First-season sires star at Hawkesbury trials
Widden Stud’s first-season sire Zousain sired the winner of Heat 7 at Hawkesbury on Tuesday morning. The Terry Croft-trained Zoutastic, won from the Trapeze Artist filly Gai’s Choice followed by Prosatuer, a son of Written By, giving a clean sweep for Widden Stud sires.
Zoutastic is from the Fastnet Rock mare L’Elu, a winner of two races and herself a daughter of the G1 TJ Smith Classic victress Apercu (Encosta De Lago). The filly was a $5000 purchase by TP and RW Croft from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2023 Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale.
Yulong’s first-season sire Pierata was another to get on the board at Hawkesbury on Tuesday, with the Bjorn Baker-trained Miss Piera. The 2-year-old filly was dominant in winning from Mic Drop (Microphone). Miss Piera is from the Von Costa Hero mare Abriola, who is related to the Group 1 winner Ofcourseican (Mossman) and the Group 1-placed Gregers (Commands).
Miss Piera was passed in at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when offered by Murrulla Stud.
Boom filly leads home Kendrick trifecta
The Stuart Kendrick-trained Defiant Boom (Spirit Of Boom) led home his stablemates in Heat 11 on the Sunshine Coast. The victory capped a great weekend for his Eureka Stud-based sire Spirit Of Boom, who sired three stakes winners. Defiant Boom’s dam the More Than Ready (USA) mare Defiant Dame, won the Listed Gimcrack S. and her first foal was sold for $1.3 million at the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, named Grand Cross, the son of Fastnet Rock won 21 races in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Defiant Boom was sold for $160,000 to Archer Park Racing when offered by Eureka Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Earlier on the card, a 2-year-old colt by Headwater, Aquaholic, beat older horses in Heat 2 - again trained by Kendrick. The colt made $18,000 to Kendrick Racing when consigned by Riversdale Pastoral on the 2022 Inglis Digital June Online Sale.
Trainers' Association can’t see runner cap happening
Andrew Nicholl, the chief executive of the Australian Trainers' Association, can't see a future where a trainer could be restricted in how many runners they can have in an Australian race.
It was reported by the Racing Post that the British Horseracing Authority was investigating a change to its rule that would limit a trainer to four runners in any Class 1 or Class 2-level handicaps.
Nicholl strongly stated to Racing.com the prospects of Australia following suit, “No way would it happen in Australia. We have a ratings system for a reason and it's merits based.
“Our system doesn’t need a false ceiling in Group races because of our ratings system.
“We have Group horses that sit in a multitude of stables whether that’s Moody and Coleman, Godolphin or others.
“Plus, the volume of our racing is that we are racing three to one in terms of Group racing. Trainers have a plethora of choices as to where to place their Group horses.”
Currie returns home
Luke Currie has announced he will be leaving Hong Kong to return to Melbourne and is expected to be back riding in Australia before Christmas.
“I am really looking forward to returning to Australia,” Currie told Racing.com.
Luke Currie | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I have been in Hong Kong almost two years now and I’ve given it my best. It hasn’t probably turned out as well as I’d hoped, but it was always the idea of doing two years and assessing what we are doing.
“My wife and kids are keen to go home for Christmas. I get back next Sunday on the 17th (December), and I will try to ride before Christmas, maybe the 23rd at the Moonee Valley meeting. I am keen to ride through the festive period when everyone else is probably relaxing, so I can re-establish some connections.”
Lucky 13 for Encryption
Eureka Stud’s second-season sire Encryption now has a tally of 13 winners after Seacryption broke her maiden at Hamilton on Tuesday. The Mitch Freedman-trained 3-year-old filly, ridden by Tahlia Hope, defeated Sun Halo (Written Tycoon) and Montecristo (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
The filly is the sixth foal from Plumage, a daughter of Red Dazzler, who won five races from 1100 to 2200 metres. Plumage is the dam of the six-time winner Plumaro (Spirit Of Boom) and Count The Coin (Spirit Of Boom), a four-time winner.
Seacryption was a $130,000 purchase by Mitch Freedman Racing from the draft of Euerka Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Promising colt spies Magic Millions start
It is imperative that the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Spywire (Trapeze Artist) wins Wednesday’s R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic if he is to travel to the Gold Coast to contest the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.
“He is a horse we have always liked. He has always shown plenty of ability and been very natural with a beautiful action,” assistant trainer Johanan Gerard-Dubord told Punters.
“Spywire has been very professional. He could give the stable a third win in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic but he needs to win this race (Wyong) to get into the field. In everything he is showing, he definitely has the right ability.”
McDonald’s Hong Kong future?
Champion Jockey James McDonald admits he could see himself riding in Hong Kong on a more regular basis, however, he stated it won’t be in the immediate future.
McDonald is currently in the middle of a six-week stint and last Sunday claimed his second straight G1 Hong Kong Cup with the superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}).
James McDonald | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I really enjoy it in Hong Kong. It’s a great place to ride and complete,” he told Punters.
“I’m staying here six weeks, it’s just a nice change but I’ll definitely be going back home (Australia). However, I could see myself here eventually.
“The workload is a little bit less. I’m actually living on course, and I find it fantastic. I enjoy walking downstairs, five minutes to trackwork. It’s all set out in a routine. You’re very structured - Sha Tin on a Sunday and Happy Valley on a Wednesday; you know what’s going to happen.”
Bonus Boost for TAB Karaka
New Zealand Bloodstock has joined forces with Entain to introduce an additional NZ$400,000 in available bonuses for horses offered at the 2024 National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka.
They include a NZ$200,000 New Owners Bonus which will be won by the first across the line in the NZ$1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO that has 50 per cent or more of the ownership held by first-time participants.
“We’ve been hugely encouraged by the surge in interest in racing and horse ownership since we entered the New Zealand racing scene earlier this year,” Entain Managing Director - New Zealand Cameron Rodger said.
“The New Owners Bonus is a tremendous chance for Kiwis who haven’t owned a horse before.”
Also, offering NZ$200,000 is the Book 2 Bonus, which, like the New Owners Bonus will be awarded to the first horse across the line in the NZ$1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO that was offered in the New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 Sale in January 2024.
Both bonuses will be introduced for yearlings offered at Karaka in 2024.
Sacred charges towards Railway
Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) a last-start victor of the Listed Counties Bowl at Pukekohe is making good progress towards a tilt at the G1 Sistema Railway S. on January 1.
The 4-year-old entire, trained by Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley, was a comfortable 1000-metre trial winner at Ellerslie on Monday.
Sacred Satono (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
“He just had an easy trial, a bit of a blowout, and did what he had to,” Cooksley told loveracing.nz.
“He is a lot stronger this year and he went great last time. Sacred Satono will go to the Railway and then we will work it out. He will more than likely go to the 1400 metres after that and then a mile (Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic) on Karaka Millions night.”
Jockey shortage for Foote runners
Ben and Ryan Foote will be represented by three fillies - Charmer (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), Chica Mojito (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) and New Millennium (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) in Saturday’s G3 Eulogy S. at Trentham, that is pending they can find riders for fillies.
“We have three fillies going to the Eulogy, but I have only got one jockey at this stage,” Foote told loveracing.nz.
“There are three meetings on Saturday, so we are really going to struggle for riders. It’s the same every year on this day with three meetings and it just makes it so hard.”
Gollan eyes Doncaster with Antino
On Tuesday morning’s RSN Racing Pulse program Tony Gollan shared his promising galloper Antino (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) has G1 Doncaster H. aspirations in the autumn.
“He’s had a little break and will start ticking over to come back for a Sydney autumn preparation. I’m really keen to get towards a Doncaster third-up. We would then look at what we do after that, I wouldn’t be surprised if we back-off and go one run into the Stradbroke.”
Carenot tops Day 3 of Arqana Breeding Stock Sale
Though the figures from Monday's session are in stark contrast to those witnessed on Saturday, they are largely keeping pace with last year. From a slightly smaller comparative session, the clearance rate dropped by four per cent to 75 per cent for 187 of the 250 horses sold on the day. The median remained at €8500 (AU$13,900), the average was up by four per cent at €12,070 (AU$19,700), and with 29 fewer horses sold this year, the aggregate dropped 11 per cent to €2,257,000 (AU$3,692,300).
With one session remaining at Arqana, the overall turnover looks set to follow the downward trend seen in Ireland and Britain so far this season.
The session sale-topper was the 10-year-old mare Carenot (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Phoenix S. winner Dick Whittington (Ire), sold for €72,000 (AU$117,800). Offered in foal to Earthlight (Ire) as Lot 582 from Haras du Lieu des Champs, Carenot was bought by Whitehorn Bloodstock on behalf of Emir Alkas of Alkas Stud in Turkey.
Leading the weanling division was a colt by Galiway (GB) (Lot 604), whose stock continued to prove popular with both Flat and National Hunt buyers. This son of the Group 3-placed Stormyra (Fr) (Stormy River {Ire}) is a half-brother to three winners and was signed for by Peter and Ross Doyle at €51,000 (AU$83,400) from the draft of JK Thoroughbreds.
Engelbrecht-Bresges talks Hong Kong challenges
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges has been at the helm of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) since 2007, presiding over a significant expansion of the Asian racing scene. Emmanuel Roussel received an update from the CEO during last weekend's Hong Kong International meeting, with topics including the development of racing at Conghua on the Chinese mainland, and the potential for the HKJC to establish breeding bases in Europe and Australia to boost its supply of thoroughbreds.
“It's great that we are back in full swing. Last year, we were open but not yet quite out of our bubble, while what we saw at the International Jockeys' Championship with such a tremendous atmosphere, demonstrates that the city's vibrancy is back,” Engelbrechet-Bresges said.
“There is a risk of an ageing ownership population you have to build up again. Many owners also lost interest in owning a horse during COVID because they could not go to the track. We couldn't replace the horses they were retiring sooner. The optimal number of horses in training in Hong Kong is 1280. We have probably at the moment 1160 horses ready to run, that's 120 short due to these effects.
“We currently have a significant supply chain issue. Prices have gone through the roof. We bought a lot of horses from Australia, and it gets more and more difficult to buy them because they are owned by syndicates. So we have now a turned-down an offer of $1.7 million for a 3-year-old who won one race and a Listed race.”
Baroness Harding appointed senior steward of The Jockey Club
Baroness Dido Harding is to succeed Sandy Dudgeon as Senior Steward of The Jockey Club in July 2024. It has also been announced that Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National-winning amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, who is now retired from the saddle, will join The Jockey Club's board of stewards from January 1, 2024.
Having been a member of the House of Lords since 2014, Baroness Harding sits on the Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee.
Nine new members of the Jockey Club were elected at a members' meeting on Monday, December 11. The three new honorary members are HH Sheikha Hissa bint Hamdan Al Maktoum, HH Princess Zahra Aga Khan and Gaynor Rupert. They are joined by six ordinary members: Guy Henriques, Sue Lucas, Rishi Persad, Zara Tindall, Michael Wainwright and David Wiggin.
Murphy to make Indian debut
Outstanding Irish-born jockey Oisin Murphy is set to ride for the first in India for trainer Pesi Shroff in the Indian 1000 Guineas on December 17 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mumbai. It has not been declared the name of Murphy’s mount at this point.
