Wandering Eyes

International fan favorite Kabirkhan's journey to the American starting gate has hit a bump in the road, trainer Brad Cox reported July 17.View the full article

There's no doubt Thorpedo Anna is the America's best 3-year-old filly. She might also be the best 3-year-old regardless of sex. That question could be answered later in the year.View the full article

6th-SAR, $100k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, post time: 4:02 p.m. ET GOOD CONDUCT (Without Parole {GB}), the sire of five individual winners to date, becomes the first American runner for his Newsells Park Stud-based freshman sire (by Frankel {GB}), who carried the silks of Glennwood Farm's John and Tanya Gunther to victory in the 2019 G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. He also finished a third in a trio of Grade I events in this country while under the care of Chad Brown, including the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2019. Eurowest Bloodstock Services acquired second dam Devil By Design (Medaglia d'Oro) for $160,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November Sale and campaigned her to a marquee success in GIII Chicago Handicap at Arlington. Good Conduct is the first produce from Church On Time (Honor Code), a half-sister to 2018 GI American Oaks winner Competitionofideas (Speightstown), whose yearling colt by Epiphaneia (Jpn) sold for $2.05 at the recently concluded JRHA Select Sale. TJCIS PPs The post Thursday Insights: Freshman Sire Without Parole Represented By First U.S. Runner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien trainee Lambourn (Ire) (Australia {GB}–Gossamer Wings, by Scat Daddy) made a winning debut in Wednesday evening's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race at Killarney and was the main beneficiary as winner elect Green Triangle (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) crashed through the rail when looking nailed on for victory. Lambourn raced off the pace in eighth after a sluggish getaway in this debut. Bustled along before halfway, the 6-1 chance made relentless headway to go fifth entering the final furlong and, with the clear leader Green Triangle grasping defeat from the jaws of victory in the dying strides, kept on relentlessly to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from J'Adore Chris (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}). Dramatic doesn't do it justice! Backers of Green Triangle would have been counting their winnings – until this happened! Remarkable scenes. Thankfully, both horse and rider appear to be okay. @KillarneyRaces pic.twitter.com/MbgAONnuwW — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 17, 2024 The post High Drama at Killarney as Australia’s Lambourn Secures Debut Success appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

International fan-favorite Kabirkhan's journey to the American starting gate has hit a bump in the road, trainer Brad Cox reported July 17.View the full article

Kentucky HBPA College Day Presented by Ellis Park returns to the Tri-State racetrack on Sunday, July 28, with 27 full-time students winning a prize.View the full article

The Coolmore partners' City Of Troy (Justify) will likely face a truly international field in the £1.2-million G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York on Aug. 21. Durezza (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), a Japanese Classic winner, will travel to the Knavesmire to tangle with the Ballydoyle G1 Derby hero next month, York's CEO William Derby confirmed on Wednesday. “We're obviously delighted to hear the news from Ballydoyle that City Of Troy is likely to run in the Juddmonte International–obviously there's a long way to go with horses, but to have Europe's highest-rated three-year-old being aimed at our flagship race is great,” said Derby. “We all saw what he did in the Betfred Derby, he obviously wasn't on a going day in the Guineas, but he won the Eclipse like Sea The Stars did ahead of coming to the Knavesmire and it will be fascinating to see how he performs if he comes.” Racing in the colours of Carrot Farm, the 4-year-old Durezza won the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) last October. He will be ridden by French ex-pat Christophe Lemaire in the 10-furlong showpiece. Derby added, “It has also been confirmed this morning that Durezza, who won the Japanese St Leger last year, is heading our way with Christophe Lemaire due to ride him, so to have the best two jockeys in the world in Christophe and Ryan Moore taking each other on is something very exciting for us and all race fans. It's our flagship race, the best we stage and the richest so we're delighted City Of Troy and Durezza have it on their radar.” The last Japanese top-flight winner to contest the Juddmonte International was in 2005, when subsequent Group 1 sire Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) was edged out by Electrocutionist (Red Ransom) with the margin only a neck. The post Japanese Classic Winner Durezza Likely To Clash With City Of Troy In Juddmonte International appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association has unveiled an enhanced online registry search to allow owners to easily confirm a Thoroughbred's current FTBOA Florida-bred registration status, Florida Sire Stakes eligibility and to verify registered Florida Stallions. The online Registry Search, FTBOA.com/registrysearch, allows users to search and sort foaled-in-Florida Thoroughbreds by name, dam name, sire name or by foal crop. FTBOA icons indicate fully registered FTBOA Florida-breds. The Florida Sire Stakes icon confirms that a Thoroughbred has been fully paid into and is eligible to participate in the lucrative Florida Sire Stakes program. Simplified Yes/No indicators track yearling and/or 2-year-old payments progress to ease verifications as juvenile horses change ownership. “This all-new registry search is, quite simply, best-in-class at what it offers. We've combined three major registry functions into a one-stop shop aimed at eliminating eligibility confusions between the FSS and Florida-bred incentive programs.” FTBOA's Vice President of Operations Steve Koch said. “FTBOA's ongoing technology investments put us ahead of other regional breed associations for stakeholders' ease of use and understandability.” The post FTBOA Unveils New Online Search Registry 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-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a daughter of Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 18.20 Leopardstown, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 8fT Coolmore homebred ECSTATIC (JPN) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is one of two nominees for Aidan O'Brien and the first foal produced by G1 Mackinnon Stakes heroine Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who also placed nine times at the highest level. Her seven rivals include Juddmonte debutante Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who is out of G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes victrix and G1 Nassau Stakes third Hot Snap (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), from the Dermot Weld stable. The post Daughter Of Magic Wand Set For Leopardstown Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is in the midst of yet another busy Saratoga season, but this weekend he will have a quick hiatus from the Spa as he pops over to Monmouth Park to saddle several leading contenders in the GI Haskell Stakes. To discuss Fierceness (City of Light), Mindframe (Constitution) and Tuscan Sky (Vino Rosso)–and talk about whether or not we will see all three colts in New Jersey or if any will wait until the GII Jim Dandy Stakes–Pletcher joined this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented by Keeneland. Running fellow Repole Stable-owned colts Mindframe and Fierceness in the same race is not the ideal scenario, but Pletcher is all too familiar with how situations can change in the blink of an eye with these athletes. Just last weekend, Fierceness's full-brother Mentee was scratched from the GIII Sanford Stakes due to a temperature. Pletcher, who was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the show, said they have been preparing all three colts as if they are running in the Haskell and will monitor how each horse is training leading up to the race on Saturday before making a final decision. “The tricky thing about it is, in this particular situation the Haskell is a Grade I and the Jim Dandy is a Grade II,” Pletcher said. “Fierceness has already established his stallion value. He's a champion 2-year-old. He's won the GI Florida Derby and he's a multiple Grade I winner. Mindframe, on the other hand, is on the verge of becoming a major stallion prospect and to some degree is a solid prospect already, but a Grade I win for him is a big payday in terms of his stallion value.” Asked if he ultimately decides not to run Mindframe against Fierceness, would the logical scenario would be to run Fierceness in the Jim Dandy, Pletcher said that would probably be the backup plan. The Maryland-bred Mindframe is the least seasoned among the trio, with only three starts under his belt including his runner-up performance in the GI Belmont where he showed his inexperience by drifting out in the stretch. “The one thing that we were concerned about going into the Belmont was, did he have enough seasoning to be ready to run in the Belmont against horses who had more experience,” said Pletcher. “I think our concern turned out to be what ultimately cost him the race. By the same token, you have to be elated with the way he ran in only his third start. To do that was very impressive and at the same time very frustrating to think that maybe we let one get away. He's a very talented horse. He's trained very well since then. I think he has the right to improve again with that race under his belt. He's a May 13 foal so you would think time is on his side. The more experience he gets and the older he gets, hopefully the better he gets.” The team of Randy Moss and Zoe Cadman also chatted with Pletcher about what life is like during the busy Saratoga season. Pletcher mentioned a few of the other current stable stars in his barn and even handed out a few unraced 2-year-old tips. “Saratoga is a different animal than anywhere else we go,” said Pletcher. “It can be relatively quiet on a dark day where you can kind of not have a bunch of people hanging around, but there's nothing quite like sale week. You would think if you're an outsider that Travers week is really a crazy week in Saratoga, but it's really the week surrounding the yearling sale that is by far the most attended and everybody wants to be out in the morning, see their horses train and know what time they're going out. So it can be challenging at times to try to stay focused on what you're doing training your horses, but it's great to have that kind of enthusiasm and people out here.” Elsewhere on the podcast, GIII Quick Call S. winner Star of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) was the Fastest Horse of the Week, which is presented by the stallions at WinStar Farm. The show is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, XBTV.com and the KTOB. Further discussion during this week's show included a roundup of last weekend's racing, with talk of Chad Brown's domination in the GI Diana Stakes, plus a preview of this weekend's racing from Monmouth to Del Mar and Saratoga. Click here to watch the show. Click here for the audio version. The post Todd Pletcher Joins the TDN Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Thursday at Saratoga: Thursday, July 18, 2024 Saratoga 6, $100k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 4:02 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Annie Goodbody (War Front)-AE, OBSMAR, 30,000, Gallop C-Ocala Stud, agent for Lothenbach Stables Dispersal;B-Flatbird Stable Flirting With Time (Yorkton), OBSAPR, 80,000, :10 C-Julie Davies LLC, agent; B-West Bloodstock The post Summer Breezes: July 18, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If Juddmonte keeps going like this, I might as well just copy and paste tributes already paid this summer to family trees it has cultivated through the past four decades. Before reprising that process, then, let's start with something of a detour. Daylami (Ire) was one of the most accomplished runners ever produced by another storied breed-to-race program. A Classic winner over a mile, in maturity he won the premier all-aged turf races in Britain (by five lengths), Ireland (by nine) and America. At stud, he was supported by both the Aga Khan, who had bred and initially raced him, and Sheikh Mohammed, who recruited him for Godolphin and then stood him in partnership with Gilltown. Meanwhile the potency of his genes was corroborated by the Darshaan(GB) half-brother delivered by his dam Daltawa (Ire) a few weeks after Daylami's retirement: G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Dalakhani (Ire). Daltawa, moreover, joined Urban Sea in suggesting their sire Miswaki to be the greatest distaff influence of all. So Daylami just couldn't miss, right? Well, after six years he was moved on to South Africa before resurfacing in Ireland to cover jumping mares at €3,000. He did produce one standout, G1 Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow (Ire), from his very first crop. But a yawning gap follows to a pair that respectively achieved their best ratings in Turkey and Italy. Though one of his daughters gave us Australian star Pierro (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), overall there's no denying that Daylami, at stud, fell dismally short of the standards he had set on the track. Yet in 2004, Daylami was chosen as the first partner for one of Juddmonte's most precious broodmare prospects. Tantina (Distant View) had won her first four starts in such destructive style, notably a 17-runner listed race, that she started odds-on for her group debut. Unfortunately she finished lame and was not seen again. Worse still, she was tragically lost to foaling complications when only 10. Even so, Tantina managed to produce two sons, Bated Breath (GB) and Cityscape (GB), who have effectively recycled their class and toughness at stud, and in the meantime, her daughter by Daylami, Scuffle (GB), was listed-placed before also proving a very effective conduit for these genes. Scuffle's son Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}) won the G1 St Leger; her daughter Suffused (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) won three graded stakes and was denied the GI E.P. Taylor Stakes by a nose; while back in April her son Okeechobee (GB) (Time Test {GB}) won a group race at Sandown (subsequently sidelined). Then there was a daughter by Oasis Dream (GB), Sleep Walk (GB), who won three of five starts, albeit at a fairly modest level. As a sprinter, Sleep Walk's 2018 mating with the rookie Caravaggio was clearly intended to double down on speed. It hasn't quite worked out like that, but nor could it have worked out much better. Caravaggio's precocity and dash, as a Royal Ascot winner at two and three, guaranteed commercial demand when launched at Coolmore in Ireland. But the farm's roster was increasingly congested with alternatives from the Scat Daddy line, and Caravaggio switched to Ashford even before his first juveniles reached the track. And then, after two seasons in the Bluegrass, he was off again–this time to Japan. Having also had an early stint in Australia, Caravaggio has an extremely wide footprint for a stallion no more than 10 years old. By the same token, it's been hard for him to develop a coherent profile. But the Japanese tend to know when we might be missing a trick, and last week Caravaggio duly reached a new peak with elite winners on consecutive days. First Porta Fortuna (Ire) followed up her Royal Ascot success in the G1 Falmouth Stakes and then Whitebeam (GB), the result of Sleep Walk's inclusion in Caravaggio's debut book, retained the GI Diana Stakes. Like her first three dams (one juvenile start between them) and also like her dam's half-brother Logician, Whitebeam only emerged as a 3-year-old in Britain, but quickly reached stakes level before joining Chad Brown. That has proved a smart call by the current Juddmonte team, but yet again we must honor the program's founders. Already this year, besides others working for other families, the flourishing siblings Scylla and Batten Down (both by Tapit) have caused us to celebrate the purchase of Best In Show's daughter Monroe (Sir Ivor) from Robert Sangster, during the first phase of Juddmonte. Monroe's 17 starters and 14 winners overall, including champion juvenile Xaar (GB) (Zafonic) and her 1996 daughter Silver Star (GB), by the same sire, is the third dam of Scylla and Batten Down (not forgetting their older brother Tacitus). The line from Whitebeam to Monroe is more attenuated. Didicoy (Danzig), one of the first Juddmonte foals delivered by Monroe in 1986, is her fifth dam. Didicoy's best runner and producer was GII Dahlia Handicap winner Didina (GB) (Nashwan), dam of Tantina. And, as we've seen, it is Tantina who has really held this branch of the Monroe dynasty together. In the process, she has shown how these breed-to-race programs–by persevering past shallow commercial gloss–can sometimes draw out the genes that powered even champions, like Daylami, who otherwise largely fail to replicate that prowess at stud. Words Matched by Deeds With horses, of course, there is seldom a right way and a wrong way–only the way that works for you. So the above must be set in due context. Very few have the resources, never mind the time, demanded by a breed-to-race program. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the Thousand Words model: a commercial freshman who must seize his one big chance while he can. And he's certainly doing that, six winners to date now, including a second black-type scorer after The Queen's M G stunned Saratoga's opening-day crowd in the Schuylerville Stakes–grabbing the baton from Vodka With a Twist, who had closed the Churchill meet days previously by landing the Debutante Stakes. The Queen's M G | Sarah Andrew That's the way to do it, when your first three books have comprised 184, 121 and 61 mares–the familiar, ruthless slide shared by so many stallions nowadays. It's hard to decide which is more depressing, the initial stampede, or the haste with which sires are abandoned as their stock near exposure at the starting gate. As an unbeaten Grade II winner at two, Thousand Words offered commercial breeders useful precocity, albeit he did not in fact surface until Oct. 26 before winning the Los Alamitos Futurity in December. That air of precocity was perhaps sooner completed by his failure, overall, to keep progressing as a sophomore. But he was always in the hands of people who knew what they were about, Albaugh Family Stable and Spendthrift having teamed up on a seven-figure docket in Book 1 at Keeneland September. That was pretty instructive of the physical quality loaded into a colt whose first three dams are by Pomeroy, Point Given and Deposit Ticket. But what's intriguing about these unfashionable antecedents is that they entwine such conspicuous “outlier” quality. His dam, as a triple graded stakes winner and dual Grade I runner-up, qualifies as Pomeroy's best runner. She was out of an unraced mare, but the next dam (multiple stakes winner) was in turn far and away the highest earner by Deposit Ticket, a son of Northern Baby who won the GI Hopeful Stakes, but ended up standing in Iowa and Arizona. The next dam, moreover, was actually a half-sister to Harlan. So while it remains way too early to be drawing conclusions, it's very striking that The Queens M G, found for just $3,500 deep in Fasig-Tipton's October Yearling Sale, actually cost more than Vodka With a Twist, at $2,500, earlier in the same auction! I guess that's the risk breeders embrace when a $7,500 cover sends no fewer than 91 members of his debut crop into the ring as yearlings… (Thousand Words registered a median of $15,000.) The Queens M G is out of an Oregon-bred mare (anonymous in three maiden claimers) by Grindstone, a son of Unbridled–whose sire-line is extended by Thousand Words himself through Pioneerof The Nile/Empire Maker. That being so, and with third, fourth and fifth dams by A.P. Indy, Roberto and Nijinsky, she should certainly keep on running. Incidentally that third dam, dual graded stakes winner Parade Queen, actually figures as granddam of two elite winners in Bodemeister and She's A Julie. (The respective sires of that pair were brought into this pedigree, too. Empire Maker as grandsire of Thousand Words, while Elusive Quality is responsible for the second dam.) Congratulations to those who unearthed these two stakes winners so cheaply, and let's hope that the respective dams could yet offer the vendors some belated reward. Whoever This Slipper Fits… Pretty obvious why Bullet should be high-caliber. Winner of black-type prizes in both starts, following her switch from turf to synthetics for the My Dear Stakes at Woodbine, she's by the venerable War Front out of a Tapit mare, and both her second and third dams were champions: Surfside (Seattle Slew) and Flanders (Seeking the Gold). Surfside was bought by Gainesway as a 12-year-old, at the Keeneland November Sale of 2009, for $500,000 from the Overbrook dispersal, and the Giant's Causeway foal she was carrying that day recouped plenty of that outlay as a graded stakes winner (admittedly over 12 furlongs of synthetic). Unfortunately Gainesway appear to have got just one other named foal out of Surfside, four years later: Marlinspike (Tapit), who showed fair ability (maiden/allowance winner) in a light career. Bullet | Michael Burns Sending a daughter of Seattle Slew to Tapit had obviously doubled down on his sire-line, but the choice of War Front for Marlinspike, when she came to breed, was even more pointed. Because the Claiborne veteran is out of a Rubiano mare, and Rubiano is of course very closely related to Tapit's dam Tap Your Heels. (The latter by Unbridled out of Ruby Slippers (Nijinsky); Rubiano by Unbridled's sire Fappiano out of the same mare.) Perhaps this 2021 mating was emboldened by the GI Fourstardave Handicap success the previous summer of Halladay, for now the only notable advert for the War Front–Tapit cross. Regardless, she's already looking a sound investment for D.J. Stable ($425,000 September yearling) and the team must be looking forward to how they might someday complement such strong flavors in her pedigree. The Reason in My Madness After last week cherishing the memory of Shamardal, we can now add a couple of supplementary plaudits. His latest success as a broodmare sire is Star Of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), winner of the GIII Quick Call Stakes, while Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the GIII Kelso Stakes provided another credit to his legacy as a sire of sires. And I'll give you this for nothing–which, no doubt, is exactly what it's worth. But I've looked into this a fair bit and, to me, the consecutive lines of Hail to Reason behind Carl Spackler are absolutely exemplary in terms for Shamardal blood. Star of Mystery | Sarah Andrew Carl Spackler's dam is by More Than Ready, who takes the Halo train to the Hail to Reason station, and his granddam is by Kris S., who takes the Roberto line. If you go back to Shamardal's sire Giant's Causeway, you'll see his damsire Rahy is out of a Halo mare, and his second dam is by Roberto. As for Lope De Vega, he's famously out of a Vettori mare and therefore inbred 3×3 to Shamardal's damsire Machiavellian. That feels more about Machiavellian's dam Coup De Folie, a daughter of Halo, than his sire Mr. Prospector, who has otherwise played strikingly little role in Shamardal's best horses. There are a couple of other things I like to throw onto a Shamardal canvas, but I think that's more than enough daubs from this lunatic palette for now. The post Breeding Digest: Monroe Line Gives Cameo Players a Starring Role appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), in collaboration with the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA), will introduce enhanced pre-race veterinary checks for the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle, which means that trainers will be requested to submit detailed medication records for their horses in those races prior to declarations. Arising from the ongoing work of the EIIRRR [Equine Injury in Irish Racing Risk Reduction] Project, the IHRB continues to evolve and enhance its risk-based approach, with the first significant change implemented being the ongoing expansion of the IHRB's existing raceday equine veterinary inspection programme. This latest measure will involve trainers being contacted after entries for the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle races close and being asked to submit medication records dating back to 1 January 2024 for those horses they have entered. This additional layer of pre-race veterinary oversight will complement full card inspections and trot-ups which will take place for all horses before racing on each of the seven days at Galway. Dr Lynn Hillyer, IHRB Chief Veterinary Officer, commented, “As part of the IHRB's relentless focus on the safety and well-being of our human and equine participants, we are further developing our risk-based approach to pre-race inspections. We welcome the positive engagement with the IRTA ahead of introducing this extra step for the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. “By obtaining medical records before a racing engagement we will be in a position to increase our understanding of the clinical status of each horse and thus better tailor our risk assessment and pre-race activity, working with the trainers and their veterinary surgeons, ahead of their engagement at Galway.” Ryan McElligott, CEO of the IRTA added, “Any additional developments which may enhance the safety of horses has to be welcomed and we look forward to working with the IHRB on this initiative ahead of Galway. “Many Irish trainers will be accustomed to this practice following similar requests ahead of races at meetings like Cheltenham, Aintree and further afield in Hong Kong, America and Australia, so I would expect a seamless transition to this request and overall it is another positive move for all.” The post Enhanced Pre-Race Veterinary Checks Introduced By IHRB Ahead Of Galway Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pakenham trainer Phillip Stokes looks set to have an impact at this year’s Spring Racing Carnival, with a strong team of gallopers to represent his stable, headlined by Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar). The Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes heroine is due to kick off her spring campaign on September 27 in the G1 Manikato Stakes, while her trainer is also pondering a trip to Sydney for her after that event at The Valley. “We might even be a bit ambitious and look for an Everest slot,” Stokes said. A rising five-year-old mare, Climbing Star hasn’t raced since her third placed effort in the G1 Goodwood. Stokes believes that the daughter of Zoustar has the credentials to warrant a place in The Everest. “I think her form stands up and I think she’s come back better again,” he said. Climbing Star is at $71 in Sportsbet’s market for The Everest. View the full article

Caitlin Johnson has embraced the opportunity since entering into partnership with Fred Pratt over the past 18 months and the Hastings trainers are hopeful for a strong showing at their local meeting on Thursday. The stable will be represented by recent acquisition Written Up in the Carrfields Livestock Handicap (1200m), the gelding nearly making a winning debut under Pratt and Johnson when being caught in the shadows of the post last start at Hastings. “He ran quite well, he had the weight off his back on a heavy track there, so we’ve kept Crystal Lindsay on board this time around,” Johnson said. “He’s pretty relaxed most of the time at home, he just goes out and does his job really. “He’s got a good draw (4) tomorrow, so hopefully he can go one better.” Complacent mare Paradis has run consistently at maiden grade since her debut in November, with three placings including a narrow second to Quid at Trentham two-back where she was, similar to her stablemate, run down in the final bounds. She will step back from an attempt out of grade to contest the Davmet Maiden (2100m), with apprentice Jessica Allen claiming two kilograms off her 56.5kg impost. “She’s been working well, she’s had plenty of walking in the afternoon as with the mud in the paddocks she appreciates getting outside in the day,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping for a placing at this stage of her preparation, we’ve been struggling to find a good race for her with the races being few and far between. “She’s one that hopefully will go from strength to strength as she matures a bit more. “We have had blinkers on since her first start, then last start we thought we would try her without them because we felt she may have gotten beaten because she couldn’t see that horse (Quid) coming down the outside. “We think she just didn’t concentrate without them, so we’ll put them back on to keep her on the job. She seems to settle better with them as well.” Johnson has fond memories at her home course, having picked up her first winner in She’s Miss Gevious at the 2022 spring carnival, but had been involved with the stable for some time prior to joining Pratt in the training role. “I did a lot of hacking around with various types of horses, I was with a Morgan trainer out in the country but the first horse I owned was a thoroughbred and they have always been my passion,” she said. “I felt very privileged to be given the honour of coming on as trainer. “Fred’s was the first racing stable that I was able to get my foot in the door, I didn’t really know how to go about getting into the industry prior to that. “When I met Fred, he gave me an opportunity and has taught me a lot and I’ve worked very hard to get here so I appreciate every moment of it.” The pair keep a small team in work near the track with a couple of younger members nearing the start of their racing careers in the new season. “We’re based in Hastings, operating out of the Wall Road base, and we’ve got some nice, young stock coming through that we’re hopeful for,” Johnson said. “We have a couple of yearlings and three two-year-olds that we’re hoping to catch some early three-year-old races with. “We have six in work, and as of next week we’ll have another three. We are a small stable, but we do our best with what we’ve got.” View the full article

What better accompaniment to a global fashion business, Parisian hotel and fabulous art collection than a Thoroughbred stud farm? Nothing, right? This was apparently the conclusion reached by Thierry Gillier, the founder of the uber-cool Zadig & Voltaire label, whose appropriation of the nom de plume of the celebrated French writer for his fashion brand has now been extended to his own nom de course at Haras Voltaire. Just last week, Gun Of Brixton (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) became the latest graduate of the Normandy farm to advertise this burgeoning breeding operation. The Haras Voltaire homebred, trained by Andre Fabre, landed his second win from three starts at Clairefontaine and looks a juvenile who will surely soon be moving up into Pattern class, as his TDN Rising Star tag suggests. Gun Of Brixton's dam Cat Kate (Ire) is an Invincible Spirit (Ire) half-sister to Harzand (Ire), foaled in 2017, the year after her illustrious elder brother won the Derby and Irish Derby and their dam Hazariya (Ire) (Xaar {GB}) was sold to Coolmore for 2 million gns. It was also in that year that Haras Voltaire was launched, with the assistance of agent and bloodstock advisor Laurent Benoit. “I bought a house surrounded by lovely land and when that land came onto the market I took the opportunity to buy it,” says Gillier, who, like a number of Parisians, was drawn by the easy reach of Deauville and the Normandy countryside. But had the plan been to start a breeding operation when he first took up part-time residence in that area? “Not at all,” he says. “It was really something I didn't know about but I was always looking at the farms in Normandy because I live in the 'golden triangle'. My neighbours are the Wertheimers and I was curious about what they were doing. At that time I was spending weekends in Normandy and, as usual, I look at things and I decided to jump into the water. “Then I met Laurent and started a 'football team'.” That team of broodmares is now almost double the size of a football team, with 21 listed as being in residence at Haras Voltaire. These include the Niarchos-bred Typique (Ire), a daughter of Galileo (Ire) and the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Denebola (Storm Cat) – herself a sister to Machiavellian. She was bought as a three-year-old by Benoit through his Broadhurst Agency for €450,000 in 2016. Naturally, Typique had plenty to recommend her genetically, and she has duly delivered for her owner. Her first foal, by Invincible Spirit, is the G2 Prix de Malleret winner Babylone (Fr), whose name is appropriately Zadig & Voltaire-inspired, and she has now also joined Gillier's broodmare band, along with her full-sister Assyrian Queen (GB). Two foals later, Typique produced a Dubawi (Ire) filly, who gave the owner and breeder a taste of the commercial highs of the game when topping the Arqana August Yearling Sale of 2021 at €2.4 million. Typique has suffered some bad luck since then, but she produced a filly by Siyouni this year and is now back in foal to him. The Aga Khan Studs stallion is one of a number in which Gillier has invested by buying breeding rights, and in recent weeks he has also bought a share in Siyouni's stud-mate Zarak (Fr). “We went to visit a few studs in Ireland. That was the first step,” he says. “We had bought our first share in Siyouni before travelling to Ireland but once there I understood very quickly that the stallions are a big part of the business. “When we came back we tried to go bigger on Siyouni and we ended up with eight per cent of the horse [four shares]. That was the starting point. “We bought into Hello Youmzain when he was still in training and got involved in Wootton Bassett before he moved to Ireland. We've been very lucky so far with it. “This is what I understood very quickly as a businessman, that the stallion was very important to build a good stud, to use with good mares.” The top sprinter Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}), who is owned in partnership with Haras d'Etreham and Cambridge Stud, gave Gillier his first involvement in a Group 1 winner when landing the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, though this came in the first year of the Covid pandemic so the victory was watched and celebrated from afar. He now features as the covering sire of several of the broodmares at Haras Voltaire, with members of his first crop including a half-sister to the Voltaire-bred German 1,000 Guineas winner Txope (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). That Classic winner was raced by football legend Antoine Griezmann before her sale to Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong for €1.2 million. “We sold Txope to Griezmann. You have to sell: with horses in training, mares, foals and yearlings, they start to add up. The goal is to stay at around 25 mares,” says Gillier, who currently has eight homebreds in training in France with Fabre and Philippe Decouz, the original trainer of Txope before she was exported to America and the barn of John Sadler. I am working in the art business as a collector and I believe that horses are like art pieces, too The fashion mogul admits that, with business interests in Europe, America and beyond, the time he has to devote to Thoroughbreds is limited. “We have Laurent and the Navet family – Alexis is running the farm – so we have a good team,” he says. “Laurent was the best investment. We are always talking about things and making plans.” With Alexis Navet and his parents Jacques and Florianne installed at Haras Voltaire to oversee the day-to-day business of the farm, and Benoit as racing and bloodstock manager, Gillier also depends on a strategic partnership with Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham, both for selling yearlings and shared ownership in stallions. At the forthcoming August Sale at Arqana, Etreham will consign four yearlings for Haras Voltaire, including Babylone's first foal, a filly by Wootton Bassett, and a Siyouni filly out of Queen Of The Sea (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Gillier has had to adapt to the idea of being a vendor, however. “When we sold the Dubawi filly from Typique, just before she went into the ring I didn't want to sell her. I called Laurent and said 'What are we doing?', but he said we had to do it and then we set a record for the most expensive yearling in the world that year,” he recalls. “We kept Gun Of Brixton because he was a bit small, but maybe today that was a big advantage because he is more flexible. We have a lot of hope for him.” Even a quick flick through the Haras Voltaire stud book is enough to underline the sense that Gillier is entitled to be hopeful about far more than that promising young Frankel colt. With Benoit, he has assembled an equine “football team” of World Cup potential. The matrons in the paddocks surrounding his Normandy bolthole have been plucked from some of the best families in the world: the five-year-old Piattoli (GB) is a Shamardal granddaughter of Allez Les Trois, while the Galileo mare Girls Can (Ire) has the illustrious In Clover (GB) as her granddam. Girls Can's Group 1-winning mother We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) is a sister to fellow Group 1 winners With You (GB) and Call The Wind (GB) among six black type-earning siblings which include the dam of G1 Prix de la Foret winner Kelina (Ire). There is plenty to work with here. “What we are trying to do is produce a champion and we are trying to make sure we have the right tools to do that,” Gillier says. “I am working in the art business as a collector and I believe that horses are like art pieces, too. It's why I felt I could spend so much money on a Siyouni share because you need to jump on those opportunities to get into the business. Yes, people can be lucky, and my friends are buying horses to race, but I am looking at it in a different way because I am producing them myself. I want to build something and I want to do it the right way. This is how I try to do it in life, with my business. I have put that experience into my stable.” Since 1997, Gillier, whose father Andre was the co-founder of Lacoste, has seen his own Zadig & Voltaire fashion house expand from being a French success story to one of global renown. Could this eventually be replicated by an expansion in his breeding and racing business? “That's a good question,” he says, “because now you have made me think.” The post High Fashion to High Stakes: Thierry Gillier’s Desire to Breed a Champion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A majority interest in Qatar Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega has been purchased by Ballylinch Stud in association with Al Shaqab Racing. A son of Ballylinch sire Lope De Vega, Look De Vega is as short as 4-1 for the Prix de lArc de Triomphe and will continue his racing career in the colours of Al Shaqab Racing. He will retire to Ballylinch at the end of his racing career to stand alongside his world-famous sire. John O'Connor, managing director of Ballylinch Stud, commented, “We are delighted to see the form of the French Derby working out so well with third-placed Sosie an impressive winner of the Grand Prix De Paris last Saturday, fourth-placed Ghostwriter finishing a close second to City Of Troy in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, and seventh-placed Sunway a good second in the Irish Derby. Carlos and Yann Lerner have done a fantastic job so far with Look De Vega and we look forward to working with them. “We are also very pleased to once again join forces with Al Shaqab Racing following our previous association with Prix de l'Opera winner Place Du Carrousel, who is also by Lope De Vega. We are delighted that his previous owners–his trainers Carlos and Yann, Mr Patrick Madar, and his breeders Joelle Mestrallet and Lucien Urano, who were represented in this deal by Meridian International–will continue to be involved in the ownership of Look De Vega, and we look forward to more great days in the future with them. We already have a long and successful relationship with Mr Urano, as co-breeders of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Aunt Pearl, another daughter of Lope De Vega.” Al Shaqab Racing's COO Mohamed Al Mansour added. “We are thrilled to continue our strong partnership with Ballylinch Stud. Look De Vega is an exceptional horse, and our investment in him aligns with our commitment to acquiring top stallion prospects. We are always on the lookout for the best talent and are dedicated to competing in the biggest races. We look forward to seeing Look De Vega's continued success on the track and his future at Ballylinch Stud.” The post Ballylinch Stud Snaps Up Majority Interest In Arc Favourite Look De Vega appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hastings trainer Caitlin Johnson (far left) is looking forward to lining up a couple of runners on her home track on Thursday. Photo: Race Images Caitlin Johnson has embraced the opportunity since entering into partnership with Fred Pratt over the past 18 months and the Hastings trainers are hopeful for a strong showing at their local meeting on Thursday. The stable will be represented by recent acquisition Written Up in the Carrfields Livestock Handicap (1200m), the gelding nearly making a winning debut under Pratt and Johnson when being caught in the shadows of the post last start at Hastings. “He ran quite well, he had the weight off his back on a heavy track there, so we’ve kept Crystal Lindsay on board this time around,” Johnson said. “He’s pretty relaxed most of the time at home, he just goes out and does his job really. “He’s got a good draw (4) tomorrow, so hopefully he can go one better.” Complacent mare Paradis has run consistently at maiden grade since her debut in November, with three placings including a narrow second to Quid at Trentham two-back where she was, similar to her stablemate, run down in the final bounds. She will step back from an attempt out of grade to contest the Davmet Maiden (2100m), with apprentice Jessica Allen claiming two kilograms off her 56.5kg impost. “She’s been working well, she’s had plenty of walking in the afternoon as with the mud in the paddocks she appreciates getting outside in the day,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping for a placing at this stage of her preparation, we’ve been struggling to find a good race for her with the races being few and far between. “She’s one that hopefully will go from strength to strength as she matures a bit more. “We have had blinkers on since her first start, then last start we thought we would try her without them because we felt she may have gotten beaten because she couldn’t see that horse (Quid) coming down the outside. “We think she just didn’t concentrate without them, so we’ll put them back on to keep her on the job. She seems to settle better with them as well.” Johnson has fond memories at her home course, having picked up her first winner in She’s Miss Gevious at the 2022 spring carnival, but had been involved with the stable for some time prior to joining Pratt in the training role. “I did a lot of hacking around with various types of horses, I was with a Morgan trainer out in the country but the first horse I owned was a thoroughbred and they have always been my passion,” she said. “I felt very privileged to be given the honour of coming on as trainer. “Fred’s was the first racing stable that I was able to get my foot in the door, I didn’t really know how to go about getting into the industry prior to that. “When I met Fred, he gave me an opportunity and has taught me a lot and I’ve worked very hard to get here so I appreciate every moment of it.” The pair keep a small team in work near the track with a couple of younger members nearing the start of their racing careers in the new season. “We’re based in Hastings, operating out of the Wall Road base, and we’ve got some nice, young stock coming through that we’re hopeful for,” Johnson said. “We have a couple of yearlings and three two-year-olds that we’re hoping to catch some early three-year-old races with. “We have six in work, and as of next week we’ll have another three. We are a small stable, but we do our best with what we’ve got.” Horse racing news View the full article

Martell will contest the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua 1230 at Rotorua on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Matamata trainer Jim Collett is looking forward to heading south to Hastings on Thursday where promising juvenile Basel Warrior will make his debut in the PGG Wrightsons Livestock 2YO (800m). The son of Swiss Ace won’t be out of place, with his four opponents also yet to make their first race day appearance, and Collett is hopeful of a pleasing result. Basel Warrior has had two trials to date, including winning his 850m heat at Waipa earlier this month in a field that included Group 2 winner Bellatrix Star, which filled Collett with plenty of confidence. “He trialled well enough at Waipa to give him a two-year-old race,” Collett said. “I have had a look at all the other horses’ trials, they have all shown something, but you don’t know what is behind them in the trials. I know that Basel Warriors trial there was a Group horse (Bellatrix Star) tucked up beside him.” While unsure of how his charge will handle Hasting’s track, which was rated a Heavy 10 on Wednesday morning, Collett believes he is capable of featuring in the finish in the small field. “I am unsure about the ground, but that is the only thing,” he said. “I think he will be all the better for getting on a better track, but I just would like to give him a trip and a race. “I do think a bit of him.” Meanwhile, Collett will head to Arawa Park on Saturday with just the one runner, Martell, who will step up to Open grade in the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua 1230. The son of El Roca, who races in the colours of breeder-owner Gerry Harvey, has won three of his last four starts, but Collett is wary of the rise in grade against some handy horses. “Because he is 76 rated, there aren’t a lot of options for him,” Collett said. “He is a small horse, and I didn’t want to put him in a rating 75 and carry 61 kilos, so I thought I would go the other way and put him in an open handicap with an allowance on, and give him an opportunity. “He doesn’t mind Rotorua, he has won there before. We are going to give it a go and see how we get on.” Martell will be assisted by apprentice jockey Jessica Allen, whose three-kilogram claim will ensure he is eight kilograms better off than top weight, and last start Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m) winner, Casino Princess. Martell is set to have a couple of more starts before heading for a spell, which could entail a trip to Hastings in the coming months. “I found the key is giving him space between races, so I am only going to keep him going through the winter and maybe have a crack at one of the races over the Hawke’s Bay Carnival,” Collett said. “He is a very honest horse, and a lovely horse to ride.” Horse racing news View the full article

Photo: Nicole Troost Ellerslie’s newly developed StrathAyr track passed its first test on Monday since remedial work was undertaken following several slips on the surface earlier this year. Those incidents led to Ellerslie’s final meeting of the season in May being transferred to Pukekohe so that scheduled remedial work could commence immediately. Six horses galloped on the surface on Monday under leading jockeys Warren Kennedy and Craig Grylls, and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox was pleased to hear their positive feedback following their work. “We conducted a trial of horses over our surface (on Monday) and we are very delighted to report that all went well,” Wilcox said. “We had senior jockeys Carig Grylls and Warren Kennedy, and they were both complimentary of the track. “We have still got a body of work to do before our return to racing, but at this stage we are really happy and the feedback from the jockeys was just as good.” Track Manager Jason Jason Fulford was also pleased with the outcome on Monday, indicating that they are on track for a return to racing on a more tractable surface. “We had six horses go around just for the purpose of (testing) the effect of the work that we did five weeks ago and how much work we will do before racing again here at Ellerslie,” Fulford said. “It has certainly proven that we have broken that surface tension and just how strong the matter is with the root system. “The horses were gaining traction, which is exactly what we wanted. We will stick out another 350 tonnes of sand on top of 450 (tonnes), which we stuck on five weeks ago.” Ellerslie is set to host some of the most anticipated meetings in New Zealand next season, including the iconic Karaka Millions meeting in January, and inaugural Champions Day on March 8, which will feature the first running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). Horse racing news View the full article

Belardo Boy will contest Saturday’s Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. Photo: Race Images South Belardo Boy will make the final step towards his defence of the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m) when he contests Saturday’s Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. The versatile galloper thrives on heavy surfaces and has had an outstanding season with wins in the Winter Cup and Group 3 Metric Mile (1600m) through the early spring, before returning with a dominant performance in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui last month. His trainer Lisa Latta then opted to head back to the trials on July 4 where he skipped away under little pressure over 1200m, setting him up to reunite with regular rider Joe Doyle in the Taranaki feature. “I’m really happy with him, obviously he’s got a bit of weight to carry on Saturday compared to the others, but he’s trained on well,” Latta said. “He loves the heavy tracks and 1400 is probably his pet distance.” Fortunately for the son of Belardo, his 59kg top-weight is within reach of last year’s winner Justaskme (58kg) and an in-form Bradman (57.5kg), making a trip to Riccarton Park next month also more appealing for Latta. “It definitely does, at this stage we have every intention of getting him down there,” she said. “Winter racing can be pretty quiet and he’s a horse that is there performing in the big races around this time which is good.” The Awapuni horsewoman will be well-represented by Old Town Road and Belle’s Echo in the race, with the former performing in his usual consistent fashion beaten less than a length at Hastings and Trentham of late. “He was definitely sharper with the blinkers on that’s for sure (at Hastings). I’m really happy with him and he gets in well at the weights (54.5kg),” Latta said. “He’s been a little while out of the winner’s circle but I think a lot of that has come down to track conditions being really sticky, he prefers the looser wetter ground so I hopeful we’ll get that on Saturday.” A six-year-old by El Roca, Old Town Road is a multiple stakes performer, while his younger stablemate Belle’s Echo has been a model of consistency throughout her career, barring an uncharacteristic performance at Hastings. “She choked herself down last start, but she’s had a vet clearance and trained on really well since then,” Latta said. “We’ve taken her out of the Winter Cup because I’m wondering whether a mile on a heavy track is just is a bridge too far for her at the moment, so we’ve given her a bit of a freshen-up to come back to the 1400.” A winner at her most recent effort, Lovehelen will be one of just three non-maideners contesting the 24/7 Security (1800m) for maiden-as-at gallopers with apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll on board. “She’d been unlucky her previous two starts before that, so she deserved that win and she’s gone in the right direction since,” Latta said. Meanwhile, Latta will have three runners at Hastings on Thursday, among these a six-time placegetter in Deadly Pony who will chase her breakthrough win in the Stephenson Transport Maiden (1600). “She’s drawn wide (13) so she’ll need a bit of luck from there, but she does tend to get back a bit in running anyway,” Latta said. “She enjoys the wet track so she’ll get her chance tomorrow.” Verardino and Stanmore will each take their place in the Davmet Maiden (2100m) later on the card, both having recording top-three finishes in their most recent runs. “Verardino had two runs on the synthetic and being by Belardo, we’ve decided to revert back to a grass track which you would think he would appreciate,” Latta said. “Stanmore is going good honest races and knocking right on the door for his maiden.” Horse racing news View the full article

Chajaba will contest the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Stratford trainer Tina Egan will head to New Plymouth on Saturday with Chajaba in the hopes that he can turn the tables on Justaskme in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). Justaskme stormed home from the rear of the field last year, belying his 60kg impost, to overtake Chajaba in the concluding stages to win the Taranaki feature. Egan said Chajaba has had a less-than-ideal lead-up into the race, with his preparation hampered by injury, but she was pleased with his last start runner-up effort behind Wewillrock over 1200m at Te Rapa earlier this month. “I have set him for it (Opunake Cup) again, but a few things have gone wrong this year, he pulled a muscle, hence why he has only had a couple of runs,” Egan said. “That (last start) just showed he is coming along well. He always goes well second-up and he grows another leg at New Plymouth.” While pleased with her charge, Egan is very aware of the level of his opposition this weekend. “It isn’t a bad field,” she said. “You have got to respect Justaskme, he had another beautiful run last time too, and he grows another leg at New Plymouth as well.” Chajaba is a particularly special horse for Egan, who she co-bred and part-owns, and named him after her three children. “He is lightly raced for a rising eight-year-old. He didn’t start until he was five, you couldn’t catch him,” she said. “He is named after my three kids – the twins are Chase and Jade, and Bailey – so that is how we got Chajaba, and if he wins, we charge to the bar. “Before Bailey came along, because she is 10 years younger, we had Chaja. When Bailey came along, we thought we needed a Chajaba and we thought this (horse) might be the last horse we breed. He didn’t have his first proper gallop until he was a five-year-old and I thought he went alright, so we thought we better use that name.” Egan’s twins’ connection extends into this weekends jockey choice, with apprentice jockey Ciel Butler having a long association with the family. “We are going to stay loyal to Ciel Butler,” Egan said. “Ciel is the same age as my twins, and they all went to Stratford High School together. “She has won two (races) on him and she rides my other team. She has just come back from holiday, so I said to her ‘I hope you are feeling strong’.” Egan said Chajaba is a quirky character who keeps her on her toes. “Keanos (sire) have got a reputation for being a bit naughty, and he can be a bit naughty,” she said. “If he sees something that wasn’t there yesterday, he will do the old exit stage left. This week has been quite interesting.” Chajaba is the only thoroughbred Egan bred out of his dam Hostage, who is now producing sport horses for a family friend after she became difficult to get in-foal for Egan. However, if Chajaba continues his winning ways, Hostage may find herself return to a thoroughbred stallion. “We thought we would go to Keano with something, and we decided to send her,” Egan said. “We then decided to send her to Complacent and we couldn’t get her back in-foal, so we gave her to a friend to breed sport horses. They walked her through the paddock with the Clydie stallion who served her there and then and she got a foal. She is still breeding and may be served by a thoroughbred stallion, they were talking about The Bold One.” While a potential sibling could be in the works for Chajaba, Egan is concentrating on her pride and joy for now and is hoping she and her family can ‘charge to the bar’ following a victory this weekend. Horse racing news View the full article

What Grafton Races Where Clarence River Jockey Club – 273 Powell St, Grafton NSW 2460 When Thursday, July 18, 2024 First Race 12:20pm AEST Visit Dabble NSW racing continues at Clarence River Jockey Club on Thursday afternoon, with the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) headlining a bumper eight-part program. The rail won’t be adjusted from the true position after racing in the same spot on Wednesday, and with the clear skies forecast throughout the week, the track should be a firming Good 4. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 12:20pm local time. Grafton Cup Tip: Spirit Ridge Spirit Ridge whacked away gallantly behind Vow And Declare in the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 29, and the nine-year-old didn’t have much luck when trying to get clear in the final 400m. That shouldn’t be an issue this time as Ryan Maloney attempts to make every post a winner, and although the speed looks genuine on paper, trust Spirit Ridge to give a bold sight in the 2024 Grafton Cup. Grafton Cup Race 7 – #1 Spirit Ridge (8) 9yo Gelding | T: Annabel Neasham | J: Ryan Maloney (60.5kg) +500 with Bet365 Best Bet at Grafton: Burning Bell Burning Bell endured a torrid run in transit at Ipswich in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m) last time out, yet she was only defeated by four lengths. She gets the services of James Orman from gate two this time, and provided she can press into the clear in the final 400m, Burning Bell should prove hard to hold out in this open handicap for fillies and mares. Best Bet Race 1 – #2 Burning Bell (2) 5yo Mare | T: Toby Edmonds | J: James Orman (58kg) -125 with Neds Best Value at Grafton: Torn Torn has been competitive against some tough opposition this campaign, with the two-year-old being sent around in the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) three starts back on May 18. He has since found the minor money at Scone on July 2, running into a smart one in the form of Photograph. This appears to be an easier task, although with Ashley Morgan needing to navigate a passage from barrier 14, Torn may need some luck when the whips are cracking. Best Value Race 5 – #11 Torn (14) 2yo Colt | T: Brett Cavanough | J: Ashley Morgan (57kg) +380 with Unibet Grafton Cup Day 2024 quaddie tips Grafton quadrella selections Thursday, July 18, 2024 10-11 1-2-6-8-10-11-12 1-2-4-7 1-2-5-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

The racing career of exciting gelding Adam I Am has come to an end. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Glenn Old will head to Thursday’s Hawke’s Bay meeting with high hopes of a winning double. The Matamata trainer will make the long trip south with the in-form Kaimai Queen and promising two-year-old Thankgoditsfriday, who has trialled well ahead of her debut. Any success that comes Old’s way will serve as a welcome boost after confirmation the brief but exciting career of Adam I Am has come to an end. The son of Almanzor was one of the country’s rising stars following four victories from seven appearances before he pulled up with a serious injury in the wake of a dashing Ellerslie win in March. “He won’t be racing again, it was a pretty bad tendon injury and a hard pill to swallow,” Old said. “He’s in the paddock now and we’ll find a good home for him in due course.” Old also prepared Adam I Am’s dam Our Famous Eve, whose career was similarly curtailed after she had won three races, including the Group 2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy (1600m) and finished third in the Group 1 Easter Handicap (1600m). “It makes we wonder if it’s hereditary, she was lightly trained and did a tendon as well,” Old said. Kaimai Queen is a newcomer to the stable and will make her third appearance from her new quarters in the Carrfields Livestock Handicap (1200m). To be ridden by Niranjan Parmar, the daughter of Atlante successfully resumed at Taupo last month and followed up with a strong showing for third at Te Aroha. “I’ve only had the two runs with her and she looks super,” Old said. “Written By looks hard to beat so hopefully we’re not far away, I’ve kept her fresh for the 1200m with a bit of swimming and she’s thriving.” Stablemate Thankgoditsfriday will make her first appearance in the PGG Wrightsons Livestock 2YO (800m) and she’ll jump from a handy barrier (two) with Jasmine Fawcett to guide the youngster’s fortunes. “Both her trials have been good, she missed the jump in the first one and got back and ran on well,” Old said. “We then took her to Waipa and she jumped and led and did it easy enough, they came to her and she knuckled down. “She’s improved all the way through and we’re very hopeful of a good run if she clears the gates well.” By Divine Prophet, Thankgoditsfriday is raced by Waikato farmer Carl Michels who purchased her for $3,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Online Yearling Sale from Rich Hill Stud’s draft. “I’ve had a couple for him and we sold one for good money to Australia and are racing one or two now,” Old said. Horse racing news View the full article

Group 1 winner Warning. (Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Warning (Declaration Of War), the 2019 Victoria Derby winner, has been retired. The seven-year-old gelding ran his final race in last Sunday’s Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m), finishing seventh, 4.5 lengths behind the winner Mission Of Love. Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Warning had 47 starts, achieving five wins and eight placings. His victories include the Group 3 Chairman’s Trophy (2000m), Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m), Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m), and St Leger Stakes (2600m), alongside his Derby triumph. He earned $2,479,850 in prize money throughout his career. “Known as the gentle giant around our stables, he provided us with some thrilling wins, consistently racing at the highest level,” Freedman Racing posted to X. “A sincere thank you goes to all of Warning’s owners and the staff who have loved him throughout the years. Not to mention, a special thank you to the big man himself, what a remarkable journey it’s been.” Horse racing news View the full article