Expert advisors

Racing Victoria (RV) has established a new Equine Welfare Advisory Council to serve as a source of expert advice and opinion to assist RV to effectively implement its three-year industry-wide Equine Welfare Strategic Plan, launched in mid-2019.

The introduction of the Advisory Council follows RV’s minimum $25 million commitment to accelerate and expand its equine welfare action plan, with a focus on the post-racing wellbeing of thoroughbreds.

“This is an important opportunity to bring together an experienced and varying group of individuals to help enhance the delivery of our equine welfare action plan,” RV General Manager - Equine Welfare, Jennifer Hughes said.

“The purpose of the Advisory Council is to utilise each independent member’s knowledge and expertise to ensure we deliver our equine welfare projects and programs in the best possible manner to achieve the right outcomes.”

Humidor to Waller

The well-travelled multiple Group 1 winner Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) is to join Chris Waller’s operation.

The 7-year-old has done his most recent racing out of Lindsey Smith’s stable and was fifth in the G3 Strickland S. at Belmont in his latest outing.

Humidor began his career in New Zealand with Johnno Benner in New Zealand before joining Darren Weir, for whom he won the G1 Australian Cup, the G1 Makybe Diva S. and the G1 Memsie S. and was later transferred to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Speedster to stud

The search is on for a new Team Rogerson stable star after the retirement of Ferrando (NZ) (Fast ‘N’ Famous), who will shortly begin a stud career.

"We've got some nice horses coming through, a good team of young horses, but Ferrando's not going to be an easy horse to replace,” co-trainer Graeme Rogerson said.

“He was one of the fastest horses New Zealand has had. I trained Savabeel and Not A Single Doubt and they went on to be pretty good stallions and I think he's a chance of doing the same."

Rogerson has formed a stallion syndicate for Ferrando, who will commence stud duties from Rogerson's son Gary's farm at Ngahinapouri for NZ$2500 plus GST. The 6-year-old won eight races, including the G3 Mongolian Khan Trophy and was twice placed in the G1 Telegraph H.

Change of luck needed

Trainer Michael Moroney is hoping for a change of fortune with Milwaukee (Fastnet Rock) in Saturday’s Listed Furphy All Victorian Sprint Series Final at Flemington.

The 6-year-old, an eight-time winner, comes in with a mixed form line but was denied room when looking to make his move 200 metres from home.

Milwaukee was runner-up in the race 12 months ago to Malibu Style (Magnus) and meets that runner significantly better off in the weights this time around.

Night Of Thunder covering on Southern Hemisphere time

Night Of Thunder (Ire), last year’s European champion first-season sire who continues to lead his sire crop, will cover a limited book of mares Southern Hemisphere time at Kildangan Stud later this year.

Night Of Thunder got off to a fast start last year, registering seven stakes winners in his first season with runners. He now has 12 Northern Hemisphere stakes winners, headed thus far this season by the G3 Jersey S. winner Molatham (GB).

Eamon Moloney, nominations manager at Kildangan Stud, said, “The standard that Night Of Thunder’s progeny have achieved in both hemispheres to date are propelling him to an elite stallion status with global appeal. He has just finished covering an exceptional book of mares and is now receiving a lot of interest for a limited number of Southern Hemisphere nominations, which will be covered from his base in Kildangan Stud.”

Favourite in hoodoo gate

There was an unwelcome twist for connections of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) when the draw for Saturday’s G1 Investec Derby imposed a widely-perceived ‘hoodoo’ on Bjorn Nielsen’s bay.

The pre-post favourite for Epsom’s Blue Riband he will have to depart from the dreaded stall one after heading a field of 16 declarations.

Qatar Racing’s G1 2000 Guineas hero Kameko (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}) has been allocated gate 11, historically a far more favourable position, which gives Oisin Murphy options from the break.

Aidan O’Brien’s team of six includes Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who is the choice of Ryan Moore and that G2 Champion Juvenile scorer is drawn next door to English King in two.

English King and Mogul have statistical history against them, with no winner having come from stall two and only three from stall one since 1969.

Arvin to take reins

Shannon Bishop Arvin will replace Bill Thomason when he retires as Keeneland’s President and Chief Executive Officer at the end of 2020.

Arvin, a partner at the Lexington law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden (SKO), has served as corporate counsel to Keeneland since 2008 and as Secretary and Advisory Member of Keeneland’s Board of Directors since 2015.

She will serve as the incoming President-elect beginning on September 1 and will officially transition to President and CEO on January 1 next year.

She becomes Keeneland’s eighth President and the first woman in that position, joining Belinda Stronach (Santa Anita, Golden Gate, Gulfstream and the Maryland Jockey Club) and Stella Thayer (Tampa Bay Downs) as women currently serving as the head of a North American racetrack.

Filly in top order

Talented filly Lady Banff (Top Echelon) showed she was progressing well when untroubled to win her 900 metre heat at Friday morning’s Rosehill trials.

She was out on her own at the post, scoring by 3.5l and posted the fastest time of 54.11s of the 2-year-olds on show.

The Matthew Dunn-trained Lady Banff has won three of her five starts and successfully resumed last month under 59kg on a heavy Rosehill track.

McDonald ban cut

Top Sydney jockey James McDonald has had his three-week riding ban cut to seven days by the Racing New South Wales Appeals Panel.

The panel upheld the stewards' decision that McDonald's effort on Threeood (Star Witness) at Randwick last month breached the running and handling rule, but reduced his penalty by two-thirds.

The Joe Pride-trained mare started favourite and finished second last.

Racing calendar confirmed

More than 1000 race meetings at 51 venues throughout New Zealand have been confirmed by the Dates Committee of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) for the forthcoming racing year.

The final program of racing includes a number of changes from the draft calendar following careful consideration of 100 submissions which covered feedback on a range of topics from scheduling changes to the allocation of racing dates.

The key thoroughbred changes in the final calendar are and Increased number of thoroughbred meetings from 273 to 278 and conditional reintroduction of five dates to the Avondale Jockey Club contingent on the development of regional racing plans before December 31, 2020

Venues which have not been allocated meeting dates in 2020/21 are Gisborne, Stratford, Te Awamutu, Te Teko, Waikouaiti, Waimate, Waipukurau, Wairoa and Wyndham.

Access restricted

Members of the public will be allowed to return to Sha Tin on Sunday, with restrictions in place.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced people will be able to attend, as long as they book a reservation at the restaurant in advance.

After consultation with the government, the Jockey Club estimate around 500-700 members of the public will be able to join owners, club officials, members and their guests. All will have to complete health declarations and wear face masks.

The public have been barred from race meetings in Hong Kong since February due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Sponsorship continues

For the second year, NZB Airfreight will sponsor the qualifying heats for Australia’s longest flat race, the annual 4600 metre Jericho Cup.

The Cup is open to Australian and New Zealand-bred horses only, commemorating the light horse involvement in World War I and run on the fourth Sunday after the G1 Melbourne Cup.

The Road To Jericho heats will be held on Saturday, September 26 at New Plymouth and Saturday, October 24 at Riccarton Park, with each winner receiving a guaranteed start to compete in the Cup.

NZB Airfreight will offer a NZ$5000 equine airfreight credit for the winner of each qualifying race should they decide to cross the Tasman to contest the staying event.