Wandering Eyes

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has announced a special collaboration with Stable Recovery for the upcoming John Hall Memorial Golf Tournament. A Constitution halter, donated by WinStar Farm, will be shared with Stable Recovery and auctioned at the event to raise funds to support their mission. Originally intended for the TRF's Stallions for Second Chances Halter Auction, the halter has become a symbol of the relationship between the organizations. “We felt that sharing this halter with Stable Recovery would be a meaningful way to honor the close ties we've built and to mark the beginning of an impactful partnership,” said Maggie Sweet, Executive Director of the TRF. The third annual John Hall Memorial Golf tournament, presented by Heider Family Stables, is being held on Monday, Oct. 14 at Thoroughbred Golf Club in Nicholasville, KY. All proceeds, including those from the silent auction, will go to help Stable Recovery. The Lexington-based Stable Recovery, Inc. provides individuals in early recovery from substance abuse the opportunity to live in a sober and supportive environment while training to become horsemen. The post Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Partners with Stable Recovery for Special Auction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A China Horse Club International-bred half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) (lot 219) brought €750,000 from Simon Mockridge on behalf of Juddmonte late in the day at Goffs. Consigned by Ballylinch Stud where his sire stands, the chestnut colt is from the same family as young sire Cotai Glory (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), who won a brace of Group 3s. The colt's sister, Saffron Breach, brought 3.6 million during the Tattersalls December Sale from Najd Stud back in 2022. Another half-sibling by New Bay (GB) now named Goldie Trickett (Ire), sold for €1.65 million to Amanda Skiffington at this sale last year, the second highest price at the sale. The post Juddmonte Acquire Half-Brother To Saffron Beach For €750k At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Graded stakes winner Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile–Magical World, by Distorted Humor), winner of the 2024 GIII Fair Grounds S. and a half-brother to MGISW Guarana (Ghostzapper), has been retired from racing. The 6-year-old will be offered as a stallion prospect at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Consigned by Lane's End as Hip 3083, the dual-surface winner will be available for pre-sale inspection in Barn 6. He enters the auction ring Nov. 12. Bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and originally sold for $2.1 million as a Keeneland September yearling, Beatbox won six of 20 career starts and earned $427,248. He was campaigned by owners Jeff Ganje and Rob Comestro. “Beatbox is the type of horse you love to train,” trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “He was solid and consistent in his races, and a joy around the barn.” Ganje added, “Beatbox had a little setback in training, so our team collectively felt it was time to retire him We believe he is an outstanding and well-rounded stallion prospect, and we are excited to point him toward this next stage of his progression.” The post Graded Stakes Winner Beatbox Retired, Entered in Keeneland November Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The likely Ballydoyle runners for Arc weekend, led by G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), were unveiled by Aidan O'Brien on Tuesday. Fourth in the G1 Irish Champion Stakes, Los Angeles is one of two probable runners for O'Brien in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, where he will be joined by 2023 G1 St Leger hero and G2 Prix Foy third Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). “We think the most likely two are Los Angeles and Continuous,” he said. “We think the ground probably isn't going to be lively enough for the other two, Auguste Rodin and Luxembourg, and the filly [Opera Singer] might go to the l'Opera instead,” said O'Brien. “We don't think we've seen the best of Los Angeles yet. He's a very big horse, he's improving physically and there's no doubt a mile and a half is right up his alley. “He won the Irish Derby which is right-handed like Longchamp and we've been very happy. He's had two preps really, he won the race at York [G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes] and then when he went back to a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown. Hopefully we've done as much as we can for him to run as good a race as he can.” He added of this terms G3 Royal Whip Stakes-winning son of Heart's Cry, “We were very happy with his run in the trial, he finished third, it didn't suit him to make the running but obviously it was going to be a slow pace. We think he'll be much better in a strongly-run race and we've been very happy with him since. “We think both horses will handle an ease in the ground. Christophe [Soumillon] rode him the last day so it's very possible he could ride him again.” Of the aforementioned trio more likely to go elsewhere than the Arc, the G1 Japan Cup is still the target for Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), while Opera Singer (Justify) is more likely for the G1 Prix de l'Opera. Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot [GB}) also holds an entry for the 10-furlong G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes. “Auguste Rodin is still in at the moment but unless the ground is very nice he won't run,” said the master of Rosegreen. “He'll probably go straight to the Japan Cup. “Opera Singer will do a bit of work in the morning and we'll see how she is. The intention of running her in the trial [fifth in the G1 Prix Vermeille] was to go back for the Arc, but we weren't sure really what happened. “We could go back for the Opera as that is the easier option. We also think she wouldn't want bad ground, so we're debating whether to run in the Arc or the Opera.” There are still 18 horses entered in the ParisLongchamp showpiece. The post Los Angeles The Tip Of The Ballydoyle Spear In The Arc appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Carson's Run, Legend of Time, and Deterministic—1-2-3 in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) Aug. 11 at Saratoga—square off over 1 3/8 miles while facing four others in the Oct. 5 Jockey Club Derby Invitational (G3T) at Aqueduct.View the full article

The $1 million California Crown (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 28 caused movement in week 36 of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Top Thoroughbred Poll as winner Subsanador joined the Top 10 in fourth place.View the full article

Group winner Symbol Of Strength (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has been sold to race in Hong Kong, trainer Adrian Keatley confirmed on Tuesday. The juvenile colt was originally raced by Keatley Owners Group, Finneran and Moore. A winner at second asking at Ayr in July, the son of Symbol Of Love (GB) (Shamardal) ran third in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes a month later, before a half-length triumph in the G3 Sirenia Stakes over six furlongs at Kempton on Sept. 7. “Symbol Of Strength has been sold,” said Keatley. “There was always a possibility and now he's been sold to Hong Kong, we wish them well.” Bred by Tally-Ho Stud, the bay brought £100,000 from Keatley Racing out of the Goffs UK August Yearling Sale. He has earned $39,442 from four starts. His placed dam is a granddaughter of G3 Prix de Barbeville heroine Magna Graecia (Ire) (Warning {GB}). This is the family of G1 Prix Jean Prat winner, G1 2000 Guineas runner-up and sire Territories (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The post Symbol Of Strength Sold To Continue His Career In Hong Kong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tony Cissell has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and General Manager at Three Chimneys, the farm announced Tuesday. Cissell, who has managed the likes Crescent Farm, Calumet Farm and WinStar Farm, has been at Three Chimneys running the Big Sink division for the last five years. “I've known Tony for over a decade and have always admired his high level of horsemanship and his excellent people skills,” said Chairman and Three Chimneys owner Goncalo Torrealba. “He has done an outstanding job running our yearling division for five years, and has the proven background to take on the added operational responsibilities across the entire farm. He is supported by a tremendous divisional manager team, and I look forward to the future because I am confident they will continue to produce Grade I winners.” Cissell stated “It is an honor to accept this position at Three Chimneys, and I am grateful to the Torrealba family, my co-workers, and our clients for all of their support in this transition. I have had many great jobs and a lot of experience at all levels, starting with my first job working for Lee Eaton who was a pioneer at consigning and preparing future racehorses. I have learned something from every job I've had, and I look forward to taking on the operational reins at Three Chimneys. It is an exciting time to be at Three Chimneys, particularly with the rise of Gun Runner and the outstanding broodmare band to support him and our other stallions. The team at Three Chimneys is outstanding, and I am excited to work with them to get Grade I results.” Previous COO Chris Baker is resigning from his position after more than a decade at Three Chimneys. Baker stated, “First and foremost, I want to thank the Torrealba Family for all the outstanding opportunities they have given me over the past 11 years. From Champions and Classic winners like Gun Runner, Wonder Wheel and Early Voting to Grade I winners like Carina Mia, Guarana, Volatile and Gun Pilot, it has been my privilege to work alongside such a great family, great team, and great horses operating at the highest level of our sport. The passion, guidance, resources and trust bestowed on the Three Chimneys team by Goncalo and his siblings has provided all of us the chance to do meaningful things–the connection to Gun Runner being the opportunity of a lifetime.” “I am at a career stage where I want to use my skills, knowledge and experience in a different way,” Baker continued. “As a result, I've made the hard decision to step away from an everyday role as COO to start my own venture as an advisor where I will help people reach their goals in all facets of the industry. Under Tony's leadership, I anticipate continued if not greater success at the highest level for Three Chimneys. I am equally optimistic for the future of Baker Thoroughbred Advisory, working with clients to reach their Grade I goals in breeding, racing and sales.” The post Cissell Promoted To Chief Operating Officer At Three Chimneys, Baker Launches Thoroughbred Advisory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland has cataloged 3,373 horses for its 81st November Breeding Stock Sale, which will begin Tuesday, Nov. 5 and run nine sessions through Wednesday, Nov. 13, with the stand-alone November Horses of Racing Age Sale the following day. Click here for the full catalog for the Breeding Stock Sale, which features proven broodmares, young broodmare prospects and well-bred weanlings. Among the horses in the catalog are the first mares in foal to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish and the first weanlings by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. The November Breeding Stock Sale will open with a single-day Book 1, which begins at 1 p.m. ET with a select group of broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings. The November Breeding Stock Sale catalog features in-foal mares and weanlings by established stallions and popular young sires. Broodmares in the catalog are in foal to 166 stallions, among them American Pharoah, Authentic, Bolt d'Oro, Candy Ride (ARG), Charlatan, City of Light, Constitution, Curlin, Flightline, Good Magic, Gun Runner, Hard Spun, Into Mischief, Justify, Liam's Map, Life Is Good, Maclean's Music, Maxfield, Medaglia d'Oro, McKinzie, Munnings, Not This Time, Nyquist, Omaha Beach, Practical Joke, Quality Road, Speightstown, Street Sense, Tapit, Twirling Candy, Uncle Mo, Vekoma, Volatile, War Front and War of Will. Stallions who will be represented by their first in-foal mares to be offered at the November Breeding Stock Sale include Horse of the Year Cody's Wish; champions Arcangelo, Elite Power, Forte and Up to the Mark; Grade I winners Annapolis, Arabian Lion, Country Grammer, Dr. Schivel, Gunite, Proxy, Taiba and Zandon; and the first two finishers in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby, Mage and Two Phil's. Additionally, a total of 147 stallions have weanlings in the catalog, including these horses with their first crop: Horse of the Year Flightline; champions Corniche, Epicenter and Jackie's Warrior; GI Preakness winner Early Voting; GI Belmont winner Mo Donegal; and Grade I winners Aloha West, Cyberknife, Drain the Clock, Golden Pal, Happy Saver, Idol, Jack Christopher, Life Is Good, Mandaloun, Mystic Guide, Olympiad, Pinehurst and Speaker's Corner. The catalog also includes these dispersals: Estate of John Hendrickson–Gainesway is handling the sale of 12 broodmares and seven weanlings owned by the late Hendrickson. Complete Dispersal of Stuart S. Janney III Breeding Stock– Claiborne Farm is handling the consignment of 13 broodmares and two broodmare prospects Dispersal of Siena Farm Breeding Stock–Taylor Made Sales Agency is handling the consignment of 31 broodmares and one broodmare prospect. Complete Dispersal of Solera Farm (Ed Seltzer)–Consigned through Lane's End and Taylor Made Sales Agency, the draft has 23 broodmares, 14 weanlings, six broodmare prospects, two racing or broodmare prospects and one stallion. “Whether the horsemen who will be at the November Sale are seeking breeding stock or weanlings, the auction will give them numerous opportunities at all levels of the market to build their breeding operations or racing stables for the future,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “We are looking forward to welcoming people from all over the world and to continue the momentum of our record-breaking September Yearling Sale.” Additonally, Keeneland, in collaboration with TJC Innovations (TJCI), will introduce a new Dynamic Pedigree for the upcoming November Breeding Stock Sale that enables users to customize different aspects of a horse's pedigree that are of interest while displaying updated earnings and stakes race names in color to clearly stand out within the pedigree. Information will be automatically updated nightly. Viewing of the Dynamic Pedigree, jointly developed by Keeneland and TJCI, is optimal in the iPad app. (Users must download the latest version of the equineline.com app, version 12.0.8, to view this new feature.) The Dynamic Pedigree also is available as part of the online November Sale catalog in Keeneland.com. “Creation of the Dynamic Pedigree was a team effort between Keeneland and TJCI,” said Lacy. “We began by talking about how we could better deliver pedigree updates and information to our customers, followed by a lot of work on the technology side to make it a reality. We hope the automatic updates will facilitate the work of buyers during a busy time.” “We are thrilled to work alongside the Keeneland professionals to continue to enhance the Sales Catalog App,” said Senior Vice President, TJCI Tim Leith. “We look forward to receiving feedback from the marketplace to further complement the sales experience with the most up-to-date information available.” While viewing the Dynamic Pedigree, users can also continue to employ many of the popular functions found in the standard iPad app, such as personal grading and notes, adding to short lists and advancing to other hips. Print catalogs for the November Breeding Stock Sale are scheduled to be mailed Oct. 11. The post Keeneland Catalogs 3,373 Horses For November Breeding Stock Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 151 horses remain in the five QIPCO British Champions Day races after the second entry stage, the highest number in the past six years. The event will be staged at Ascot on Saturday, Oct. 19. The G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes sees G1 Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) square off with Franci-Henri Graffard's G1 International Stakes runner-up Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and Jean-Pierre Gauvin's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). Joseph O'Brien's Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains in the entries, as does Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) for James Fanshawe. The G1 Japan Cup-bound Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful City Of Troy (Justify) are also still included by Aidan O'Brien. Star miler Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is the leading fancy in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO. He will be challenged by Group 1-winning milers Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) for Maurizio Guarnieri, Mario Baratti's Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), Sussex Stakes scorer Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Charlie Appleby, and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for John and Thady Gosden. Said Charyn's trainer Roger Varian, “He's in great form and Ascot, where he was very good in the Queen Anne, is the plan. He's had a terrific season and it might have been even better, as he was arguably a bit unlucky at Longchamp in the Moulin, but at the start of the year we'd have been very happy to settle for what he's already achieved.” In a wide open G1 QIPCO Champions Sprint, G1 July Cup hero Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) hopes to double his top-tier tally for Jane Chapple-Hyam. Others signed on are: Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) for the Gosdens, William Haggas's G1 Sprint Cup hero Montassib (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), G1 Commonwealth Cup victor Inisherin (GB) (Shamardal) for Kevin Ryan and James Fanshawe's Kind Of Blue (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}). “Kind of Blue has been in good form since his second in the Betfair Sprint Cup and James Doyle came and had a sit on him on Saturday as he's now owned by Wathnan Racing,” said Fanshawe. “The Champions Sprint at Ascot is the plan for him and it's a race we've won before with both Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) and The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}). “Kind of Blue is out of a sister to Deacon Blues and a half-sister to The Tin Man, so he's their nephew if you like. They were both 4-year-olds when they won on Champions Day and Kind of Blue is only three, but he's by Blue Point and a big, strong colt. He hopefully has a bright future.” The four Group 1 on the card is the QIPCO Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes with 29 names still in the running. Some of the headline names include Ralph Beckett's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}), Aidan O'Brien's Opera Singer (Justify) and Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Gosdens' Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and Andrew Balding's Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}). Adding some international flare is Quantanamera (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) for Andreas Suborics and Germany. Stayer supreme Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) anchors the G2 QIPCO Champions Long Distance Cup, with all of the usual suspects remaining in the race barring Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for Wathnan Racing. The Aidan O'Brien runner will lock horns with 2023 winner Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) for Charlie Appleby, the Gosdens' Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Alan King's Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}) and Al Nayyir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) for Tom Clover. The post Charyn And Economics Highlights Of Latest QIPCO British Champions Day Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Calling extreme odds changes the “Achilles heel of pari-mutuel wagering,” Michael Fitzsimons, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's director of racing products, recently sold the audience at the Asian Racing Conference on a plan to standardize global access to the World Pool by sophisticated computer teams. “For the first time, we are proposing this year to work on the World Pool professional hubs, where we come together with operators to agree to the rules and through our smart contracts technology, we will enforce these rules no matter where the professional enters the pool,” Fitzsimons said, noting how the technologies these teams employ have shortened the gap by 45% in the difference between bet placement and odds update. “We won't rest until we have this down to mere seconds,” he added. The primary culprit for these late odds changes are Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) players. These are well-resourced teams of eggheads given a major edge over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated and lightning fast computer technologies, along with attractive rates and rebates not available to the average punter. Fitzsimons's idea is indeed novel–one easier to conceptualize than to realize. For one, it would require the right technologies being in place, Fitzsimons told the TDN in a series of written responses. However, “we believe that a centralized approach can create more efficient outcomes, more incentive to commingle and create a more sustainable environment for all involved,” he added. It is perhaps one of the most sweeping proposals publicly floated for managing CAW play. Less invasive ones are already in effect. Think restrictions to pools before the off, and penalties for win-margins above a certain threshold. But if there's a common gripe among critics of how it's handled in the U.S., it's that measures here largely fail to adequately restrict these teams of players from the pools that are often most attractive to them–in other words, the high-takeout bets. “The issue is allowing them to have an advantage,” said Jerry Brown, professional gambler and president of Thoro-Graph Inc., publisher of data used by professional horseplayers and horsemen. He has called the rapid growth of CAW play an “existential crisis” for the game. “Right now, they're being given too much of an advantage,” said Brown. “That advantage is taking money away short term from the regular players–it's a pari-mutuel game–and long-term, it's taking away from the stakeholders in the industry.” The HKJC is a wagering goliath–during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the equivalent of $17.3 billion was wagered on its horse racing–and offers an interesting case study in how a leading horse racing jurisdiction manages CAW play. The HKJC's approach cuts through the obfuscatory fuzz denoting many end of meet reports, headlined with broad handle numbers–that handle is much less a useful barometer of fiscal health than the revenues generated. “Our approach is much more about maximizing income than maximizing turnover which unfortunately seems to still be the measurement of success in many jurisdictions,” Fitzsimons wrote, using the Hong Kong equivalent of “handle.” According to Fitzsimons, as the HKJC has incrementally increased the rates it charges its CAW customers, overall turnover might have declined among these players, but its revenues have increased. “In the 2023/24 season, the income earned from professionals grew YoY [year-over-year] by 10% more than the turnover, indicating we are hitting the inelastic part of the demand curve and creating a healthy ecosystem. In actual terms last season, turnover from professionals actually dropped by around 8%, but income increased by 2%,” wrote Fitzsimons. When “rates” are mentioned, what is meant are “host fees.” This is a charge wagering outlets pay to track operators for the contractual right to import a simulcast signal. A wagering outlet could be another racetrack, an ADW platform (like FanDuel), or a CAW platform (like Elite Turf Club). Experts say that CAW host fees for the premium tracks in the U.S. typically vary between 6% and 8%. This is important to know for the horsemen and women plying their trades–in California, for example, this fee is split roughly 50/50 between purses and the track. What kind of rates does the HKJC charge? Fitzsimons declined to mention specifics, bar one example. “The harder the pool to win–or put another way, the greater the number of possible permutations of a particular bet type–the greater the advantage the professionals have. And as such, we charge more in those circumstances,” Fitzsimons wrote. “For instance the Triple Trio, we charge a 19% host track fee on a 25% takeout for the CAWs to play,” he added. “This allows for a moderation of turnover as any rebate is likely zero or maybe 2 or 3% at the most, plus the ability to earn decent income from this segment which can be reinvested in various ways back into the industry and wagering ecosystem.” (Note: A general rule of thumb is that rebate = takeout minus host fee. In short, as wagering operators compete aggressively on price to attract these deep-pocketed players, rebates increase and pools can grow sicker) Which brings the conversation around to late odds fluctuations. Some venues have sought to manage this by cutting off the CAW teams' access to certain pools before post. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) requires CAW players to place win bets on its races no later than two minutes to post (more on this in a bit). The HKJC cuts off its CAW customers from the pools around 15 seconds before post time. When asked why it's not more restrictive, Fitzsimons explained that time is related to “transaction processing times,” and the overall liquidity of their pools. “Given the size of our pools and the relationship with the professionals, this is the most efficient time for us. But in different jurisdictions with different pool sizes this will vary. We are currently working hard on modernizing our technology to ensure the time from bet placement to odds update is as short as possible,” Fitzsimons added. There is a rough threshold when the percentage share from CAW play on overall handle becomes so large that it begins, essentially, to cannibalize the pools. Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) executive director, Bill Nader, places that tipping point around the 25% marker. In recent years at some California tracks, CAW players have constituted a larger margin than that in certain pools. In other U.S. jurisdictions, the situation is even more lop-sided. At the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) conference at Prairie Meadows in July, Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio HBPA, said that CAW players make up “close to” 40% of the overall handle in the state. Because of differing takeout rates, the percentage of overall turnover CAW players make up in individual pools differs depending on the bet type. In Hong Kong's Quinella, for example, they make up about 15% of the pools. Across the board, it averages out at around 13%. According to Fitzsimons, these numbers represent what he considers a “good balance” between CAW and mass market play. “Professionals make the prices of the pools more accurate which is good for everyone, but at the same time we need to protect the local customer and maintain a healthy ecosystem, so 'healthy' will vary depending on the size of the underlying pool and the bet type,” Fitzsimons wrote. “When we operated the World Pool on the Cox Plate last year, the final dividend for Romantic Warrior was $2.80, but had it been a local pool only without the participation of international syndicates via commingling there is little doubt that he would have been $1.70 or $1.80 at the most,” Fitzsimons added. OTHER JURISDICTIONS France's Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) is reportedly Europe's leading betting operator and the “third largest player in horse racing pari-mutuel betting.” In a July Q&A with Jour du Galop, Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet, PMU general director, explained that major international bettors (given the acronym GPIs) would soon be barred from playing on the Quinte+, a flagship super high-five-style bet in France, with consolation pay-offs. As of the beginning of August, that bet had a 37.85% takeout rate. The change went into effect on Aug. 1 this year. The reason, said Malecaze-Doublet, was that allowing the powerful international players into this pool was ultimately siphoning profits out of French punters' pockets. “An example: during the last Prix d'Amerique, the [winning] punters … won around €640,000; tomorrow, with the eviction of the GPIs, these same punters will get €1.2 million. Another example: a punter won €1 million in the Quinte+ in the spring; without the GPIs, this same punter would have won €2 million. All the payout ranks will be positively impacted, with an accentuated effect on the big wins,” said Malecaze-Doublet in the Q&A. According to background sources consulted for this story, the PMU also requires large international players whose win-rates are over 100% to forfeit their winnings back to the PMU. This essentially makes their profit margins incumbent upon the rebates they receive through the betting platforms. Closer to home, NYRA is widely regarded as having among the most aggressive approaches among U.S. operators to curbing CAW play. It bars CAW play in the Pick 6, Late Pick 5, and Cross Country Pick 5 pools. The TDN has detailed what The Stronach Group (TSG) and Del Mar have done in California in recent years. Los Alamitos racecourse introduced an interesting new measure involving projected odds. Starting with the third race, projected odds–based on will-pays in pick 3s–are shown on simulcast screens roughly 20 minutes before post time, then after horses parade onto the track. “Look, no one is necessarily doing a great job here,” said Marshall Gramm, economics professor and professional gambler, about the U.S. “The U.S. market is really ripe for CAWs almost more so than any other market, maybe with the exception of Hong Kong. But with Hong Kong, it doesn't matter so much because the pools are so big,” he added. The primary problem is that the measures introduced in the U.S. by and large fail to adequately restrict CAW play from the bets with the biggest takeout. Why these pools? The equation is simple, though seemingly paradoxical: The bigger the takeout, the larger the rebate for the CAW player, the higher the profits for the player and their teams. “The pools that are priced the worst–the Superfecta, the Trifecta–those are pools that are dominated by the teams,” said Gramm. “The gap in the price between the casual player and the teams are the largest in the pools where the teams are just destroying the casual player. Right? The more complicated the bet, the more efficient their teams are.” NYRA has a 24% takeout rate on the Superfecta. Some tracks are even higher. “And that's where the teams destroy players. And teams are often getting 17% rebate on top of that,” he added. If tracks lowered their takeout without lowering the host fee–or maybe even by increasing the host fee–that would effectively lower the rebate for the teams, said Gramm. In short, casual players would see more of their monies returned, leading them to churn more. “And if they churn more, they like it. They invest more. Handle should theoretically go up. And [CAW] teams would love this, right? Everyone could win under this scenario,” said Gramm. In the short term, tracks might lose some of the revenues garnered on-track, he admitted. “But for many of them, that's not much to begin with anyway,” said Gramm. Furthermore, the takeout rate should be relatively flat across the board, said Gramm. “There's no reason we should have a tiered takeout. There's no reason it shouldn't 18% or 16% across the board. The gaps between the haves and have nots is too large,” he said. Such a move would require “a leap of faith” for the racetracks, admitted Gramm. Smaller racetracks are unlikely to lead the charge. If they lower their takeout rates, the big ADWs owned by Churchill Downs and The Stronach Group (TSG) would likely reduce their host fees in response, said Gramm. “Twin Spires doesn't want to lose their large margins on their customers,” Gramm said. That's why it would take a powerful independent track–a Del Mar or a Keeneland–to take the plunge, said Gramm. “I think they could have their cake and eat it, too,” he said. “They can make the announcement to their customers. The only place they might be losing money is in on-track and their California customer,” he said. “But if handle went up, teams would bet more. I think it would be a win, win, win for everyone.” Brown narrows his suggested fixes into two main camps. The first would be to drastically reduce the generous rebates CAW teams receive. The second would be to restrict their access to their pools in a more wholesale manner. “You have to shut them out electronically with three or four minutes to post–if they want to continue playing, they can do so, just not electronically,” adding that this needs to be deployed across all pools, not just the win pool. “It needs to go much further than that,” said Brown, about the steps NYRA and other operators have taken so far. “It should be all pools. Anytime you give these guys electronic access at the last second, you're giving them an advantage the horseplayers can't match.” The post Computer Assisted Wagering: Different Worlds, Different Fixes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Class: an elusive concept, in horses as in people. That's because it refers to something inherent, something beyond external trappings. In this business, most of us will have observed how someone can be wealthy and still have no class; and also, more pleasingly, how material poverty need not diminish those human qualities that elevate a person from the mean (in every sense of that word). To whatever extent it may be heritable, then, one core indicator of class is perhaps durability itself. For that is the very opposite of the superficial ways by which shallow people fake a deeper distinction. And that's an analogy that can be extended to our horses. Just as the old timers used to disparage “the fast set” who squandered their privileges in self-indulgence, so we must deplore breeding for speed without the means to carry it. In the commercial era, when a horse bred to run has bafflingly become somehow different from the horse bred to sell, we should prize more than ever the robustness that has always been a trademark of the South American Thoroughbred. That differential may have been eroded in the shuttling era. But a weekend headlined by two 5-year-old imports, Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify) and Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke), reiterates the connection between constitution and class. Now Mufasa is certainly a fast horse, even if his Vosburgh success felt demeaned by the relegation of this storied prize to Grade III status. (A mystifying development, given that the restoration of a seventh furlong and increased purse money had just yielded wins for Cody's Wish and Elite Power.) But the point is that Mufasa is only here because of the resilience of South American blood–on two legs, as well as four. That's because he's trained by Ignacio Correas IV, who has spent one-third of his life rebuilding a career in the U.S. after lawlessness in his homeland threatened the success he had enjoyed until the turn of the century. He took all kind of dead-end jobs, after emigrating, but he won through in the end. Importing the likes of Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) and more recently Didia (Arg) (Orpen) has been a great help. But if you want proof that the Correas clan know all about lasting the course, you need only look at the pedigree of his latest star. Mufasa was sired by Practical Joke (whose fine year continued when Ways and Means won the GII Gallant Bloom Stakes next day) during his early days shuttling to Chile, much as we owe his own dam to the young Scat Daddy. And she was actually out of a Florida-bred mare. But the latter, as a daughter of the exported Argentinian champion 2-year-old filly Mi Quimera (Arg), opens a seamless Argentinian line extending 11 generations to one of the local breed's foundation mares, Tears (GB). Tears was a daughter of Blair Athol, a cornerstone of the modern breed as it was emerging in Victorian Britain. (Himself winner of the 1864 Derby and St Leger, Blair Athol was by the 1852 St Leger winner Stockwell out of the great Blink Bonny, who won both the Derby and Oaks in 1857.) Tears was imported in 1882, alongside a stallion named Zanoni, and their 1885 foal Mendiga was acquired by the founder of Haras las Ortigas. This was a gentleman named… Ignacio Correas! The great-grandfather of Mufasa's trainer developed a family through five generations from Mendiga to a mare named Malquerida, who was then acquired by another great farm in Haras Ojo de Agua. Malquerida was out of a mare by Diamond Jubilee, the Triple Crown winner famously sold in 1906 by King Edward VII to Haras les Ortigas, where he became a four-time champion sire. And Malquerida is the fifth dam of Mi Quimera, the mare who came to the U.S. in 1981–where she was graded stakes-placed on turf, and eventually delivered the granddam of Mufasa. It must be extremely fulfilling for Mufasa's trainer to resume supervision of a bloodline curated by his own family between mares respectively foaled in 1885 and 1933. In the process, he is showing how mutual regeneration between the Americas, South and North, extends from the breed itself to the skills of its stewards. Though Mufasa's page has been fairly dormant for a couple of generations, there is prolific black-type production underneath Mi Quimera, mostly resulting from the family's repatriation to Argentina. The most conspicuous contributor has been My Swinger, Mi Quimera's 1989 foal (by another Vosburgh winner, Groovy), who won at a modest level in the U.S. before becoming a Group winner in Argentina. She began her breeding career down there, too, before eventually returning to the U.S. As in his first career, however, she proved more productive in the Pampas: her six foals by Southern Halo included two local Group 1 winners. Southern Halo, of course, did so well when exported to stand in Argentina that he ended up reverse-shuttling to his native land. But his presence in the pedigree of GI Californian Crown winner Subsanador–he gives us the third dam, as a multiple Group winner much the best loitering near the top of this page–does not introduce any truly South American flavor. While Subsanador's first three dams were all bred in Argentina, each was by a migrant son of a top Kentucky stallion (Storm Cat/Deputy Minister/Halo). His sire Fortify, equally, blends very familiar lines: he's by Distorted Humor out of a daughter of A.P. Indy and Flagbird (Nureyev). Both Flagbird and Subsanador's dam, in fact, ultimately trace to La Troienne (Fr) through her granddaughter Striking (War Admiral). In other words, Subsanador is circling back into the environment that produced his blood. Of course, it may be that even the way his first three dams were raised, in Argentina, itself contributes to his substance. Be that as it may, however, Musafa draws on a deeper South American well–whether in his own blood, or that of his trainer. Most Wanted | Dustin Orona Photography WESTS AND CANDY RIDE SHARE DOUBLE Perhaps the most important recent example of a horse that straddled the hemispheres by combining the best is Candy Ride (Arg). His sire Ride the Rails was bought as a yearling at Keeneland and, in the influential mare Alablue (Blue Larkspur), actually shared a third dam with his own sire Cryptoclearance. His damsire, moreover, is Blushing Groom's son Candy Stripes, who was Classic-placed in France. But his second and third dams both concentrate Argentinian blood, and who can say how far this may now be percolating to particular effect through Candy Ride's phenomenal son Gun Runner? Regardless, it was another notable weekend for the veteran Lane's End sire. At 25, he may be entering the evening of his career, but his legacy continues to grow. On Saturday his 4-year-old son Hit Show reached a new peak in the GII Lukas Classic, while the next day Most Wanted sustained his rise through the sophomore ranks in the GIII Oklahoma Derby. Both these colts graduated from the same program, bred as they were by Gary and Mary West. Hit Show, however, had been sold to Wathnan Racing (also proprietors of Subsanador) since his previous start, a graded stakes success at Mountaineer that suggested him to be one of those that just need a little maturity to regroup from the Triple Crown (ran fifth in the Derby last year). The Wests also bred his dam, GII Black-Eyed Susan winner Actress (Tapit), from Milwaukee Appeal (Milwaukee Brew), a champion Canadian 3-year-old filly later beaten just half a length in the GI Spinster Stakes. Acquired privately by the Wests on her retirement, Milwaukee Appeal only produced five named foals, but the investment has now presumably paid off–not least with Actress having already produced three daughters to exploit the success of her son. The dam of Most Wanted, meanwhile, is one of the gems of the Wests' broodmare band. Beach Walk (Distorted Humor) was acquired by their longstanding advisor Ben Glass as a $435,000 yearling at the 2014 September Sale–a price that reflected two elite podiums for her dam Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), a half-sister to dual Grade I scorer Diamondrella (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). While she could not break her maiden in five attempts, she has already produced four-time Grade I scorer Life Is Good (Into Mischief). That dasher made himself worth rather more than the $525,000 he brought as a yearling, but his full brother has been retained and is breezing with promise at Churchill. The late English Channel | Sarah Andrew A CHANNEL BRIDGE NOT YET BEYOND REACH While plenty of Americans will be spending serious dough on European yearlings over the coming days, they have tended to prove less enthused when a turf horse is standing on their own doorstep–no matter how accomplished. With his stock's propensity to dourness, in fact, I suspect Frankel (GB) himself might struggle to achieve commercial traction in the Bluegrass. It's been wonderful, then, to see Oscar Performance seize his opportunity, not just stepping up as the outstanding American heir to his late sire Kitten's Joy but even nailing the sales. From his latest crop of yearlings, he has this year sold 18 of 21 offered at an average tipping $150,000, off a $12,500 conception fee. That yield will doubtless be eroded with a few blue-collar auctions still to come, but Roscar will have done trade no harm as his latest black-type scorer, in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes at Woodbine (capping off a remarkable 1-2-3 for Chiefswood Stables). The one sadness is that no equivalent breakout has been achieved by a son of English Channel, who died, nine months before Kitten's Joy, in November 2021. But perhaps that vacancy might yet be filled by Far Bridge, who last weekend thwarted that wonderful racemare, War Like Goddess, in her bid to surpass their mutual sire with a third consecutive GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. The market never really forgave English Channel for staying this trip so well. But Far Bridge last year registered the first of his three Grade I wins over 10 furlongs, while if you rewind you'll find he beat no less a horse than Carl Spackler (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) over an extended mile on debut. In terms of producing runners, of course, English Channel ended up absolutely on a par with Kitten's Joy, who routinely stood at multiples of his $25,000 fee. Aptly, Far Bridge is out of a mare by his old rival. Homebred by Calumet, Fitpitcher (Kitten's Joy) unfortunately managed only two other foals, but she was out of an A.P. Indy half-sister to the mother of the admirable Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy), while the next dam Pleasant Temper was a dual graded stakes winner by Storm Cat. A little farther back, moreover, this line tapers to Shama (Bold Ruler) and her dam Lea Lark (Bull Lea), names that tie together some very illustrious pedigrees. Shama has been particularly significant in South America, duly appearing in the ancestry of two horses mentioned above, as third dam of Southern Halo and sixth of Blue Prize (Arg). Other daughters of Lea Lark have been no less influential, at every point of the compass. Given how well sown this branch of that dynasty has been, perhaps a posthumous legacy for English Channel is not yet a bridge too far. The post Breeding Digest: The Enduring Merit Uniting Mufasa And His Trainer appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dollars & Sense with Frank AngstView the full article

Wagering numbers up for the eighth straight meeting to start the season: ‘business was very good’.View the full article

A daughter of Blue Point (Ire) (lot 114) took the lead during the first session of Goffs Orby Book 1 when selling for €850,000 to Agrolexica International Trading BV from the consignment of Church View Stables. The filly's dam, the multiple stakes winner Bloomfield (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who was also second in both the G3 Give Thanks Stakes and the G3 Munster Oaks Stakes, is a half-sister to G3 Athasi Stakes heroine Prima Luce (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). This is the extended family of Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}). The post Agrolexica International Trading Snaps Up Blue Point Filly For €850k At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fresh off his gutsy win in the inaugural GI California Crown Stakes Saturday, Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify) jumped into the fourth slot of the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Last year's champion juvenile colt Fierceness (City of Light) sits at the top just 7 points ahead of top filly Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). Top sprinter Cogburn (Not This Time) sits third while Highland Falls (Curlin) and National Treasure (Quality Road) share fifth to round out the top five. Idiomatic (Curlin), Next (Not This Time) and Seize the Grey (Arrogate) fill out the top ten and, with her announced retirement last week, Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) dropped to the tenth and final spot. The post Off Cal Crown Win, Subsanador Jumps Into Top Five Of NTRA Poll appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Kentucky Derby Museum began its new fiscal year Tuesday with the approval of the 2025 budget. The Museum, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, also added three new Board members in Michael Guenthner, Josh Heird and Seema Sheth. “We are deeply grateful for the wisdom and commitment that our outgoing Board members have brought to the museum,” said Chair of the Kentucky Derby Museum Board David Nett. “As we prepare to celebrate the museum's 40th anniversary, we look forward to the fresh perspectives and expertise our new Board members will bring to further elevate our mission.” “I am incredibly thankful for the unwavering support of our Board of Directors,” added President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum Patrick Armstrong. “Their guidance and vision have been instrumental in channeling the passion and creativity of our staff, and we are excited to continue this journey of success as we approach our 40th anniversary in 2025.” The post KY Derby Museum Approves 2025 Budget And Adds Three New Board Members appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Walnut Farm secured the G1 Australian Oaks winner Autumn Angel (Aus) (The Autumn Sun {Aus}) for A$1.225 million (€762,599) in a boutique Inglis Digital Online Sale which concluded on Tuesday. Trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, Autumn Angel won four of her 11 starts and earned over A$1.1 million in prize-money during her illustrious career, with her biggest success coming in April this year when she defeated high-class performers such as Zardozi (Aus) (Kingman {GB}) and Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) to win the Australian Oaks at Randwick. Last week it was announced that Autumn Angel had suffered a tendon injury, bringing her racing career to a premature end. She was offered by Dalziel Bloodstock as a breeding prospect, with Walnut Farm beating multiple interested parties in the closing minutes of the online auction. “Autumn Angel won an elite edition of the Australian Oaks,” said Vin Cox on behalf of the winning bidder. “She has a great pedigree and is by a stallion that is well on his way as a highly commercial stallion of the future. “There are no plans as to her future at this early stage. We will get her home and into the system.” Autumn Angel was purchased by Moody and managing owner Wylie Dalziel for A$230,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She is one of four winners out of the Group 3 winner Angel Of Mercy (Aus) (Hussonet), who was also runner-up in the G1 Tattersalls Tiara. “It's all happened very fast,” said Dalziel. “The ownership group are rapt with the result, although understandably we didn't envisage selling her so soon. “This time last week we were disappointed and in shock when we received the news from the stable about her injury. But as the manager I had to move quickly and I must thank Sebastian [Hutch], James [Price] and the team at Inglis for facilitating such a quick turnaround.” He added, “We've had a great run with Autumn Angel and we will never know what might have been on the racetrack. All the signs were there that the best was yet to come. “There are nine owners including some long-time clients and they all were quick to back the decision to offer her as a breeding prospect and she was put in front of all the right people with Inglis Digital.” “Wylie and his owners were obviously disappointed that Autumn Angel's racing career was brought to a premature end, but it's pleasing to have been able to help them find a sale solution in a short space of time,” said Inglis Digital's Nick Melmeth. “We learnt of her injury less than a week ago, so to be where we are today, with multiple major breeding operations having competed to buy her for a seven figure sum, is a testament to the efficiency of the system.” The post Australian Oaks Winner Autumn Angel Sold by Inglis Digital for A$1.225 million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Danny Shum’s Classic Mile prospect continues sizzling start to career with comprehensive Class Three triumph on Sha Tin debut.View the full article

Talented sprinter’s National Day Cup success delivers third-season handler first leg of running brace.View the full article

Blue Diamond Stud's Frankel (GB) colt out of Tisa River (Ire) (Equiano {Fr}) provided an early highlight as the Goffs Orby Sale got underway when knocked down at €780,000 to Oliver St Lawrence. Offered as lot 10 and bred by Imad Al Sagar, the colt's dam is a half-sister to two Breeders' Cup winners in Order Of Australia (Ire) and Iridessa (Ire), as well as the G1 Belmont Oaks and G1 Beverly D winner Santa Barbara (Ire). A further Breeders' Cup winner, Starine (Fr), features as his third dam. St Lawrence could not divulge the name of the buyer of the colt. The post Blue Diamond’s Frankel Colt Brings €780,000 at Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Due to the AFL grand final taking centre stage in Victoria last Saturday, most of the feature races took place at Moonee Valley on Friday night. With multiple Group races featured on the program at The Valley, we have focused on that meeting and the Sandown card on Saturday for this week’s edition of The Follow Files. You can add these runners to your blackbook with your chosen horse racing bookmaker and receive notifications when they run next. Moonee Valley Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: +3m entire circuit Race 3: Benchmark 85 Handicap (955m) | Time: 0:55.26 Horse to follow: Passeggiata (6th) Passeggiata returned at Moonee Valley over 955m, where she was expected to be one of the speed influences; however, the Bjorn Baker-trained mare settled at the rear of the field. With an obvious tactics change in effect, the daughter of Winning Rupert tracked up behind the strong speed and finished off nicely down the middle of the track to record a modest sixth-place finish. Although she didn’t run into the placings, Passeggiata clocked the fastest last 600m (33.70s), second fastest last 400m (22.94s), and fourth fastest last 200m (11.60s) sections of the entire meeting. When to bet: With a lack of 1000m races at metropolitan tracks on Saturdays in the coming weeks, keep an eye out for where Passeggiata steps out next, as it could be in a mid-week contest. If she strikes a 1000m race in a similar grade, she will be a massive player. Race 6: Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) | Time: 1:36.32 Horse to follow: Henlein (2nd) Anthony & Sam Freedman have a good opinion of Henlein, and his most recent runner-up finish in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes may have proved them right, as the three-year-old colt stormed home over 1600m. First-up, this son of Dundeel finished off nicely to record a sixth-place finish in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality before switching to Melbourne last start. Although he settled at the rear of the field at The Valley last Friday, Henlein ran home in the fastest sectionals of the race and indicated that a longer trip would suit him down to the ground. When to bet: The stable has mentioned the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes as a possible target race this preparation; however, that race is still four weeks away. Expect Henlein to line up in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes on October 12 at Rosehill as he attempts to earn ballot exemption for the Spring Champion. Sandown Track rating: Good 4 Rail position: True entire circuit Race 8: Benchmark 84 Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:24.10 Horse to follow: Riot And Rose (7th) Following a long layoff, Riot And Rose from the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman yard showed very good improvement in between her first and second starts this campaign. This daughter of Pins finished out the back fresh at Flemington over 1400m but produced a very strong finish at Sandown to run into seventh-place over the same distance second-up. Each of her sectional times from 1000m to the 200m ranked inside the top 10 for the meeting, with her last 200m (11.07s) being the second fastest time recorded for the day. When to bet: With a good base of fitness under her belt after two runs, it wouldn’t shock to see Moody & Coleman step their mare up in trip to 1600m third-up. If they keep her in a similar grade or drop her back slightly, Riot And Rose will go very close. Top horse racing sites for blackbook features Recommended! The Better Bettors! Australian-owned and operated bookmaker! Join MarantelliBet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Horse racing tips View the full article

What Eagle Farm Races Where Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 When Wednesday, October 2, 2024 First Race 2:18pm AEST Visit Dabble Queensland Racing will return to Eagle Farm for the second time in four days, as it will host a quickfire six-race card this Wednesday afternoon. With warm weather forecast in the lead-up, the track is expected to improve from the Soft 5 rating at the time of acceptances to the Good range by raceday. The rail will be in the +9m position for the entire circuit, with the opening race scheduled to kick off at 2:18pm AEST. Best Bet at Eagle Farm: Zakiyya Chris Waller and Ryan Maloney will combine with Zakiyya for the third straight start as the five-year-old mare seeks to continue her run of form and claim her first victory of the campaign. In her two runs back, this daughter of Siyouni has recorded a third and second-place finish over 1200m and 1350m, where she was running on nicely at the end of both races. Now that she is third-up and rises to 1400m, Maloney should be able to settle closer to the speed from an inside barrier (2) and give Zakiyya every chance to return to the winners circle. Best Bet Race 6 – #13 Zakiyya (2) 5yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: Ryan Maloney (58kg) Bet with Picklebet Next Best at Eagle Farm: Andersen Andersen has filled the placings in both of his career starts to date; however, his last start second was the better of his runs, finishing three lengths behind Street Chase over 1110m at Doomben. The Matthew Hoysted-trained colt overraced slightly during the run and settled on speed, but in the final 300m he couldn’t stay with the winner. This son of Written Tycoon held off the rest of the field, and if he improves his manners second-up, Andersen will go one better here. Next Best Race 3 – #9 Andersen (10) 3yo Colt | T: Matthew Hoysted | J: Nikita Beriman (56kg) Bet with Neds Best Value at Eagle Farm: Adalie Adalie is yet to win this preparation, but the David Vandyke-trained mare has been performing well in strong form races in her two starts back. This daughter of Exceed And Excel settled behind the speed at this track and trip last start and boxed on steadily to finish in fifth place, beaten 1.9 lengths by Super Daisy at massive odds with top horse racing bookmakers. As she hits peak fitness third-up and strikes an easier contest, Adalie will be able to settle on a slow speed and prove hard to run down in the concluding stages. Best Value Race 4 – #8 Adalie (9) 5yo Mare | T: David Vandyke | J: Tiffani Brooker (58kg) Bet with Dabble Wednesday quaddie tips for Eagle Farm races Eagle Farm quadrella selections Wednesday, October 2, 2024 7-9-10-11 2-3-5-8 2-3-5-6-7 3-5-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Singapore racing’s final chapter will be written in the S$1.38m Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) this Saturday, ending a proud history at Kranji that several New Zealanders have enriched with their skills and horses. Respected Kiwi trainers Laurie Laxon, Mark Walker, Stephen Gray, Bruce Marsh, Paddy Busuttin and Donna Logan have combined to win more than 3000 races in Singapore since the late 1990s. Many of those successes came from horses that were bred in New Zealand or sold through the Karaka sale ring. By 2014 Laxon had won nine premierships, including becoming the first trainer to reach 100 wins in a single Singapore season in 2004. He later bettered that record with 104 wins in 2008. Laxon trained a total 1263 winners in Singapore, which is believed to be a world record for a trainer at any single venue. A multiple Group One-winning jockey and trainer who started out in Woodville, Bruce Marsh followed in Laurie Laxon’s footsteps up to Singapore and himself made an indelible mark. Marsh won 417 races over a 14-year career at Kranji, including two victories in the coveted Singapore Derby (2000m) with Kiwi-bred stars Hello And Goodbye (NZ) (Danzalion) and Race Ahead (NZ) (Al Akbar). An instrumental part of Te Akau Racing’s development into a multi-national force over the last couple of decades, Mark Walker has won four trainers’ premierships in Singapore to go with his six and counting in New Zealand. Walker began his Singapore tenure in 2010 and won premiership titles in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021. Another of New Zealand’s big Singapore success stories is Stephen Gray, who added 825 wins at Kranji to his tally of just under 400 in New Zealand in partnership with his father Kevin. “It’s such a pity when you think back to how good Singapore was,” Gray commented earlier this year. Another Kiwi trainer who flew the flag on the Singapore stage was Paddy Busuttin, who was at Kranji from 1997 to 2006 and finished among the top five on the trainers’ premiership in all of his first five seasons. Busuttin’s headline performer at Kranji was the great Bocelli (NZ) (Lord Ballina), who was Singapore’s Horse of the Year in 2001. The most recent addition to this list is Donna Logan, whose former base at Ruakaka produced a series of trans-Tasman Group One stars such as Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar), Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock), Habibi (NZ) (Ekraar), Victory Smile (NZ) (Victory Dance), Valley Girl (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) and Vapour Trail (NZ) (Jetball). Logan moved to Singapore in 2018 and became only the second female trainer to hold a licence at Kranji. She has gone on to win 189 races in Singapore, including the S$1m Kranji Mile with Minister (Street Sense). These respected trainers are just some of the Kiwis who have left a lasting legacy in Singapore racing. The final raceday takes place on Saturday 5 October with the running of the S$1.38m Grand Singapore Gold Cup (2000m). View the full article

Dan Meagher joined Michael Felgate on Racing Pulse ahead of the last ever Singapore racemeeting the Singapore Gold Cup where he will be represented by Lim’s Kosciuszko and Lim’s Saltoro. Dan Meagher ahead of the last race meeting in Singapore – Racing Pulse with Michael Felgate – Omny.fm View the full article