Wandering Eyes

By Michael Guerin Being called a square isn’t usually a compliment but when Barry Purdon says it about Merlin it is meant with love. And a warning. The $1million Race by Grins winner is back to work with trainer Purdon and partner Scott Phelan, one of a trio they have being aimed at the New Zealand Cup in November. The red hot stable also have Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Better and unbelievable Taylor Mile/Messenger winner Mach Shard for the great race, giving them rare control over their own build-up. By having three genuine open class stars they can plan where and when they race and their trio alone will go a long way to ensuring races like the Spring Cup and Holmes D G get off the ground in the north during the spring, something which has been doubtful on occasions in the last decade. Consistent and confirmed lead-up races will provide the stable with certainty about their early season targets as Purdon has tended to prefer keeping his New Zealand Cup horses in the north for as long as possible before launching his Canterbury assault. “All three of them are back in work and we couldn’t be happier with them,” says Purdon. “Mach Shard actually never really went out of work, being an older horse we kept him jogging every few days but Merlin and Sooner The Better had good spells. “They both look great but Merlin has developed even more. He looks like a square.” By square Purdon doesn’t mean somebody who is good at maths and goes to bed early, he means Merlin is also as wide as he is long, the four-year-old pacer having developed a body builder physique. He has clearly developed into a stronger horse than arch rival Don’t Stop Dreaming, that strength one of the reasons he was able to over-power him in the Race by Grins at Cambridge in April. “He looks so strong and that can only help this campaign so to have three genuinely top class horses who raced so well in the first half of the year is very exciting looking forward to the second half.” That serves as a powerful warning to his local rivals because if Merlin is getting strong he could well be our best pacer over the next year or longer. The Purdon/Phelan power players don’t stop there for a stable that has already won a NZ-leading $1,572,332 in stakes as the half way stage of the harness season with 34 winners from just 119 starters. They also have star three-year-olds Duchess Megxit and Cold Chisel and a small army of talented juveniles suggesting they have the strongest racing team in New Zealand for the back end of 2024. None of those will be at Alexandra Park tonight but Purdon/Phelan still have a major winning hope in both the main pace as well as an unlucky last start runner in Isla’s Son in race 9, the Book Now for Mid-winter Christmas at Alex Park Mobile Trot. He really should win second-up after a long layoff caused by a quarter crack. Artisan (R7, No.5) is nearing the end of her racing career as the broodmare paddock beckons but finds herself in a winnable Commercial Realty Winter Cup. “She probably only has a few starts left before she retires but she is a good standing start mare and this looks a really suitable race,” says Purdon. Earlier in the night the unbeaten Arna Donnelly-trained Mako will try to extend that sequence to three wins and even from a second line draw looks the one to beat in the Classique Landscapers Mobile Pace. View the full article

Dream Team One Racing Stable's well-related ANAKARINA (f, 2, Vekoma–Tacit Approval, by Tapit) catapulted her boom freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}) back into the lead for first-crop winners (with nine) after blitzing her rivals from front Wednesday at Churchill Downs to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. A homebred half-sister to the globetrotting Grade II Cigar Mile Handicap hero Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft), Anakarina was off at odds of 3.89-1 and hit the ground running from the three hole, leading a good-looking and well-pedigreed bunch on paper through an opening quarter-mile in :22.05. Showing no signs of stopping around the turn and into the stretch, Anakarina remained under light hand urging from Tyler Gaffalione past a half in :44.99 and kept on nicely to graduate by three lengths. Reliable Source ( Volatile), off at an overlaid 8-1 from a 3-1 morning line, was shuffled back to about third last with two furlongs to race, but made stealthy inside progress in the stretch and split rivals with good energy to complete the exacta. Empress Julia (Uncle Mo) drew in from the also-eligibles and ran well from her widest draw to be third. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0. O/B-Dream Team One Racing Stable (KY); T-Dallas Stewart. #3 ANAKARINA ($9.78) breaks fast under @Tyler_Gaff who sits chilly for the Race 4 victory at Churchill Downs. The 2YO filly by @SpendthriftFarm's Vekoma is trained by @DallasStewart3 and owned by Dream Team One Racing Stable. pic.twitter.com/ho0FbdOskJ — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 26, 2024 The post Anakarina A ‘TDN Rising Star’ For the White-Hot Vekoma appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Renowned equestrian Katie Jerram-Hunnable MVO and her husband Chris have partnered with Newmarket Racecourses in support of the Retraining of Racehorses' (RoR) programme Horses For Courses, it was announced on Wednesday. Launched in 2023 and supported by Godolphin, Horses For Courses showcases the care given and opportunities available to racehorses once their racing days come to an end. The programme has so far seen 15 racecourses adopt an equine ambassador. Having first sat on a horse at the age of five and competed at the Horse of the Year Show every year since she was 10, Katie has evented, trained and shown horses throughout her life. Her connection to racing includes riding in point to points and assisting her father with the training of racehorses. Sophie Able, Newmarket Racecourses and International Director, said, “We are delighted to be involved in Horses For Courses, as we continue to work to showcase our commitment to welfare before, during and after a racehorse's career. “It is a fantastic initiative and gives us the chance to have our stars from the racecourse return back to the track. Most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to tell the narrative of what happens to racehorses once they have finished racing. This is already happening across a number of racecourses and we are excited it will be launching here at Newmarket. “I am delighted to announce we have partnered with Katie Jerram-Hunnable and her husband Chris who will be our Newmarket Ambassadors. They have a fantastic group of ex-racehorses who we will have the opportunity to follow and learn about what they have been doing. “One of their horses is Barbers Shop, owned by The King, who has won many RoR classes at the Horse of the Year Show. We look forward to welcoming Barbers Shop and also First Receiver, who is also owned by The King. He began his racing journey here at Newmarket and has now started doing classes.” Jerram-Hunnable added, “Both Chris and I are very excited to become Newmarket Ambassadors for the RoR's Horses For Courses programme. We have always been passionate supporters of RoR's work and are delighted to be able to support and promote it in this way.” The post Newmarket Signs up to RoR’s Horses For Courses with New Partnership appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Scylla headlines the $500,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs June 29 as the 6-5 favorite. Despite the accolades accrued by her five competitors, they are distantly listed from 4-1 to 6-1, proof of the expectations on Scylla's back.View the full article

King's Sword dominated a quality field in the Teio Sho June 26 at Oi Racecourse, adding his name to the potential roster of Japanese international contenders.View the full article

A share in G1SW Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}-Zarkava {Ire}, by Zamindar) realized €740,000 from Laurent Benoit, acting on behalf of Haras Voltaire, during Wednesday's Arqana Pop-Up Sale. Additionally, a share by Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}-Spasha {GB}), by Shamardal) was also knocked down to Benoit, this time bidding for Haras des Sablonnets, for €180,000. The leading sire in France by black-type winners, the Aga Khan Studs stallion has produced this year's Classic-winning Metropolitan (Fr), that took the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains as well as Haya Zark (Fr) and Zagrey (Fr), victorious in the G1 Prix Ganay and G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, respectively. Freshman sire Hello Youmzain, a Group 2 winner at two and a Group 1 winner at three and four, has already sired Electrolyte (Ire), runner-up in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot last week. The post Zarak Share Brings €740K on Arqana Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mark Avison has joined Tattersalls as Paddocks Manager, replacing long-serving Jason Treverrow. Spending almost three decades in the Ministry of Defence, highlighted by the roles of Riding Master and Operations Manager within the Household Cavalry, Avison also served as the director of Equine Care Horse Trust for eight years. Avison also represented Great Britain at the International Military Event and was top military rider for three years at the London International Horse Show. “My career to date naturally fits with the management of stabling during sales and the grounds staff as part of the Park Paddocks team,” said Mark Avison. “Tattersalls is a company which I have always admired and I look forward to working with Tattersalls clients and staff in ensuring the sales run as smoothly as possible.” The post Mark Avison Joins Tattersalls as Paddocks Manager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The challenges and opportunities for the future sustainability of the thoroughbred breeding and bloodstock industry were explored in-depth by speakers, panellists and delegates at the annual TBA Bloodstock Conference, held on Tuesday at Tattersalls. Two hundred breeders, owners, enthusiasts and industry professionals convened at Park Paddocks for the full-day event hosted by leading broadcaster and racing journalist, Lydia Hislop. The conference was opened by TBA chairman Philip Newton, who discussed the current challenges facing the thoroughbred breeding industry and the need for transformational change to alter racing's finances. Newton also shared some insight into how incentives such as the Great British Bonus were having a positive impact, with further enhancements to the scheme just around the corner. Keynote speaker, trainer and founder of National Racehorse Week, Richard Phillips entertained delegates with some tales of his own pathway into the industry. Phillips also outlined the genesis of the popular National Racehorse Week initiative and its growth over the last few years, while the many afternoon events included a presentation from Dr Kanichi Kusano of the Japan Racing Association (JRA), who discussed the structure of Japanese racing built over a 30-year period. Claire Sheppard, TBA chief executive, said, “Once again we were delighted to welcome so many TBA members, industry stakeholders and bloodstock enthusiasts to our annual conference. “The expert speakers and panellists, combined with the extensive experience and expertise amongst the delegates themselves, meant we had some thought-provoking discussions on some of the key issues that we are facing as a sector and the chance to hear how other industries and professionals are overcoming similar challenges with new ideas and ways of working. Central to all of it, of course, is the thoroughbred. “We are very grateful to Lydia for hosting the event for a second year and to the expert speakers and panellists and all of our conference partners for their support of this event. A final thanks must go to Tattersalls for providing the venue, allowing us to put on this event. We are already looking forward to next year's event and will be canvassing the opinions of members and attendees for next year's programme.” Videos of each session from the day will be available to watch on TB-Ed, the TBA's online learning platform. The post TBA Bloodstock Conference Hosts Sessions on the Horse, People and Business appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

We're not quite halfway through the Flat season but Royal Ascot feels like a pivotal point. It's not just the fact that it coincides with the summer solstice (even though summer has really only just arrived in these parts) but it includes the first properly meaningful two-year-old contests along with a set of races for the Classic generation which start to underline the really serious prospects. While the yearling sales may tell one story of the popularity of stallions, one only needs to peruse the stakes race results on a regular basis to know that the reality is quite different. One feeds the other to a degree, but sales results are not entirely indicative of a stallion's success. And in measuring that success, there are of course a number of factors to take into account, not least the level of patronage and quality of mares each stallion has enjoyed at different stages of his career. The results from Royal Ascot, while reflecting a number of elite races, also include plenty of competitive handicaps and therefore offer a snapshot of the breeding scene in microcosm. What this year shows, as most others, is that, yes, the top stallions largely have done well, but so too have a number of names which have long ago fallen from fashionable grace despite the fact that they can, as they say, 'get a good one'. Thirty different sires supplied a Royal Ascot winner this year, with the horse we can still regard as the king, Galileo (Ire), the only one to have three: Kyprios (Ire), Illinois (Ire) and Uxmal (Ire) in the G1 Gold Cup, G2 Queen's Vase and the Queen Alexandra Stakes. Galileo's half-brother Sea The Stars (Ire) supplied two winners, as did his son Frankel (GB). The only stallion to be represented by two Group 1 winners at Royal Ascot was Dark Angel (Ire), and we will come on to him later. First, though, let's have a look at how this year's freshman sires are starting to shape up. First-season stallions Now, let's not get carried away, even though some of us have been doing so since late March. What happens later this year and into next season with their first three-year-old runners is what really matters for this batch of stallions but keeping an eye on each stallion's first two-year-old runners is irresistible. And, as alluded to, it can sometimes be a self-fulfilling prophecy that early success on the track leads to greater demand at the yearling sales – which will begin in the blink of an eye – and this in turn will drive greater demand from breeders next February. Sometimes, but not always. As things stand right now, Scat Daddy's son Sergei Prokofiev, who hit the ground running when Arizona Blaze won the first Irish juvenile race of the season back on March 18, is holding his position at the head of the table. Arizona Blaze has held his form, too, by winning the G3 Marble Hill Stakes and finishing third last week in the G2 Norfolk Stakes. The Amo Racing team has got behind Whitsbury Manor Stud's Sergei Prokofiev and own his other black-type winner to date, the Listed National Stakes winner Enchanting Empress (GB), who won twice prior to that but finished down the field in the G2 Queen Mary. 'Sergei' has had nine individual winners from 32 runners and is comfortably ahead of a three-strong chasing pack on five winners. That trio is comprised of Earthlight (Ire), Hello Youmzain (Fr) and Sands Of Mali (Fr), with the latter being the only other stallion in this group to have had a black-type winner so far. His son Ain't Nobody (Ire), who is now unbeaten in two starts, won the Windsor Castle Stakes, with the Sands Of Mali filly Aviation Time (Ire) taking third. Beyond this quartet there are plenty of young stallions starting to have greater representation on the track. Kameko has four winners on the board, including Juddmonte's six-length Pontefract winner Ardeur (GB), while Without Parole (GB) has three, and it is fair to expect both those stallions to feature more prominently in the second half of the season. Shamardal, who held some of the bragging rights last year when his son Blue Point (Ire) strolled to the top of the freshman championship, is well represented again this season, not just by the aforementioned Earthlight, but also Yeomanstown Stud's Shaman (Fr), who already has four winners to his name from 13 runners, and by Pinatubo (Ire), who is on three from nine runners. Big things are expected of the latter, who was himself a champion two-year-old whose early-season wins included the Woodcote and the Chesham. There's still plenty of time for his first crop to come to the fore. The two first-season sons of Farhh (GB) are also worth keeping an eye on. King Of Change (GB) was a surprise breeze-up star and he has two winners from his first three runners. Far Above (GB) has had 17 starters so far and three of them are winners. Over in France, alongside the Arc winner Ace Impact (Ire) at Haras de Beaumont stands Stunning Spirit (Ire), a George Strawbridge-bred Group 3-winning miler by Invincible Spirit (Ire). He is another with two winners on the board from only three runners. Second-season stallions Last year's top two in the freshman division, Darley's Blue Point (Ire) and Too Darn Hot (GB), have maintained their excellent starts by siring a Classic winner each – Rosallion (Ire) and Fallen Angel (GB). The former has enhanced his Irish 2,000 Guineas form with victory in the St James's Palace Stakes and everything he has done so far marks him out as a superior being. With seven black-type horses each this year they are flying high, and Too Darn Hot also has what looks to be the champion two-year-old in Australia, Broadsiding (Aus). What is worth noting is that Blue Point has had 134 runners this year for three stakes winners, and Too Darn Hot 83 for five stakes winners. From a much smaller sample, Study Of Man (Ire) has had three stakes winners from 41 runners, and a total of five group horses (winners or placed) compared to four and three for Too Darn Hot and Blue Point. On 7.32 per cent, the Lanwades resident has the highest strike-rate of black-type winners to runners of this group. Coolmore's Calyx (GB) also deserves a mention here. He had two Group 2 winners last year and though he is yet to notch a stakes winner in Europe this season, the Group 3 runners-up Eben Shaddad and Purple Lily (Ire), among his four black-type performers, are clearly both useful. The admirable Haatem (Ire), winner of the G3 Jersey Stakes and second in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, continues to fly the flag for his sire Phoenix Of Spain (Ire), who has three black-type horses to his name. Haras d'Etreham's City Light (Fr) has a very good percentage of winners to runners (currently 39 per cent – the highest of any in this group with more than 70 runners) and it should only be a matter of time before some of those are converted into stakes winners. He's one to watch. Proven stallions It is probably fair to say that all breeders or observers of the bloodstock scene have either a conscious or unconscious bias towards certain stallions. Some years ago, in a kind of racing version of the old Jack Spratt rhyme, Ed Harper commented that he is not really interested in races beyond a mile or 10 furlongs, while I replied that I was the exact opposite. Of course one must take note of the sprinters, and acknowledge the vital role they play in pedigrees, top and bottom, but from a pure enjoyment point of view, the middle-distance and staying races are the ones I find most absorbing. It is perhaps not surprising then that the winners of such races are put on a pedestal in my mind when they go to stud. For a long time I had a bias against horses who had gone to stud after only one season on the racecourse – I still don't think it should be encouraged but there is no denying that there are some decent stallions who have not raced at three. In fact, the stallion currently in pole position on the general sires' table, Dark Angel (Ire), is one of them. It wasn't that he couldn't race on, but the premature end to his racing career came about presumably to capitalise on his commercial value as the winner of the G1 Middle Park and G2 Mill Reef Stakes. It is academic now but the profile of so many of his runners suggest that he, like them, would have trained on and remained sound for seasons to come. Dark Angel is quite rightly the pride of Yeomanstown Stud and, with Group 1 winners Charyn (Ire) and Khaadem (Ire) to his credit last week, he is currently above Dubawi (Ire) and Kingman (GB) at the top of the list. Then of course there's Mehmas (Ire) – bred on the same Acclamation-Machiavellian cross as Dark Angel and similarly upwardly mobile, with 19 juvenile winners already on his tally this season. And while we are on this subject, it was the poor fertility of George Washington (Ire) that led to the early retirement of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), who probably deserves a bit more love than he receives. His son Rashabar (Ire) served a timely reminder of that when winning the G2 Coventry Stakes last week. The Aga Khan Studs' Zarak (Fr) has signalled from the start of his career that he is a stallion to be taken seriously and he is really starting to hit his straps this season. His son Metropolitan (Fr) is now a Classic winner, while Haya Zark (Fr) won the G1 Prix Ganay and Zarakem (Fr) was second to Auguste Rodin (Ire) in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes last week after winning the G2 Prix d'Harcourt. Zarak has had 15 black-type performers so far this year – only one behind his stud-mate Siyouni (Fr) and second only to his own sire Dubawi when it comes to percentage of black-type winners to runners (6.48 per cent). Camelot (GB) is not far behind Zarak this season on that particular metric, with 5.88 per cent black-type winners to runners, thanks in part to Luxembourg (Ire) – who is now a Group 1 winner at two, three, four and five – as well as his Group winners Bluestocking (GB), Pensee Du Jour (Ire), Sevenna's Knight (Ire), Dare To Dream (Ire) and Los Angeles (Ire). The latter, who was third in the Derby, could yet take Sunday's Irish Derby. However, one of his biggest rivals for that prize is Ambiente Friendly (Ire), who is one of the horses behind a strong season to date for his sire Gleneagles (Ire). It is easy to see the G2 King Edward VII Stakes winner Calandagan (Fr) become a Group 1 winner for Gleneagles before too long, while further down the distance scale, Mill Stream (Ire) has won the G2 Duke of York Stakes and was third in Saturday's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. The G3 Diomed Stakes winner Royal Scotsman (Ire) was another of Gleneagles's five black-type winners of the year and holds several Group 1 entries. The sires' championship may well have a very different feel to it by the season's end, though it is easy to see Lope De Vega (Ire), who has two Classic winners in the bag this season, taking higher order this year. The big question will be which one of them – if any – continues the level of consistency required to step forward and steal Frankel's crown. The post The Half-Term Sire Report appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Megan Fadlovich forged her own path to the trainers' ranks with her determination to excel in every equine discipline she has faced. Now, she's a stakes-winning trainer of Thoroughbreds.View the full article

Emerging galloper extends incredible winning streak as veteran handler fights back in premiership raceView the full article

Jockey John Velazquez will make an appearance at Naas in Ireland on Wednesday afternoon as he attempts to take home his first winner on the Emerald Isle. The Hall of Famer, who has never ridden on Irish soil before, is signed on to guide Dermot Weld trainee De Janeiro (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in the third race at Naas scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET–a six-furlong maiden for 3-year-olds and up. The filly was last seen running third at Fairyhouse for Newtown Anner Stud Farm June 7. According to a story in The Racing Post, the reasoning behind Velazquez's presence at Naas is his relationship with Newtown Anner Stud's Maurice Regan. PJ Colville, Newtown Anner's racing manager told The Racing Post, “Johnny and Maurice Regan would be very good pals and they both live in New York. He's on holidays here with his family. He has had a few rides at Royal Ascot for us before.” The New York-based Hall of Famer rode during the Belmont at the Big A meet last Sunday, but according to The Racing Post, he could pick up some mounts during the three-day Irish Derby festival at The Curragh over the weekend. This story will be updated. The post John Velazquez Rides In Ireland For The First Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Sir Michael Stoute-trained Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}) will miss the G1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on Saturday week as he continues his recovery from a setback which ruled him out of Royal Ascot. Sparingly raced as a three-year-old when his standout efforts included an unlucky-in-running third in the G2 Dante Stakes at York and a narrow victory in the G3 Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor, Passenger looked an improved model when returning from nearly nine months off with a smooth win in the G2 Huxley Stakes at Chester in May, beating the subsequent Wolferton Stakes winner Israr (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) by a length and a half in course-record time. That performance suggested Passenger has what it takes to be a major force at the top level as a four-year-old and his connections are optimistic that his return to action will prove worth the wait as they now turn their attentions to the second half of the season. “Sandown will come too soon for Passenger and we're now just playing it all by ear,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family's Flaxman Stables Ireland. “We entered him yesterday in the Juddmonte International [at York] and Sir Michael will make his recommendations in due course. “He was all set to run at Ascot in the Prince of Wales's Stakes but he got a temperature which knocked him out of Ascot unfortunately and these biological things can take a bit of time to get over. He's getting back on track. The horse will tell Sir Michael and we will go from there. “It's a good form line [with Israr] and we look forward to seeing Passenger back on track.” The post Passenger Forced to Miss City Of Troy Clash in Coral-Eclipse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There will be a maximum of eight runners in Sunday's Irish Derby at the Curragh with Aidan O'Brien's Epsom third Los Angeles heading the four-strong assault on the race for Ballydoyle. O'Brien will also be represented by Grosvenor Square, Euphoric and The Euphrates in the mile-and-a-half showpiece. The defection of Chief Little Rock and Agenda means there will be a maximum of eight runners in a race where the supplemented Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly heads the market at odds of 11-10. A statement published on the Coolmore website read, “Ballydoyle have confirmed that Los Angeles, Grosvenor Square, Euphoric and The Euphrates will all likely take their place. “Los Angeles will look to make it back-to-back successes in the Classic under Ryan Moore following Auguste Rodin's authoritative win in 2023.” It continued, “Declan McDonogh will ensure a good even pace aboard Euphoric with Wayne Lordan and Dylan Browne McMonagle aboard the other pair. “With the request that Ballydoyle run four in the race and with four other likely starters, this will hopefully ensure field size to support the World Pool.” O'Brien will cover half of the eight-runner field, with Keeper's Heart, trained by Ger Lyons, David Menuisier's Sunway, the Roger Varian-trained Matsuri and James Fanshawe's ante-post market leader Ambiente Friendly completing the line-up after his fine second to City Of Troy at Epsom. The post Los Angeles Heads Four-Pronged O’Brien-Trained Assault On Irish Derby – Ballydoyle Runners Make Up Half Of The Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques le Marois are likely targets for G3 Jersey Stakes winner Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), according to Richard Brown, advisor to the colt's owners Wathnan Racing. After placing in the 2,000 Guineas followed by a gallant effort to finish a narrow second to his Richard Hannon-trained stablemate Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the Irish equivalent, Haatem was deserving of his big day in the sun back over seven furlongs at the royal meeting. Haatem is now set to return to the distance that saw him perform so admirably in Classic company earlier in the season and although keen to avoid a third clash of the year with St James's Palace Stakes-winning Rosallion, a return to the highest level is on the cards. Brown said, “He will go back up to a mile almost certainly and I think we will explore further in time. “I think we will try to avoid Rosallion but all options are open at this stage. I would imagine he will go back up to Group One company and races like the Sussex and Jacques le Marois will come into play.” Haatem can be backed at odds of 7-1 for the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood while Rosallion is the short-priced favourite for that mile contest at odds of 11-10. The post Group 1 Targets Over A Mile For Jersey Stakes Winner Haatem appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present special exhibitions celebrating the legacies of Hall of Fame members Paul Mellon and Ruffian this summer when they open on Thursday, July 11, the repository said in a release Wednesday morning. “We are excited to honor and share the legacies of these two outstanding Hall of Fame members,” said curator Jessica Cloer. “Paul Mellon and Ruffian were both tremendously impactful. These exhibits are a tribute to all they achieved and their lasting influence on the sport.” A third special exhibition featuring the storied history of Harry M. Stevens Concessions is currently open in the Museum's Link Gallery. Click here to visit the Museum's website. The post National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame Exhibits Highlight Summer Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It's a good time to be Flavien Prat. He has amassed $13.4 million in earnings so far this year, is riding regularly for the Chad Brown barn and, through the first half of the year has won 26 graded stakes, four of them worth $1 million or more. This is what he hoped for when he made the decision in 2022 to leave Southern California, where he was dominating, to come East, which is firmly established as one of the very best jockey colonies in the sport. Prat joined the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland this week to tackle a wide range of subjects, including the top horses he's riding right now. He was this week's Green Group Guest of the Week. He won Saturday's second race at Aqueduct with Unmatched Wisdom (Cairo Prince), a Brown-trained 3-year-old colt who is 2-for-2 and has the potential to be a top performer in his division. “What I like about Unmatched Wisdom is that he is running fast,” Prat said. “He has done everything right. Before his first race, everybody liked him and he was training well going into his first race. He ran well and came back and ran even better that next race. He ran a good race at Aqueduct.” Prat confirmed that he came off Catching Freedom (Constitution), who went off as the 2-5 favorite in the $500,000 Ohio Derby, to stick with Unmatched Wisdom and some of the other top mounts he had on the card at Aqueduct. Caching Freedom was a disappointing fourth. In our breeding spotlight section we took a look at the WinStar stallion Global Campaign. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association West Point Thoroughbreds and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, T.D. Thornton and Bill Finley recapped another successful Royal Ascot meet and discussed the results from the American runners. They took a look at the 3-year-old picture, hypothesizing on where top sophomores will be going next and who might be best in the division, and they also discussed the latest news with the Supreme Court and HISA. Click here to listen to the show. The post Flavien Prat Joins the TDN Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

What Bendigo Races Where Bendigo Jockey Club – Heinz St, White Hills VIC 3550 When Sunday, June 27, 2024 First Race 12:30pm AEST Visit Dabble Horse racing in Victoria heads to Bendigo on Thursday, with a nine-race meeting set down for decision. A perfect day for racing is forecast, and with the track rated a Soft 5 and the rail out 9m, there will be no excuses for fancied runners. The action is set to commence at 12:30pm AEST. Best Bet at Bendigo: Major Share Undefeated through two starts, Major Share looks to have found the right race to keep that record intact. The three-year-old gelding returned from a 24-week spell with a dominant 1000m victory at this track, and with a return to the track and trip in BM64 grade, he looks too good for his rivals. Barrier two means Tom Madden will have no issue in finding the rail and dictating proceedings. Best Bet Race 6 – #3 Major Share (2) 3yo Gelding | T: Adam Chambers | J: Tom Madden (61.5kg) +110 with Picklebet Next Best at Bendigo: Scorched Lane Scorched Lane didn’t shirk the task on debut at Echuca on June 13. The Too Darn Hot colt was forced to travel three wide with no cover, only to go down by 1.5 lengths. Barrier nine is a slight query at his second start, but if Jye McNeil can have Scorched Lane settled outside the lead, he should prove too hard to hold out at the second time of asking. Next Best Race 3 – #12 Scorched Lane (9) 2yo Colt | T: Anthony & Sam Freedma | J: Jye McNeil (57.5kg) +260 with Dabble Best Value at Bendigo: Yongtai Yongtai is blessed with a strong finishing burst but consistently runs out of space before the winning post. However, the four-year-old steps up to the 1300m third-up and seemingly gets the race run to suit, with plenty of pace expected throughout. Beau Mertens will have the mare settled towards the rear of the field, and when asked for the ultimate effort, Yongtai has the turn of foot to blouse her rivals — and at a big price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 8 – #12 Yongtai (7) 4yo Mare | T: David Brideoake & Matt Jenkins | J: Beau Mertens (56.5kg) +1800 with Bet365 Thursday quaddie tips for Bendigo Bendigo quadrella selections Thursday, June 27, 2024 3-14 1-4-5-6-11 1-2-3-5-12 1-2-3-7-11 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More racing tips View the full article

An affinity with Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth prompted Phoenix Broodmare Farm’s Damian Gleeson and Deb Gifford to make a spur-of-the-moment purchase of stakes-winning mare Zecora on Gavelhouse.com this week. The New South Wales-based couple paid $150,000 for the six-year-old mare, who won the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) earlier this season. Super Seth had been on Gleeson and Gifford’s radar for some time, and not only because of his racetrack and stallion credentials. The Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner has made an immediate impact with his first two-year-olds this season, siring seven winners including Gr.3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) winner and Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) runner-up Linebacker, unbeaten Listed winner Super Photon and the Group Two-placed Poetic Champion. “It was a very off-the-cuff purchase,” Gleeson said. “Deb and I run Phoenix Broodmare Farm, where we breed and mainly sell foals through the auction houses in Australia. “We’re over here in New Zealand on holiday at the moment, and we were interested in going to see Super Seth. We actually looked after his granddam Toast of the Coast, whose owner used to keep her on our broodmare farm. “So we were familiar with the family and always had an interest in the stallion. We wanted to go and have a look at him, and I have to say we were even more taken with him after doing that. We were very impressed. “We decided that we were going to try to find a mare to send to him this season. It all happened very quickly from there. We found out about Zecora and liked the sound of her, and then we were sitting in a restaurant in Matamata on Monday evening and bidding on her while we ate.” Zecora is by Power out of the twice-winning mare C’est La Vie, who is a full-sister to Group One winner and successful broodmare Imananabaa. Robyn and Russell Rogers trained and part-owned Zecora through a 13-start career that produced four wins and four placings, headed by her Group Three victory at Te Rapa in December. “I didn’t know Russell and Robyn before this, but we rang them about two hours before Zecora was due to be sold, then rang them again straight afterwards,” Gleeson said. “I told Russell that we were going to send the mare to Super Seth, and he said, ‘That’s funny, because that’s exactly what we were going to do with her too if we didn’t end up selling her.’ “We drove to their place the next morning and had a look at the mare, and we’re absolutely delighted with our purchase. It’s one of those interesting stories of fate, that’s for sure.” Stakes winner Chokito was bought by Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters Photo: Race Images Christchurch Fellow stakes-winning mare Chokito was also snapped up by an Australian buyer on Monday, selling to bloodstock agent Liam Peters for $85,000 under his Byerley Bloodstock banner. The daughter of Vespa won seven of her 39 starts including the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m). Peters knows the family well, having brokered the private sale earlier this season of her half-sister Luvnwar. The three-year-old filly had raced three times from the Terri Rae stable at that stage, winning on the Riccarton synthetic track and producing an eye-catching performance for third in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. Now in the care of Western Australian trainer Michael Grantham and racing in the colours of Peters’ grandfather Bob, Luvnwar has added another two wins to her record including a valuable black-type success in last Saturday’s Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m). Inglewood Stud’s emerging stallion War Decree looms as a leading candidate for Chokito’s mating this spring. Not only is he the sire of Luvnwar, but he also hit trans-Tasman headlines earlier this month with his son Warmonger’s runaway Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victory at Eagle Farm. View the full article

An affinity with Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth prompted Phoenix Broodmare Farm’s Damian Gleeson and Deb Gifford to make a spur-of-the-moment purchase of stakes-winning mare Zecora on Gavelhouse.com this week. The New South Wales-based couple paid $150,000 for the six-year-old mare, who won the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) earlier this season. Super Seth had been on Gleeson and Gifford’s radar for some time, and not only because of his racetrack and stallion credentials. The Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner has made an immediate impact with his first two-year-olds this season, siring seven winners including Gr.3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) winner and Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) runner-up Linebacker, unbeaten Listed winner Super Photon and the Group Two-placed Poetic Champion. “It was a very off-the-cuff purchase,” Gleeson said. “Deb and I run Phoenix Broodmare Farm, where we breed and mainly sell foals through the auction houses in Australia. “We’re over here in New Zealand on holiday at the moment, and we were interested in going to see Super Seth. We actually looked after his granddam Toast of the Coast, whose owner used to keep her on our broodmare farm. “So we were familiar with the family and always had an interest in the stallion. We wanted to go and have a look at him, and I have to say we were even more taken with him after doing that. We were very impressed. “We decided that we were going to try to find a mare to send to him this season. It all happened very quickly from there. We found out about Zecora and liked the sound of her, and then we were sitting in a restaurant in Matamata on Monday evening and bidding on her while we ate.” Zecora is by Power out of the twice-winning mare C’est La Vie, who is a full-sister to Group One winner and successful broodmare Imananabaa. Robyn and Russell Rogers trained and part-owned Zecora through a 13-start career that produced four wins and four placings, headed by her Group Three victory at Te Rapa in December. “I didn’t know Russell and Robyn before this, but we rang them about two hours before Zecora was due to be sold, then rang them again straight afterwards,” Gleeson said. “I told Russell that we were going to send the mare to Super Seth, and he said, ‘That’s funny, because that’s exactly what we were going to do with her too if we didn’t end up selling her.’ “We drove to their place the next morning and had a look at the mare, and we’re absolutely delighted with our purchase. It’s one of those interesting stories of fate, that’s for sure.” Stakes winner Chokito was bought by Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters Photo: Race Images Christchurch Fellow stakes-winning mare Chokito was also snapped up by an Australian buyer on Monday, selling to bloodstock agent Liam Peters for $85,000 under his Byerley Bloodstock banner. The daughter of Vespa won seven of her 39 starts including the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m). Peters knows the family well, having brokered the private sale earlier this season of her half-sister Luvnwar. The three-year-old filly had raced three times from the Terri Rae stable at that stage, winning on the Riccarton synthetic track and producing an eye-catching performance for third in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. Now in the care of Western Australian trainer Michael Grantham and racing in the colours of Peters’ grandfather Bob, Luvnwar has added another two wins to her record including a valuable black-type success in last Saturday’s Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m). Inglewood Stud’s emerging stallion War Decree looms as a leading candidate for Chokito’s mating this spring. Not only is he the sire of Luvnwar, but he also hit trans-Tasman headlines earlier this month with his son Warmonger’s runaway Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victory at Eagle Farm. View the full article

An affinity with Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth prompted Phoenix Broodmare Farm’s Damian Gleeson and Deb Gifford to make a spur-of-the-moment purchase of stakes-winning mare Zecora on Gavelhouse.com this week. The New South Wales-based couple paid $150,000 for the six-year-old mare, who won the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) earlier this season. Super Seth had been on Gleeson and Gifford’s radar for some time, and not only because of his racetrack and stallion credentials. The Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner has made an immediate impact with his first two-year-olds this season, siring seven winners including Gr.3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) winner and Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) runner-up Linebacker, unbeaten Listed winner Super Photon and the Group Two-placed Poetic Champion. “It was a very off-the-cuff purchase,” Gleeson said. “Deb and I run Phoenix Broodmare Farm, where we breed and mainly sell foals through the auction houses in Australia. “We’re over here in New Zealand on holiday at the moment, and we were interested in going to see Super Seth. We actually looked after his granddam Toast of the Coast, whose owner used to keep her on our broodmare farm. “So we were familiar with the family and always had an interest in the stallion. We wanted to go and have a look at him, and I have to say we were even more taken with him after doing that. We were very impressed. “We decided that we were going to try to find a mare to send to him this season. It all happened very quickly from there. We found out about Zecora and liked the sound of her, and then we were sitting in a restaurant in Matamata on Monday evening and bidding on her while we ate.” Zecora is by Power out of the twice-winning mare C’est La Vie, who is a full-sister to Group One winner and successful broodmare Imananabaa. Robyn and Russell Rogers trained and part-owned Zecora through a 13-start career that produced four wins and four placings, headed by her Group Three victory at Te Rapa in December. “I didn’t know Russell and Robyn before this, but we rang them about two hours before Zecora was due to be sold, then rang them again straight afterwards,” Gleeson said. “I told Russell that we were going to send the mare to Super Seth, and he said, ‘That’s funny, because that’s exactly what we were going to do with her too if we didn’t end up selling her.’ “We drove to their place the next morning and had a look at the mare, and we’re absolutely delighted with our purchase. It’s one of those interesting stories of fate, that’s for sure.” Stakes winner Chokito was bought by Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters Photo: Race Images Christchurch Fellow stakes-winning mare Chokito was also snapped up by an Australian buyer on Monday, selling to bloodstock agent Liam Peters for $85,000 under his Byerley Bloodstock banner. The daughter of Vespa won seven of her 39 starts including the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m). Peters knows the family well, having brokered the private sale earlier this season of her half-sister Luvnwar. The three-year-old filly had raced three times from the Terri Rae stable at that stage, winning on the Riccarton synthetic track and producing an eye-catching performance for third in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. Now in the care of Western Australian trainer Michael Grantham and racing in the colours of Peters’ grandfather Bob, Luvnwar has added another two wins to her record including a valuable black-type success in last Saturday’s Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m). Inglewood Stud’s emerging stallion War Decree looms as a leading candidate for Chokito’s mating this spring. Not only is he the sire of Luvnwar, but he also hit trans-Tasman headlines earlier this month with his son Warmonger’s runaway Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victory at Eagle Farm. View the full article

Patience with My Chablis has paid dividends for Stephen Marsh as the filly secured the second win of her brief career at the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday. A rising four-year-old, My Chablis made her debut in mid-January but was put aside until the polytrack meeting on June 12, where she collected her maiden success at start two over 970m. Stepping into Rating 65 grade in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1300m), the daughter of Burgundy was rated a $5.50 chance behind the well-performed Tears Of Victory and Pax Mundi. In the hands of her regular rider Courtney Barnes, My Chablis was forced to travel three-wide in the small field after jumping positively from gate five, as Tears Of Victory led the field through the running. Barnes placed pressure on My Chablis nearing the home bend and she got into a strongly contested battle to the line, eventually coming out on top over a fast-finishing Don’t Look Ethel and Tears Of Victory, while Pax Mundi never saw clear air placing her back in the field. Assistant trainer Rhys Mildon represented Marsh at the meeting, indicating the three-year-old may be set for a higher-stakes synthetic race if the opportunity arises. “It was another tough run, she was stepping up another 330m in distance and she was three-wide the whole way, so I couldn’t have been more impressed to be fair,” Mildon said. “We would’ve forgiven her for getting tired and running third, but she dug deep and she’s a really gutsy filly. “She’ll probably come back here in a fortnight if she’s all good, at this time of the year we’ll keep her off the heavy grass tracks. “She may just have one more here and we’ll reassess, there may be a big money race on the synthetic but I’m not sure what Stephen has in mind for her, possibly one of the final races. “She just had a couple of fetlock issues earlier in her career, but Stephen has been really patient with her and it’s certainly paying off now.” A daughter of three-win mare Rio Nugget, My Chablis is a half-sister to Group One-performer turned sire Ferrando, and was bred by Mapua Bloodstock Ltd. She has earned $19,040 in prizemoney from three starts for connections, which include All Black Damien McKenzie. Marsh will be represented across the North and South Islands through the rest of the week, with runners at the Riccarton Synthetic on Thursday and Ruakaka on Saturday. Miss Nico Belle will headline the Riccarton contingent when she contests the National Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus – Ends 10 July (1200m), while consistent gelding Winning For All lines up in the Northpine Waipu Cup (1200m) in the far north. “His (Winning For All) work has been really good but he’s just taken a few runs to get fit this time,” Mildon said. “He’s drawn well (four) in a small field so he’s probably one of our better chances on Saturday at the low weight.” Sam Spratt will partner the Shooting To Win gelding, while Masa Hashizume has been engaged aboard last-start winner The Exponent when he contests the Truweld Engineering (1400m). “Everything went right that day for him to get a win on the poly, but I think he’s a better grass track horse in time,” Mildon said. “Being an open three-year-old race it’s certainly a lot tougher than last-start, but if he can get a forward position and a bit of luck in the running, he’ll be there or thereabouts that’s for sure.” View the full article

It was a case of like father, like son at Cambridge on Wednesday when Davey Ellis recorded his first training win courtesy of Spectrier in the in the Cambridge Equine Hospital 1550. Ellis, 40, is the son of Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who as well as founding and operating the thoroughbred behemoth, also trained at the turn of the century, recording three victories in the 2000/01 season. Ellis junior has been surrounded by horses his entire life and said his passion for the animal began on the rolling hill country of Te Akau Stud. “I grew up on Dad’s sheep station and I was saddling my ponies to go and see my mates and getting the sheep in down off the hills,” he said. While Ellis started to follow in his father’s footsteps into the racing industry, he found a career as a farrier more alluring, and has followed that path after working for numerous trainers on both sides of the Tasman. “I have worked for well over 30 different trainers before I started shoeing horses,” Ellis said. “I have worked for pretty much every trainer in Matamata and lots of trainers in Cambridge. I have worked in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.” While he enjoyed his time in racing stables, the lifestyle of a full-time trainer didn’t appeal, and he pursued his farrier apprenticeship under Kym Hughes and Malcolm Telfer. “With the lifestyle, you have to be pretty dedicated to be a full-time trainer,” Ellis said. “With family life, shoeing horses you can be done by 2pm on a Friday afternoon and have the rest of the weekend to do as you please, and I have got a lot of other hobbies as well.” Racing will always be in the blood for Ellis, and he has enjoyed training Spectrier before work every morning. “This is only my second horse I have trained, so this is just a hobby for me. He is the only horse I have in work, it is just a little bit of fun. I more enjoy just training the horse really,” he said. Ellis was rapt to get the win on Wednesday, with Spectrier having finished runner-up first-up at the track earlier this month. “He went a good second in his first-up run and he had improved a little bit through the week,” he said. Spectrier was initially purchased as a weanling by David Ellis senior out of Rich Hill Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock May Yearling Sale draft for $80,000 and found his way to his son’s care after he didn’t meet the mark at Te Akau Racing. “Dad bought him as a weanling and they (Te Akau) trained him, but he wasn’t going too well for them. I liked the look of the horse and decided to take him on,” Ellis said. Ellis said he does all the work with the horse, which made Wednesday’s victory all the more enjoyable. “I ride his trackwork and strap him, I do the whole thing,” he said. “If my horse goes somewhere I have got to take him.” View the full article

Scotty Macnab looks forward to competing in The New Zealand Hunts’ Association Duke Of Gloucester Cup (2100m) every season, and he will be aiming for a third crown in the iconic amateurs event on Saturday at Hastings. Macnab has been New Zealand’s most successful amateur rider for the better part of a decade, winning the Flair Amateur Rider Series five times, including last year’s edition staged through the winter and early spring. A farmer from Wanganui, Macnab followed in the footsteps of his father Dave in competing in the series, while his niece Sarah (O’Malley) also won the title in 2016 before commencing her apprenticeship. “I fell into doing these races really, I wanted to look at how Kevin Myers did his horses in the mornings and went there one day with Jo Rathbone,” Macnab said. “As soon as I got there, Kevin went into the tack room, came out with a pair of boots and told me to get on a horse. I had no intention of riding when I was going there whatsoever.” Myers and Macnab have been an unstoppable force in the amateur races since he commenced race riding, with their multitude of wins as a combination including Macnab’s first and long-awaited success in the Duke of Gloucester Cup of 2017, which he swiftly followed up with another in 2018. The race is contested every year at a different venue, dating back to 1935 when Prince Henry attended the Marton Jockey Club meeting and rode in the amateur race before donating the trophy. “My father won four of them, and that was my goal right from the start to win one. It took me so long to get that first one, it’s not easy and it’s the biggest race for us for the year,” Macnab said. “It’s a big highlight, especially for those of us that have ridden in the races for a little while, it becomes more and more of a prestige. Some of the kids in their first or second year don’t realise that it is the be all and end all of amateur riding, so if you’ve won a Duke of Gloucester you’ve done pretty well.” Macnab picked up where he left off last season in the first amateur race of the year at Hawera when winning aboard Myers’ five-year-old Rakanui, and he will partner last-start hurdle winner Run Jakko Run in the Epic Journey’s USA / Canada 2025 on Thursday at Te Aroha. “This year I haven’t been riding very much at Kevin’s, just once or twice a week, but I won on Rakanui at the Castlepoint Beach Races and liked him,” Macnab said. “My manager Jason (Myers), as he likes to think, rang me up and said he thought this horse would go alright, and he was right which was good. “I’ve got a seven-hour drive up now to Te Aroha with Kevin’s horses, and apparently if we get a winner we can put a lolly on our ice-cream on the way home. “Jakko is a bit of a character, I’m not quite as confident for tomorrow as I was riding Rakanui.” Myers has five runners accepted into Saturday’s Duke of Gloucester Cup and each in good form, but which Macnab will partner remains to be seen. “I’ll be riding one of Kevin’s on Saturday, I’m not sure which one yet though so I just look at the website when it comes out,” he said. “I just usually ride the horses that Kevin needs me to ride, I won’t really ride for anyone else because if they have a kid that wants to have a go in the amateurs, I’d rather see them have a turn and keep it going.” More recent rule changes including no whip-use behind the saddle have changed the landscape of the amateur races in Macnab’s perspective, and how they prepare the budding apprentices for professional riding. “The amateur races nowadays are so much more professional, you don’t get silly stuff happening. But I do worry that the kids that are riding these days aren’t readying themselves enough for being an apprentice,” he said. “We aren’t allowed to whip the horses, and as soon as they become apprentices, they’re expected to go out there and not only whip the horse, but also count how many whips they are doing so they don’t get fined, which is happening every week. “I think they took it out to make the amateurs look better because we do all have our own styles, and it does help, but possibly even just allowing us to hit them twice or three times, just so the kids start learning to count. “A big part of it as well is getting them into the race day scene with being on TV and all the dramas that come with that. If they can get somewhat used to that before going into the professional ranks, it has got to be better for them. “I would love to see a riding mentor bring all of the riders in to watch the replay, and tell us what happened in the race and why. “It wouldn’t be picking holes in anyone at all, more just to explain so the riders can understand and know for next time. We only race once every three or four weeks usually, so you get so nervous and built up for the one race. You can’t turn around two races later on the day and change something, it’s really a one-off. “I would find that very beneficial personally, even just having someone to help us walk the track before the race to show where it’s heavy or chopped up.” Macnab has seen plenty of high-profile racing figures use the amateur series to get their start, something he would like to see continue into future years. “There are lots of kids that have gone on to do really well, when I first started Rosie Myers (Fell) was in the amateurs and we all know what she went on and did as a jockey,” he said. “Aaron Kuru is a good mate of mine and I used to ride with him, he was a very good rider then and you could see he was always going to do well, same with Shaun Fannin. A lot have had a go at it and moved on, which is what it’s all about. “I’ve been retiring for a long time, pretty much every year, but Kevin keeps putting my name down in the book, so I keep turning up. But I do love it, and the moment I don’t, I’ll give it up.” View the full article

Talented mare Betty Spaghetti is one of a number of well-performed younger horses recently welcomed back into Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong’s Riccarton operation. The daughter of Stratum Star has put together a tidy record of four wins and five minor placings, including a credit at black-type level, from 14 starts and has returned to the stable to build toward her spring preparation. Fellow stakes performers Quintabelle, Miss Layla and promising two-year-old Lil Zena are also among those to have come back into the system following time in the paddock. “Over half the team are young horses and it’s going to be exciting to get them up and going,” Furlong said. Betty Spaghetti’s form through her last campaign earned her a trip north earlier this year to Trentham where she was devoid of any luck in two appearances. She was unplaced in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) after being denied any room to improve in the straight and a week later finished fifth in the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m), again having no favours in the running. “She didn’t have a lot of luck, but we were still pretty happy with her,” Furlong said. “She has come back this week and she’s a very capable mare who has really developed with a good, long spell. “She looks like a much more mature mare now.” Quintabelle’s last three appearances included a runner-up finish in the Southland Guineas (1600m), third in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m). The daughter of Embellish went for a break after her fourth in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) after blundering at barrier rise. “She had a good season and was a bit unlucky not to pick up a nice race, but still excellent to get some black type with her. She has just come back in as well,” Furlong said. Last season’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) winner Miss Layla added to her record last time in when the Burgundy mare ran third in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and was second in the Listed Timaru Stakes (1400m). Lil Zena was given three runs through the autumn with the U S Navy Flag filly’s stand-out performances a pair of thirds, including in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), behind the unbeaten Nucleozor. “She did really well in her first prep and she’ll get ready for the three-year-old fillies’ races,” Furlong said. The stable will have sparce representation through the winter months with Wiseman’s Diva their only representative at Wednesday’s meeting on the all-weather track. “It’s not our time of the year, we don’t generally have winter horses and we’re more prepping for the spring,” Furlong said. To be ridden by Ashvin Goindasamy, Wiseman’s Diva will be given an opportunity to turn her form around from an inside gate in the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1400m). “She’s been a bit disappointing and we’ve tried a couple of different things with her,” Furlong said. “She has drawn well, which is a bonus, but she needs to step up.” View the full article