Daily News Wrap

Racing NSW with legal action against Tabcorp

Racing NSW has initiated legal action against its major sponsor Tabcorp, alleging breaches of contract related to the promotion of major horse races in the state, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald by Adam Pengilly and Chris Roots. This significant development has led to a scheduled directions hearing in the NSW Supreme Court on February 8. The strained relationship between Racing NSW and Tabcorp, particularly over The Everest race sponsorship, has now escalated into a legal battle.

Adam Rytenskild, CEO of Tabcorp, commented on the lawsuit to SMH, stating, “We’re disappointed by the legal action... We would rather be putting our energy into the growth and integrity of NSW racing than being forced to court. We don’t agree with it and will be defending the action.”

This legal conflict is the latest in a series of disputes for Racing NSW, following a previous lawsuit against Australian racing authorities. The news comes as Tabcorp looked set to replace Longines as the sponsor for the Golden Slipper.

Search for Balding’s replacement begins

The interview process to determine a suitable replacement for Russell Balding as Racing NSW chairman commenced on Thursday, according to News Corp.

A selection panel, reporting to Minister for Gaming and Racing, David Harris, began interviewing applicants for Balding’s vacant director's seat and the process will continue on Friday.

The Minns Government called for expression of interests for the chairman position and that role could be filled by an existing director or the new member to the board.

Balding served 12 years on the Racing NSW board, the past seven as chairman.

Scullie named new Bendigo CEO

The Bendigo Jockey Club has appointed its new chief executive, with local sports administrator Paul Scullie to replace the outgoing Rob Heinjus.

Scullie will commence in the position on February 19, after Heinjus opted to return to South Australia for family reasons.

“I am really excited to be leading a club I have now been a member of for quite a few years and has been a big part of our lives,” Scullie told Racing.com.

“We have to continue to grow our training base and there's some exciting plans in place for stabling and will continue to drive that.

“We have some fantastic trainers here and hopefully we can encourage more to come along and give the assistance to our current trainers and provide them with facilities they can work well with.”

Tulloch Lodge looks to strengthen Slipper squad

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable has been airborne with its 2-year-olds this season, and Tulloch Lodge currently has the top two in betting for March’s G1 Golden Slipper S., with Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) leading the market and Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) on the second line.

And they could add further firepower to their Slipper team on Saturday, with Prost (Snitzel) listed to contest the G3 Canonbury S. and Alinea (Written Tycoon) and Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) slated to run in the G3 Widden S.

“We’ve got some depth, obviously there’s a while to go and plenty of racing to happen,” Bott told Racing NSW.

“There’s plenty of other horses to come into the frame but I’m happy with the horses we’ve got and the paths that they are on and hopefully they can give us a good representation in the Slipper.”

Prost, who ran third on debut behind stablemate Espionage (Zoustar) in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick in September, has won two trials ahead of his resumption.

“He was made to find the line there and we made sure he had a good hitout going into the race,’’ Bott said.

“He’s still a bit new and still learning but I think he’s trialled around the right horses and now it’s his turn to put his hand up. He’s going in there nice and forward and looks ready to roll.”

Dubai Honour confirmed for Sydney Group 1s

Dual Group 1 hero Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) will defend his G1 Ranvet S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth titles, according to trainer William Haggas.

The middle-distance star will be joined Down Under by Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who will be aimed towards the G1 Sydney Cup, however, King Charles’ horse Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) won’t be making the trip, after Haggas decided he isn’t ready.

“We decided definitely this morning that His Majesty’s horse will not be coming to Sydney in the autumn,” Haggas told RadioTAB on Thursday.

“We may well come down at the back end of the year in your (Australian spring), but I just felt he needed a bit more time and they (his owners) concurred.

“His (Dubai Honour) whole (European) summer was based around getting him in top shape to come to you in February, March.

“He will be the same horse he was, I hope.

“I’d like him to come back for two years. If all goes well this year and he runs competitively, then basically it will be all the same again.”

Eneeza ready to fire

Trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman have a quality juvenile on their hands in the form of Eneeza (Exceed And Excel), and according to Moody, the filly is ready to fire in the G3 Chairman’s S. at Caulfield on Saturday.

“She’s really pleased us. She’s a bombproof, push-button 2-year-old type,” Moody told Racing And Sports.

“She had a bit of a freshen up since she last raced, chipped away down at the beach and punched around down there and it seems to have done her the world of good.

“I wouldn’t say she has grown or strengthened up at all, but she’s probably matured mentally, more than anything.

“I think she can go there and run well on Saturday.”

Snowden juveniles look to lay Slipper marker

With the G1 Golden Slipper S. fast approaching, Peter and Paul Snowden will have three 2-year-olds engaged at Rosehill on Saturday.

Fearless (Pierata) and King Roseau (Capitalist) will contest the G3 Canonbury S., before Wave Breaker (Pierata), who has impressed in three trials, debuts in the G3 Widden S.

“He’s (Fearless) a lovely horse. He did a lot of things wrong (in the Breeders’ Plate) and still ran quite well, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do”, Paul Snowden told Racing And Sports.

“He’s pretty forward and he’s got a bit of class so that will take him a long way.

“King Of Roseau, he’s done nothing wrong. He battled away well the other day, he was dictated to by the horse up on speed and it quickened very quickly for him.”

On Wave Breaker, Snowden said, “Like all of them, they’ve got to put their hand up. Trials are one thing, raceday pressure is totally different.

“But she is ready to be put under that and if she’s good enough, she will run well.”

Moroney to target Stradbroke with promising filly

The talented 3-year-old Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) has been set a lofty dream by trainer Michael Moroney, who believes the filly has the quality in her to hold her own in the G1 Stradbroke H. in June.

“We are keen on going to Queensland and keen on trying to make the Stradbroke if we can with her,” Moroney told Racing.com.

“We’ve got a bit of work to do there but she’s a talented filly who is only going to keep improving.

“She’s about to start work. We’ve given her a long, long break.

“She was a late foal, had a pretty long (spring) prep and only had a short break from winter to spring, hence we’ve given her a long break and we're going to miss most of the autumn.”

McGruddy hit with 12-week ban

Perth jockey Shaun McGruddy learnt his punishment for breaching local rule 228 at last Wednesday’s Belmont Park meeting, with his comments towards apprentice Brandon Louis earning him a 12-week suspension, of which half will be suspended for two years as long as he can uphold certain conditions.

Racing and Wagering Western Australia stewards imposed mandatory counselling as the condition for suspending half of the term, with any re-offence of a similar nature automatically enforcing the suspension in full.

It is understood McGruddy has apologised to Louis for his comments, which occurred after the running of the fifth race of the January 24 program.

Mills holds high hopes for Pivot City

There’s anticipation in the air for the return of Pivot City (Not A Single Doubt) at Moonee Valley on Friday night, but part-owner Sheamus Mills has a more holistic outlook on where the colt can get to this preparation.

“I don’t think he’s ever trialled better than he did the other day (January 22),” he told Racing.com.

“Judging by his training and his trial, he may have reached that point now where he can train on a bit.

“He pulled up a bit short in his action and was a bit shin sore (at the end of last preparation).

“For such a beautiful-looking horse, he has just taken a while to ball up and skeletal-wise.”

Pivot City is rated a $1.70 chance to pick up his second career win in Race 6 on Friday night, a BM64 H.

Deamer dreaming of Southern Cross S. success

Newcastle-based trainer Jason Deamer has never cracked success in a Group race, but he holds hopes that his 4-year-old Hard To Say (Exceed And Excel) can deliver the stable a career peak.

“He has always shown us a bit, it has just taken a while for the penny to drop,” Deamer told News Corp.

“He used to want to overdo things. He would come out of the gates and want to come back underneath you and settle but now he is pretty good.

“He’s got quite a strong finish on him.”

Weather to determine Te Akau’s hand in 2YO Classic

Te Akau Racing will have at least one leading contender in Saturday’s G3 New Plymouth Taranaki 2YO Classic, with the weather set to determine whether they strengthen their hand.

Co-trainer Mark Walker confirmed Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard) will take her place, while the stable is undecided if the unbeaten Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) will line up.

“She (Captured By Love) could be doubtful if the track ended up really wet, the forecast is for 17mm on Friday and 13 for Saturday, so we’ll wait to make our minds up,” Walker told loveracing.nz.

“She is a real talent and she’s shown it from day one, she is a really nice filly.”

The daughter of Written Tycoon followed up a debut win with success in the G2 Wakefield Challenge S., while stablemate Dream Of The Moon was third in the Trentham event off the back of a Riccarton victory.

“She’ll (Dream Of The Moon) run even if it’s wet, in her first start it was bottomless, but her trials have been good on wettish ground,” Walker explained.

“She has done nothing wrong, that’s for sure.”

Cole looking for strong debut from promising colt

Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole hopes Chicago Jack (All Too Hard) can make the perfect start to his career in Saturday’s G3 Platinum Homes New Plymouth Taranaki 2YO Classic at New Plymouth.

The All Too Hard colt was purchased by Cole, in association with bloodstock agent Bevan Smith of Bevan Smith Bloodstock, for $155,000 from Baramul Stud’s 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale draft.

“He is quite a well-bred horse. We gave Bevan a short-list on breeding and he sent back what he liked, and he (Chicago Jack) was the top pick,” said Cole.

“He was pretty green (in his trial), he missed the jump by three or four lengths, then got to the outside and bobbled around a bit.

“He won a jump-out after his trial the following week. He seems quite an exciting horse.

“Ryan (Elliot, jockey) gave him a pretty good opinion and you have to go off what senior riders think of them sometimes. We will go down there and hope to run well.”

Guineas the aim for Bucanero Fuerte

High-class juvenile Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is likely to begin his 3-year-old campaign with a run in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 4.

Bucanero Fuerte won three of his five starts as a 2-year-old in the colours of Amo Racing, producing his best effort when easily winning the G1 Phoenix S. at the Curragh by 4l from the subsequent G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}).

On the sidelines since finishing well-held in the G1 National S. in September, Bucanero Fuerte also has the option of waiting for the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas back at the Curragh on May 25, but Murray is leaning towards a Newmarket return to action with a colt who he reports to have done well for his winter break.

“He’s great, he’s been back cantering for two months now and I’m very happy with him,” said Murray. “He’s got big and strong over the winter and I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s turned into a fine horse.

“We’re aiming to go to the 2000 Guineas with him. We probably wouldn’t go for a prep run and he’ll be entered in both, but my preference would be the English I think.”

OBS March catalogue online

The catalogue for the 2024 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, which will feature 849 juveniles, has been released and is available online at obssales.com.

Scheduled to be held March 12-14 at the OBS grounds in Ocala, this year’s sale will include 41 2-year-olds from the Lothenbach Stables dispersal.