Wandering Eyes

Special Me has been the gift that keeps on giving for breeders Carrie and Craig Brogden of Machmer Hall. Now that the outstanding broodmare is 18 years old, you'd think that her best days are behind her. But with a Grade I winner competing at the top level of the filly and mare turf division this year and an impressive fleet of well-bred, unraced progeny in the pipeline, the mare's fairytale story just keeps getting better. Carrie Brogden famously purchased Special Me, a Maryland-bred daughter of Unbridled's Song, for just $6,000 at the 2009 Keeneland January Sale. Born six weeks premature, the 14.2-hand filly who never placed better than sixth in three career starts was about as unassuming of a broodmare prospect as one could possibly find. Flash forward 15 years and the petite gray mare has built up a produce record worthy of the blue hen appellation. “It's kind of amazing that she was actually named Special Me and she became so special,” reflected Brogden. “It's hard to put into words something that you just can't believe you actually have. I mean, you see her now at 18 and she's got old arthritic knees, but she has heart. Gosh, she has a heart the size of Texas.” Special Me was already the dam of Grade I winner Gift Box (Twirling Candy), who now stands at Lane's End Farm, and Grade II winners Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast) and Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}) when Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) came onto the scene. She was Special Me's first seven-figure yearling when she brought $1.025 million in 2020 and two years later, she became her dam's second Grade I winner when she scored in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes. The Chad Brown-trained, Peter Brant-campaigned filly returned to Keeneland the next season with a win in the GI First Lady Stakes, posting an 11-1 upset. Special Me and her Flightline filly | Sara Gordon Brogden was on hand for both of those wins at her home track and she remembers them as two of her favorite days in the sport. “Sheer joy,” the horsewoman described. “Just irreplaceable joy. It's the greatest thing about horse racing, which we do not get across enough. Everyone that has owned a racehorse and has won a race understands what I'm talking about. I wish I could bottle that feeling and give it to somebody because it's euphoric. And she's done it twice now.” Gina Romantica ran a big number in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile, finishing in fourth less than two lengths behind winner Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). She was having a relatively quiet 5-year-old season this year with two unplaced starts at the Grade I level, but she recently put in a big performance in the GI Diana Stakes, closing late to just miss second by a nose. Chad Brown has said he is considering the GI Fourstardave Handicap on Aug. 10 for her next start. Meanwhile Special Me had a few quiet years herself after producing Gina Romantica. In 2020, she aborted a Quality Road colt at six months. It was the only year she hasn't produced a foal in her 15 breeding seasons. The next year she had a Curlin filly who tragically died in a paddock accident. The mare returned to making headlines with her next foal, a colt by Into Mischief who made history for his breeder when he sold to Coolmore for $1.2 million at the Keeneland September Sale last year. “We have owned parts of several 2-year-olds who sold for more and we've consigned some higher-priced yearlings, but I think for our farm, $1.2 million is the highest-priced yearling [we have bred],” Brogden said. Now named Jousting, the 2-year-old colt has been exported to Ireland and has yet to make his debut. Special Me's yearling filly by Twirling Candy bound for the Keeneland September Sale | Sara Gordon Special Me has another yearling pointing to the Keeneland September Sale and Brogden has hopes that the filly could perhaps out-do her older brother. The full-sister to Gift Box is by a sire that Brogden has supported enthusiastically over the years. “We've had really, really good luck with Twirling Candy,” she said. “We've had a lot of graded stakes horses that we've sold like Sweetontheladies, obviously we had Gift Box, Trophy Chaser. This filly definitely has some traits of Twirling Candy and she definitely has some traits of Unbridled's Song. She's easy peasy to be around. Straightforward and a great mind. She's a big, strong filly and she's correct. The mare always throws correct, never had a crooked horse no matter who we breed her to.” Brogden always gets a little anxious when it comes time for Special Me to foal each spring and this year was no exception. She told her husband Craig, who heads up the mare and foal division, not to tell her when Special Me was showing signs of foaling. Around 2:30am on April 7, she got the text she was hoping for: It's a filly. From the first-crop of Horse of the Year Flightline, Special Me's latest foal is everything Brogden was hoping for and more. “If I had imagined the best case scenario of what we could have possibly gotten from this mare, it would be what this filly is times two,” Brogden reported. “I cannot believe it. In my mind, she's kind of irreplaceable. Stonetastic was also a ten physical, which is why she sold for $77,000 as a daughter of Mizzen Mast all those years ago before the mare was a producer. That's how good of a physical she was and this filly rivals her.” “She's really saucy,” Brogden continued. “I don't know if it's because the guys are afraid of her because she's worth so much money, but both her and [the yearling] are going to be hard to sell because mama is 18 now and at some point we know it'll be retirement for her. But the good thing is, no matter what Special Me looks like physically, her uterus is in great shape.” Special Me was bred back to Into Mischief this spring and has checked in foal. Aside from arthritic knees that Brogden says are manageable and are a result of her underdevelopment as a premature foal all those years ago, the broodmare continues to thrive and does especially well when there is a foal at her side. “She just loves her foals so much,” Brogden reflected. “I think she must give something to her foals like some tenaciousness or toughness. There is a reason that they've been so sound and successful. I can't predict the genetics, but obviously there's something special going on.” The Brogdens do have a granddaughter of their superstar mare at Machmer Hall. They purchased Stonetonic, an unraced daughter of Stonetastic by Candy Ride, for $400,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale. She now has a yearling filly by Yaupon and a colt at her side by Flightline. Special Me's Flightline filly | Sara Gordon Other than Stonetonic, the Brogdens do not have any other members of Special Me's family, so the idea of keeping one of her latest fillies is tempting. “The biggest question I've had asked on a regular basis with the Twirling Candy is if I'm selling her,” said Brogden. “We're not going to go up there and give her away, but at some point with being commercial breeders it gets to a point where yes, we are sellers. It's hard for us to keep filles because they are so valuable. We are getting back into having a bigger racing program, but our racing program is basically for horses that, for whatever reason, we couldn't sell.” Fortunately–or perhaps unfortunately depending on how Brogden is looking at it–the Twirling Candy filly had x-rays this spring that were “squeaky clean with a grade one scope.” While the results of Special Me's offspring in the sales ring have been and continue to be imperative to Machmer Hall's success, Brogden is even more proud of the ability and soundness the mare's progeny have shown on the track rather than their growing reputation for producing big-figure sales. She fondly remembers how, when Gina Romantica was preparing to sell as a yearling, a veterinarian was looking at her x-rays and complimented what he found. “I remember he came up to me and said that she had the cleanest, strongest bone he'd seen in a long time from a yearling,” she recalled. “Clearly it meant something with her because she went on to become a Grade I winner. I don't know what the genetics are with this mare, but I know we're super lucky to have her.” The post With a heart “the size of Texas,” Special Me’s fairytale keeps getting better appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Before he became a Hall of Fame trainer, Todd Pletcher was once a sports journalist. Kind of. He had a nickname, too. Find out what horse race is his most satisfying victory and who were his favorite horses to train. And, if you want to find out what NFL team is near and dear to his heart, dive right in. Find out all you never knew about one of the most successful trainers in the history of the sport. TDN: On your resume–and I am not going to go through the whole thing because we would be here for hours–no one has more Eclipse Awards for leading trainer than you. No one has more Saratoga training titles than you. Two Kentucky Derbys. Four Belmonts. Is there one thing you have done that sticks out for you? Todd Pletcher: I don't know if there is one individual achievement that stands out. I would like to think it's been the consistency that we have been able to maintain at a pretty high level over an extended period of time. TDN: So, there is not one thing you are going to hang your hat on and say, 'that was pretty cool.' TP: I tell you, it's a difficult business to sort of sit back while you are still active and reflect on everything that has happened. I have found, maybe at times, when you have some milestone achievements…3,000 wins, 5,000 wins…you kind of briefly reflect like 'wow, I never anticipated it would accumulate to that level.' You can get inducted into the Hall of Fame and then later that afternoon go over and lose four races. TDN: You are 57. There is still a long way to go. TP: I would hope so. TDN: When you were a student at Arizona, didn't you dabble in journalism a little bit? TP: I did. But I wouldn't call it journalism. That might be stretching it a little bit. My roommate, who was an English major, was the beat writer for the Arizona football team. He came back one day and said there was a job I needed to take. I said, 'what are you talking about?' He said the guy that covers intramural sports for the Arizona Daily Wildcat quit today. He said it was a piece of cake. I ended up doing it. One of the things I did was the intramural rankings for flag football, for volleyball…whatever sport was going on. I would make the rankings and our fraternity would be ranked No. 1 a lot of times. I was also refereeing intramural basketball and volleyball. I could ref a game and get 20 bucks and write an article and get another 20 bucks. I was killing it. Double dipping. I also wrote an article previewing the 1989 Kentucky Derby and I picked Sunday Silence to beat Easy Goer. TDN: So, everyone in the fraternity got rich? TP: (laughs) I don't know. We were already gone by the time they ran. It was right around graduation. TDN: I know horse racing was with you from the start, but did you ever think you would be a journalist? TP: No, no, no. I wasn't a good enough writer. I just stumbled onto that. TDN: People who don't know Todd Pletcher might say he is dry, no sense of humor. I know that is not true. You can be a funny guy, can't you? TP: Occasionally, I think I crack some people up. Probably not very many. TDN: It's not like you are a piece of sandpaper. TP: No. I think it gets mislabeled a little bit. I don't necessarily look at that as a bad thing either. TDN: When you walk through the crowd at Saratoga, how often does someone ask you for a horse? TP: Pretty much every day. You would expect when you walk through, you'd get 'do you like this one?' TDN: Do you answer them? TP: Yeah. Usually it's “we're trying … hopefully.” I don't tell them, 'go to the window on this one.' TDN: With all your success, some people might look at you like they look at the New York Yankees. They root against you because of all the past success. TP: I think there is some element to that. I think maybe you go through phases. When (Bill) Mott was the leading trainer here every year, maybe he was that guy. Then me, and now Chad (Brown). It's human nature to root for the underdogs. The dukes of the world aren't always that popular but, hopefully respected. TDN: Did you have a nickname growing up? TP: When I was in college, everyone called me Fletch. A lot of guys called me that. TDN: If there's a movie made about your life and you can pick the guy to play you, who are you picking? TP: Oooh. That's a good one. Paul Newman. Seems like a cool guy. I think our generation thought that. TDN: You must have loved “The Sting.” TP: Classic. TDN: If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? TP: John Wooden, Richard Pryor and, for my daughter (Hannah), Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I was a huge Richard Pryor fan when I was a teenager. All his movies, standup…everything. I don't know how this would go. Maybe Richard and I will hang around for after dinner drinks. TDN: I know you're a Dallas Cowboys fan. Big? TP: Yup. I was born in Dallas, grew up in Texas and, probably as a 6- or 7-year-old, I thought because I was born in Dallas, that meant I was obligated to support them. Growing up in Texas, Dallas was on TV every Sunday, unless they played on Monday night or Thanksgiving Day. I remember as a little kid my mom would make me go to church and I would miss the first 10 or 15 minutes of the game. That was not a good thing. From first grade to when I graduated high school, I seriously doubt I missed more than a game or two. TDN: Do you still try to catch all their games now? TP: It's easier now. Back then, you had four channels. TDN: But there is thing called horse racing that happens on Sunday afternoons. TP: Yes. Growing up in the 70s, it was awesome. I got the Roger Staubach days and the Drew Pearson days. In the 90s, when they were good, I was had just starting training, so I did not get to watch nearly as many of those games. When my kids (Hannah, Kyle and Payton) were born, they missed all those teams. They are Cowboy fans, but they missed the 70s, the 90s. They have seen like three playoff games in 25 years. Every once in in a while they get a little upset with me because I made them into Cowboy fans. TDN: I talked to you before and you said that Scooby-Doo is your favorite cartoon when growing up. TP: Yup. It's still good. TDN: OK. Who is Shaggy and who is Scooby-Do between you and your owner, Mike Repole? TP: (laughs) Oh, man. I have to make Repole Shaggy. Irad Ortiz, Pletcher, and Mike Repole | Sarah Andrew photo TDN: Describe Mike Repole in fewer words that he would describe you. TP: He is a very complex guy. I think a lot of what you see is the real Mike Repole. He is a very thoughtful guy, a very charitable guy, a very philanthropic person. I consider myself to be a fairly busy person in terms of the amount of responsibility I have, the job I have, the amount of time it takes. I could not imagine being Mike Repole for a week. He has got so many things going on and he'll know everything going on with every single one of his horses. And he is doing 30 other things and taking care of 10 other people who maybe have a medical issue or things like that. He does so much for so many people that a lot of people don't know about. TDN: Most satisfying win and most heartbreaking loss. TP: I have always said, and I don't think it will change, Rags to Riches' Belmont win (2007). It was my most satisfying for a number of reasons. It was my first Classic, a filly beating the colts, the excitement of the race and the way it unfolded. Everything about it was literally experiencing everything in horse racing in less than two and a half minutes. The disappointment of the stumble, then thinking you are going to win, and then thinking Curlin is going to come back and you're going to lose by a nose, and you ultimately win by a head. It encompassed everything that is great about the thrill of the sport. There have been a lot of tough beats. I think we have been second in the Belmont nine time. TDN: You think Rags to Riches should be in the Hall of Fame. TP: I think I might be disappointed about that more than anything. I don't understand it because, to me, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame means you have accomplished something that very few others have. She is the only filly to win the Belmont in, what are we at now, 110 years? (119. Tanya was the last to do it in 1905). That puts her in an elite category. The detractors say she didn't make enough starts (seven, five wins, one second). Justify (who is being inducted this year) had a tremendous career (six starts, six wins) but it only lasted four of five months. It seems a bit unfair. I always thought she deserved to be in there. Hopefully, the voters will see it that way one day. TDN: You have five empty stalls, and you can put five horses from history in there, but none of your own. Who are they? TP: When I was in California with my dad's good friend Henry Moreno, who I spent a couple summers working for, he told me Swaps was the best horse he had ever seen. I would probably say him. My dad was training at Santa Anita the winter of Spectacular Bid's 4-year-old season and he always said he was one of the best horses he had ever seen. Flightline was as talented as any horse we have seen in a while. Rachel Alexandra. I think her Kentucky Oaks was arguably as good as a horse has ever run. I'll go with Seattle Slew because Angel (Hall of Fame rider Cordero) said he was the best horse he had ever ridden. TDN: No Secretariat. You can't pick all of them. TP: You can't put him on the AE (laughs). From a historical perspective, it's too hard to narrow it down to five. I'm good with those five. TDN: You did a TDN Podcast–the Writer's Room with Randy Moss and Zoe Cadman–last week and now this. You are going to be Mr. TDN. Might have to get you on the staff. TP: It's a good thing. I love the TDN. I've read it every day for a lot of years. It's good for the industry. TDN: If you could have a superpower, what would it be? TP: X-ray vision. It would come in handy in today's training world (laughs). TDN: Do you cook? TP: No. I occasionally tend to the grill but I'm not very good at it. TDN: (Wife) Tracy does the cooking? TP: Tracy does the cooking. TDN: With all the owners in town, how much sleep do you get a night? TP: With the extension of the meet, it has changed the dynamics of it a little bit. I have kind of scaled back on the number of events we go to. The schedule is so demanding that you have to pick and choose your spots and pace yourself. We eat at home a lot and try to have early dinners when we do. Depending on the post times you have, sometimes it's possible, sometimes it's not. TDN: What time are you at the barn in the morning? TP: Four. The other day we were in early races, so I was here from 4 to 5:30 (p.m.). On the weekends, it's later than that. I like being here early. I like a little bit of quiet time before we get going so I can look over some condition books. TDN: What time do you get up? TP: 3:30 (a.m.). TDN: What time do you go to bed? TP: Eight (p.m.). There are certain times of the year where it's less busy. But we still start early. During the winter I might get to the barn at 4:30 (a.m.). TDN: It would be unfair to ask you who is your favorite horse you have trained, right? TP: There are certainly horses you have had that you enjoy training more than others. I have always said the two horses that helped my career get going the most were Jersey Girl and More Than Ready. Because of that, they will always be two of my favorites. Jersey Girl was my first Grade I winner. More Than Ready prior to the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint, with a young Todd Pletcher | Horsephotos TDN: Watch much TV? TP: I find myself watching more Netflix and those kinds of things. It's a different world now. Kids now don't watch TV the way we did when we were kids. If you lived in El Paso, Texas, you were at home on Tuesday nights watching “Happy Days” at 7 (p.m.) and you were done for the week. Now, with the exception of watching a live sporting event, you can watch things whenever you want. Binge watch twenty episodes if you want. TDN: Were you a “Happy Days” guy? TP: I think everyone was at my age. You watched “Happy Days” and “Laverne & Shirley” back-to-back. TDN: Wayne Lukas, who you worked for before going out on your own, is a Hall of Fame trainer, one of the giants of the game. What do you think of when you hear his name? TP: He's a legend. I have always said that he is probably the most resilient person I have ever met. The longevity is such a small part of the story. If you look back at the 1980s, to me, he is the only trainer I can think of who has really revolutionized training. He totally changed the trainer game. Guys like Steve (Asmussen) have taken it to a different level. It was Wayne's blueprint that laid it out for a bunch of us. TDN: Baseball players have walk-up songs when they come to bat. What would be your walk-up song bringing a horse onto the track? TP: There is a guy who works out at McMahon (of Saratoga Thoroughbreds LLC) Farm. His rapper name is Lip Shank. His rap song is N One. His real name is Benji (Perez, has worked for McMahon for 25 years. That would be my song. The post The Saratoga Conversation: Todd Pletcher appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Al Asayl's homebred Map Of Stars (GB) Sea The Stars {Ire}–Bateel {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) notched a one-length tally going nine furlongs at ParisLongchamp last October, his only prior start, and stepped forward to justify 11-10 favouritism with a career high on seasonal return in Monday's Listed Prix Pelleas at Compiegne. The eventual winner was positioned in a handy third until inching into second at halfway. Coming under pressure with 500 metres remaining, he was ridden to the fore entering the final furlong and ran on strongly in the latter stages to defeat Cambaceres (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) by an ultimately comfortable two lengths. Map Of Stars is the second of three foals and lone scorer from two runners produced by G1 Prix Vermeille heroine Bateel (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), herself a half-sister to Listed Prix Charles Laffitte victrix Basemah (Fr) (Lemon Drop Kid) out of G2 Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Attractive Crown (Chief's Crown). The January-foaled homebred, a half-brother to the hitherto unraced 2-year-old filly Tajlina (GB) (Kingman {GB}), hails from the family of Group 1-placed sires Arokar (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}) and Star Shareef (Ire) (Shareef Dancer). Prix Pelleas Compiegne – Listed- 3 ans – 2000m – 5 Pts – Bon Souple (3.4) – 55 000€ Map Of Stars (Gb) @mickaelbarzalon Cambaceres Dollar Index (Sea The Stars (Ire) @AgaKhanStuds – Bateel (Ire) par… pic.twitter.com/JF2XagFuSB — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) July 22, 2024 Monday, Compiegne, France PRIX PELLEAS-Listed, €55,000, Compiegne, 7-22, 3yo, c/g, 10fT, 2:09.40, g/s. 1–MAP OF STARS (GB), 128, c, 3, by Sea The Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Bateel (Ire) (G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $741,001), by Dubawi (Ire) 2nd Dam: Attractive Crown, by Chief's Crown 3rd Dam: Attirance (Fr), by Crowned Prince 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Al Asayl France (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €52,500. 2–Cambaceres (Ire), 128, c, 3, Wootton Bassett (GB)–Baine (Fr), by Country Reel. (€50,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG; €100,000 2yo '23 ARQMAY). O-Ecuries Serge Stempniak & Pierre van Belle; B-Ecurie Skymarc Farm (IRE); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €11,000. 3–Dollar Index (Fr), 128, c, 3, Kendargent (Fr)–Kikinda (Fr), by Daliapour (Ire). (€36,000 Ylg '22 ARQOCT). O-Ecurie Tygaly, La Fleche Racing, Chauvigny Global Equine SASU, Mathieu Brasme & Seror Racing Management; B-Patrick Chedeville (FR); T-Mathieu Brasme. €8,250. Margins: 2, 3/4, SHD. Odds: 1.10, 9.00, 3.60. Also Ran: Vegas (Ire), Babakool (GB). Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Al Asayl’s Map Of Stars Goes Two-For-Two in Compiegne Feature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The unbeaten Regent's Stroll (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}) (lot 67) is set to remain in the care of Paul Nicholls in Ditcheat after lighting up Monday's Goffs Summer Sale when selling to the 14-times champion trainer and bloodstock agent Tom Malone for a National Hunt record of £660,000. Bred by Rita Kent, Regent's Stroll is one of five winners out of the unraced Pretty Puttens (Ire) (Snurge {Ire}), who is in turn a half-sister to the G1 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman (Ire) (Presenting {GB}). Regent's Stroll won both his starts in bumpers during the latest season for Nicholls and in the familiar colours of Chris Giles, who offered 11 lots through Mill House Stud at Doncaster following his departure from the sport. The unbeaten Regent's Stroll sells for £660,000 to @TMBloodstock & his trainer @PFNicholls. The 5YO son of Walk In The Park was offered by @millhousestud as part of the Chris Giles Dispersal#GoffsSummer #WorldRecord pic.twitter.com/lmyv64COf7 — Goffs UK (@GoffsUK) July 22, 2024 The post Regent’s Stroll Becomes Most Expensive Jumps Horse Sold at Public Auction at Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Great British Racing's National Racehorse Week, which takes place from September 7-15, will see 130 venues across England, Scotland, and Wales open their doors over the course of the event as it returns for the fourth consecutive year. Ninety-one yards have signed up to participate in 2024, including those of Nicky Henderson, Charlie and Mark Johnston, David Pipe and Kim Bailey. “I'm a great believer that racing yards should open their doors to the public and National Racehorse Week provides us with a golden opportunity to push the curtains aside and let people see what lies behind,” said Bailey. “It's been a huge success for racing and gets bigger and better every year. Our open day has grown from 40 people visiting in our first year to over 300 people last September.” Yards taking part provide small and intimate 25-person events through to huge open days for between 500-800 people, hosted by trainers including Rebecca Menzies, Olly Murphy and Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero. In addition to training yards, nine studs and ten retraining centres will welcome visitors, helping to showcase the full life of horses bred for racing. New participants for 2024 include Shadwell and the National Stud, plus Godolphin's Lifetime Care rehoming centre. As in other years, National Racehorse Week will be bookended by the ARC Malton Open Day on Sunday, September 8 and the Henry Cecil Open Weekend in Newmarket on September 21-22, bringing the total number of locations on offer to the public during that period to 132. These events are ticketed with funds donated to Racing Welfare (Malton and Newmarket events) and the Newmarket Housing Trust (Newmarket events). Bookings for National Racehorse Week are now open via nationalracehorseweek.uk. The post Bookings Now Open as 130 Venues Participate in National Racehorse Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tiz Molly Partners, who campaign The Chosen Vron, has been selected by Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) as the recipient of the inaugural Horseracing Partnership Award, according to a press release from the TOC Monday morning. Nominated by one of the four partners, Richard Thornburgh, the partnership was chosen by TOC's Owner Relations Committee from a field of 14 nominees. Its other partners are Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker, and Eric Kruljac, who also trains for the partnership. The new annual award recognizes and celebrates the growing population of co-ownerships and partnership entities within the horse racing community. Nominees were asked to provide a compelling story that simply but significantly reflects the joy of the sport. The award was open to co-ownerships and partnerships of all sizes from two and up. Nominations closed June 1. The partnership began with the purchase of retired racehorse Tiz Molly as a broodmare prospect. Tiz Molly went on to produce Tizhotndusty, a winner of over $250,000, and CTBA Cal-Bred Horse of the Year, The Chosen Vron, winner of 15 stakes races and more than $1.4 million. “We are just middle-class people enjoying an experience that few are fortunate enough to participate in,” said Thornburgh. “Owning part of a miraculous racehorse, The Chosen Vron, makes every day a wonderful day.” Tiz Molly Partners will be recognized with a special presentation of a trophy award at TOC's Southern California Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 10, at Del Mar. The post Tiz Molly Partners Wins Inaugural TOC Partnership Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Stratford trainer Gavin Sharrock pictured with Soldier Boy. Photo: Race Images Stratford trainer Gavin Sharrock will line-up a promising pair of two-year-olds at Hawera on Tuesday where he is keen to see if they can back up some impressive trial and jump out performances of late. Hawera will host the abandoned New Plymouth meeting from Saturday after heavy rain and surface water conspired to prevent the day going ahead. The Sharrock-prepared pair of two-year-olds, Vibration and Madamkipyegon, will take the stage against some older maiden gallopers over 1100m in Race 3 on the programme which is likely to be raced on a Heavy 10 surface. “They had a fair bit of heavy rain at New Plymouth so you could understand the decision they made to abandon and try and race later in the week,” Sharrock said. “Thankfully Hawera was available as I’m keen to see how my two-year-olds take the step up to race day. “They have both won three jump outs each while Vibration also won a trial nicely at Waverley last month so we’re quite excited about getting them out on race day. “They are both by Proisir and showed they could handle the wet ground in their jump outs, but it is a different story on race day when the pressure is on, so it will be a good test for them.” Sharrock believes that both horses have the ability to contest some of the early three-year-old stakes events if they can prove their credentials on Tuesday. “Madam Kipyegon is a half-sister to Misterkipchoge, an Ocean Park colt I sold to clients of Chris Waller after he had two runs for me,” he said. “She is probably a bit more highly strung that Vibration so getting her to the races will be good for her. “Vibration won his trial really well at Waverley and showed a fair bit of tenacity when doing it. “If they can perform up to their form at home on Tuesday then we can have a think about races like the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1340m) with them as I think they can get to that level.” While Sharrock will utilise the apprentice claims of Jim Chung on Vibration and Lily Sutherland on Madam Kipyegon, he has welcomed the return of senior rider Joe Doyle who will ride his stable star Soldier Boy in the open 1900m contest on the card. “Joe has returned from his visit back to his homeland and I think this will be his first or second day back riding,” he said. “Soldier Boy has been hampered by a pulled muscle which really set him back, but he has recovered now, and I think he is ready to strike form. “He has just needed some confidence and he got that last time when he ran fourth. His trackwork has really perked up and on his best form he can be right in the finish. “He’s a dual stakes winner who ran fourth in the New Zealand Derby (Group 1, 2400) so you would like to think a race like this is well within his capabilities.” Horse racing news View the full article

Mister Pucci (outside) will lineup at Hawera on Tuesday. Photo: Megan Liefting (Race Images) Gavin Opie’s last visit to Hawera ended before it began, but the Te Aroha trainer hopes an unexpected return to the South Taranaki track on Tuesday will produce a much better outcome. Opie had Just A Tipple and Mister Pucci entered for Saturday’s Opunake Cup meeting at New Plymouth, which was abandoned after overnight rain left the track waterlogged. The eight-race card was rescheduled for Tuesday, and due to a prior commitment at the New Plymouth Racecourse, it has been relocated to Hawera. According to Love Racing statistics, Tuesday’s two runners will be the first that Opie has ever saddled at Hawera. However, it will not be the first time he has taken horses to that venue. “We haven’t had any runners at Hawera before, but we did go down there once for a meeting that ended up being abandoned,” Opie said. “I think it was a Sunday meeting. We made it all the way down there, and once we turned up at the track, Paul Moseley told us the races were off. We had to pack up again and head back home. “That wasn’t ideal, but it’s a different story this time around. It’s good that the races have been rescheduled and I’m looking forward to seeing how our two go on Tuesday. I don’t think the extra few days will make any difference to them. “They were already down at Robbie Patterson’s stable in New Plymouth, and it’s just a matter of getting them across to Hawera from there. Lemmy Chief Stipelas and another of Robbie’s workers rode them this (Sunday) morning and said they felt really strong.” Four-race winner Just A Tipple will contest the Seaton Park (1400m), where Liam Kauri’s 4kg claim will reduce his 60kg topweight to 56kg. The five-year-old was a gallant second placegetter in a similar race at Te Rapa last start, where he was edged out by a head by Canny Man. “It was a good run at Te Rapa the other day,” Opie said. “He always runs good races when he jumps well from the barriers. But he’s such a laid-back customer, he sometimes almost goes to sleep in the gates. The riders do their best to get him to jump, but sometimes he just comes out in his own time. But when he does jump with them, he usually performs well. “He’s been thriving since that last-start run. I was excited to see him race at New Plymouth on Saturday, because he’s won at that track before. But I’m pretty sure having the race at Hawera on Tuesday won’t make much of a difference for him.” Mister Pucci will step up to Rating 75 company. “He’s racing really well in this preparation, winning three of his last four starts,” Opie said. “This is a step up in class after winning those Rating 65 races, but it’s probably not an overly strong Rating 75 field. I’m hoping he’ll be able to take that next step and carry on his good form.” Horse racing news View the full article

Bradman will contest Tuesday’s rescheduled Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at Hawera. Photo: Race Images A seasoned version of talented galloper Bradman has shown up to the races this term and he will be out to continue a top-tier campaign in Tuesday’s rescheduled Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). Having always shown ability, Bradman took his time in learning the ropes of being a racehorse, a patient game that has paid off in spades for his trainer and part-owner Roydon Bergerson. The son of Pins picked up the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) and placed in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) and more recently, the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1400m) during his six-year-old term. “Probably being a year older his racing manners have gotten much better, every start he had he was in the judicial report for doing silly things in his races,” Bergerson said. “Tony Lee (commentator) said once he was going for a hotdog halfway down the straight at Trentham. “He’s turned out to be a pretty versatile horse, he can run a quick time on a good track and handle the heavy ground as well. “He’s really competitive in either conditions so he’s a great horse to have in the stable.” Bergerson elected to head back to the trials at Foxton to prepare for the midweek feature, which has been moved from New Plymouth to Hawera after heavy rain throughout the lower North Island caused several abandonments through the week. “We freshened him up after Wanganui, he went to the paddock for a week so we thought we’d give him a trial before going into the Cup, and I’m really happy with him,” Bergerson said. “I’m actually quite glad they’ve moved to Hawera because he quite likes it there. “He did a bit of jumping and swimming over the weekend to keep him happy, he’s a good doing horse so we’ve got to keep on top of him. “He had a good three-quarter pace yesterday (Sunday) morning on the poly by himself and went really well, so he’s all set to go.” Bradman holds a nomination for the Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m) in a fortnight, however success on Tuesday may see him weighted out of the Riccarton contest. “We may go it just depends, if he won on Tuesday he’d probably get topweight and he’s not a very big horse so that’s my only concern for him,” Bergerson said. Horse racing news View the full article

The indicative fields are out for Friday’s 2024 North of the Waitaki Winter Rewards at Addington Raceway. The final fields will be published tomorrow. To see the indicative fields click here View the full article

The Jones family’s boutique breeding operation are proud owners of a slice of international racing history. Father Wayne and wife Liz and their children Kane, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Sales Manager, and Lena bred Lim’s Saltoro who on Sunday evening at Kranji reigned supreme in the final running of the Singapore Derby (1800m). “It was a great thrill, we bred him under our Onyx Thoroughbreds brand and he’s certainly some horse,” Wayne Jones said. Lim’s Saltoro is a son of Windsor Park Stud’s Shamexpress and Fastnet Rock’s daughter Lamplighter, whose dam Glowlamp was a multiple Group placegetter, including twice at the highest level in the Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Thousand Guineas (1600m). “Kane was in Australia and he said she was a mare we should buy, so we did,” Jones said. Lamplighter was an A$85,000 purchase at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast. “We got her home and she had a Wandjina foal that we sold and she went on to win and we had a couple of others out of her by Reliable Man and then this fellow,” Jones said. “We decided we wouldn’t go through the sales process with him and we sold the mare just prior to COVID in foal to Sacred Falls.” The latter realised A$210,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and as Shaded has won one of his two starts for Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick. Lim’s Saltoro was meanwhile placed with Cambridge trainer Glenn Old and was unbeaten in his only two trials on his then home track and on the all-weather course at Cambridge before his sale to Lim’s Stable. He relocated to the stable of Daniel Meagher and has since fashioned the imposing record of nine wins and a runner-up finish from his 10 appearances. Prior to his Derby success, he has also triumphed in the Stewards’ Cup (1600m) and the Silver Bowl (1400m) under the guidance of regular rider Marc Lerner. “Kane sent me a stat saying that he’s only the second horse in the history of the Derby to win the Triple Crown series,” Jones said. “The funny part was that he was sold to Hong Kong, but he failed the vet test due to a knee issue and hence he went to Singapore. “We’ve followed every start and to pull of this one was great, he looked beaten at the 200m mark and came back. “It was so exciting and I think he’ll probably end up in Australia.” Jones formerly held an owner-trainer licence with his best performer the bold free-goer Alpha Pukeko, who won six races and was twice stakes placed including a runner-up finish in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m). “I’m lucky enough now to have the horses with my daughter (Lena) and her partner Benji King in the Matamata area and I had one with Paul Richards, which we sold to Australia,” he said. “It won the other day and it’s still really all exciting.” View the full article

Former jumps jockey Nick Smith rode his first winner in New Zealand at Pukekohe on Sunday when guiding Middle Khan to victory in the Dunstan Horsefeeds 2100, bringing up his first win in the saddle in nearly 20 years. “It was excellent getting that win,” Smith said. “My last winner would have been in 2005.” The expat Englishman has spent his entire working life in the racing industry, competing as a jumps jockey in his homeland before transitioning to a career as a trainer, and subsequently moved to New Zealand 14 years ago. “I got into racing straight from school and I worked for Michael Dickinson,” Smith said. “I was a jumps jockey in England for 15 seasons and I was lucky enough to ride winners at decent racetracks like Cheltenham and Liverpool. I made a living without breaking any records, and then I trained for a little while in England.” Smith then felt like it was the opportune time to spend some time aboard and decided New Zealand was an ideal country to raise his young family. “Both of my girls were quite young at the time, and it was just a nice country to come to and raise kids,” he said. Smith initially started off riding track work at Cambridge before entering a training partnership with Graham Thomas, and subsequently went out on his own. “I came to New Zealand in 2010 and started working for Tony Pike,” he said. “I trained in partnership with Graham Thomas for a little while over here. We had a Group Three winner, Mangaroa Flo Jo, who won the Manawatu Breeders’ (Gr.3, 2000m). “I had a pre-training business for a little while, and now I ride freelance track work, with Stephen Marsh being my main trainer.” Smith continued to train a couple of horses and a discussion with jockey Mathew Gillies just days before the COVID-19 lockdown was the catalyst for Smith to return to the saddle on raceday. “Matt Gillies rode a horse for me in a high weight in the last meeting before COVID,” Smith said. “He ran third and the next race in the calendar that was suitable for him was an amateur race. Matt said I should get my license and ride him myself. “That put the idea in my head. While we were in lockdown I thought about it and thought I would get myself fit, and it would give me something to focus on. “After lockdown I applied for my licence and have gone from there.” Smith is into his fourth season riding in the amateur ranks and he said it gives him something to look forward to and train towards. “It is a hobby that gives me a reason to keep fit. It is a good buzz and brings back a lot of memories,” he said. “It is just nice to get on something that is competitive.” View the full article

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) was run over late in a Cranbourne jumpout on Monday morning, but those associated with the star mare considered it the perfect Spring pipe-opener. The 800-metre hit-out was Pride Of Jenni’s first public appearance since her Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) win and she raced in a three-wide position on the speed and held a slender lead until inside the final 100m when reeled in by Fortunate Kiss (Divine Prophet). The rising seven-year-old, a daughter of Pride Of Dubai, was never extended at any stage by regular rider Declan Bates who was happy with the performance, as was trainer Ciaron Maher. “Ten out of 10, that’s we got from Ciaron Maher,” owner Tony Ottobre told SENTrack. “She done what she had to do, it’s been pretty wet out there and we don’t want to extend her too much. “First trials are always just a nice, easy blowout and Ciaron was very happy. “Declan, I spoke to him, and he just said she was probably a bit more relaxed than she normally is going to the barriers but once she jumped out she got serious. “She’s in a really good headspace. Usually, she’d be a bit more toey and jumpy going towards the barriers but now I think she knows she’s the queen and she goes there nice and calmly.” Monday morning’s jumpout was the first of two trials before her resumption in the $750,000 Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31. “It will be probably a two-week break between trials and then she’ll go to the races two weeks later,” Ottobre said. “Her next trial will be a strong hit out. Ciaron knows what he’s doing and he’ll trial her the way he thinks she should be trialled and then we’ll go from there.” The Memsie Stakes will be the first start of a campaign that is being geared towards the $5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 19 and the A$5 million Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) seven days later. View the full article

Gavin Opie’s last visit to Hawera ended before it began, but the Te Aroha trainer hopes an unexpected return to the South Taranaki track on Tuesday will produce a much better outcome. Opie had Just A Tipple and Mister Pucci entered for Saturday’s Opunake Cup meeting at New Plymouth, which was abandoned after overnight rain left the track waterlogged. The eight-race card was rescheduled for Tuesday, and due to a prior commitment at the New Plymouth Racecourse, it has been relocated to Hawera. According to Love Racing statistics, Tuesday’s two runners will be the first that Opie has ever saddled at Hawera. However, it will not be the first time he has taken horses to that venue. “We haven’t had any runners at Hawera before, but we did go down there once for a meeting that ended up being abandoned,” Opie said. “I think it was a Sunday meeting. We made it all the way down there, and once we turned up at the track, Paul Moseley told us the races were off. We had to pack up again and head back home. “That wasn’t ideal, but it’s a different story this time around. It’s good that the races have been rescheduled and I’m looking forward to seeing how our two go on Tuesday. I don’t think the extra few days will make any difference to them. “They were already down at Robbie Patterson’s stable in New Plymouth, and it’s just a matter of getting them across to Hawera from there. Lemmy Chief Stipelas and another of Robbie’s workers rode them this (Sunday) morning and said they felt really strong.” Four-race winner Just A Tipple will contest the Seaton Park (1400m), where Liam Kauri’s 4kg claim will reduce his 60kg topweight to 56kg. The five-year-old was a gallant second placegetter in a similar race at Te Rapa last start, where he was edged out by a head by Canny Man. “It was a good run at Te Rapa the other day,” Opie said. “He always runs good races when he jumps well from the barriers. But he’s such a laid-back customer, he sometimes almost goes to sleep in the gates. The riders do their best to get him to jump, but sometimes he just comes out in his own time. But when he does jump with them, he usually performs well. “He’s been thriving since that last-start run. I was excited to see him race at New Plymouth on Saturday, because he’s won at that track before. But I’m pretty sure having the race at Hawera on Tuesday won’t make much of a difference for him.” Mister Pucci will step up to Rating 75 company for Tuesday’s Agfirst (1600m). “He’s racing really well in this preparation, winning three of his last four starts,” Opie said. “This is a step up in class after winning those Rating 65 races, but it’s probably not an overly strong Rating 75 field. I’m hoping he’ll be able to take that next step and carry on his good form.” View the full article

A seasoned version of talented galloper Bradman has shown up to the races this term and he will be out to continue a top-tier campaign in Tuesday’s rescheduled Listed Sinclair & Electrical Opunake Cup (1400m). Having always shown ability, Bradman took his time in learning the ropes of being a racehorse, a patient game that has paid off in spades for his trainer and part-owner Roydon Bergerson. The son of Pins picked up the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) and placed in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) and more recently, the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1400m) during his six-year-old term. “Probably being a year older his racing manners have gotten much better, every start he had he was in the judicial report for doing silly things in his races,” Bergerson said. “Tony Lee (commentator) said once he was going for a hotdog halfway down the straight at Trentham. “He’s turned out to be a pretty versatile horse, he can run a quick time on a good track and handle the heavy ground as well. “He’s really competitive in either conditions so he’s a great horse to have in the stable.” Bergerson elected to head back to the trials at Foxton to prepare for the midweek feature, which has been moved from New Plymouth to Hawera after heavy rain throughout the lower North Island caused several abandonments through the week. “We freshened him up after Wanganui, he went to the paddock for a week so we thought we’d give him a trial before going into the Cup, and I’m really happy with him,” Bergerson said. “I’m actually quite glad they’ve moved to Hawera because he quite likes it there. “He did a bit of jumping and swimming over the weekend to keep him happy, he’s a good doing horse so we’ve got to keep on top of him. “He had a good three-quarter pace this morning (Sunday) on the poly by himself and went really well, so he’s all set to go.” Bradman holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) in a fortnight, however success on Tuesday may see him weighted out of the Riccarton contest. “We may go it just depends, if he won on Tuesday he’d probably get topweight and he’s not a very big horse so that’s my only concern for him,” Bergerson said. View the full article

Stratford trainer Gavin Sharrock will line up a promising pair of two-year-olds at Hawera on Tuesday where he is keen to see if they can back up some impressive trial and jump out performances of late.  Hawera will host the abandoned New Plymouth meeting from Saturday after heavy rain and surface water conspired to prevent the day going ahead.  The Sharrock-prepared pair of two-year-olds, Vibration and Madamkipyegon, will take the stage against some older maiden gallopers over 1100m in Race 3 on the programme which is likely to be raced on a Heavy 10 surface.  “They had a fair bit of heavy rain at New Plymouth so you could understand the decision they made to abandon and try and race later in the week,” Sharrock said.  “Thankfully Hawera was available as I’m keen to see how my two-year-olds take the step up to race day.  “They have both won three jump outs each while Vibration also won a trial nicely at Waverley last month so we’re quite excited about getting them out on race day.  “They are both by Proisir and showed they could handle the wet ground in their jump outs, but it is a different story on race day when the pressure is on, so it will be a good test for them.”  Sharrock believes that both horses have the ability to contest some of the early three-year-old stakes events if they can prove their credentials on Tuesday.  “Madamkipyegon is a half-sister to Misterkipchoge, an Ocean Park colt I sold to clients of Chris Waller after he had two runs for me,” he said.  “She is probably a bit more highly strung that Vibration so getting her to the races will be good for her.  “Vibration won his trial really well at Waverley and showed a fair bit of tenacity when doing it.  “If they can perform up to their form at home on Tuesday then we can have a think about races like the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1340m) with them as I think they can get to that level.”  While Sharrock will utilise the apprentice claims of Jim Chung on Vibration and Lily Sutherland on Madam Kipyegon, he has welcomed the return of senior rider Joe Doyle who will ride his stable star Soldier Boy in the open 1900m contest on the card.  “Joe has returned from his visit back to his homeland and I think this will be his first or second day back riding,” he said.  “Soldier Boy has been hampered by a pulled muscle which really set him back, but he has recovered now, and I think he is ready to strike form.  “He has just needed some confidence and he got that last time when he ran fourth. His trackwork has really perked up and on his best form he can be right in the finish.  “He’s a dual stakes winner who ran fourth in the New Zealand Derby (Gr.1, 2400) so you would like to think a race like this is well within his capabilities.” View the full article

What Taree Races Where Manning Valley Race Club – Racecourse Dr, Taree NSW 2430 When Tuesday, July 23, 2024 First Race 12:55pm AEST Visit Dabble Country racing heads to Taree on Tuesday afternoon, with the Manning Valley Race Club set to host a quickfire seven-race program. The rail is in the true position the entire circuit, and although the track is rated a Heavy 8 at the time of acceptances, the warm weather and sunny skies forecast in the lead-up should allow an upgrade to the Good range. All the action is scheduled to get underway at 12:55pm local time. Best Bet at Taree: Laizabout Laizabout heads to the races on the back of a dominant barrier trial win at this track on July 13. The son of Zousain led all the way to score by 6.3 lengths, eased down by Patrick Scorse in the shadows of the post. Scorse should have all the options from barrier two, and with the early speed he should have in the early stages, watch for Lauzabout to make every post a winner on debut. Best Bet Race 3 – #4 Laizabout (5) 2yo Gelding | T: Wayne Wilkes | J: Patrick Scorse (56.5kg) +260 with Bet365 Next Best at Taree: She’s Got Teeth She’s Got Teeth has put together a consistent campaign, with a win and two minor placings across four starts. She savaged the line at Tamworth on June 28, closing strong behind Lord Finland to get within a half-length. Barrier six should allow Darryl McLellan to gain the ideal stalking position mid-field with cover, and provided he can close off in a similar fashion to last start, She’s Got Teeth should prove hard to hold out. Next Best Race 5 – #7 She’s Got Teeth (6) 3yo Filly | T: Kris Lees | J: Darryl McLellan (56.5kg) +300 with Neds Best Value at Taree: Foolish Foolish appears set to peak third-up into the preparation. The Kim Waugh-trained gelding put the writing on the wall last time out at Muswellbrook on June 17, storming through the line to miss by 0.2 lengths. He gets the opportunity to take closer order this time from stall six, and provided he can handle the firming ground, Foolish should be figuring in the finish at the each-way price with online bookmakers. Best Value Race 6 – #6 Foolish (6) 5yo Gelding | T: Kim Waugh | J: Andrew Gibbons (55.5kg) +800 with PlayUp Taree Tuesday quaddie picks – 23/7/2024 Taree quadrella selections Tuesday, July 23, 2024 1-3-4-5 1-3-7 1-2-3-6-7 1-4-5 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips
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Emerging sprinter bound for Sprinters Stakes as Hong Kong-based riders taste summer success abroadView the full article

Recommendation ridden by Blake Shinn wins the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Despite Recommendation’s impressive seven-length victory in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) earlier this month, the Ciaron Maher stable is tempering their expectations for the gelding. “You don’t expect ever to win a Group race by seven lengths no matter the time of the year nor the class,” Maher’s assistant Jack Turnbull told Racing.com. “We’re not getting ahead of ourselves as it’s winter and it was a Group 3 where Caulfield was very lane-oriented and he got to the right position, so maybe the margin was a bit exaggerated. “He ran a decent figure for him on our ratings system.” Recommendation will be back in action at Caulfield on Saturday, aiming for back-to-back Group 3 wins in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m). Turnbull noted that the gelding has improved since his recent race. “He should be improved as he went to the races after one jump-out and some soft pieces of work, although that might be the way to train him with maybe less is more,” he said. Horse racing news View the full article

Group 1 winner Tropical Squall. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have some intriguing horses set to trial at Rosehill on Tuesday, including Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) winner Tropical Squall and promising stayer Eliyass. Tropical Squall, who hasn’t raced since placing sixth behind Zougotcha in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) back in April, is slated to kick off her campaign in the first major event of the Sydney season on August 24. “At this stage, the aim is to try to get her through to the Winx (Stakes) first-up,” Bott said. Import Eliyass made a stunning impression by dominating his rivals to win the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m) at his Australian debut, and Bott is eager to see his progression. The five-year-old is expected to return in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2000m) on the Winx Stakes undercard, with long-term plans aiming towards the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m). “He will need a couple of trials. His aim will be to come back in the Premier’s Cup at the end of August,” Bott explained. “He’s one of those untapped horses that has got a great racing record and is heading towards some nice handicaps. They profile really well here.” Tropical Squall is currently rated a +2500 winning chance for the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) with horse racing bookmakers. Horse racing news View the full article

The July 25 Caress Stakes reunites Future Is Now, Roses for Debra, and Kaufymaker who were separated by a neck in the June 7 Intercontinental Stakes.View the full article

The new star of Singapore racing, Lim’s Saltoro (NZ) (Shamexpress), did not disappoint his connections and supporters after he fought hard to win the S$400,000 Singapore Derby (1800m) on Sunday. History was made for the mighty Lim’s Stable, whose famous blue and yellow star silks dominated the Group races in Singapore over the last few years, trainer Daniel Meagher and jockey Marc Lerner. That win also meant the son of Shamexpress had made a complete sweep of the three races for four-year-olds at Kranji after he also won the Silver Bowl (1400m) on 9 June and the Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on 30 June. On the back of those feature wins, Lim’s Saltoro was sent out the odds on favourite in the feature race and any thought of the wide barrier 11 being an issue were quickly put to bed after Lerner crossed to lead with little fuss in the backstraight. When things got serious upon turning for home, Lim’s Saltoro easily saw off the early challengers after he put two lengths on Hole In One, Bestseller and Aniki, but it was Makin who loomed the danger with a big run on the rails at the 300m. In fact, it looked like the momentum was on Makin’s side at the 200m, but the ‘bulldog’ Lim’s Saltoro refused to lie down. Under hard riding by Lerner, Lim’s Saltoro held off Makin strongly before the latter went down by a head at the finish. The pair’s heroics befitted the occasion and was also amplified by the big three-and-a-quarter length margin from a gallant Hole In One who ran third, while Bestseller finished a neck back in fourth. Bred by Onyx Thoroughbreds, Lim’s Saltoro won two barrier trials while trained in New Zealand by Glenn Old. His Singapore Derby win and eight other wins in 10 starts took his earnings to a tick under S$570,000 for connections. But the prizemoney was insignificant compared to the enormity of winning the final running of the Singapore Derby for Meagher. “I don’t think this (Singapore Derby) win has sunk in yet,” said Meagher, who scored a four-timer on Sunday. “It was always going to be special to win the last (Singapore) Derby and be part of Singapore history, but it’s probably something I will reflect on when it (racing in Singapore) ends (on 5 October). “But to win it for (owner) Mr Lim (Siah Mong) is an honour. He’s won it three times before I think (Lim’s Prestige in 2007, Top Spin in 2008 and Lim’s Kosciuszko in 2022), but I could tell it meant a lot to him today. That meant a lot to me. “I thought Marc took the initiative from the wide gate and it was a winning move early. When he found the fence, I knew we would be hard to beat. “But in saying that, I thought Makin was impressive. (Trainer) Steven (Burridge) has done an amazing job with him and he fought hard to the end. “But our boy is a fighter and I can’t thank my staff enough for the job they do. A real team effort today.” Lerner was quick to praise both Lim’s Saltoro and Meagher after a memorable Singapore Derby win. “A good horse and a good trainer too,” said Lerner, who previously won the Singapore Derby on Hard Too Think three years ago. “Seriously, Lim’s Saltoro means a lot to me as I’ve ridden him from the beginning and he’s not the easiest horse to deal with. “He only won his (Open) Maiden (race) in September last year, so to come this far in less than 12 months, the credit goes to Daniel and his team. “I rode the race today to suit our horse and didn’t worry so much as what went on around me. “I wanted to find the rail as I thought that would be very beneficial because I knew that Vlad and Manoel would take me on at some stage. “So I controlled the race from the front and while Manoel came very fast at me and hit the lead at some stage, I didn’t panic. “I hadn’t gone for my horse yet and I knew he’s a fighter, so I was still very confident in the final 200m. “Makin probably hit the wall late and my horse lifted. He just knows how to win.” View the full article

NT Derby winner Masatora after a win at Cranbourne in May. (Photo by Ross Holburt/Racing Photos) A partnership top Darwin trainer Gary Clarke has forged with champion Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher continues to reap dividends. Maher sent Masatora north with Clarke adding the final touches before the three-year-old gelding saluted in the $135,000 NT Derby (2050m) at Fannie Bay on Saturday. Under the guidance of Clarke’s No.1 rider Jarrod Todd, who ended Day 4 of the Darwin Cup Carnival with four wins, Masatora ($21) overcame Kym Healy’s He’s Maverick – the Darwin Guineas (1600m) winner – and Neil Dyer’s Unquestionably. For Clarke, it’s the third time he’s won a big Top End big race for Maher. Enigman won the 2020 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) and Playoffs claimed the 2022 Darwin Cup (2050m), while Cha Chang was second in the 2017 NT Derby. “Ciaron identified Masatora, it was a last minute thing,” Clarke said. “He just rang me and said, ‘I’ve got one here for the Derby because I think it’s going to make a good jumper. I’ll send him up there before he has a go at the jumps because he’s still a three-year-old’. “That’s how Masatora ended up in Darwin, it’s going on a jumps campaign once he’s finished here. “There’s nothing to lose by having a go at the Darwin Cup (August 5) – I’d say there’s a strong chance he’ll start.” Clarke said seven or eight horses could have easily won the Derby, but felt Masatora – seventh in the Guineas – was a chance if the cards fell his way. As it turned out, the son of Real Steel – victorious in a 2520m Cranbourne maiden before arriving in Darwin – delivered in spades. “I knew that for the first part of the race they’d go pretty quick, which would help my fella because he’s just a big stayer,” he said. “I thought he’d be able to take up a forward spot (sixth at the 1200m) and just try and maintain it. “Let the leaders do their work and then hopefully they come back to him. “That’s how the race turned out, it was just a staying test – they didn’t sit and sprint. “The toughest horse won the race.” Looking ahead, Clarke hopes to have four runners contest the $200,000 Darwin Cup – Masatora, Playoffs, Wolfburn and Tanaawol. “Wolfburn and Tanaawol finished second and third in the Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) the other day, while Playoffs just needs to get the fire burning in his belly again,” Clarke said. “I can’t fault Playoffs’ work – can’t fault him in anyway – his action and fitness is spot on.” Clarke is also eyeing the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (August 3). “I’ve got a couple of nice sprinters that I have been nursing towards the Palmerston,” he said. “Spaceship was disappointing on Saturday, he was probably a bit under done, he’s a lot better than that. “Seguso is another one – he’s had one run on the track for a second which is encouraging. “Lumber Punk, a narrow second on Saturday, may go to the Sprint, I’ll have to speak to the owners, but there’s no guarantee he’ll get a run.” 2024 NT Derby Replay – Masatora Horse racing news View the full article

Odds Bookmakers News Field Past Winners Gimcrack Stakes Group Three Betting Guide Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024 Location: Randwick Racecourse – Sydney, New South Wales Prize Money: $250,000 Distance: 1000m The Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes is a 1000m sprint held at Randwick and is restricted to two-year-old fillies. Run for $200,000, the Gimcrack Stakes is the first time punters get to see the new-season juvenile fillies at a race track in Sydney under raceday conditions. First run in 1906, no Gimcrack Stakes winner has gone on to win the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) during the autumn. Wenona Girl, who won the race is in 1959 is arguably the most credentialed winner of the Gimcrack Stakes, going on to win nine times at Group 1 level throughout her career. James McDonald is arguably the jockey to follow in the Gimcrack Stakes in recent years, winning the race four times since 2015. 2024 Gimcrack Stakes betting odds Gimcrack Stakes odds are currently unavailable. Gimcrack Stakes betting markets are expected to open mid-September. HorseBetting will update this page when they are released. How to bet on the Gimcrack Stakes All of our recommended bookmakers have odds for the Gimcrack Stakes. The best Australian online bookmakers have got Gimcrack Stakes odds available well in advance of the race, with it possible to bet via mobile (betting apps), desktop computer and even telephone, in some cases. Aussies can also bet on the Gimcrack Stakes via retail betting shops, or at pub or clubs that have TAB facilities. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? Full terms. 2 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 3 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble Have a Dabble with friends! Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Recommended! Bet365 Signup Code GETON 4 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. 5 Next Gen Racing Betting PickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. 6 Bet With A Boom BoomBet Daily Racing Promotions – Login to view! Join Boombet Review 18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms. 7 On Your Side Betfair Australia Australia’s only betting exchange Visit Betfair Review What are you prepared to lose today? Set a deposit limit. Full terms. 8 By Players, For Players UniBet Unibet offer daily promotions to registered and logged in customers only Join Unibet Review 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Chances are you are about to lose. Full terms. 9 Ladbrokes Switch Ladbrokes Ladbrokes offer daily promotions to registered and logged in customers only Visit Ladbrokes Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? Full terms. Gimcrack Stakes News Manaal gets her head down to claim Gimcrack Stakes Australia horse racing news 10 months ago Michael Freedman and Tommy Berry have combined with Manaal to take out the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes on Epsom Day … Read More Randwick full racing tips & quaddie | Epsom Handicap Day 2023 Horse Racing Tips 10 months ago The Group 1 Espom Handicap (1600m) headlines the ten-race program at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Check out HorseBetting’s free race-by-race … Read More Platinum Jubilee in ‘top order’ for Magic Millions 2YO Classic Australia horse racing news 2 years ago Co-trainer Adrian Bott is expecting Platinum Jubilee to stay on pace in a red-hot Magic Millions 2YO Classic field this … Read More Waterhouse & Bott claim first Gimcrack Stakes win Australia horse racing news 2 years ago An ecstatic Regan Bayliss said Platinum Jubilee displayed maturity beyond her years after guiding her to a smart win in … Read More Randwick full racing tips & quaddie picks | Saturday, October 1 Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Royal Randwick plays host to a massive 10-race program on Saturday afternoon headlined by the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) … Read More 2YO trials: Coolangatta & Drisana show Gimcrack Stakes potential Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Our Sydney form analyst has run his eye over Monday’s two-year-old trials at Randwick-Kensington in search of some potential contenders … Read More 2024 Gimcrack Stakes Final Field HorseBetting will update this page when the 2024 Gimcrack Stakes field is released. Previous Gimcrack Stakes Fields 2023 Gimcrack Stakes field No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Alinea Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 4 56kg 2 Art’s Alive Brad Widdup Tyler Schiller 12 56kg 3 Celestial Bling Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Adam Hyeronimus 2 56kg 4 Erno’s Cube Ciaron Maher & David Eustace John Allen 20 56kg 5 Invincible Madison Peter & Paul Snowden Sam Clipperton 6 56kg 6 Lady Of Camelot Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott James McDonald 7 56kg 7 Lady Tassort Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott James McDonald 7 56kg 8 Manaal Michael Freedman Tommy Berry 3 56kg 9 Repose Annabel Neasham Ryan Maloney 8 56kg 10 Shoutaboutit Kristen Buchanan Jason Collett 11 56kg 11 Totoka Paul Perry Kathy O’Hara 1 56kg 12 Umabett Annabel Neasham Chad Schofield 5 56kg 2023 Gimcrack Stakes result 1st – Manaal (+1800) 2nd – Celestial Bling (-111.11) 3rd – Repose (+410) Recent runnings of the Gimcrack Stakes: 2023: Manaal causes Gimcrack upset Manaal took out the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes after showing an explosive finish at the end of 1000m at Randwick, under the urgings of returning jockey Tommy Berry. The Michael Freedman-trained two-year-old filly settled just behind the speed after jumping well from barrier three, and as the field rounded the home turn, Berry was able to get her into clear air to let down in the final 300m. Joining in down the outside was another roughie, Repose ($23.00) who looked to have taken the lead with 200m to go, but ultimately threw the race away by ducking out on Ryan Maloney in the final 50m of the race. The unlucky runner of the race was the runner-up Celestial Bling ($6.00) from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable, who was held up on the fence behind the slowing leaders before bursting through a gap to finish off strong and fight out the finish. 2022: Platinum Jubilee powers to victory Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable clinched their maiden victory in the Gimcrack Stakes with two-year-old filly Platinum Jubilee, guided by Regan Bayliss, storming to a strong victory in the 1000m feature. Adding to their accolades, the stable secured a quinella as the $3.30 favorite, Perfect Proposal under Tim Clark, claimed second place. While Perfect Proposal and Clark maintained a position in the leading trio entering the home straight, Platinum Jubilee and Bayliss surged from the final four in the robust 14-horse field. Initially trailing by five lengths with 200m left, Platinum Jubilee showcased remarkable acceleration, surging past rivals in the final 20m to secure victory with a comfortable 1.25 length margin. 2021: Coolangatta justifies favouritism In a repeat of last year, champion sire Written Tycoon once again sired a Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained winner of the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m). Coolangatta delivered a stunning 3.5-length victory, establishing herself as the early favourite for Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) in March. Jumping on speed from barrier 10, Coolangatta ($2.50) initially sat three-wide through a frenetic opening furlong. Echoing Enthaar’s run from barrier eight the previous year, she navigated the turn, and as pacesetters Pantonario and Deep Expectation faded at the 300m mark, jockey James McDonald remained composed. Coolangatta then unleashed a lethal turn of foot, sealing the race in mere strides. 2020: Enthaar makes Group 1 statement The first two-year-old race of the 2020/21 Sydney season quickly produced a standout juvenile when Enthaar (by Written Tycoon) dominated the Group 3 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m). An impressive winner of her recent barrier trial at Kensington, Enthaar started as the clear favorite and lived up to expectations, turning the race into a one-horse show. After a clean break, the ultra-precocious filly settled in third and raced with the poise of a seasoned professional under James McDonald. When asked to accelerate, Enthaar unleashed a scintillating turn of foot, effortlessly pulling away to secure a commanding victory. Previous winners of the Gimcrack Stakes Gimcrack Stakes Past Winners Year Horse Jockey Trainer 2023 Manaal Tommy Berry Michael Freedman 2022 Platinum Jubilee Regan Bayliss Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 2021 Coolangatta James McDonald Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 2020 Enthaar James McDonald Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 2019 Every Rose Joshua Parr Mark Newnham 2018 Catch Me Kerrin McEvoy Peter & Paul Snowden 2017 Satin Slipper Hugh Bowman Peter & Paul Snowden 2016 Jorda James McDonald John O’Shea 2015 Calliope James McDonald John O’Shea 2014 Calaverite Sam Clipperton John O’Shea 2013 Alpha Miss Jason Collett Gary Nickson 2012 Brilliant Bisc Joshua Parr Peter Moody 2011 Hussousa Joao Moreira John Thompson 2010 Defiant Dame Corey Brown David Payne 2009 Gybe Tim Clark Anthony Cummings 2008 Our Joan Of Arc Peter Robl Clarry Conners 2008 Portillo Rodney Quinn Peter Snowden 2006 Hurried Choice Michael Rodd David Payne 2005 Mirror Mirror Danny Beasley Clarry Conners 2004 Media Hugh Bowman Bob Thomsen 2003 Segments Larry Cassidy Clarry Conners 2002 Spurcent Brent Stanley Tony Karakatsanis 2001 De Lollies Larry Cassidy Clarry Conners 2000 Donna Natalia Brad Stewart Jack Denham Gimcrack Stakes winners pre-2000 Gimcrack Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 Year Horse 1999 Speedy Bell 1998 Katima 1997 Crimson Fight 1996 Dantelah 1995 Apple Danish 1994 Millie 1993 Warning Siren 1992 Fitting 1991 Watch 1990 Marskin 1989 Kincay 1988 Screen Idol 1987 Startling Lass 1986 Mother Duck 1985 Dream’s Delight 1984 Dandolera 1983 Coming Closer 1982 Belle Tetue 1981 Vaindarra 1980 Black Shoes 1979 Fiancee 1978 Silver Mystic 1977 Spanish Yacht / Trimaran 1976 Rainy Day / Princess Talaria 1975 Fleet Princess / Schemer 1974 Intriguing 1973 Sufficient 1972 Lady Lido 1971 Light Praise 1970 My Amazon 1969 Fleet Royal 1968 Natal Lass 1967 Miss Pola 1966 Ruling Ways 1965 Port Joy 1964 Fawnia 1963 Attentive 1962 Megalong 1961 Jan’s Image 1960 Courteous 1959 Wenona Girl 1958 Endure 1957 Andabri 1956 Concert Star 1955 Sajax 1954 Ultrablue 1953 Seofon 1952 Love To All 1951 Cultured 1950 Merrie Merton 1949 Mighty Song 1948 Rhumba 1947 Midwise 1946 Nechi 1945 Sweet Chime 1944 Civic Pride 1943 Scaur Fel 1942 Ajixa 1941 Hesione 1940 Il Love 1939 Trueness 1938 Merry Smile 1937 Gay Romance 1936 Record 1935 Spirits 1934 Lady Primrose 1933 Visage 1932 Leila Vale 1931 Precious Gif 1930 Bassanton 1929 Trenette 1928 Malvina 1927 Belle Gallante 1926 Eulalie 1925 Kanooka 1924 Chignon 1923 Periwoo 1922 Princess Dighton 1921 Lady Aura 1920 Furious 1919 Delight 1918 Sue 1917 Sweet Lady 1916 Manna 1915 Eulacre 1914 Starland 1913 Woorak 1912 Beragoon 1911 Ventura 1910 Respect 1909 Gigandra 1908 Nandillyan Maid 1907 Armlet 1906 Maltine Recommended! Take It To The Neds Level Home of the Neds Toolbox Check Out Neds 18+ Gamble Responsibly It Pays To Play New online bookmaker Check Out PlayUp 18+ Gamble Responsibly Say Hey to the social bet! Have a Dabble with friends! Join Dabble 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?. Full terms. Never Ordinary Never Ordinary Visit Bet365 GETON is not a bonus code and does not grant access to additional offers. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. New customers only. #ad Full T’s and C’s. Next Gen Racing Betting Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? View the full article