War Decree fee announced
Inglewood Stud’s in-demand young stallion War Decree will stand the upcoming breeding season at an unchanged service fee of $4500 (inc GST).
“His yearlings sold through the ring averaging nearly $60,000 this year. That’s a tremendous return on the $6500 (inc GST) he stood for in his first season,” Gus Widgley of Inglewood Stud said.
Another Prophet prevails
Aquis Farm's freshman sire Divine Prophet added another win to his tally when the Carl Spry-trained Choir Boy saluted at Townsville on Thursday.
Divine Prophet now sits on five total first season wins and is tied with Winning Rupert, Maurice (Jpn) and Cable Bay (Ire).
Divine Prophet | Standing at Aquis Farm
Blinkers to benefit Rossa
Trainer Will Clarken believes the application of blinkers can give highly talented 3-year-old Beau Rossa (Unencumbered) a winning edge in Saturday’s G1 Goodwood H. at Morphettville.
“He’s still only a young horse with a lot of learning to do, so we’ve applied the blinkers for that reason, and I do believe it can give him that extra edge required to win a Goodwood,” Clarken told RSN927.
“He’s smoother through his gears and doesn’t make as many mistakes. He really lets down on his right leg with the blinkers on.”
Trekking towards success
Godolphin head trainer James Cummings expects an improved performance from dual Group 1-winning galloper Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) in Saturday’s G1 Doomben 10,000.
Trekking
Cummings confirmed the 5-year-old gelding to be in good order, saying he has trained on since finishing fourth fresh last fortnight.
“As a winner of more than $5 million, there isn’t another runner better suited at weight-for-age here,” Cummings said.
Flexible flying
James Cummings is confident that talented filly Flexible (Hallowed Crown) can fire in Saturday’s G3 Fillies’ Classic at Morphettville.
“I thought Flexible was a bit stiff in the Sangster (G1 Sangster S.) here two weeks ago,” Cummings said.
“Her racing style suggests she will be suited by the extra distance here and she gets a great chance to make amends for the run in the Oaks and earn herself some black type.”
Free Of Debt ready to return
Trainer Chris Bieg believes G1 Blue Diamond S.-placed gelding Free Of Debt (Unencumbered) can recapture his juvenile promise on return at Flemington on Saturday.
Free Of Debt
“Building up towards Saturday, I thought his first jump out behind Gytrash at Morphettville was good. He had another jump out on Tuesday at Morphettville with a tongue tie and blinkers and his work was exceptional,” Bieg told Racing.com.
"Certainly, the horse goes to Flemington bright and very well this weekend."
Double whammy for Poy
Talented young jockey Michael Poy was handed two suspensions at Pakenham on Wednesday after being charged twice with careless riding in race seven aboard Vitani (Animal Kingdom {USA}).
Poy's suspension will start at midnight, May 15 and expire at midnight, May 26.
Meech to return to race riding
Leading Victorian-based hoop Linda Meech will return to race riding for the first time since April 12, 2020, when she steps aboard the Mark Pegus-trained Costa Maya (High Chaparral {Ire}) at Warracknabeal on Saturday.
Linda Meech
Hit-and-run job for Behemoth
Leading G1 Goodwood H. contender Behemoth (All Too Hard) is unlikely to press on beyond Saturday’s feature event, according to managing owner Sam Lyons.
Lyons said that the Richard Jolly-trained galloper is likely to be tipped out after his first up run in preparation for the spring carnival.
"We're not planning on going to Queensland at this stage. We just want to get through Saturday and make a call but, realistically, the spring is the main goal with him," Lyons told Racing.com.
Behemoth
Heathcote identifies rising star
Premier Queensland-based trainer Rob Heathcote has seen glimpses of stable star Rothfire (Rothesay) in his exciting 2-year-old Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom).
Heathcote has been impressed enough by the talented juvenile to back him up into Saturday’s G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic at Doomben, only six days after winning at the Sunshine Coast.
“He is so like Rothfire in some ways, he has that demeanour, he walks around and nothing fazes him. However, I am not saying he is as good as Rothfire,” Heathcote told Racenet.
Kah’s Ayrton predicament
Superstar hoop Jamie Kah has confirmed that she will not waste below her minimum weight to ride star 3-year-old Ayrton (NZ) (Iffrajj {GB}) in next month’s G1 Stradbroke H.
"I'll put that to bed, there is no chance of me doing 49.5kgs. The 51kg mark is probably my minimum, so I don't know if he'll get up to that weight, but I am not going to try the 49.5kg,” Kah told Racing.com.
Jamie Kah
Latham to be laid to rest
South Australian man Nigel Latham, who was spotted on his hospital bed near the 200 metre mark on the first day of the Adelaide Carnival, will be laid to rest on Friday after losing his battle to an undisclosed illness, aged 58.
In a statement published in England's Malvern Gazette, his family passed on their thanks to the racing community and said Latham would return to his homeland when possible.
"Nigel will be greatly missed by all his family and many friends. They have been extremely touched by the response to Nigel's story and the support they have received,” the statement read.
Pierre-Charles Boudot indicted on rape charges
Pierre-Charles Boudot, who was arrested on Monday in Chantilly along with fellow jockey Pierre Bazire, has been charged with the rape of a work rider in February. The French champion jockey was released on bail of €50,000 (AU$78,404) on Wednesday and placed under judicial supervision.
Bazire is also under supervision and has been charged with failing to prevent and report a crime. Both jockeys have also been named as witnesses to the intimidation of a witness.
The charges relate to an allegation made against Boudot, 28, by a 25-year-old female exercise rider two days after an alleged assault in Cagnes-sur-Mer on February 17, 2021.
Snowfall on top
One of the prestige races missing from Aidan O'Brien's resume before Wednesday, York's G3 Tattersalls Musidora S. is now in the bag for the Ballydoyle master after Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) proved a rare outsider to win for the stable as she made all in the extended 10-furlong Oaks trial.
“We always thought the world of her last year, but things just didn't work for her,” Aidan O'Brien said. “On pedigree, she was always going to be suited by a step up in trip and Ryan gave her a lovely ride. It's a beautiful pedigree and we always thought a race like that would suit. I would think the Oaks will be the plan, but we'll all have a chat.”
War Front filly a star at Dundalk
Some TDN Rising Stars get the tag for runaway victories and some for winning performances much slimmer but full of promise of what is to come and Ballydoyle's newcomer Yet (USA) (War Front {USA}) fit into the latter category on Wednesday.
The bay had the strongly-supported and strong-travelling Orinoco River (USA) to deal with as they pulled clear of the remainder at the top of the straight and despite being headed in the closing stages dug deep to get back in front near the line and prevail by a neck.
“She's a massive 2-year-old. She had been working well and she's done it well,” commented jockey Seamie Heffernan.
