Wandering Eyes

Eight-time Group One winner picks up top award as Golden Sixty’s thrilling Hong Kong Mile victory earns him Champion Miler titleView the full article

Carlos Rosas is running out of fingers to count on as he rattles off the names of Breeders' Cup champions he has sat on over the years. As an exercise rider for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen for the past two decades, Rosas has played a role in developing an impressive list of superstars. There's 2014 Distaff winner Untapable and 2011 Juvenile Fillies heroine My Miss Aurelia, plus Breeders' Cup runner-ups Midnight Bisou and Tapiture. The list goes on from there. Curlin was one of his earliest claim to fames. He rode the 2007 Classic winner for the majority of his career. “Curlin was a little funny sometimes, a little difficult,” Rosas recalled. “He looked easy, but sometimes he was not. You didn't want to pick a fight with him. You better learn to get along with him and go with him.” Then there was 2017 Classic winner Gun Runner. He rode the eventual champ back when the colt was just an unraced 2-year-old. “When he came from the farm, I was the first one to get on him,” Rosas explained. “We stepped onto the track and it was a totally different story. Steve knew what kind of horse he was already but I galloped the horse a mile and when I pulled up, I told him that this horse was the real deal, that he would end up being a champion.” Carlos Rosas and Cogburn this week at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew One of the latest Asmussen trainees that Rosas predicts also has the potential to be a champion someday is the brilliant turf sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time). The 5-year-old won this year's GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga in a sizzling course record time, completing the 5 ½ furlong contest in :59.80. Cogburn never really showed that he could be a top-tier racehorse when he competed on the dirt at two and three, but the Asmussen team saw a glimpse of his true talent last year when he switched over to the turf and got his first graded score in the GIII Troy Stakes. Rosas had worked Cogburn a few times over the past few years, but he became the sprinter's regular rider at the start of 2024. “When they brought him back we were down in New Orleans,” Rosas said. “He was just totally different than before. We started working him and I mean, he was lights out. Steve came to watch and he always asks me how they feel. Unbelievable, I told him. He was training like a champ.” Cogburn earned the chance to cement champion status with his win in the Jaipur, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on November 2. Rosas was not able to watch Cogburn's hair-raising performance on Belmont weekend in person as he stayed behind at Churchill Downs throughout the remainder of the summer meet there. Just recently, Rosas arrived in Saratoga and was reunited with Cogburn. On July 5, the pair put in Cogburn's first work back since the Jaipur, breezing three furlongs over the turf training track. “He's a fun horse to ride, but he's another one where you have to get along with him,” said Rosas. “The more you keep your hands down and go with him, the better.” Having ridden so many different horses over the years, Rosas understands that every horse is unique–in how they move, their mannerisms and quirks, how they respond to instruction–but the best riders can adjust their approach to each individual mount. Carlos Rosas and Curlin ahead of Curlin's win in the 2007 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park | Sarah Andrew “You want to step onto the track and try to read his mind, try to communicate as much as you can with the horse,” Rosas explained. “Some horses, they make you work. When you get on the easy ones you're like, well this is fun. When you get on the difficult ones, that's when you put your hands and your whole body to work because there's a lot of power underneath you. Horses are very smart animals. If you miss something in the morning on the track or coming home, they won't. They're going to tell you and they're going to teach you. They'll teach you different things every day.” The path to where Rosas is today as one of Steve Asmussen's go-to exercise riders starts back in his homeland of Mexico. In 1993, he came to the U.S. looking for work. He wound up with a job on a farm in Texas doing landscaping and mowing grass. Every day as he trimmed the fence lines, he kept an eye on the horses grazing in the pastures beyond. One day he asked his boss about them. “Those are racehorses,” the boss said. “Do you like them?” “Like them?” responded Rosas. “I love them!” “Would you rather work with the horses or in the yard?” asked the boss. Rosas didn't hesitate before he responded enthusiastically. He wanted to work with the horses. Back in Mexico, Rosas had grown up working around cattle horses with his grandfather. These horses at the farm in Texas were different. They were bigger, shinier, and they certainly had a lot more energy than those tough old ranch ponies. Rosas worked with the Thoroughbreds on the farm for two years before moving to a training center to learn how to gallop. It was slow going at first. Rosas admitted that initially he was a bit intimidated by such powerful equine athletes and it didn't help when he had a bad fall early on where he broke his shoulder and fractured his collarbone. Despite all that, he loved the thrill of sitting astride those animals and as his riding skills developed, his confidence grew. Cogburn, Carlos Rosas and Scott Blasi at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew Eventually he started working at the racetrack in Houston. In 2003, Rosas found himself working for a trainer that he desperately wanted to get away from. He didn't like how the trainer was treating his horses. One morning, an assistant for Steve Asmussen asked if Rosas would want to be a freelance rider for their barn. “For Steve Asmussen?” Rosas replied. “Absolutely!” Rosas rode one horse for Asmussen's barn that day and all went well. The second day, he rode three horses. “Then on the third day the assistant said, 'Hey, can you hold a tough horse?' and I told him that I could try,” recalled Rosas. “One thing about me is I'm going to try my best. It doesn't matter what kind of horse you put me on. It can be a $5,000 claimer or a stakes horse. I'm always going to do my best. So the assistant said, 'I'm going to put you on this filly. She's a stakes winner, but she's a little difficult to gallop.' I don't know if the filly felt sorry for me, but she didn't do anything to me.” After a week, Rosas signed on as a full-time rider for Asmussen. He's been with the stable ever since, eventually moving north with Asmussen himself to ride in Kentucky and New York. “I've been working for Steve for 21 years now,” said Rosas. “He has been so great to me. Julie and the boys, they're like family to me. Steve is a real horseman. This guy is smart. When he tells you something, sometimes in the moment you're like, 'Why is he telling me this?' But after a while you realize that you were wrong and he was right. I have learned a lot from Steve.” Rosas's equine education doesn't stop once training hours have wrapped up. When he is based at Churchill Downs, he goes to work for the track veterinarian every day after morning training. He hauls equipment from the truck to the barn, jogs horses for the vet and helps with scopes after the races. The days are long, but the hours pass in a flash. Rosas wakes up at 4:15 every morning and usually does not have a moment to sit down before he gets home in the evening. “It's seven days a week,” explained Rosas. “This job is no days off. If you love it, you're going to do it. I'm not going to say that I don't complain, but it's hard to catch me in a bad mood.” After nearly 30 years of hard work and dedication to the Thoroughbred industry, Rosas shows no signs of slowing down. “I want to do this for as long as I can,” he reflected. “I just love racing and I love the horses. I don't want to do anything else. I'm going to keep doing it for…well I don't know for how long. For me, there's no point of retirement.” And every year, as the 2-year-olds are arriving at Asmussen's barn, Rosas gets to thinking. What future champion might he find himself riding next? The post Breeders’ Cup Connections: From Curlin to Cogburn, Rosas is the exercise rider to Champions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As admirably straightforward as she is classy, Steven Weston, Barry Fowler, Medallion Racing and Reeves Racing's G1 Coronation Stakes and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio–Too Precious {Ire}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) took her latest task in her stride when dominating Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket. Always travelling comfortably tracking the pace under Ryan Moore, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained 10-11 favourite was left in front approaching the two-furlong pole and despite drifting right when in the clear was able to open up a 3 3/4-length winning margin over Jabaara (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who finished a head clear of the dead-heating Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}). “She seemed very impressive and Ryan said she has such a good temperament–she pings the gates and then she relaxes,” the winning trainer said. “You can make the running with her or sit out the back, as she is so easy. She probably wants quick ground, but has decent form on slower ground anywhere from six furlongs to a mile–she is just so uncomplicated.” “She had been working well since Royal Ascot and everything went very smooth. The Coronation looked like a strong race, as all the best 3-year-olds were there and it's nice to now see her go and prove herself against older horses,” he added. “Coming here today, we thought we'd probably give her a break before coming back for the Matron Stakes on Irish Champions Weekend in September. We could then look at going to the Sun Chariot before going to America.” “It would probably be the [Breeders' Cup] Mile against the boys, which will be tough but all of her owners are American, so it would be nice for them, it's always been the plan. They are a fantastic group of owners and so easy to train for –I am delighted for them and deeply privileged to train for them. This filly means a lot. To have one like her who is so easy to train and always brings her A game is a dream.” Things may not have been ideal for Porta Fortuna here, being stranded without cover from the outset and not able to enjoy having a target for longer as she had at Royal Ascot, so this was a clear case of the winner being in different territory. “She's a great filly and she has always shown plenty, she's an Albany winner and a Cheveley Park winner who ran very well at the Breeders' Cup after that,” Moore said. “She ran well in the Guineas and then went and won the Coronation this year, she's never run a bad race.” “She's straightforward, I was fast out of the gates, we weren't going mad but it was the perfect race really. She's very uncomplicated and when you couple that with her ability, it makes things easy. The way she's handled her contemporaries and the older fillies here, she'd have no trouble mixing with the boys.” Jabaara proved more than capable at this level, having won two listed prizes in the manner of a filly going places and trainer Roger Varian said of her, “She ran great, I'm thrilled with her. We sort of rolled the dice, she'd won two listed races and I just thought this race always has a small field and if we could be third, it would be worth running. She's ended up second, so we're delighted. She got the mile, but I think she's better at seven–over seven, she has a high cruising speed and her guts and determination ground out second. As long as she comes out of it okay, we'd love to go to Goodwood for the [G3] Oak Tree and then see after that, as she's had a busy summer. Maybe the Foret.” Different class Porta Fortuna runs out a smart winner of the G1 @Tattersalls1766 Falmouth Stakes under Ryan Moore @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/PE2eTOq7g7 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 12, 2024 Pedigree Notes Porta Fortuna is the first foal out of Too Precious, a full-sister to the G2 P.J. O'Shea Stakes winner and G1 Australian Cup and G1 Doomben Cup runner-up Numerian (Ire) and the G3 Prix Francois Boutin-placed Montesilvano (Ire). The third dam Kantikoy (GB) (Alzao) is kin to the G3 St Simon Stakes scorer Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), in turn the dam of Sadler's Wells' G1 St Leger-winning sire Milan (GB). His half-sister Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) emulated her dam's success in the St Simon before producing the G2 Queen's Vase S. winner Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Also related to the Derby and Irish Derby hero and prolific sire Kahyasi (Ire) and the G1 Yorkshire Oaks heroine Key Change (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), Too Precious's once-raced 2-year-old filly Sorella Carina (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) was a 400,000gns purchase by Avenue Bloodstock, Medallion and M V Magnier at the Tattersalls Book 1 Sale. She also has a yearling filly by Sottsass (Fr). Friday, Newmarket, Britain TATTERSALLS FALMOUTH STAKES-G1, £275,000, Newmarket, 7-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 8fT, 1:37.68, gd. 1–PORTA FORTUNA (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Caravaggio 1st Dam: Too Precious (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) 2nd Dam: Delicate Charm (Ire), by High Chaparral (Ire) 3rd Dam: Kantikoy (GB), by Alzao O-Medallion/S Weston/B Fowler/Reeves T'Bs; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £155,953. Lifetime Record: GSW & MG1SP-Ire, GISP-US, 10-6-3-1, $1,386,120. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Jabaara (Ire), 126, f, 3, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Baheeja (GB), by Dubawi (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum; B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £59,125. (DH) 3–A Lilac Rolla (Ire), 126, f, 3, Harry Angel (Ire)–Mejala (Ire), by Red Ransom. (€40,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY). O-Mutual Admiration Society Partnership; B-John Cullinan (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. £29,590. (DH) 3–Rogue Millennium (Ire), 135, m, 5, Dubawi (Ire)–Hawaafez (GB) (GSW-Eng, $111,512), by Nayef. (35,000gns 2yo '21 TATMA; 1,650,000gns HRA '23 TATMA). O-Mr S Heider; B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. £29,590. Margins: 3 3/4, HD, DHT. Odds: 0.91, 18.00, 4.50 & 9.00. Also Ran: Sirona (Ger), Magical Sunset (Ire), Running Lion (GB). The post Caravaggio’s Porta Fortuna Too Good in the Falmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) have formalised their longstanding collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). ILAC administers a global multilateral mutual recognition arrangement among accreditation bodies responsible for accreditation of conformity assessment bodies, including testing laboratories. The IFHA aims to promote all facets of thoroughbred racing at the international level; protect the welfare of the equine and human athletes involved in the sport; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations. Great consistency across horse racing laboratories has been achieved through the use of ILAC's G-7 document Accreditation Requirements and Operating Criteria for Horseracing Laboratories for more than 30 years. The aim is for the MoU to be extended to: related activities such as education regarding accreditation of horse racing laboratories and sharing of experience among assessors involved in the assessment of horse racing laboratories when applicable; the facilitation of interlaboratory comparisons/Proficiency Testing programs; encouraging the development of reference materials for drugs; and continual updates for the accreditation community regarding changes to the allowed limits/thresholds of prohibited substances as defined by the IFHA. For more information, please view the MoU here, or visit the IFHA website. The post ILAC and IFHA Sign Memorandum of Understanding 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 Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis: Saturday, July 13, 2024 Saratoga 1, $80k, 2yo, f, (R), 5 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($) Amore Sofia (Central Banker), OBSMAR, 30,000 C-Tom McCrocklin, agent; B-BloodstockAdvisors.com, J Taisey, Agt. – Hibuscus Gerlin's Empire (Classic Empire), OBSMAR, 50,000 C-Thorostock LLC, agent; B-Gervais Racing Ellis 5, $71k, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 2:53 p.m. ET Presha (Omaha Beach)-AE, OBSAPR, 390,000 C-JVC Training & Sales, agent; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds Saratoga 7, $100k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 3:54 p.m. ET Moment's Notice (More Than Ready), OBSAPR, 300,000 C-Randy Miles, agent; B-West Point TBs, L E B, agent Sam's Rocket (American Pharoah), OBSAPR, 925,000 C-DeMeric Sales, agent; B-Donato Lanni, agt for Frank Fletcher Tough Catch (Complexity), OBSAPR, 280,000 C-Longoria Training & Sales; B-Michael Kares & S O K Racing Saratoga 11, Sanford S.-GIII, $175k, 2yo, 6f, 6:17 p.m. ET Mo Plex (Complexity), OBSAPR, 45,000 C-Hoppel LLC, agent; B-JCE Racing, Legion Bloodstock, agent Soontobeking (King for a Day), OBSMAR, 80,000 C-S G V Thoroughbreds (S Venosa), agent; B-J U Racing Stables Three Echoes (Echo Town), OBSMAR, 130,000 C-deMeric Sales, agent; B-L & N Racing LLC The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: July 13, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday running at Fukushima Racecourse: Sunday, July 14, 2024 5th-FKS, ¥13,720,000 ($87k), Newcomers, 2yo, f, 1800mT COSMO QUEEN BEE (JPN) (f, 2, McKinzie–Baruta {Brz}, by Crimson Tide {Ire}), a $70,000 in-utero purchase by Big Red Farm at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale, is out of a dual Group 1-placed mare in Brazil who was campaigned by Stud RDI and later won the 2015 GIII Senator Ken Maddy Stakes while under the care of Richard Mandella. The Apr. 21 foal is a half-sister to Yuino Zapper (Ghostzapper), a three-time winner in Japan. B-Big Red Farm The post McKinzie Represented By First JRA Starter at Fukushima appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 300 entries for its New York Bred Yearlings sale, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, Aug. 11 and 12, in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, New York, the auction company said in a release early Friday. The Sunday session will begin at 7 p.m. ET, and the Monday session will begin at noon ET. “This sale annually showcases the best of the New York-bred yearling crop,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “The New York-bred program grows stronger every year, and in 2024 over $65 million will be distributed in purse money, incentives, and awards. There has never been a better time to own a New York-bred.” This year's catalogue cover features Therapist (Freud), winner of last year's GI United Nations Stakes. The back cover features 2023 New York bred champions Dr Ardito (Liam's Map), Silver Skillet (Liam's Map), Cara's Time (Not This Time) and The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso), all four of which are sale graduates. The catalogue may now be viewed online and will also be available in the Equineline sales catalogue app. Print versions are also out. The post Fasig-Tipton’s New York Bred Yearlings Catalogue Now Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa's Arabian Dusk (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}–Lady Macduff {Ire}, by Iffraaj {GB}), who hit the board in last month's Listed Empress Stakes, entered Friday's G2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket with maiden status intact and made the breakthrough with a gritty performance in the six-furlong heat. The 525,000gns Craven Breeze-Up acquisition was sharply into stride from the stands' side stall and raced in a prominent third through halfway. Bustled along to launch her challenge passing the quarter-mile pole, the 12-1 chance gained an edge entering the final furlong and was ridden out up the hill to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Ballydoyle's 15-8 favourite Heavens Gate (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) was up front throughout and finished another 3/4-of-a-lengh adrift in third. “She came from the breeze-up sales, we picked her out as she looked a nice filly, and has just done everything right,” revealed trainer Simon Crisford. “She was always quite green and it has taken her a couple races to learn how to really race properly. Katie Walsh consigned her and she is one of the best ladies in the world. She always produces great stock and this filly was an obvious one for Shaikh Duaij to try to buy. He is absolutely thrilled. I'm not sure the [G1 1000] Guineas will be the right trip for her, but she certainly wasn't stopping at the end of the race today. In fact, she was looking for a bit of company and I think she would have gone again if she had been challenged in the last 50 yards. I think we'll stick to this trip for the moment and maybe look at the [G2] Lowther at York and [G1] Cheveley Park [at the Rowley Mile venue] and see what we are like over the winter. The reality is she came here today as a maiden and, now she has won that race, we know she has a lot of ability with a great temperament. There is every reason to think she can keep advancing as the season progresses.” Winning rider Harry Davies added, “I have always been very confident in this filly's ability. She has always showed us plenty, but has been very raw mentally. The last couple of times she has had excuses as she's been surrounded by horses and run a little bit green. Today, I've just been able to sit up there with Ryan [Moore aboard Heavens Gate] and been taken into the race. I was confident she'd run well although winning was another question. She has still shown a little bit of greenness when she hit the front, but she is a lovely filly.” Pedigree Notes Arabian Dusk, the seventh of eight foals, is one of five scorers and the leading performer produced by a multiple-winning daughter of Tamora (GB) (Dr Fong), herself a winning half-sister to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye heroine Gilt Edge Girl (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}) and G2 Flying Childers Stakes winner Godfrey Street (GB) (Compton Place {GB}). Gilt Edge Girl, in turn, is the dam of Listed Prix Servanne victor Time's Arrow (Ire) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}). The April-foaled bay, whose fourth dam is stakes-winning G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes placegetter Tarwiya (Ire) (Dominion {GB}), is half to a yearling filly by Due Diligence. Nice way to break the maiden Arabian Dusk lands the G2 @bet365 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, providing @gainsboroughHQ a quickfire double pic.twitter.com/jLRxaK1c1E — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 12, 2024 The post 525,000gns Havana Grey Filly Sheds Maiden Status in the Duchess Of Cambridge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In her second race on the July 11 card at Woodbine, Emma-Jayne Wilson passed Julie Krone's all-time earnings record of $90,126,584 for a female jockey. Wilson finished racing July 11 with career earnings of US$90,153,109.View the full article

When Carlo Vaccarezza suddenly lost his assistant trainer in June, he knew he not only needed to fill the position quickly, but with a top person; someone experienced enough to take the reins while Vaccarrezza deals with the myriad other businesses with which he is involved. As luck would have it, Michael Dilger was thinking about making a move back to the States after some time spent at home in Ireland, and the pair quickly agreed to work together. Now, Dilger is at Ellis Park where he supervises the training of the dozen or so horses Vaccarrezza has there, along with the help of Vaccarrezza's son, Nick. We sat down with the pair to discuss Dilger's background and the goals for their new partnership. SF: Michael, you were in the very first graduating class of the (then) Darley Flying Start, is that right? MD: That's right. I was in the inaugural class 20 years ago. When I finished the two years of the course in 2005, I took a job with Todd Pletcher, and I was there for seven years, until the end of 2012. In 2013, I started training on my own, predominantly in Florida and New York. I took a break during Covid, and I most recently had spent some time at home in Ireland, but the itch to come back to America was there. So I came back in late May, and was on the lookout for a job. And everybody that called Carlo and told him that I was available also called me and told me it would be a good place to land. SF: Where did you grow up? MD: I grew up in Mullingar, in Ireland. Prior to the Flying Start, my grandfather and uncle were both National Hunt jockeys, and my grandmother was a veterinarian, so my parents are both involved in horses. And prior to the Flying Start, I had completed degrees in international business and Japanese. That was a big part of getting selected for the course, I think. SF: Any relation to Gerry Dilger? MD: Gerry was my godfather. Gerry and my dad are cousins. And right before he first came to America, my parents asked him to be my godfather. CV: Michael was also involved got involved with Eion Harty, and he also worked for John Gosden. MD: While we were on the Flying Start course, we had three externships that were very, very educational. And the first one was with Eion Harty out in California. And then the second one was with Gai Waterhouse in Australia. And then the last one was with John Gosden while he was still training at Manton. So those were definitely some of the highlights of being on the Flying Start course. SF: If those were your three externships, you obviously always knew you wanted to train. MD: Absolutely, yes. When I came over-and it's ironic how things go–when I was still in the course and they were helping us get placements, they had approached Kiaran McLaughlin about my going to work for him. And at the time, Kiaran didn't have a spot, but through Gerry and Mike Ryan, they said, `if you're not going here, you should definitely go to Todd Pletcher.' So they put me in touch with Todd at that time. It's a great organization to work for, and he's a great example for anybody who wants to be in the game. SF: Carlo, can you talk a little bit about how you run your operation? How many horses do you have now, and why is it important to have someone with the knowledge and background that Michael has? Michael Dilger and Nick Vaccarezza | courtesy Michael Dilger CV: It's very important and I'm very, very lucky to have Michael joining the group, number one. Number two, we just ended a phenomenal meet at Churchill Down. We hit 30% on the win total, and a little over 80% in the top three. So it was a phenomenal number percentage-wise to hit 30% at that very prestigious meet, and Churchill is huge. We have 18 horses altogether. Out of 18 horses, 11 are two-year-olds, and I don't try to push the babies, especially the ones I buy in the June and the April sales. I leave them in Ocala for an extra couple, two, three months. A few days ago, we just shipped 10 horses to Ellis Park. So we have 10 at Ellis, and we have horses on different farms here in Lexington, with Hll 'n' Dale, and Morning Line, and in Ocala at Top Line with Jimbo Gladwell. We have now probably another dozen horses. Michael works with the help of my son, Nicholas. Nick is only 24 years old, but he's a seasoned person. He worked for Chad Brown for three years, he worked for me, and he did a stint with Richard Dutrow. And I can see the chemistry between Michael and Nicholas, that they get along very well. Nicholas is a very passionate young man. He'd been in the industry since the day he was born and he needed, basically, an older brother, and so Michael can grab him by the hand and say, `Listen, Nick, you're doing this right. You're doing this wrong.' And I couldn't find any better person than Michael. Michael is very soft-spoken. He's a tremendous horseman, and he's very passionate, as Nick is. And I think they're going to be a good team. I would like to spend a lot of time in my barn, but between the three restaurants (Frank and Dino's, Shun Lee, and Damiano, I don't always have the time. So having Michael there is a blessing in the sky. Michael's addition to the barn is a phenomenal one. I hope that there are people who believe in us. I'm not looking to have 100 horses, but we'd love to have around 36. SF: Michael, what has it been like to be back? MD: it's been great. I've really enjoyed being back at the racetrack, and enjoyed training the horses and being around the horses, and am looking forward to having some runners. The post Michael Dilger Joins Vaccarezza Stable appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Darley stallions Victor Ludorum (GB) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will be standing at Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu respectively from 2025. Darley's French-based sires have long stood at Julian Ince's Haras du Logis in Louvieres en Auge, Normandy, but Ince has decided to concentrate his business on his own broodmare band and boarding mares for clients after more than a quarter of a century in the stallion game. He said, “Firstly, I would like to thank Sheikh Mohammed and the Darley team for all the help and support they have given my family and me over the years. “I've been thinking about this for over a year and I want to have more time to concentrate on being here at the farm and looking after our clients and friends who have been here for many years with us. It's a full-time job just doing that and we have wonderful land here which produces good horses.” Ince continued, “I've been in the stallion business for 26 years and I am not saying I'll never stand stallions again but, rather than spending six months of the year working with the stallions and trying to sell nominations, I can concentrate focus on the other side of the business and hopefully have more time to go racing with friends and clients.” The 2020 Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner Victor Ludorum has his first yearlings for sale this season, with 11 catalogued for the first European yearling sale at Arqana in August. He will join Nicolas de Chambure's roster at Etreham and will stand alongside Persian King (Ire), City Light (Fr), Hello Youmzain (Fr), Almanzor (Fr) and Onesto (Ire). Fellow Group 1 winner Cloth Of Stars joins six other stallions at the Forien family's Haras de Montaigu, including Dabirsim (Fr) and popular National Hunt sire No Risk At All (Fr). Sam Bullard, Godolphin director and Darley's director of stallions, said, “We are very excited to enter into new partnerships with Haras d'Etreham and Haras de Montaigu and look forward to enjoying many more successes with these stallions in the coming years. “France is an important region within the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry and we hope to continue the many fruitful relationships we have established with French breeders over the years. “We have enjoyed a long and successful association with Haras du Logis and would like to thank the entire team, particularly Julian Ince, for all their help and support over the years.” The post Darley’s French Stallions on the Move appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 25-year-old will be the first woman on the roster in seven years after the licensing committee’s decisionView the full article

He becomes only the second rider to collect the accolade while spending at least some of the campaign as an apprenticeView the full article

Owner Tony Ottobre has clarified star mare Pride Of Jenni’s spring campaign. Ottobre said Pride Of Jenni’s two grand finals would be the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick before backing up into the Cox Plate. Where Pride Of Jenni resumes is still a little bit up in the air. “The Memsie is her first race at the moment. There’s always the possibility she may be ready early in her prep and in good order and we look to get her to the races earlier,” Ottobre said. “She may even go to the Winx. If she is up and going, you race her earlier, so it gives you a little bit extra time for the next race, but it’s all up to Ciaron, he knows her better than anyone. “Of course there’s the King Charles. She’s a 1600m specialist. It’s why I prefer it over the 2000m. “The 2000m to me, even though she has won a great one, has also been beaten in one by a short half-head. So, it’s a 50-50. “With a 1600m race she’s virtually a 10/10 and nothing can keep up with her.” Ottobre said the stable had completed genetic testing on Pride Of Jenni to hone in on her best distance. “It came back from Ireland, that’s where they do it, and she travels from 1400m to 2200m,” he said. “Say she is 2200m, that means she has the stamina for that distance. But if you sprint her for 1600m, it’s all about how long she can sustain the sprint?” Ottobre said there had been discussions about potentially nominating Pride Of Jenni for the Melbourne Cup, but that was now not being considered. “We’d had a few drinks (after winning a race) we were excited, (and we discussed) is it possible to win a Melbourne Cup?” Ottobre said. “Ciaron Maher is a great thinker. He thinks outside the square, that’s what makes him a great trainer. And it went from there. “(We said) throw a nom in and if you think she can do it we will have a look at it. This was back in April when it was spoken about. “So that’s where it ended. Trainers throw noms in for everything. You can’t enter the race unless you have a nomination. “I can guarantee you she won’t be racing in the Melbourne Cup.” View the full article

Moira and Kieran Murdoch will have runners in three of the $60,000 ITM/Gib Winter Championship Finals at Ruakaka on Saturday, including a recent recruit who appears to be back on top of his game. Shamus (NZ) (Shamexpress) was previously a six-time winner up to Group Two level for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock, who suggested he move to the Murdochs for a change of scenery earlier this year. Fifth and fourth in his first two appearances for his new stable, the Shamexpress gelding returned to his best form with a bold last-start win in the Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka on June 29. Shamus will line up in the ITM/Gib Sprinters’ Winter Championship Final (1400m) over the same course and distance on Saturday. “It was a very pleasing performance from Shamus last start,” Murdoch said. “He ran really well that day. Claiming 2kg off his back obviously made a big difference, and I think he appreciated the drier track too. “He’s been ticking over really nicely since that race. We’ll head up there again on Saturday and see how he goes. It’s a better field this time, but you’d expect that for a final. We’re happy with the build-up that he’s had.” Shamus was ridden to his last-start success by Ace Lawson-Carroll, who will switch from friend to foe on Saturday and will instead partner Malt Time (Adelaide) for his employers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy. “We’ve had to find a replacement because Ace is obviously committed to Malt Time, but I think we’ve got a good replacement in Triston Moodley,” Murdoch said. “He’s riding well and can claim 3kg.” The TAB rates Malt Time a $2.50 favourite for Saturday’s feature sprint, with Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) at $4, Master Brutus (NZ) (Swiss Ace) at $4.60 and Shamus at $7.50. The Murdochs’ representative in the ITM/Gib 3YO Winter Championship Final (1600m) is the promising Full Noise (NZ) (Turn Me Loose). The son of Turn Me Loose kicked off his career at Te Rapa on May 18, where he finished a close fourth over 1100m. Both of his subsequent starts have been at Ruakaka, where he found the line well for third placings behind the unbeaten Dan Vegas (NZ) (Per Incanto) on June 8 and June 29. With Dan Vegas absent from the line-up for Saturday’s 3YO Final, the TAB rates Full Noise a $5 equal favourite alongside Tide And Time (NZ) (Time Test). “All of his runs have been full of merit,” Murdoch said. “He seems to be improving with each run. “I’ve been very happy with him since his last race, and I think that the step up to the mile on Saturday will suit him.” The other runner at Ruakaka on Saturday for the Murdochs is Loose Change (NZ) (The Bold One) in the ITM/Gib Progressive Winter Championship Final (1600m) – a race for horses with no more than one win at nomination time. Loose Change is still a maiden after 17 starts, but he has recorded six placings and produced an eye-catching finish for fifth at Ruakaka two weeks ago. “Although he’s still a maiden, he’s run a number of very good races,” Murdoch said. “He drew the second-from-outside gate last time, so we decided to ride him quietly and he came home extremely well. He’s drawn better this time (gate seven), so hopefully he can settle a little bit closer and still produce that big finish.” Loose Change is rated a $9.50 chance in a market headed by The Exponent (NZ) (Shocking) ($3.90), Awhina (NZ) (Derryn) ($5.50) and Talentoso (NZ) (Tarzino) ($6). View the full article

Cambridge jumper Smug (NZ) (Complacent) will be seeking his first prestige jumps scalp when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to contest the Metroclad Limited Wellington Hurdles (3200m). The six-year-old Complacent gelding has been in pleasing form over hurdles, placing in his last two starts, including runner-up to Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) and third behind the Awapuni jumper and Taika (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m). Trainer Chris Wood is glad they won’t be met by Berry The Cash on Saturday, but holds plenty of respect for their rivals this weekend, including race favourite Taika. “He (Smug) has run home well both times,” Wood said. “There is no Berry The Cash this week but at the same time there are a few others that go pretty well. He is in with a nice chance, I just hope he does everything right and gets home safely. “He is heading down there in good order, he is happy, and he has worked up nice since his last couple of runs.” Following Saturday, Wood is eyeing a trip south across the Cook Strait for Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing next month. “Everything going right, we will probably head to the Grand National,” he said. “We will try and fit another race in between times somewhere. Whether we go down there for the two days of the National meeting or just have the one run, we will work on that one.” Wood heads into the weekend in a buoyant mood, having recorded a victory earlier in the week at Cambridge’s Synthetic meeting with Alfriston (Jukebox), while stablemates Side Eye (Sidestep) and Boxmoss (NZ) (Vadamos) also picked up placings. “Side Eye went a good race, he only got beaten a nose for second, and I was quite impressed by Boxmoss, he flew home. He looks like a nice staying prospect for the future,” Wood said. “It was good to win the Garry Edge race (with Alfriston), that was a bit of a thrill. “It (polytrack) does keep a lot of horses racing. He is a horse that handles it, but it would just be nice if they ran a few more 75 races there. “He (Alfriston) will probably go back to Cambridge in a couple of weeks now.” View the full article

An extraordinary performance by Sister Ping (NZ) (Street Boss) at Cambridge on Wednesday has Chad Ormsby excited about the filly’s prospects for her three-year-old season. The daughter of Street Boss made her first start for Ormsby in the Waipa Earthworks (970m). The two-year-old was sent out as a $3.30 favourite against older opposition, but she appeared to have lost all hope when she reared at the start and was languishing five lengths behind the second-last horse. Sister Ping’s recovery had to be seen to be believed. She was still at the back of the field at the home turn, but jockey Kelly Myers angled her to the outside and she charged home to win by half a length. “That was a remarkable performance,” Ormsby said. “We expected her to go well, but to do it like that and come away with a pretty comfortable win in the end, it was quite amazing. You don’t often see them win like that.” Sister Ping races in the colours of Trelawney Stud’s Brent, Cherry and Faith Taylor. The chestnut filly was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis, and she collected a placing from two starts for Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson before joining Ormsby’s Cambridge stable earlier this year. “She’s got a lot of talent,” Ormsby said. “We’ve been working along with her for quite a while. She’s been a bit of a problem child, but I think she’s starting to put things together now. “We should have a lot to look forward to in her three-year-old season. She’s already gone out for a spell. We’ll just play it by ear. Once she’s back in work, we’ll get a line on how she’s going and make a plan on what sort of races we target. “At this stage I think her distance might be around 1200m. She won’t have to go much further than that in the early part of her three-year-old season anyway, so that’s what we’ll look at to start with and then take it from there. I’m looking forward to it.” In the meantime, Ormsby has talented three-year-old Lord Weyburn (NZ) (Charm Spirit) resuming in Saturday’s Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m) at Ruakaka. The Charm Spirit gelding has recorded two wins and a second from nine starts so far. He was runner-up in a trial at Waipa on July 4, where black-type performer It’s Business Time (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) finished behind him in third. Michael McNab will take the mount on Lord Weyburn on Saturday, and the TAB rates him a $4.80 third favourite behind Fernandez (NZ) (Per Incanto) ($3.90) and local filly Dancing Dream (NZ) (Contributer) ($4.20). “He’s coming up really nicely,” Ormsby said. “I’m happy with him. He’s a bit of an overachiever and always seems to put his best foot forward. I think he’s ready to run a solid race first-up.” View the full article

An online purchase of $4700 has turned into more than $63,000 in stakes with synthetic specialist Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt), who played another starring role in Friday’s $32,000 Red Nose Raceday 26 July Rating 65 (1600m) at Riccarton. The son of Not a Single Doubt began his career in the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, for whom he won his second start and later finished fourth in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was subsequently sold on Gavelhouse.com and moved south to Suzy Gordon at Foxton, for whom he has recorded another three wins from 23 starts. Doubtful Sound travelled to Riccarton to win a $35,000 race on the synthetic surface in August of last year, and Gordon repeated that trick to great effect on Friday. Ridden positively by apprentice jockey Liam Kauri, the five-year-old settled on the outside of the front-runner Faytina (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) before moving forward to challenge that rival at the top of the straight. Doubtful Sound forged clear over the final 200m and crossed the finish line a length and a quarter in front of the strong-finishing Anneliese (NZ) (Vadamos). “He won it quite easily in the end, which was great to see,” said Gordon, who also shares ownership with Christine and Stuart Parkes, Karen Davis and Pauline and Todd McGuigan. “I was a little worried going into today, since it was only seven days since his last run at Awapuni. I wondered if two races in a week might be too much for him, but obviously it wasn’t. We’re thrilled with that.” Doubtful Sound has now had 31 starts for four wins and five placings, with three of those wins coming from just 11 starts on all-weather surfaces. “He seems to really enjoy the synthetic tracks, and especially that one down at Riccarton,” Gordon said. “I think he prefers it to the Awapuni track because it’s bigger. He’s a big boy and just struggles a little bit to get around a tighter track, so Riccarton suits him well.” Doubtful Sound is now set to get an opportunity to contest one of the brand-new $100,000 synthetic features that will be run in early August. Riccarton, Awapuni and Cambridge will each host one of the lucrative races, which are open to all horses that have had at least three starts on a New Zealand synthetic track since May of last year. “I’ll get him back home now and then I think it’s four weeks into those new $100,000 races,” Gordon said. “His three wins on synthetic tracks should mean he’ll make the field. “The Awapuni race is 1400m and the Riccarton one is only 1200m, which would be too short for him. It might have suited him a bit better if those distances were the other way around, but we might as well have a go at the Awapuni one. He’s already done a great job for a horse that cost us $4700, and a big performance in a race like that would make it even better.” View the full article

Mitre Peak (More Than Ready) made it two wins from her last three starts on Riccarton’s Synthetic track on Friday when powering home late to capture the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap 3YO (1400m). The three-year-old filly was the slowest away and settled at the rear of the field for apprentice jockey Niranjan Parmar. Parmar bided his time before setting his charge alight around the final turn and the daughter of More Than Ready needed the entire length of the straight to nab Motiontime (Showtime) on the line to win by a nose. Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson were pleased with the win and made special mention post-race of Te Akau Racing’s Ashley Handley and Hunter Durrant, who run their Riccarton barn. “She looked terrific in the coat and it was a really good run to win, so well done to Ashley and Hunter,” Walker said. “They’re two highly accomplished horse people, totally dedicated and professional, and we’re very fortunate to have them on staff. “They’ve helped manage the horses and staff for Sam and me in the South Island, and it’s all worked well to have that many wins from the stable there this season.” Owned by Fortuna Mitre Peak Syndicate, Mitre Peak was purchased for $60,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis at the Inglis 2022 Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney. “My heart went into my mouth when she was slowly away,” Fortuna Syndicate Manager Galvin said. “She seemed to travel well and on the corner I thought she was a chance to run in the money, but she really motored home down the straight. “It ended up being a good watch because she showed a very good turn of foot, so it was very pleasing and she’s beaten a good field.” Galvin believes the best is yet to come from the filly. “We don’t think Mitre Peak is the full deal yet because she still has quite a bit of furnishing, physically, to go,” he said. “For her to win a couple of races, as she’s done this time in, is very satisfying. “It was reported to us that her work had been good leading up to the race, we couldn’t fault her, but there were a couple more favoured in betting that appeared quite hard to beat. “We were confident that she was going to run well, but not completely convinced that she was going to beat the others, But in the end, she did. “We’ll see how she comes through it before making plans, but she will have to have a break at some stage. “She’s been performing well on the synthetic track, but it would be good to see her race on the turf again, especially down there (Riccarton) on the roomier track. “I think that in late summer and into the autumn she could really come into her own.” View the full article

What Rockhampton Cup Day 2024 Where Callaghan Park Racecourse – Reaney St, North Rockhampton QLD 4701 When Saturday, July 13, 2024 First Race 12:09pm AEST Visit Dabble The $150,000 Rockhampton Cup will headline the second day of the Rockhampton Jockey Club Winter Racing Carnival this Saturday afternoon. With good weather forecast across the weekend, the track will improve from the Soft 5 rating on Thursday and racing should begin on a perfect Good 4 surface. The rail will remain in the +2.5m position for the entire circuit, with racing set to kick off at 12:09pm AEST. Rockhampton Cup tip: Sneak Preview Following three wins in his last four starts last preparation, Sneak Preview is yet to win this time in, but the David Vandyke-trained gelding appears to be getting closer after three starts. This eight-year-old gelding finished fifth behind Princess Rhaenys in Benchmark 90 grade at Eagle Farm, and he will appreciate the easier level of racing in the feature event. From barrier six, Justin Huxtable can settle midfield off the rail and get to the outside of runners by the 400m mark before finishing off strongly. Rockhampton Cup Race 7 – #3 Sneak Preview (6) 8yo Gelding | T: David Vandyke | J: Justin Huxtable (56.5kg) +700 with Dabble Best Bet at Rockhampton: More Stylish More Stylish will put her unbeaten start to her career on the line in the opening event as the John Wigginton-trained filly attempts to improve her record to three wins from as many starts. This daughter of Better Than Ready proved way too good for her rivals on resumption from an 18-week spell at this track over 1100m last start, running away with a dominant 2.8-length win. This girl will gain the services of Robbie Dolan here, and if she shows a similar turn of foot to her first two victories, More Stylish will win again. Best Bet Race 1 – #3 More Stylish (3) 2yo Filly | T: John Wigginton | J: Robbie Dolan (57kg) +150 with Picklebet Next Best at Rockhampton: Adiella Adiella has only tasted defeat once from her four starts to date, and her last start victory over 1300m at Warwick was the best of her career. After settling behind the speed, this John Dann-trained filly peeled off the leader’s heels and took over at the 100m mark before clearing out to win by two lengths. With a strong win over 1300m and 1400m in her last two, expect Adiella to have no problem with the extra distance and prove too good for her rivals once again. Next Best Race 5 – #4 Adiella (13) 3yo Filly | T: John Dann | J: Les Tilley (55.5kg) +400 with Neds Saturday quaddie tips for Rockhampton Cup Day Rockhampton quadrella selections Saturday, July 13, 2024 3-5-6-9 1-2-4-12 1-2-14 1-2-3-4-6-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Doubtful Sound winning on the Riccarton Synthetic on Friday. Photo: Race Images South An online purchase of $4700 has turned into more than $63,000 in stakes with synthetic specialist Doubtful Sound, who played another starring role at Riccarton. The son of Not a Single Doubt began his career in the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, for whom he won his second start and later finished fourth in the Group 3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was subsequently sold on Gavelhouse.com and moved south to Suzy Gordon at Foxton, for whom he has recorded another three wins from 23 starts. Doubtful Sound travelled to Riccarton to win a $35,000 race on the synthetic surface in August of last year, and Gordon repeated that trick to great effect on Friday. Ridden positively by apprentice jockey Liam Kauri, the five-year-old settled on the outside of the front-runner Faytina before moving forward to challenge that rival at the top of the straight. Doubtful Sound forged clear over the final 200m and crossed the finish line a length and a quarter in front of the strong-finishing Anneliese. “He won it quite easily in the end, which was great to see,” said Gordon, who also shares ownership with Christine and Stuart Parkes, Karen Davis and Pauline and Todd McGuigan. “I was a little worried going into today, since it was only seven days since his last run at Awapuni. I wondered if two races in a week might be too much for him, but obviously it wasn’t. We’re thrilled with that.” Doubtful Sound has now had 31 starts for four wins and five placings, with three of those wins coming from just 11 starts on all-weather surfaces. “He seems to really enjoy the synthetic tracks, and especially that one down at Riccarton,” Gordon said. “I think he prefers it to the Awapuni track because it’s bigger. He’s a big boy and just struggles a little bit to get around a tighter track, so Riccarton suits him well.” Doubtful Sound is now set to get an opportunity to contest one of the brand-new $100,000 synthetic features that will be run in early August. Riccarton, Awapuni and Cambridge will each host one of the lucrative races, which are open to all horses that have had at least three starts on a New Zealand synthetic track since May of last year. “I’ll get him back home now and then I think it’s four weeks into those new $100,000 races,” Gordon said. “His three wins on synthetic tracks should mean he’ll make the field. “The Awapuni race is 1400m and the Riccarton one is only 1200m, which would be too short for him. It might have suited him a bit better if those distances were the other way around, but we might as well have a go at the Awapuni one. He’s already done a great job for a horse that cost us $4700, and a big performance in a race like that would make it even better.” Horse racing news View the full article

Sister Ping winning at Cambridge on Wednesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) An extraordinary performance by Sister Ping at Cambridge on Wednesday has Chad Ormsby excited about the filly’s prospects for her three-year-old season. The daughter of Street Boss made her first start for Ormsby. The two-year-old was sent out as a +230 favourite with horse betting sites against older opposition, but she appeared to have lost all hope when she reared at the start and was languishing five lengths behind the second-last horse. Sister Ping’s recovery had to be seen to be believed. She was still at the back of the field at the home turn, but jockey Kelly Myers angled her to the outside and she charged home to win by half a length. “That was a remarkable performance,” Ormsby said. “We expected her to go well, but to do it like that and come away with a pretty comfortable win in the end, it was quite amazing. You don’t often see them win like that.” Sister Ping races in the colours of Trelawney Stud’s Brent, Cherry and Faith Taylor. The chestnut filly was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis, and she collected a placing from two starts for Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson before joining Ormsby’s Cambridge stable earlier this year. “She’s got a lot of talent,” Ormsby said. “We’ve been working along with her for quite a while. She’s been a bit of a problem child, but I think she’s starting to put things together now. “We should have a lot to look forward to in her three-year-old season. She’s already gone out for a spell. We’ll just play it by ear. Once she’s back in work, we’ll get a line on how she’s going and make a plan on what sort of races we target. “At this stage I think her distance might be around 1200m. She won’t have to go much further than that in the early part of her three-year-old season anyway, so that’s what we’ll look at to start with and then take it from there. I’m looking forward to it.” In the meantime, Ormsby has talented three-year-old Lord Weyburn resuming at Ruakaka. The Charm Spirit gelding has recorded two wins and a second from nine starts so far. He was runner-up in a trial at Waipa on July 4, where black-type performer It’s Business Time finished behind him in third. Michael McNab will take the mount on Lord Weyburn on Saturday, and is rated a +380 third favourite behind Fernandez (+290) and local filly Dancing Dream (+320). “He’s coming up really nicely,” Ormsby said. “I’m happy with him. He’s a bit of an overachiever and always seems to put his best foot forward. I think he’s ready to run a solid race first-up.” Horse racing news View the full article

Smug will contest the Wellington Hurdles (3200m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Cambridge jumper Smug will be seeking his first prestige jumps scalp when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to contest the Wellington Hurdles (3200m). The six-year-old Complacent gelding has been in pleasing form over hurdles, placing in his last two starts, including runner-up to Berry The Cash in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) and third behind the Awapuni jumper and Taika in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m). Trainer Chris Wood is glad they won’t be met by Berry The Cash on Saturday, but holds plenty of respect for their rivals this weekend, including race favourite Taika. “He (Smug) has run home well both times,” Wood said. “There is no Berry The Cash this week but at the same time there are a few others that go pretty well. He is in with a nice chance, I just hope he does everything right and gets home safely. “He is heading down there in good order, he is happy, and he has worked up nice since his last couple of runs.” Following Saturday, Wood is eyeing a trip south across the Cook Strait for Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing next month. “Everything going right, we will probably head to the Grand National,” he said. “We will try and fit another race in between times somewhere. Whether we go down there for the two days of the National meeting or just have the one run, we will work on that one.” Wood heads into the weekend in a Buoyant mood, having recorded a victory earlier in the week at Cambridge’s Synthetic meeting with Alfirston, while stablemates Side Eye and Boxmoss also picked up placings. “Side Eye went a good race, he only got beaten a nose for second, and I was quite impressed by Boxmoss, he flew home. He looks like a nice staying prospect for the future,” Wood said. “It was good to win the Garry Edge race (with Alfriston), that was a bit of a thrill. “It (polytrack) does keep a lot of horses racing. He is a horse that handles it, but it would just be nice if they ran a few more 75 races there. “He (Alfriston) will probably go back to Cambridge in a couple of weeks now.” Horse racing news View the full article

Shamus will contest the Sprinters’ Winter Championship Final (1400m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Moira and Kieran Murdoch will have runners in three of the $60,000 ITM/Gib Winter Championship Finals at Ruakaka on Saturday, including a recent recruit who appears to be back on top of his game. Shamus was previously a six-time winner up to Group Two level for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock, who suggested he move to the Murdochs for a change of scenery earlier this year. Fifth and fourth in his first two appearances for his new stable, the Shamexpress gelding returned to his best form with a bold last-start win in the Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka on June 29. Shamus will line up in the Sprinters’ Winter Championship Final (1400m) over the same course and distance on Saturday. “It was a very pleasing performance from Shamus last start,” Murdoch said. “He ran really well that day. Claiming 2kg off his back obviously made a big difference, and I think he appreciated the drier track too. “He’s been ticking over really nicely since that race. We’ll head up there again on Saturday and see how he goes. It’s a better field this time, but you’d expect that for a final. We’re happy with the build-up that he’s had.” Shamus was ridden to his last-start success by Ace Lawson-Carroll, who will switch from friend to foe on Saturday and will instead partner Malt Time for his employers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy. “We’ve had to find a replacement because Ace is obviously committed to Malt Time, but I think we’ve got a good replacement in Triston Moodley,” Murdoch said. “He’s riding well and can claim 3kg.” Horse racing bookmakers rates Malt Time a +150 favourite for Saturday’s feature sprint, with Turn The Ace at +300, Master Brutus at +360 and Shamus at +650. The Murdochs’ representative in the 3YO Winter Championship Final (1600m) is the promising Full Noise. The son of Turn Me Loose kicked off his career at Te Rapa on May 18, where he finished a close fourth over 1100m. Both of his subsequent starts have been at Ruakaka, where he found the line well for third placings behind the unbeaten Dan Vegas on June 8 and June 29. With Dan Vegas absent from the line-up for Saturday’s 3YO Final, Full Noise is a +400 equal favourite alongside Tide And Time. “All of his runs have been full of merit,” Murdoch said. “He seems to be improving with each run. “I’ve been very happy with him since his last race, and I think that the step up to the mile on Saturday will suit him.” The other runner at Ruakaka on Saturday for the Murdochs is Loose Change in the Progressive Winter Championship Final (1600m) – a race for horses with no more than one win at nomination time. Loose Change is still a maiden after 17 starts, but he has recorded six placings and produced an eye-catching finish for fifth at Ruakaka two weeks ago. “Although he’s still a maiden, he’s run a number of very good races,” Murdoch said. “He drew the second-from-outside gate last time, so we decided to ride him quietly and he came home extremely well. He’s drawn better this time (gate seven), so hopefully he can settle a little bit closer and still produce that big finish.” Loose Change is rated a +850 chance in a market headed by The Exponent (+290), Awhina (+450) and Talentoso (+500). Horse racing news View the full article

Race 4 VALLEY D’VINE RESTAURANT HANDICAP 1400M MAKE TIME (L Sutherland) – Stable representative Ms. E Haworth advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of MAKE TIME and it is their intention to carry on with the gelding’s current preparation. The post Hawkes Bay Racing Inc @ Hastings, Saturday 6 July 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article