Wandering Eyes

DEAUVILLE, France-The temperature is rising at Arqana and so, too, are the stakes. Breeze-up consignors young and old have made no secret about the fact that trade this year has been tricky, particularly at the middle to lower tiers. All duck or no dinner, feast or famine-whatever way you want to describe it, vendors have had to negotiate some choppy waters, meaning a lot is still on the line at Arqana when the sale gets underway at 11am on Saturday. But, weirdly, the optimism is palpable. Maybe it's the baking heat, beautiful food or the steady flow of champagne. Or perhaps it's just the high-class bunch of horses that has attracted buyers from all over the world that has breeze-up consignors like Eddie O'Leary, Jim McCartan and Cormac O'Flynn confident about what Saturday might bring. O'Leary said, “The market is tight but if you get it right it can be very good. They all seem to be landing on the same horses. If you have a horse with a pedigree and he qualifies for the main men, it's very good trade.” He added, “I found at some of the sales so far this year that the top 40 horses on the times made plenty of money. You would hope at Arqana that the times go out the window because you can't buy a horse for Royal Ascot here-you won't make it.” And plenty of people agree. There is an American flavour to this catalogue and O'Leary's filly and colt by Justify in particular are making waves. Through Lynn Lodge Stud, O'Leary has sold Donjuan Triumphant (Ire) (Dream Ahead), The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Big Call (Animal Kingdom) at the breeze-up sales. In fact, four horses from last year's Arqana draft have all won races and achieved good ratings, highlighted by French 2,000 Guineas hopeful Eben Shaddad (Calyx {GB}). On this year's draft, he commented, “We got in on Justify before the market went nuts last year. We are lucky to have two very, very good horses by him. They are natural talents and it's a credit to the sire that, when you have a horse as big and strong as the colt [lot 62] that he can breeze as well as he did. He could be a freak of nature-he's just an inch smaller than Gronkowski (Lonhro). The filly [lot 187] is a natural talent as well.” Jim McCartan and Daniel Creighton at Arqana | Brian Sheerin McCartan is another man selling the American dream. California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}, a horse who has won close to £8 million in Hong Kong, has put McCartan's Gaybrook Lodge in lights and the normally shy operator couldn't hide his enthusiasm for the Not This Time colt [lot 55]. He said, “We always try to buy a few in America but didn't buy as many last year because we couldn't seem to get them at the price we wanted them at. But I was lucky enough to buy the Not This Time and the Bernardini colts for in and around the same money [$62,000 apiece]. Both horses have been very easy to manage and breezed very well. Not This Time is top of the pops-he's a sire on the up. I actually rang a couple of pals of mine in America and they told me that Not This Time is the horse who really is on the way up. The stock from his better mares are coming through now and his stud fee has gone up to $150,000. He's getting into that bracket of Into Mischief, Curlin and those sorts of horses. McCartan added, “I have clients who want dirt horses and grass horses. We try to buy a broad section of horses as we have lots of different clients. This year has been good so far but I have been down on numbers. That was by design to be honest. Now, I did have an interest in a couple of horses with Willie Browne at the Craven, and they went ok. There is a lot of emphasis on the clock at different sales. Is that a good thing? I don't think that it is. I certainly have no interest in breezing horses very fast. I think it's the wrong thing for them to be doing. We pre-train them and like them to be big and strong at the sales. If they do a nice, even breeze with a bit of style, we're happy. The Not This Time was up there on the times but he's one of those natural talents. Over here at Arqana, they appreciate a big horse with a pedigree so times are not necessarily as important as they are at the other sales. The footfall has been very good here this week. There is an extra day, so it's a bit more spread out, but a lot of the right people are here so it's great to see. I think it should be a very good sale.” O'Leary and McCartan are seasoned pros when it comes to the breeze-ups but O'Flynn is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in this sphere. Through his association with Roderic Kavanagh of Glending Stables, O'Flynn famously sold the unbeaten Group 1 performer Vandeek last year and the pair followed that unforgettable pinhook up with an emphatic result in the Craven when selling their 125,000gns yearling purchase by Galileo (Ire) for an eye-popping 1 million gns. Cormac O'Flynn and Roderic Kavanagh | Brian Sheerin “The Galileo has been the flagship horse so far this year and it was great to hit with him but there were plenty of others who failed to hit the mark,” O'Flynn said. “They still sold well, went to good homes and will hopefully go on to be good racehorses, but it's definitely been a sticky market to be operating in. “The middle of the market has been very tough, particularly in the UK. Obviously coming over here, things are a little bit different and Arqana is a lovely place to bring a nice draft of horses, which hopefully we have. There is a little bit more of an emphasis on middle-distance horses over here. But we are happy, Arqana have done a great job and there has been plenty of footfall. We have been very busy all day.” But surely when you sell a horse for ten times his initial outlay in a year, the pressure is off? “No, definitely not. You just take each sale as it comes. This game is a great leveler. While the highs are brilliant, you never know what is around the corner. We just try to do the best that we can with each horse and hopefully we have a nice group for tomorrow. We're looking forward to it.” O'Flynn added, “I got involved in pinhooking with Roger quite a while ago. We started off with a couple of foals and ended up breezing one of the fillies that we couldn't sell as a yearling. It has gradually built from there. I never thought we'd be operating to the level that we are now-I wouldn't have even dreamt of it.” Without Vandeek, the Galileo may not have been a goer for Glending. It goes back to that old saying that success breeds success and that saying certainly applies to the breeze-up sector as a whole. This sale has been the source of many top-notchers down through the years and, like O'Leary and McCartan, O'Flynn is expecting a string of strong results on Saturday. He concluded, “I can't get over the standard of horses here. Everywhere you look, there are outstanding horses and the pedigrees in the catalogue speak for themselves. I'd be expecting it to be a very good sale. “There are a lot of people in town and Arqana has done a great job. There is a lot of emphasis on those mile to mile-and-a-half horses and there is a lot of American interest, too. There is a diverse group of buyers here and there are a lot of horses here for people to shop.” The post “I Can’t Get Over The Standard Of Horse Here” – High Expectations For Arqana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who recently overcame a difficult trip and soggy underfoot conditions to win the G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m) for the third consecutive year, will cut back to a mile for the June 2 G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse, trainer Danny Shum confirmed Friday. “He will go to Japan,” Shum told the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Leo Schlink. “He will leave around the 21st of May,” and the conditioner is of the opinion that Romantic Warrior's recovery from the QE II Cup merits the decision. “He should be okay–he can be better,” Shum said. A victory in the Yasuda Kinen, where he will be joined by G1 Stewards Cup winner Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), would complete a season for the ages for Romantic Warrior. The 6-year-old began the campaign in Australia, finishing a useful fourth in the G1 Turnbull S. before prevailing in the G1 W. S. Cox Plate. He emerged from quarantine just in time to successfully defend his title in December's G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, just holding out a resurgent Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), and defeated Voyage Bubble in the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup in a battle of Hong Kong Derby heroes. His margins of victory in his last four starts: nose, nose, neck, neck. James McDonald, who has guided Romantic Warrior to seven wins from eight rides, will have the call in the Yasuda Kinen. Leading jockey Zac Purton takes the reins for trainer Ricky Yiu aboard Voyage Bubble. In his most recent appearance over a mile, Romantic Warrior was beaten a length into second by Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2023 Stewards Cup. His only previous try over the distance resulted in a half-length defeat of California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) in the 2022 Hong Kong Classic Mile. The Japanese challenge for the Yasuda Kinen figures to include champion Jantar Mantar (Jpn) (Palace Malice), winner of the age-restricted G1 NHK Mile Cup over the course and distance May 5, and potentially Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), a cracking second in the G1 Dubai Turf and the likely favourite in this weekend's G1 Victoria Mile at Japan racing headquarters. The Yasuda Kinen is a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar this November. Bring. It. On. Danny Shum confirms Romantic Warrior is heading to Japan for next month's G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo! @JRA_WorldRacing | #競馬 | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/DXPO659Jef — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 10, 2024 The post Romantic Warrior Gets Green Light For Yasuda Kinen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Starfield Stud resident Far Above (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Jessica Harrington-trained son Rock N Roll Rocket (Ire) made a winning debut over five furlongs in Friday's €25,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at Cork. 1st-Cork, €25,000, Mdn, 5-10, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.41, gd. ROCK N ROLL ROCKET (IRE) (c, 2, Far Above {Ire}–California Tee {GB}, by Kheleyf) was positioned in mid division after an alert getaway in this debut. Inching forward from halfway, the 16-1 chance came under pressure with a quarter-mile remaining and was ridden out inside the final furlong to deny Powerful Nation (Ire) (Sioux Nation) by a short-head nearing the line. “He was bred by Con [Marnane], which is great, and he'll now be nominated to head off to the [Listed] Windsor Castle or [G2] Norfolk [at Royal Ascot],” said trainer Jessica Harrington. “He absolutely loves that [good] ground and has to have it quick. He was professional today, but he'll definitely need another run before Ascot. I think he did it through ability rather than anything.” Marnane added, “He is the first winner by the stallion and the first foal to run out of the mare as well, so if there are any more ones like this fella, we'll be delighted to have them. Far Above is a cheap stallion [€5,000], but was a very, very fast racehorse and was brilliant. Michael Orlandi owns him and stands him [at Starfield Stud].” Rock N Roll Rocket is the second of three foals and first runner produced by a multiple-winning granddaughter of Peryllys (GB) (Warning {GB}), herself a half-sister to the dual stakes-winning Never So Sure (GB) (Never So Bold {Ire}), Listed Grand Prix de Rouen victor Honest Word (GB) (Touching Wood) and G3 Cornwallis S., G3 Prix du Petit Couvert and G3 Prix de Seine-et-Oise placegetter Cragside (GB) (Hot Spark {Ire}). The February-foaled homebred bay, full-brother to a yearling filly, hails from the family of Group-winning G1 2000 Guineas runner-up Glory Awaits (Ire) (Choisir {Aus}). Sales history: £11,000 RNA Ylg '23 GOFFUK. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $16,173. O-Amy & Olivia Marnane; B-Con Marnane (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. ️ ️ wins on debut over 5f at Cork for @Jessica_Racing & @amymarnane @BanshaHouse Congratulations to connections #FarAboveTheSpeedLimit @CompasStallions @MichealOrlandi @jackcantillon pic.twitter.com/QtYhknz4zx — Archie Brookes (@brookesbldstck) May 10, 2024 The post Freshman Sire Far Above Off The Mark At Cork appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last year's dual Group 1 winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) has already made her successful return to the racecourse this season in the Prix Jacques Laffitte and looks set to reappear in what could be a star-studded line-up for the G1 Prix d'Ispahan on May 26. In the meantime, her owner-breeder Baron Edouard de Rothschild will be represented in Sunday's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains by Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), who was bought on the owner's behalf as a foal by Nick Bell, manager of the Rothschild family's Haras de Meautry. “It started during Covid and we were slightly down on numbers of horses,” says Bell of the decision to supplement the homebreds with a few foal purchases each year. “I went to Arqana and we bought two foals that year, a Galiway colt called Cte d'Escarbagnas, who is a half-brother to Alenquer, and a filly by Roaring Lion. The next year we bought Alcantor. “It's quite a good way to compare your own stock. I take notes every month and we weigh all the horses, so it's quite interesting to compare yours with ones that you bought.” Bell, who is soon to head off on an epic charity cycle ride to raise money for Au-Dela des Pistes, has managed Haras de Meautry for 17 years. The Normandy stud is closing in on its 150th anniversary. “The Rothschild family bought the land in 1875,” he notes. “At the time, Deauville was being developed as a holiday destination by the Duke of Morny among others.” Now, the bustling seaside town is easily visible from the high paddocks at Meautry, which is situated in the heart of the outlying medieval village of Touques. It was at Deauville last summer that the stud enjoyed the twin highlights of Mqse De Sevigne winning first the 'family race', the G1 Prix Rothschild, followed by the G1 Prix Jean Romanet. After some thought, her owner took the decision to keep her in training at the age of five. “We had a long debate,” Bell says. “If she hadn't stayed in training, she might have gone for the Breeders' Cup last year, but she would've had to take on Inspiral again. After the Prix d'Ispahan there could be a number of options. She could go to Royal Ascot, she could go to Newmarket for the Falmouth, or she could follow the same route and go to Rothschild-Romanet again.” Mqse De Sevigne's dam Penne (Fr) is now 21 and already has three of her daughters for company at Meautry. Both she and her dam, Une Pensee (Fr), are by Rothschild-bred stallions in Sevres Rose (Fr) and Kenmare (Fr). Sevres Rose, an unraced and lightly used son of Caerleon, died at the farm in March at the age of 31 with just 127 foals to his name. “Penne, brilliantly, is in foal,” says Bell, and his relief is well justified as it's not just Mqse De Sevigne who has advertised the mare's talents. Penne's first foal was the four-time Group 1 winner Meandre (Fr) (Slickly {Fr}). “She went to St Mark's Basilica after three years of trying with Siyouni. She's 21 now and we wanted to go back to Siyouni and we tried and tried but she is a very tricky mare. She'll come into season and go out of season very quickly and just show for a day.” The Rothschild colours, or a variation of them, could also soon be seen back in England as Baron Edouard has struck up a partnership with his relation Nathaniel Rothschild, the 5th Baron Rothschild whose mother, the late Lady Serena Rothschild, raced the Irish Oaks winner Great Heavens (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) as well as that filly's full-brother and fellow Group 1 winner Nathaniel (Ire). Great Heavens is already the dam of three black-type performers among her six winners, and her three-year-old will represent the Anglo-French familial alliance. “We have a partnership with Nat this year in a horse in William Haggas's called Greatest Heavens,” Bell says. “She's by Kingman and she was going to go to Book 1 at Tattersalls but Nat asked Edouard if he wanted to take a half-share. She's yet to run but she's a very nice filly.” Another Kingman (GB) filly whose progress will be keenly monitored by all at Meautry is the yearling daughter of Esoterique (Ire) (Danehilll Dancer {Ire}), the mare who was her owner-breeder's previous Prix Rothschild winner a decade ago and who later added the G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois to her record. Now 14, Esoterique's stud career has been fraught with frustration and she had produced only two colt foals prior to her longed-for daughter last season. She is now back in foal to Kingman and her two-year-old colt by the same sire, named King Esoteric (Fr), is, like Alcantor and Mqse De Sevigne, in training with Andre Fabre. Alcantor with Baron Edouard de Rothschild, right | Scoop Dyga Bell, who has been at Haras de Meautry since 2007, is itching for the stud to be involved with another Classic winner. “The thing that really gets to you about being here is the history,” he says. “You're really only a caretaker for a while and you've got to make the most of it while you're here. But you look back at what they had here, when it was an awful lot bigger than it is now, and the number of Classic races they've won, with horses all bred on this land. That's the big thing for me now, that we have to win a Classic somewhere along the line. Esoterique was second in the Poule d'Essai.” He adds, “The one thing I've noticed since I've come to France is that you used to be able to win a maiden with quite a moderate horse, and certainly if you went out into the provinces, you could win. Now it's tough to win anywhere.” While Alcantor, who was bred by SCEA du Grand Chene, was not born at the farm, he has spent much of his early life there and takes his Classic chance this Sunday having won last season's G3 Prix Thomas Bryon – one of his three juvenile victories – and finishing second in the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud behind Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}). Bell recalls, “He was very impressive in the Thomas Bryon. Mickael Barzalona went up in his stirrups, practically waving to all his friends. From last to first, he was really impressive. In the Criterium, he was a bit unlucky because he had to come from behind and Sunway got the rail first and the ground was definitely better on the rail.” A less happy time in the long history of Haras de Meautry will doubtless be brought to mind for some as the 80th anniversary of D-Day is celebrated across Normandy this June. During the Second World War, German soldiers were billeted at the farm, their graffiti still visible in the haylofts all these decades later. The Rothschilds' homebred stallion Brantome, whose 12 wins included the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, was among hundreds of Thoroughbreds seized during the German occupation of France. “The Nazis stole all the horses, including Brantome. He'd won the Arc and started his stallion career and they took him and all the horses to Germany. After the war, [Edouard's father] Baron Guy and his father went and searched for the horses and repatriated them all,” says Bell. “Deauville was very lucky because it wasn't affected by the D-Day landings. But then you go to Caen and you go to Lisieux and places like that, they were just absolutely flattened.” Ninety years after Brantome's triumph in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains at Longchamp it would be fitting to see those distinctive Rothschild silks carried to glory once more. “This time of year we're all hopes and dreams,” says Bell. The post Alcantor Aiming to Extend Meautry’s Classic History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A World Pool race in 2021, but missing since, the 2024 G1 Eclipse S. is back in the World Pool lineup, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and World Pool announced on Friday. The QIPCO Guineas meeting on May 4 and 5 featured the World Pool, with a full card of races on the Saturday, and the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas on the Sunday accumulating total turnover of HK$305,219,946 (approximately £31 million). Jockey Silvestre de Sousa, who rode Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) to victory in the fillies' Classic currently leads the World Pool Jockeys' Championship, which sees the winning jockey of every World Pool race in the UK and Ireland accumulate points based on the World Pool dividend. Seven Questions (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})'s victory in the G3 Palace House S. earned the World Pool Moment of the Day award, with groom Darren Yellowlees being awarded a cheque for HK$40,000 (£4,000) and also gaining entry into the World Pool Moment of the Year competition for the opportunity to win a VIP trip to Hong Kong next year. Michael Fitzsimons, executive director, wagering products, at the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “It was great to kick start World Pool's season in the UK with the first two British Classics of the season, and we're delighted to announce the reintroduction of the historic Eclipse S. from Sandown to our fixture list for this year. “This year World Pool's global offering of races is stronger than ever and continues to grow with new fixtures from Ireland, Australia, South Africa and Germany added in the coming months, showing World Pool's commitment to delivering the world's best racing to customers across the globe.” The World Pool lineup over the next three months will offer a variety of betting opportunities with F standing for a full day's card, P is part of a meeting on selected races and S indicates a single race that day. World Pool's calendar for the next few months is as follows: Saturday, May 18: Lockinge S. Day – Newbury Racecourse (P) Sunday May 26: Irish 1000 Guineas Day – Curragh Racecourse (P) Saturday June 1: Derby Day – Epsom Racecourse (F) Tuesday, June 18: Queen Anne S. Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Wednesday June 19: Prince of Wales's S. Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Thursday June 20: Gold Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Friday June 21: Commonwealth Cup Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Saturday June 22: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Sunday June 30: Irish Derby Day – Curragh Racecourse (F) Saturday July 6: Eclipse S. – Sandown Racecourse (S) Saturday July 6: Durban July – Greyville Racecourse (S) Sunday July 7: Deutsches Derby Day – Hamburg Racecourse (P) Saturday July 27: King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. Day – Ascot Racecourse (F) Sunday July 28: Champions Cup Day – Geryville Racecourse (P) Sunday July 28: Grosser Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen Day – Munich Racecourse (P) Tuesday July 30: Goodwood Cup Day – Goodwood Racecourse (F) Wednesday July 31: Sussex S. Day – Goodwood Racecourse (F). The post Eclipse Stakes Added To World Pool Lineup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $200,000 Calvin Houghland Iroquois is the longest of the National Steeplechase Association's grade 1 races at three miles. Millionaire Snap Decision towers over the field of six.View the full article

Two-time stakes winner Amdist Waves attempts to rebound in her sophomore debut as she faces an oversubscribed field in the $175,000 Soaring Softly Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct Racetrack at six furlongs on the outer turf.View the full article

Louise Norman, previously the head of ownership with the Racehorse Owner's Association (ROA) is the new interim CEO of the organisation, it announced on Friday. She replaces Charlie Liverton, who has resigned to pursue other opportunities. ROA president Charlie Parker said, “The ROA Board would like to thank Charlie for his contributions over a number of years to both the ROA itself and the wider racing industry. The Board and I are delighted, and fully supportive of Louise stepping into the role of interim CEO. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry with her, not just from her head of ownership role with the ROA, but from her previous roles.” Norman added, “I am very excited to take on this role and lead the ROA's efforts to ensure owners remain paramount in every decision made across the industry. I look forward to working closely with the excellent team at the ROA as we develop our strategy on behalf of our members, ensuring their voices are heard, amplified, and considered and that the value of owners is understood.” The post Louise Norman New Interim CEO Of Racehorse Owners’ Association appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last term's G1 Derby 12th Passenger (Ulysses {Ire}–Dilmun, by War Front) continued on his pathway back to the highest level when striking late to secure a record-extending eighth renewal for veteran maestro Sir Michael Stoute in Friday's G2 Huxley S. at Chester. Flaxman Stables' homebred 4-year-old settled into a smooth rhythm, within range of the leaders, in fifth for most of the extended 10-furlong test. Making eyecatching headway on the bridle into contention rounding the home turn, the 7-4 second favourite swept by last term's G2 Princess Of Wales's S. victor with 100 yards remaining and drew off from there to score by an ultimately comfortable 1 1/2-length margin. Passenger, untested as a juvenile, opened up last term with victory in Newmarket's famed “Wood Ditton” before hitting the board in York's May 18 G2 Dante S. and came back off a break after his Derby reversal to close his sophomore campaign with a stakes breakthrough in August's G3 Winter Hill S. at Windsor when last seen. Pedigree Notes Passenger, the second of four live foals, is one of two scorers produced by a winning half-sister to G3 Flame Of Tara S. victrix Liquid Amber (Kitten's Joy). The March-foaled bay's second dam, MGSW GI Spinster S. and G1 Personal Ensign Invitational runner-up Pachattack (Pulpit), is a daughter of Listed Chalice S. second El Laoob (Red Ransom) and thus kin to the stakes-winning La Mina (Mineshaft), G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. runner-up El Sagrado (GB) (Azamour {Ire}) and the dual stakes-placed Absolute Crackers (Ire) (Giant's Causeway). Passenger's dam Dilmun (War Front), who was bred to McKinzie last year, has the unraced 2-year-old colt Proteus (Karakontie {Jpn}) and a yearling filly by Karakontie (Jpn) to come. Passenger returns in style to win the Group 2 Huxley Stakes at @ChesterRaces! pic.twitter.com/LvrBbsdEkM — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 10, 2024 The post Passenger Strikes Late to Secure Eighth Huxley for Sir Michael Stoute appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday's top tips from the Post's racing teamView the full article

By Jonny Turner Mark Jones hopes his trip to Winton on Saturday won’t be his only one this month. The Canterbury trainer brings three horses south and they’ll be in the first three races of the day, including his maiden trotter Prohibited Bid in race 3, the Mico Trot. The chance to head down for a shot at one of Southern Harness’ Gold Chip Finals was the starting point for the Jones raid. “There are not a lot of options for her at home and I like southern racing, so we are heading down there hoping she can qualify for one of the Gold Chip Finals they have,” Jones said. “She’s a handy filly, she doesn’t show us a lot at home but she shows up on race day.” “She’s gone two handy races so far, and should go another one.” Jones also brings Le Twist south following an eye-catching trial effort at Rangiora. The filly drops back into a maiden race, the Rheem Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace, after last starting in Coastal Babe’s two-year-old Harness Million win at Addington in October. Though she hasn’t shown her best at the races yet, Jones is hopeful punters will see more from Le Twist this campaign. “She has raced the good ones all the way through, she started favourite in a Group race in her first start.” “We weren’t as happy with her then as we are now, she seems to have come up a lot better.” “She is probably not up with the good ones at the moment, but she will race in the Nevele R heats and races like that and we will take it from there.” “She has only had the one trial but she ran on nice.” “She should go a pretty nice race on Saturday.” Jones also starts Tres Bonne Fille in the opening race at Winton, the Goodman Plumbing Mobile Pace. The filly was a little unlucky in her last start at Addington and though eighth, she finished close up. Tres Bonne Fille looks to get a royal opportunity to break maidens in race 1 on Saturday. “She doesn’t bring the best form but neither does anything else in the race,” Jones said. “She comes up with the right sort of draw, so there won’t be too many excuses if she can’t go a decent race.” Jones will make a return to driving, linking up with all three of his Winton runners. View the full article

Presented by Gainesway and Darby Dan FarmView the full article

Sunday's swathe of European stakes action is headlined by ParisLongchamp's Emirates-sponsored G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Both Classics have attracted double-figure fields with 15 distaffers set for the Pouliches and a baker's dozen declared for the colts' equivalent. Godolphin's G3 Prix Imprudence victrix Romantic Style (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), drawn out wide in 14, heads a six-strong overseas challenge in the €550,000 Pouliches. She will be joined by G1 Moyglare Stud S. runner-up Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf fourth Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). They have been allocated stalls 11 and eight, respectively. The home defence includes G1 Prix Marcel Boussac second Rose Bloom (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in stall one and undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Louise Procter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) next door in two. The €650,000 Poulains features a sextet of 'TDN Rising Stars' headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S. hero and likely favourite Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The Aidan O'Brien trainee is set to be partnered by Ryan Moore and has drawn stall six. Stablemate Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), with Christophe Soumillon booked, will exit gate 11. France's octet includes G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere third and fellow Rising Star Beauvatier (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The Yann Barberot trainee will be loaded next door to Diego Velazquez in stall 10. The post French Guineas Fields Finalised – 15 Set For Pouliches and 13 Set For Poulains appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Papa Surf will contest the Brandlab Handicap (1200m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) New Plymouth two-year-old contender Pleasing has lived up to her name ahead of her debut on Saturday. The daughter of Russian Revolution will step out in the A B Electrical Ltd (1200m) and has displayed the pace to make use of her inside barrier. “She’s had a jump-out and a trial and won them both nicely over 800m this time in. I’m hopeful she’ll stretch out to 1200m and can’t see why she won’t,” trainer Mike Breslin said. “She’s a very fast horse, but in her general nature she’s relaxed and that’s probably the most exciting thing about her, she can run quickly and her demeanour is pretty chilled.” Pleasing will be partnered by Lisa Allpress who was aboard the filly when she won her 800m trial heat at Waverley at the end of last month. “She can run time and Lisa rode her at the trials and was pretty keen to stick with her. That’s always a positive and gives more confidence,” Breslin said. “She went shin sore in her first preparation and this time she’s gone along without any hitches and has showed plenty.” Breslin purchased Pleasing out of breeder Westbury Stud’s draft at Karaka last year for $75,000 and races the youngster with Hawke’s Bay owner Roy Potter. “Roy has raced horses for a few years and I’ve bought three promising horses for him,” Breslin said. “I’ve got Crouch, who has won three, and Revolt, who should have won a couple, and now this one.” Rider Masa Hashizume lost an iron and parted company with Revolt when in front 50m off the post at Otaki before the son of War Decree finished a game sixth in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). Meanwhile, Pleasing’s stablemate Papa Surf has been in good touch this preparation and another top showing is expected from him in the Brandlab Handicap (1200m). “He was a bit of a handful as a three-year-old and did a bit wrong, but he has really grown up and matured,” Breslin said. Papa Surf beat a handy line-up when opening his campaign at Tauranga and then finished fourth last time out after racing three wide without cover. “He won really well fresh-up, which wasn’t unexpected, and I thought he ran well again at Wanganui,” Breslin said. “He got caught a bit wide from a wide gate and he boxed on pretty well.” Papa Surf will be reunited with three-kilogram claimer Jim Chung after they successfully combined at Tauranga. “Jim is back on him and knows the horse, he’s been working a treat and from barrier one he should be right in the firing line,” Breslin said. Horse racing news View the full article

La Crique will contest the Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North Dual Group 1 winner La Crique will be on trial for a trip across the Tasman when she heads to Arawa Park on Saturday to contest the Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m). The daughter of Vadamos has been hampered by foot issues this season, which interrupted her spring preparation before she returned in summer to run fourth in the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m) before winning the Group 1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m). She was on target to tackle the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie in March, but her foot issues resurfaced while having a freshen-up in the paddock, and her trainers were forced to withdraw her from the feature mile. The Te Awamutu couple have subsequently worked tirelessly with their vet and farrier to overcome the issue, and they believe they are now on top of it and are hoping to target the later part of Queensland’s Winter Carnival with their mare. “We were tracking along nicely immediately after the Otaki run. We decided to put her out for a little bit of a freshen to give her a week out of the box. In hindsight, if we hadn’t had done that, we might have made it to the Breeders’. When we lose control and the feet get a bit wetter, and we did get a bit of rain around that time, that was the downfall,” Katrina Alexander told Trackside. “We worked very hard with the farrier and the vets and we appear to be on top of that at the moment. The foot is growing down really nicely now and we don’t have that wall space that we had before. At this point in time, we are all good.” La Crique pleased her trainers with her trial over 1150m at Te Awamutu last week and are excited to see what she can do fresh-up before she heads to Brisbane. “She had a nice trial here at Te Awamutu a week ago. She got back and came home nice and strong, which was nice to see her chase things down,” Alexander said. “All I really look at is her action and the way she goes about it – if she lowers and goes full stretch then that is all I can ask of her. I thought that was an attractive trial for where she was.” Arawa Park was rated a Soft 7 on Friday morning and Alexander believes La Crique will handle those conditions. “I do believe she is going to handle a Soft track no problem,” she said. “In the past we have pulled her off Heavy tracks just because we have wanted to press on for the rest of the campaign. I think she will handle what is on offer.” Alexander is hoping La Crique can put in a solid performance on Saturday that warrants a trip to Australia to see out her preparation. “She has had a bit of a muddled prep but the runs we have gone for she has performed very well,” she said. “We know that when she is right, she has still got it. Because she hasn’t had a very taxing preparation to date, we can afford to go into this part of the season with her. “We are not really interested in the spring for her at this stage because it doesn’t really seem to suit. If we can stretch her out a little bit now, it makes the preparation a bit more worthwhile and get a line on how she can perform over there. “We did intend to be in Brisbane by now and perhaps miss this run, but it is just nice to give her a confidence run, for ourselves more than anything, and make sure she comes through a good, solid performance,” she said. “You would like to think she is right there amongst them at the finish to get on the plane to go anywhere.” Alexander said they will take it race-by-race with La Crique but has identified some nice Brisbane targets for the mare. “She is going to miss the ones that we had targeted,” she said. “The Hollindale (Group 2, 1800m) was one of those and that is going to be run this weekend. “When she goes over, which will be two weeks after her Rotorua run, and then she races another two weeks after that in a fillies and mares mile. It is worth a bit of money but doesn’t carry any black-type. “It is just one race at a time for her, so we will pick the eyes out of it a little bit. We would always like to get her over more distance when we go to Australia, I don’t think she is best suited to distances against their sprinter-miler horses. We will just have to play that one by ear once we have got the first one under our belt.” The broodmare paddock is beckoning La Crique, with the mare rising six-years-old, but Alexander said a decision on her racing future won’t be made until she returns from Australia. “We are conscious of her age and the fact that she does have those two Group Ones under her belt and numerous other black-type placings,” she said. “She doesn’t really have much left to prove before being able to be a very successful broodmare, which I truly think she will be. “It is a discussion we have had very lightly with the Cassins (owner-breeders) as to how far we take her and they aren’t into pushing her unless she is right. At her age, she is probably getting ripe for the broodmare paddock. We will be guided by her after we get this part of the season completed.” Horse racing news View the full article

I’munstoppable will contest the Listed Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Wexford Stables will have a mix of experience and emerging talent contesting Saturday’s Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) with Karman Line and I’munstoppable. One of three fillies entered in the feature, I’munstoppable was an impressive winner of the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa a fortnight ago, earning herself a place against the older horses at Arawa Park. “We were so pleased with her performance at Te Rapa, she really relaxed well and kicked well,” said co-trainer Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “We are looking for something similar here, but we may look to ride her a wee bit more conservatively over that trip. “She’s had a good fortnight, the 1400m is a bit of a query, but she’s in good form and deserves the chance in a strong field.” Among the mare’s contingent is Karman Line, a Listed placegetter as a three-year-old who has only improved with age according to Scott. “Two starts ago she was in a Group One, and she was doing her best work at the line. She just got rolled in the last hop at Te Rapa and is certainly racing well at the seven furlongs (1400m). “We think she’s in career-best form at the moment and going as well as she can be. “Karman Line has been an incredibly slow-maturing mare, and we think she’s only just hitting her straps now, and has her best racing in front of her at six. “She’s sound, and we’ve only seen her now holding her weight well and campaign well, where in other preparations she wouldn’t hold her condition at all.” A daughter of Charm Spirit, I’munstoppable has drawn six, while Karman Line will jump from barrier 10, a draw held by both of Wexford’s former winners in Sleeping Beauty (2019) and Fascination Street (2015). “There looks to be a good bit of speed in the race and she (Karman Line) should be hitting the line strong. We certainly think she’s up to black-type level, and it would be wonderful if she could secure some this weekend,” Scott said. “She’s a strong finisher and that’s the best way to ride her, if anything last-start she may have just got there a fraction soon. She’s a good chaser, so we’ll let her find her rhythm and hopefully she can put in a strong performance.” The Matamata trainers have also engaged talented three-year-old Geriatrix for the Van Dyks 3YO 1400, which could be a stepping stone towards a trip to Queensland, where the stable has Molly Bloom and Tomodachi already located, with the former tackling the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday. “His last two runs have been in Group company, he missed the start in the Wellington Guineas (Group 2, 1400m) and got wide, and then his sectionals and performance was very good in the Breeders’ Stakes (Group 3, 1200m),” Scott said. “He’s back out to 1400m, got a nice gate (4), and we think the ground should be pretty solid on the weekend which will suit him. “He’s going well and if he can run to the level of his last two starts, he’ll be well competitive. This colt is holding up to a long preparation very well. “If he was to run well on the weekend, we would certainly look at taking him over. There’s a couple of good three-year-old races that are a possibility for him.” Scott has earmarked the Group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m) and the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) as possible ventures, held at Eagle Farm on the 1st and 15th of June respectively. Completing the Wexford runners at Rotorua are Winexpress in the Donna Fleming Memorial (1215) and Watergate in The Rotorua Club 1400, both to be partnered by Masa Hashizume. “Winexpress is fitter for the fresh-up run and gone the right way since, we think he’s improved and he’s a horse that will have a good winter. A win is very close, and we’re liking his chances,” Scott said. “We’ve certainly given Watergate some time and she’s appreciated that. Her trial last week was encouraging and we think she’ll sprint well fresh. “She’s a mare that has been slow-maturing but is in for a good preparation. It wouldn’t surprise us if she filled a placing at long odds.” Horse racing news View the full article

After having his claim reduced from five pounds to three, the 27-year-old is already feeling the pinch: ‘The support is getting a little bit less’View the full article

Mary Shan will contest the Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Within the space of less than half an hour on Saturday afternoon, Andrew Forsman will be represented by key chances in Group 3 races in both Australia and New Zealand. At 3:37pm, the Cambridge trainer will send out Mary Shan and the defending champion Wessex in the Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m). Just 25 minutes later, Forsman’s classy staying filly Positivity will line up as favourite for the Group 3 SA Fillies’ Classic (2500m) at Morphettville. Positivity has come a long way in a short time, having made her debut with a fourth placing at Matamata just three days before Christmas. The Almanzor filly won at Tauranga next time out, then finished seventh and eighth without much luck in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (200m). The breakthrough came in the Group 3 Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on March 2, where she scored a tenacious victory over Qali Al Farrasha, and that pair went on to finish second and third behind Pulchritudinous in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. Positivity stepped back down to 2000m for a last-start appearance in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on April 27, and Forsman was far from disappointed with her Australian debut. She dropped well back in the 16-horse field and did her best work late, running on into ninth. She finished 3.7 lengths behind the winner Vibrant Sun, with subsequent Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) heroine Coco Sun in third. The step back up to 2500m on Saturday is expected to be a big help for Positivity, who bookmakers rated a $2.50 favourite on Friday morning. “It was a pretty good effort in the Australasian Oaks after nothing really went to plan for her,” Forsman said. “We ideally wanted her to settle in the first three or four, but she went up in the air when the gates opened and then got squeezed out the back. She was just in the wrong position from that point on, but I thought she was quite strong late in the race. “She’s had a good few weeks since then. She’d had a decent gap between races and was a touch fresh going into the Oaks, so I think she might have needed the run a little bit. “The extra distance this week should be absolutely ideal for her. We’ve seen her perform very strongly over that sort of trip already this season, and against a field that’s probably lacking some of the classiest fillies from the Oaks, it looks like a really nice race for her.” Back home, Mary Shan is rated an $8.50 chance for the Rotorua ITM Stakes, holding fourth favouritism behind La Crique ($3), Karman Line ($8) and I’munstoppable ($8). Like Positivity, Mary Shan is a daughter of Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor. She was a four-length maiden winner over the 1400m distance of the Rotorua Stakes back in the spring, then finished second in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), second in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) and fifth in the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic. In her first appearance for more than two months, Mary Shan produced an eye-catching finish from near last to run sixth in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on April 27. “I thought she was great in a race that wasn’t really run to suit her,” Forsman said. “The pace was only steady, which made it hard to make up ground, and she was back and wide. But I was really happy with the way she found the line, and she’s come through that run in good order as well. Stepping up to 1400m will suit her.” Wessex won last year’s Rotorua Stakes on a Heavy10 track, and Forsman suggested that the Soft 7 conditions at Rotorua this time around might negate her advantage. “I’m happy with how she’s coming up,” he said. “She’s had an exhibition gallop and a trial, and I think she’s pretty much where we need her to be. “The question with her is whether the track will be as heavy on Saturday as it was when she won the race last year. She can really skip through wet ground a lot better than some other horses, but it’s looking like she won’t have that as much in her favour this time around.” Saturday’s other black-type feature at Rotorua is the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m), which features last-start Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) placegetter Sporting Chance. “His run in the Hawke’s Bay Cup was very game and he seems to be coming of age,” Forsman said. “I’ve been very happy with him in between times. It can be tricky going between different types of wet tracks at this time of the year, but he’s in good form at the moment and can be very competitive again if he produces a similar performance.” Horse racing news View the full article

Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are hoping to make their mark in the three-year-old filly ranks during the Queensland Winter Carnival, starting at a rain-soaked Sunshine Coast on Saturday. The Wexford Stables pair will present Group One winner Molly Bloom for her Australian debut in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m). It will be the first start since February for the Ace High filly, who has won four of her eight starts including the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). Her domestic campaign earned her the title of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year. Molly Bloom left New Zealand on April 28 and travelled to Brisbane via Sydney. O’Sullivan reported on Friday that she has settled in well, but the Heavy10 track conditions on the Sunshine Coast have dented the team’s confidence. “She handled the trip brilliantly and we’re very happy with how she’s been looking since she arrived,” O’Sullivan said. “The issue with her is that it’s been a long time since she’s had a race – not since February – and she’s got to run over 1800m on a heavy track. It’s a good field with a number of fillies that are really hard and fit, while she’s probably going to need this run. “Realistically, I’m not sure that she can win on Saturday, being first-up and running over that distance on a testing track. But we need to get this run into her, and we don’t really have the option of taking her out of this race and waiting for something else next week. Who’s to say the track conditions will be any better then, anyway? “But hopefully we’ll get her back underway again with a nice first-up performance this weekend, and then we can carry on towards the Doomben Roses (Gr.2, 2000m) in a couple of weeks’ time.” Molly Bloom will be ridden by star Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson. She will race in the colours of prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, who bought a majority share in the filly earlier this year. O’Sullivan and Scott could have two runners in the Roses at Doomben on May 25, with the up-and-comer Tomodachi also travelling across the Tasman this week. Bred and owned by Sir Peter Vela, the daughter of Tarzino has won all of her last three starts, most recently a 1600m three-year-old race at Te Rapa on April 27. “Tomodachi has travelled over this week, so a week later than the other filly,” O’Sullivan said. “She seems to have handled everything well at this stage. “She’s quite a different filly to Molly Bloom, who eats everything, and we have to do a bit of work to try to keep the weight off her. Tomodachi’s a bit more of a delicate filly, but she’s looking good and it’s so far, so good with her.” View the full article

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) has appeared on the leaderboard in the Longines world’s best racehorse rankings for the first time, but her Randwick performance of last month is still not the standout Australian run so far this year. The extraordinary 6.5 length Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) win of Pride Of Jenni earned her an international rating of 120, to have her placed equal sixth for performances throughout the world from January 1 to May 8 this year. That sees her tied with Private Eye on 120 with the Joe Pride-trained sprinter earning that mark for his narrow Lightning Stakes placing behind Imperatriz (I Am Invincible). They share that line with Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior, who retained his 120 mark. The 120 Pride Of Jenni recorded takes into account the mares’ weight advantage at weight-for-age level where, because of her gender, Pride Of Jenni carried 57 kilograms compared to her male colleagues who had to carry 59kgs. The 8.5 length victory from Laurel River in March’s Dubai World Cup is more than enough for him to easily lead the rankings on 128. There were a host of Australasian gallopers on 119 including sprinters of the ilk of the retired Imperatriz and of I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel), who scored that mark in the T J Smith Stakes. Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) also has a 119 as does the now retired three-year-old Militarize, who earned his rating via his Doncaster Handicap placing, where he carried 54kgs. View the full article

New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock will be represented by a talented team of half a dozen on his home track on Saturday afternoon, including a pair of potential black-type contenders in the day’s open handicap feature. Sharrock will saddle Sumi and Justaskme in the $40,000 The Rock FM (1400m), and both could be in line for a shot at the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Trentham the following weekend. Sumi brings a consistent formline into Saturday’s race. The daughter of Atlante was a placegetter at Hastings and Trentham, then ventured to Te Rapa and scored an impressive win over Freeze Frame in an open 1400m race on April 14. Those two rivals lined up again for a rematch on April 27, with a weight swing in Freeze Frame’s favour, and the result was reversed as Sumi finished third behind Freeze Frame and Karman Line. Sumi was a placegetter in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) on this day last year, but Sharrock decided against taking a second shot at the fillies and mares’ feature. “I was happy with her performance again when she placed at Te Rapa the other day,” he said. “She just over-raced in the early part of the race, but she was good to the line. “I’ve decided to line her up at home on Saturday, and then there’s a Listed race at Trentham coming up that we can have a look at. That’s probably a better plan than travelling to Rotorua to take on La Crique at weight-for-age this weekend. “I’m happy with how she’s progressing in this campaign and she should run well again.” Sumi will carry 54kg on Saturday and will be ridden by Ashvin Goindasamy. A similar pathway looms for 12-race winner Justaskme, who carried 59kg when outside the placings in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) on April 27. Elle Sole’s 4kg claim will reduce his impost to 58kg this weekend. “He’ll run on Saturday and then probably back up into Trentham a week later as well,” Sharrock said. “There’s two weeks into the Listed weight-for-age race over 1600m at Wanganui after that, so it should be a good build-up for that race, which is our main target. “He’s going really well. I thought his Easter Handicap run was okay under that weight, and he’s heading in the right direction.” Another notable member of Sharrock’s New Plymouth contingent on Saturday is Bridal Train, who is the third emergency for the HEL Rimu (1800m) and is also entered for the Seaton Park (1600m). The three-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag has had six starts for a win, three seconds and a third, and she was a strong-finishing second placegetter at Te Rapa last start behind the Queensland-bound filly Tomodachi. “I think Bridal Train is a pretty good filly and she’s going super at the moment,” Sharrock said. View the full article

Within the space of less than half an hour on Saturday afternoon, Andrew Forsman will be represented by key chances in Group Three races in both Australia and New Zealand. At 3:37pm, the Cambridge trainer will send out Mary Shan and the defending champion Wessex in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m). Just 25 minutes later, Forsman’s classy staying filly Positivity will line up as favourite for the Gr.3 Ken and Helen Smith SA Fillies’ Classic (2500m) at Morphettville. Positivity has come a long way in a short time, having made her debut with a fourth placing at Matamata just three days before Christmas. The Almanzor filly won at Tauranga next time out, then finished seventh and eighth without much luck in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (200m). The breakthrough came in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on March 2, where she scored a tenacious victory over Qali Al Farrasha, and that pair went on to finish second and third behind Pulchritudinous in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. Positivity stepped back down to 2000m for a last-start appearance in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on April 27, and Forsman was far from disappointed with her Australian debut. She dropped well back in the 16-horse field and did her best work late, running on into ninth. She finished 3.7 lengths behind the winner Vibrant Sun, with subsequent Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) heroine Coco Sun in third. The step back up to 2500m on Saturday is expected to be a big help for Positivity, who the TAB rated a $2.50 favourite on Friday morning. “It was a pretty good effort in the Australasian Oaks after nothing really went to plan for her,” Forsman said. “We ideally wanted her to settle in the first three or four, but she went up in the air when the gates opened and then got squeezed out the back. She was just in the wrong position from that point on, but I thought she was quite strong late in the race. “She’s had a good few weeks since then. She’d had a decent gap between races and was a touch fresh going into the Oaks, so I think she might have needed the run a little bit. “The extra distance this week should be absolutely ideal for her. We’ve seen her perform very strongly over that sort of trip already this season, and against a field that’s probably lacking some of the classiest fillies from the Oaks, it looks like a really nice race for her.” Back home, Mary Shan is rated an $8.50 chance for the Rotorua ITM Stakes, holding fourth favouritism behind La Crique ($3), Karman Line ($8) and I’munstoppable ($8). Like Positivity, Mary Shan is a daughter of Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor. She was a four-length maiden winner over the 1400m distance of the Rotorua Stakes back in the spring, then finished second in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), second in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and fifth in the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic. In her first appearance for more than two months, Mary Shan produced an eye-catching finish from near last to run sixth in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on April 27. “I thought she was great in a race that wasn’t really run to suit her,” Forsman said. “The pace was only steady, which made it hard to make up ground, and she was back and wide. But I was really happy with the way she found the line, and she’s come through that run in good order as well. Stepping up to 1400m will suit her.” Wessex won last year’s Rotorua Stakes on a Heavy10 track, and Forsman suggested that the Soft7 conditions at Rotorua this time around might negate her advantage. “I’m happy with how she’s coming up,” he said. “She’s had an exhibition gallop and a trial, and I think she’s pretty much where we need her to be. “The question with her is whether the track will be as heavy on Saturday as it was when she won the race last year. She can really skip through wet ground a lot better than some other horses, but it’s looking like she won’t have that as much in her favour this time around.” Saturday’s other black-type feature at Rotorua is the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m), which features last-start Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) placegetter Sporting Chance. “His run in the Hawke’s Bay Cup was very game and he seems to be coming of age,” Forsman said. “I’ve been very happy with him in between times. It can be tricky going between different types of wet tracks at this time of the year, but he’s in good form at the moment and can be very competitive again if he produces a similar performance.” View the full article

Sumi will contest the The Rock FM (1400m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock will be represented by a talented team of half a dozen on his home track on Saturday afternoon, including a pair of potential black-type contenders in the day’s open handicap feature. Sharrock will saddle Sumi and Justaskme in the $40,000 The Rock FM (1400m), and both could be in line for a shot at the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Trentham the following weekend. Sumi brings a consistent formline into Saturday’s race. The daughter of Atlante was a placegetter at Hastings and Trentham, then ventured to Te Rapa and scored an impressive win over Freeze Frame in an open 1400m race on April 14. Those two rivals lined up again for a rematch on April 27, with a weight swing in Freeze Frame’s favour, and the result was reversed as Sumi finished third behind Freeze Frame and Karman Line. Sumi was a placegetter in the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) on this day last year, but Sharrock decided against taking a second shot at the fillies and mares’ feature. “I was happy with her performance again when she placed at Te Rapa the other day,” he said. “She just over-raced in the early part of the race, but she was good to the line. “I’ve decided to line her up at home on Saturday, and then there’s a Listed race at Trentham coming up that we can have a look at. That’s probably a better plan than travelling to Rotorua to take on La Crique at weight-for-age this weekend. “I’m happy with how she’s progressing in this campaign and she should run well again.” Sumi will carry 54kg on Saturday and will be ridden by Ashvin Goindasamy. A similar pathway looms for 12-race winner Justaskme, who carried 59kg when outside the placings in the Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) on April 27. Elle Sole’s 4kg claim will reduce his impost to 58kg this weekend. “He’ll run on Saturday and then probably back up into Trentham a week later as well,” Sharrock said. “There’s two weeks into the Listed weight-for-age race over 1600m at Wanganui after that, so it should be a good build-up for that race, which is our main target. “He’s going really well. I thought his Easter Handicap run was okay under that weight, and he’s heading in the right direction.” Another notable member of Sharrock’s New Plymouth contingent on Saturday is Bridal Train, who is the third emergency for the HEL Rimu (1800m) and is also entered for the Seaton Park (1600m). The three-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag has had six starts for a win, three seconds and a third, and she was a strong-finishing second placegetter at Te Rapa last start behind the Queensland-bound filly Tomodachi. “I think Bridal Train is a pretty good filly and she’s going super at the moment,” Sharrock said. Horse racing news View the full article

Molly Bloom will contest the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are hoping to make their mark in the three-year-old filly ranks during the Queensland Winter Carnival, starting at a rain-soaked Sunshine Coast on Saturday. The Wexford Stables pair will present Group 1 winner Molly Bloom for her Australian debut in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m). It will be the first start since February for the Ace High filly, who has won four of her eight starts including the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and the Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). Her domestic campaign earned her the title of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year. Molly Bloom left New Zealand on April 28 and travelled to Brisbane via Sydney. O’Sullivan reported on Friday that she has settled in well, but the Heavy 10 track conditions on the Sunshine Coast have dented the team’s confidence. “She handled the trip brilliantly and we’re very happy with how she’s been looking since she arrived,” O’Sullivan said. “The issue with her is that it’s been a long time since she’s had a race – not since February – and she’s got to run over 1800m on a heavy track. It’s a good field with a number of fillies that are really hard and fit, while she’s probably going to need this run. “Realistically, I’m not sure that she can win on Saturday, being first-up and running over that distance on a testing track. But we need to get this run into her, and we don’t really have the option of taking her out of this race and waiting for something else next week. Who’s to say the track conditions will be any better then, anyway? “But hopefully we’ll get her back underway again with a nice first-up performance this weekend, and then we can carry on towards the Doomben Roses (Group 2, 2000m) in a couple of weeks’ time.” Molly Bloom will be ridden by star Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson. She will race in the colours of prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, who bought a majority share in the filly earlier this year. O’Sullivan and Scott could have two runners in the Roses at Doomben on May 25, with the up-and-comer Tomodachi also travelling across the Tasman this week. Bred and owned by Sir Peter Vela, the daughter of Tarzino has won all of her last three starts, most recently a 1600m three-year-old race at Te Rapa on April 27. “Tomodachi has travelled over this week, so a week later than the other filly,” O’Sullivan said. “She seems to have handled everything well at this stage. “She’s quite a different filly to Molly Bloom, who eats everything, and we have to do a bit of work to try to keep the weight off her. Tomodachi’s a bit more of a delicate filly, but she’s looking good and it’s so far, so good with her.” Horse racing news View the full article

What Ballarat Races Where Ballarat Turf Club – 240 Kennedys Rd, Miners Rest VIC 3352 When Sunday, May 12, 2024 First Race 12:40pm AEST Visit Dabble The Ballarat Turf Club will host a competitive eight-race meeting this Sunday afternoon from 12:40pm AEST. Although the track was rated as a Soft 6 at the time of acceptances, with no rain on the forecast for the weekend, it is expected that the surface will improve into the Good range by the start of the program. The rail will be pushed out to the +3m position for the entire circuit, which should see it play favourably to on-speed runners. Best Bet at Ballarat: Layeruponlayer Layeruponlayer was ultra-impressive on his Australian debut, running away from his rivals in the final 400m to record a dominant seven-length victory. The son of Stratum Star showed that he can jump well to put himself in a forward position before sprinting strongly late. From barrier four, John Allen will attempt to replicate the last-start victory by leading all the way to record back-to-back wins. Best Bet Race 7 – #4 Layeruponlayer (4) 5yo Gelding | T: Mathew Smerdon | J: John Allen (60kg) +170 with Bet365 Next Best at Ballarat: All So Clear All So Clear tasted his first defeat at the Ballarat 1600m on April 28, going down to Matriarch Rose in Benchmark 64 grade. Even though this son of So You Think finished 2.3 lengths off the winner, he beat the rest of the field by over four lengths. Now that he is third-up, All So Clear looks primed to run a big race and should be at peak fitness for this contest at his favourite track and trip. Next Best Race 5 – #4 All So Clear (5) 5yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Matthew Cartwright (60.5kg) +340 with Picklebet Best Value at Ballarat: Blast Wave Blast Wave experienced a torrid run on debut, as she was made to travel three wide for the entire 1217m trip and battled on gamely to finish fourth. The daughter of Grunt will have taken a lot out of her first raceday experience, and from an inside barrier, Lachlan King will be able to settle this girl off the speed in a stalking position. If Blast Wave travels as well as she did first-up and lets down strongly, she will play a prominent role in the finish. Best Value Race 2 – #8 Blast Wave (8) 3yo Filly | T: Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock | J: Lachlan King (57.5kg) +900 with Neds Ballarat Sunday quaddie tips Ballarat quadrella selections Sunday, May 12, 2024 4-8 2-3-5-7 4-10 1-2-6-9-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article