, 'What if they really did it?'” Diana explained. The Pimentals said they now routinely follow news involving HISA and HIWU, and are particularly interested in the federal lawsuit involving trainer Phil Serpe, who currently races in New Jersey and New York and is suing HISA over allegations of a wrongful denial of Seventh Amendment rights to a jury trial in a case that involves “banned substance” sanctions from an alleged clenbuterol positive. “When we see some of these trainers that are going through hell, like Phil Serpe, I wish I could donate him money,” Diana said. “But we're just catching up now ourselves, so I can't. I would love to be able to give to his GoFundMe to help all the trainers, like he's trying to do. Because it is wrong. The fines are just outrageous. They ruin you, they really do. “Everybody on the backside has to stick together and be careful,” Diana said. “We love this business, and that's why we do it.” Sarah Andrew photo The post Pimentals Glad To Be Back On Track, But Dealing With the Aftershocks Of a 15-Month HIWU Suspension appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Despite his string dwindling from an all-time high of 250 horses to having just 30 in training currently, Saeed bin Suroor said he was relishing being back on the biggest stage of all after sending out Arabian Story (Invincible Spirit) to win the Britannia Stakes under Oisin Murphy – a man the trainer labelled as 'different class' following the success. Carrying the Godolphin blue, Arabian Story made his first ever start on turf a memorable one in the prestigious three-year-old handicap just over a fortnight after breaking his duck on the all-weather at Chelmsford. Talk about an audacious plan. And the victory represented yet another top-notch triumph for the trainer-rider combination, who not only struck many times at the highest level before with horses like Benbatl and Mawj, but were also successful in the Royal Hunt Cup 12 months ago with Wild Tiger. The trainer said, “We took him to Dubai [over the winter] and physically he improved a lot out there. Oisin rode him at Chelmsford and I told him that, the way he works in the morning, he works really well. I told him to keep him handy that day and I said the same thing today. He won well and he gave him a good ride. Oisin is the best. He's the best jockey in the world. He's different class. He's the three-time champion jockey in Britain.” Suroor added, “I used to have 250 horses in the past. And quality. But now we have around 30 horses in the stable and many of those are old and the younger ones are backward. Dubai Future is a nine-year-old but is still trying hard and won races in Dubai and finished third in the Gold Cup today. We try to do the best with what we have in the stable.” Asked if he loved the game as much as ever, the trainer concluded, “always!' It is hard to argue with the trainer's appraisal of Murphy given the Irish native had just a neck, a head and another neck to spare from his nearest rivals in a what was a bunch finish to the Britannia. Murphy revealed afterwards that, when approached by Suroor to travel to Chelmsford to guide Arabian Story to victory last month, he got an inclination that the trainer might have something special up his sleeve. Murphy commented, “Saeed told me a couple of weeks ago that I should go to Chelmsford to ride him in a novice. He said he was a very nice horse. After his novice, Saeed said, 'how good is he?' I said, 'I like him,' so he said, 'let's go to the Britannia.' So this plan was a long time coming and the horse was perfect and I'm delighted to win. We've had many [big wins together] and I'm over the moon.” Pedigree notes Saeed bin Suroor knows this family well given he trains Arabian Story's half-brother Olympic Candle who has won twice and reached a decent rating [88]. Arabian Story is out of Sepoy mare Delphinidae, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and rock-solid stallion Territories. The post ‘We Do The Best With What We Have’ – Suroor Back In The Big League At Royal Ascot appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ciaron Maher Racing will train out of Leilani Lodge at Royal Randwick after the Australian Turf Club (ATC) granted the operation stalls. The operation currently trains at Warwick Farm, Bong Bong Farm and Bobs Farm. However, the Warwick Farm branch of Ciaron Maher Racing will relocate to Randwick. “Ciaron Maher Racing is absolutely delighted to announced that we have been allocated stables at the iconic Royal Randwick Racecourse,” the operation posted in a statement on X. “We are deeply honoured to receive the keys to Leilani Lodge, a stable steeped in history and synonymous with excellence. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Australian Turf Club for the opportunity to train at one of the most prestigious addresses in Australian racing.” Added trainer Ciaron Maher, “To be given the opportunity to train out of Royal Randwick is deeply satisfying. Leilani Lodge is an incredible piece of racing real estate, and we are committed to upholding the standard and spirit that has defined it for decades.” The post Ciaron Maher Racing To Train Out Of Leilani Lodge At Randwick appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's seven-year-old gelding Trawlerman (Golden Horn) encountered a giant when runner-up in Royal Ascot's G1 Gold Cup last year and, with old foe Kyprios having departed stage left, kept matters simple and made all for an emphatic seven-length defeat of Coolmore's Illinois (Galileo) in the meeting's 2 1/2-mile feature. His winning time of 4:15.02 was a new track record. The 85-40 favourite was in front from flagfall and set a modest tempo on the long run to the judge first time and well beyond. Rider William Buick upped the pace when giving his mount a gentle squeeze with 3/4-of-a-mile remaining and soon had the majority of his seven opponents floundering. Coming under pressure on the home turn as Illinois was sent in pursuit, he was ridden safely clear approaching the final furlong and, with that rival failing to make further inroads, increased his margin of superiority in the closing stages to provide Buick with a first victory in the contest. Saeed bin Suroor trainee Dubai Future (Dubawi) came from another county to finish another seven lengths adrift in third and added lustre to the result for Godolphin. It was a fifth win for John Gosden, who already has Stradivarius and Courage Mon Ami on the roll of honour. TRAWLERMAN IS THE 2025 GOLD CUP HERO! #ROYALASCOT pic.twitter.com/KpFZ8A6QZg — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025 The post Buick Nails The Fractions As Trawlerman Takes The Gold Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One day after he was released from a federal prison, disgraced trainer Jorge Navarro is now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is being detained at an ICE facility in Miami called Krome North Spc. The self-proclaimed “Juice Man”, Navarro was handed a five-year sentence for his leading role in the felony drug misbranding and adulteration charges arising from an investigation that involved the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York. He began serving his sentence on Mar. 18, 2022. Exactly three years and three months after his sentence began he was released from the Federal Prison. Navarro's lawyer Jason Kreiss predicted before Navarro was sentenced that he would be deported after serving his time because he is not a U.S. citizen. It's possible that Navarro will be sent to his native country Panama. Another option is that Navarro will be deported to El Salvador, including to a large detention facility called CECOT, where conditions are reportedly harsh. While not directly run by ICE, this prison has drawn attention partly because some individuals deported from the United States, including those previously held by ICE, have been sent there. This story will be updated. The post Navarro Sent To ICE Facility appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club welcomes the approval granted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to progressively increase simulcast quotas over two racing seasons starting from 2025/26.View the full article

King of Gosford, winner of the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T), was voted Horse of the Meet following the conclusion of Santa Anita Park's Hollywood Meet June 15.View the full article

Colonial Downs' stable area will be open for business June 23, welcoming returning conditioners, as well as newcomers who are sure to impact the standings.View the full article

Trainer Aidan O'Brien's dominance of the Royal Ascot juvenile contests continued after Charles Darwin stormed to victory in the June 19 Norfolk Stakes (G2). View the full article

A good day for Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore at Royal Ascot became a whole lot better when Garden Of Eden (Saxon Warrior) ran out an authoritative winner of the G2 Ribblesdale Stakes. Stepping up to 1m4f for the first time, Garden Of Eden relished the red-hot pace that was set by stablemate Island Hopping. When that rival predictably dropped away entering the straight, it developed into test of who stayed best, with O'Brien's runner overcoming any stamina doubts to pull over three lengths clear of 40-1 chance Understudy in second. The Paddy Twomey-trained 2-1 favourite Catalina Delcarpio was a close-up third. Winning rider Moore, who, like O'Brien, was completing a sixth success in the race, said, “She was very impressive. She's just been gradually improving. Aidan kept saying that when she steps up [in trip] she'll get better. We went a hard pace and we got a bit detached but she just dropped the bridle and just ran in snatches.” He added on the 7-1 winner, “Billy [Lee, rider of Catalina Delcarpio] sneaked around the inside and when I asked her to quicken, she quickened very well. Just typical of Aidan – he just keeps making them better.” The win makes O'Brien the most successful trainer in the history of the race, while Garden Eden completed a notable double for the Ballydoyle maestro and Moore after the pair were successful with Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) in the opening G2 Norfolk Stakes. The post Moore Heaps Praise On O’Brien As Garden Of Eden Runs Riot In The Ribblesdale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The stable area at Colonial Downs will open on Monday, June 23, with training scheduled to begin two days later at the New Kent facility. An expanded 41-day schedule is set to commence Wednesday, July 9 and continues through Saturday, Sept. 13. Racing will take place weekly from Wednesday to Saturday plus holiday racing on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. Mike Trombetta and Ben Curtis are set to defend their respective training and riding titles. “Last year was my first year there and I love the place,” said Curtis, who rode a meet-best 24 winners last year, one more than Mychel Sanchez and two better than Antonio Gallardo. “The turf track is phenomenal. I really enjoyed my first experience there. It all seemed to go really well. Since then, it's been all-systems go to come back there. Hopefully, I'll do as well as last year.” Trombetta saddled 15 winners to best Michael Stidham (13) and Brittany Russell (10) in 2024. The 2025 Colonial stakes schedule is worth $5.8 million and is anchored by the Festival of Racing on Saturday, Aug. 9, featuring the GI Arlington Million, the GII Beverly D. Stakes and the GII Secretariat Stakes. Among the other highlights are the $500,000 GIII Old Dominion Derby and the $250,000 Listed Old Dominion Oaks, which have taken the place on the calendar of the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks. Those two races were relocated to a special March meeting at Colonial to serve as preps for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks. “I'm excited to begin my first full season at Colonial Downs,” said new racing secretary Dan Bork. “With our solid overnight purses and expanded stakes schedule, our barn area is full plus I expect plenty of shippers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.” Post time on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday is 12:30 p.m. EDT. Friday's twilight card gets underway at 4 p.m. There will be a special noon start time Saturday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 6. The post Colonial Backstretch To Open June 23 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Making it a clean sweep for Ballydoyle of Royal Ascot's 2-year-old Group races so far this week, Charles Darwin (No Nay Never) dominated the G2 Norfolk Stakes with a powerful display. Sent off the 8-13 favourite coming off three starts and two wins in his native Ireland, the full-brother to Blackbeard was quickest away and soon in command under Ryan Moore. Challenged and briefly headed by the US raider Sandal's Song (Mendelssohn) heading to the final furlong, the bay had extra in the tank to pull away and score by 2 1/4 lengths. Fellow TDN Rising Star Wise Approach (Mehmas) was closest at the line, staying on to deny Sandal's Song the runner's-up spot by 3/4 of a length. Charles Darwin's time of 58.87 was just 0.07 off his sire's track record in the same race in 2013 and he is the only other to dip under 59 seconds in the race, so this was a case of like father, like son. “Everybody loved him at home–he's a big, powerful strong horse who looks like a four-year-old racing against two-year-olds. He obviously had loads left way he went to the line.” Moore simply added, “He was stronger than them and better than them.” That turn of foot! pic.twitter.com/M5gNcLmT5x — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 19, 2025 The post ‘Like A Four-Year-Old Against Two-Year-Olds’: O’Brien Hails Charles Darwin As Ballydoyle Streak Continues appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes hero Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) has been awarded a mark of 130 by Timeform for his efforts at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. He is now the highest-rated older horse in Europe, with Jan Brueghel (Galileo) and Goliath (Adlerflug) both at a mark of 128. Almaqam (Lope De Vega) is rated 126, as is White Birch (Ulysses). The Aga Khan's Calandagan (Gleneagles) is rated 127. Timeform handicapper Rory King said, “Ombudsman might have lost his unbeaten record in the Brigadier Gerard but that still represented an improved effort in form terms [gave the winner 3 lb], and he took another big step forward to announce himself at the top level in the best possible way in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. “Having had to weave around looking for room for at least a furlong in the straight, he produced a superb turn of foot to run down and then shoot past Anmaat inside the final furlong, and the form looks well up to scratch for the race considering the runner-up – who'd been an impressive winner of the Champion Stakes at Ascot in the autumn – was readily on top of the rest.” The only horse with a higher rating than Ombudsman is the John and Thady Gosden-trained 3-year-old Field Of Gold, a winner of the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas. The Juddmonte grey is rated 132p after his 3 1/2-length win in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes on Tuesday. King added, “By our reckoning it was a top-class performance from Ombudsman when factoring in how he was value for extra on top of the bare result, and it came hot on the heels of his stablemate Field of Gold producing something similar the day before. “Although the Gosdens might not agree, a clash between the two horses later in the summer would be something to really look forward to, especially with Almaqam, White Birch (126) and Economics (Night Of Thunder) (124) to throw into the mix as well.” The post ‘Top-Class Performance’ By Ombudsman Earns Him 130 Timeform Rating appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Amo Racing has extended jockey David Egan's contract until December 2026. Egan was appointed as number one jockey to Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation in December 2023. The pair have drawn a blank at Royal Ascot thus far this week but have teamed up to notable success, including in last year's Lincoln through Mr Professor. A statement released by Amo Racing on X read, “Amo Racing is delighted to announce that jockey David Egan has extended his contract through to the end of 2026. “David has been an integral part of our team as we expand our operations, and we look forward to building on that strong foundation together.” The post Amo Racing Extends Jockey David Egan’s Contract Through To 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

HRNZ is pleased to release the proposed 2025/26 Feature Race Calendar, designed to support better seasonal flow and reduce overlap of major races across the North and South Islands. While this calendar will help trainers with early planning, stake levels are still being finalised and will be confirmed following the July Board meeting. Smarter Scheduling Across Islands This year’s planning focused on improving the timing of carnivals to ensure they complement rather than compete. The goal: more targeted racing opportunities, better progression between features, and reduced travel strain on participants. Canterbury Realignments: Derby & Oaks Night Anchors New Flow To improve the flow and alignment of the Spring Canterbury features, and to accommodate the introduction of the new Derby and Oaks Night on November 21, a number of changes have been implemented, including: Johnny Globe Classic – Moves to 5 September 2025, becoming the region’s first 3YO feature Hilarious Guest Classic – Runs alongside the Flying Stakes, 10 October 2025 Canterbury Classic – Rescheduled for 17 October 2025, improving lead-in to Ashburton Canterbury Park Trotting Cup – Also on 17 October 2025 Worthy Queen Handicap – Returns on 10 October 2025, targeting open-class trotters Other Key Changes Sophomore Classic – Moves to 17 October 2025 at Addington (was Labour Day); a new Open 3YO race will now run at Ashburton, 27 October Waikato Trotting Breeders Stakes – Rescheduled for Show Day (14 November) at Cambridge Addington’s Summer Trot Features – Start 30 January, two weeks earlier, to separate from Auckland’s Autumn Carnival New Races Added 3YO Open – Ashburton, 27 October 2025 2YO Pacing Fillies Open – NZMTC, 21 November 2025 2YO Trotting Fillies Open – NZMTC, 21 November 2025 3YO Sires Stakes Trotters Prelude – Waikato BOP, 10 April 2026 Aces Series Discontinued After industry feedback, the four “Aces” races (Diamonds, Clubs, Spades, Hearts) for 2YOs have been removed from the calendar. Drivers cited: Declining participation (especially among colts and geldings) Lack of strategic placement in the season North Island preparation challenges for southern spring Replacement races have been added for fillies on 21 November 2025. Young Guns Upgraded to Group 1 In line with HRNZ’s 2YO racing strategy, all three Young Guns Finals are now Group 1 events: Cardigan Bay Final (C&G) – 20 March 2026 Delightful Lady Classic (Fillies) – 20 March 2026 NI 2YO Trotters Final – 8 May 2026 What’s Next? Final stake levels will be announced next month. In the meantime, this calendar gives trainers and owners key dates to start planning their season. For questions or feedback, contact matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz. Download the full calendar PDF here View the full article

Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes has a confirmed field of 16, with the big favourites set to represent four different countries in a fascinating edition of the six-furlong feature. Last year's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Lazzat (Territories) represents the Jerome Reynier stable and forms the spearhead of a strong French challenge alongside Topgear (Wootton Bassett), British hopes rest with last year's G1 Commonwealth Cup hero Inisherin (Shamardal) from the Kevin Ryan stable and the James Fanshawe-trained G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes winner Kind Of Blue (Blue Point), Aidan O'Brien relies on his Australian import Storm Boy (Justify) and Japan are represented by the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa). Also on Saturday is the G2 Hardwicke Stakes, where a dozen will line up without Juddmonte's Kalpana (Study Of Man) who has been ruled out due to the fast ground. They include Godolphin's high-class stalwart Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) and Amo Racing's £2million Goffs London acquisition Ghostwriter (Invincible Spirit), while the G3 Jersey Stakes features 15 with the current favourite being Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's unbeaten Remmooz (Blue Point) from the Owen Burrows stable. The Listed Chesham Stakes sees Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Treanmor (Frankel) tackle Ballydoyle's filly Moments Of Joy (Justify). The post Lazzat Heads All Star Cast In Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee International Clash appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Matthew Poon Ming-fai will get his chance aboard the in-form Packing Hermod in Sunday’s Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) – something trainer Francis Lui Kin-wai has put down to the absence of the Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained Lucky Sweynesse. While Packing Hermod will carry 126lb in the Premier Cup, the presence of the 127-rated Lucky Sweynesse would have seen the four-year-old assigned the minimum weight of 115lb. “Everybody thought Manfred Man’s horse was going to run, so everybody...View the full article

A pair of progressive New Zealand bred gallopers will head up Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s team at Flemington on Saturday, with Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Bring Forth (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) set to face off over a mile in the Rod Johnson Handicap (1620m). Taken has won his past three races, starting with an easy maiden success at Pakenham before posting consecutive front-running city wins over a mile. The first was a nailbiter at Sandown, but the latest was a breathtaking three-length success at Headquarters a fortnight ago and Kent Jnr expects the son of Ardrossan to be hard to beat again this weekend, even as topweight. Craig Williams, who is 12 wins behind the injured Blake Shinn in the 2024-25 Victorian Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership, will take the ride. “He’s in fantastic form, trying to make it four in a row, which is not easy to do,” Kent Jnr said. “He’s up to 60kg on Saturday, but he’s got a great racing pattern. He puts himself into the race, he can relax, then finds off the bridle. “It was his career-best performance last start. If he brings that again – and that’s always a question mark, if they can keep finding that peak – then he’ll be hard to beat again. “We cannot fault him; he’s bounced out of that run. Very sound horse, vibrant … from our point of view, he’s not gone backwards. “Slightly harder race, I would think, looking at the nominations, but he’ll be there and he’ll be hard to beat again.” Bring Forth, who ran fourth in the Gr.2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) last year, will line up in the same race, after narrowly breaking his maiden as a $1.40 shot at Bendigo in his previous start. Already placed in the city as a two-year-old, Kent Jnr says Bring Forth has the ability to compete at open handicap level but still needs to learn to keep his mind on the job to race’s end. “Metropolitan placegetter, fourth in a Sandown Guineas, (but) he’s taken a long time to win his maiden,” he said. “$1.10 last time, or something like that and he won by a pimple. He’d just been getting there very cosily and thinking his job’s done. “So, we’re going to put the visors on him, on the advice of Beau Mertens, just to try and focus him and also let him see if anything’s coming up beside him. “When he did get challenged by Liam Howley’s horse at Bendigo, he fought, no worries. But he was just doing it a bit too easily, he needs to learn to put a race away.” Bring Forth worked successfully in the visors last weekend and should they have the desired impact on race day, Kent Jnr won’t be shocked to see the three-year-old storming home late this Saturday. “He had the visors on Saturday morning, sat off a guinea pig, was asked to go past and he did, he kept going past the post,” he said. “I thought it was good work. He’s going to get down towards the bottom of the handicap and it would be no surprise to see him win. He’s always shown metropolitan ability.” View the full article

Cambridge trainer Hollie Wynyard will head back to her old stomping ground of Otaki on Friday where she is hoping the stars align on Matariki and she can score her first individual stakes victory. Promising two-year-old filly Ayumi (NZ) (Headwater) will be holding the weight of expectation when she lines-up in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) following her pleasing runner-up debut performance at New Plymouth last month. The daughter of Headwater was bettered by the Robbie Patterson-trained Paltrow Miss by three lengths, but her vanquisher won’t feature in Saturday’s contest. “She went really well,” Wynyard said. “We have got quite an opinion of her, she is a nice, little filly. “That one of Robbie Patterson’s, they had quite a big opinion of her before she raced, and she lived up to that.” Ayumi has drawn barrier one on Friday, a gate Wynyard isn’t overly enamoured with on what will be a Heavy track. “She has drawn a gate that I don’t know if it will suit with track conditions, which are going to be quite wet, but it gives Kelly (Myers, jockey) options,” Wynyard said. “She will be able to tuck in behind the speed hopefully and go close. “It’s a pretty moderate field. I don’t think the better ones are there, I think they have gone to the paddock, and it gives her a nice chance to get some black-type. She is obviously a maidener, but she went well in her first-up run.” Wynyard doesn’t have any set plans with Ayumi post-Saturday but isn’t ruling out a return to the Kapiti Coast for a second bid at black-type in next month’s Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m). “We’ll just see how she pulls up,” Wynyard said. “With two-year-olds, they generally need the paddock at some point, and it might be the case with her. It is a big trip down to Otaki and her welfare comes first.” Wynyard will also line-up Pride Of Aspen (Pride Of Dubai) in the Cavallo Farms and Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1600m), opting for the rating 75 contest over the Harcourts Otaki Raukawa Cup (2100m). “I think on a heavy track she is quite lethal,” Wynyard said. “She loves rain on the day and her record at 1400m and a mile is definitely better than her record over ground. “I think she is a really nice miler and that keeps some options open for her. I think she will go very close. She is flying and is doing really well, she is sharp enough and it is quite a moderate race.” In her first season training in a solo capacity, Wynyard has won seven races and accrued more than $520,000 in prizemoney to date. While pleased with the way the season has gone, she would love to score an elusive stakes scalp, and believes her filly is capable of accomplishing that this weekend. “It is my first season training on my own. We haven’t picked up a stakes win, but we have had a lot of runners in stakes races, and if you have the runners in there you are doing pretty well,” she said. “I am rapt with the horses and how they have performed, they have all gone out there and have done their best for us, which is all we can ask. “Hopefully next season we go on to bigger and better things. I massively appreciate the owners for supporting us and Ryan (Elliot, partner and jockey) for generally getting it right. “It would be great if Ayumi could get up tomorrow, that would be the cherry on top for the end of the season.” View the full article

Zarigana bids to continue her perfect season and follow on from Classic glory when she lines up in the Group One Coronation Stakes (1,600m) at Royal Ascot on Friday. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained filly won the Group One Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1,600m) at Longchamp last month after overhauling first-past-the-post She’s Perfect in the stewards’ room following a lengthy inquiry. Graffard won the race in 2019 with Watch Me at big odds and his Siyouni galloper has a very similar profile,...View the full article

Ombudsman overcame a troubled passage to run riot in the Group One Prince Of Wales’s (2,005m) at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. The John and Thady Gosden-trained four-year-old was trapped behind a wall of horses at the 400m pole and it looked certain that William Buick was going to become the victim of a classic Royal Ascot hard-luck story. Godolphin’s retained rider didn’t panic, however, and switched into the clear at the 200m before surging down the outside to overhaul Anmaat and land the...View the full article