Wandering Eyes

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, trainer Silvino Ramirez was suspended for 30-days and fined $2,500 after his trainee, Perfect Day, tested positive for an alkalinizing agent (TCO2) when finishing fifth at Parx Racing on April 17. High total carbon dioxide (TCO2) levels could be an indication of bicarbonate loading—otherwise known as milkshaking—which can neutralize the buildup of lactic acid in muscles, thereby helping the horse's performance. Veterinarian Donald McCrosky was also suspended 30-days for violating the terms of a prior suspension. HIWU's publicly-posted case resolution contains few specific details, other than to explain that McCrosky “participated in activities related to Covered Horses” during that period of ineligibility. His latest suspension runs May 18 through June 16. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Resolution Date: 05/21/2023 Licensee: Juan Cano, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Explainer: For the presence of Omeprazole—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Ibn Al Arabi on 4/3/24. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Resolution Date: 05/21/2023 Licensee: Dayson LaVanway, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Triamcinolone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Sir Looking Glass, who finished second at Turf Paradise on 3/27/24. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Resolution Date: 05/20/2024 Licensee: Silvino Ramirez, trainer Penalty: 30-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 21, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $2,500; imposition of 3 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the potential breach of Rule 4221—Alkalinization or use/administration of an Alkalinizing Agent (TCO2)—on Perfect Day, who finished fifth at Parx Racing on 4/17/24. This was also a possible violation of Rule 3313—Use of a Controlled Method During the Race Period. Resolution Date: 05/17/2023 Licensee: Victor Carrasco Jr., trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: For the presence of Dexamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Perfectly Golden, who won at Tampa Bay on 3/8/24. This was a possible violation of Rule 3312—Presence of Controlled Medication Substance and/or its Metabolites or Markers (Post-Race/Vets' List). Resolution Date: 05/17/2024 Licensee: Dr. Donald McCrosky, veterinarian Penalty: 30-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on May 18, 2024. Admission. Explainer: Possible breach of ADMC Program Rule 3329(a) for the violation of the terms of the Covered Person's period of Ineligibility imposed for a prior violation of ADMC Program Rule 3510. During the terms of the period of Ineligibility, McCrosky participated in activities related to Covered Horses. McCrosky previously served a 30-day suspension between March 12 and April 10 for the breach of Rule 3510(a)—Disruptive or Offensive Conduct that does not rise to Tampering. The ruling involved the horse Madelyn Attack, who McCrosky bred. Pending ADMC Violations 05/22/2024, Monty Meier, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Blaze of Dreams, who finished fourth at Golden Gate on 4/20/24. 05/21/2024: Pending medication violation for the presence of metformin—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Devil Pays in Gold, who finished second at Laurel Park on 3/8/24. Update: According to a HIWU spokesperson, trainer David Howard was the trainer of record when Devil Pays in Gold tested positive for metformin. Howard passed away later that month. The only potential sanctions for this case, therefore, are the disqualification of race results and a period of Ineligibility for the horse, which has already been completed. 05/17/2024, Herold Simms, trainer: Pending intra-articular injection violation on Nature Boy within a timed and reported workout on 5/1/24. 05/17/2024, Sergio Ledezma, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Cousin Richie, who finished fourth at Aqueduct on 4/13/24. 05/16/2024, James Ferraro, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Meraviglioso, who won at Aqueduct on 3/10/24. The TDN also publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 05/17/2024 Licensee: John Elder, owner Penalty: Suspension Explainer: Owner John Elder having failed to respond to appear in person as ordered (April 25, 2024) by the Board of Stewards at Santa Anita Park on May 16, 2024, (at 10:00 a.m.) for a scheduled hearing is suspended for violation of California Horse Racing Board rule #1547 (Failure to Appear) pending an appearance at a hearing before the Board of Stewards to answer to charges alleging violation of CHRB rule #1876 (Financial Responsibility – $7369.25 to Trainer Leonard Powell). Suspension to commence on May 24, 2024. Kentucky Churchill Downs Irad Ortiz – violation date May 1; three-day suspension for careless riding Martin Chuan – violation date May 2; three-day suspension for careless riding Tyler Gaffalione – violation date May 4; $2,500 fine for touching a rival with his left hand nearing the finish The post Weekly Stewards And Commissions Rulings: May 16-22, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Entries for the €1.2-million Arqana Series are set to close on June 1. The series comprises four races for two-year-olds and one for three-year-olds and are open to horses who were offered at the Arqana yearling sales–August, September, V2, October and November–as well as foals and juveniles who were sold at the December Vente d'Élevage and breeze-up sales, respectively. Four of the races will take place at Deauville in August with the remaining contest getting underway on the eve of the Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp. The series kicks off with two €160,000 races run over 1,400 metres for unraced colts and geldings and then unraced fillies respectively. There is also a €260,000 conditions race for two-year-olds over 1,300 metres at Deauville while the new addition to the series, a €320,000 event over 2,000 metres, will take place in late August. The sole ParisLongchamp fixture is a €260,000 two-year-old conditions race to be run over 1,600 metres. Horses are to be nominated at a cost of €1,000 for two-year-olds and €500 for three-year-olds by June 1 in order to qualify for the lucrative Arqana Series. The post Entries For The €1.2 million Arqana Series Set To Close On June 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Goulburn and Taree winner makes successful start to Hong Kong career at city circuitView the full article

As the founder and CEO of MyRacehorse.com, Michael Behrens dreamt about days like this, winning a race at the highest level. So when Seize the Grey (Arrogate) crossed the wire first in the GI Preakness S., Behrens felt like he was living a dream. But so did the 2,570 individuals who invested in Seize the Grey, buying micro shares in the 3-year-old colt. And no doubt, so did the 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas, who keeps making the statement that age truly is nothing more than a number. There were a lot of storylines at this year's Preakness and many involved MyRacehorse.com. To learn more, the TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland called upon Behrens to help us tell what was an incredible story. Behrens was this week's Green Group Guest of the week. Many top owners had given up on Lukas over the years, no doubt feeling that he was too old to do the job right. So why did Behrens give him a shot with a top horse when so few others were willing to do so? “I grew up in Southern California, in Glendora, California, and Mr. Lukas was on the top of his game back then and represented everything that was good about racing,” he said. “It seemed like all the big races that I went to were won by Lukas. As I was starting MyRacehorse, I saw him getting some nice horses up at Saratoga and Oaklawn, and I saw how well he was doing with the couple that he was getting chances with. I was getting impressed. Obviously, I was a huge fan and thought of him as a living legend of our game. Then seeing him kind of re-emerge with a couple of horses, I thought he was really starting to do well again. When we bought this horse at the Fasig-Tipton sale, I turned to the team and I said, 'this is where I want to go, with Wayne Lukas.' I asked them if they thought this was the right type of horse for his program. We know that he's got a certain type of horse that fits that program. They gave me a big thumbs up and that's how it all started.” Behrens knew his micro shares concept wasn't for everyone, in particular the mega-wealthy owners who were dominating the yearling and 2-year-old sales and the sport as a whole. But he has proven that if you can get enough “normal” people to buy into an idea you can compete against anyone. “It's been said that we are the face of the people,” he said. “I'll take that all day long. When I started this and when I looked at my Racing Form and when I went to the races I saw who owned the horses. These were people that ran countries, that owned big companies and they owned big hedge funds. I couldn't see a reason why we couldn't tap into the millions of people that love horse racing. What was audience for the Derby broadcast? 16.7 million people? There's still a lot of energy and a lot of excitement, a lot of passion around horse racing. I thought, let's curate it. Let's go ahead and compete.” After winning the GII Pat Day Mile S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard, Seize the Grey was wheeled back in two weeks for the Preakness. The move went against what has become conventional wisdom in the sport, that horses need several weeks off in between races. “That definitely wasn't my idea,” Behrens said. “I'm with Mr. Lukas for a reason, and I have enjoyed this journey tremendously. He has shared all his insight and all of his experience and all that has propelled him to all the success that he's had. I've had a little bit of a taste of that along this journey. He's completely generous with his thinking and his time and his strategy and what goes into his thinking. It wasn't like this was a binary, decisive plan. At the end of the day he lets the horse tell him what to do. He reacts to what he sees from the competition and from the horse itself. So he can be aggressive, but I've always been perfectly comfortable with that.” In our breeding spotlight section we took a look at the Coolmore stallion Corniche and the WinStar stallion Audible. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, Coolmore, https://pabred.com/https://www.kentuckybred.org/https://www.nyrabets.com/ 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar, the Penn Mile at Penn National and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman gave their thoughts on the Preakness and the feel-good story of Lukas winning the race at his age. Who will win the GI Belmont S. at Saratoga and who will go on to prove to be the best of this class? Those were other topics of discussion as was the provisional suspension handed down by HISA/HIWU to trainer George Weaver for a metformin positive. Finley suggested that HIWU should take metformin off of its list of banned substances and make it a “controlled substance.” Penalties for horses testing positive for controlled substances are far less severe than the ones for banned substances. To listen to the podcast, click here. The post Michael Behrens Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On May 21, the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) reported on its website that the filly Devil Pays in Gold (Uncle Lino) tested positive for the banned substance Metformin in a race contested on Mar. 8 at Laurel. However, the ruling does not list a trainer, and for good reason. David Howard was listed as the trainer for the race, but he passed away seven days later, dying of a heart attack at age 45. He would not have known at the time that Devil Pays in Gold had tested positive. “David Howard was the trainer of record when Devil Pays in Gold tested positive for metformin,” said HIWU's director of communications and outreach Alexa Ravit in an email. “Howard passed away later that month. Thus, the only potential sanctions for this case are the disqualification of race results and a period of ineligibility for the horse, which has already been completed.” Metformin is used by humans to control Type 2 diabetes and is among the most widely prescribed drugs on the market. In several of the HWU cases involving Metformin, the connections have insisted that the positive was the result of environmental contamination. Two weeks after Howard's passing, Devil Pays in Gold showed up in the Laurel entries racing for trainer Kieron Magee. She won the allowance race by 1 3/4 lengths for her new trainer. She has not run since the March 29 race. According to the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association's newsletter, Howard was introduced to the racing industry by Magee, and then worked with horses in the barn of Amanda Rawlings before he obtained his trainer's license in 2021. On the same day that he passed away, he won a $12,500 claimer at Laurel with Thencomemorning (Friesan Fire) and, with the last horse he would send out, finished fifth in a maiden special weight race with Goldrush Hottie (Golden Lad). Howard had 28 career winners from 250 starters. The post Trainer Gets Metformin Positive And Then Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program will host its 21st Annual All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show at Highfields Event Center in Aiken, SC, from May 31-June 2. Heider Family Stables is once again the title sponsor of this year's event. “We're thrilled and honored to have Heider Family Stables as our title sponsor again this year,” said New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director Anna Ford. “Scott and Cindy Heider are long-time supporters of New Vocations, our show and Thoroughbred aftercare in general, and we couldn't be happier to have them present this year's show.” The annual charity show serves as one of New Vocations' largest fundraisers as well as a key way for the nonprofit organization to spread awareness about the Thoroughbred's versatility in post-track life. This year's charity show is also supported by the Indiana HBPA and Ohio HBPA, both of which are Day Sponsors. The event will offer a variety of classes for Thoroughbreds, including hunter, jumper, combined test, pleasure, in-hand, dressage and Western and in-hand. A highlight of the show is the Specialty Thoroughbred Awards, which celebrate the OTTBs' achievements during their racing careers. Nearly 200 OTTBs from all over the Eastern US will be entered in the show. “We are excited to welcome Thoroughbreds and their exhibitors back to compete and connect with others who share the same love and passion for the breed,” Ford said. “The support we have received for this year's show has been simply amazing. So many Thoroughbred owners, breeders, trainers, industry partners and fans have become sponsors of the event, and there's still time to participate as a show sponsor.” Show sponsorship opportunities are still available at levels ranging from $100-$10,000, and all sponsorships go directly towards New Vocations' mission of rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming retired racehorses. For sponsorship information, entry questions and media-related inquiries, please visit www.newvocations.org/donate or email Carey@horseadoption.com. The post New Vocations To Host All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dual Group 1 winner Gladiatorus (Silic {Fr}) has been euthanised in Ireland at the age of 19 due to complications from laminitis. The Racing Post first reported the news. Bred by Azienda Agricola le Ferriere di Raponi Giampaolo, the bay was an $8,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling when purchased by Federico Barberini. Trained by Ricardo Menichetti for Razza Dell'Olmo at two in Italy, he made nine starts that season, winning six of them, including four at listed level. His juvenile finale was a second in the G1 Gran Criterium. Purchased by Godolphin and later trained by both Mubarak bin Shafya and Saeed bin Suroor, he missed his sophomore season due to injury, but returned in 2009 to take both the G2 Al Fahidi Fort and G1 Dubai Duty Free at Meydan. Later in his campaign, he also added the G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua returned to Italy, and also participated in the 2009 GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Retired to stud in Italy with a record of 17-10-2-0 and $3,742,463 in earnings, Gladiatorus eventually moved to Withyslade Farm in the UK and then Windmill View Stud in Ireland. His best runner was the multiple group-placed Presley (Ity), who won at listed level in Italy and three other stakes-placed horses. Gladiatorus was the 11th foal out of Gmaasha (Ire) (Kris {GB}) and a half-brother to G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas) heroine My Sweet Baby (Minardi). The post Dual Group 1 Winner Gladiatorus Dies At 19 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The freakish vitality and durability of his trainer stands in poignant contrast to the posthumous legacies entwined by the success of Seize the Grey in the GI Preakness S. Most obviously, as colleague Jill Williams highlights in her Saturday Sires series, the industry has been given fresh cause to lament the premature loss of Arrogate. For the family and friends of Seize the Grey's breeder, however, Saturday was a more intensely personal cue to honor the memory of Audrey “Tolie” Otto, barely a year after her passing. Otto's stable, Jamm Ltd., was named for her four children: John, Audie, Michael and Matthew. Audie is now taking her mother's program forward, evidently with all the same passion–and also with the continued counsel of Headley Bell, and nowadays his son Price, at Mill Ridge. It was through their Nicoma agency that Tolie Otto purchased Seize the Grey's granddam Shop Again (Wild Again), for $450,000 at the 2007 Keeneland November Sale, as a half-sister to that summer's GI Personal Ensign S. winner Miss Shop (Deputy Minister). Herself a minor stakes winner, Shop Again proved a most astute investment. First of all, her dam's weanling colt that year turned out to be that very fast horse Trappe Shot (Tapit). And while he proved a limited stallion, eventually exported to Turkey, this nook of the family has continued to excel in the meantime. Miss Shop, for instance, produced In Type Gal (Tapit) to win two graded stakes on turf. And Miss Shop's three-parts sister Shop Here (by Deputy Minister's son Dehere), already dam of GII Adirondack S. runner-up Fifth Avenue (Monarchos), has since emerged as second dam of multiple Grade I-placed Shoplifted (Into Mischief) and GII Shakertown S. winner Imprimis (Broken Vow). Shop Again duly proved a fertile producer for Otto, in every sense. Her third foal, a son of Pulpit, made $360,000 as a yearling and became the GI Frontrunner S. winner Power Broker–whose success ensured that her next three yearlings through the ring would generate $2.2 million between them. At 22, Shop Again is now enjoying retirement after aptly signing off last year with a filly by Mill Ridge's flourishing resident sire, Oscar Performance. While Otto was prepared to sell several of Shop Again's daughters, her 2013 filly by Smart Strike was sent into training with Brendan Walsh. Though confined to four starts, Smart Shopping flashed ability to win a Churchill maiden on her only juvenile start, before running third in a stakes at Tampa Bay. She has certainly been launched onto her second career with due purpose, so far sent to American Pharoah, Uncle Mo, Arrogate, Justify and Life Is Good. Her colt by Arrogate, sold to MyRacehorse for $300,000 at Saratoga two years ago, is of course, Seize the Grey. He had broken his maiden and also been stakes-placed at Saratoga by the time Smart Shopping's Justify filly was catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Sale last fall. With Smart Shopping and Justify both so upwardly mobile since, that has quickly proved an inspired call. (The filly, meanwhile named Cirque Lodge, is currently learning the ropes with Niall Brennan). “Tolie was a dear friend of Mom, John Chandler and our family for 40 years,” Headley Bell recalls. “We share many wonderful memories, including racing [GI Kentucky Oaks winner] Keeper Hill (Deputy Minister) together. Shop Again grew to become a foundation mare for Tolie, after producing Power Broker and with Trappe Shot emerging in the family, and it was always intended to retain Smart Shopping to race and breed from. Brendan thought her a Kentucky Oaks filly before an injury. “We believed in Arrogate when others didn't, and bred 11 mares to him for our clients in what turned out to be his last year. Seize the Grey was an attractive yearling and suited Saratoga, but time was always going to be his friend.” And time has also been key to the exemplary cultivation of the dynasty that has produced Seize the Grey. In this commercial age, time is a friend denied to too many horses; to too many mares, above all. But the Otto and Bell families, through a diligence and patience shared from one generation to the next, have given a literal demonstration of the old axiom: more haste, less speed. Striking A Flag On Old Hilltop Besides Arrogate and Tolie Otto, yet another posthumous legacy was showcased in the Preakness–that of Smart Strike as a broodmare sire. He had already achieved quite an affinity with this race, through sons Curlin and Lookin At Lucky, and now Smart Shopping's son has reiterated his prowess in a second dimension. Smart Strike died in 2015, but it is obviously standard procedure for a stallion to emerge as a distaff influence further down the line, his daughters needing to be mature enough to have completed their track careers before beginning the slow cycles from foaling straw to winner's circle. Smart Strike mares have already given us two shock GI Kentucky Derby winners in Mine That Bird (Birdstone) and Rich Strike (Keen Ice); another has lately given us dual champion Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper); while only a couple of weeks ago we saw yet another produce Gun Pilot (Gun Runner) to win the GI Churchill Downs S. Smart Strike sews a third thread of his sire Mr. Prospector into Seize the Grey: the Preakness winner's sire Arrogate extends the Fappiano line, while being out of Distorted Humor mare, representing the Forty Niner branch. One way or another, this iteration of Smart Strike's genetic impact is hardly surprising in one who bequeathed heirs as potent as Curlin and English Channel (not forgetting Lookin At Lucky, always scandalously underrated, while I'm looking forward to Tom's D'Etat contesting the succession). If you could distill any single asset from the sheer versatility of Smart Strike's stock, it might be a propensity to thrive with maturity. With Arrogate throwing a similar flavor into the mix, then, we can be fairly confident that Seize the Grey is only just getting started. A bit like his trainer! Thaw Continues For Frosted No denying that it's been a tough road for Frosted since his retirement as the most expensive of the 2017 intake, at $50,000. But now that he has entered a more commercial bracket, stabilizing at $10,000 after serial fee plunges until last year, it definitely feels as though the ice is melting. Last year felt like a quietly productive one for the Darley stallion, with three domestic graded stakes winners and 18 black-type performers, and this time around he has all but matched that already, up to three and 15 respectively after Frost Free won the GIII Chick Lang S. last weekend. In fact, this year Frosted is getting his stakes action at a tick under 10% of starters, a match for all but a couple of elite stallions. Now obviously he started out with some excellent raw materials, so we'll have to see whether he can maintain his positive curve with cheaper mares. But his pragmatic new fee in 2023 saw his book rally to 154 from 108 mares, and it might yet prove that a little bit of commercial pep turns out to have been the ingredient missing during his tepid start. Frost Free himself only made $27,000 as a yearling, deep in the Keeneland September Sale, but stood out at the Texas Thoroughbred Association 2-Year-Old Sale last April, where he made $100,000 from Danny Keene. He's the first starter out of D.J.'s Favorite (Union Rags), whose own mother I'm Mom's Favorite (Indian Charlie) showed an affinity for Pimlico as winner of the Miss Preakness S. in 2013. But while the fourth dam Tout Charmant (Slewvescent) won the GI Matriarch S. and GI Del Mar Oaks, the family has proved fairly fallow of late and it's duly a feather in Frosted's cap to have stoked up its embers this way. McVay Going The Long Way Around Having added third in the GI Preakness S. to his GI Kentucky Derby fourth, Catching Freedom is shouldering a lot of the work for what had appeared to be a dazzling range of sophomore prospects for Constitution. Doubtless some that have slipped off the radar will resurface sooner rather than later, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mc Vay outflanks them all after breaking his maiden by seven lengths at Santa Anita last weekend. When a genius like John Shirreffs campaigns a young horse the way he has Mc Vay, you know there's some kind of monster talent lurking there. In the event, contesting California's principal Derby trials exposed Mc Vay as still way too goofy, and he took an outlandishly scenic route even in outclassing his rivals when given this reset back in maiden company. But the exceptional judges who bought him for $1.25 million at Saratoga (Mayberry Farm for CRK Stable) confirmed their shrewdness in placing him with a trainer whose Grade I achievements, relative to starters, laughably exceeds many who have somehow beaten him to the Hall of Fame. Mind you, even in his hands, Mc Vay has a long way to go before he can match the yield achieved by his registered breeders, Band of Brothers, who bought Dothraki Sea (Union Rags) for $560,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. They doubled their money simply in selling Mc Vay, who had arrived in utero as part of the package. And if he can now start to fulfill his potential, they still have a mare very closely related to GI Norfolk S. winner Dixie Chatter (by her sire Dixie Union), the pair being out of an unraced daughter of champion Phone Chatter (Phone Trick) and distaff legend Deputy Minister. With those genes behind Mc Vay, it could yet be that another “Coach” ends up challenging the one toasted by our whole community on the opposite coast the same day. The post Breeding Digest: Some Very Smart Shopping Indeed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Star Bloodstock, the consignment that unearthed talents like Malavath (Ire), A'Ali (Ire) and more, is set to wind down its breeze-up operation and concentrate entirely on producing future top-notchers on the racetrack instead. The shift in focus has reaped immediate rewards with the aptly-named Make Haste (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}), a leading Royal Ascot contender after posting a stunning debut success at Naas for trainer and breeze-up consignor Diego Dias, being snapped up by Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods. Bought by Byron Rogers, Star Bloodstock and Dias at the Tattersalls Book 2 session of the October Yearling Sale for 75,000gns, a majority share in Make Haste is understood to have been sold for a multiple of that initial outlay with the speedy juvenile now a general 7-1 chance for the Queen Mary on June 19. Matt Eves, who has been with Star Bloodstock since its inception a decade ago, explained how Make Haste remaining with Dias, who is an integral part of the operation, for the reminder of her two-year-old campaign was imperative to getting a deal over the line with potential partners. He said, “We could have sold Make Haste five times over and were offered more money to sell one hundred per cent of the horse but we wanted her to stay with Diego for the remainder of her two-year-old career. For that reason, we decided to sell a majority share in the filly to Gainesway and LNJ Foxwoods, who are great partners to have come on board. We set a price and the person who met that price first was Alex Solis, so we shook his hand and made a deal. It's all very exciting.” Make Haste couldn't have been more impressive at Naas. After racing keenly, she travelled best a furlong out before quickening clear of her rivals inside the last to win going away by over three lengths at the line. Eves reflected on the performance that caught the attention of some of the biggest buyers in the game, “She was pulling like a train at the start because they weren't going fast enough for her. We put Gavin on board in a schooling race at Dundalk and he jumped off her straight away and said, 'yep, she's a right one.'” He added, “It's been similar vibes the whole way through from Diego-he likes her a lot. I remember Diego jumping off Malavath and the feedback he gave us about her. It's been something similar with Make Haste.” Star Bloodstock is unique in that the model is driven by data. Dias has the ultimate say as to what he can and cannot train but, by and large, the shortlists are drawn up by Byron Rogers' system that measures stride length, mechanics and many other important factors when evaluating a young racehorse. So how did Make Haste measure up? “Basically, we put all the videos of the horses at the yearling sales into the system and that generates a shortlist,” Eves explained. “Diego then goes and looks at the horses that have been shortlisted through the machine learning technology and decides what horses he thinks he can train and which ones will be too hard to train. That's the system. We paid 75,000gns for Make Haste. It's interesting because the value comes down to how the horse scores on the system but, with Make Haste, she is by Blue Point so we knew we were going to have to fight off some competition for her.” Despite the huge success the operation has enjoyed at the breeze-up game, a lack of success in the sales ring over the past three years has been put forward by Eves as the main reason behind the decision for Star Bloodstock to change its focus. And the team is confident that the transition from selling horses in the ring to form horses instead will be a successful one. He said, “Star Bloodstock was founded in May 2014, so this has been its tenth year in existence. We've had great success and, looking back at our track record, we have been hitting at least two or three horses who have achieved ratings in excess of 90 every year. We are fairly confident that, if we go out and buy 10 yearlings every year, that we will get two or three decent animals in that bunch. I don't think many other consignors would hit that percentage.” He added, “But the reality of the situation is that we haven't made any money at the breeze-ups for the past three years. Most of the lads in Star were left wondering why we were doing it any more because we'd burned most of the cash that we put in. But one or two others said we should just try and change the model around because, if you take the strike-rate that we have been having, we could probably do better in the long run by putting these horses in training, like we did with Make Haste. Going forward, we will not be putting any more horses through the breeze-ups. Star Bloodstock won't be consigning next year.” Asked what the catalyst for the change was, Eves replied, “Malavath selling for €3.2 million at Arqana. That was the moment I asked myself, 'why are we the mugs in the middle?' We're finding these horses. A'Ali. What was he worth as a stallion? He's another one we bought as a yearling and sold at the breeze-up sales. Just take those two horses. We literally could have lost on every other horse we've ever bought and those two would have paid for the whole thing. I'm not joking. That's the reality of the situation. When you look at it like that, we're the ones who produce the horses who go on and deliver on the track, yet we're getting run over in the ring and not getting paid. “Instead of doing what we're doing at the minute, which is running Star to try and make a 15 to 20 per cent margin per year, we're going to have to accept that there will be two or three years where we blow all of our money by running them on the track. The upside of that is that, when we get the big year where an A'Ali, Malavath or a Make Haste as it turns out to be, who cares? You need a bigger capital and, thankfully, one of our investors has stumped up the cash to allow us to do that.” With Make Haste, Star Bloodstock and its partners couldn't' have wished for a better start to this new chapter and Eves is predicting a bold show from the filly at Ascot. He concluded, “The Queen Mary is the obvious race for her at Royal Ascot and we're going to go there as one of the market leaders. It's a pretty nice place to be. She will go there without another run–the thing with Diego's horses is that they seem to be improving for a run so it's very exciting.” The post No Longer The ‘Mugs In The Middle’ – Star Bloodstock To Wind Down Breeze-Up Operation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Talented three-year-old stayer First Innings (NZ) (Contributer) has booked a place in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) after coming from last to land a 2180m three-year-old handicap at Ipswich on Wednesday. The Andrew Forsman-trained son of Contributer went back to last under jockey Jim Byrne and crept into the race shortly before rounding the home turn, making his run widest on the tight-turning Queensland track to score a resounding two length victory over a competitive field. Forsman was on course to oversee proceedings and was delighted to see the race run to suit his charge. “We thought we were up against it from the barrier draw (14) but the pressure in that first 600m was pretty brutal and set it up for him. He is a genuine stayer,” Forsman said. “If they run the Derby like that in a week and a half, we will be happy. “He is a progressive horse who will be a nice stayer as he matures and gets older, but he really is thriving and coming into his own.” Forsman was acutely aware of the record of jockey Jim Byrne at the unique circuit, where Byrne has won nine senior premierships at Ipswich as well as three apprenticeship titles and is known as the “King of Ipswich”. “I did my research and Jimmy had done his research too. He knew all about the horse and told me how it was all going to unfold and thankfully it worked out,” Forsman “I think we will have to put Jimmy on in the Derby. He is a class jockey and he has ridden him a treat today.” Wednesday’s victory in the A$75,000 contest is likely to provide First Innings with enough prizemoney to make the Derby field. A maiden winner in New Zealand, First Innings was a well held tenth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) but freshened up well to catch the eye when third in the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m) behind stablemate Moonlight Magic. First Innings is raced by bloodstock agent Michael Hughes in conjunction with ex-pat Kiwis Cam and Chas Stewart, who are now based on the North Queensland coast at Noosa where they run a seafood business. In conjunction with Goodwood Stud, the Stewarts bred First Innings, who is out of the Pins mare Dream Run, who finished fourth in the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) for Paul and Kris Shailer. While First Innings has now earned A$78,152 in prizemoney and is set to leap up the order of entry for the Queensland Derby, for which he is rated a $15 chance, stablemate Moonlight Magic looks doubtful to gain a start in Saturday’s Gr.2 The Roses (2000m), where she is fourth emergency. View the full article

Joe Pride is the first to admit that Bullets High (NZ) (Ace High) isn’t the complete package, but the three-year-old’s effort to rally for a gutsy win at Warwick Farm has all but earned him a Group One shot. A son of former top stayer Ace High, Bullets High was headed by eventual runner-up Gottabesavvy (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Native Trail @ Darley Handicap (2130m) at Warwick Farm on Wednesday before raising another effort to score. Pride said it was that combination of untapped ability and stamina that made it difficult to resist giving Bullets High a shot at the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week. “I hate using the old racing cliches but they’re only three once,” Pride said. “He’s going to have a spell after it anyway. If he is eating and doing well during the week, I think I’ll send him up. “He has already been to Queensland once this prep and it didn’t dent the sides. He is a pretty tough horse, he’s just not too bright.” Bullets High, who races in the same colours as former top racemare Private Steer (Danehill Dancer), has been a work in progress for his trainer. However, Pride said there was no questioning the horse’s ability and the fact the first two home at Warwick Farm gapped the third horse by three lengths with more than 20 lengths between first and seventh, augured well. “They are strung out to the point where you think, well that was a good staying test, and it probably tells you a fair bit,” Pride said. “He showed that one quality that a lot of the horses won’t have in the Derby and that’s the ability to stay a trip. “He won’t always be this stupid and lack this much race craft. “He is working it out and he’s got good ability, we can all see that.” View the full article

Luke Nolen appears favoured to regain the ride aboard I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) when he next steps out in Brisbane. With James Mcdonald heading to Japan to ride Romantic Warrior in the Yasuda Kinen on June 2, Nolen is in the box-seat to regain the ride on I Wish I Win in the Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on June 1. Nolen was dumped as rider of the sprinter for the Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) in favour of McDonald with the pair finishing a close second to Bella Nipotina. Trainer Peter Moody and part-owner Mark Chittick were in New Zealand on Saturday watching I Wish I Win from afar and when news came through that McDonald was unable to take the mount in the Kingsford Smith, the pair had a brief discussion. Moody offered up three names with Nolen’s certainly in the mix. “I’m sure we’ll lean that way,” Chittick told RSN. “The opportunity came up with James and we’ve had a long-term relationship and that’s why we took the opportunity and there is absolutely nothing against Luke or anyone else. “We became aware on Sunday, and I was with Moods, that James was going to be in Japan. “James thought he was going to be able to ride him in the Kingsford Smith because there was a flight at nine o’clock, but when they put the provisions in place to go into lockdown beforehand, that took that opportunity away from us. “Moods put three names in front of me to ride him in the Kingsford Smith and I said I’d be happy with any of the three, but you make the final decision. “If it is Luke, it would be great to get Luke back on the horse and also get a favourable draw.” Nolen has had an association with I Wish I Win, winning the Golden Eagle at Rosehill and the T J Smith at Randwick. But inside draws have also cost Nolen and I Wish I Win, namely in The Everest last October. I Wish I Win had barrier one again last Saturday when beaten. “He’s a horse that an inside draw doesn’t suit,” Chittick said. “When we’ve seen him win, and win so well in that top class, it’s been when he’s been able to do his own thing. “He’s got a massive turn of foot, but he needs room to do it and we’re just finding with that inside draw when you get on the rail, it’s hard to do it when you finally do get fresh air.” Chittick said the Kingsford Smith Cup and then a break in the Queensland sunshine was favoured for I Wish I Win ahead of a return in the spring for a tilt at the Manikato Stakes and The Everest. View the full article

The Australian sales company Inglis, which has hosted online auctions in Australia for seven years, will expand into America with the takeover of the thoroughbred auction company Wanamaker's, which will now be known as Inglis Digital USA, according to a press release from the company Wednesday morning. Inglis said they plan to launch a monthly sale beginning in July. Wanamaker's has been conducting monthly auctions for horses of all ages since June, 2020. Inglis Digital currently offers sales in Australia with an average of 300 horses offered every two weeks, grossing over A$90 million per year. Inglis' Managing Director Mark Webster described Wanamaker's as an “exceptional online trading company managed by extraordinarily talented people” and said Inglis was pleased to be able to partner with them to expand into the American market. “The U.S. market is the largest thoroughbred market in the world,” he continued. “There are almost twice as many active broodmares in North America as there are in Australia. Australia is the second-biggest market, and we've done well here with our digital platform. Expanding to another market has been a consideration for some time. We identified North America as a key market worth pursuing due to its size and opportunity, and there's increasing engagement between Australia and North America. Digital trading is still in its early stages in North America, presenting us with a significant opportunity.” “Innovation and technology have been at the forefront of our business operations in Australia, which is home to the world's second-biggest thoroughbred market so I'm therefore delighted to announce our investment in the world's largest thoroughbred market via Wanamaker's and the launch of Inglis Digital USA,” Webster said. “During my time as managing director of Inglis, Australia's leading thoroughbred auction house for the past 150 years, I have witnessed the rapid globalization of thoroughbred racing, breeding, and, of course, trading and never before have racing jurisdictions felt so connected or empowered,” he continued. “This is such an exciting opportunity and it's been an absolute delight to work with the Wanamaker's team behind the scenes to be able to create this rebrand as we aim to make Inglis Digital USA the largest and most successful online trading platform in the Northern Hemisphere. We started looking at North America before COVID hit, but the pandemic slowed everything down. I remember going over in late 2019, coming up with a plan and reporting to the board, and then everything got put on hold. Post-COVID, Wanamaker's emerged, and we were impressed with their platform. It's well designed and engineered, making it easy for us to enhance.” Some of Wanamakers largest successes have been Fiya, who sold for $400,000 in July, 2020 and went on to become a multiple stakes winner for new owner Robert Masiello. The connections of Bandonarun parlayed an impressive allowance score at Laurel Park into a $330,000 sale just weeks later during the October, 2023 auction. Wanamaker's has also conducted state-bred specific auctions in conjunction with breed organizations in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Under the new ownership platform, Wanamaker's co-founder and incumbent CEO Liza Hendriks will remain with the company as CEO, Inglis Digital USA, and be based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Hendriks will be joined in the venture by senior director of sales and recruitment Kyle Wilson, formerly assistant director of sales development with Keeneland. Kelly Brophey, owner of Clarity Bloodstock, will serve as director of sales operations. “We couldn't be more delighted to announce our partnership with the esteemed auction house, Inglis,” Hendriks said. “As we embark on this exciting journey together, I am personally thrilled to continue serving as CEO, with our newly formed team. Digital sales in the American market have already proven immensely beneficial, offering year-round trading opportunities and eliminating the need for horses to endure extensive travel for physical sales.” Entries for the first sale under the Inglis Digital USA banner will close Monday, July 8. The catalogue will be released on Friday, July 12, with the final countdown of bidding on Wednesday, July 17. Each monthly sale will follow the same structure, with closing on a Monday, and the sale operating from the following Friday-Wednesday. To enter horses for the July sale and register as a bidder, visit inglisdigitalusa.com. The post Inglis Digital Expands Into U.S. appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Robert Havlin has been booked to ride Ambiente Friendly (Ire) in the G1 Betfred Derby, replacing Callum Shepherd aboard the leading Epsom contender when the Classic is run on Saturday, June 1. Trained by James Fanshawe, Ambiente Friendly has been ridden by Shepherd in both his previous starts this season, most notably in the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial S. earlier this month when he announced himself as a potentially top-class colt with an impressive four-and-a-half-length victory. The son of Gleneagles (Ire) is now a best-priced 5/1 for the Derby and Havlin expressed his delight at being given the opportunity by owners Bill and Tim Gredley, with the call-up coming just days after he gained the second Group 1 success of a career spanning more than 30 years aboard Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}) in Saturday's Lockinge S. at Newbury. “It was a lovely surprise to pick the ride up and obviously I've got a lot of sympathy for Callum,” said Havlin. “I've been in that situation myself, as have plenty of other people. Unfortunately in this game it happens from the top to the bottom and somebody's good luck is always someone else's bad luck. “My main interest now is to find out as much about the horse as possible before next Saturday. He's a lovely horse, you can feel he's got class about him. He takes hold of the bit. I know he runs in a ring bit, but it's handy in a race of this nature because you can get a position.” Reflecting on what Ambiente Friendly has achieved in his career so far, Havlin added, “His profile is good, he's ultra-progressive. He obviously needed the run in the Feilden [when fourth] like every Newmarket horse did at that meeting, but you'd have to be impressed with the way he came down the hill, cornered and then picked up when asked at Lingfield. “He ticks a lot of boxes. He has less questions to answer than some, he ticked nearly every box in one day. He's lightly-raced, a late-maturing type, and his best days are still in front of him.” The change of riders sees Shepherd follow in the footsteps of several other jockeys who have lost a high-profile mount in the Derby in recent years. In 2020, Tom Marquand was replaced by Frankie Dettori aboard leading fancy English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), while Dettori also picked up on the ride on John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in 2021 when he was due to be ridden by Adam Kirby. In the event, Kirby still won the race that year aboard Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who in turn had been the intended mount of Oisin Murphy. The post Havlin Replaces Shepherd On Leading Derby Hopeful Ambiente Friendly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Meetings at Alexandra Park don’t come much bigger than Auckland Cup/Rowe Cup night so we have produced a special lift-out providing everything you need to know for this Friday night. Check it out here View the full article

Graham Richardson believes the best is still to come for progressive mare Sorghaghtani after her rise through the grades continued with a victory in the C.W. Cole Racing – Cody Cole (1750m) at Taupo on Wednesday. The daughter of Mongolian Khan had more than a year off the scene after a trio of starts as a three-year-old and returned a furnished galloper finishing runner-up to talented filly Grande Gallo, and ahead of her Group One-performing stablemate To Catch A Thief in a competitive MAAT race on New Year’s Day. Sorghaghtani’s maiden success soon followed fresh-up in April, and punters remained undeterred after an unlucky seventh at Te Rapa, backing her into $3.50 favouritism for the Rating 65 contest at Taupo. In the capable hands of Opie Bosson, the mare travelled one-off the fence in fourth throughout while Gin Gin controlled the tempo in front, that runner remaining close to the rail turning for home while Sorghaghtani descended down the centre of the track. The pair fought out a tight finish with I Am Groot and Armino closing strongly, but Sorghaghtani looked comfortable at the post despite less than a length splitting the first four placegetters. Richardson was delighted with the mare he co-owns, as well as stablemate Therapeutic who finished 1-1/4 lengths back in fifth. “I really like this mare, in fact I like both of them and Therapeutic was a bit unlucky today,” he said. “I was over the moon with that. She (Sorghaghtani) lacked a bit of luck last time, and I thought she’d be a pretty good chance today. “Opie said she’ll get over more ground which I expect her to, getting out to 2000m. She’ll be a better horse in the spring as well. I’ll just see what meetings are coming up for her in the meantime.” A $10,000 purchase by Richardson at the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sales, Sorghaghtani was bred by the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) and was the third foal out of Northern Meteor mare Treasury. She has earned $43,940 in stakes from eight starts. Richardson and training partner Rogan Norvall also have a pair of runners engaged for the Pukekohe meeting on Saturday, including Paisley Park who contests the Jamieson Park 1500. The Azamour nine-year-old is a former Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) and Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) winner and has had two runs back this campaign including a last-start seventh behind C’est Moi at Te Rapa. “His last run, even though he ran last, was a very good run. He just blew out,” Richardson said. “He’s back down to a reasonable weight (55.5kg), so with a bit of rain around, it should be near spot-on for him on Saturday.” Also representing the Matamata trainers is Lovearoadie, a consistent daughter of Savile Row who has not finished out of the first four in as many starts this preparation. She will line-up in the SkyCity 1400, with Vinnie Colgan booked to ride. “She was very unlucky last time and her work this morning was very good, she was meant to gallop yesterday with Paisley Park, but it was too dangerous with the storms around,” Richardson said. “She’s drawn better for a change on Saturday (7), so hopefully she can be just in behind them.” View the full article

Bradman (NZ) (Pins) could be looking to add to his stakes haul if he performs up to expectations in the Majestic Horse Floats 1400 at Trentham on Saturday. The Roydon Bergerson-trained six-year-old took out the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at the Upper Hutt track last month before placing in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m), and was fourth over 1400m at Te Rapa last start. “He is going super at the moment, so I am really happy with him, I can’t fault his work,” Bergerson said. “He had a good run at Te Rapa against a good, strong field, and the form has stacked up really well.” The son of Pins has drawn barrier three on Saturday, with his 60kg impost coming down to 57kg with the assistance of apprentice jockey Jim Chung’s claim. “He comes in alright in the weights with a three-kilo claim. It is a good, even field with a lot of form in the race with Belle’s Echo and Rocababy,” Bergerson said. A solid result on Saturday will likely result in Bradman backing up a week later in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. “He is going the right way,” Bergerson said. “If he races well on Saturday I will probably back him up at Wanganui in that weight-for-age.” Reign It In (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will also join his stablemate on the float trip to Trentham this weekend where he will line-up in The Metro Interiors Autumn Sprint Final (1200m). The Scared Falls five-year-old disappointed his trainer with his last start unplaced performance over 1400m at Trentham, and Bergerson is hoping he can redeem himself this weekend. “He was disappointing the other day, I don’t know what is going on with him,” Bergerson said. “His trackwork has been outstanding and I thought he would be a big chance, but he was just slow out of the gates and never got involved in the race at all. He travelled up keen, but Lisa (Allpress, jockey) said he had nothing left. “Back on a Heavy track this week, and he is well within himself, he has come through the race really well. He will do a bit of jumping and swimming in the next couple of days, which will hopefully freshen him back up, and hopefully he can be competitive on Saturday. It is quite a good race if you can win it and he has got the ability.” Bergerson is also set to line-up Vee Vee (NZ) (Vadamos) in the Happy Birthday Peter Lissington 1300 but said the track’s rating of a Heavy10 on Wednesday morning would need to improve for the gelding to start. “He may be a bit doubtful first-up on a heavy track,” Bergerson said. “He has come up super and he looks like a promising stayer in the making. “He is from a good family and is a really nice horse going forward. I don’t really want to run him on a Heavy track and flatten him first-up. We will just see what the weather does in the next couple of days.” View the full article

The Racing New Zealand Board is pleased to announce the release of the 2022/23 Size and Scope Report that outlines an industry generating close to $1.9 billion in value-added contribution to the New Zealand economy. The Size and Scope report of New Zealand Racing is a comprehensive look at the racing industry and is the biggest of its type since 2017. Welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Racing Winston Peters, the report provides a detailed look at the economic, social and employment benefits of racing across all three codes (thoroughbreds, harness, and greyhounds) at a national and regional level. In 2022/23, the New Zealand Racing industry generated total direct spending of $1,385.6 million. However, the flow-on effects linked to this expenditure increased the size of the industry’s value-added contribution to almost $1.9 billion. Employment data and insights in the racing industry are particularly important. Participants provide the investment, time, skills, and passion that underpins horse and greyhound racing in the nation. 13,632 full-time equivalent jobs were sustained by the New Zealand racing industry, around 39% are the direct result of the racing industry activity whilst the remainder are in down-the-line industries that produce and supply goods and services to support racing in New Zealand. In total, there are more than 40,600 roles occupied in the New Zealand racing industry as employees, participants, or volunteers. Many of these are specialised, industry specific roles – particularly in the breeding and training/racing related disciplines. Furthermore, many participants hold more than one role within the industry. In 2022/23 close to 639,100 attendances were recorded at thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound race meetings in New Zealand. There are more than 18 race meetings held in New Zealand every week providing live entertainment to more than 639,000 attendees. Racing NZ Chairman Mike Clarke is positive about the report’s findings and optimistic about the future. “We’re proud of the contribution the New Zealand racing industry makes to the economy. Racing is currently experiencing positive momentum off the back of the 25-year partnership between Entain and TAB NZ announced in 2023, and this report validates the importance of the industry as a whole,” he said. “Employment is an important metric to measure the health of our industry, as the passion of our people is what drives us forward. There is no doubt racing is a vital part in maintaining healthy communities and employment opportunities in New Zealand.” The full report can be found here. View the full article

With three runner-up results from just five raceday appearances, De Russian Rocket (NZ) (Sweet Orange) is due a win, and trainer Ebony Turner is hoping it comes at Wingatui on Friday. The three-year-old son of Sweet Orange has been a consistent performer for the Riverton horsewoman and will be out to continue his purple patch of form in the Positive Signs – Print Maiden 1400. “He has been going really well, I am really happy with him,” Turner said. “He has come through his races each time better and better. He is a bit of a handful to deal with, so it is good to see him put his best foot forward on raceday.” Turner said De Russian Rocket is suited to rain-affected tracks and is hoping there is some precipitation around Wingatui ahead of Friday. “Ideally, I would have liked to have seen some rain around, but any bit of give in the track will help him, he is definitely not a summer horse,” she said. De Russian Rocket has been allocated 58.5kg but will get some weight relief courtesy of apprentice jockey Denby-Rose Tait’s three-kilogram claim. “Being the highest rated horse in the maiden, I saw it fit to pop Denby back on, she did a good job at Invercargill, and we get some weight off his back, which is a bit of help because he is not the biggest horse,” Turner said. With racing going into hibernation in the deep south over winter, Turner said she isn’t afraid to travel with De Russian Rocket over the winter months. “As long as he is still running good races, and he is happy and sound, we will just keep targeting the winter tracks and see how we go,” she said. Turner is also set to line-up The Advisor (NZ) (Zacinto), who she has accepted for three 1600m races on Friday, but Turner has yet to decide on which route her charge will take. “She is in the 65 miles and the 75 mile. I haven’t yet decided what one I am going to run her in,” she said. “Either way she will have Gosen Jogoo do the riding again, he did a good job riding her at Invercargill last start. She is just honest, she always gives it her best crack. She is no superstar, but she likes a bit of give in the track. “She is the same as De Russian Rocket, as long as she is happy and sound, we will keep going through winter and hopefully she can get another win under her belt soon.” Turner said being based at Riverton can make winter racing a bit tricky, with the Southland horsewoman having to travel to Otago or Canterbury to campaign her team. “We have only got three more Wingatui meetings, including this one, and then we will look to travel,” she said. “As long as they are putting their best foot forward on raceday then it’s no hassle for us to do the trek if we have got confidence in the team.” View the full article

Take The Crown (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) will have underfoot conditions in his favour at Pukekohe when he takes on black-type company for the first time. The youngster confirmed plans for a crack at Saturday’s Listed Staphanos At Novara Park Champagne Stakes (1600m) with a strong resuming effort for third at New Plymouth. “He ran a big race at Taranaki the other day and we had this one in the back of our minds,” trainer Shaun Phelan said. “We rode him back to get home over 1200m and it turned out he was run off his feet early, so he did well.” Take The Crown showed early promise with the son of Ten Sovereigns unbeaten in two trials but was unable to repeat that form in subsequent race day starts. “We had him up early, but through the summer two-year-old races they were just too fast for him, he hasn’t got that turn of foot on those tracks.” From a family that includes the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock), Take The Crown will be in his element on Saturday with heavily rain-affected going in play. “We turned him out and brought him back for the winter and he does handle the wet tracks well,” Phelan said. “He has matured a lot and had a bit of time now, which has done him good. “We’ll have a throw at the stumps at the 1600m, it’s not going to be easy and probably be the survival of the toughest and the fittest. “We’ve got Michael McNab engaged so that’s definitely a bonus as well.” Stablemate Enchanted Elle (NZ) (Jakkalberry) will kick off a new campaign in the Jamieson Park Handicap (1500m) and warmed up for her return with a runner-up finish in a 1200m heat at the Avondale trials earlier this month. “She has come back well, we had her up in the summer and it just didn’t work out for her,” Phelan said. “We’ll probably aim her at the Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m) and those sorts of races, she is as good as ever.” Enchanted Elle won the Te Rapa staying feature last season and wasn’t disgraced on top of the ground when ninth and six lengths off the winner Ladies Man (NZ) (Zed) in the Gr1.1 Livamol Classic (2040m). Also in action at Pukekohe will be Pacheco (NZ) (Makfi), who performed above expectations with his resuming second behind Casino Princess (NZ) (Casino Prince) at Rotorua, in the Thanks Peter & Dawn Williams Handicap (1600m). “He had been working well but when we got to the races, we thought the track may have been a bit too good in that company,” Phelan said. “I got him as a potential jumper and is a bit of a thinking horse, he is probably looking for a bit further so we’ve kept him fresh for this. “He had a hurdle trial before that race at Rotorua so he’s ready to go jumping, but we’ll play it by ear. “If he keeps running well on the flat he’ll stick to that for a bit, it will be a long winter so we’ll mix it up a bit with him.” View the full article

What 2024 Doomben Cup Where Doomben Racecourse – 75 Hampden St, Ascot QLD 4007 When Saturday, May 25, 2024 Prizemoney $1,000,000 Distance 2000m Conditions Weight-For-Age 2023 winner Huetor (6) | T: Peter & Paul Snowden | J: Ryan Maloney (59kg) Visit Dabble The Group 1 Doomben Cup will headline a massive 10-race program as the Brisbane Racing Club hosts the second of two straight meetings at Doomben Racecourse for the Queensland Racing Carnival. Chris Waller, Annabel Neasham, and the Adrian Bott & Gai Waterhouse barn have a stranglehold on the race, with nine out of the 16 runners hailing from those three stables. After racing with the rail in the +4m position last Saturday, it moves in to the +2m position this weekend, which should allow the track to play as fairly as possible. Huetor will seek to become the first horse since Rough Habit in 1993 to claim three straight Doomben Cups; however, this year’s field appears to be one of the strongest in some time. Doomben Cup 2024 odds Following his third-place finish in the A.D. Hollindale Stakes, Kovalica from the Waller yard is a +240 favourite with online bookmakers. Huetor and Detonator Jack sit together on the second line of betting at +500, just ahead of Hollindale winner Numerian (+600). The chances don’t end there, as Fawkner Park (+1400), Vow And Declare (+1700), Serpentine (+1700), Amokura (+1700) and Hoo Ya Mal (+1700) are given good chances at double figures. 2024 Doomben Cup speed map With Serpentine, Hoo Ya Mal and New Endeavour hailing from the Waterhouse & Bott stable, it is expected that those three will go forward and set a solid tempo. Vow And Declare, Numerian and Young Werther will find spots behind the speed from inside barriers, while Naval College may have to push forward from barrier 13. Fawkner Park, Kovalica, Huetor and Amokura will appreciate a good tempo so they can run home strongly from the rear of the field. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Doomben Cup. Doomben Cup 2024 preview & form Kovalica comes into the 2024 Doomben Cup off a solid run in the Hollindale Stakes, where he finished off nicely into third place on a Heavy track. This son of Ocean Park ran in this race as a three-year-old last year and was far from disgraced behind Huetor and Numerian, and even though he meets them worse at the weights this year, he has only been running in Group races since. From barrier three, Nash Rawiller will be able to settle a little closer to the speed and give Kovalica every chance to play a prominent role in the finish. The booking of James McDonald for his first ride on Detonator Jack is an intriguing one. After being nosed out by Just Folk in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup, the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper has been given his first crack at 2000m in his 20th start. Barrier 10 is the only worry with this guy, but that is offset by having McDonald on his back. If Detonator Jack can find cover and run out a strong 2000m, he has a big chance to cause a minor boilover here. It is hard to ignore the Hollindale Stakes winner, Numerian, who was very strong over the 1800m trip first-up at the Sunshine Coast. The Annabel Neasham-trained gelding will have taken plenty of benefit from that run, but after drawing a sticky barrier (7), it will be a tough task to go back-to-back now that he takes on Group 1 grade, where he is yet to win in six starts. New Endeavour was beaten by the smallest of margins last Saturday and will back up in the Cup. He is expected to be one of the key speed influences, and the Waterhouse & Bott-trained stayer looks to be the best of the stable’s three runners in this race. 2024 Doomben Cup selections & best bets Selections: 3 KOVALICA 4 DETONATOR JACK 1 NUMERIAN 14 NEW ENDEAVOUR $100 betting strategy $50 Win Kovalica (#3) @ +240 with Neds $50 Win Detonator Jack (#4) @ +500 with PlayUp More horse racing tips View the full article

Enchanted Elle will contest the Jamieson Park Handicap (1500m) at Pukekohe Park on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Take The Crown will have underfoot conditions in his favour at Pukekohe when he takes on black-type company for the first time. The youngster confirmed plans for a crack at Saturday’s Listed Staphanos At Novara Park Champagne Stakes (1600m) with a strong resuming effort for third at New Plymouth. “He ran a big race at Taranaki the other day and we had this one in the back of our minds,” trainer Shaun Phelan said. “We rode him back to get home over 1200m and it turned out he was run off his feet early, so he did well.” Take The Crown showed early promise with the son of Ten Sovereigns unbeaten in two trials but was unable to repeat that form in subsequent race day starts. “We had him up early, but through the summer two-year-old races they were just too fast for him, he hasn’t got that turn of foot on those tracks.” From a family that includes the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Age Of Fire, Take The Crown will be in his element on Saturday with heavily rain-affected going in play. “We turned him out and brought him back for the winter and he does handle the wet tracks well,” Phelan said. “He has matured a lot and had a bit of time now, which has done him good. “We’ll have a throw at the stumps at the 1600m, it’s not going to be easy and probably be the survival of the toughest and the fittest. “We’ve got Michael McNab engaged so that’s definitely a bonus as well.” Stablemate Enchanted Elle will kick off a new campaign in the Jamieson Park Handicap (1500m) and warmed up for her return with a runner-up finish in a 1200m heat at the Avondale trials earlier this month. “She has come back well, we had her up in the summer and it just didn’t work out for her,” Phelan said. “We’ll probably aim her at the Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m) and those sorts of races, she is as good as ever.” Enchanted Elle won the Te Rapa staying feature last season and wasn’t disgraced on top of the ground when ninth and six lengths off the winner Ladies Man in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m). Also in action at Pukekohe will be Pacheco, who performed above expectations with his resuming second behind Casino Princess at Rotorua, in the Thanks Peter & Dawn Williams Handicap (1600m). “He had been working well but when we got to the races, we thought the track may have been a bit too good in that company,” Phelan said. “I got him as a potential jumper and is a bit of a thinking horse, he is probably looking for a bit further so we’ve kept him fresh for this. “He had a hurdle trial before that race at Rotorua so he’s ready to go jumping, but we’ll play it by ear. “If he keeps running well on the flat he’ll stick to that for a bit, it will be a long winter so we’ll mix it up a bit with him.” Horse racing news View the full article

Riverton trainer Ebony Turner. Photo: Tayler Strong With three runner-up results from just five raceday appearances, De Russian Rocket is due a win, and trainer Ebony Turner is hoping it comes at Wingatui on Friday. The three-year-old son of Sweet Orange has been a consistent performer for the Riverton horsewoman and will be out to continue his purple patch of form in the Positive Signs – Print Maiden 1400. “He has been going really well, I am really happy with him,” Turner said. “He has come through his races each time better and better. He is a bit of a handful to deal with, so it is good to see him put his best foot forward on raceday.” Turner said De Russian Rocket is suited to rain-affected tracks and is hoping there is some precipitation around Wingatui ahead of Friday. “Ideally, I would have liked to have seen some rain around, but any bit of give in the track will help him, he is definitely not a summer horse,” she said. De Russian Rocket has been allocated 58.5kg but will get some weight relief courtesy of apprentice jockey Denby-Rose Tait’s three-kilogram claim. “Being the highest rated horse in the maiden, I saw it fit to pop Denby back on, she did a good job at Invercargill, and we get some weight off his back, which is a bit of help because he is not the biggest horse,” Turner said. With racing going into hibernation in the deep south over winter, Turner said she isn’t afraid to travel with De Russian Rocket over the winter months. “As long as he is still running good races, and he is happy and sound, we will just keep targeting the winter tracks and see how we go,” she said. Turner is also set to line-up The Advisor, who she has accepted for three 1600m races on Friday, but Turner has yet to decide on which route her charge will take. “She is in the 65 miles and the 75 mile. I haven’t yet decided what one I am going to run her in,” she said. “Either way she will have Gosen Jogoo do the riding again, he did a good job riding her at Invercargill last start. She is just honest, she always gives it her best crack. She is no superstar, but she likes a bit of give in the track. “She is the same as De Russian Rocket, as long as she is happy and sound, we will keep going through winter and hopefully she can get another win under her belt soon.” Turner said being based at Riverton can make winter racing a bit tricky, with the Southland horsewoman having to travel to Otago or Canterbury to campaign her team. “We have only got three more Wingatui meetings, including this one, and then we will look to travel,” she said. “As long as they are putting their best foot forward on raceday then it’s no hassle for us to do the trek if we have got confidence in the team.” Horse racing news View the full article

Bradman will contest the Majestic Horse Floats 1400 at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North Bradman could be looking to add to his stakes haul if he performs up to expectations in the Majestic Horse Floats 1400 at Trentham on Saturday. The Roydon Bergerson-trained six-year-old took out the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at the Upper Hutt track last month before placing in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m), and was fourth over 1400m at Te Rapa last start. “He is going super at the moment, so I am really happy with him, I can’t fault his work,” Bergerson said. “He had a good run at Te Rapa against a good, strong field, and the form has stacked up really well.” The son of Pins has drawn barrier three on Saturday, with his 60kg impost coming down to 57kg with the assistance of apprentice jockey Jim Chung’s claim. “He comes in alright in the weights with a three-kilo claim. It is a good, even field with a lot of form in the race with Belle’s Echo and Rocababy,” Bergerson said. A solid result on Saturday will likely result in Bradman backing up a week later in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. “He is going the right way,” Bergerson said. “If he races well on Saturday I will probably back him up at Wanganui in that weight-for-age.” Reign It In will also join his stablemate on the float trip to Trentham this weekend where he will line-up in The Metro Interiors Autumn Sprint Final (1200m). The Scared Falls five-year-old disappointed his trainer with his last start unplaced performance over 1400m at Trentham, and Bergerson is hoping he can redeem himself this weekend. “He was disappointing the other day, I don’t know what is going on with him,” Bergerson said. “His trackwork has been outstanding and I thought he would be a big chance, but he was just slow out of the gates and never got involved in the race at all. He travelled up keen, but Lisa (Allpress, jockey) said he had nothing left. “Back on a Heavy track this week, and he is well within himself, he has come through the race really well. He will do a bit of jumping and swimming in the next couple of days, which will hopefully freshen him back up, and hopefully he can be competitive on Saturday. It is quite a good race if you can win it and he has got the ability.” Bergerson is also set to line-up Vee Vee in the Happy Birthday Peter Lissington 1300 but said the track’s rating of a Heavy 10 on Wednesday morning would need to improve for the gelding to start. “He may be a bit doubtful first-up on a heavy track,” Bergerson said. “He has come up super and he looks like a promising stayer in the making. “He is from a good family and is a really nice horse going forward. I don’t really want to run him on a Heavy track and flatten him first-up. We will just see what the weather does in the next couple of days.” Horse racing news View the full article

Sorghaghtani pulls clear to win the C.W. Cole Racing – Cody Cole (1750m) at Taupo on Wednesday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Graham Richardson believes the best is still to come for progressive mare Sorghaghtani after her rise through the grades continued with a victory in the C.W. Cole Racing – Cody Cole (1750m) at Taupo on Wednesday. The daughter of Mongolian Khan had more than a year off the scene after a trio of starts as a three-year-old and returned a furnished galloper finishing runner-up to talented filly Grande Gallo, and ahead of her Group One-performing stablemate To Catch A Thief in a competitive MAAT race on New Year’s Day. Sorghaghtani’s maiden success soon followed fresh-up in April, and punters remained undeterred after an unlucky seventh at Te Rapa, backing her into $3.50 favouritism for the Rating 65 contest at Taupo. In the capable hands of Opie Bosson, the mare travelled one-off the fence in fourth throughout while Gin Gin controlled the tempo in front, that runner remaining close to the rail turning for home while Sorghaghtani descended down the centre of the track. The pair fought out a tight finish with I Am Groot and Armino closing strongly, but Sorghaghtani looked comfortable at the post despite less than a length splitting the first four placegetters. Richardson was delighted with the mare he co-owns, as well as stablemate Therapeutic who finished 1.25 lengths back in fifth. “I really like this mare, in fact I like both of them and Therapeutic was a bit unlucky today,” he said. “I was over the moon with that. She (Sorghaghtani) lacked a bit of luck last time, and I thought she’d be a pretty good chance today. “Opie said she’ll get over more ground which I expect her to, getting out to 2000m. She’ll be a better horse in the spring as well. I’ll just see what meetings are coming up for her in the meantime.” A $10,000 purchase by Richardson at the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sales, Sorghaghtani was bred by the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ) and was the third foal out of Northern Meteor mare Treasury. She has earned $43,940 in stakes from eight starts. Richardson and training partner Rogan Norvall also have a pair of runners engaged for the Pukekohe meeting on Saturday, including Paisley Park who contests the Jamieson Park 1500. The Azamour nine-year-old is a former Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) and Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) winner and has had two runs back this campaign including a last-start seventh behind C’est Moi at Te Rapa. “His last run, even though he ran last, was a very good run. He just blew out,” Richardson said. “He’s back down to a reasonable weight (55.5kg), so with a bit of rain around, it should be near spot-on for him on Saturday.” Also representing the Matamata trainers is Lovearoadie, a consistent daughter of Savile Row who has not finished out of the first four in as many starts this preparation. She will line-up in the SkyCity 1400, with Vinnie Colgan booked to ride. “She was very unlucky last time and her work this morning was very good, she was meant to gallop yesterday with Paisley Park, but it was too dangerous with the storms around,” Richardson said. “She’s drawn better for a change on Saturday (7), so hopefully she can be just in behind them.” Horse racing news View the full article