Twelve of the world's leading Flat riders, including Irad Ortiz Jr., Flavien Prat, and Frankie Dettori have joined forces to create a global jockeys' league that is expected to launch across the sport's most prestigious racing venues early next year.View the full article

Well try mowing the lawn in all weathers and watch what happens to the soil underneath.  Never irrigate it and watch the broadleaf weeds increase in number and watch the rain when it does come not disperse evenly.  Don't bother oversowing with new grass seed every 4 or 5 years just leave the existing grasses to grow old.  Never put anything back in to the soil other than nitrogen fertiliser maybe once every two years.  Oh and don't bother to clean out the drains. Most of our tracks are built on clay loam type soils which are prone to mechanical breakdown of the soil structure over time which is sped up by the loss of organic material in the soil.  The soil then starts to compact and its ability to drain gets worse.  The clay becomes gluggy like plasticine when wet and dries hard like concrete when the sun shines.  Riccarton, Hastings and Awapuni becoming classic cases.  Ellerslie and Te Rapa had reached that stage before sand slitting but that is only effective for a short while.  Trentham is another.   A track like Foxton is a Sandy Loam - i.e. a mix of sand and silt with originally a reasonable level of organic matter.  That offers good drainage but also an ability to retain moisture at a higher level than pure sand so reducing the need for irrigation.  The new Ellerslie is the extreme example of great drainage but very low water rentention and as there is no organic material poor nutrient availability hence the need to continually irrigate and fertilise i.e. a type of hydroponic system.  80-85% of the irrigation or rain on the track drains right through it within a short number of hours.  They now compensate by mechanically breaking the sand compaction to allow a safe track.

Al Shaqab Racing and Trevor Stewart's 2-year-old colt Andab (Saxon Warrior), a full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road, made a winning debut in Monday's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden over six furlong at the Curragh. Let go at odds of 8-1, he pulled clear in the closing stages to register an impressive 4 3/4-length success.   1st-Curragh, €25,000, Mdn, 5-5, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.24, gd. ANDAB (IRE) (c, 2, Saxon Warrior {Jpn}–Tickled Pink {Ire} {MGSW-Eng, $117,768}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}), broke swiftly and settled back in midfield through the initial fractions of this debut. Making smooth headway from halfway, the 8-1 chance seized control approaching the final furlong and was ridden clear in the closing stages to easily outpoint Gavoo (Elzaam) by an impressive 4 3/4 lengths. “It was a smart performance, but I'd be lying if I said we thought that he would win,” admitted Joseph O'Brien. “He's always been a little wayward mentally and we just wanted to get a start into him. He needed it as he was turning into a bit of a messer at home. You'd have to be very impressed with the fashion he won and the professionalism that he showed. The obvious thing to do is to come back for the Marble Hill and the dream would be that he might be a [G2] Coventry horse. We thought he was quick enough to start off at six [furlongs] and we thought that he'd enjoy going seven eventually. I would still say that's the case, but undoubtedly he's quick enough to stick to six for the minute.” Andab is the sixth foal and scorer produced by dual Group 3 winner Tickled Pink (Invincible Spirit), herself one of four black-type performers out of dual Group 2-winning G1 July Cup runner-up Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge). Cassandra Go's leading performer is three-time Group 1 winner Halfway To Heaven (Pivotal), whose own descendants include multiple Group 1 winners Magical (Galileo), Rhododendron (Galileo) and Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact). Andab is a full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road and a yearling colt. Sales history: 290,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $16,955. O-Al Shaqab Racing & Trevor C Stewart; B-Trevor C Stewart (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. The post Victoria Road’s Brother Andab Makes Winning debut at The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Plans are taking shape for a new global jockeys' league, which would see 12 world-renowned riders compete against each other multiple times a year, across prestigious racecourses located in each of the major racing jurisdictions. It is hoped that the project will get off the ground in 2026, provided commercial partners to help fund the competition can be found in the interim. Co-founded by former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson and Lachlan Fitt, who served as chief financial officer of Entain Australia from 2018 until earlier this year, the idea has been conceived with the aim of bringing a fresh audience to the sport. Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and William Buick are among the jockeys expected to be involved in the competition, which would see them compete for points under their own individual team branding in up to 10 events a year. Fitt said, “We have watched the success of other sports take the power of their athletes and build them into global icons, with the outcome being a whole new generation of fans that now feel a deeper human connection with the athletes. “The concept we have developed with our foundation jockeys is designed around following a similar model to other sports and we're delighted that the world's best jockeys have come together to drive this change in the way our sport is marketed to the next generation fan.” It is understood the jockeys will also own equity in their own team and be shareholders in the league, with organisers of the franchise seeking to secure commercial partners with the aim of securing a total prize fund of $15 million within two years. Fitt added, “One of the guiding principles we have developed with our foundation jockeys is to ensure this league complements the existing global racing calendar and with that principle in mind, we will be looking to align the timing of our league events to be in close proximity to the major racing carnivals across the world. “It is still early days in our conversations with potential host venues and we are a number of months away from finalising plans in relation to what a launch season could look like. We're hopeful there will be a number of opportunities for the league to be racing in the UK in the first 12 months.” James McDonald, Christophe Lemaire and Mickael Barzalona are other star names in the frame to take part, while Joao Moreira and Zac Purton could renew their fierce rivalry from their years riding against each other in Hong Kong. Vincent Ho, another leading rider in that jurisdiction, is also set to be involved, along with Japanese legend Yutaka Take and US-based riders Flavien Prat and Irad Ortiz Jr. For Dettori the competition could see him him riding on British soil for the first time since he partnered King Of Steel to victory in the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October 2023. He said, “It's a project they have been working on for a few months and I am super excited. It will appeal to a worldwide audience–especially after the Race For The Crown Netflix series–and I can't wait to get started.” The post Dettori and Moore Among Potential Participants in New Jockeys’ League appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ger Lyons trainee Lady Iman (Starman) lined up as unbeaten winner-of-one for Monday's Listed Holden Plant Rentals First Flier Stakes and continued her winning streak to provide her freshman sire with a breakthrough stakes winner at the Curragh. The crowd's 4-7 selection, fresh off a Mar. 28 maiden win at Dundalk, broke swiftly and raced in a close-up fourth through the early stages of this five-furlong contest. Going well on the bridle when slipping one position passing the quarter-mile marker, she eased through a gap to lead with 100 yards remaining and easily asserted superiority from there, hitting the line with a 1 1/4-length advantage from True Love (No Nay Never). “She's a lovely filly and Colin [Keane] was very impressed with her,” commented Lyons. “She has plenty of speed and will learn plenty from that. I've never took this filly off the bridle so I don't know what the limit is with her. At the moment, I'm thinking of Naas for the [G3 Juvenile Fillies] Sprint and I know that would suit Tally-Ho. I'm delighted for them because training for them is a pleasure. They gave me the horse to promote the sire, they didn't give her to me because they like me, so I ran her. I'll sleep on it and talk to Colin about it, but I've no problem with her getting six.”   Monday, Curragh, Ireland HOLDEN PLANT RENTALS FIRST FLIER STAKES-Listed, €50,000, Curragh, 5-5, 2yo, 5fT, 1:02.56, gd. 1–LADY IMAN (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Starman (GB) 1st Dam: Lady Aria (GB) (GSP-Eng), by Kodiac (GB) 2nd Dam: Dot Hill (GB), by Refuse To Bend (Ire) 3rd Dam: Purple Tiger (Ire), by Rainbow Quest 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (£185,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-Mrs A O'Callaghan; B-Tally-Ho Stud (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $50,114. *1/2 to West Acre (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), MGSW-UAE, $378,255. 2–True Love (Ire), 126, f, 2, No Nay Never–Alluringly, by Fastnet Rock (Aus). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €10,000. 3–Power Blue (Ire), 131, c, 2, Space Blues (Ire)–Visions (Ire), by Worthadd (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€30,000 Wlg '23 GOFNOF; £44,000 Ylg '24 GOFFUK). O-LNA Racing Syndicate; B-Finanza Locale Consulting (IRE); T-Adrian Murray. €5,000. Margins: 1 1/4, HD, 1. Odds: 0.57, 12.00, 2.50. Also Ran: Spring Is Here (Ire), Stop The Nation (Ire), Call Margot (Ire). The post First Stakes Winner for Starman as Lady Iman Snags First Flier Success appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article