Wandering Eyes

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

The Jockey Club has received government approval to significantly up its simulcast programme, with the number of overseas meetings offered for betting to Hong Kong punters increasing from 37 to 70 in the next two years. The number of meetings the Jockey Club can simulcast will jump from 37 to 53 in the 2025-26 season and climb to 70 in 2026-27, while the number of simulcast races – races from overseas shown on Hong Kong race days – will increase from 25 to 40 from 2025-26 and rocket to 55 from...View the full article

Race 4 DEBBIE HENDERSON MAIDEN 1200m FORSETI (B Jacobson) – Trainer Mr. R Dennis advised Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of FORSETI, and it is the intention to continue her preparation. The post Oamaru Jockey Club @ Oamaru, Sunday 15 June 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 3 JOIN TAB RACING CLUB MAIDEN 1600m MAGGIE MCMUFFIN (T Davies) – Co-trainer Ms. A Harrington reported to Stewards, that on Thursday 12 June, MAGGIE MCMUFFIN underwent a veterinary examination, which included x-rays of the left knee. The x-rays revealed the presence of bone fragments within the joint. MAGGIE MCMUFFIN has now been retired from racing. Race 6 CUP WEEK HOSPITALITY ON SALE 26 JUNE 1400m CORPS D’ELITE (B Queiroz) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of the filly, however, CORPS D’ELITE has now been sent for a spell. The post Riccarton Turf at Riccarton Park, Wednesday 11 June 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray wouldn’t usually present a horse to the races without a trial, but that indicated how much they thought of Love The Sort (Tassort), and she bolted in on debut at the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday. The filly’s success was the first leg of a winning double for the stable, with Ritchie on course while Murray celebrated his birthday in the warmer climes of Queensland. “I’ve just got back from the States and had a fantastic experience over there, and Colm took off this morning to go to the Gold Coast,” Ritchie said. “Really, he’s done the hard work on the horses winning today, and I get to stand there and count the money.” An unknown to the public, Love The Sort opened at a decent price in the Waipa Earthworks 970, and after getting as short as $4, she closed at double figures. With a featherlight 51.5kg under Rihaan Goyaram, the two-year-old fired through the pack to find the lead and she never looked like being caught, gliding clear by two lengths from Rocky Mountain. “I think it’s the first time in as long as I can remember that we’ve presented a horse at the races without having a barrier trial,” Ritchie said. “She’s shown us plenty of speed, and now that she’s used to the poly, we knew she had a great turn of foot on it. “In the couple of jump-outs she’s had, she’s been a little ginger out of the gate, but we were prepared to take the risk on that, knowing how fast she was. “After missing the kick slightly, she’s managed to get on to the fence, and we know she can rail like a little bit of a greyhound. I just love the way that she pinned her ears back and wanted to find the line, you can’t train that into them.” A daughter of Tassort, Love The Sort was a A$42,500 purchase by Ritchie at the Magic Millions’ Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and she carries the same silks as her Group Two-winning stablemate Tuxedo. “She just looked like a real runner to me,” he said. “Colm and I are aware that our best results have come in the staying races, with Cups and Oaks, and we probably prefer to train stayers, but having said that, we’ve got to keep up with the times. “She’s just average-sized, but she’s built like a bullet, and we wanted to develop a sprinting type. As a two-year-old, that didn’t come up for us, we had to back off for maturity reasons, and that’s paid us back a little bit today. “The horse is owned by a bride of different people, but the main owner of Tuxedo, Grant Barnett, likes his colours and owns a nice share in this horse. He got a bit of money to pay training fees off the TAB today, which is great, because that’s a part of the enjoyment of racing, putting a bet on your own horse.” Ritchie indicated the filly would be off to the paddock at short notice, but she would be back for the early spring. “She’ll almost certainly go for a break now, and then we’ll look at some three-year-old fillies races for her,” he said. “She may be limited to that 1200m, so we’ll probably have to take the season early, because as we know with the three-year-olds, the distances step up the further you get into the summer.” Later in the meeting, it was the turn of Hot Line Bling, who missed the start considerably, but was good enough to run down Radradra right on the line to collect his maiden over 1550m. “I thought his run was impressive, given that we really feel he is a 2000m-plus horse,” Ritchie said. “When he missed the start, it looked like it was all over, but after finding the right gap at the top of the straight, you’ve got to admire the way that he attacked the line in the last 200m. He wanted to win the race and he’s a beautiful style of an animal, he just looks like a really good staying sort of horse.” The success came at his 11th start and was a welcomed reward for connections, after a tough journey with the four-year-old. “When we presented him as a three-year-old he was racing quite well, he was only beaten narrowly at Whangarei, but he got an infection in the eye,” Ritchie said. “We had to make a decision and ask the owners whether they would pay for a pretty expensive operation, to get blood back into the retina so he could keep his eye, let alone race again. “It’s cost them a pretty penny to get to this point, so it’s nice to see them rewarded. “In his case, he’ll keep going through the winter, and if we can get him to a race like a New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) on a light weight, I think that might be the sort of race within his range. I don’t think he’ll be stopping winning today.” Meanwhile, excitement is building in the stable with the recent return of not only Tuxedo, but also Tajana, a Group One-performing juvenile this season. “We’re very excited for Tajana and Tuxedo, they’ve both just come back into the stable and are going through some slow work at the moment,” Ritchie said. “Tuxedo has put on 40-50 kilos, he’s now got a hind quarter like an open sprinter, rather than a mile and a quarter Group Two winner. I think we’ll keep him to 1400m and a mile this preparation, he was right there in a Karaka Million and won two Group races, so he was just off the top echelon of three-year-olds. “With that natural strength, we expect him to be improved again, and we look forward to the Group races in the spring. “Tajana has run third in a Sires’ Produce and is Group Two-placed, so she’s another exciting filly from The Oaks Stud. “She’s getting ready for a 1000 Guineas (Gr.1 1600m), so we’ve got some classy horses to work with.” View the full article

Talented mare Grande Gallo (NZ) (Belardo) will return to her favourite track in pursuit of black-type in Saturday’s Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m), with two of her key rivals coming from the same stable. The daughter of Belardo has won three out of four appearances at the Tauranga course, and after her success in the Owens Plate (1200m) in March, trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott pencilled in the fillies and mares feature. “This race has been on her radar for a long time, it was her finale that we set in the hope of getting some black-type,” O’Sullivan said. “The biggest question mark with her is the track conditions, just whether she’s going to handle it to these sort of extremes. She does handle give in the ground, but this just may be a kettle of fish on the weekend.” An $85,000 purchase by Wexford at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales in 2022, Grande Gallo has more than exceeded that price in earnings, surpassing the $200,000 mark with a scorching run into second behind Midnight Scandal at Ellerslie earlier this month. It may have been a surprise in the market, but certainly not for her trainers, who anticipate the best is yet to come for the mare. “We expected that from her,” O’Sullivan said. “She’s done exceptionally well, she’s won five races now and has raced in pretty good company. We feel that next season, when she’s a year older and a bit stronger, she’ll continue to get better.” Joining Grande Gallo in Saturday’s contest is Lux Libertas, a mare with a similarly sharp record, and stakes placings in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and more recently, the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m). Adept in heavy track conditions, O’Sullivan hopes to see a similar showing from the Almanzor four-year-old before she heads to the paddock. “She’s ultra-consistent and racing well,” he said. “This will be her last start before she goes for a bit of a rest, but she’s certainly been a model of consistency.” The sole filly of the field will also represent Wexford, with a very in-form Tristar earning her place after winning two on the bounce this campaign. “It depended on her last performance, whether she was in the fillies and mares, or in the three-year-old race over 1200 on Saturday,” O’Sullivan said. “But she put up a good enough performance there and she deserves to race for black-type.” The stable will have another eight runners across the meeting, including three-year-olds Macallan and Ribkraka, both winners at their most recent starts. “Macallan has shown that he can handle very testing conditions, as he did last time at Tauranga,” O’Sullivan said. “Any horse that can handle the track in those kinds of conditions has got to be considered a good chance. “Although, this is quite a big step up in quality of horses, in comparison to what he met last time. “Rikraka is great, he’s done really well and has shown a lot of ticker in his last three runs. “He’s a good, tough horse that gets through bad ground and he’ll continue to improve.” The pair will go head-to-head in the Aongatete Avo-Ject 3YO (1200m), with Bruno Queiroz and Triston Moodley taking the respective rides. View the full article

The Myers name is synonymous with Central Districts racing, and Palmerston North-based trainer Caley Myers is continuing to add to her family’s legacy in the industry. The daughter of renowned Wanganui horseman Kevin “Dummy” Myers, Caley has been involved in the sport from an early age and gained a solid grounding from her family. She enjoyed working for her father for several years, which included campaigning horses around the country, but decided last season it was time to step out on her own and carve her own path. Myers scored two victories in her debut season, and at the start of this term elected to purchase a property on the outskirts of Palmerston North to set-up her own operation, which follows a similar business model to her father’s – running a small farm alongside her stable. “I have been doing it (working in racing) for a fair while now, going around the country with Dad’s horses, and this property came up for sale last year and I thought ‘why not give it a crack?’,” Myers said. “I have been in Palmerston North since last August and I am setting up my own operation. The property is just under 100 acres, and I am mostly doing pre-trainers, with a few two-year-olds and a couple of older horses. “I am also doing spellers as well as running a few cattle.” Myers is enjoying running her own barn but still utilises the family set-up on a weekly basis. “I am enjoying training, it is good fun,” she said. “I work at home, and I take my gallops out to Mum and Dad’s.” While mostly focussing on younger stock and pre-trainers at the infancy of her training career, Myers has a couple of exciting racehorses in her barn, including promising maidener Autumn Beauty. Myers acquired the chestnut gelding off her father and races him in partnership with her brothers Jason and Luke, who had major roles to play in his early education. “He has always been a nice horse,” Myers said. “Jason and Luke have done quite a bit with him and they really liked him, so we are all hopeful that he’s going to show something.” The four-year-old son of The Autumn Sun has already shown plenty of promise on the track, finishing runner-up in two of his four starts to date, including at New Plymouth last week where he was strong late. Myers was pleased with that effort and is hoping he can be ridden handier at Otaki on Friday, where he will be vying for a breakthrough win in the Otaki Tyre Repairs Maiden (2100m), with Myers’ cousin Kelly Myers in the saddle. “He has been going well,” Myers said. “He got just a little bit too far back last time, but that happens, and he ran home well. Hopefully he will be a bit handier on Friday.” Another exciting prospect in Myers’ barn is nine-year-old gelding Duke Of Plumpton. Raced by her father and close family friend Patrick Payne, Duke Of Plumpton has campaigned on both sides of the Tasman for the respective trainers and joined Myers’ stable last year. The son of Bachelor Duke has won seven races on the flat, and has shown an affinity for jumping, winning one and placing in two of his three hurdle starts to date. His future lies over fences, cementing that path with a pleasing trial at Cambridge on Monday. Myers has plenty of time for the promising hurdler and is dreaming of a trip south in six weeks for Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing, a carnival she has frequented regularly on behalf of her father. “He is a nice horse and a handy horse to have around,” Myers said. “I had a patch where I didn’t have many of my own horses and Dad said I could train him. “He went well in his trial on Monday and Corey (Wiles, jockey) was happy with him. “Hopefully he will look to go to Christchurch. I have been doing that trip for many years now and it’s always a good trip away.” While racing is Myers’ first love, she is also passionate about a second career for her horses and recently took part in New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s (NZTR) Know Your Thoroughbred Clinic in Manawatu, hosted by local thoroughbred retraining and rehoming organisation JumpStart. With jumping being a staple in the Myers stable, rehoming their retired racehorses is a relatively easy exercise given their versatility and early education over fences. However, Myers said several of their former runners have been graduates of the JumpStart programme. One of those graduates is seven-year-old gelding Escalade, who won a race apiece on the flat and over hurdles before his subsequent retirement to JumpStart. “He had a little bit of an injury and Dad owned him and thought he might as well retire him while he is still sound and find a nice home for him because he is a beautiful horse,” Myers said. Myers recently reunited with the gelding at the Know Your Thoroughbred Clinic, jumping in the saddle aboard the son of Roc de Cambes to showcase is talent in the show jumping arena. “Dana Sutton, who runs JumpStart, got injured a couple of days before the clinic, so she asked me if I could come and ride Escalade,” Myers said. “It had been a very long time since I had jumped a show jump, but it was lucky it was on a horse that I did know, and I had jumped before.” Myers said Escalade is a lovely-natured horse that is thriving in the JumpStart environment. “Dana does a fantastic job with them, and she loves Escalade,” Myers said. “I believe she is keeping him.” View the full article

El Vaquero (NZ) (Ferrando) made such an early impression on Riccarton trainer Michael Pitman that he didn’t hesitate to purchase the colt’s sister at Karaka earlier this year. The handsome son of Ferrando has justified his handler’s opinion with sharp improvement on an unplaced debut with a top effort for a last start second. El Vaquero was caught wide at Wingatui from the outside gate and fought gallantly to the post and will bid to go one better in the Bain McCall Memorial 2YO (1000m) on his home course on Saturday. While co-trainer Pitman is more than happy with his charge, he acknowledged the task his youngster would face in trying to turn the tables on Te Akau representative Cool Aza Rene. “He probably should have won last start and under the conditions of two-year-old racing in New Zealand, the winner still gets in really well at the weights being a filly, so it will be tough,” he said. Three-time winner Cool Aza Rene will concede El Vaquero half a-kilo and her 57kg book weight will be further reduced by the 3kg claim of apprentice Hayley Hassman. “My bloke is a lovely horse and he will probably be better on top of the ground, but he did seem to get away with it the other day,” Pitman said. “He is such a nice colt that I went and bought his sister at the yearling sale.” Pitman secured the filly for $45,000 out of Apex Bloodstock’s draft while the stable will also have older brother and winner Giussepe Ferrante in Saturday’s Janet Francis Handicap (1000m). “He’s a nice horse, but the two-year-old is a magnificent looking colt,” he said. Pitman and son Matthew will also have a decent hand in the Greenwood Amberley Cup (1400m) with Makabar and Charbano in contention. “Makabar will be the better of the two, given his record on wet tracks at Riccarton,” he said. “The 1400m isn’t his go really, but he has won over the distance before and is in good order. “He went a good race (for second) the other day, he went up to win and the other horse (Express Coup) kept kicking back.” Stablemate Express Coup will attempt to make it two on the bounce when she steps out in the Glenys & Rod Gard’ner Handicap (1200m). “She will drop back from winning an open race to a Rating 75, so she gets in well,” Pitman said. The highly regarded Ocean Light, who has won two of his last three starts, will take aim at the Drug Alcohol Testing Specialists Handicap (1600m). “I think he’s an open class horse in waiting, he’s been freshened up and will go for this race and then possibly back to the poly for an open race,” Pitman said. “Of the others, Tomyturbo is racing well and dropping back to Rating 65 and Interlagos was very impressive last start, so we’ve got a few chances.” | Amberley Patrons Handicap (2000m) Tomyturbo has consecutive third placings to his credit while Optimise Fertilisers & Equi-Lise Handicap (1400m) hope Interlagos cleared maiden ranks in style at Wingatui. View the full article

Crimson Advocate swooped late to land the Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) for James McDonald and Wathnan Racing.View the full article

A day after its raid at Delta Downs, ICE said it arrested 84 people. Meanwhile, the National HBPA is calling on tracks to not allow ICE on backstretches without "an official warrant." View the full article