Wandering Eyes

He is already one of the great stayers, but Kyprios bids to join an elite roll of honor of multiple Goodwood Cup (G1) winners in the long-distance showpiece July 30.View the full article

by Sara Gordon and Katie Petrunyak How do we guarantee a future for horse racing? Many will offer answers such as increased equine and track safety, improved wagering opportunities, and modernizing and embracing technological advancements. And though those are all extremely important, it will all be for naught if there is no incoming generation to grow the fan base and ultimately, hopefully, join the industry's workforce. That's where Amplify Horse Racing comes in. Founded in 2019 by Annise Montplaisir, now the Executive Director, and Madison Scott, a member of the Board of Directors, Amplify Horse Racing was created with the mission of serving as the youth arm of the Thoroughbred industry by creating pathways for youth and young adults to learn about mentorship and educational opportunities within the industry. Now in its fourth year of operating as a 501(c)(3), Amplify is ready to launch its biggest project yet with a nationwide expansion effort. Founded with a Vision The organization was the brainchild of Montplaisir, inspired by her own pathway into the industry and officially launched during her time on Godolphin Flying Start, a two-year international Thoroughbred industry management and leadership program. “I developed an interest in the Thoroughbred industry when I was around 12, after watching a horse racing movie, and then somebody sent me information about the Godolphin Flying Start program. At that moment I said, 'I'm going to do that program someday,'” said Montplaisir. “It was such a source of inspiration for me, but beyond that I didn't see a lot of other youth educational initiatives to really guide my path [into the industry]. So, it was really important to me to create this national youth program so that when there's another 12-year-old out there that has no idea how to get started or doesn't really have that source of inspiration to keep them motivated, Amplify can be that.” Amplify mentees visit with Godolphin's Gerry Duffy | photo courtesy Amplify Since its inception, Amplify has not only grown its collection of educational resources but also expanded its outreach, highlighted by a mentorship program launched in 2021. Offering two separate sessions of the program in both the spring and fall, Amplify pairs young adults who have an interest in the horse racing industry with experienced industry professionals that work within the field they're interested in. Though geographical location is taken into account, mentorships are not restricted by that. The program is conducive to both virtual meetings and face-to-face meetings, when possible, between mentees and mentors. “To say that we want to bring youth and young adults into the industry is a big project because you're working with a wide variety of age groups and there are a lot of ways to potentially tackle that,” said Montplaisir. “We tried to be really intentional at first in how we could create the best 'big solution' to get us started, which was our mentorship program. That's really targeting high school and college students, giving them an entry point into the Thoroughbred industry by pairing them up with an industry mentor who they can work with.” This past year, Amplify introduced a new travel award that granted four outstanding mentees the opportunity to attend an immersive, behind-the-scenes experience in mid-November in Lexington, Ky. Recipients traveled from Texas, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire to visit eight renowned facilities including Ashford Stud, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. “That program is a great prerequisite for those young people to have a better understanding on where they go from here,” noted Montplaisir. Since its inaugural year, Amplify's mentorship program has connected 75 mentees from 25 states or territories with professionals that work within the industry, resulting in dozens of graduates venturing further into the industry to pursue educational opportunities, internships and jobs. After gaining momentum in 2021 and 2022 through a partnership with the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), along with support from major entities and organizations across the industry, Amplify went out on its own in 2023. As a result, the organization was able to hire its first two full-time staff members. While serving as the host for prosperous mentorships that have ultimately created a growing network of young adults passionate about finding a career within the industry, Amplify has partnered with a handful of industry organizations since its inception, including Keeneland. A prominent entity known for its mission to perpetuate the sport of racing through a commitment to fan development and longstanding engagement with the local community, Keeneland has been a supporter and partner of Amplify for the past three years. Coming together to support each other's shared goals, Amplify has been a constant presence at Keeneland's College Scholarship Day and Kids Club Family Day since the partnership began. Along with setting up an interactive booth and serving as a one-stop resource for all questions and inquiries regarding the Thoroughbred industry, Amplify offers behind-the-scenes tours of the paddock and winner's circle. “I think one of the great aspects about Amplify is that it takes away some of the intimidation that some people might feel around the sport, and if people have a passion for the sport and for the horse at a young age, Amplify does a great job of breaking down the barriers so that they really understand what the opportunities are to be involved with the sport,” said Shannon Arvin, Keeneland's President and CEO. “Keeneland's mission since the beginning has been to perpetuate the very best of the sport of horse racing, and we can't be the best at horse racing if we don't have fans. It's critical to share that at a young age. So many people have the experience of being at the track with their parents or their grandparents. I think that those foundations need to be started at a really young age, so they can really develop that sense of awe that so many of us feel with respect to the sport.” And the proof is in the feedback from those who have participated in Amplify's behind-the-scenes experiences at the Lexington track. In a testimonial received by Nicholas, a sophomore at Midway University who joined one of Amplify's tours during College Day at Keeneland at the 2023 spring meet, he wrote: “Yesterday, I visited Keeneland for the first time. I attended hoping to receive a college scholarship. I was wandering around the facility feeling lost. That is, until I had the pleasure of attending one of your organization's tours. As soon as the tour began the feeling of being lost completely vanished. This feeling was replaced by a sense of belonging. I learned a lot during the tour. “Prior to arriving at Midway, I had aspirations of getting involved in the horse realm. However, I have not been able to fulfill this desire of mine. I began to suppose that the possibility of getting involved may be nearly impossible. Yesterday felt like the revival of my interest in the subject.” Outside of the racing industry, Amplify has expanded their outreach efforts by participating in and sponsoring a variety of equine events in Lexington and beyond. From setting up booths with educational activities pertaining to the Thoroughbred industry at Breyerfest or the United States Pony Clubs (USPC) Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park, to hosting tours for out-of-state college groups or presenting at a variety of conferences, the goal remains the same: amplifying education, mentorship, and career opportunities in the Thoroughbred industry for young people. “It's been really important for us to go through and identify events where we can have a big impact for the Thoroughbred industry, creating touch points [along the way],” said Montplaisir. “These are kids who come from across the U.S., many different areas, but might have had very minimal exposure to the Thoroughbred industry.” Amplify mentees visit Ashford Stud | photo courtesy Amplify For Montplaisir, who forged her own way into the Thoroughbred industry and eventually made the move from her hometown of Fargo, North Dakota to the heart of horse country in Lexington, it's the ability to serve as a cohesive and unified 'welcome center' for youth and young adults interested in the industry that drives her to expand all that Amplify has to offer. “I think when you're starting a new organization, it's easy to get pulled in different directions based on a lot of people with lots of great ideas and suggestions on what you should add. So, I knew from the beginning that Amplify was going to be really big and all encompassing,” said Montplaisir. “I think Amplify provides such a proven model for how best to educate and expose youth to our sport,” added Arvin. “It's much more beneficial to have consistent messaging about our sport, and to have consistent ways of exposing young people to our sport, and Amplify does such a good job of providing just that.” A Nationwide Expansion Amplify is now looking toward the future with a vision of expanding nationally. Their first step is to create regional partnerships. With local relationships already established with Keeneland and Churchill Downs, Amplify is looking outward to other tracks and racing jurisdictions nationwide that might want to grow and improve their educational programming. “We are now exploring working with other groups and entities around the country, from those who maybe don't have any sort of educational outreach to those who need help and support working on their outreach,” explained Montplaisir. “As we start to expand into these other regions, it all ties into having that unified messaging on how we're bringing youth into the industry and creating pathways moving forward. Rather than everybody having their own separate programing, Amplify can be a unified voice for education.” Amplify was able to put a few of these initial plans in motion earlier this summer with a pilot program called the Morton Urban Equine Education Program. Carried out in partnership with the Illinois Backstretch Charitable Foundation (IBCF), which is the benevolent arm of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA), Amplify assisted in hosting five high school students at Hawthorne Race Course for a week-long program aimed to introduce youth to all aspects of the Thoroughbred industry. Students participating in the Morton Urban Equine Education Program | photo courtesy Amplify The students' experience ranged from participating in one or two pony rides to never having touched a horse, and none of them had been on the backside of a racetrack before. By the end of the week, the students had all ridden a track pony, visited the test barn, watched a blacksmith shoe a horse and learned about everything from conformation to the gaits of a horse. “At the end of it as the students were reflecting on their favorite parts, the part that was the most meaningful to them was actually getting to feed peppermints to the horses,” Montplaisir shared. “We have this amazing opportunity as the Thoroughbred industry to leverage our tracks and our industry as centers for education to connect people with horses, because a lot of our tracks are in inner-city or highly urban areas where people might never get to see, much less touch, a horse.” Montplaisir is confident that initiatives like the Morton Urban Equine Education Program can be executed throughout the country. Next up on their agenda, Amplify will be on hand at Saratoga for four weeks in August. The organization has had a presence during the race meet there for the past several years, but this year in partnership with the New York Racing Association, they will be expanding their tours of the backside. The initiative will be targeted specifically toward young people interested in the racing industry. With Amplify's vision to implement regional ambassadors, programs like these will be conducted nationally and year-round, rather than having to rely on Montplaisir or other full-time Amplify staff members traveling to events. Local, part-time contractors would be trained and paid by Amplify to conduct tours, visit classrooms and career fairs, and connect educators with industry professionals. Tracks and racing organizations would have a local ambassador they could call upon to help lead educational programming. Students attend a tour of the backside | photo courtesy Amplify Back at their home base in Lexington, Amplify also has plans to roll out a mobile education unit that would travel throughout Kentucky and beyond to events like school presentations, career fairs and college or family days at racetracks. In addition, Amplify has their sights on putting together educational tour and curriculum models that would be prepared for individual racetracks and farms. Designed specifically for student visits, these programs would be adapted for various age groups. Depending on the location, tours would be conducted by one of Amplify's regional ambassadors or Amplify would train an employee of the track or farm. They also plan to offer specialized training to employees of facilities that wish to enhance their educational programming. All of these plans will be rolled out in the coming months as a result of Amplify's upcoming initiative, the Amplify Impact Campaign. The fundraiser will launch in August with the goal of raising $1 million. “Over the past couple years, we've had a chance to pilot a lot of programing and we've reached this pivotal point where we know what works and we also know what we have to do to grow, expand and continue filling our role as the youth arm of the Thoroughbred industry on a national basis,” said Montplaisir. “We're kicking off the Amplify Impact Campaign in order to build a mobile education unit, develop a pretty awesome curriculum and then start implementing regional Amplify Ambassadors who can help us carry out our educational mission and work with our regional partners in a much more meaningful way.” Pat Cummings, the Executive Director of the National Thoroughbred Alliance (NTA), is a member of Amplify's Board of Directors. He said he has chosen to support Amplify since its advent because he wished there had been a similar program in existence when he first got involved in the industry. He also added that due to the diminishing number of regional racetracks, he believes the number of in-person encounters young people will have at a track in the coming years is limited, so there is a crucial need to engage any youth who might be interested. “Amplify is doing a tremendous service for track operators, for farms, for any organization tied to the sport,” said Cummings. “It's something that I think should be embraced by organizational leadership and supported at every possible turn. Horse racing has to build infrastructure for the future and I think you could reasonably argue that over the last 20 years, the infrastructure investment in horse racing has maybe not been what it should. Amplify to me is part of a next generation of infrastructure for horse racing and its workforce.” Many of the young people that Amplify aims to engage are in college and high school, although some are as young as elementary school-aged. Cummings pointed out that the impact of educating this younger generation will not be obvious overnight. “One of those sayings is that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the second best time is today,” said Cummings. “Amplify is trying to plant seeds for the sport. I really do believe firmly that every organization across the sport, whether it's the for-profit sector or the nonprofit sector, should be participating in this. We want to plant new trees for the sport and you're not going to see the payoff tomorrow. You're not going to see it next year. You have to do this now and know that it is an investment for way down the line. It might make us feel good today that we're doing it, but the actual payoff is going to come much later down the road.” At this point in its young history, Amplify is just starting to see the impact their early efforts have had on building the next generation of industry participants. They have big ambitions for the future and plenty of room to grow, but the only way they can achieve their goals is through the support of the racing community at large. “My goal is that within the next few years, the entire industry–from small tracks and regional breeding jurisdictions to the largest tracks–would recognize Amplify as the national youth arm for education,” said Montplaisir. “To get there, I would encourage people to consider partnering with Amplify. We're stronger together as a united industry, working together with one goal of bringing young people into the industry. Amplify can help all of these different groups do that together with unified messaging and resources. I think that we're going to be able to achieve that. I have so much hope for the future of the industry. There are so many amazing opportunities for young people if we can come together to have this national education movement.” The post Planting Seeds: Amplify Horse Racing Aims to Blossom Nationally appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ballydoyle's miracle horse Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is back at the scene of one of his finest hours on Tuesday as he descends on the Sussex Downs for another tilt at the G1 Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup. Denied a follow-up to his memorable 2022 success over Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) due to last year's potentially catastrophic injury, the Moyglare homebred announced his return from the brink and how with another dynamic display to win a second G1 Gold Cup at the Royal meeting last month. It could be argued that whenever the 6-year-old has been at a peak and had his favoured fast ground that he has been untouchable and a sixth group 1 appears to beckon with no obvious up-and-comers here to challenge his hierarchy. “He's a very special horse with a lot more class than most people think,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He does stay, which is unusual, but he'd have no problem being a group horse over a mile and a quarter. As he goes up in distance, he just gets better.” “Those good stayers are very rare. When you go to those distances, very few horses get them really but he has the class and gets the trip as well. Obviously we've been delighted to have him back this year, given what happened to him. Everything has gone smoothly since Ascot, we've been delighted. Hopefully he'll run well again.” Re-opposing from Ascot is the third-placed Sweet William (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) who was fifth and the disappointing Gregory (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) who was seventh. Normandie Stud's G3 Henry II Stakes winner Sweet William looks to be John and Thady Gosden's main hope, but they are ready to forgive last year's G2 Queen's Vase winner Gregory his tame effort in the Gold Cup. “Gregory just wasn't right there and he wasn't right after the race,” John Gosden explained. “He'd worked well going into it, but he just didn't fire and that can happen.” Gregory's rider James Doyle added, “I'm sure it was his wellbeing rather than the trip, that was the problem there, but coming back to two miles wouldn't be a negative for him. We are on the comeback trail and he seems in good order.” A Vintage Crew? One of the Goodwood Festival's most appealing races for the Classic-watchers is the seven-furlong G2 HKJC World Pool Vintage Stakes and Ballydoyle have an intriguing runner in the race this year in The Parthenon (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). From the family of Galileo (Ire), he has missed two engagements since his Gowran Park maiden win in mid-June and has a similar profile to the stable's 2014 winner Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “We've always thought plenty of The Parthenon,” Aidan O'Brien said. “He made his debut in the Marble Hill and ran well enough there and wasn't beaten far, especially given he was really green. He won his maiden the next time, but we were a little bit disappointed with him there to be honest, despite him winning, as we thought he'd win a bit easier than he did. Hopefully he'll run well, as he's a nice colt.” Godolphin's G2 July Stakes third Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), John Wallinger's G2 Coventry Stakes fourth Cool Hoof Luke (GB) (Advertise {GB}) and Middleham Park Racing's G2 Prix Robert Papin fourth An Outlaw's Grace (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) bring solid pattern-race form to the table, while Fitri Hay's Wolf Of Badenoch (GB) (Pinatubo {Ire}) gave off intriguing vibes when winning on debut at Doncaster last month. Is the Three-Peat on in the Lennox? Goodwood also stages the G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes, where Marc Chan's Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) bids for a third renewal of the seven-furlong contest coming off a below-par effort in the G1 July Cup. This is Ralph Beckett's veteran's bag and there is little evidence that his level has dropped notably. “We're excited to be going to Goodwood, a track that he loves–he probably should have won the race three times by now,” Chan's racing manager Jamie McCalmont said. “It would be an amazing achievement for any horse to win three races at Goodwood and I think just due to the fact he's getting older, he probably needs more than one race to get in tune.” Wathnan Racing's English Oak (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is up in class having won Royal Ascot's Buckingham Palace Stakes with aplomb and the Ed Walker-trained 4-year-old could be one of this division's lurking improvers. “He's in cracking form and has not missed a beat since Ascot, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on,” his handler said. “He's got a lot to make up, as on official ratings he's the lowest-rated in the field and yet he's vying for favouritism, which on the numbers doesn't make a lot of sense. We're very happy with him, we've no worries with the ground and we've got a good draw–I think he'll run his race and I hope he gets a good trip round and then we'll find out how good he is.” The post ‘He’s A Very Special Horse’: O’Brien Hails Kyprios Ahead of Goodwood Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Assembling a field of six of the best 3-year-old filly sprinters in the country, the $500,000 Test Stakes (G1) will live up to its name when contested at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 3.View the full article

All Frank Mirahmadi has ever wanted to do was be at the racetrack, so he is living his best life as the track announcer at Saratoga Race Course. He is also the main man at Santa Anita in California. He has called big names and has called races as big names. One time he called a race using 23 different voices. Oh, and he was once on “The Price is Right.” And he loves pizza. Here is The Saratoga Conversation. TDN: I've heard talk about the sightlines at Saratoga not being the easiest for the announcer. FM: It's certainly true. And the reason for that is this booth is a lot lower than usual. But as with anything, you just have to adapt. So, I think that it has been a very common question. And there are certainly some challenges with the sightlines, but in my profession my job is to figure it out and to report it accurately. There is no excuse for anything in this booth. The job here that the people expect is excellence. TDN: Were you nervous when you got the gig at Saratoga? FM: Sure. I think anyone would be very nervous here. This is storied history. Amazing racetrack. Top-notch racing. So anytime the stage is bigger, the nerves will certainly go up. For sure. TDN: When you are calling a race like the Belmont or the Travers or the Santa Anita Derby, is it more pressure? Or do you treat it just like any other race? FM: There are definitely nerves for bigger races. My first Grade I, I still remember a lot of the details. It was the Tiznow at Louisiana Downs winning the (2000) Super Derby. And that was the first call that was actually on ESPN. I had the earpiece in and the producers were giving instructions to other members of the team as the horses were loading. And there were like two horses left to load. I remember hearing the producers say, 'roll the Commendable piece.' Not to me, but to someone else. I said, ' roll the Commendable piece?' I took that thing out of my ear, and I throw it across the room, because I knew it was just about time to call the race and that they would figure out when to turn the volume up. But I remember specifically that distraction and the nerves. That race went very well for me, but I'm just saying it was something that I definitely remember to this day. TDN: Do you hear the crowd? FM: Oh, certainly. When the Belmont Stakes was happening here and (NYRA/FOX Analyst) Maggie (Wolfendale) put her microphone to let the crowd hear themselves, I knew that was a great moment in my life and in racing because of the history of it being here at Saratoga. I felt emotional because you could hear that crowd and it was such a big moment. TDN: There is a horse running in California named for you. Mirahmadi. He just ran the other day. FM: (laughs) Yeah, he got beat again. TDN: You have called one of his races, right? FM: I called his debut. TDN: When you called that race, did you find yourself watching him more? FM: Of course. I was very excited to see him. He was never a factor in that race. It was over out of the gate. Bob (trainer Baffert who has Mirahmadi) ran Muth that same weekend, and he ran him in a maiden race and he ran Mirahmadi in a stake. If he would have flip-flopped them, Mirahmadi might not still be turning into a professional maiden! TDN: Is it unfair to ask you which place you like better, Santa Anita or here? FM: Santa Anita is my favorite place on earth. It's well-documented. It's not only my favorite racetrack, it's my favorite place. I grew up there. It's home. I wouldn't want to insult the East Coast audience or the national audience by saying that this isn't my favorite, but I don't think anything will ever top Santa Anita for me. TDN: It's important to have fun with your job. FM: It is. I'm not a chart caller. There is an element of entertainment. But there is a line to be drawn, especially at the bigger venues like Santa Anita or Saratoga. TDN: Speaking of that, there was a race you did many years ago. You did 23 voices–impersonations–during a race call. Who are the favorite impersonations that you do? FM: I don't do them in race calls anymore. But, sure, I do them from time to time. Some of my best ones are of people no one would know. TDN: Who are some of the ones people would know. You did (Rodney) Dangerfield, right? FM: Dangerfield is one of my best. Marv Albert is one of my best. Trevor Denman I would say is one of my best. I did a call at Louisiana Downs once, and there was a horse called Di Niro's delight. And I called the race as Dangerfield and Di Niro. De Niro's Delight won at a big price. (Watch Mirahmadi's race-call impressions below) TDN: If you could announce a different sport for a day or two, what would it be? FM: I would say probably baseball. I love baseball, big baseball fan. TDN: Are you a Dodgers guy? FM: I was when I was a little kid. I'm really more of a fan of the game itself. And pitchers in particular, I love great pitching. So, wherever the great pitchers are, I love watching, you know, phenomenal pitchers. I'm more focused on the pitchers in the actual teams. I know it sounds weird. TDN: There are two questions I ask everyone. First, if you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? FM: My late father, George, who was my No. 1 racetrack partner. Rodney Dangerfield. And Tom Petty. That's a very good question. TDN: Here is the other one. If there is a movie made about your life, and you can pick the actor to play you, who are you going with? FM: Who would play me? I would hope it would be someone very good. I would say De Niro. He is my favorite actor, so I would say him. But he would have to alter his appearance. He did that, in the mobster movie (“The Untouchables) and “Raging Bull.” Can't go wrong with him. TDN: OK, you were on the “Price Is Right.” Were you a fan? Mirahmadi on The Price Is Right | Tony Valazzo photo FM: I 've loved “The Price Is Right” since I was a little kid. I always watched it. TDN: When you got the “Frank Mirahmadi, Come On Down,” what was that like? FM: That was a stunning situation. They had said before that to make sure your energy is high; have fun, go wild. They want that. TDN: Did you? FM: I did. I definitely did. I thought I might have gone over the top. TDN: You were wearing red sweats, right? FM: I think the color would be more like brick red, like magenta. White tennis shoes, and a t-shirt. I had gone on a walk that morning with the husband of my girlfriend's girlfriend. So those two went to the show, too. My girlfriend got tickets a long time back and told me we're gonna go. TDN: When you got the call, were you, like, 'Whoa!' FM: I was excited. I was surprised and excited at the same time. TDN: How far back in the audience were you? FM: Second or third to the last row. TDN: You had to do a little running. FM: Oh yeah. High fives the whole way. TDN: And you won a trip to Hawaii. FM: First, I won a dishwasher and that got me on stage. And then I played a game called “Flip Flop” and I want to trip to Hawaii, it was pretty easy. Because to me, there were two choices. It was either $7,900 and something or $9,700 and something. I said 'no way is this trip almost $10,000.' No chance. I know things are getting expensive, but ten grand is a little high 10 grands a lot. So I decided for sure it's $7,900. Then, the choice was between 13 and 31. I'm a Baskin-Robbins guy. So, I mean 31 was a natural choice for me. was a natural choice but when I watched the replay, I realized that that Drew (host Carey) said this is not the price and it was sitting on $7,913. I always thought later that I picked 31 because it was Baskin-Robbins. But in listening back to it, he said, 'This is not the price.' So, it's either going to be at that point is going to be $7,931, $9,713 or $9,731. If the $9,700 was out, there was an easy decision for me to make as to what it was. Fortunately, I was right. TDN: Good time. FM: It was fun. Once you're on there, you certainly want to make sure you win. That makes it so much more fun. You would hate to tell people, 'hey watch me on 'The Price is Right.' I lost!' It was really so much fun. TDN: Now that “The Price is Right” is in your rear-view window, if you could be on another game show, which one you picking? FM: I would say “Wheel of Fortune.” I could be very dangerous on “Wheel of Fortune.” I'm a great speller, I love that game and I'm pretty good at it at home. But it's very different when you're at home versus when you're in the studio. It's very, very loud and everything's different. I tried out for teenage “Card Sharks” when I was a teenager. I won the audition, but I didn't get picked. TDN: You are a pizza aficionado. Your ideal pizza with three toppings. What are they? FM: Zero. Light cheese. No topping whatsoever. All I request is light cheese. I am like a car. But instead of the oil light going on the cheese light is on. I've got to watch the cheese. The bread and the sauce is the top priority and then the cheese. You've got to have good cheese. If the cheese isn't great, it's no good at all. I'm very picky about pizza but that is all I eat. TDN: Best pizza you have ever had. FM: There are two that are very close to each other. Both on the East Coast. One is New Park Pizza, which is about five minutes from Aqueduct in Howard Beach. Insanely good. And Federici's in Freehold in New Jersey. Those are probably the two best. There is a place in New Orleans called Venezia, which I like a lot. And De Lorenzo's in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Ralph's Pizzeria in Nutley, New Jersey is great. TDN: You've been around a few pizza places. FM: I would have to say that New York and New Jersey are the leaders of the pizza division. TDN: Not into Chicago pies? FM: I do like Chicago pizza. I like Gino's East and Lou Malnati's. TDN: You know them all! FM: Of course. I'm not kidding you. That's all I eat. I don't eat meat, chicken or fish. There is another place I should mention, Valentino's in Manhattan Beach in California. That would be very rough if I didn't mention them. TDN: You don't get sick of it? FM: That's what's crazy. TDN: Before anyone gets nervous, you must eat some good stuff too, right? FM: I don't like fancy restaurants. I love fresh fruit. I eat it every day. I usually have melon every morning, I like nuts, cereals, fresh fruit. I am a vegetarian who eats very few vegetables. Some very strange eating habits, but pizza is in a league of its own. TDN: If you could be a superhero for one day, who would it be? FM: Ironman. Loved Ironman as a kid. I have only seen one of the movies. You would think I would have seen all the movies and been fascinated by them. As a kid, the comic book? Loved Ironman. He was my man. TDN: Watch much TV? FM: Very little. Almost no TV shows. I don't even know what's on. I haven't watched TV since I was a kid, watching “Happy Days” and “Welcome Back Kotter.” TDN: What do you like doing in your spare time? FM: That's a great question. I am a pretty boring guy outside of work. That's what I tell people. When I was a kid, I really had no interests other than going to the track. And now I have to be at the track! It's all I ever wanted to do. The post The Saratoga Conversation: Frank Mirahmadi appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Big Ass Fans celebrated MGISW Cody's Wish (Curlin) at a ceremony to honor namesake Cody Dorman with Make-A-Wish Foundation, Godolphin at Jonabell Farm and special guests held July 25. Dorman, who first met Cody's Wish during a visit to Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm in 2018, immediately formed a life-long bond with the horse that lasted until Dorman passed in November 2023, one day after he watched Cody's Wish win a second consecutive GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. “Big Ass Fans was part of two of the biggest days of Cody's life and two of the biggest days in Cody's Wish's career,” said Kelly Dorman, Cody's father. “We'll never forget that.” During Thursday's celebration, Big Ass Fans honored Dorman's memory with a special gift–a commemorative Black Jack fan. The steel framed, six-and-a-half-foot maneuverable fan, presented by Big Ass Fans' Chloe Bates, will ensure Cody's Wish stays cool and comfortable as a stallion at Godolphin's Jonabell Farm. “What an incredible legacy that this family and this horse and this boy have given us,” said Bates. “We hope this gift will honor that legacy and Cody's memory for years to come.” “Every step of this story just gets more magical,” said Jonabaell Stud Farm Manager Danny Mulvihill. “How lucky are all of us here at Godolphin to have been along for this ride? And we've got this big boy behind us here for an exciting next chapter in his career.” Big Ass Fans, also a proud partner of Make-A-Wish Foundation, will continue to honor Cody's legacy by helping fund a future child's wish. “I think Kelly and Leslie Dorman will say that granting wishes and horses were two of Cody's favorite things,” said Faith Hacker, Kentucky Market Director for Make-A-Wish. “We're thrilled to share that, with the help of Big Ass Fans, as part of Make-A-Wish Day at Keeneland this October, we will grant the first wish as part of the Cody Dorman Legacy Fund.” The post Big Ass Fans Celebrates The Legacy Of Cody Dorman With Fan Donation To Cody’s Wish appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It's not easy to write a column while watching the Olympics, especially as Britain attempts to out-battle France for eventing gold at the Palace of Versailles, but here goes. It was France which had the upper hand at Ascot on Saturday or, correctly speaking, Francis-Henri Graffard, whose return from Chantilly to the Berkshire track with the rampaging Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) should have been eye-popping enough to ensure that his runners are never again sent off at such generous odds in Britain. We can now savour the prospect of once more witnessing Graffard's Riverdance-like jig if Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) can prevail in the Juddmonte International at York. Our friends at Jour de Galop issued, in their Sunday edition, a warning for the week ahead: “Attention Goodwood, impossible is not French.” So before we bill the Sussex Stakes as a battle of the Guineas winners, let's not overlook the G1 Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) and the excellent overseas record of his fine trainer Jerome Reynier. Reynier, like Graffard and his wife Lisa-Jane, is a graduate of the Godolphin Flying Start course, as is Laura Vanska, trainer of the G2 Prix Saint-Alary winner Birthe (Ire) (Study Of Man {Ire}), and French-based Irishman Tim Donworth. Farther afield trainer graduates from that course, which began 21 years ago, include Tom Morley, Dan Blacker, Ben Haslam, Jack Davison, Adrian Bott, Brian McGrath, Philip Antonacci, Will Freedman and Jack Bruce. Graffard was on the inaugural course back in 2003 and he has set the bar pretty high for those following in his wake. He is currently snapping at the heels of Andre Fabre at the top of the French trainers' championship, and it is Fabre with whom the various colours of Germany's Gestut Schlenderhan and the Ullmann family are most readily associated in France, where 2007 Horse of the Year Manduro (Ger) was trained, along with Breeders' Cup Turf and Coronation Cup winner Shirocco (Ger) among others. More recently the G1 Prix Ganay winner Mare Australis (Ger) (Australia {GB}) has flown the flag for Schlenderhan and Fabre, while it was Graffard who gave the owner-breeders their most recent win in the Deutsches Derby with In Swoop (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}). We were paid a visit in the press room at Ascot on Saturday by the Melbourne Cup which is on a world tour (this must be a great wheeze for those people lucky enough to accompany the cup on its travels). Its presence could have been seen as a tip in itself as Schlenderhan provided the winner of that great race in 2016 when Almandin (Ger) became the third son of Monsun (Ger) to win the Melbourne Cup. Monsun of course raced for Baron Georg von Ullmann, the father of Goliath's owner, Philip. Though he was not a homebred, he played an important role in ensuring that the name of Schlenderhan was revered the world over, along with German breeding in general, during his time spent there at stud. It is hard not to be concerned with the significant decline in the foal crop numbers in Germany, which has seen production come close to being halved over the last two decades. In 2023, only 653 Thoroughbred foals were born in Germany, compared to 9,659 in Ireland, 4,510 in Britain and 5,334 in France. It is worth bearing in mind though that those last three nations have fairly strong National Hunt breeding programmes, and jumping foals are included in that number. Also, some of the larger German breeders will have sent mares abroad to use non-domestic stallions, meaning that some 'German' foals will be born elsewhere. But it is nevertheless an illustration of what the country is up against in fighting to preserve its rich history of Thoroughbred breeding. Every major winner abroad can only serve as a helpful reminder of Germany's might in this regard. Foal crops have been declining the world over, but in Germany it is a particular worry. Future of horse sport depends on us We haven't got far through this column and Britain has already retained the gold medal for eventing – the first gold of the games for the British team, with one of the medallists, Tom McEwen, jumping clear aboard JL Dublin, a horse part-owned by Deirdre Johnston. How far the controversy surrounding the withdrawal from the Olympics and suspension of the decorated British dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin has dented the reputation of equestrian sport with the wider public is hard to quantify, but it certainly won't have helped. Racing cannot think that it is separate from this either. In an age when video cameras are on the phone in most people's pocket, it is of extra imperative that horses, both those used for competition and kept as pets, are treated with the utmost respect at all times. That includes ensuring they have dignity in death, too. The latter makes it hard to understand how so many people in racing have been positive in their response to the ITV programme Champions: Full Gallop. The producers of the show proceeded with John 'Shark' Hanlon as the underdog hero of the first episode even after a video surfaced on social media of his Team Hewick-branded horse box towing a dead horse, uncovered, in a trailer through the streets of Ireland. The trainer was not sanctioned by the Irish authorities but Hanlon's appearance in the series broadcast on Friday evenings on mainstream TV is potentially problematic even so. It is not the only awkward aspect of the programme. Also featured in the first episode was Bryony Frost and the top steeplechaser Shishkin (Ire). No mention was made of the fact that Frost has now been effectively driven out of riding in her native country for daring to stand up against the bullying by one of her male weighing-room colleagues. Similarly, the subsequent death of Shishkin following an accident in his box in April was overlooked. Any non-racing fans inspired to Google these stars of the show to find out more about them may be in for a bit of a shock. First Lady of Deauville returns Deauville is now in full summer racing mode and the local heroine Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) returned resplendent to take her second victory in the G1 Prix Rothschild, the race named in honour of the family of her breeder Edouard de Rothschild. The statuesque mare, who spent her formative years overlooking the racecourse at Deauville from her home at Haras de Meautry, is rather a favourite of this column. She climbed even higher in regard after her most recent win lifted this scribe from the bottom of the table of a fiendishly competitive 12-to-follow league which includes some fairly knowledgeable members of the racing and breeding industry. I'm not one of them, sadly, and neither apparently is Timmy Hillman of Tattersalls Ireland/Castledillon fame, who has now been relegated to last place. Just like last year, however, we are all being shown up by one of the offspring of Luke Barry. His 13-year-old son Alex is the reigning champion, but even he looks in danger of being beaten this time around by his 11-year-old sister Freya. They breed them precocious at Manister House, so it would be wise to check out the stud's consignment at Donny in a few weeks. Talks are already under way in a bid to ban nine-year-old Petra Barry from next year's 12-to-follow competition. Back to the star of the show, Mqse De Sevigne, who really is an absolute model of consistency. Having claimed her two Deauville Group 1 wins last summer, she found only Inspiral (GB) too good when leaving France to race for the first time in Britain in the Sun Chariot. We may not see her over this way again, with a repeat attempt at the Prix Jean Romanet on the cards, followed by a swansong in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Whatever happens from now on, the five-year-old has already justified her owner's decision to keep her in training as she is unbeaten in three starts this season and has doubled her tally of wins at the highest level to four. From the Seine to the Touques While the creators of the extraordinary opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics came in for a little stick, it was a particularly good weekend for French racing, which has seen a number of its stakes races plundered by overseas raiders of late. All three European Group 1 races – in England, France and Germany – went to French trainers, with Graffard and Fabre's wins being augmented by the victory of the Carlos and Yann Lerner-trained Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}) in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis in Munich on Sunday. That same day in Deauville all four of the group-race prizes stayed at home. The Lerner family had already won the Prix du Jockey Club with Look De Vega (Fr) this season and now has also landed the G3 Prix de Psyche with Zied Ben M'Rad's homebred Almara (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}). For those of us watching the opening ceremony on the BBC we eventually saw Clare Balding in the studio with the Eiffel Tower as her backdrop. While her colleagues Hazel Irvine and Andrew Cotter were commenting on the procession up the Seine for hours on end, Balding presumably had time to look up the results of her brother's runners on Friday. She would have been pleased to see that Andrew's 1,999th and 2,000th winners in Britain were both bred by her mother Emma and raced in the colours of Kingsclere Racing Club (which were previously made famous by their original owner, Paul Mellon). Emma Balding also provided a double that day for the Derby winner Masar (Ire), sire of the Ascot winner Mount Atlas (GB), and Andrew Balding's 2,000th winner Lady Flora (GB). The pair are both from the same family, which has been within the Balding fold since the 1960s. Most appropriately, Mellon's great Mill Reef features as the broodmare sire of Lady Flora's third dam Island Mill (GB) while the sires of her dam and granddam – Dashing Blade (GB) and Selkirk (GB) – were also trained at Kingsclere by Ian Balding. Classic potential? It's never too early to start thinking about the Derby and two colts are now vying for leading honours at the top of the 2025 ante-post market after impressive debuts in the last ten days. First came The Lion In Winter (Ire), a rare son of Sea The Stars (Ire) at Ballydoyle, who roared pretty loudly on the Curragh in summer to win his maiden easily over seven furlongs. Five days later it was the turn of Arqana Breeze-up Sale topper Ruling Court (Justify) to score a five-and-half-length win at Sandown for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby. With a €2.3 million price tag just two months ago he really should be winning like a good thing, but that's not always a guarantee. Another from the Norman Williamson school of breezers, he should eventually bid to join War Of Will and Native Trail (GB) on the list of Classic-winning graduates from Oak Tree Farm. The post Seven Days: France’s Tour de Force appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Putting an indifferent debut effort at The Curragh firmly behind him, Ballydoyle's Rock Of Cashel (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}–Best In The World {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made all to take the often-informative seven-furlong maiden on the opening card of the Galway festival and become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star. Only eighth as the 7-4 favourite on Irish Derby day, the half-brother to the brilliant Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was quickly away under Wayne Lordan and placed straight on the front end. Harrassed throughout, the 3-1 joint-second favourite found plenty to assert in the straight and win what looked a warm renewal by 2 1/4 lengths from Admiral Churchill (GB) (Kodiac {GB}), with half a length back to Viking Invasion (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in third. The winner is the eighth TDN Rising Star for his sire, with the best so far being stablemates Unquestionable (Fr) and River Tiber (Ire). Nice … Rock Of Cashel (Wootton Bassett) banishes memories of a subdued debut @curraghrace with an all-action success @Galway_Races @coolmorestud | @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/4e8mxGZN1W — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 29, 2024 The post Wootton Bassett Half to Snowfall a new TDN Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Tuesday's Observations features a son of an American stallion from the family of a Canadian champion. 14.23 Deauville, Mdn, €30,000, 2yo, c/g, 6fT Fabrice Chappet trainee IRONICO (Gift Box) will become the first European runner for his Lane's End Farm-based freshman (by Twirling Candy), whose two prior winners made a breakthrough in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The March-foaled dark bay is a son of GII Nassau Stakes, GII Dance Smartly Stakes and GIII Maple Leaf Stakes placegetter Involuntary (City Zip) and thus kin to Canadian champion and GI Pattinson Summer Stakes third Philip My Dear (Silent Name {Jpn}). The $20,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Select July yearling-turned-$160,000 Ocala Breeders' Sales March breezer is opposed by a half-dozen rivals in this debut. The post First European Runner for Freshman Sire Gift Box Set for Deauville Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Always Dreaming (Bodemeister–Above Perfection, by In Excess {Ire}), the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner, has been purchased to continue his stud career in Oklahoma at River Oaks Farm. He will join resident stallions Revved Up, Caleb's Posse, Wilburn, and Excaper. In a deal brokered by Chad Schumer, Always Dreaming ranks sixth behind Justify, Good Magic, etc. and ahead of Bolt d'Oro, Collected, Mo Town, etc. He previously stood at WinStar Farm in Kentucky. In three crops of racing age, he has sired 83 winners, including last season's GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Saudi Crown, who was a $240,000 purchase as a 2-year-old in training and has already earned over $2.9 million in purse money. “Very exciting for Oklahoma breeders to have the opportunity to use such a good-looking Kentucky Derby winner in Always Dreaming,” said Schumer. Among the leading sophomores in 2017, he won the GI Florida Derby before taking the Kentucky Derby. He then went on to run third in the GII Jim Dandy Stakes and second in the GII Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile Stakes. Earning over $2.4 million at the track, he retired to stand at WinStar as a 4-year-old. Bred by Santa Rosa Partners, Always Dreaming is out of Above Perfection, who won seven of 10 starts, including the GIII Las Flores Handicap. He is also the half brother to Grade II winner Positive Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile), who sold for $1.5 million as a broodmare prospect in 2020. Stud fee is to be determined at a later date. The post Kentucky Derby Winner Always Dreaming to Stand at River Oaks Farm in Oklahoma appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bidding is now open for the Midsummer Flash Sale on Fasig-Tipton Digital. Bidding will close Thursday, Aug. 1, at 3 pm ET. The two offerings are: Hip 1: Emmanuel (More Than Ready): The 5-year-old, a five-time graded stakes winner on turf, also finished third in the GI Blue Grass Stakes on the dirt at three. He is also the current course record holder at Tampa Bay Downs for 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:39.25. Successfully defending his title in last March's GIII Canadian Turf Stakes in March, he was a close-up fourth last time out in the GII United Nations at Monmouth. Out of the Hard Spun mare Hard Cloth, he is consigned by WinStar Farm LLC, agent. Hip 2: 33% ownership interest in Iscreamuscream (): Undefeated in three starts, she broke her maiden at Santa Anita last fall before adding a score at that venue when returning June 13 in optional claiming company. Most recently, she took the GII San Clemente Staks at Del Mar on July 20 going wire-to-wire over the Del Mar turf. Trained by Phil D'Amato, Iscreamuscream is pointing for the GI Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 17. She is out of the graded stakes winning Cozzene mare Silver Screamer and is consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. “We are offering unique opportunities to get involved in top-level racehorses during the peak of summer racing,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “Emmanuel has been consistently at the top of his division for many years now, and Iscreamuscream is an undefeated graded stakes winning three-year-old filly with unlimited potential.” To view a video preview of the Midsummer Flash Sale by Fasig-Tipton's Jesse Ullery, click here. For more information, visit www.digital.fasigtipton.com. The post GSWs Emmanuel, Iscreamuscream Headline F-T Midsummer Flash Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Millionaire Fulsome (Into Mischief-Flourish, by Distorted Humor) will shuttle to Chile in a deal brokered by Matt Bowling of Bowling Bloodstock and J.P. Sullivan of Sullivan Bloodstock. He will stand the Southern Hemisphere season at Haras Matriarca. The Juddmonte owned and bred colt broke his maiden in his sophomore debut before following up with wins the Oaklawn Stakes, GIII Matt Winn Stakes. Rounding out his campaign with a score in GIII Smarty Jones, he subsequently finished fourth in the GI Pennsylvania Derby. At four, annexed a trio of stakes, including the GIII Oaklawn Mile and GIII West Virginia Governor's Stakes. He rounded out his racing career with a runner-up finish in the GII Hagyard Fayette Stakes before coming home third behind Proxy in the GI Clark. Trained by Brad Cox, Fulsome retired with a record of 17-8-2-2 and earnings of $1,244,553. Fulsome was fully syndicated and stood his first year at Walmac Farm in 2024 at an advertised fee of $7,500. The post Millionaire Fulsome to Shuttle to Chile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Top End trainer Jason Manning and partner Vanessa Arnott celebrating victory at Fannie Bay during the 2023 Darwin Cup Carnival. Picture: Caroline Camilleri (Fotofinish Racepix) He will start Noir De Rue in next Monday’s Darwin Cup, but trainer Jason Manning is eyeing the $40,000 Dabble Cup (1300m) first with Budgerigar at Fannie Bay on Wednesday. For Manning, it will be his first Darwin Cup Carnival win and based on his Top End debut on July 13 the former WA gelding is some hope in the 0-76 event. The four-year-old was competitive over 1200m (0-76) before tiring to finish third behind Chris Pollard’s Kerioth, who prevailed by 4.8 lengths. Budgerigar will once again lump 60.5kg and Manning was happy to draw a wider gate in the nine-horse field. “He surprised me a little bit first up, but he had the form on the board,” Manning said. “Thought he was in a bit of strife when he drew the fence. “He showed a good turn of foot and probably just knocked up a little bit, I’m looking forward to Wednesday.” In 18 starts for Perth trainers Daniel and Ben Pearce, the son of Epaulette had five wins, five seconds and two thirds before coming ninth in the $125,000 Batavia Sprint (1200m) at Geraldton in March. Just like Noir De Rue, another former Sandgroper, Budgerigar relocated to Darwin and will have Manning’s partner Vanessa Arnott for company on Wednesday. “The On Fire Racing boys bought him on the on-line auction out of Perth, he was very competitive over there,” Manning said. “We thought he’d be a nice Carnival horse – his first run was encouraging.” Noir De Rue received 60kg for the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) as the nine-year-old gelding gears up for his fourth start in the race. The son of Blackfriars was third in 2021 behind Highly Decorated, fourth in 2022 behind Playoffs, and ninth last year behind Write Your Name. With a 95 rating, Noir De Rue is used to big weights, and in 16 Fannie Bay starts since making his Top End debut in June 2021, he boasts six wins and five minor placings. After winning the ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) and Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) last July before the Cup, Noir De Rue disappeared before winning over 1300m on Australia Day carrying 65kg. Sixth in an open 1200m handicap in June, he finished third in the ROANT Gold Cup behind Wolfburn and fourth in the Chief Minister’s Cup behind Bear Story. “Noir De Rue’s going great, his runs have been super all the way through,” Manning said. “The old boy drops down to 60kg on Monday, a little bit of weight relief. “Neil Dyer’s Bear Story was outstanding the other day – he was the stand out in the lead up races and is going to be hard to beat in the Cup. “Gary Clarke’s Wolfburn was impressive on Saturday in the Metric Mile and gets into the Cup with 56.5kg.” Horse racing news View the full article

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Circle Of Fire winning the Group 1 Sydney Cup. Photo: RacingNSW Melbourne Cup favourite Circle Of Fire commenced his spring campaign with a subdued effort at the Cranbourne jumpouts on Monday morning. Trained by Ciaron Maher, the import finished last in the opening heat on a heavily rain-affected track with John Allen in the saddle. “We were really pleased,” said assistant trainer Jack Turnbull. “First use of the ground over 800m, he was never going to get close to them. It wasn’t about that; it was more about wind and action. “I thought he showed good endeavour, Johnny was very happy with him post-trial, he was very clean in the wind and recovered very quickly, so his second (jumpout) in a fortnight or so might be over 1200m, we’ll just see how the ground does play but I think we saw what we wanted to do this morning.” Turnbull indicated that Circle Of Fire will likely return to racing at the end of August, with the Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield on August 31 as a potential starting point. The son of Almanzor, who won the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in his most recent run, is preparing for his second racing preparation in Australia. “It’s hard to say if he’s improved, I think physically, he’s better off,” Turnbull said. “He had a few niggly feet issues when he first came over and his general action has improved. A little bit longer in our system, he’s been up in Sydney, back down to Victoria, where he’s been before. “He is better off and naturally he should improve again.” Horse racing bookmakers has Circle Of Fire at $11 in Melbourne Cup betting markets. Horse racing news View the full article

Jump Jockeys’ Premiership winner Portia Matthews with Berry The Cash. Photo: Race Images South Portia Matthews didn’t believe a Jump Jockeys’ Premiership title was even a possibility twelve months ago, but a phenomenal season in the saddle has put any self-doubt firmly to rest. Based with master trainer Mark Oulaghan at Awapuni, the 26-year-old had her first full season riding last term and came away with five winners, a total she more than doubled to finish with 14 winners and a pair of prestige victories in her tally this season over the jumps. “I went into this season with no particular goals, I didn’t think winning the premiership would even be possible,” Matthews said. “My main goal was just to improve my riding and get better and more consistent, I was falling off a lot last year which was tough as I take a lot of pride in turning up and being professional. “I’ve got lovely horses with Mark Oulaghan, I can’t thank him enough for his support because I believe over half of my wins this year have come from him. He’s been an outstanding person in my corner the way through. “For me, the premiership is more about how far I’ve come. I’m not someone who has always had a lot of belief in myself and my ability to ride, my biggest fear with riding on race day was disappointing people. “It feels like a tick in the box that I am good enough to be here and I can do this. Now that I’ve done it once I don’t feel like I need to do it again, but we’ll see what happens.” Oulaghan’s star hurdler Berry The Cash has played an instrumental role in the success of Matthews this season, with their five wins as a combination including the highlight of her career to date, the Grand National Hurdles (4200m). “The Grand National was everything for me. A lot of people probably don’t know this, but in the three meetings leading up to it, I had four falls,” Matthews said. “I had zero confidence in myself, I was doubting whether this was the career for me and I felt like it was the universe telling me so. My body was sore and I was struggling to have much faith, but Mark had every faith in the world in me. “I thought I had ridden the Sydenham really poorly on Berry The Cash for third and I was called into the stipes room because they thought I had not ridden with enough vigour and in reserve. “Going into the National, I told myself, if Mark thinks I can do this then I can, and that race changed the course of my career in such a massive way. “I would not be the rider I am today without that win. “After he won that, that horse owes me nothing. Every win that has come since has just been icing on the cake, I never expect anything from him and I’m so thankful for everything he has done for me.” Matthews and Berry The Cash will return to Riccarton Park over the next fortnight aiming for a defence of their National title, while she has also secured rides in the feature Grand National Steeplechase (5500m) and the undercard hurdle event. “I’m on Berry The Cash in the hurdle, he’ll carry the topweight of 73kg which just slightly more than at Hastings,” Matthews said. “I learnt a lot from that run, I didn’t ride it exactly how I should’ve so I’m going into the National knowing that we’ll both always do our best and if it pays in our favour, that’s perfect. “I’m on Lucy de Lautour’s nice horse Donardo in the open steeplechases, she has been a quiet supporter of mine right from the start. I thank her a lot because she kept putting me back on when I wasn’t riding very well. “Semper Magico is also in the 0-1 hurdle on the second day and he’s an exciting wee horse. A couple of years ago I schooled this horse when I first started at Mark’s, and I told him that if he jump raced, I won’t be riding him because the jumping was such a negotiation. “He went into them full tear, he wouldn’t concentrate and back then, I wasn’t skilled enough to handle him. It’s taken some time to get him at the stage to go to the races, but he’s shown now he’s a serious contender over the hurdles. “He’s turned into a lovely horse that I am lucky enough to pinch from the flat races when I can, as we still feel he has plenty to offer in that role as well.” Behind every success story is a solid support system and for Matthews, there have been several key figures along the way. “My parents have been amazing, everyone knows my mum at the races as she travels far and wide to be there for me. She’ll be coming down to Christchurch for the week, she’s actually been down to every National so far,” she said. “She’s been my number one since day one and she knows how to support me mentally when I get in my head about the races, I can’t thank her enough. “I got a lot of help from Buddy Lammas early in the season, he helped with my high weight riding and learning how to ride out a finish, which also helped me develop more of a style on the horse. “I thought that was really important because I was never a natural-looking rider growing up going through pony club and things. I take a lot of inspiration from Aaron Kuru, I’d love to be able to follow in his footsteps in that regard. “Shelley Houston has also been another massive role model of mine, she’s helped me get involved in the jumps racing community. Although this (the premiership) was never the goal, it came about without me focussing on it because I was trying to better myself and I was trying to emulate these riders as much as I could. “Jess and Peter Brosnan helped me so much in the early days as well, I would have been out there every week schooling anything and everything they had to improve my jumping and eye. They’ve been consistent supporters of mine from day zero and are an asset to the jumps community. “Also to the team at Oulaghan Racing, they are an awesome bunch of girls that work so hard and carry out every bizarre request I have of them. We wouldn’t be able to produce the jumpers and results we do without the team at home, they’ve been a key role in my success and the success of the Oulaghan horses.” After a win aboard Lochwinnoch at Waverley on Sunday, Hamish McNeill finished in second position in the Premiership with ten wins, while Dean Parker’s double took him into third place with eight. Horse racing news View the full article

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace Stakes hero Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) will be tackled by five rivals in Wednesday's G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood after Monday's confirmation stage. Ballydoyle's G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes winner Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) re-opposes after finishing second at Royal Ascot, while Godolphin's G1 2,000 Guineas winner Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) bids to bounce back having been seventh there. The older horse contingent is headed by Team Valor International and Gary Barber's G1 Dubai Turf winner Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), who looks to better his second placing in this mile feature 12 months ago, with Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's newly-blinkered Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Chelsea Thoroughbred's outsider Sonny Liston (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) completing the line-up. The post Rosallion set for Sussex Showdown as Six Confirmed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As an equine veterinarian Jim Marks was peerless, however, there was so much more to the man who brought new standards to his profession and all the while lived life to the full. Known to all and sundry by the nickname Marksy, his exploits both professionally and socially have been a topic of conversation well beyond his Matamata base in the days since he passed away last week. Marks lived in the horse-mad eastern Waikato town for all but the earliest of his 86 years, having grown up and gaining his early education in Wanganui, where his parents were both teachers. With no veterinary faculty in New Zealand back in the 1950s, he gained entry to Sydney University via a one-year qualifying course at Victoria University’s medical school and went on to top his draft with an honours degree in veterinary science in 1959. On his return to New Zealand, Marks was employed by a practice at Ngatea on the Hauraki Plains whose clients were mainly dairy farmers. Five years later he made the move that was to define his life, joining already established veterinarian Colin Thompson in the eponymous Matamata practice that became known as Thompson & Marks. Back then dairying was the dominant farming practice on the Matamata Plains, but thoroughbreds based in the stables precinct and district stud farms were becoming an increasingly significant force. As clearly defined and almost opposite individuals, Thompson and Marks complemented each other perfectly, the former specialising in breeding matters and his partner putting his skills to work in the performance arena. An inquiring mind and innate understanding of equine physiology combined to make Marks a leader in the field of diagnostic and performance-related issues. Two major advances he pioneered in New Zealand were tie-back wind operations for horses with respiratory problems and electrocardiograms (ECGs) in identifying cardiac issues. Now retired Hall of Fame trainer Jim Gibbs made good use of the Marks skillset, amongst various examples turning around the career of his talented but wind-afflicted gelding Jon to become a multiple stakes winner in the post-operative phase of his career. “Marksy certainly knew his stuff, he really understood horses and what made them tick,” Gibbs said. “He worked wonders with Jon and another among many I have to give him credit for was a good little mare called Duanette’s Girl. I had her set to go to Sydney, but she was very disappointing in her final lead-up race. “I said to him you’d better put the (ECG) machine on her; I can still see him reading the data as it came out of the machine. ‘Nothing wrong with her, put her on the plane’. “You wouldn’t believe it, from running down the track in her last run at home, she went over to Sydney and won the Chairman’s Handicap and the St Leger.” The most celebrated of Marks’s relationships was with legendary trainer Dave O’Sullivan, their respective career trajectories being contemporaneous through the second half of the late 1960s and into the 1970s. “As a performance vet in his day there was no-one to compare, he could really nail a problem and most times find a way through it,” recalled O’Sullivan’s son and highly successful training partner, Paul. “There were never any grey areas with Marksy, he always made it clear how you could manage a situation, how far you could go with a horse and when not to. “I travelled a lot with him around Australia and we had a lot of fun, but the ultimate trip we did together was with Horlicks to Japan. He was never afraid to back his own judgement and when the mare won the Japan Cup he collected big time. “Marksy was a larger-than-life character, you could say there were two of him. He could be mad as a March hare, he loved a good time, then in his professional approach there was none better.” Marks was also generous in mentoring others, both within the veterinary profession and more widely amongst the many he engaged with. The Moroney brothers, Mike and Paul, were members of the wider group to have a rewarding relationship with the man they and others described as ‘New Zealand’s oldest teenager’. A Moroney-trained horse that defined the Marks persona was The Aged Rocker, while perhaps Ballymore Stables’ best horse that he gave the green light to purchase as a yearling was dual New Zealand Horse of the Year Xcellent, who turned his $45,000 Karaka sale-ring price into stakes of $1.5 million. He also had immense success as an owner and breeder, amongst his many winners the Moroney-trained It’s My Sin, the O’Sullivan-trained Waikiki and steeplechaser Chief Ore, and Matamata Cup winner Call Minder, trained by long-time associates Wayne and Vanessa Hillis and later the dam of group One winner Juice. A private funeral service has already been held, with plans for a wider celebration of his life at a date to be confirmed. View the full article

Anna Baigent was recognised for her dedication to the welfare of thoroughbreds when announced the joint winner of the Care and Welfare Award at the Entain Industry Excellence Awards on Sunday. Baigent, alongside her parents Maria and Gary, operate ‘Annarehab’ out of Miranda, where initially an avenue for Anna to recover from her own traumatic brain injury transformed into a business to assist both equines and humans in need. Their services include rehabilitation for retired racehorses, assistance in the ‘letting down’ transitional period post-racing and individually tailored holiday programmes where people from eight years of age are able to learn communication skills and personal development through interacting with thoroughbreds. Baigent particularly recognised her mother as a key figure not only in her tough recovery journey, but the growth of Annarehab and ultimately its success. “Winning this award felt a bit like imposter syndrome because it was really my mum’s award,” Baigent said. “I bought the horses and had the head injury and mental struggles, but she built this around me as she saw a daughter that was sick and very nearly lost. I do all the vet work and day-to-day running, but she is the reason this is possible. “She was a teacher for 30 years and she specialised in naughty kids, but they weren’t really naughty, the school system just didn’t suit them. There were some struggling with dyslexia as there weren’t many resources there to help them and show them where they could learn. “We started this in around 2017 or 2018, so then going through COVID a lot of these kids weren’t learning to read body language during that crucial five, six and seven-year-old age. “Meanwhile, I had collected all of these horses with the intention of rehabilitating them, but I didn’t want to sell or rehome them, so we used the horses to help kids learn non-verbal communication and body language. “We’ve had some clients here for a number of years, one girl came as a seven-year-old as her parents asked us very nicely if she could come early, and now she’s 14 and my working student. We’ve watched these kids grow up and they keep coming back, it’s great. “We have been able to build it to the stage where we can help other people’s children, which is really is the crux of it.” Growing up on a dairy farm in the Hauraki Plains, Baigent said she had not initially identified the potential that thoroughbreds possess outside of the racetrack, and was not drawn to the sport until leaving university. “Funnily enough we had only really had heavies and heavy-crosses growing up, we never really had thoroughbreds and I bought into a lot of the negative bias around the breed being that they were flighty and all the rest of it,” she said. “I often joke that if 10-year-old Anna could see me now, she would have a lot of questions because it was only really after university that I realised thoroughbreds have all these amazing opportunities involved with them. “I’m an equine vet tech, so I was really fascinated by sports injuries and the whole rehabilitation process. I come from a dairy farming background, so compared to cow injuries, the resources available to horses really fascinated me with water treadmilling and those types of methods. “It was more the medical aspect that drew me to racing.” Her career in racing commenced soon after doing a season with Hallmark Stud, but it wasn’t until she entered Stephen Marsh’s stable that she made a connection with several horses that remain in her care to this day. “I initially went to work at a stud because I thought I wouldn’t ever work in a stable, but one season later, I was working in a stable and now I have eight thoroughbreds of my own that I love,” she said. “Doing one season as a general stud hand, I very quickly realised it’s so much harder than I thought it was going to be. Mark (Baker, stud master) was great, he would teach you anything you showed an interest in and I learned a lot. “I then went to Murray Baker’s and then Stephen Marsh’s in Cambridge as a strapper and everyone has their favourites, and fortunately for me, a couple of mine happened to be geldings so when they retired they were to be retrained. “The one I loved the most wasn’t a very good racehorse and had no eventing potential, he just wasn’t going to perform in any sport. I was lucky enough to be given him alongside another one with genetically poor feet, and I thought I could really learn something rehabilitating these horses. “I’ve tried this business with other breeds over the years, but we just haven’t had anywhere near the success that we have with thoroughbreds.” That special horse was Sexabeel, initially purchased by a key Annarehab supporter, Go Racing, who entrusted him in her care, along with several others to follow. “Sexabeel really got me through my head injury, he got me out of bed and to work every morning,” she said. “My parents are incredibly supportive and they knew he was the reason I was holding it together through some really difficult chemical imbalances in my brain during that time. “It was quite a drawn-out recovery, so my parents said they would’ve paid any amount of money for me to have him because they knew how vital he was to me during that period. “Matt (Allnutt) and the team at Go Racing have continued to provide me with horses where possible including a pretty big name that has a paddock named after him at the stud he was foaled at, so that’s pretty cool. “I believe Sexabeel was quite an expensive buy for them as well, so they are so gracious in letting me have him and in my eyes, he’s the perfect horse and could never put a foot wrong.” Alongside the popular syndicators, Baigent identified several other industry members that were vital to her success. “We have a core group of people that have been there since the get-go that I frequently call on,” she said. “Matt from Go Racing and Tans (Clarkson) from Marsh Racing have supported us since we had about four horses and the fences weren’t even completed yet. We’ve done a lot to the property since then, and they have helped us grow. “Brent and Wendy Cooper from Social Racing have also been hugely supportive, they have been amazing people to have in your court. Justine Sclater from NZTR has also been great, she’s come out to see the horses and the Langford family as well. “I’m amazed that this calibre of people have wanted to support us.” Baigent, alongside joint winner Chanelle Dickie were awarded a $10,000 cash prize as category winners. View the full article

Famed Cambridge nursery Trelawney Stud were announced the Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan Breeders of the Year at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards. From a band of under 40 broodmares, the historic Trelawney Stud, run by Brent and Cherry Taylor, have produced outstanding results this season, headlined by star front-running mare Pride Of Jenni. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai is out of the O’Reilly mare Sancerre and started nine times during the season, winning three Group One events. This included a bumper Melbourne Cup week landing the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) and Gr.1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) before starring in the autumn with stellar performances when winning both the All-Star Mile (1600m) and Gr. 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m). Trelawney also bred Singaporean champion Lim’s Kosciuszko, who in the period under review won seven races, including the Listed Singapore Gold Cup, Kranji Mile & Raffles Cup – all Local Group One events – and the EW Barker Trophy as well as finishing second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. He was Horse of the Year in Singapore in 2023 and rated Champion Sprinter, Miler & Stayer as well and trounced his rivals in Sunday’s Lion City Cup (1200m). Trelawney also bred a further 18 individual winners in the 2023/24 season. “We are truly honoured to receive the Breeder of the Year award,” Brent Taylor said. “This reflects the hard work of our team and the exceptional talent of horses like Pride of Jenni. “We’ve had a breeding program for a long time where we send a number of maiden mares and young mares to Australia breeding them, get them in-foal, foal them down and bring them home and Pride Of Jenni followed that program. “Although she was foaled in Australia, she was here at about two months old and spent all of her time in New Zealand at the stud until we returned her back to Australia for sale in February the following year. “She’s been extraordinary. For a filly that looked unlucky all the way along, she is on her fourth trainer and the owner has given her every opportunity and she has gone from strength to strength this season. “It is one of the first families that we bought when we bought Trelawney Stud. We bought a mare called Real Success who was bred at the farm by her previous owners and was trained by Frank Ritchie and she was a Group Two winner. “She has gone on to breed Vouvray (Gr.1 Queensland Oaks winner) and it’s the family of Group One winners Loire, Touch Of Ruby and obviously Pride Of Jenni, among others.” L-R Gracie Hitchcock, Cherry, Brent and Faith Taylor along with Dunstan’s Dave Smith Photo: Christine Cornege Taylor is also proud of breeding Singapore’s dominant horse in the Daniel Meagher-trained Lim’s Kosciuszko. “He is an absolute war horse. He has won 21 of 27 starts and he has three runs left to go for the season until Singapore racing finishes. It is a crying shame that we are losing Singapore as a racing jurisdiction but he is certainly one of the best we have seen there.” Taylor said it was a big thrill to win an award which carries the name of Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan. “I worked for them for a long time and they were enormous supporters,” he said. “It is fantastic to see the industry in such good stead and with Entain coming on board, it is only going to get better. “We have bred from between 35 and 40 mares over the past ten years and we have quite a big team of racing fillies coming through and some will make the cut and others won’t lets hope we have got a good one in there.” In addition to the Breeder of the Year award, Faith Taylor, a valued member of the Trelawney team, was honoured with the Entain Personality of the Year title. Her dedication and positive influence within the industry were warmly recognised. “We are also delighted that my mother, Faith Taylor, was recognised with the Personality of the Year award,” Taylor said. “Her passion and commitment have been vital to our success.” After operating a successful business, Taylor and her late husband Keith became the benefactor of the Arts, Ecological projects and many charities including the Malaghan Institute – a world leader in cancer research. The couple’s shared passion for the thoroughbred industry led them to establish Waimanu Stud in Horowhenua in the 1980s, where they raised yearlings for sale at Trentham until 1993, when the couple purchased the iconic Trelawney Stud. The famed thoroughbred nursery has continued to thrive under the management of Taylor’s son Brent and is a noted source of high-class racehorses. Despite Keith’s untimely passing in 1997, Faith Taylor has remained actively involved in breeding and racing at Trelawney. Her dedication and keen eye for talent are reflected in the horses she owns shares in, including Sancerre, the dam of Pride of Jenni. The generous and unassuming Taylor provided seed funding for the Catwalk Trust and continues that support that today, along with supporting the likes of Riding for the Disabled and the Horse Ambulance Trust. Taylor’s passion for education and the thoroughbred breeding industry has seen her sponsor 21 young New Zealanders to attend the Irish National Stud Breeding course over the past 18 years as benefactor of the Keith and Faith Taylor Family Trust Irish National Stud Scholarship. “I’m so undeserving,” a humble Faith Taylor said. “Keith would be very proud. He was my absolute rock and a wonderful man. “I came from a long line of small breeders and I am so proud of Trelawney Stud. There are so many good things that happen in New Zealand and I am happy to be part of some of them.” View the full article

Outstanding Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel again made the headlines at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards, securing his ninth Grosvenor Award, Dewar Award, and Centaine Award respectively. The Grosvenor Award is handed to the Champion New Zealand-based sire by total progeny earnings, while the Dewar Award is received by the stallion with the highest total progeny earnings within New Zealand and Australia. Furthermore, the Centaine Award is given to the Champion New Zealand-based sire by total progeny earnings worldwide. Savabeel’s progeny have amassed over $23 million in prizemoney this season, headlined by his four Group One winners in Atishu, I Wish I Win, Orchestral and Skew Wiff. He has had 145 individual winners this season, producing 240 wins. 21 of those wins have been at Group or Listed level. “We have said all of these wonderful things about Savabeel over the years, which is a hell of a privilege but the great thing is we can keep saying them,” Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick said of the veteran stallion. Both I Wish I Win and Skew Wiff raced in Waikato Stud colours, which Chittick said was a thrill but he said he equally took great delight in seeing the breeders who supported the elite stallion also reaping the rewards. “Getting any Group One winner is an absolute thrill and he certainly gives you the opportunity to be able to achieve that,” Chittick said. “While seeing those Group One winners in our own colours is massive, when you see people like the Greens who bred Orchestral and who have become involved in the breeding and racing game in a huge way, that is incredibly satisfying as well.” View the full article

The Seton Otway Horse of the Year went the way of star galloper Mr Brightside at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards at Karapiro. The popular son of Bullbars added a further four Group One victories this season to a record that features six elite level victories to date, 16 wins and A$13,477,752 in prizemoney for the stable of Ben, Will & JD Hayes. Mr Brightside was bred by Bay of Plenty real estate agent Ray Johnson in conjunction with his late wife Martha. “I go back to the start and I have to thank Marcus Corban, Sir Patrick Hogan and Brent Gillovic. It’s just outstanding,” Johnson said. “I’m quite fortunate that the stable keep in touch with me and I keep up to date with what is happening with him. They tell me he has come back bigger and stronger than ever.” Johnson said despite knocking back the option to retain a share in Mr Brightside, who was sold privately after a luckless fifth at Matamata, the horse continues to be a source of pleasure and pride and the inclusivity of his connections had made the experience all the more rewarding. “We were looking to have a really good future racing the horse in New Zealand but the guy from Australia (Wayne Ormond, agent) really wanted him,” Johnson said. “Some people say you probably regret not keeping a percentage in him but hey, that’s the game, you can’t keep them all. “I was at the Cox Plate where we all thought he had won (when beaten a nose by Romantic Warrior). But the after-match function was outstanding just to be with those people and included,” he said. “He has just given me a really good time and so much joy.” Johnson also claimed Small Breeder of the Year, while the Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year award went to Mr Brightside’s dam Lilahjay, a daughter of Tavistock, with current owner Ed Sheather accepting the award, having purchased the mare for just $3,000 via Gavelhouse.com. Lilahjay resides at Peter and Sue Westend’s Norwegian Park and is due to foal to Satono Aladdin in September. View the full article

Showmanship’s return to winning ways at Caulfield provided breeder Haunui Farm with a result to savour. The son of former stud resident Showcasing’s comeback from injury was crowned on Saturday with his victory over 1600m for trainer John Leek and Melbourne Jockey’s Premiership winner Damian Lane. Showmanship was initially purchased out of Haunui’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $145,000 by bloodstock agent John Chalmers on behalf of high-profile Western Australian owner Bob Peters. He was a seven-time winner for trainers Grant and Alana Williams before joining Danny O’Brien’s operation and added the Gr.3 Show County Quality (1200m) to his record in 2022. The rising nine-year-old, who has earned more than A$520,000 from just 16 career appearances, joined Leek’s Pakenham stable last year. “It was a great result and he’s one of those horses we’ve bred that his racetrack ability isn’t quite reflected in his form,” Haunui’s Mark Chitty said. “We know how good he was and was an early favourite for a race like the Toorak (Gr.1, 1600m) before he went amiss so it was good to see him back. “He’s an older horse now and thankfully I’ve got a half-sister sitting in the paddock due to foal down to Ribchester later in the breeding season.” They are out of the Don Eduardo mare Khales, a half-sister to the Gr.3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) winner and multiple elite level placegetter Beauty Watch and the family of the Gr.1 Schweppes Oaks (2400m) winner Princess Jenni. “Unfortunately, Khales passed away and she was a great old mare and left two stakes winners,” Chitty said. Her first was the champion Singapore stayer Bahana, a son of Elusive City, who two black type victories included an edition of the Singapore Gold Cup (2200m). “Khales was a cheapie out of the Inglis Broodmare Sale, we paid A$7500 for her off the track,” Chitty said. “She was a good stye of mare and did a very good job for us.” Showmanship’s sister La Mouline was also successful on six occasions and placed in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m). “She’s got a Pierro four-year-old named Debonnaire who has won four in a row in Western Australia. I raced La Mouline before I sold her to Bob Peters,” Chitty said. Haunui, who has already welcomed a filly foal by El Roca, has enjoyed a good season on the track. “The breeding season has come early and we’ve had a nice time on the track with a couple of Group One horses off the farm, Orchestral and Militarize,” Chitty said. Haunui also races homebred Sudbina, a daughter of Almanzor trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood who won the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. View the full article

Top hurdler Berry The Cash showed up at Waverley on Sunday to have a final preparatory run ahead of Saturday’s Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m), but that didn’t stop him from powering to victory in the Rating 75 2200m event. Fans of Berry The Cash had every faith in the gelding despite him reverting back to the flat after winning the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3100m) at his most recent start, backing him into $3.40 favouritism ahead of So Call Me ($3.70). Apprentice jockey Jessica Allen allowed her mount to settle comfortably midfield off the rail and tracked the widest turning for home, where his staying prowess shone through bounding down the outside to score over Moonlight Hustler. “He’s a good galloper and his strong point is he stays really well,” trainer Mark Oulaghan said. “He grinds away over that last 200 metres and seems to be able to get past a few horses.” The win was Berry The Cash’s fifth on the bounce, while it also marked Allen’s 40th winner in the saddle after picking up wins aboard Martell and Electric Time during the week, decreasing her claim to two kilograms. Berry The Cash has set the bar high for his rivals since winning last year’s Hospitality New Zealand Grand National Hurdles (4200m), and all going to plan, he will line-up as the horse to beat in the iconic feature the following Saturday. “He’ll run both Saturdays, they’ll head down early this week and he’s pretty fit and up to the mark,” Oulaghan said. “He’ll do a bit of quiet work down there so it’s just a matter of getting him to Riccarton.” The son of Jakkalberry will be joined by his equally impressive stablemate West Coast, who travels to Christchurch in pursuit of a record-breaking third-straight Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 149th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). Oulaghan indicated West Coast will start in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) on the opening Saturday, after he had a satisfactory final hit-out in the maiden staying contest at Waverley. “The speed has probably gone out of him after a few steeplechase runs, it seems to take the edge off them as far as flat racing goes,” Oulaghan said. “He’s pulled up well, he was running around his paddock this morning so he’s obviously happy enough and we’re pleased with his condition.” Winning last year’s event, West Coast continued Oulaghan’s phenomenal record in the Grand National Steeplechase joining fellow dual-winners from the stable in Deecee Seven, Counter Punch and Upper Cut. “We’ve concentrated more so on the National than the Northern in the past, which has probably given us a bit of an advantage,” Oulaghan said. “It’s a good course down there with nice jumps and we’ve gotten some reasonable sorts of results.” Oulaghan had initially planned to take both Semper Magico and Jack Morrison to Riccarton as well, however, the latter curtailed his travel plans in fortunate circumstances after picking up back-to-back victories on the Awapuni Synthetic on Thursday. “He stuck on well and showed a bit of fight at the finish which is always encouraging,” Oulaghan said. “We were going to take him down and run him on the middle day on the synthetic, but he got a few more points than I had expected and he’ll be out of his grade, so he’ll stay at home. “We’ll probably just take those two and Semper Magico now.” View the full article

Te Akau Racing have had a stranglehold on the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership in recent years and the 2023/24 season was no exception. With just one meeting to go in the season, Mark Walker has once again reigned supreme, teaming up with new training partner Sam Bergerson to record 169 victories, 69 wins ahead of their nearest rival, Stephen Marsh. “It was a good season overall and we are certainly looking forward to this coming season,” Walker said. “We have a lot of quality rising two-year-olds and a lot of rising three-year-olds that are unraced, and there are a lot of untapped horses that look quite exciting. “We are just starting to build-up quite a lot of the horses now towards trials in August. The weather has got to play its part, but there is quite a lot of depth to the team for next season we think.” It was a case of both quantity and quality of wins this season for Te Akau Racing, recording 21 stakes wins in New Zealand, including four at Group One level. Those four elite-level victories came courtesy of Skew Wiff in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Campionessa in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m), Quintessa in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and Move to Strike in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). While they experienced plenty of success on the track, Walker said his biggest highlight was being able to enjoy it all with his new training partner. “It was a dream start for Sam,” Walker said. “I don’t think you will find anyone in their first season train as many winners and earn as much prizemoney. “That was probably the season highlight for me, seeing Sam join the (training) team. He has been a major part of the team for quite a few years, it was just his name was in the book this year. It is a third-generation training family now and he should be very proud of the season we have had.” One of the more exciting developments for Te Akau Racing this season has been the opening of their Cranbourne barn in Australia, which has been led by Ben Gleeson. “Ben has been massive,” Walker said. “I think he has really enjoyed being part of the process. We built it up from the ground and he has been a huge part of that.” The Cranbourne barn got off to a dream start, led by sprinting sensation Imperatriz, who won six of her eight starts this season, including the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m), Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m), Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m), Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1000m). The Cranbourne stable also tasted stakes success with Skew Wiff in the Gr.3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), Campionessa in the Gr.2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m), and Sans Doute in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m). “You couldn’t have wished for a better start,” Walker said. “There was obviously Imperatriz, but there was also Sans Doute, Campionessa and Skew Wiff. “Imperatriz went from strength-to-strength, especially in the spring, it was quite freakish how everything fell into place and to win four out of four. To come back first-up in the Lightning Stakes and win the way she did, she is something very special and gave our whole team a great thrill, it was very satisfying. “It was just a magical start with Cranbourne and hopefully we can build off the back of that this season. Now that we have got more boxes, I will spend a lot more time in Melbourne as time goes on.” Walker said they couldn’t continue to enjoy the success they have without the sourcing of quality young stock, with Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis selecting some of the finest young equine talent for the stable. “Dave has one of the best eyes in the world at buying a yearling and all the hard work that Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) does syndicating them,” Walker said. “We are well aware that we are fortunate to be getting the quality that we are getting year in and year out, and it is just a matter of making the best decisions for each individual horse.” Walker is excited about the looming new season and will step out four of the stable’s Group One winners at Tauranga on Wednesday as they get ready for what could be lucrative spring preparations. “At Tauranga we have got Move To Strike, Skew Wiff, Campionessa, and Quintessa all going to gallop after race one. When that starts happening you know the season is not too far away,” Walker said. “Move To Strike will stay in New Zealand with a programme geared towards the 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) at Riccarton. We have got a permanent base in the South Island now and Hunter Durrant runs that, and he does an exceptional job. It has been a huge part of the success we have had this season. “Campionessa will go towards the Hawke’s Bay triple crown, providing she comes up well. Skew Wiff will head towards the Foxbridge (Gr.2, 1200m) and the Tarzino (Gr.1, 1400m) again, while Quintessa will trial at Te Rapa on August 6 and we will make a decision about what her spring programme looks like after that.” View the full article