Productive weekend for Written By
Widden Stud’s second-season sire Written By enjoyed a productive weekend with his star galloper Ripcord impressing in the Listed Placid Ark S. in Perth. While on Sunday his progressive filly Solutionist won her second race from four starts. The Kris Lees-trained filly beat the Odyssey Moon-sired gelding Yareakh, while Golden Honour (Caravaggio {USA}).
Solutionist is the second foal from the Sebring mare Positive Problems, a six-time winner and a placegetter in the G3 Belle of the Turf S.
The filly was a $340,000 purchase by Australian Bloodstock from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Bold Soul creates impression on debut
Cambridge Stud’s second-season sire Embellish (NZ) looked to have unveiled a smart prospect with the Patrick Payne-trained Bold Soul (NZ), who was an impressive winner on debut at Donald on Sunday.
The 3-year-old, partnered by Harry Coffey, defeated Bello Bello (Magnus) and Autumn Slide (NZ) (The Autumn Sun). Bold Soul is from the Singspiel (Ire) mare Twin Soul (Ire), who finished fourth in two Listed races. The gelding was a bargain NZ$20,000 purchase by HN Auret when offered by Te Keeti Bloodstock at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Mister Me wins Donald Cup
The Symon Wilde-trained Mister Me (Zoustar) saluted in Sunday’s Donald Cup, providing rider Dean Yendall with his sixth victory in the Country Cup.
Under a well-executed ride by Yendall, the son of Zoustar led from pillar-to-post to beat Extra Elusive (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Chartres (Toronado {Ire}).
The 5-year-old gelding has won five races and from the Group 3 winner Alpine Club (SAf) (Model Man {SAf}), who has produced the 13-time winner Chamois Road (Choisir).
Mister Me was a $160,000 purchase by Busuttin Racing from the draft of Rosemont Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Racing Victoria to change proctools?
Reportedly Racing Victoria are looking to change the rule which dictates how many runs an international-trained runner can have in the Melbourne spring features. Horses travelling from overseas are limited to one race start in Australia prior to competing in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Racing Victoria will shortly review its spring carnival protocols. However, the implementation of the protocols have been praised by international trainers, among them Willie Mullins, who saddled-up the unplaced Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban (Fr) (Galiway {GB}).
“I think Racing Victoria are doing a wonderful thing for racing; you are minding racing with the new veterinary hoops we have to jump through,” Mullins said.
“Maybe they overdid it a bit earlier on, but things find their level. When we see what’s going on around the rest of the world, someone has to start somewhere and get racing right for the people that are in the game. We all get a tremendous living out of it. We want to see it going on and we have to mind the game, and I think Australia is doing the right thing.”
Performer juvenile wins at Townsville
The Georgie Holt-trained Dance For Me Randy (Performer) was successful at start two breaking his maiden at Townsville on Sunday.
The 2-year-old colt, ridden by Jackson Murphy, defeated Time To Prophet (Divine Prophet) and Love ‘N’ Vision (Love Conquers All).
Dance For Me Randy is the penultimate foal from the unraced Canny Lad mare Arundel, a daughter of the Listed winner and Group 1-placed Worth (Luskin Star).
The colt was a $5000 purchase by Holt Racing from the draft of Kenmore Lodge at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale.
Flag Of Honour salutes at Woodbine
Flag Of Honour, a 4-year-old gelding by American Pharoah (USA) now calls Canada home and was a winner of the G2 Kennedy Road S. at Woodbine over the weekend.
Flag Of Honour was previously trained by the Australian-based Kris Lees, who trains out of Newcastle. Under Lees, Flag Of Honour won at Gosford and ran fourth in the G3 Ming Dynasty and the Listed Dulcify S.
Flag Of Honour was exported to the Northern Hemisphere after he recorded exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) twice, which saw him not permitted to race in Australia.
He is from the G1 Blue Diamond placegetter, Godiva Rock (Stratum), and was a $425,000 purchase by Tasman Bloodstock from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Ascot race moved to Belmont
Saturday saw the postponement of the last race at Ascot in Western Australia. Racing and Wagering Western Australia stewards inspected the course prior to the running of the first race and deemed the track suitable to conduct the meeting despite initial concerns over a part of the track located at the 500-metre mark. However, the G3 Colonel Reeves S. run as Race 7 saw Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man) attempt to jump the spot with Shaun McGruddy in the saddle. Racing officials then decided to make the decision of moving the rail three metres between the 600 and 400-metre mark to cover up a ‘blocked’ spot at the 500 metres.
Although the move meant little with races called off immediately, “Following the race (8) a number of riders expressed concern with the configuration of the running rail after it had been moved. After viewing the vision, it was established that numerous runners were placed in restricted room and inconvenienced and received inference to varying degrees.”
The final race (9) at Ascot has been moved to Wednesday’s card at Belmont.
Lawman anchors Haras Du Mazet roster
Group 1 sire Lawman (Fr) will stand for €4000 (AU$6700) in his first season at Haras du Mazet in 2024. He moved from Karwin Farm. The news was reported by Jour de Galop.
The sire of 38 stakes winners is best known as the sire of Group 1 winners Just The Judge (Ire), Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Harbour Law (GB), Most Improved (Ire), Law Enforcement (Ire) and Marcel (Ire).
Listed winner Motamarris (Ire) is priced at €2000 (AU$3300), while Devastar (Ger) will command €1500 (AU$2500). The former, who was third in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, will have his first yearlings next year.
Haras des Faunes 2024 roster announced
The four-horse roster at Haras des Faunes for next year was reported by Jour de Galop on Saturday.
Responsible for G1 Prix Royal-Oak third Tashkhan (Ire) and G3 Prix Reservoirs hero Tulipa Chope (Fr), Born To Sea (Ire) holds pride of place at €4500 (AU$7500).
His rostermates include Gutaifan (Ire) at €3500 (AU$5900). His Fev Rover (Ire) has secured a brace of Grade I victories in North America this year. Marianafoot (Fr), who will stand his second season at stud and has moved from Haras de Saint-Vincent, is €2200 (AU$3700). The fourth stallion is Captain Chop (Fr) who is priced at €1500 (AU$2500).
Integration takes out Hill Prince
Heavily favoured to run his unbeaten streak to three, West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing's Integration (USA) (Quality Road {USA}) made his off price of 4-5 look like an early Christmas gift, as he parlayed a perfect trip into a dominating victory in Saturday's G2 Hill Prince S. at Aqueduct.
Integration was a US$700,000 (AU$1,100,300) Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale purchase by West Point AND Woodford Racing biggest success prior to Saturday was the G3 Virginia Derby. The colt is the 12th individual Group 2 winner for Lane’s End Farm’s Quality Road (USA).
“I always liked this horse. He just had little things and we had to stop–nothing major,” said winning trainer Shug McGaughey. “He had a little splint and we had to back off of him. I made one good move–which I don't make that many times (laughs)–when I sent him down to Fair Hill. I think he really liked that–the paddock, training, breezing on the Tapeta. I think that was a good move. He went before Saratoga.”
The Hall of Fame conditioner said the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf in early January is a potential objective.
Champion sprinter passes away
Work All Week (USA) (City Zip {USA}), upset winner of the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and that year's champion sprinter, passed away at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, Monday, November 13. According to Old Friends equine veterinarian Dr. Bryan Waldridge, the 14-year-old experianced a fatal paddock accident. A full necropsy is pending.
Bred in Illinois by Richard and Karen Papiese's Midwest Thoroughbreds, the likeable chestnut was trained throughout his career by the late Roger Brueggemann. During the summer of 2013, Work All Week embarked on an eight-race winning streak that included open-company stakes victories in the Hot Springs S. at Oaklawn and in the Iowa Sprint H. at Prairie Meadows. He was upset in an Illinois-bred stakes in the summer of 2014, but bounced back to validate favouritism in the G3 Phoenix S. at Keeneland ahead victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, joining Buck's Boy (USA) (Bucksplasher {USA}) as the only Breeders' Cup winners bred in the Land of Lincoln. As a 6-year-old in 2015, Work All Week added the Byrd Memorial S. at Mountaineer Park and was third to Runhappy (USA) in defence of his title in the Phoenix.
Over the next five years, Work All Week became a stable pony before the Papieses donated him to Old Friends for his retirement.
