Wandering Eyes

Ka Ying Rising, the world’s top-rated sprinter, has delighted David Hayes in his final fast turf gallop ahead of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (LONGINES HKIR) on 14 December as a string of local contenders sharpened preparations with barrier trials at Sha Tin today (Thursday, 4 December). Ka Ying Rising will attempt to match Golden Sixty’s feat of winning 16 races in a row – a streak bettered only by Silent Witness (17 wins) as a Hong Kong, China-trained horse – when he tackles the HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) next week. Hayes believes his charge is on target after the five-time Group 1 winner surged over his final 400m in 21.6s in a sparkling turf gallop on Wednesday morning (3 December) under leading rider Zac Purton. “I thought it was as good as you could ask the horse to work. Zac quickened on him, and he said he thought that he was at his top and he gave him a little dig and he extended again,” Hayes said. “He just cantered around on the turf track and quickened the last 400 metres and ran home in 21.6 (seconds). He just gradually increased his work, and I think he would have broken 11 seconds for the last 200 (metres) without trying. “I think Zac thought it was the best he’s felt in work, so he just keeps on improving and he’ll just do steady work into the big race. We’re very happy with him.” Helios Express, who finished second to Ka Ying Rising in three Group 1 races last season and third in another, finished second to Packing Hermod in a 1200m barrier trial on dirt this morning (4 December). Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Helios Express finished ahead of four other LONGINES HKIR aspirants – Raging Blizzard (fourth), Galaxy Patch (fifth), Voyage Bubble (sixth) and Ka Ying Generation (seventh) – in an overall time of 1m 11.41s. John Size-trained pair Bundle Award (third) and Red Lion (eighth) contested the second 1200m batch, which was won by stablemate Beauty Eternal in 1m 09.74s. Massive Sovereign (fifth) and Ensued (eighth) featured in batch three, which was won by Public Attention in 1m 10.74s. Harry Eustace-trained Docklands worked in leisurely fashion on the dirt ahead of the HK$36 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) – one of the four Group 1 features next week, along with the HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), HK$26 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m) and LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint. Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Sunday (7 December) with the Class 5 Ashley Handicap (1650m, dirt) at 1pm. View the full article

Canterbury mare Ears Back’s best form has been in the North Island this year, and she has crossed the Cook Strait once more to try to add to her stakes haul. The seven-year-old daughter of Jakkalberry recorded her first black-type win in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui in May and doubled her stakes tally when taking out the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham in September. She subsequently posted two unplaced runs in her home region, however, Blackadder said she did have her excuses for finishing last in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) last month, and he was buoyed by her trial win over 1200m at Ashburton last week, which cemented her trip north. “Her last race she wasn’t very well and heavily in season,” Blackadder said. “She had a very good trial last week at Ashburton. I had to give her that trial, and with Our Echo in it, it gave me a good gauge of where we were at with her.” Ears Back has made her way north to Suzy Gordon’s Foxton barn where she has settled in well and Blackadder said he has received positive reports on her work ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham. “She is at Suzy Gordon’s at the moment and she is very relaxed up there,” Blackadder said. “As long as they are happy and eating up you can’t ask for anymore. “It is a big ask for her obviously, but she is working well and galloped well on Tuesday.” Saturday’s contest will be Ears Back’s first tilt at elite-level, and while realistic about her chances against a strong line-up, Blackadder is hopeful of a bold showing as he looks towards returning to the Upper Hutt venue to contest next month’s Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m). “We are looking at the Thorndon Mile,” he said. “There is not much down here for her now because weight will get her. We have got to hope she goes well on Saturday.” Meanwhile, Blackadder will have three representatives at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Friday, including New Beginnings in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Rating 60 (2100m), Malfy Rosa in The FAB Four-CHCH 29 March 2026 Rating 80 (2100m), and Cavendish in the EDR Contracting Maiden (1600m). “New Beginnings likes the synthetic and she should be quite competitive,” Blackadder said. “Malfy Rosa is looking the best I have seen her for a long time and Cavendish had his first start over 1600m and he only blew out in the last 100m. He has got a wide draw (11) tomorrow and doesn’t quite have that ringcraft yet, but he is not a bad horse.” View the full article

New Zealand jockey James McDonald has won the Longines World’s Best Jockey title for the second consecutive year and third time overall. The 33-year-old, who is based in Australia, also won the Longines World’s Best Jockey Award in 2022. On his way to claiming the 2025 title, McDonald won 12 of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races. His qualifying victories included the Longines Hong Kong Cup, Longines Hong Kong Mile, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000, and the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. McDonald dominated this year’s award, holding a sizeable lead throughout much of the competition. The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving McDonald a total of 184 points on the year. Mickael Barzalona was second with 132 points, while William Buick was third with 114 points. The awarding of the World’s Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third. The award was established in 2014 as a way for the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) to quantitatively recognise a jockey as the best among his or her global peers. View the full article

Waitak’s class and versatility will stand him in good stead at Trentham where he chases a fourth top-flight title. He has triumphed over 1200, 1600 and 2040m at the highest level on good, soft and heavy tracks and Wexford Stables have him in tip-tip order for Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m). “He’s been an amazing racehorse for us and goes well on all kinds of going, he’s quite versatile and definitely enjoys getting his toe in the ground,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “He’s going as well as he can and we do have a lot of respect for the others in the field, it’s a really good Group One race.” Waitak ended his spring campaign with wins in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) before a break. “The team have been really pleased with him and gave him a week on the farm and a bit of trotting and cantering work before he came back in the barn,” Scott said. “He had that trial last week and we were pleased with him under a beautiful rein and Craig (Grylls, jockey) was really happy with him as well. “He had a nice hit-out on Tuesday morning and stormed up the straight, so we are hopeful of getting a good result.” Waitak has been sent south in the company of younger brother Crackerol, who is also in good form ahead of the Rothley Handicap (2100m). “His recent racing has been very solid and this is his first attempt over the longer trip, but his fitness and confidence levels are high so we thought we would take the opportunity to get him over ground,” Scott said. “He has trained on well and the conditions should suit him nicely.” Closer to home at Pukekohe, Wexford will have the promising duo of L’Aigle Noir and Yamato Satona going head-to-head in Saturday’s Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), while a new face will partner three of the stable’s undercard contenders. “L’Aigle Noir put in a top performance fresh when he won at Rotorua and has worked well and we certainly think he’ll give a strong account of himself,” Scott said. “He’s got a barrier draw (one) that will help, and he’s trialled well right-handed in the past. “Yamato Satona has taken a bit of making and we’ve seen more focus in his training and we think he’s another that will relish going further over the summer months, so he should be hitting the line well.” Queensland-based Heavelon Van Der Hoven will be making his New Zealand debut and has been booked by Wexford for Genki (Dunstan Horsefeeds, 1600m), Dua Dance (Yourride, 1200m) and Up The Anti (Myracehorse, 1500m). “Leith Innes said he was coming over and all the feedback is that he’s a very competent rider, professional and does his form,” Scott said. “Genki is a promising stayer, there’s no reason why Dua Dance won’t be hard to beat if she puts her best foot forward and we also expect Up The Anti to run well.” View the full article

It’s been an eventful year for apprentice jockey Triston Moodley, but it is ending on a high. The talented rider was sidelined for three months after he sustained a head injury at the Waipa trials in July, but he made a pleasing recovery and has made an instant impact on his return to the track. The last month has been particularly fruitful for Moodley, who was victorious aboard the Andrew Forsman-trained Force Of Nature in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m), doubling his career stakes tally, and last Friday he recorded his 100th win in the saddle aboard the John and Karen Parsons-trained Lucky Ferrando at Cromwell. The 24-year-old hoop was rapt to reach the milestone, particularly after a trying few months recuperating from his head injury. “To get the 100 wins was a peach of a moment,” Moodley said. “Not many apprentices are able to do it. I have gotten a lot of support throughout my career, and I am really glad I could do it. “It was tough over that injury period and I was just glad to get over the injury, get fit and ready to go again. “My injury hasn’t played up at all since I have come back, so I am very glad about that. I go for regular check-ups and everything is looking perfect. “It was quite a serious injury and I was bed-ridden for a couple of weeks. It was quite tough on me, but I am glad to be back now.” While he has been having plenty of success on the track in the last month, it has also been a big month on a personal front, with Moodley moving south to Christchurch from his previous northern base with trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata at Byerley Park in South Auckland. “I can get quite a lot of rides here and I have got a new manager (Andre Neill) as well. It is going great at the moment, I am quite busy,” he said. Moodley is enjoying his time in Christchurch but said he will continue to be a familiar face in the North Island. “I will end up basing myself down here, but I will do a lot of travelling up north and to the Central Districts,” he said. “My main goal is to buy a house down here and travel as much as I can.” Moodley is currently on loan to the New Zealand Equine Academy while freelance riding in the morning for Riccarton trainers, and he said it is a move he is looking to make permanent in the coming months. “I am currently on loan to the Academy, so I will probably go with them full-time once the three-months are up,” he said. “I am freelancing and doing a couple for the Pitmans, David Walsh, Danny Crozier, and whoever needs help.” Moodley will add to his growing frequent flyer points this weekend when he returns to Auckland where he has a strong book of rides at Pukekohe on Saturday, including Landlock in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) and Twain in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m). Moodley has a great association with the John Bell-trained Twain, having won four of his five starts on the gelding, and he is hoping to extend their winning sequence this weekend, for which he is a $2.80 favourite. “I am looking forward to getting back on Twain, it has been a while,” Moodley said. “I thought I would have a good season with him, but with the injury it didn’t work out that way. Hopefully I can keep winning on him.” Moodley is also upbeat about the prospects of Group One performer Landlock, who is a $4.60 second favourite for the Bonecrusher behind the Stephen Marsh-trained To Cap It All. “He has drawn three and will probably get a soft run,” Moodley said. “He will go very close in that race, I think he is one of the horses to beat.” A day prior at his new home track of Riccarton, Moodley will have six rides, and rates the David Walsh-trained Lady Georgiana as his leading chance in the Peninsular Beachfront Resort Mooloolaba Rating 60 (1400m). “I have been riding her a bit in track work and she has been working well,” he said. “She is a horse that needs everything to go her way, so hopefully that happens in the race, and I think she will be right there in the finish.” View the full article

James McDonald and Hugh Bowman are confident Galaxy Patch and Helios Express are primed to produce peak performances at the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) after competing in a star-studded trial at Sha Tin on Thursday. Set for the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) on Sunday week, Helios Express under Bowman vied for the lead with Packing Hermod in Thursday’s dirt hit-out over 1,200m and kept on solidly to run second to that galloper. Fellow Hong Kong Sprint contender Raging...View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk As she approaches the end of her racing career, I Dream Of Jeannie could mark her 100th start in style when racing returns to Geraldine in South Canterbury. Saturday will mark the 75th anniversary of the first meeting held by the club at the Orari track. I Dream Of Jeannie will be a leading contender in the day’s feature trot at Orari, the Fresh Choice Geraldine Trotters Cup (4.34pm). In her last start the Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained eight-year-old produced a huge finish to win the Group 2 Grand Duchess at Addington on November 21. It was her eighth win in 99 starts. “She does start off 25 metres but it is not an overly big field,” says driver John Dunn, “and she has trained on nicely since that last win.” Dunn also confirming that it won’t be long before she heads to the broodmare paddock. “We’ve been given the green light that she is in foal to Tactical Approach.” With three wins in his last four starts, the Bob Butt trained and driven Tactical Bid looks I Dream Of Jeannie’s toughest rival while Maui will be looking to repeat his success from 2024. The Dunns’ Diamond Racing also lines up It’s Tough in the Placemakers Timaru/Twizel/Oamaru Geraldine Cup (3.24pm). The four-year-old gelding won three in a row before his ninth in the Group 1 Christian Cullen at Addington on Show Day but he does have to take on the very talented The Lazarus Effect, who’s at $1.60 in the early markets. It’s Tough is at $3.10. “He’s well placed but The Lazarus Effect will be hard to beat,” says Dunn. It will also be It’s Tough’s first standing start though Dunn is not expecting any issues. The Dunns chalked up win number 100 for 2024 when Burt won at Timaru yesterday. They are third in the premiership behind Steve and Amanda Telfer on 158 and Michael House on 102. With a favourable weather forecast and some much needed rain during the week the track is expected to be in good shape for the meeting, which starts at 12.05pm. The club is hopeful of a big crowd with nearly 500 in their Christmas At The Races marquees alone. “About 50 per cent of them are repeat business,” says committee member Jackie Nelson, “which is great.” “If the weather plays ball we’d love to get a crowd of around 2000.” The “Lean On A Gate” passing lane will also be in action. It’s the club’s way to support the mental health programme that Craig Wiggins and his team run in rural communities. “Wiggy”, as he’s known, will also be clerking on the course throughout the meeting. To see the Geraldine fields click here View the full article

Brotha Keny (Mo Town) parlayed a recent stakes victory into a record-sized payday for his connections on Wednesday during the Inglis Digital USA December sale with his $550,000 hammer price being the highest in the online auction platform's history and propelling a top overall gross of $869,250, the company said in a press release late on Wednesday. The 3-year-old gelding sold to Meah/Lloyd Bloodstock, as agent for Michael and Jules Iavarone, TTC Stables and Morplay Racing. Brotha Keny entered the December sale off a victory in the Zia Park Derby just eight days earlier, swinging wide and charging down the stretch to win by a half-length for trainer William Morey and owners Lance and Steve Kinross. “This is the type of horse you dream of owning, and they don't show up on the open market very often, so fair play goes out to Inglis Digital USA for recruiting him,” David Meah said. “He's been a model of consistency this year ever since he got back on the dirt. Numbers don't lie, and his are trending in a very positive direction.” Over the summer, Brotha Keny won the Bourbon Flight Stakes at Churchill Downs Sept. 20, and finished in-the-money in the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII West Virginia Derby. In total, he has won four of 13 starts and earned $499,528. “His last three races have been huge performances, even the loss at Keeneland in an allowance was a big run,” Meah added. “Then, he came back to win the Zia Park Derby with a dominant performance. He's only three, and has an entire career ahead of him. We are all thrilled, especially Jose D'Angelo, who will be the man taking over the training of him now.” Bred in Kentucky by Terrazas Thoroughbreds, Brotha Keny is out of the placed Northern Afleet mare Raramuri Princess, whose nine foals are all winners, also including stakes winner Concealed Carry (Competitive Edge). Eastern Sand (Line in the Sand), a Grade III winner, can be found in his extended family. Paramount Sales consigned Brotha Kenny, as agent, and he was made available for inspection at Morey's barn at Turfway Park. “It's great when a plan comes together,” said Paddy Campion of Paramount Sales. “Mr. Kinross and I spoke before the Zia Park Derby about Brotha Keny as a sales prospect. A few days later the horse kept up his side of the bargain, winning that race and now today in the sales ring. The timing could not have been better. Inglis made the process an easy one when there were many last-minute details to sort out. “Kudos to Bill Morey, who managed the horses's career masterfully,” he said. “He was bought by a great judge in David Meah, and we wish the best of luck to Mike, Jules, TTC Stables, and Morplay Racing.” Wednesday's highest-priced broodmare was Sea Rocket, who sold to Tropical Racing for $65,000. Dornoch | Sara Gordon The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief is a half-sister to recently-retired MGSW Royal Spa (Violence), and she hails from the family of GISW Sippican Harbor (Orb) and Japanese multiple stakes winner Awesome Result (Justify). She was offered carrying a foal from the debut crop of GI Belmont Stakes hero Dornoch (Good Magic). Sea Rocket was offered by Norrevale Farm, and she made available for inspection at the operation's Lexington, Kentucky, base. In total, Wednesday's auction finished with 48 horses sold and that record gross of $869,250. With the largest catalogue ever, offerings were made available locally to buyers and sellers, and inspection sites included Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Inglis Digital USA continued to attract a diverse selection of customers, with 40 different buyers on the horses that changed hands Wednesday. “What a great way to end the year, with a record sale for Inglis Digital USA,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “We've grown a lot this year, and we owe it all to our customers. We appreciate everyone who did business with us in 2025.” Offerings that finished under their reserves on Wednesday are still available to purchase on the Inglis Digital USA website. Visit the site's catalogue page and click on “make an offer” next to the available horses. Entries are now open for the Inglis Digital USA 2026 February sale, and they will be taken through Monday, Jan. 26. The catalogue will be released on Friday, Jan. 30, and bidding will close on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Click here to enter a horse for the January sale, register as a bidder or make a bid on an RNA horse from the December sale. The post Stakes Winner Brotha Keny Brings Record Price At Inglis Digital USA December Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jokestar, much improved this year as a 4-year-old, battles Tosen Wish and seven others in the CA$150,000 Valedictory Stakes (G3) Dec. 6. Dresden Row will not contest this lengthy 1 1/2-mile race.View the full article

At a time when 2-year-olds are focusing on the preps for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), the 5-year-old Bishops Bay is facing a prep of his own. View the full article

7th-FG, $55k, Alw (N2L)/OC ($125k), 2yo, f, 6f, 4:45 p.m. ET PAVING (Gun Runner) was no better than an 8-1 chance when unveiled over this distance at Ellis Park Aug. 23, but she belied her inexperience with a very professional effort, coming away to score by 2 1/2 lengths. Among the vanquished that day was Sister Troienne (Munnings), who has since rattled off three straight, including the Nov. 27 Wait a While Stakes as the odds-on favorite. The filly's stakes-winning dam Point System (Broken Vow) is a daughter of GSW & GISP Brownie Points (Forest Wildcat), whose other notable produce includes MGSW Synchrony (Tapit) and GSW Chocolate Kisses (Candy Ride {Arg}). Larry Hirsch paid $420,000 for Point System in foal to Improbable at the Pin Oak Dispersal in 2021. Jose Ortiz has the call for trainer Tom Amoss. TJCIS PPs The post Impressive Maiden Winner Paving Resumes In Big Easy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz John Robinson arrives at Cambridge Raceway tonight with two strong opportunities to remind racegoers he’s still very much got the touch. With a driving career that stretches back to 1979 and a lifetime spent working with horses around his goat-farming day job, Robinson brings both experience and calm to a pair of promising Jason Teaz-trained trotters. Robinson first hopped in the sulky on race day more than four decades ago, getting involved in the game through his father. Although horses have always been part of his life, he ultimately made his living elsewhere. “For the last 31 years I’ve been a goat farmer and just worked the horses as a hobby,” he said. “As far as driving goes, I haven’t pursued a driving career for quite some time.” Normally, Robinson sticks to driving the small team he prepares himself. But his link with Teaz began when the Ohaupo trainer sought a steady hand for one of his trickier trotters. “He rang me one day to say that they were having some trouble with Veronica Jane and he wanted a regular driver for her.” Robinson’s first assignment tonight is Wynberg Janie in the Christmas Movie Series, Dec 7, 14 and 21 Trot. The five-year-old daughter of Majestic Son has had just two starts, but her last run at Cambridge turned heads. After getting things wrong on debut at Alexandra Park, she returned to Cambridge and delivered a faultless performance to score her maiden win. “At Auckland she looked like she panicked a little bit at the tapes, but the other night she got a nice trip and I know Jason thinks a bit of her,” Robinson said. “I’ve never driven her before so I’ll just have to take it as it comes, she’s up a grade so it will be a little bit tougher for her.” Later on the card, Robinson reunites with a mare he knows inside out — Veronica Jane in the Happy Hire Handicap Trot. She was impressive last start, clearing out to win by six lengths. Although she steps up in class and distance tonight and must contend with a 20m handicap, Robinson remains optimistic. “Her best races have been over 2200m, and this is 2-7, I don’t think the distance will worry her though,” he said. “The two wins she’s had, she’s gotten to the front, and she seems a lot happier when she’s there. Whether she can find the front from the 20m could be a bit of an ask.” Still, he’s confident she’s right in the mix with the right trip. “She likes the speed to be on, so long as we get that and a nice trip, she should be a good chance.” View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features an interesting newcomer from the Gosden stable. 17.30 Chelmsford City, £40,000, Nov, 2yo, f, 8f (AWT) John and Thady Gosden trainee SYMBOL OF MAJESTY (GB) (New Bay {GB}) is an unraced half-sister to the stable's G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Commissioning (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and stakes-winning G3 Winter Derby runner-up Military Academy (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). She faces eight rivals, which include Team Valor and Hazel McCracken's Molly O'Mally (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), who is an Andrew Balding-conditioned 250,000gns Book 1 half-sister to multiple Group 1-winning sire Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero El Bodegon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). The post Half to Fillies’ Mile Heroine Commissioning Primed for Chelmsford Bow appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rocket Can (Into Mischief–Tension, by Tapit), a dual Grade III winner, will stand in Uruguay for the 2026 Southern Hemisphere breeding season through a partnership between Haras Los Robles and Haras San Miguel Queguay, according to an article first published in Turf Dario on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Set to reside at Haras San Miguel Queguay, Rocket Can was bred by Woodford Thoroughbreds LLC, campaigned by Frank Fletcher and trained by Bill Mott. The current 5-year-old started 16 times, won four races and earned $619,393, according to Equibase. The gray captured the GIII Holy Bull Stakes and was the runner-up in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes–both at Gulfstream Park. After finishing fourth in the GI Arkansas Derby, Rocket Can was ninth in the GI Kentucky Derby. The Mott trainee's second graded score came in the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes in Hallandale late in his 4-year-old season. The post Rocket Can To Stud In Uruguay For 2026 Southern Hemisphere Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Munnings gelding makes his graded stakes debut in the Elite Power Stakes (G3) Dec. 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Leading his five rivals is Tom Fool (G3) winner Full Moon Madness, the lone graded stakes winner in the field for the 6-furlong race. View the full article

In this series, we will have a look predominantly at American-bred first-time juvenile starters (through the end of 2025) and debuting 3-year-olds in maiden races at Meydan Racecourse, with a specific focus on pedigree and/or performance in a sales ring. The flagship venue for racing in the United Arab Emirates is Meydan Racecourse, which will host racing on Fridays through the end of March, with the exception of Super Saturday on Feb. 28 and Dubai World Cup night Mar. 28, 2026. Here are the horses of note for this Friday's program at Meydan: Friday, December 5, 2025 2nd-MEY, AED165,000 ($45k), Maiden, NH2yo/SH3yo, 1400m No fewer than seven first-starters feature in this field of 13 and if his lone trial to date is any indication, ISHTIAH (McKinzie) could take a fair bit of beating. Hailing from the family of the legendary G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen hero Reynaldothewizard (Speightstown), the bay colt was an $85,000 acquisition out of last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale before changing hands for 150,000gns ($208,402) at this year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale (under-tack video). The Mar. 1 foal took a Nov. 12 trial by 5 3/4 lengths (see below) and the form has already been franked, as Duke of Immatin (Gun Runner), third in that hit-out, won his maiden impressively at first asking at Jebel Ali Nov. 29. Heart of Libya (Honor A. P.) was a $30,000 Keeneland September yearling before improving into a $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Juvenile this past May (gallop). The colt's dam, a half-sister to MGISW Tonalist (Tapit) and already responsible for Peruvian SW & GSP Estrella de Fuego (Oscar Performance), was sold for $47,000 with the colt in utero at Keeneland November in 2022. This is the extended female family of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam). Heart of Libya was fourth in the Ishtiah trial. Mirham (Maximus Mischief), whose unraced dam Bless You (Munnings) is a half-sister to GSW She's All Eltish (Eltish), fetched $260,000 from Harmash Racing after breezing a furlong in :9 4/5 at this year's OBS April Sale (see below), while New Jersey-bred Lino Padrino (Uncle Lino) was hammered down for $200,000 at FTMMAY after his blowout down the lane at Timonium (video). The latter hails from the family of the red-hot Upstart. The post Desert Doings: McKinzie Colt Look To Run Back To Promising Trial appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jaber Abdullah's Million Gold (Earthlight), a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs (Blue Point), made a winning debut in Wednesday's Unibet British Stallion Studs EBF Restricted Novice Stakes at Kempton. Swiftly into stride and positioned in a prominent second from flagfall, the 10-3 second choice ran green throughout the final quarter-mile and outmuscled Alasrae (Havana Grey) in the closing stages to register a 1 1/2-length verdict. Million Gold, the eighth of nine foals, becomes the seventh scorer from as many runners out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1-placed dual Group 2 winner Lady Of The Desert (Rahy), herself the dam of G2 Lowther Stakes victrix Queen Kindly (Frankel). Queen Kindly, in turn, produced G2 Lowther and G3 Firth Of Clyde Stakes placegetter Queen Me (Dubawi). Million Gold's second dam is Group 1-winning European champion Queen's Logic (Grand Lodge). The April-foaled bay is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint hero Big Evs (Blue Point) and a weanling filly by Havana Grey. The post Big Evs’s Half Brother Million Gold Too Good For Kempton Rivals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

One of the most significant collections of American Thoroughbred racing trophies in the sport's history–the Whitney family collection–has been bequeathed to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame by the late John Hendrickson, the institution's former chairman who unexpectedly passed away in August 2024, according to a press release from the repository on Wednesday. The collection is comprised of more than 400 trophies– including eight Triple Crown race trophies won by Whitney family-owned runners–as well as numerous prizes commemorating important victories by Hall of Fame inductees Equipoise, Regret, Silver Spoon, Top Flight, and Whisk Broom II. The collection includes trophies won by horses owned by William Collins Whitney, Harry Payne Whitney, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and Marylou Whitney, who was Hendrickson's late wife. “The Whitney family's legacy in American racing spans more than 125 years and is nothing short of exceptional,” said Charlotte Weber, the museum's chair. “The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is honored to receive such an important collection that represents the grand history of a wonderful family's unwavering multi-generational commitment to Thoroughbred racing and their remarkable achievements in the game. We look forward to being a steward of this wonderful gift and sharing these historic treasures with the public.” The oldest item in the collection is the 1899 Belmont Stakes trophy, which was won by Jean Bereaud in track-record time at Morris Park for William Collins Whitney, the patriarch of the Whitney racing dynasty. Four additional Belmont Stakes trophies won by Burgomaster (1906), Phalanx (1947), Counterpoint (1951), and Birdstone (Grindstone) (2004) are also part of the donation. The Whitney gift features the Kentucky Derby trophies won by Regret (1915) and Whiskery (1927). Hall of Famer Regret became the first of three fillies to win the Run for the Roses, prompting the Louisville Courier-Journal to report: ” … never shall we forget her gorgeous appearance on that memorable afternoon in May at Churchill Downs as she was led around the paddock before the race and later, when, with colors up, she stepped out on the course looking every inch a queen … receiving an ovation of which even royalty might well have been proud. Peerless Regret she was hailed and peerless she undoubtedly was, and from this day, she must be thought of with this descriptive adjective affixed.” The Harry Payne Whitney-owned Broomspun (1921), Bostonian (1927), and Victorian (1928) each won the Preakness during the 1920s, and those victories are recognized in a singular Woodlawn Vase trophy honoring the three horses. Regret's 1914 Saratoga Special trophy | courtesy of the NMRHOF Other highlights include Ashland Stakes trophies won by You All (1971) and Sun and Snow (1975); Blue Grass Stakes trophies won by Mr. Trouble (1950) and Tompion (1960); Futurity Stakes trophies won by Top Flight (1931) and First Flight (1946); Jockey Club Gold Cup trophies won by Phalanx (1947) and Counterpoint (1951); Kentucky Oaks trophies won by Bug Brush (1958), Bag of Tunes (1973), Sun and Snow (1975), and Bird Town (2003); Santa Anita Derby trophies won by Silver Spoon (1959) and Tompion (1960); Santa Margarita Stakes trophies won by Monsoon (1947), Bug Brush (1959), and Silver Spoon (1960); Saratoga Special trophies won by Regret (1914), Goshawk (1922), Whichone (1929), Red Rain (1935), and Banquet Table (1976); Travers Stakes trophies won by Fisherman (1954), Tompion (1960), Chompion (1968), and Birdstone (2004). The donation also includes the Metropolitan, Brooklyn, and Suburban handicap trophies won by Whisk Broom II in 1913, when he became the first horse to sweep the New York Handicap Triple Crown. After completing the sweep of the series under 139 pounds in the Suburban, the Thoroughbred Record said of Whisk Broom II: “It was a test of speed, courage, and stamina, and he answered each of the questions. … He was a master of his company.” Selections from the Whitney trophy collection will be on display in the Museum's McBean Gallery through Dec. 28. A formal exhibition of the collection will be presented in 2027, coinciding with the 100th running of the GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Whitney family trophy collection selected highlights: Kentucky Derby–1915, 1927 Preakness Stakes–1921, 1927, 1928 (single trophy) Belmont Stakes–1899, 1906, 1947, 1951, 2004 Ashland Stakes–1971, 1975 Blue Grass Stakes–1950, 1960 Futurity Stakes–1931, 1946 Jockey Club Gold Cup–1947, 1951 Kentucky Oaks–1958, 1973, 1975, 2003 Santa Anita Derby–1959, 1960 Santa Margarita Stakes–1947, 1959, 1960 Saratoga Special Stakes–1914, 1922, 1929, 1935, 1976 Travers Stakes–1954, 1960, 1968, 2004 The post Whitney Trophies Gifted To National Museum Of Racing And Hall of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A share in Siyouni headlines the catalogue for the Tattersalls Online December Sale, which takes place on December 10-11. A total of 126 lots will be offered, including 55 horses in and out of training, 20 foals, 19 broodmares, 18 yearlings, six breeding rights, four stores, two point-to-pointers and two stallion shares. Aga Khan Studs homebred Siyouni is the sire of 46 Group winners to date, including the multiple top-level scorers Laurens, Paddington, Sottsass and St Mark's Basilica. The Haras de Bonneval resident will stand at a fee of €150,000 in 2026. The shareholder will receive one nomination to the stallion in 2026, two nominations in 2027 and in every other year thereafter. Also on offer is a breeding right to Darley's exciting young stallion Palace Pier, the sire of this year's G2 Lowther Stakes heroine Royal Fixation from his first crop of two-year-olds. Other stallion investment opportunities include breeding rights to A'Ali, El Caballo, Lope Y Fernandez, Sergei Prokofiev and Space Blues, as well as a share in Yeomanstown Stud's Supremacy. Elsewhere, the unraced Arctic Circle, a two-year-old son of Frankel and the G1 Coronation Stakes winner Alpine Star, will be offered by Ecurie Sogorb as a horse in training, while a highlight of the broodmare section will be the Silfield Bloodstock-consigned Pivotal mare Upstanding, who is being offered in foal to Shaquille. The dam of three winners to date, she is also a full-sister to the G1 Lockinge Stakes scorer Virtual. The 18 yearlings in the sale include youngsters by Invincible Spirit, No Nay Never and Palace Pier, while the 20 foals catalogued include progeny by the likes of Caturra, Mostahdaf and Sergei Prokofiev. The online auction will get underway at 11am on Wednesday, December 10, with bidding on the first lot scheduled to close from 11am the following day. The full catalogue is available to view here. The post Share in Siyouni Available in Tattersalls Online December Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) had added one day of live racing on Wednesday, Dec. 10 as part of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, the organization said via a Wednesday release. Following the cancellation of live racing after the completion of the first race on Sunday, Nov. 30, NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) requested and have received formal approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to conduct live racing Dec. 10. Entries for the card will be taken on Thursday, Dec. 4. The post NYRA Adds Dec. 10 Card To Aqueduct Fall Meet Schedule appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NYRA announced Dec. 3 the addition of one day of live racing Dec. 10 as part of the fall meet at Aqueduct. Following the cancellation of live racing after Race 1 Nov. 30, approval from the NYSGM to conduct live racing on Dec. 10 was granted.View the full article

Serendipity is priceless in this business. Though they number no more than 20, for instance, this is the second time that one of the Dromingrove Farm mares has been steeply elevated by events. And you may recall an equally startling outcome, in Dubai a couple of years ago, after Delia Nash had found herself reluctantly obliged to retain and race an unsold horse. But then Nash has been around horses all her life, back to her County Limerick girlhood, and understands that no matter what you get right, the most important thing is to be lucky. “Oh, don't worry, I don't think I've cracked it!” Nash says wryly. “I've been around long enough to know there's a hell of a lot more bad days than good. So you need to take every little bit of energy and enjoyment from the good ones, when they happen. And then, those bad days, you need to just suck it up and try for the good days again–because they do come.” On this occasion, mind, it was literally a case of Lady Luck entering her life. For that was the name of an unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare she found herself inspecting at the Keeneland January Sale in 2022. “She wasn't on my list because on the face of it, the pedigree wasn't super-exciting,” Nash admits. “But when I went to the Gainesway barn, Sean Tugel asked could he add one to the three or four I wanted to see. And he pulled out this very attractive mare. Big, strong, plenty of scope, a very kind eye. Just a lot of class about her. The type of mare you like looking at, out in the field.” Tugel mentioned how Lady Luck's half-brother by Uncle Mo had made $450,000 the previous September. The word was that he was shaping well for his powerful owners, and on his way to Brad Cox. And meanwhile their dam, after both Lady Luck and then a Tapit colt had failed to make the gate, had lately got off the mark with a son of Into Mischief–Strava, later placed in a couple of stakes–at the Keeneland fall meet. “So all the kind of things you want to hear,” Nash says. “Of course you do also kind of go, 'Yeah, yeah, whatever.' But a potential upside is always something I'm looking for. Because if they're already proven, I can't afford them. So she stuck in my mind.” After all, Nash had just seen for herself the kind of thing that can happen, rolling the dice on a young mare. Back at the 2018 Keeneland November Sale, Nash had bought another 5-year-old after she had fallen short of her reserve at $19,000. At the time, Lemon Liqueur (Exchange Rate) only had a yearling by Honor Code and a weanling filly by Quality Road, and was now empty. But then her filly was bought by Peter Brant at Saratoga the following summer, named Bleecker Street, and had just extended her unbeaten start to three in a Tampa Bay allowance. By the time Nash took her half-sister by Flatter to Keeneland, that September, Bleecker Street had added four graded stakes, including the GI New York Stakes. Brant duly gave $475,000 for the Flatter filly, and this September returned with the same sum for a brother to Bleecker Street. In between, Nash had retained a stake in Lemon Liqueur's Not This Time 2022 colt when hammered for $535,000 to CJ Thoroughbreds. As Mesero, he ran second in the GIII Old Dominion Derby in September. “So that mare has been an absolute blessing,” Nash said. “And actually I ended up buying the Flatter filly back as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland last November.” (She's now in foal to Good Magic). Could something similar happen here? Nash went back next day for another look at Lady Luck and decided that she might stretch to $100,000. In the event, she has her friend Emma Quinn to thank for venturing one last bid at $135,000. “I was like, 'No, I'm done,'” Nash recalls. “But Emma was beside me and said, 'Go on, hit her one more time!' So I did. And I never regretted it. When I turned her out in the paddock that evening, I looked at her and thought: 'I overpaid for you, but I'm glad to have you.' And it turned out that I didn't overpay at all!” In fact, she cleared the whole investment in one hit, when the Maclean's Music filly she was then carrying brought $300,000 as a yearling. By that stage, Lady Luck's half-brother by Uncle Mo was up and running, winner of his first two before missing the GIII Peter Pan Stakes by a head. Bishops Bay was held up in 2024, but has bounced back with a five-for-seven campaign this year, including three graded stakes–most recently the GIII Forty Niner Stakes. In the meantime, moreover, Catch My Drift's next foal had proved still more exciting: Catching Freedom (Constitution) won the GII Louisiana Derby before running fourth in the GI Kentucky Derby itself. Bishops Bay | Hodges Photography “I knew there was a Constitution who'd just turned a yearling when I bought her,” Nash recalled. “And I saw that the Albaugh family bought him that September, and that he ended up in the same barn as Bishops Bay. So I was kind of following him along, watching his works, but then next thing I knew he was on the Triple Crown trail.” With those updates on the page, Lady Luck's first foal for Nash–a Yaupon colt–made $350,000 from Centennial Farms at the 2024 September Sale. “I couldn't go to Uncle Mo with her at that stage,” Nash reasons. “Bishops Bay hadn't done anything yet, and I'd only had her a few months. Then she went to Good Magic, but spent the afternoon out there and he wouldn't cover her. It was getting late in the year, so I tried sending her to Uncle Mo on the way home. But she didn't take, so she had no yearling for this year. But now she has an Uncle Mo filly on the ground, who's very nice.” And that's the great thing about this story: both Bleecker Street's dam and Catching Freedom's half-sister were young enough to exploit their upgrades. Smaller programs often find that things like this happen too late: the mare has been retired, maybe, or even sold on. “I've been very lucky,” Nash acknowledges. “Both my best mares had success very young, so touch wood they'll keep producing for me. I'm also fortunate that it's not my primary business. I don't want to lose money, raising or racing horses. I'm very competitive by nature, and just want to be successful no matter what I do. But it does mean I have a little bit of leeway, in terms of the stress of when those bills fall.” Nash joined the Kentucky Performance Products in 2000, four years after first sampling the expatriate Irish community around Lexington on an Equine Science placement from the University of Limerick. Hers was under Pat Costello at Crescent Hill. “I think there were 13 or 14 of us that came over to different farms,” she recalls. “We worked hard, and partied equally hard. But we showed up for work every day and made some great connections. I knew, leaving, that this was where the future was.” She took a stake in the nutrition supplements business in 2016 before buying out her partner in 2024. “It's grown dramatically, especially the last seven or eight years, so that's been a lot of fun as well,” Nash says appreciatively. “Business–whether in racing, nutrition or whatever–is the same, always volatile. Doesn't matter how good your decisions are, at the time, there are lots of external factors that you've no control over. So it can be stressful, but it's also very rewarding when you see something evolve and grow. Again, you have to enjoy the successes and learn from the mistakes.” Clients range from local to international, from Thoroughbreds to show jumpers and eventers. But Nash discourages people from treating supplements as rocket fuel. “Not every horse needs to supplement,” she emphasizes. “You identify a need, and find a product that has some efficacy for that need. We do a lot of work with universities, so that we have peer-reviewed, independent research behind our products. I have no control over the outcome of that research. Either something works or it doesn't. And if it doesn't, I don't want to put my name to it. So I focus on that, rather than the shiny label that tells you that it cures everything. I have to believe in something to be able to sell it. As opposed to telling people, 'Oh, I feed two scoops of this and half a scoop of that and my horse runs brilliant.' If only it was that easy.” Sibelius | Ryan Thompson The true vagaries of the racetrack were measured by a short yearling from the first crop of Not This Time, bought as a pinhook with Jun Park at the 2019 Keeneland January Sale ($62,000 RNA). “When we brought him back, in September, he had turned into a very nice yearling,” Nash recalls. “He had a few little things in the X-ray, but nothing that we thought might stop people buying him. But it turned out he failed every vet. Neither of us owned racehorses, but we said we'd break him and send him to Jerry O'Dwyer, and hopefully sell him as a racehorse.” Sibelius broke his maiden at Keeneland second time out, but it was with maturity as a 4-year-old that he got on a real roll, with a couple of stakes wins and the GIII Mr. Prospector Stakes earning him a crack at the G1 Golden Shaheen. “Did we feel we had a very nice horse?” Nash asks. “We did. We felt he deserved to be there and was going to be competitive. But we also knew we were up against the best sprinters in the world. I still watch that race and say, 'I know I was there. I know I witnessed that. But did that really happen?' He was a horse that we felt always needed to run towards the front. And that day he broke late from the one hole and got cut off. Ryan Moore gave him a dream ride. He never panicked and, when he got a gap, he gave that horse so much confidence to go through.” As recently explored by colleague Sara Gordon, Sibelius has continued to thrill his owners with a second career in dressage under O'Dwyer's wife Alison. “That horse gave us the adventure of a lifetime,” Nash says. “And, as so often, it wasn't something that we set out to achieve, either. He brought a really good group of people together, and we just had a great time. I still get stuck for words, thinking about it. “But look, I pinch myself daily. I've been very fortunate to have been given so many opportunities, to have been surrounded by such good people. There's a fantastic community here. We all go out and compete against each other, very aggressively, but it's very close-knit as well.” The inadvertent expansion of her program has required Nash to lease some overspill. “I bought a little farm, and built a barn before a house–as all good horse people do–but I have outgrown that,” she admits. “I suppose it's the worst thing that can happen, to have a little bit of success. You think, 'Oh, this is great, let's just build on that.' Because it's addictive. I mean, I swore I would never have a racehorse–and then I had Sibelius, and now I've bits and pieces all over, and another addiction. But it's so exciting, to be watching horses run and families getting updates on a Saturday afternoon. If it is an addiction, it's a very enjoyable one.” The post Luck Being a Lady to Nash appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — There was still plenty of business to be done as the December Sale drew to a close – in the ring, at the bar, and around the local stallion studs still busily showing to breeders in welcome sunshine. For many, money earned at the sales over the last few weeks is quickly reinvested. Wendy Miller, whose Jarosa Stud was responsible for the first lot in Tuesday's Sceptre Session, was back on Wednesday to buy a new mare. Miller bred Fair Angellica (Harry Angel) herself and when she failed to find a buyer for her as a yearling at £2,000, she put her in training with Richard Hughes who coached her to seven wins from her 16 starts, including Listed victories in England and France and a last-start triumph in the G3 Sceptre Fillies' Stakes before she was handed over to Jenny Norris to be prepared for sale. This time around Miller received 260,000gns in the ring for her, and on Wednesday she restocked with the purchase of three-time winner Ashky (Caravaggio) for 78,000gns, also through Norris Bloodstock. The six-year-old mare (lot 1899) already has a colt foal by Modern Games and she was sold carrying to Triple Time, whose first foals have been well received in recent weeks. “Wendy has the farm next to Jenny and she loved this mare when she saw her there,” said Conor Norris, who conducted the bidding on Miller's behalf. “The Triple Time foals have been lovely so far and she was keen to buy a mare in foal to the sire having seen the foals. He's an exciting young stallion.” Ashky was one of the bestsellers of the day but the leading lady proved to be Denford Stud's 91-rated Desert Spring (lot 1086), who will leave the Gosdens' stable to continue her training in France with Mario Barrati. Alex Elliott was the agent in the hotseat, and bought her on behalf of a partnership for 220,000gns “She ran in a stakes race last time, she is a winner, and bits have happened since she was catalogued,” he said. “We will try to make her a stakes winner and bring her back to the market then.” Desert Spring's third dam Last Second (Alzao) was a multiple group winner for Denford Stud and was bred by Kirsten Rausing and Sonia Rogers from their influential mare Alruccaba. She is thus a half-sister to Alouette (Darshaan), whose Alzao daughters Alborada and Albanova were both multiple Group 1 winners for Rausing. The Denford-developed branch of this high-achieving family includes Last Second's son Aussie Rules (Danehill), the Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner who later become a Lanwades stallion, and Approach (Darshaan), the dam of dual Group 1 winner Coronet (Dubawi) and St Leger runner-up Midas Touch (Galileo). Approach also features as the granddam of Desert Spring, who was sold on her breeder's behalf by The Castlebridge Consignment. Also en route to France will be the beautifully bred Star Spirit (lot 1836), a daughter of Deep Impact and the Prix de Diane winner Star Of Seville (Duke of Marmalade), who was bought by Paul Fretwell of Melchior Bloodstock for 82,000gns. The eight-year-old mare enjoyed an update after the catalogue was published when her juvenile half-sister Star Of Life (Starspangledbanner) won Rome's Listed Premio Femminile. “Under the first dam there is a Dubawi two-year-old who has just gone to the Gosdens, and I like her Ghaiyyath cover,” Fretwell said. “He is a progressive sire, and in France he has a good profile with [Andre] Fabre's My Highness. There is a Havana Grey to run for her and another Starspangledbanner to come. “Her sire Deep Impact – there are not loads of them and he was one of the most important sires in the modern era.” After Tuesday's blockbuster session, this was a lower-key ending to the December Mares Sale, which this year has been abbreviated to three days. Presumably the rise of the online sales has accounted for some of the mares who would previously have been catalogued for what used to be the final session on Thursday. With or without online sales, numbers will almost certainly, for now at least, continue to contract – for mares in production and inevitably the number of foals born across Europe. The diehards and deep-pockets will sit it out, hoping for an upturn, and anyone who has been in the business for long enough will be all too aware of its cyclical nature. That said, even some of those people are beginning to opine that the decline in numbers is alarming. This will inevitably affect the pool of available racehorses for a British fixture list in dire need of pruning. As we have continued to see – quite remarkably at times – the demand for yearlings and young stock at the top end of the market appears to be undiminished, but the horse with a weaker pedigree, by a less fashionable stallion, or an imperfect individual will struggle. Twas ever thus, up to a point, but now it is even more so, and the knock-on effect is that smaller breeders who would once have been at the parade ring rail hoping to sniff out a potential bargain are going home without an extra mouth to feed while considering carefully the futures of the mares they already have at home. To many, it is a time for retrenchment in the hope of survival. With the mares, as for the yearlings, the elite sector remains buoyant, with a premium on top-class fillies who remain racing prospects, as the 4.8m gns given for three-year-old Prix de l'Opera winner Barnavara shows. The list of top ten buyers featured major names from Ireland, China, America, Japan, and India. Bloodstock from these shores continues to have major international pulling power, but Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony sounded more than a note of caution regarding Britain's current political climate in his closing address. He said, “In recent weeks at Tattersalls we have enjoyed record-breaking yearling sales, sustained demand for horses in training and December Foal and Breeding Stock sales which have produced figures second only to the extraordinary 2024 renewals which broke all records. On the face of it, we have a strong market with British and Irish breeders being well rewarded for consistently bringing some of the finest bloodstock to be found anywhere in the world to Park Paddocks, but this hard-earned success comes in spite of rather than because of government support of a genuine British success story.” Those figures, which must be considered against last year's record-breaking trade, led to a 47% decline on the final day to 2,437,100gns in turnover. The clearance rate dropped to 78% from 89% last year, and the 10,000gns median and 15,622gns average represented reductions of 38% and 37% respectively. For the mares overall, however, the average for the three days was up by 13% to 140,661gns and the median rose by 7% to 40,500gns, while the aggregate of 82,337,515gns was down by 2%. The eight days which constituted the December Sale as a whole – from yearlings through to foals then breeding stock – saw turnover of 128,183,700gns (-5%), with 1,364 horses sold at a fractionally improved average of 92,925gns and a median of 35,000gns (+9%). Mahony continued, “Overseas buyers have always been drawn to Tattersalls by the cream of British and Irish bloodstock and we work tirelessly to promote our sales internationally, but domestically the industry continues to be buffeted by external political forces which make it uncomfortably reliant on overseas investment and participation. Just as we court overseas buyers, domestic involvement needs to be nurtured and encouraged in order for the industry to thrive in the long term and the current direction of political travel in this country is a cause for concern. The rural economy is clearly not a priority at present and the two budgets under the current Labour government have increased taxation and business costs in every sector of society. “While government has accepted the racing industry's case with respect to betting duty, the wider industry dynamics remain perilously uncertain. We are fortunate that the lure of Newmarket as the Headquarters of European racing continues to resonate globally, but we must also work to ensure that government does not allow the status of a globally admired industry to be eroded through neglect.” Thought for the day It's disconcerting to know that when we reconvene at Tattersalls for the February Sale, the soundtrack of the day will not include the voices of Edmond Mahony and John O'Kelly presiding over the sale ring from the rostrum. Like a favourite presenter on your favourite radio channel (it used to be Radio 1 but advancing years have seen the dial moved to 2 and now 4), certain voices become a part of daily life, and for those of us who spend plenty of time on the sales beat, hearing Mahony and O'Kelly during stints throughout the day has become a familiar anthem. It is not an overstatement to say that auctioneering is an art form in its own right, one which done right must skilfully blend the commanding delivery of key facts with a touch of theatrical performance. These two men are masters of this art, and though we will undoubtedly continue to see them at Tattersalls, days at Park Paddocks will be poorer for their absence from the main stage. The post Mahony Sounds Note of Caution Despite Strong December Returns at Tattersalls appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. 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 Dates: 12/02/2025 Licensee: Kelsie Calvo, trainer Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 3, 2025; 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 $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Final decision of HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Tramadol–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Chica Chula, who finished sixth at Mahoning Valley on 10/22/25. Dates: 12/02/2025 Licensee: William Blair, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on December 3, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. The following two cases were treated as one. Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Dexamethasone–a class C controlled substance–in samples taken from Ce La Vi Charli, who finished second at Churchill Downs on 9/19/25; and from Lunar Module, who finished third at Churchill Downs on 9/21/25. Dates: 12/02/2025 Licensee: Carrie Jo Robertson, owner Penalty: 60-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, or until the purse for the Covered Horse is repaid in full (whichever is shorter), beginning on December 3, 2025; a fine of $5,000 ($4,500 fine will be waived if all purses are repaid). Final decision by internal adjudication panel. Explainer: Violation of Rule 3510(b), “Refusal/failure to cooperate promptly and completely with HISA/HIWU under the ADMC Program Rules.” The horse in question is Witsec. More specifically, Robertson is accused of not paying back the purse for a case concerning her horse Witsec, who had previously tested positive for Phenylbutazone–a class C controlled substance–after finishing second at Will Rogers on April 14. Witsec was disqualified from the race, and connections were required to forfeit all purses and other compensation, prizes and trophies. Robertson's 60-day suspension begins December 3. The suspension would end upon repayment of the purse, at which point, $4,500 of the $5,000 fine would also be waived. Pending ADMC Violations 12/02/2025, Elisha May Perez, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine–a class B controlled substance–in a sample taken from Malibu Knight on 11/3/25. 12/02/2025, Tareq Moubarak, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Ranitidine–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Neural Network on 11/2/25. 12/01/2025, Brian Cook, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Flunixin–a class C controlled substance–in a sample taken from Mia Vita on 10/31/25. 12/01/2025, Anna Decker, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine–a banned substance–in a sample taken from Sargeant Gump, who won at Belterra Park on 8/28/25. 12/01/2025, Dr. Donald J. McCrosky, veterinarian: Pending alleged violation of rule 3214(b)–“Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking in any Banned Substance or Banned Method” for an event dated 8/19/25. The banned substances in question are Testosterone and Glaucine. Violations of Crop Rule Churchill Downs Amir Mendoza – violation date November 28; $500 fine, one-day suspension Tyler Wayne Bacon – violation date November 27; $1000 fine, two-day suspension The post National Rulings Nov. 27-Dec. 3 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $300,000 Mouttet Mile Invitational at Caymanas Park in Jamaica will air on America's Day at the Races for the third consecutive year this Saturday, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano is scheduled to compete in the race for the first time, having secured the mount on Rideallday (Vekoma). In addition to on-site analysis from Andy Serling and Maggie Wolfendale of the Mouttet Mile, Chairman's Plate Invitational and Bruceontheloose Sprint Trophy, America's Day at the Races, a national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will highlight the impact of Hurricane Melissa and the on-going storm recovery and rebuilding efforts throughout the island. The post Mouttet Mile Coverage on America’s Day at the Races Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article