Wandering Eyes

Though Sweet Azteca will likely be favored off her defeat of Adare Manor in the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1), Chismosa is one of only two to have ever finished ahead of her.View the full article

The 2-year-old colt Lovely Regalo won a maiden special weight race July 4 at Belterra Park to give freshman stallion Higher Power his first winner.View the full article

There was a buzz around Newbury for The King and The Queen's newcomer Handcuffed (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Make Fast {GB}, by Makfi {GB}) and the filly did not disappoint with a debut win full of promise. Sent off the well-backed 13-8 favourite for the six-furlong fillies' novice, the homebred half-sister to the G2 July Stakes winner Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) travelled easily in the pack until asked to close by Oisin Murphy passing halfway. Finding the front under hands and heels with half a furlong remaining, the Andrew Balding trainee asserted to beat the Sangster-owned fellow debutante Angelica Bay (Ire) (No Nay Never) by 1 1/2 lengths. The post Dark Angel Newcomer Shines for The King and The Queen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grade I winner Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has moved to the yard of Richard Hannon, according to Al Shaqab Racing's Ali Begley. The news was reported on the Nick Luck Daily podcast on Thursday morning. The 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf victor was formerly with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. He raced for Al Shaqab, Coolmore and Westerberg until the start of the month, and now is soley raced by Al Shaqab. “After Ascot, Sheikh Joaan has bought 100% of the horse and he has moved over to Richard Hannon's,” Begley said on the podcast. “Obviously, Aidan has done brilliantly with him, but now that the Coolmore team haven't got a percentage of him, we've moved him over to Richard who is really one of our principal trainers. We've had a lot of success with him and he [Unquestionable] moved over there at the beginning of this week. Richard was excited to have him and he's just settling in there now. “He's in every big race there is at the moment from seven furlongs to a mile and a quarter. He's got entries in all of those races. The Qatar Goodwood Festival is very important to Sheikh Joaan, so it might be that he runs in something like the [G2] Lennox [Stakes on July 30], but we'll let him settle in at Richard's first and sit down with the team and Richard and make a plan going forward.” At two, the son of Strawberry Lace (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was placed at listed level at first asking before breaking his maiden second up near the end of May. He then ran second, and fourth, respectively, to Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G2 Railway Stakes and G1 Phoenix Stakes in July and August. Sent to France, he was only a length second to subsequent Classic scorer Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Oct. 1, before regaining the winning thread at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita last November. In two starts at three, Unquestionable has been fourth twice–both to Rosallion who is also trained by Hannon–in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, and the G1 St James's Palace Stakes in May and June. Hannon holds a strong hand in the 3-year-old miling division, as, besides Unquestionable and Rosallion, he also trains Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), who was runner up to Rosallion in the Irish Guineas, before taking the G3 Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot. The post Breeders’ Cup Star Unquestionable Joins Hannon Yard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

During its nine-week 2024 meet, Colonial Downs will offer more than $2.4 million in non-stakes purses to horses who are Virginia Certified and the track's first condition book features 46 Virginia-restricted races. Any horse that maintained residency in Virginia for at least a six-month consecutive period prior to Dec. 31 of its 2-year-old year qualifies. “We often hear from owners and trainers who did not know their horse qualifies for our Virginia Restricted races,” said Gary Palmisano, Executive Director of Racing for Churchill Downs. “The rules are unique to what you find in other states in that the groundwork to become eligible is done early in a horse's career, so horses claimed or bought at auction may in fact be eligible unbeknownst to the current connections. I would just encourage trainers and owners to double check their eligibility so that they can take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.” To check on a horse's eligibility, click here. The list is sorted by trainer and can be searched by horse's name, dam's name and date of birth. Created in 2016 by the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, the Virginia Certified program incentivizes horsemen to raise and train their Thoroughbreds in the Commonwealth. In a recently conducted economic study, it was found that the program has generated $86.2 million in economic benefits for the state. “What this has done is save our industry's infrastructure in Virginia,” said Debbie Easter, executive director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. “Our farms were going away. Our training centers and our farms that raise young horses were going away. We were losing veterinarians, blacksmiths, everyone you need for the horse industry. We designed this certified program with hopes of bringing 400 horses to Virginia each foal crop. It is bringing more like 800 to 900. It's been a huge savior to our farms.” The Virginia Certified program has awarded $14.6 million to owners since 2016. The Virginia Owner's Purse Bonus awards owners of Virginia-bred and Virginia-sired horses a 50% purse bonus for horses finishing first through fourth in all open races. When a Virginia-Restricted horse wins an open company race, the Virginia Developer's Purse Bonus offers up to a 25% purse bonus to that horse's developer (the owner of the horse when it makes its first lifetime start). “Our farms are hiring people, they're making capital improvements, they're able to raise their rates,” Easter said. “Virginia used to be one of the largest breeding states in the nation, but when we began this program, we were down to about 100 foals a year. In these seven years that we've been registering certified horses, we've gotten over 5,000 horses in our program. We've put the same amount of certified horses on farms in Virginia as the breeding program has over the last 20 years. These are the beautiful things about what we're doing.” Those 5,000 and counting Virginia Certified horses are eligible to enter in the Virginia Restricted races at Colonial Downs, and the purses are run for 15% more than the open company races. Opening day at Colonial Downs is July 11. The post $2.4 Million on Offer at Colonial Downs for VA-Certified Runners appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ellis Park announced the morning of July 4 that the opening-day card there would be run without patrons due to an unscheduled grandstand maintenance issue involving a water tank after thunderstorms the previous day.View the full article

Gabaldon, a stakes-winning juvenile who earned a global spotlight with an eye-catching runner-up effort at Royal Ascot, has been added to the inaugural Inglis Digital USA July Sale.View the full article

Trainer Nevada Litfin has been suspended for five years and fined $2,500 by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority for engaging in "paper training" while serving an earlier suspension issued by the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit.View the full article

The $250,000 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (G3T) drew a field worthy of a grade 1 for its 27th running at Delaware Park, including star turf mare War Like Goddess.View the full article

Ellis Park's opening-day card was conducted without fans Thursday after the track was closed to the general public due to an unscheduled grandstand maintenance issue. “This was a really difficult decision we had to make this morning, but due to an unscheduled maintenance issue we will have to conduct today's race card without patrons,” General Manager Matt Pressley said Thursday. “We are still going to run all nine races as scheduled. We will update everyone as soon as we can when the facility will be back open to fans.” The post Maintenance Issue Closes Ellis to General Public appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gabaldon (Gone Astray), most recently runner-up in the listed Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, has been added to the catalogue for the inaugural Inglis Digital USA July Sale. Trained by Jose D'Angelo on behalf of Soldi Stable, the juvenile earned a trip to Royal Ascot with a win in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his racetrack debut May 11. “Gabaldon is everything you look for in a racehorse,” D'Angelo said. “He is fast, classy, and loves his job. His precocity and mindset make him one of the best 2-year-olds I have ever had in training. We are excited to see what the future holds for Gabaldon.” Entries for the Inglis Digital USA July Sale remain open through July 8. Bidding will open July 12 at 2 p.m. ET and will close July 17 at 2 p.m. ET at www.inglisdigitalusa.com. The post Stakes Winner Gabaldon Added to Inglis Digital USA July Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At the time, one doesn't know if a minor skirmish will turn out to have been the opening salvo in a protracted war or merely a here-today-gone-tomorrow storm in a tea-cup. Regarding British racing's latest contretemps, we can only guess what will follow; but it is likely that the unexpected decision by Flutter (the parent company of several major bookmaking firms including Paddy Power and Sky Bet) not to take bets on Wednesday's meeting at Bath is merely the start of a major shake-up of the sport's finances. Flutter's decision ended up being reversed before racing started following contact from lawyers representing Bath's owner Arena Racing Company (ARC) so that the betting firms eventually accepted bets on the races at SP, albeit without offering their own prices. Formerly, the main source of funding for British racing came from a levy paid by bookmakers via the Levy Board, calculated initially as a percentage of turnover and more recently as a percentage of profits. This levy remains but nowadays is dwarfed by the media rights payments which betting firms (and others) pay for showing the films of the races, the copyright of which is (contentiously) held by the racecourses rather than by those whose horses appear in the films. There are two intermediaries who fill gap the between the racecourses and the betting firms. These arrange the deals with the bookmakers and collect the money, which they hand over to the racecourses minus whatever commission they pay for themselves. The figures are closely guarded but estimates of how much is paid per race go up as high as £35,000, although obviously the sum received by the racecourses is lower than the total paid by the betting industry. In recent years, two major gripes have developed. One is held by those who provide the runners in the races, ie owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff, who justifiably feel that too small a percentage of what the racecourses receive is allocated to prize-money. The other is held by the bookmakers, who feel that the deals which they have agreed are being constantly undermined by the dilution of the product for which they are paying. In other words, the pressure (which largely comes from racecourses) for ever more race-meetings and races, allied to a continued under-investment in prize-money, has led to an ongoing situation of more races containing smaller fields, which in turn means that the pictures which they are buying are becoming less and less useful to them. In short, the product is being diluted but the price paid for it remains the same. On Tuesday, Flutter decided that its firms were likely to do so little business on the Bath races that it couldn't justify paying the fixed price for the pictures of the races, so it would not buy them and would not take bets on the races. ARC's lawyers intervened to point out that Flutter was contractually obligated to buy the pictures so the decision ended up being reversed, but that does not change the overall situation. The contract will in time come up for renegotiation and renewal, and Flutter's dissatisfaction remains. What does this mean for the sport in the future? The obvious answer might be that it is bad news because it is likely to lead to reduced media rights payments which might in turn translate to reduced prize-money. However, that might not necessarily be the case. Earlier this year, irritated by repeated calls from racing professionals for some transparency over the racecourses' use of their income from media rights payments, ARC boss Martin Cruddace, seemingly frustrated at what he saw as outsiders sticking their noses into his business and telling him how to run it, vented his frustration by saying that “the fixation on media rights is economically illiterate”. That comment has not aged well because it is now apparent that media rights payments are a major concern not only among racing professionals but also among those who pay the money, ie Flutter and the other betting organisations. It is said that he who pays the piper calls the tunes, so Cruddace will not be able to keep brushing queries aside and media rights' details will not be able to be kept out of sight and out of mind indefinitely. On Wednesday, a spokesman for Flutter stated, in answer to questions from the Racing Post, that “we (Flutter) will continue to seek innovative ways to understand how our significant investment can have the greatest impact on growing UK racing over the longer term. “The industry needs to have a conversation about media rights given total payments from operators stand at more than double the horserace betting levy – and there is little transparency over how much of that funding flows back into this great sport.” 'Horsemen' have been concerned for a long time that too many racecourses appear to have been favouring short-term profit over investment in the sport (via prize-money as well as other ways of promoting racing's long-term health) to ensure that the 'racing product' remains appealing.So far, racecourses have been able to shrug any queries aside. Now that a major payer of media rights money has come out and echoed these concerns, the matter can no longer remain unaddressed indefinitely. That may turn out to be good news for racing. Only time will tell. The post Op/Ed: Time Will Tell If Flutter Veto Is Actually A Good Thing For Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The G1 Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on Sunday, November 24 has been identified as a potential end-of-season target for Auguste Rodin (Ire) after he got his four-year-old campaign back on track with victory in the G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. A four-time winner at the top level as a three-year-old when landing the Derby, Irish Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup Turf, Auguste Rodin was unable to add to those victories in two starts earlier this year, first trailing home last in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March and then proving no match for White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) when filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. However, any concerns that Auguste Rodin's talents might be on the wane were erased at Ascot where he gained the sixth Group/Grade 1 success of his career in comfortable fashion, always doing enough to beat French raider Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) by three quarters of a length. Connections are now looking forward to the rest of the season with the son of Deep Impact (Jpn)–the late stallion who memorably won the Japan Cup back in 2006. Considering future targets for Auguste Rodin and star three-year-old City Of Troy (Justify), trainer Aidan O'Brien said, “They both have different options for the second half of the season and Auguste Rodin could be a Japan Cup horse. “He has won at the Breeders' Cup already and maybe the lads might do that and maybe City Of Troy could be a horse for the Classic. They like to play all their cards differently to suit their horses and at the same time they love watching racing and going racing, so they try to spread them out.” Auguste Rodin was a notable absentee from the confirmations for Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse, as expected leaving the path clear for stable-mate City Of Troy as he tries to become the first Derby winner since Golden Horn (GB) in 2015 to follow up at Sandown. Instead, Auguste Rodin is likely to make his next appearance in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, July 27, despite having disappointed in the same race in 2023. “I suppose the Eclipse did come under consideration, but the lads make the plans about what they would like to do with them,” O'Brien said of the decision to miss Sandown with the four-year-old. “Auguste Rodin won over a mile and a half last year and is an older horse. He's had three runs now and two runs before Ascot. Ascot was his first big-race target of the year we felt and there was always the possibility that if it did go well we would go back to Ascot for the King George.” Del Mar Could be City Of Troy's First Taste of Dirt O'Brien also nominated the likeliest targets for City Of Troy during the second half of the season, with prestigious middle-distance races at York and Leopardstown among the options on the table for his next race should everything go to plan at Sandown. “I suppose the leap after this race would have to be either the Juddmonte International [at York on Wednesday, August 21] or the Irish Champion Stakes [at Leopardstown on Saturday, September 14],” said O'Brien. “I would imagine the lads would be looking at those races, without knowing or discussing what they are thinking. “I would hope we keep him racing in this part of the world for as long as we can and I just feel he is going to be a very important horse to European pedigrees if we can keep him to this part of the world.” On the prospect of City Of Troy lining up in the GI Breeders' Classic at Del Mar on Saturday, November 2, O'Brien added, “We've had horses just beaten in the Classic before, Declaration Of War and Giant's Causeway, and they never went over for a dirt race before that. We took them to Southwell for a gallop and I know the surface has changed there now, it's Tapeta and a bit different to Polytrack. “I would hope if the Eclipse went well, it would be another race and if we decide to go to America then maybe we give him a day out at Southwell or something. None of that is written in stone what the lads are thinking, but that's what is going on in our heads at the minute.” The post Japan Cup Among Auguste Rodin Options, Leaving Classic Test to City Of Troy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Former champion jockey celebrates a brace at city circuit’s penultimate meeting this season with consistent duoView the full article

Godolphin's hitherto unraced Shadow Of Light (Ire) (Lope De Vega (Ire}–Winters Moon {Ire}, by New Approach {Ire}), a homebred three-parts brother to dual Group 1-winning sire Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), shed maiden status at the first attempt with a one-length victory in Thursday's Weatherbys EBF Maiden Stakes at Great Yarmouth. The 5-6 favourite broke on the front end and accepted a lead in fourth after the initial strides. Shaken up to launch his bid soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, he quickened to gain an edge passing the furlong pole and was ridden out to assert by a length from Ultrasoul (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). Shadow Of Light is the fifth of seven foals and third scorer produced by G1 Fillies' Mile third Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}), herself a half-sister to three stakes performers headed by G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud victor Mandaean (GB) (Manduro {Ger}). Winters Moon is a daughter of G3 Prix des Reservoirs victrix and G1 Prix Saint-Alary third Summertime Legacy (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). The February-foaled homebred chestnut is full to a weanling colt. He is also kin to G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park Stakes-winning sire Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal) and a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB). The post Sibling of Earthlight Makes Winning Debut at Great Yarmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A contractual impasse between NYRA and TVG/FanDuel will result in the elimination of all NYRA content from TVG/FanDuel wagering platforms effective immediately, the New York Racing Association, Inc., NYRA announced Thursday morning..As a result, pari-mutuel wagering and live video from the ongoing Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet are not currently available on TVG/FanDuel. “In its role as a not-for-profit corporation franchised by New York State, NYRA's mission is to conduct world-class racing for the benefit of the state's economy while growing the sport and creating opportunities for horsemen and breeders to compete for robust purses throughout the year,” NYRA said in its announcement. “To fulfill those goals, NYRA will continue negotiations with TVG/FanDuel to increase funds flowing to the sport and its stakeholders in New York.” “NYRA provides the racing content that fuels the profits of out-of-state ADWs like TVG/FanDuel,” said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer. “NYRA must prioritize the overall health of the sport and broader industry here in New York and we will continue negotiations to seek an equitable resolution so that our racing is widely available nationally.” The FanDuel Group released a statement that read, “We have not yet been able to agree to terms to renew our wagering agreement with the New York Racing Association. As a result, we will not be carrying NYRA's content starting today, Thursday, July 4th. While we hope to have this content available again soon, we cannot agree to new proposed terms that are substantially inconsistent with our prior agreements. We understand and regret that this will be an inconvenience to our customers. We have made, and will continue to make, substantial investments in horse racing and we remain very committed to our track and horsemen partners.” TVG/FanDuel has offered wagering on NYRA races since the company first launched its ADW in 2000. The FanDuel Group is the largest processor of legal sports betting and wagering on horse racing in North America. “New York's horse owners are deeply invested in making the NYRA racing product the best in the country,” said Tina Bond, President, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. “We staunchly agree that fair compensation for that investment is absolutely imperative. If the New York thoroughbred industry thrives, we all benefit.” “NYRA is working to broaden the economic benefits flowing to New York's horse racing industry, and our membership supports these efforts in every way,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director, New York Thoroughbred Breeders. “The funds generated by ADWs carrying NYRA support breeding farms throughout the state, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with NYRA.” NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com. In addition, wagering on the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet is available nationwide via Caesars Racebook, BetMGM and other advance deposit wagering platforms. The Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet continues through Sunday, July 7 before live racing shifts upstate for the summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. America's Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/. The post NYRA Content No Longer Available on TVG/FanDuel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It is time BHA race planning and the TBA conduct a review of the increasing number of pattern races won by geldings. Their findings should be presented to the International Grading and Race Planning Committee (IRPAC). The number of stallions at stud in the UK has now decreased to an alarmingly inadequate level. The choice of sires and sire-lines available to breeders has become chronically polarised. The increasing incidence of geldings winning so many pattern races is just exacerbating an already desperate situation that breeders find themselves facing and highlights the paucity of colts/prospective stallions retiring to stud. Geldings are undoubtedly less complicated to train than colts/full horses for too many reasons to list here. In order to encourage owners and trainers to race more colts, should they be given some sort of incentive to do so? This could either be through a greater distribution of prize-money to winning colts and less to geldings. A more complicated option, might be for geldings to carry a penalty in all pattern races to reflect an easier individual to train. Geldings by even the most expensive stallions in Europe are of little or no long-term consequence to the breeding industry. Are there any better suggestions out there to resolve this urgent conundrum? –Richard Frisby The post Letter To The Editor: Geldings Compromise The Pattern appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing in Saudi Arabia returned on Thursday with the start of the summer season from Taif. A total of 351 races will take place across 39 race meetings from King Khaled Racecourse, which has an altitude high enough to ensure cool temperatures suitable for racing during the summer months. September's King Faisal Cup, run over 1,600 metres for Purebred Arabians, has been upgraded to international Group 3 status ahead of the new season, meaning it will be the only Group 3 for Purebred Arabians run on dirt in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. An increase in handicaps is another feature of the new campaign. There will be a total of 120 handicaps (up from 79) during the season which runs for 13 weeks until Saturday, September 28. His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Equestrian Authority, said, “The King Faisal Cup being upgraded to international Group 3 status is a great success and a sign of international recognition of the strength of racing in Saudi Arabia. The Cup was created only four years ago and promoted to Listed level two years ago, so to now be an international Group 3 is impressive.” Speaking further on the developments of racing in Taif, His Highness said, “One of our strategic objectives is to improve the level of competition, so we're very pleased to have significantly increased the number of handicap races.” Former American trainer Jimmy Jerkens, is also looking forward to the start of the Taif season. “It's easier [than last season],” he said. “There are a couple of two-year-olds that have come in and there's a three-year-old that they've bought that I'm excited about, a horse called Tireless (Not This Time). He only won one race back home for [Todd] Pletcher but he was a $850,000 yearling. I think he's the ideal horse for Saudi, because he's three and he's only run four or five times. If he takes to it here, he might really be a star. “You always want to have horses in the big races, but it's tough to get a really good one.” The post Saudi Racing Returns With New 2024 Taif Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Haras de Montfort et Preaux resident Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire} became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Louis Baudron-trained daughter Moorea (Fr) shed maiden status over six furlongs in in Thursday's Prix des Amarantes at Aix-Les-Bains. Settled off the tempo for the most part, the 16-5 chance made relentless headway out wide in the straight to prevail by a neck from Boujee Filly (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {Ire}). 5th-Aix-Les-Bains, €16,000, Mdn, 7-4, 2yo, 6fT, 1:12.80, sf. MOOREA (FR) (f, 2, Golden Horde {Ire}–Sampaquita {Fr}, by Poet's Voice {GB}), a June 16 debut fourth behind the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Polyvega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) going 5 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly last time, settled off the pace towards the rear for most of this second start. Coaxed alond off the home turn, the 16-5 chance challenged out wide with 300 metres remaining and was ridden out to prevail by a neck from Boujee Filly (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}), becoming the first winner for her freshman sire (by Lethal Force {Ire}). Moorea is the latest of three foals and second scorer produced by a half-sister to G1 Dubai Duty Free and G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup hero Presvis (GB) (Sakhee). Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, €12,000. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Louis Baudron, Alessandro Botti, Giuseppe Botti, Emmanuel Trussardi & Ecurie du Precieux; B-Emmanuel Trussardi & Mickael Bisson (FR); T-Louis Baudron. The post Freshman Sire Golden Horde Off The Mark At Aix-Les-Bains appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It’s no accident that Aaron Kuru has become Australia’s most in-demand jumps jockey. The talented Kiwi is in the midst of a career-best season with 25 wins at a 25 per cent strike-rate across jumps and highweight flat races and will look to continue that form in the Thackeray Steeplechase and Kevion Lafferty Hurdle at Warrnambool on Sunday. When Kuru, New Zealand’s premier jumps rider at the time, made the move to Victoria in 2020, it wasn’t a case of a simple transition to the top. He’d built a name and a reputation in this part of the world, first via an incredible viral win on a fallen horse in a jumps race in New Zealand and later when successful aboard Tallyho Twinkletoe in both of the 2019 Australian Grand Nationals. But that counted for little as he struggled to gain traction and, by his own admission, found it difficult to adapt to different conditions and different tracks. In a weighing room with Pateman, McCarthy, Jackson, Ryan and Cully, he needed to find a way to stand out. “Moving over here, no matter the outcome, my partner and I made a decision to come and make it work,” Kuru said. “It was pretty tough in the first season or two then we slowly started to get improvement. “In terms of my style, I had no real style at all. “In New Zealand with the Heavy tracks, I used to ride long and safe and when I came to Australia, I stood out but in in a bad way. “I don’t think I looked that good, so I needed to change something about my riding because my first season here wasn’t going to plan. “I put my irons up a few holes, got a bit of strength in my legs and my core and tried to look a bit more like a flat rider. “I thought that if I could stick out in a good way, maybe people will notice that. “I think a lot of the jumps riders have that European style, so I thought if I could look different to that, maybe I will get noticed in a good way. “Patrick (Payne) sends a lot of horses to trials and jumpouts, so I was able to work on it there and really build my fitness as well and put the work into my legs to ride like that.” Even the most hardened jumps racing fans marvel at the poetry in flight that is Kuru’s seat on a horse approaching and over a jump. That he’s become such a polished rider is an achievement in itself, given he didn’t sit on a horse until well into his high school years. A career as a jockey was never on the cards, even after he’d ridden trackwork for several years, but a chance encounter in a picnic race was the catalyst for a change of heart. “I had no link at all to jumps racing and I didn’t sit on a horse until I was about 14 or 15,” he said. “My high school in New Zealand was directly across the road from a racecourse and at that sort of age, you’re always asking your parents for money, so I needed to get a job. “I just thought that maybe I could ride some horses for cash before school and that’s really how it all started. “I started riding and I learned to ride trackwork and that was my job all the way through high school. “I didn’t really have any interest in becoming a jockey at all, so I finished school, but my boss, John Barry, had an older horse that had reached his mark, so he put him in a picnic race and I got my picnic licence to ride him. “He ran second and I got the bug after that. “I did the picnic circuit for about a year-and-a-half and was ready to throw it away before someone told me I should become a jumps rider. “I had no interest at all, but I went to Mrs Brown’s jumping school in New Zealand and after the weekend I took my jumps licence and we started from there.” A decade on and Kuru boasts almost 200 wins, including features on both sides of the Tasman. His association with Patrick Payne has yielded success in the Grand National Hurdle and Grand National Chase, while he’s won a Brierly and formed a brilliant partnership with the ‘King of Casterton’ Elvison for his other main supporter, Symon Wilde. “I feel like I’m getting on really nice horses,” he said. “Symon Wilde has a lot of input in my success and a lot of work goes in behind the scenes with him and I. “I actually live not far from Patty Payne, so I ride work for him and, generally once a week or whenever Symon needs me for gallops or jumpouts, I’ll head down to Warrnambool.” Kuru won’t ride for Payne or Wilde in Sunday’s two feature races, although it’s likely he will link up with them on the undercard, which consists of jumps races and highweight flat races. Instead, he will continue a lethal combination he’s formed with another New Zealander, Mark Walker. The pair has combined only 11 times this season but it’s an association that has yielded six wins aboard emerging jumpers Leaderboard, Prismatic and The Mighty Spar. “At this stage, I’m riding Prismatic for Te Akau in the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle and Leaderboard in the Thackeray Chase,” he said. “My great strike-rate with Mark is purely just a case of him identifying the right horses to send jumping. “I don’t think it was a case of these horses reaching their mark on the flat, but I think the schooling (over jumps) has out a bit more of a spark into them. “From that schooling, he (Mark) has identified that they are quite nice jumpers. “They all had a jumps start in New Zealand.” View the full article

Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans have made the best possible start with their first ‘Jenni’ runner, as two-year-old Jenni Multabella (NZ) (Ace High) won her debut impressively at Sale on Thursday. The training partnership, which commenced at the start of the 2023/24 season, was entrusted with several Tony and Lynn Ottobre-owned fillies, with Jenni Multibella the first of those to race. The daughter of Ace High sat outside leader Polyglot (Lonhro) ($6.50) for the bulk of the 1106-metre journey before looming up smartly to challenge that horse upon straightening. It took her a while to put the runner-up away, but Jenni Multibella was far too strong over the final stages, pulling clear to score as a well-backed $2.30 favourite. Kennewell was thrilled to pick up a win in the colours carried by freak mare Pride Of Jenni and repay the Ottobres’ faith in a timely manner. He is already keen to see the filly, who is bred to get over much more ground, contest further races in spring after a spell. “It’s a good relief, to be honest. Tony and Lynn have obviously given Lucy and I a couple of nice fillies to train,” he said. “She’s been a pleasure to have in the stable and she’s shown us very good ability from day one. That was way below the distance she’ll hopefully be winning at later on. “That was more than likely a one-and-done run for the prep and we’ll get ready for the spring, because she’s a pretty high-quality filly.” Blake Shinn’s report from the saddle was just as encouraging, with the 26-time Group 1-winning hoop left very impressed by the slick performance. “That was a beautiful run by that girl today – she jumped well, we had an open mind with how we’d ride her,” he said. “When the horse inside her went to the rail, I elected just to encourage her to sit outside the leader and she travelled sweetly in hand. “She was very strong. I knew I was going to pick the leader up when I wanted to … she’s going to get better when she gets over longer and the further we went, she was getting stronger. “They brought this race back 100m, so I couldn’t imagine the margin if we went 1200m. But we got the job done today and it’s great for the stable.” Jenni Multabella was purchased out of Cambria Park’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale Book 1 draft for $130,000. View the full article

Once touted as an Everest contender before being struck down by soundness issues, Showmanship (NZ) (Showcasing) will be looking to prove that he still packs a punch when he returns to Sydney for the first time in almost two years. The eight-year-old, who will line up in Saturday’s Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, has twice had his career interrupted for lengthy periods. Considered one of the rising stars of the sprinting ranks after winning seven of his first eight starts, he was in discussions for the 2020 Everest before a tendon issue sidelined him for 18 months. He returned for three runs, including a slashing Group 3 victory at his only Sydney visit two years later, then spent another 15 months out of action. Owner Bob Peters eventually sent Showmanship to John Leek Jnr, who has a knack for managing horses with wear and tear issues. The gelding made a great start for his new stable when motoring home from last to finish a half-length fourth in the Doveton Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in December, and again wasn’t beaten far when resuming with a midfield effort in the Wangoom Handicap in May. Leek says nothing went right for Showmanship at Sandown last start, but on a heavy track at Randwick he is anticipating a much-improved performance. “He’s a beautiful horse,” Leek said. “He’s got a lot of ability but as you can see, he obviously hasn’t raced much so we’ve just got to plan his runs and get him onto a wet track. “There have been no ratings races to suit him, but we’ve found one on Saturday. He’s in well and I’m looking forward to it. “It’s been the plan for a while.” View the full article

Tom Lowry, an immensely influential figure in the New Zealand thoroughbred industry, passed away on Monday aged 88. He was the third generation to operate the famous Okawa Stud in Hawke’s Bay, a property first established by his grandfather and then successfully run by his father for many years. Thomas Russell Lowry was born in Hastings on April 13, 1936, and educated at Christ’s College in Christchurch and then the Royal Agricultural College in England. Like his father before him, Tom quickly became heavily involved in Hawke’s Bay thoroughbred circles, both as a successful breeder and owner. He became a member of the former Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club in 1963 and a committeeman in 1969. He was vice-president of the club from 1978 to 1986 and president from 1987 to 1991, whereupon he was made a life member. The Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club became part of Hawke’s Bay Racing Incorporated in the early 1990s and Tom Lowry served as a director on the Board of the new body before becoming Chairman from 2000 to 2002. He retired from both positions in October 2002. Tom Lowry was also heavily involved in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, becoming a council member in 1976 and serving as vice-president from 1983 to 1987. He was the NZTBA representative on the Board of the New Zealand Racing Conference from 1994 to 1996 and was also made a life member of the NZTB Association. In the mid-1970s Tom Lowry decided to import a European-bred stallion to stand at Okawa Stud and purchased Three Legs from Ireland. The son of Petingo went on to become one of the most successful sires of his time, being crowned champion New Zealand stallion for three years and producing a steady stream of Group race winners including the champion mare Horlicks, winner of the 1989 running of the prestigious Japan Cup. Horlicks was by Three Legs out of the Okawa Stud-bred mare Malt and was bred and owned by Graham de Gruchy, a brother-in-law of Tom Lowry. The steely grey mare recorded 17 wins from 40 starts and, besides being the only ever New Zealand owned and trained winner of the Japan Cup, she also recorded Group One victories in the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) in Melbourne, the DB Draught Classic (2100m) at Ellerslie (twice) and Television NZ Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie. She was also runner-up behind fellow New Zealander Poetic Prince in the 1988 Cox Plate (2040m) in Melbourne and went on to become the dam of the 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew. Another outstanding early daughter of Three Legs was Burletta, bred by another Hawke’s Bay man in Tom Mulcaster. She won 16 of her 33 starts and was crowned New Zealand Three-year-old Filly of the year in the 1983-84 season when her victories included the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and Gr.2 Bayer Classic. Three Legs also left the 1984 New Zealand Derby winner Jolly Jake as well as the multiple Group race winners Random Chance (15 wins), Our Secret Weapon (11 wins), Eastern Joy (12 wins) and Shannon (5 wins). Tom Lowry, in partnership with his brother Pat and their sisters bred and raced a number of successful horses under the Okawa Partnership banner. They included Cure, winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). Tom Lowry also bred and raced the high-class racemare Dare, whose eight wins included the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes and, although he had wound down his thoroughbred interests in recent years, he celebrated another memorable success on his home track at Hastings this year when Testwin won on debut over 1600m on January 6. The Time Test gelding was bred by Tom Lowry and raced by him from the Hastings stable of his nephew Guy and training partner Leah Zydenbos. Testwin is out of the Don Eduardo mare Edwina, who was purchased out of a 2013 mixed bloodstock sale as a four-year-old for just $2250. “I got another person to buy the mare for me and she traces back to a good Okawa Stud family,” Tom Lowry recalled. “She was unbroken when I bought her but was an outstanding looking mare. If you saw her in a paddock with other mares you would pick her out on looks just about everytime.” Tom Lowry decided not to get Edwina broken in and sent her straight to stud, getting her in-foal to Niagara who was standing at Okawa Stud at the time. The resultant foal was Nedwin, who started out in Guy Lowry’s stable but was sold to Gisborne couple Mick and Suz Gardner. He won three races on the flat before entering the Hastings stable of Paul Nelson and Corrina McChief Stipeal and has since won another three on the flat and six over fences, including last year’s Great Northern Hurdle (4200m). Edwina didn’t leave another live foal until 2018, when she produced a filly by Darci Brahma that Tom Lowry also raced from his nephew’s stable and was named Darwin. “She won a race but then her form started to drop away so we pulled the plug and we have retired her to stud too,” Lowry said. Testwin is the third living foal out of Edwina and his win belatedly fulfilled one of Tom Lowry’s breeding rules. “I usually say that if a mare can’t produce three winners before she is 12 years old then you should get rid of her. Edwina is 14 years old now but she has now produced three winners, so I think she’s worth keeping.” Tom Lowry had a life-long passion for thoroughbreds and was a special guest at the Hawke’s Bay/Poverty Bay Thoroughbred Breeders annual weanling walk last Sunday, which culminated in a luncheon at Linden Estate winery. He was in fine spirits then but sadly passed away the next day. View the full article

A spur of the moment decision to run Balzano (NZ) (Shooting To Win) at Ashburton has paid dividends for Nikki White after the underrated galloper powered to victory in the Agraforum Growing Innovation (1400m) on Thursday. Based out of Omakau in Central Otago, White had been running Balzano at Rating 65 grade including a mile contest last Sunday at Wingatui, where he finished fourth and six lengths adrift of the winner in Miss Belle (NZ) (Belardo). On the back-up, Balzano was facing a drop back in distance and a sharp rise in class in the open handicap at Ashburton which featured the likes of Rating 83 gallopers Lord Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Louie Louie (NZ) (Zacinto), rating him the $12.40 outsider in a condensed TAB market. In the hands of Terry Moseley, the son of Shooting To Win was assertive early from barrier six and sat outside pacemaker Arctic Glow (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), making his claim as he travelled strongly into the home straight. The three-year-old didn’t let up as Kelvin Tyler’s pair Master Marko (NZ) (Contributer) and Go Lotte (NZ) (Telperion) gave chase, kicking away at the line to score by 1-¼ lengths. The victory gave local hoop Moseley an early double after he claimed the opener aboard Smooth Operator (NZ) (Turn Me Loose). White was admittedly surprised and rapt with the result after putting in a late entry two days prior. “It was completely out of the blue to run him here, I just did a late nomination on Tuesday morning and decided to come up,” she said. “I had a feeling that he could run well and be thereabouts, but I didn’t expect him to win. “We have got him nominated for the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m), so we’ll press on for that hopefully with a run in between at Oamaru in the open mile and go from there.” After opening a $101 chance, Balzano has moved to $61 in the TAB Futures Market for the Grand National Week feature, which will be run at Riccarton Park on August 3. The gelding commenced his career under Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, for whom he recorded a win and two placings in six starts, among these attempts was a tough run in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November. Balzano was subsequently offered for sale on gavelhouse.com in early February, and the White’s combined with co-owner Dave Coleman to purchase him for $25,000. “He had some form up north and I had an owner quite keen to have something up and ready to go, so we went halves in buying him,” White said. “At his first start down here at Invercargill he ran 10 lengths last which wasn’t a great start, but he had a few issues with his knees that we fixed up and he’s just gotten better and better from there.” Out of Dylan Thomas mare Holly Holy, Balzano was bred by Monovale Holdings and has earned $46,825 through his 12-start career. View the full article

An expansion of the Turf Series was announced by the Bahrain Turf Club on Thursday, as well as the installation of floodlights ahead of the 2024-25 season. The Bahrain Turf Series, which was launched in 2021, will now comprise of 12 races worth a total of $1 million, with a further $80,000 available in bonuses. The programme will start on the later date of December 20 and run until March 7, with an additional two handicaps, each worth $100,000, set to be run at the season's finale, where the feature event is the King's Cup. The extension of the Bahrain Turf Series means that all the premier races in the second half of the season now fall within the dates of the international programme. This makes it easier for horses to follow the path taken by last season's break-out star, Isle Of Jura (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), who graduated from Bahrain Turf Series handicaps to pattern races when winning the Crown Prince's Cup and the King's Cup, both of them holding Listed status. His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, chairman of the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club, said, “I am pleased to announce both an expansion of the Bahrain Turf Series and the introduction of floodlit racing, a bold initiative that will elevate the spectacle of racing in Bahrain to a new level and enable our season to continue to flourish. “For the first time, our most prestigious races, including the Crown Prince's Cup and the King's Cup, will all fall within the Bahrain Turf Series calendar. The move, coupled with the new floodlights, provides more flexibility to the race programme, and is intended to make racing in Bahrain an even more attractive and compelling proposition to international visitors.” The 2024 running of the Kingdom's most valuable race, the $1-million G2 Bahrain International Trophy, will take place on Friday, November 15 at the Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club. Entries close at noon on Wednesday, October 2. The post New Floodlights and Expansion of Turf Series Announced by Bahrain Turf Club appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article