Wandering Eyes

Despite a few anxious moments in running, outstanding jumper Berry The Cash(NZ)(Jakkalberry) made light work of his 73kg topweight to extend his winning streak to seven races on the trot as he captured his second Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m) on Saturday. The Mark Oulaghan-prepared son of Jakkalberry had collected a somewhat fortuitous victory seven days earlier in the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m), due to a final fence bungle by Dictation, but this time he dominated the closing stages of a fascinating contest, storming home from second last at the 600m to win going away by two lengths at the post. Tipped as a two horse battle between the $1.70 favourite and the Paul Nelson-trained Nedwin ($2.60), who also carried 73kgs, the early stages of the race were anything but comfortable for rider Portia Mathews aboard Berry The Cash as they spent most of it cluttered up behind runners while also putting in a faulty leap at the third fence on the journey. In contrast, Nedwin set up a leisurely speed in front but when he bungled the fence leading into the home straight the first time he was joined by Lord Spencer who continually shaded him at each obstacle until taking a clear lead with 800m to run. Nedwin began to fade and tightened Berry The Cash as Matthews was urgently trying to extract her mount into clear air approaching the home bend. Berry The Cash picked himself up and changed around the outer before unleashing a powerful staying burst in the closing stages that saw him stride past runner-up Run Jakko Run in the last 150m, with Metallo battling on gamely for third. “Mark (Oulaghan) and I discussed the plan, and we were always going to ride him back like last year rather than forward like we had been lately,” a beaming Matthews said. “He just travelled so well throughout and although I go a bit stuck after that jump at the 600m, as soon as I got through I had so much under me, and I never doubted him. “Mark’s training puts so much confidence into me and I knew how fit he (Berry The Cash) was and how he could jump. “I’m also pleased for his group of owners who are such lovely people and are reaping the rewards for all the patience they have shown in him.” Oulaghan was his normal circumspect self as he accepted congratulations for his sixth victory in the event. “He (Berry The Cash) is that sort of old-style horse who is a good stayer and just grinds out a finish,” he said. “He had an easy run early on and he can just about finish over the top of anything like that. “He was only five or six lengths off them down the back straight so I wasn’t panicking. “It’s a great result and always good to win big races like this down here.” Raced by an ownership group including Oulaghan, Canterbury Jockey Club Chief Executive Tim Mills, Ray Southey and Gay and John Meyer, Berry The Cash is out of the unraced High Yield mare Likely Story. His extended family including a host of American stakes winners including Lure who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile (1600m) on two occasions. He has now won ten of his 31 starts including seven over hurdles and in excess of $322,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Paul Nelson and Corrina McChief Stipeal watched the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) slip away at the final fence last Saturday with Dictation(NZ)(Tavistock), but the promising hurdler was back a week later and got his redemption in the Michael ‘Mickey’ Beecroft Memorial 0-1 Win Hurdles (3100m). Having just his third hurdle start in the opening feature of National Week on the first day of the three-day Carnival last Saturday, Dictation was the third-favoured of five rivals attempting to dethrone topliner Berry The Cash. The son of Tavistock almost pulled off the upset with a decent margin on the favourite coming into the last hurdle where he blundered badly, dislodging rider Hamish McNeill. Reverting back to 0-1 grade on Saturday, Dictation became the runner to beat closing at $2.35, with Semper Magico identified as his key rival at $3. Semper Magico was straight into his work and took up the pace-making role from the outset under Portia Matthews, while McNeill remained in close quarters guiding Dictation forward to sit outside the leader. The pair led the pack into the home straight with Dictation travelling strongly in front of an improving Mr Fabulous and Murphy, and while he didn’t negotiate the last with much grace, the seven-year-old stayed on his feet and skipped away to score by five lengths. Murphy showed further improvement from last weekend’s fourth placing when running boldly into second, with Mr Fabulous continuing his consistent form finishing third. McNeill looked to breathe a sigh of relief crossing the line, indicating the meeting last weekend hadn’t been one to remember. “That was a bit of vindication from last weekend, it’s great and he’s a lovely animal,” he said. “I was relieved, Saturday was a day to forget so onwards and upwards today. “In hindsight, it may end up being the best thing for him because that was only his fourth start today (over jumps), he’s going to be an exciting type for next season.” Nelson was on course and spoke on behalf of the prominent Hastings training partnership, who were pleased to see the son of Tavistock earn a deserved success during the carnival. “He looks like being a pretty useful sort of horse I think,” he said. “We didn’t change a thing, when we get down here it’s not all about how hard you work them, it’s just how you work them. “It’s quite a change for them, they do a bit more here than they do at home.” Dictation was bred by the Duchess of Bedford and is owned by the I See Red Syndicate, with his record now including four wins from 24 starts and $88,870 in stakes earnings. Initially prepared and owned by Glen Harvey, Nelson purchased the seven-year-old for the syndicate via gavelhouse.com in April 2022 for $20,000. View the full article

2nd-Gulfstream, $45,000, (S), Msw, 8-9, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.45, sy, 4 1/2 lengths. R MORNING BREW (f, 2, Curlin's Honor–Foolhearted Woman, by Uncaptured), the 5-2 second choice, hustled from the gate and led this field under pressure early from eventual runner up Don't Fool With Me (Khozan). Still narrowly in front off the turn, she put that rival away down the stretch to graduate first time out by 4 1/2 lengths. The first winner for her freshman sire (by Curlin), R Morning Brew is a half to Dancing N Dixie (Neolithic), MSW & MGSP, $368,550. She has a yearling full-brother named Freddie's Honor and her dam is due to Neolithic in 2025. Florida-based Curlin's Honor stands at Pleasant Acres Stallions. Sales History: $30,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $29,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Averill Racing LLC; B-Dori Morgan Hyatt (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. R Morning Brew and @zayas_edgardo easily score in race 2. #GulfstreamPark #RoyalPalmMeet pic.twitter.com/b8cd5Y1fV8 — Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) August 9, 2024 The post R Morning Brew A First Winner For Curlin’s Honor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Representatives from several Thoroughbred partnerships and racing syndicates will be available for a meet and greet Saturday, Aug. 10 at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, the museum announced via presser Friday. During the free event, offered as a part of the Saturday Morning Social, interested guests may learn how to get involved with various different ownership groups with 11 total sending representatives. They are–in alphabetical order–Adelphi Racing Club, Brown Road Racing, Centennial Farms, Ironhorse Racing Stable, MyRacehorse, Riverdee Stable, Sackatoga Stable, Shooting Star Thoroughbreds, Uptowncharlybrown Stud, West Point Thoroughbreds, and Zilla Racing Stable. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. and run until 11:00 a.m. The post Racing Partnerships and Syndicate Meet & Greet Event Runs Saturday at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a son of Tepin (Bernstein). 13.45 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 7fT DELACROIX (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the first big Ballydoyle runner on a big day for the stable and looks certain to start at prohibitive odds given the promise he showed when second on his Leopardstown debut last month. A son of the six-times top-level winner and dual champion Tepin (Bernstein), whose 3-year-old daughter Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) captured last month's G3 Stanerra Stakes, he should be the latest to add his name to a winner's list that includes the subsequent G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winners Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) and Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and his own stablemate Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). He is joined by fellow Rosegreen representative Acapulco Bay (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the first foal out of a full-sister to Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) whose daughter Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) became a TDN Rising Star at Tipperary on Friday, while his rivals include Juddmonte's unraced colt Storm Piece (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), a Ger Lyons-trained son of the G1 Falmouth Stakes heroine Timepiece (GB) (Zamindar), and Qatar Bloodstock, David Howden, China Horse Club and Ballylinch Stud's Hostility (Ire) (No Nay Never), a 430,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 graduate from the Joseph O'Brien yard responsible for the aforementioned Thunder Moon and Al Riffa. 13.55 Newmarket, Debutantes, £40,000, 2yo, f, 7fT SUHUB (GB) (Mohaather {GB}) is a significant runner for Shadwell, being the first foal out of the G1 Falmouth Stakes and G1 Sun Chariot Stakes heroine Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). William Haggas has charge of the homebred, whose 11 rivals feature some intriguing types from the leading stables including Ballydoyle's Island Hopping (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), another first foal whose dam Heaven Of Heavens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full-sister to Coolmore royalty Magical (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire) and who is therefore linked closely with Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). 14.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT SOURCE CODE (FR) (Blue Point {Ire}) is a half-brother to this year's Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who is obviously judged by Joseph O'Brien to have taken more after his sire's side introduced as he is over this sprint trip. Al Shira'aa Racing's homebred faces 18 contemporaries on debut which include Ballydoyle's experienced Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), the son of the GI Frizette Stakes heroine Nickname (Scat Daddy) who drops back down in trip having chased home his highly promising stablemate The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) over seven furlongs here last month. 14.50 Curragh, Cond, €32,000, 2yo, f, 7fT BALLET SLIPPERS (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the pick of Ryan Moore of two Ballydoyle representatives in this American Racing Channel Irish EBF Fillies Juvenile Race which was won by the stable's future G1 Matron Stakes and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes heroine Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and in which Opera Singer (Justify) fell short against A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) 12 months ago. The first foal out of the multiple Group 1-winning Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and granddaughter of Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), she ran a highly creditable third on debut behind Juddmonte's TDN Rising Star Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and that form should be good enough here. Also from Rosegreen is the newcomer Tea Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the second foal out of Coolmore's 6-million gns purchase Marsha (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) who achieved fame by winning the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes, while Coolmore have obviously placed major importance on this contest with three other entries. They include two blueblooded newcomers in the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Falling Snow (Ire) (Justify), the fourth foal out of the G1 1,000 Guineas, G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas, G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Nassau Stakes heroine Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who ironically met with defeat at the hand of the aforementioned Hydrangea in the Matron; and the Willie Browne runner Just Before (Ire) (Justify), a daughter of the dual Classic-placed Gagnoa (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) who is a half to Pour Moi (Ire) responsible for War Front's black-type winners Ancient Rome and Etoile with the latter interestingly taking her sole pattern race, Naas's G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies' Sprint Stakes, on her debut. The post Son Of Tepin A Warm Order For Curragh Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Karl Broberg, who has saddled 4,900 winners in a 15-year career, has retired from training and will turn his focus to breaking young horses. View the full article

Three Chimneys Farm's Touchy (Nyquist) would go heavily favored in any maiden race at the Spa, but connections continue to campaign the homebred colt boldly as he remains in stakes company for his second career appearance in Saturday's GII Saratoga Special Stakes. The bay colt was bet down to 85 cents on the dollar for his debut in the June 6 Tremont Stakes on the first day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at this venue, and he made the majority of the running before giving way late to be second behind the upset-minded Studlydoright (Nyquist). The latter franked the form with a runner-up effort in the GIII Sanford Stakes July 13 and it will be no surprise if Touchy sees off his rivals in this spot. Blinkers come off the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Keep It Easy (Hard Spun) took some nibbles, but was no better than a fading seventh when drawn the fence on Churchill unveiling June 6, but he showed much sharper gate speed from an outside alley June 27 and wired his field by four lengths, good for a competitive 79 Beyer. He has the nine hole on Saturday. “I think this is a good spot. He is a good horse,” said trainer Dale Romans of the $435,000 Keeneland September acquisition, who races for St Elias, West Point and C J Thoroughbreds. “Physically, he is a big, strong, pretty horse. He was a pretty horse at the yearling sale when we bought him. He just continues to get better. He is a good workhorse and a good horse all around.” Godolphin's First Resort (Uncle Mo), a son of GI La Brea Stakes heroine Fair Maiden (Street Boss), caught a muddy Ellis main track for his July 5 bow and argued the pace before drawing clear to score by daylight. The in-form Flavien Prat takes over at the controls. When Kevin Rice sends one over it is often foolish to be too dismissive of his chances. Good Directions (Liam's Map) was visually impressive in graduating by 3 1/4 lengths over the Presque Isle Tapeta July 8 and was back on two week's rest, blowing the break before finishing off well for second in Ellis allowance company. In a race with a ton of early speed, he can take ground off them late. Baffert 'Rising Star' Duo Battle In Sorrento Trainer Bob Baffert is the winningest trainer in the history of the GIII Sorrento Stakes, with seven victories to his credit, but Pretty N Cool (Scat Daddy) gave him the most recent of his successes back in 2015. That somewhat surprising dry streak looks all but certain to end when the conditioner saddles the top two choices–each a 'TDN Rising Star'–in Saturday's six-furlong contest. Nooni (Win Win Win) was pounded into 1-5 favoritism for her June 13 unveiling at Santa Anita, having fetched a sales-topping $1.8 million from Donato Lanni on behalf of owner Amr Zedan at this year's OBS March Sale. And it turned out to be the easiest 20% return on investment you could imagine, as she galloped to a 9 1/2-length victory while never out of second gear. Juan Hernandez opts for Nooni over Casalu (Caracaro) to her outside in gate two. A May foal, the bay filly cost the Three Amigos–Watson, Weitman and Pegram–a hefty $775,000 at OBS April and she validated her purchase price with a 5 1/2-length 'Rising Star'-worthy debut success here July 21, earning a 73 Beyer Speed Figure that is just five points inferior to her stable companion. While the two Bafferts should dominate the market, each of the other three entrants has numbers that could figure with a bit of improvement. Night Beacon (Spun to Run) earned a 76 Beyer when running out a 2 3/4-length winner beneath Emily Ellingwood at Santa Anita May 10, while Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words) looks to build on a three-length score in the June 30 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs (76 Beyer). White Sands (Into Mischief) is cross-entered for Sunday's GIII Best Pal Stakes, but already has a win to her credit against the boys, a 13 3/4-length demolition job in the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes July 6. Cogburn Has Field Over a Barrel In Troy As of this writing, it waits to be seen whether Saturday's GII Troy Stakes remains on the Mellon Turf Course, and if so, they'll all be running for second if the Cogburn (Not This Time) of late shows up. The 5-year-old gained his first graded win in a soft-turf renewal of this race 12 months ago and exits that record-setting effort in the GI Jaipur Stakes June 8, where he ran the 5 1/2 furlongs in :59.80. Even if the race is transferred to the main track, they'll still have him to beat, as he amassed a record of 3-2-0 from eight dirt starts prior to his metamorphosis. In the day's other graded events, treble Grade I winner Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}) will be a handful in the GII Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar, and with Horse of the Year Moira (Ghostzapper) headed for Sunday's GII Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial and MGSW/MGISP Mission of Joy (Kitten's Joy) cross-entered for the same event, the GII Canadian Stakes could offer a mare like Forever After All (Connect) a golden opportunity at a first career victory The post Touchy Looks To Go One Better In Saratoga Special appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 12:35 p.m. ET. Debuting upstate is 2-year-old NANTZ (Tapit)–a $600,000 purchase during last year's Keeneland September Sale. Owned by partners Repole Stable, Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing, Rick Kanter, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson, the Todd Pletcher trainee is the first foal for MSW Divine Queen (Divine Park). She's out of SW Town Queen (Williamstown), who also produced SW Queen's Award (Medaglia d'Oro) and the dam of MGSW The Player (Street Hero). Also set for his unveiling is Aviator Gui (Uncle Mo). The Three Chimneys homebred–trained by Chad Brown–is out of unraced Paulistinha (Tapit), who is a half-sister to multiple leading sire Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}). TJCIS PPS 1st-ELP, $71K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 12:50 p.m. ET. Heading to the turf at the Pea Patch, Lovely Emma (Twirling Candy) will make her first start for C R K Stable and trainer Peter Eurton. The 2-year-old filly was taken home by Mayberry Farm for $600,000 during Keeneland September last year. Her unplaced dam is also responsible for GIII Sam F. Davis Stakes hero Litigate (Blame) and she herself is a half-sister to the dam of MGSW Blamed (Blame). Godolphin homebred Civetta (Into Mischief) is a first time starter for trainer Brendan Walsh. The filly's dam, MGISP Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro), produced GI Arlington Million hero Santin (Distorted Humor). TJCIS PPS 3rd-ELP, $71K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7f, 1:49 p.m. ET. The late great Arrogate's final crop are now 3-year-olds and Touchdown Rocket will take his first crack in the starting gate with Lasix at Ellis. Out of a graded-stakes-placed Street Sense mare, the colt initially sold to Kings Equine for $50,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling Sale before going to Spendthrift and Frank Fletcher for $525,000 during OBS March in 2023. The colt is trained by Brad Cox. TJCIS PPS The post Saturday’s Racing Insights: Tapit’s Nantz Welcomes Juvenile Debut At Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh sees the first Group 1 action for the juveniles of 2024 and a fascinating colt-filly clash as Whistlejacket (Ire) (No Nay Never) meets Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). The former, who is seeking to extend Aidan O'Brien's tally of 17 successes in the six-furlong feature, like his full-brother Little Big Bear (Ire) went to Royal Ascot and Newmarket's July Festival and unlike him lost at the former meeting when one of the week's shock losers in fourth in the G2 Norfolk Stakes. While Little Big Bear didn't take part in the G2 July Stakes due to the ever-quickening ground two years ago, Whistlejacket was in the line-up this time and duly won with the placed horses Billboard Star (GB) (Advertise {GB}) and Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) subsequently promoting the form at Goodwood. Ryan Moore is in confident mood. “You have to respect Ger Lyons's filly, Babouche, who's two-for-two, but despite showing greenness in Newmarket, my lad won well and he sets the standard here,” the rider said. O'Brien, who also has Monday's Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes winner Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the line-up, added, “He's in good form and everything has gone well with him since the last day. We're happy with him and whatever the ground will be, he'll be fine. He seemed happier over six furlongs last time than the five at Ascot, so we're hoping he'll run well. Heavens Gate only ran the other day. Her canters have been building up every day and if she's okay, she'll run.” Having registered his first Group 1 success with Siskin (First Defence) five years ago, this race will always hold a special gravitas for Ger Lyons and it is with another Juddmonte homebred that he returns with a live contender in Babouche. Team Ballydoyle will know where they stand after her defeat of the stable's Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Anglesey Stakes over 63 yards further last month, but there is no telling at present where the limit is with the unbeaten TDN Rising Star. “I'm looking forward to it and if she's placed in the first three, we're delighted,” Lyons said. “We can then decide if we stay at the trip for the Cheveley Park or go to the Moyglare. She's a horse I've always liked and if you like them, you can't be afraid to get beat.” Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon added, “When they are in good form and they are ready to go, you have got to go where the races are. We would love to be taking on fillies, but the race is there against the colts and it is close to home, so we will give it a good go.” “The signals Ger has always been getting is that she could be a very good filly and she has a great temperament and plenty of ability. Her sister Zarinsk has been a brilliant filly for us the last two years, so it is nice to see the family continuing on with Babouche and hopefully she can enhance her profile on Saturday.” From Britain is Wathnan Racing's Richard Fahey-trained G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Shadow Army (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who will provide further clues as to the merit of Arabie (GB) (Dandy Man {Ire}) who beat him in that Chantilly contest. “Richard is very happy with Shadow Army, he's a slow learner–he's getting better with each run,” Richard Brown said. “This is a big ask, but it's a tight field and I think the stiff six furlongs at the Curragh will suit him.” Anmaat Returns… Saturday's G3 Betfred Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock sees the welcome return of Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who has been absent since recording his breakthrough Group 1 win in ParisLongchamp's Prix d'Ispahan last May. “We still don't know if we've seen the best of him yet, he's lightly raced–just 12 races as a 6-year-old, which is not many,” trainer Owen Burrows said. “It will be great to see him back and all being well he'll run a nice race and we can start planning then for the rest of the year.” Newmarket's pattern race is the G3 Sweet Solera Stakes, where Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is a rare runner for the stable in this contest. With so many talented juvenile fillies in the yard this term, the daughter of Quiet Reflection (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) who denied Juddmonte's fellow TDN Rising Star Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on debut at The Curragh in June is sent to Newmarket in order for them all to be kept apart. “We were very happy with her debut and we think she's happy for another run,” Aidan O'Brien said. “We're hoping she'll run a nice race and we think the experience will do her good. We've trained a few out of Quiet Reflection, but she'd be the sharpest, being by Frankel, the others were more middle-distance types, she looks the quickest one. Her maiden form looks strong, the second has won well since and she'd be one of our nicer fillies, we liked her when she ran.” Charlie Appleby saddles another TDN Rising Star in Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who was fourth in the G3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and runner-up in the six-furlong G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at the July Festival here. “We feel that stepping up to seven is the right way for Mountain Breeze and it should produce a bit more improvement,” he said. “She should be very competitive on the back of what she has already achieved and this will hopefully open up a few more doors for her heading into the autumn.” Inspiral Bids For Historic Jacques Le Marois Treble, Faces Seven… Cheveley Park Stud's Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will face seven rivals as she bids for a historic treble in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville. Aided by Ryan Moore for the first time, the John and Thady Gosden-trained 5-year-old will upstage fellow dual winners Miesque, Spinning World and Palace Pier (GB) if successful in the prestigious mile feature where last year's runner-up Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) is set to re-oppose. Yeguada Centurion's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes hero Big Rock has failed to shine in two starts for the Maurizio Guarnieri stable so far in 2024, also has a new partner with Cristian Demuro taking over. Nurlan Bizakov's G1 Queen Anne Stakes hero Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Peter R Bradley and Scuderia Scolari's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's unbeaten G2 Summer Mile scorer Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Wathnan Racing's multiple group winner and dual 2,000 Guineas-placed Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) are other notables. Jaber Abdullah's 2023 Poulains hero Marhaba Ya Sanafi (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) and Christian Wingtans and Nicolas Caullery's 2023 G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest winner King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) complete the line-up. The post ‘He Sets The Standard’: Moore Keen On Whistlejacket In The Phoenix appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It was quiet trackside at Saratoga Race Course Friday morning. Everyone had a day off after the New York Racing Association canceled Friday's card after Thursday's was run. The reason was the havoc expected to blow through the area thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. The heavy stuff was predicted to come later in the afternoon. Horses, however, did not get the memo. They still went to work. As did the trainers and exercise riders and grooms and hotwalkers. “No days off,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. “Wrong industry to be in if you are in the days off business.” Although the activity was not as brisk as it would be on a sunny summer afternoon, horses still could be seen on the main track and Oklahoma going through daily exercise, Pletcher said the horses in his care that were scheduled to gallop on Friday did just that. Because of the conditions, there were no works and any horses scheduled to school in the gate had that canceled. Pletcher's hopeful for the GI Travers Stakes –Fierceness (City of Light)–had his work moved to Thursday. “We generally go ahead and gallop as long as it's safe,” Pletcher said. “This morning, the track held its consistency, so we did some routine gallops. Get 'em out, get 'em back in.” Pletcher had seven horses (one main track only) entered in five races on the Friday card, including Donegal Surges (Candy Ride), the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the featured $125,000 Evan Shipman Handicap. Pletcher, like everyone else, will have to wait and see what is done with these races. “Sure, it's frustrating,” he said. “We were sitting on a handful of favorites. It's a tough situation for everyone when you try to predict what the weather will do in advance like this.” Rain fell overnight, but from early morning to 2 p.m., there was little that fell in Saratoga Springs. The forecast did call for heavy rain to hit by 3 p.m. Wicked Trip Behind Him, Smoken Wicked Could Be A Player In Saratoga Special In the second start of his career, Smoken Wicked (Bobby's Wildcat) had a trip that was, well wicked. The 2-year-old colt, owned by Valene Farms LLC, finished second at odds of 32-1 in the listed Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 30. His trip was not an easy one. After being reluctant to load into the gate, Smoken Wicked leaned out at the start and then raced four wide. Around the three-eighths pole, he was clipped by a trailing horse and then was seven wide into the stretch. He was a distant second to Politicallycorrect (Violence), but the runner-up finish was impressive enough. “Hernandez (Jr., jockey Brian) said he lost his focus when the horse jumped him on the back leg at the three eighths,” trainer Dallas Stewart said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track Friday morning. “He got back down on him, and he still finished second.” Dallas Stewart | Coady Stewart liked that effort so much that he is putting the Louisiana-bred in the $200,000, GII Saratoga Special at Saratoga Saturday. He is 9-2 on the morning line and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. Murray Valene purchased Smoken Wicked for $38,000 at the 2023 Louisiana Yearling & Mixed Sale and then debuted him at Evangeline Downs in Louisiana on New Year's Day. He won by 7 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track and Valene then sent him to Stewart at Churchill. Now, here they are. “He is just a real smart horse,” Stewart said. “When we got him to Churchill, he participated great. His workouts were good, and he worked with our other 2-year-olds, and he worked right with them.” Included in that group was Eighty West (Speightstown), who broke his maiden in Saratoga's fourth race on Thursday by 4 1/2 lengths as the 4-5 favorite. Stewart knows his colt will be facing tougher competition in the Special. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher has Showcase (Uncle Mo), who broke his maiden by 7 ½ lengths last month at Aqueduct Race Track and Dale Romans will saddle Keep It Easy, a four-length winner at Chuirchill in his second start. Both of those juveniles were bought at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale; Keep It Easy went for $435,000 and Showcase brought $300,000. A field of nine will run in the Saratoga Special. “That was the best they had at Churchill,” Stewart said about the Bashford Manor field. “He has already won in the mud, he has the one hole, and we have a great rider. He will have to fight a little bit because there are some good colts in there, but he will come running.” Thursday Was A Special Spa Day For Donk After Getting To Winner's Circle Twice Back in 2020, the year of COVID, trainer David Donk had his best day at Saratoga when he won three races. But, because of the pandemic, no fans were around to see it. He had another good one on Thursday, winning a pair of races and, this time, he had plenty of witnesses. Donk was in the winner's circle after 2-year-old filly Trail of Gold (Solomoni) broke her maiden in the first race at 7-2 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez on board. Donk got there again in the ninth when Irad Ortiz Jr. got 4-year-old filly Fancypants Juliana (Mo Town, 7-1) home in a race taken off the grass. In 26 starts at Saratoga, Donk has three wins, two seconds and four thirds. “It's hard to win one at Saratoga, let alone two,” Donk said Friday at Saratoga. “I've just been fortunate to have been able to do this for this long.” Donk has been training on his own since 1991; he was an assistant to the late Hall of Famer Woody Stephens before that. Donk's barn at Saratoga is the same one Stephens had. Trail of Gold's win was special because the filly is owned by friends and family, many who Donk has been associated with for years. Donk owns a piece of the horse as does his dad, Gerald. Others involved with the filly are John T. Behrendt, Charles K. Marquis, William J. Punk Jr., Philip DiLeo, Peter Hayes and Suzanne K. Haslup. Joseph Bucci is the owner of Fancypants Juliana. “I just really enjoy being at Saratoga,” Donk said. “I like to enjoy this with other people. Joer (Bucci) could not be here but he typical of most owners. Loves Saratoga, loves to be able to run here. It's a lot of fun for all of them.” Donk, as usual, was sporting a New York Jets baseball cap when he had his pictures taken. He said he has been a diehard Jets fans since the day of quarterback Joe Namath. He is not sure what to expect from his team in this NFL season. “I struggle with the fact that we have an old quarterback,” Donk said of 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who is coming back after missing all but four plans last year because of an Achilles injury. “He has had a great career, but it's just like bringing an old horse back from a serious injury. How good is he really going to be? The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Business As Usual at Pletcher’s Barn at Oklahoma Training Track appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A federal judge in Oklahoma declined to issue a temporary restraining order against the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority following an Aug. 7 hearing.View the full article

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced the finalists for the 39th annual TOBA National Awards.View the full article

Babouche has a formidable contender to overcome in Whistlejacket if she is to preserve her unbeaten record.View the full article

Coming into Friday's Listed Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes at Tipperary on the back of a third in The Curragh's G2 Airlie Stud Stakes, Ballydoyle's January (Ire) (Kingman {GB}–I Can Fly {GB}, by Fastnet Rock {Aus}) made her class tell with an impressive four-length success to further enhance the power of Aidan O'Brien's extraordinary swathe of 2-year-old fillies in 2024. Always travelling comfortably tracking the leading pair, the 1-2 favourite was set alight by Ryan Moore passing two out and surged clear of Beckman (Ire) (Beckford {GB}) for a decisive black-type breakthrough in this near 7 1/2-furlong test. “She is a promising filly and we're very happy with her,” O'Brien said. “The step up in trip suited her well, they went a right good gallop and that suited her lovely. It was good that she got to relax and learn a bit. She is a [G2] Debutante kind and could be a [G1] Fillies' Mile type. She won't mind going up further in distance in time. The juvenile fillies look nice and look an unusual bunch at the moment. There are so many of them who could be smart.” January (Kingman) wins the Listed @coolmorestud Churchill Stakes in fine fashion to land a quick double for in-form Ryan Moore and Aidan O'Brien at @tipperaryraces @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/5E4RpCWGTD — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2024 The post Kingman’s January Impresses In The Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The walls of David Donk's stable in Saratoga can't talk, but there are two horsemen spending their mornings there this summer who have plenty of memories to share about the barn at the top of the far turn that once housed five consecutive Belmont Stakes winners. Donk and Phil Gleaves, a former trainer who now runs a small racing partnership, were both assistant trainers to legendary Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens early on in their careers and they still have stories to tell from the barn where Woody once based his stable. Like how Gleaves, a native of Liverpool England, has always been a massive Davie Bowie fan. One summer he took a Greyhound bus from Saratoga to see the rockstar perform at Madison Square Garden. He rode the bus back north afterward and got to the barn at 4 a.m. the next morning with plenty of time to spare before the first set. Flash forward a few decades and Bowie was the inspiration for a horse that Gleaves bred, trained and still races today. Named after one of the personas that Bowie adopted in concert, Thin White Duke (Dominus) has proven to be a special horse for Gleaves and his fellow co-owners: horseplayer and journalist Steven Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard. And just like Bowie's music career spanned multiple genres, Thin White Duke has shown versatility racing on various surfaces. So whether this weekend's GII Troy S. runs on the grass or the main track, the 6-year-old's connections are confident that their horse will show up. Becoming a breeder sort of fell into Gleaves's lap when his longtime owner Russell Reineman–who he won the GI Travers for with Wise Times in 1986–passed away. Reineman's family asked Gleaves if he was interested in any of his broodmares before they started downsizing. “I looked at several and there was one that caught my eye with her pedigree being inbred to Danzig, who I had galloped for Woody Stephens and was a tremendous racehorse and sire,” Gleaves recalled. “She was an unraced mare by Distorted Humor, who I also trained early in his career. So from that mare, Aberdeen Alley, I started breeding and one of the horses I bred was Thin White Duke.” Gleaves broke Thin White Duke himself in Ocala and then brought him up to Saratoga, where the New York-bred broke his maiden in the 2020 Funny Cide Stakes as a 2-year-old. He won another stake and placed in two more over the next year. When Gleaves announced his retirement toward the end of 2021, he suggested to his partners that they send their horses to Donk. David Donk and Phil Gleaves | Sarah Andrew “I've known David for a long time,” said Gleaves. “When I left Woody Stephens in '85 to train privately for Frank Stronach, David took my job. Over the years we have shared clients. David's best horse was Awad and he sent him to me one winter in Gulfstream to babysit him because David wasn't going to Florida that winter. We were fortunate enough to win a streak with him down there. So we have a great relationship, David and I. Just as importantly, he came from the Woody school of wanting to run horses frequently if they were up to it. That's my philosophy as well and so that was a big selling point for us as to who to send our horses to.” Coming off a nine-month layoff, Thin White Duke returned to the races in 2022. After one unsuccessful start on dirt, Donk tried switching the gelding to turf. He won at 33-1 odds. “He had run on the grass before, but we just thought he was going to be a better grass horse than a dirt horse,” explained Donk. “We had a decision to make coming into Saratoga, as you usually do with turf horses, about distance. You're either choosing a five and a half furlong sprint or a two-turn mile or mile and a sixteenth. It's a big difference. Johnny Velazquez had ridden him and we asked Johnny what he thought. He said we should try to sprint him. The first time we sprinted him here, he was off the pace and had a really big run. We were like, 'Wow, that's what he wants to do.' So it has just evolved from there. It's not that he can't run on the dirt, but he's certainly shown that he's really proficient as an off-the-pace sprinter on the turf.” In 36 lifetime starts, Thin White Duke has come in the money 19 times and amassed over $750,000 in career earnings. He has collected stakes wins in the 2023 Lucky Coin Stakes and in the same race in 2024 after it was re-named the Harvey Pack Stakes. That score was especially meaningful for co-owner Steve Crist. “Winning the Harvey Pack was phenomenal because it was the first running of the Harvey Pack and Steve came up under Harvey Pack,” said Gleaves. “Steve had come up under Harvey Pack and they had been on the [Thoroughbred Action] replay show many times back in the day, so it was very important for Steve to be in the race and then to win it was just super.” Finding the right spot for Thin White Duke has proven to be a challenge this year. The gelding has yet to run in the money so far in 2024, but Donk said that the races have not been conducive to his horse's running style. Thin White Duke ran eighth in the GI Jaipur, which Cogburn (Not This Time) won in record time. His next two races were also on fast, firm ground. “With his style, I feel like he's been up against it,” said Donk. “He's run okay, but he hasn't had the same punch. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I think with the elements of the weather coming into play, it changes things up a bit.” Thin White Duke has placed third in the last two runnings of the GII Troy Stakes. This year's Troy was initially slated for Saturday, Aug. 3 but was pushed back to the 10th due to heavy rain. With a cancelled race card on Friday because of more bad weather, Saturday's Troy will more than likely be run on the main track. Donk said Thin White Duke has had no disruption to his training with the week-long delay. If anything, it was beneficial as it gave him extra time after his last race on July 28. “He was coming back really quickly so another week certainly doesn't hurt us,” he explained. “He's not a horse that we have to do a lot with. He's a happy horse. We're just trying to maintain him in between. He's coming into it the right way and I think the elements of the weather will be different for some horses. If it's on the grass, it's going to be a bit on the soft side. If it comes off the grass, he's got a record of running well on the dirt, so we'd be pretty comfortable either way.” Thin White Duke and Phil Gleaves in 2020 | Sarah Andrew Regardless, Donk will stick to his model of running a healthy Thin White Duke regularly. It's the same philosophy he shares with any of his new owners. “I tell them that it's not just about trying to win in Saratoga,” Donk said. “You're very fortunate to get to run in Saratoga. It's a beautiful place and as I get older, I appreciate it even more just to be here and compete. It's all about the horse here, so it's a lot of fun to be here and experience it with people. I don't have the deep pedigrees and high-priced horses like some of the bigger outfits have, but I've got a lot of great clientele. People that I've had for 25, 30 years.” Just this past Thursday, Donk had two winners on the card with Trail of Gold (Solomini) breaking her maiden in her second career start and Fancypants Juliana (Mo Town) winning a New York-bred allowance optional claimer. Gleaves's partnership has several other horses in training with Donk including Succulent (Candy Ride {Arg}), a 5-year-old mare who won an allowance at Belmont at Aqueduct in May in her last start and the 4-year-old filly Snowy Evening (Frosted), who was fourth in the Port Washington Stakes last month. Gleaves said that between broodmares, yearlings, weanlings and racehorses, their partnership currently owns 11 horses. “We're careful not to let it grow exponentially because it can really get out of hand,” he said. When asked what his days look like since he has retired from training, Gleaves said he still gets up at 5:00 a.m. every morning at his home in Ballston Spa, NY. “I'm still immersed in the Thoroughbred industry. I'm just no longer in the trenches,” he noted. This summer Gleaves is enjoying spending his mornings soaking in Saratoga while sitting outside a barn that was such a defining place for his career and sharing his time there with another horseman that has supported him along the way. “David is a super guy,” he said. “I love him like a brother. I know that any decision that he makes on a horse would be the same decision that I make because we came 'round under the same guy in this very barn.” The post Strands of the ‘Woody Philosophy’ Evident in Thin White Duke’s Career appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Building on her debut third at Leopardstown last month, Ballydoyle's Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}–Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made experience count with an impressive win in Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary to become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Positioned on the rail of the leader early by Ryan Moore, the 2-1 second favourite was sent to the front passing two out and powered clear for an emphatic 3 1/4-length success from Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), with Juddmonte's highly-regarded and well-supported 6-5 favourite Continuite (GB) (Frankel {GB}) half a length away in third. One for the notebook Ecstatic (Lord Kanaloa x Magic Wand) wins at the second attempt under Ryan Moore for Aidan O'Brien in the @IrishEBF_ Fillies Maiden at @tipperaryraces @Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/YrCEivTQJO — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2024 The post Lord Kanaloa’s Daughter Of Magic Wand Impresses At Tipperary, New TDN Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin, Juddmonte, Klaravich Stables, Zedan Racing Stables, and George Krikorian have been named finalists for the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's National Owner of the Year award, while Godolphin, Juddmonte, and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings are finalists for TOBA's National Breeder of the Year award. The National Awards Dinner will be held Sept. 7 at Fasig-Tipton, and the National Awards Luncheon, which honors breeders from 19 states and Canada, will be held Sept. 6 at the Thoroughbred Club of America. Finalists for other awards include: Small Breeder of the Year: Joe Fafone, Elizabeth Merryman, and Amy Moore. Cot Campbell Partnership of the Year: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Little Red Feather Racing, the partnership of Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the partnership of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables LLC, and the partnership of SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, and Catherine Donovan. “Owners and breeders are the foundation of Thoroughbred racing and the finalists for this year's national awards are distinguished for their remarkable achievements both on the track and on the farm,” said Dan Metzger, president of TOBA. “We congratulate all of the national finalists and look forward to a memorable evening of recognizing the best in our sport.” Tickets are available to the public for both the luncheon and the dinner, with a discounted price for TOBA members. Registration for both events is due by Aug. 22 and available online at www.toba.org/awards. The post TOBA Awards Finalists Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Arqana's August Sale bursts from the stalls next Friday which means it will be Christmas before we know it. It also means that over the three days which follow the spotlight will be shone on some of the finest yearlings from France and beyond as the European yearling season gets underway in its customary fashion of part-holiday/part-serious business in Deauville. In the days building up to the sale, we will be profiling some of the largest drafts at Arqana, beginning with Anna Sundstrom's Coulonces, which has 20 set to go through the ring after a few withdrawals. If you are a sales veteran you will know that a chat with the Swedish-born but long-time French resident is the equivalent of an afternoon being bathed in warm sunshine or a good dose of Prozac, depending on your preference. Sundstrom simply does not know how to be negative, which in itself is a great positive in this business. It is no surprise to hear then that she is brimming with confidence as she counts down to next Friday and, while pulling the manes of some of the members of her select draft, she also took the time to tell TDN exactly why that is so. Selling one of the four seven-figure lots at the 2023 sale, at which Coulonces was the fifth-leading vendor with 14 yearlings sold at an average of €224,714, may have something to do with it. Sundstrom's two daughters, Moa, 23, and Lillie, 13, are also actively engaged in preparing the yearlings at home as well as showing them at the sales. This week, her friend and co-breeder Charlotte Hutchinson has returned to Coulonces temporarily from her own farm in England to join the team at Arqana as a familiar and welcoming face among that strong team of females. Anna Sundstrom says: “I think the sale is going to be fabulous. What happened last year is something that everybody in France has been waiting for. The sale was so dynamic and we found it really easy to sell our yearlings because there was such a wide range of buyers. The French horses have been doing great abroad; prize-money is amazing, and we have just been waiting for people to feel that France is an important country as well. It has perhaps always been a little brother to Britain and Ireland, but this year we are there now. There have been so many phone calls and people are feeling that they can't miss being in Arqana. I feel that more than ever it has become a sale that people have to come to. “For us, it's kind of our Jockey Club, our Derby – a time to show everybody why we've been in hiding all year. And if we've done all that we can I think the people in the stables who encounter these horses later on will love them, because they will be easy. “I'm so proud to be working alongside both Moa and Lillie. If they were not interested in horses I don't think I would have continued with this passion. I would have always continued with horses, but not with this, because it's so time-consuming, and then I wouldn't be a good mum if they weren't with me. But now we work together during the days and we probably see more of each other than most families do. “Moa is 23 now and she takes care of so many things on the farm. I didn't know she wanted to do this but I was aways hoping she would want to do this with me. She loves it and she is so interested in all the networking and all of those things. Lillie also has the bug. “I think with our family it comes down to the fact that we just really love horses. Whether it's a thoroughbred or not, it really doesn't matter at the end of the day. “The girls have grown up with having to take the responsibility for the horses and all their needs. I'm thankful that they want to be a part of this. And I think it also makes it easier to take a defeat in life because when you are racing there is only one horse who can win the race, and how often is it your own horse? It's a good life lesson.” Draft highlights Lot 54, a filly by Sottsass (Fr) ex American Beauty (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) “I worked at the Wildensteins for a couple of years and when I arrived [her granddam] American Adventure was there and she was carrying to Dark Angel and this little filly was born,” says Sundstrom. “She didn't race and she ended up being sold at Arqana as a three-year-old, and Charlotte and I bought her for €20,000. It was very special for us to have such a pedigree but we didn't know how things were going to keep happening in the family.” Indeed, plenty has happened since then, not least the emergence of Little Big Bear (Ire) and Whitslejacket (Ire), both group-winning sons of American Beauty's half-sister Adventure Seeker (Fr) (Bering). The latter runs in Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. Lot 250, a colt by Frankel (GB) ex Palmas (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}) The January-born colt is the first foal of the G1 Preis de Diana winner and is being sold on behalf of longstanding Coulonces clients James and Erika Gilliar, who also raced the Listed Prix Rose de Mai winner Fun With Flags (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). “They bought him as a foal with Paul Harley from Gestut Etzean for €260,000. He's very special and Charlotte has direct orders to stay on him!” Lot 108, a filly by Blue Point (Ire) ex Diantha (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) Out of a half-sister to G2 Dante Stakes winner Thunderous (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), she was a €150,000 pinhook. “I can't wait for you to see her. You won't find a horse at this sale who walks better than her,” Sundstrom says boldly. “We bought her at Goffs with our Scandinavian friends, and she is from Oghill House Stud, who are such good breeders.” Claim to fame: Sundstrom and her parents Maya and Jan bred the Prix du Jockey Club winner Le Havre (Ire), himself a graduate of the 2007 August Sale. “He started everything for a lot of people – not just for us, but for Mathieu Alex, for Sylvain Vidal,” she says. “His success really gave me the wish to do this and to breed, and financially it made a lot of things possible as well. He was incredible and we are always searching for the next one. Maybe it will be this horse whose mane I am pulling at the moment.” Last word: “We have a very strong draft – on paper but also as individuals. The pedigrees were perhaps lacking a little bit last year even though we had a good sale, so we said what we don't have we will go out and buy, and we knew what horses our clients would support us with. We've never had a draft like this before. It's so exciting. We're counting days.” The post The Arqana Lowdown: Coulonces appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The £150,000 Tattersalls Auction Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse's Rowley Mile will be run at seven furlongs beginning in 2025. Previously conducted over six furlongs, the race is open to graduates of Book 3 and Book 4 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale. The 2025 edition is scheduled for Oct. 4, 2025. Graduates of Books 3 and 4 of the 2024 October Yearling Sale will also be eligible for the first time for the £100,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes, which will be held over six furlongs on Newmarket's July Course on Aug. 23, 2025. The £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus for all yearlings purchased at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale will also be offered. To date, almost £9 million in Book 1 Bonuses have been paid to owners of more than 360 winners. Books 3 and 4 of the October Yearling Sale are set for Oct. 17-18 this year, while the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale will be held from Sept. 2-3. The post 2025 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes Increased To Seven Furlongs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Keely Mckitterick/TTR AusNZ Friday's inquiry into the proposed sale of Rosehill Racecourse evolved into a battleground where financial realities, governance controversies, and deeply personal accusations clashed in a high-stakes showdown. At the center of this unfolding drama is Peter V'landys, CEO of Racing NSW, who launched explosive allegations that “wealthy breeders” are orchestrating a campaign to undermine him. During the second inquiry on Friday, Peter V'landys, CEO of Racing NSW, made a series of explosive allegations about “wealthy breeders” engaging in a deliberate campaign to discredit him and Racing NSW, going so far as to claim that these individuals were spreading falsehoods to manipulate the outcome of the inquiry. He pointed to an email that allegedly encouraged people to fabricate evidence, a move he described as a direct attempt to undermine the integrity of Racing NSW. V'landys did not stop there; he went on to deliver a particularly charged statement regarding the motivations behind the scrutiny of Racing NSW's Equine Welfare Fund. He justified the current lack of disclosure in the Annual Report, stating it was the way their reporting has always been done. After Animal Justice Party Emma Hurst's request, V'landys promised to provide more disclosure in this area, stating, “We've got nothing to hide. We're proud of what we do. Transparency is your friend.” He then alleged that the intense focus on the fund was not born out of a genuine concern for animal welfare but was instead part of a broader agenda by those seeking the information. “The reason people are focused [on the Equine Welfare Fund], they have never focussed on any other expense of Racing NSW, but they're focussed on this,” V'landys said. “You know why they're focussed on this? Because they want to show that it is too expensive to rehome horses and that we should allow them [those requesting this information] to put them in abattoirs. That's what the campaign's about. They want to get rid of me so they can put horses into abattoirs.” This comment added a new layer of controversy to the inquiry and was met with immediate disgust by several parties. Kick Up, an organisation established by a group that includes Vicky Leonard, a part-owner of The Thoroughbred Report, to promote positive welfare messaging and improve industry perception, provided the following statement: “Mr V'landys' claim that 'transparency is your friend' is starkly contradicted by the evasive responses—or lack thereof—that Kick Up has encountered in our repeated attempts over years to seek clarity on equine welfare fund spending. To then insinuate that those efforts are driven by a desire to 'put racehorses in abattoirs' is both false and insulting. If transparency is truly his friend, Mr V'landys wouldn't require the pressure of a parliamentary inquiry to provide straightforward answers to perfectly reasonable requests.” The Club's Shaky Foundation The funding model underpinning the NSW racing industry was brought into sharp focus during the inquiry, as the ATC grappled with the realities of declining TAB revenues and the challenge of maintaining world-class facilities. The ATC Chairman, Peter McGauran, highlighted the club's reliance on TAB distributions, which have seen a steady decline in recent years. This, he argued, places the future of racing at risk unless new revenue streams are identified. “The financial challenges we face are significant,” McGauran stated, emphasising the need for the ATC to explore all options, including the potential sale of Rosehill, to secure its financial future. The proposed A$5 billion valuation of the Rosehill site, while contentious, is seen by some as a lifeline that could future-proof the club and ensure the continuation of premier racing in Sydney.” However, this financial outlook as a justification for the sale is not universally accepted. During his testimony, Jason Abrahams of the Save Rosehill group criticised the funding model, calling for a thorough review. “There has been a funding shortfall… for a long, long time. It's like stepping back in time 50 years,” Abrahams remarked. He then questioned the logic of a financially challenged business spending A$300,000 on due diligence when the membership is vehemently opposed to the sale: “You can daresay that at least the Chairman and potentially some of the board are severely out of touch with their membership group.” Discrepancies regarding the valuation of Rosehill Racecourse were a focal point of contention during the inquiry, with figures ranging from A$1.6 billion to a speculative A$20 billion being cited. McGauran, defended the A$5 billion valuation, claiming it was based on expert calculations. However, Timothy Hale, Vice Chair of the ATC, soon after admitted, “We have never been provided with a valuation showing A$5 billion.” Racing NSW Board Member Garry Charny testified that while a A$1.6 billion valuation might be accurate today, the site's long-term potential value could reach as much as A$20 billion. Governance and Accountability Under the Microscope The inquiry also turned a critical eye on the governance practices within Racing NSW and the ATC, with Independent MP Mark Latham leading the charge. Latham's questioning of V'landys centered on the organization's decision-making processes, particularly regarding the sale of Rosehill and the allocation of funds. But the inquiry also raised broader concerns about the transparency and accountability of the Racing NSW CEO, with Charny acknowledging that they offer V'landys a “broad scope” to act independently. Central to this scrutiny was the revelation that considerable authority granted to V'landys, including the ability to initiate legal proceedings without the need for board approval if expected costs are estimated to be under A$1 million. The Voice of the Members While financial sustainability and governance dominated much of the discussion, the inquiry also shone a light on the powerful resistance from the racing community, particularly through the Save Rosehill group. Abrahams and Julia Ritchie, who represented the group, articulated the deep sense of betrayal felt by ATC members over the proposed sale. “We and many, many others in the club and in the broader industry are steadfastly opposed to this sale,” Abrahams said. “It is an insult to the members who have supported the ATC and its predecessors for generations, a violation of the cultural norms of a member-based sporting club, and a warning to all of our peers across the city whose golf courses, tennis courts and football fields might stand in the way of the next development.” The emotional resonance of this resistance was evident in Ritchie's testimony, where she shared that none of the 150 to 200 conversations she had with racegoers supported the sale. Abrahams further emphasised the disconnect between the ATC leadership and its membership, pointing out the “vehement anger” expressed at members' forums. The Horseman's Perspective Rosehill trainers Chris Waller and Richard Freedman, both voiced strong opposition to the proposed sale, though they approached the issue from slightly different perspectives. Waller began by emphasising the importance of Rosehill to his successful training operation, then acknowledged the housing pressures in Sydney. While he was firmly against the sale of the entire site, staging “once Rosehill is gone, Western Sydney has lost one of its greatest community attractions”, Waller was open to alternative proposals, such as partial sales of under utilised areas like car parks, provided these changes would benefit the community, such as transforming them into parks or sports fields. Freedman also expressed his concerns, particularly highlighting the lack of information provided to trainers about the proposal and the potential impact of the sale on their operations, describing the situation as “flying blind”. Unlike Waller, Freedman was not in favor of a partial sell-off, arguing that it would cause more harm than good given the possibility of having to train horses in what could effectively become a construction site for years. The next hearing for the inquiry into the proposal to sell Rosehill Racecourse is scheduled for Thursday, September 12. The post Battle Lines Drawn: V’landys War Of Words Targets Breeders With Explosive Allegations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Waverley trainer Erin Hocquard. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Talented winter galloper Spencer will aim to continue on his upward trajectory at Te Rapa on Saturday. The son of Derryn has made nearly every post a winner this campaign, with three consecutive victories over 1200m culminating in a highly commendable second placing behind winter topliner Belardo Boy in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) last month. His trainer, Erin Hocquard had contemplated a trip to Riccarton Park to contest the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m) last Saturday, but with just 14 starts under his belt, the connections opted to stay closer to home at this stage of his promising career. “The owners decided we would just stick to the North Island at this stage, he’s still a young horse and we may give it a crack next year,” Hocquard said. “I thought he ran really well in the Opunake Cup, he was up in grade and against the better horses. “He’s been good since then, jumping around and just being his usual self.” Dropping back to his preferred distance, Spencer will carry 58kg under Craig Grylls alongside the well-performed Johny Johny and Turn The Ace, the pair both with apprentice claims. “There’s a few races we could go for from here with him, but we’ll take it race-by-race to see how he handles the races and the stronger class along the way,” Hocquard said. Horse racing news View the full article

West Coast pictured following his victory in last year’s Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton. Photo: Race Images South Mark Oulaghan reigned supreme with his star jumpers West Coast and Berry The Cash during the Grand National Carnival last year, and the Awapuni horseman is back and favoured to repeat his heroics on Saturday. West Coast has won the last two editions of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) among a collection of other prestige titles, and he will attempt to become the first horse in history to go three-in-a-row. His southern campaign kicked off strongly winning the key lead-up event, the Koral Steeplechase (4250m), with some authority and is tipped the horse to beat, currently rated a $1.45 favourite with horse racing bookmakers ahead of Captains Run ($6). “It was a good run under the weight, he was well ridden,” Oulaghan said. “He is similar to Berry The Cash as far as distance is concerned, both of those horses’ strong point is their staying ability, so the extra 1000m will help him.” The son of Nom De Jeu won his first National with 65kg on his back, but since that first crown, he has continuously carried near on the maximum allocated weight of 73kg and Saturday’s contest will be no different, with jockey Shaun Fannin aiming for an 11th win from 16 starts aboard the nine-year-old. Oulaghan has won more steeplechase titles at Riccarton Park than any other trainer with eight on the board, but he admits the feature still brings about a few nervous moments. “Any big jumping race brings a bit of apprehension with how it’s going to pan out, it keeps you pretty alert on your seat,” he said. Berry The Cash has faced a similar weight-related task to his stablemate this season, but he will not fly solo on 72kg, with fellow top-liner Nedwin making the journey south to contest the Grand National Hurdles (4200m). Nedwin’s stablemate Dictation looked like he had last Saturday’s Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) secured before blundering at the final fence, leaving Berry The Cash to sail away with his sixth consecutive race win. Oulaghan, while satisfied with the performance, is looking forward to stepping the son of Jakkalberry out to a more preferred distance, with impending rain in Christchurch also to suit. “He was possibly a little bit flat in the straight in the Sydenham, but I think the extra 1000m will suit him and if the track is a little bit looser. Those factors would be an advantage for him,” he said. “He hasn’t been too busy this week, he’s pretty fit from his Waverley run into the hurdle race so we can’t do too much more with him. He’s feeling well and we’re expecting another good run. “He’s always showed a lot of ability hurdling and this year, he’s put the results on the board which has been good.” Berry The Cash was spectacular winning last year’s National and has been unbeaten in a jumping contest since. The gelding was the underdog in that race in comparison to his status this season, sitting a $2 hope just ahead of Nedwin at $2.15. Up-and-coming prospect Semper Magico will line up as a key contender in the Michael ‘Mickey’ Beecroft Memorial 0-1 Win Hurdles (3100m) earlier on the card, after running on with merit under a big weight over 1800m on the opening day of the carnival. The son of Per Incanto has stepped into his role over the fences with ease recently, winning comfortably at Wellington at his second hurdle attempt after a successful career on the flat, placing at Listed level. “We were happy enough with his run last Saturday, a flat run over 1800m is not really ideal for him but under the weight, we were pleased by the way he stuck at it and pulled up,” Oulaghan said. “Condition-wise, he’s not far off the mark. “It’s a great avenue for him where he can mix up running on the flat and over the jumps. For a horse like him, his career may nearly be over without jump racing, it gives him another option to continue on.” Horse racing news View the full article

Acromantula ridden by Craig Williams winning the 2023 Listed Carlyon Stakes at Moonee Valley. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Connections of Acromantula are targeting a repeat victory in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on August 24. The seven-year-old sprinter, trained by Dan and Ben Pearce, returns for his second interstate campaign in Melbourne this Saturday, where he’ll compete in a 1000-metre handicap at The Valley. After winning two trials at Lark Hill last month, Acromantula will reunite with Craig Williams, who guided him to his sole stakes victory last year. “I think he’s fitter,” Ben Pearce told The Races WA. “Last year, we gave him just one trial because it was the first time we traveled with him. We sort of left a bit in the tank, thinking he would tighten up with the travel, which he didn’t—he traveled so well. “This year, we learned from that and gave him a second trial, and his fitness is better. We gave him a good gallop at home on Monday, and he worked good. “He’s traveled super, and I can’t get enough feed into him. You feed him, and it’s gone an hour later; he’s taken no harm from the travel.” Acromantula, drawing barrier one, will face six rivals on Saturday. Pearce is confident in their position. “I don’t think they’ll be able to cross him from barrier one,” he said. “I spoke to Craig’s manager, and he said it was a very winnable race.” Horse racing news View the full article

Steel City in full flight as she takes out the 2023 Group 3 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill. Champion trainer Ciaron Maher has decided to equip Steel City with blinkers, hoping to boost her chances in what he views as a winnable Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Merchant Navy has only one victory from ten starts, a notable win in last year’s Group 3 Magic Night Stakes (1200m). This season, her best performance came last month when she finished fourth, just over three lengths behind the winner, in an 1100-metre handicap at Caulfield. “She’s improved every start, and I’ve put the shades on. I think she will improve again,” Maher told Racing NSW. “It’s not the strongest edition of the Missile, and we’ve got the fitness edge on our side. “With blinkers, she’ll need to find a couple of lengths, and I think she will. “A top-three chance is certainly what we’re aiming for.” 2024 Missile Stakes Final Field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Loch Eagle Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons 7 57.5kg 2 Semillion Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Tommy Berry 9 56.5kg 3 Schwarz John O’Shea & Tom Charlton James McDonald 11 56.5kg 4 Banju Lyle Chandler Reece Jones 3 56kg 5 Ka Bling Peter Snowden Tyler Schiller 5 56kg 6 Much Much Better Sara Ryan Zac Lloyd 8 56kg 7 The Face Tony Ball Jay Ford 1 56kg 8 Steel City Ciaron Maher Tim Clark 6 54.5kg 9 Arctic Glamour Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou Kerrin McEvoy 4 54kg 10 Shezanalister Bjorn Baker Jason Collett 2 54kg 11 Junqueira John O’Shea & Tom Charlton Regan Bayliss 10 54kg Horse racing news View the full article