Report: McLachlan RV’s preferred chairman
Former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is the preferred candidate for the vacant role as chairman of Racing Victoria, according to The Australian.
The report in The Australian claims Victorian racing minister Anthony Carbines wants McLachlan to accept the role.
Gillon McLachlan | Image courtesy of the AFL
McLachlan was appointed to the role of AFL CEO in 2014, succeeding Andrew Demetriou, having previously served as his deputy, and finished his service at the end of the 2023 season, passing the reins to Andrew Dillon.
Former financial services executive Mike Hirst, a long-term RV director, has been RV’s acting chairman since mid-2023, following Brian Kruger’s departure.
New sponsor for Golden Slipper
Wagering giant TAB is the new sponsor of the $5 million G1 Golden Slipper S., replacing Longines, reports News Corp.
The news comes just days after a Sydney Morning Herald story, which claimed 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.
Under the new agreement with the Australian Turf Club (ATC), the TAB will also sponsor key races across the new TAB Golden Slipper Carnival at Rosehill Gardens.
They include the three key “pathway races” to the TAB Golden Slipper – the G2 Silver Slipper S., the G2 Sweet Embrace S. and the G3 Pago Pago S.
The winners of each of these races gain automatic entry into the Slipper at Rosehill on March 23.
TAB Chief Customer Officer Jenni Barnett said TAB would bring its “whole ecosystem together” to promote the TAB Golden Slipper Carnival.
“We can’t wait to combine all our assets – our 4000 retail venues, the TAB App, Sky Racing and Sky Sports Radio to bring this iconic race that we all know and love to audiences both nationally, and internationally,” said Barnett.
“TAB and the ATC have one of the longest partnerships in Australian sport and together we’re looking forward to growing the TAB Golden Slipper Carnival.”
Meanwhile, the G1 Queen Elizabeth S., which was also sponsored by Longines, remains without a naming rights sponsor.
Longines has recently scaled back its global support of racing.
Consistent Bella ready to fire fresh
Top sprinter Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) is on target for another campaign.
The 2022 G1 Manikato S. heroine took another key step forward on Monday, taking part in a hot trial at Cranbourne.
Bella Nipotina, who has won seven starts and placed in a further 20, boasting earnings just shy of $8 million, finished second behind Cinderella Days (Astern) in the 800-metre heat.
The 6-year-old will run first-up in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington on February 17.
“We were very happy, as was (jockey) Craig (Williams),” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said after her trial.
“She was a little bit warm in the barriers but stepped well, which is key for her, and she mustered very quickly and she trialled good after that.
“Craig got off, was smiling from ear to ear.
“She’ll take benefit from that, but I think we're on track.”
Oakleigh Plate for Benedetta
Jason Warren is aiming his gun mare Benedetta (Hellbent) towards a first-up tilt at the G1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 24.
The Group 3 winner will then press on to the G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington on March 9.
“I think she’s come back bigger and stronger,” Warren told Racing.com.
“I’m really happy with her.”
Benedetta | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Benedetta’s campaign went up a gear recently when she had her first jump-out, finishing second at Balnarring to Anthony and Sam Freedman Listed-winning mare Hypothetical (Pride Of Dubai).
“She was there for a soft one and she ran second to one of Freedmans' horses,” Warren said.
“She’ll have another one in another 10 days and then she will go straight to the Oakleigh Plate.”
Lady Of Camelot to sparkle in the Blue Diamond?
Tulloch Lodge may be synonymous with the G1 Golden Slipper in Sydney, but they look to have a strong hand for the G1 Blue Diamond S. in Melbourne, with the dashing filly Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) set to be pointed south.
“The Blue Diamond is the radar for Lady Of Camelot now,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told Punters on Monday.
“We will give her a week to get over her Widden Stakes run, we just want to see how she does and then make a call.”
Melham glowing in appraisal of Coleman
Experienced jockey Ben Melham admitted he rushed back from a break to get back and ride electric 2-year-old Coleman (Pierata), who he partnered to win the G3 Chairman’s S. at Caulfield on Saturday.
With excitement for the colt at a high, Melham insists there is more to come, telling Punters, “I’m really looking forward to him at the 1200 metres, I’m glad he has the three-week gap to the (G1 Blue) Diamond, he can just get over that run, have a couple of quiet gallops and he’ll get there peaking on the day.
“He was the main reason I pushed myself to be back a bit earlier than I would’ve liked,” Melham added.
“It was a short turnaround period between the spring and the autumn, I needed to get it done, it (a hip injury) was giving me a fair bit of trouble and affecting my training and stuff like that.
“It’s good to be back now, I’m still building strength around it but good horses like him make things a little easier.”
Adelaide filly holds a Diamond dream
Trainer Will Clarken has always had plenty of time for his speedy filly Kuroyanagi (Written Tycoon), and the promising 2-year-old will be afforded the opportunity to compete in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) at Caulfield on Saturday.
“She’s going to be entered for Melbourne and Morphettville but we’re most likely leaning towards Melbourne at this stage,” Clarken, who trains in partnership with Niki O’Shea, told Racing.com.
Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea | Image courtesy of Clarken Racing
“She had a good working gallop at Morphettville on Saturday morning, worked really nicely and came through very well.
“Jamie (Kah) is going to stick to the other filly (Hayasugi), so Blake Shinn will ride her if she runs at Caulfield.”
Some of the West’s best set to tackle Melbourne
Western Australian training leviathan Neville Parnham is no stranger to travelling his best stock to the eastern seaboard, with his two current stable stars set to tackle some feature races at Caulfield on Saturday.
The G1 Railway S. winner Bustler (Playing God) will take on his toughest task to date in the G1 CF Orr S. at weight-for-age, while the progressive 3-year-old Zipaway (Playing God) will tackle the G2 Autumn S.
The pair will depart Perth on Tuesday evening.
Romantic Warrior to face Japan’s best
One of the finest middle-distance horses in the world, Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) will have arguably his toughest challenge in June of this year, if plans to race him in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in Japan are fulfilled.
“He’s good,” trainer Danny Shum told the South China Morning Post.
"He’s been working well, and he’ll trial on Tuesday.”
Romantic Warrior (Ire) | Image courtesy of the HKJC
“That track in Japan, the 1600-metre (course) is similar to 1800 metres.
“It’s a long straight and it’s up and down, so I think he can handle it.”
Kennedy opts for Crocetti
It was one of those good problems to have for leading New Zealand jockey Warren Kennedy, that being whether to ride Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) or Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) in Saturday’s G1 BCD Group Sprint at Te Rapa.
Waitak showed a blistering turn of foot to take out the G1 Railway under Kennedy at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, while Crocetti is unbeaten from seven starts.
Kennedy has picked Crocetti, largely because of his relationship with the gelding’s breeder-owner Daniel Nakhle.
“It’s probably more mainly just to Daniel,” Kennedy told Weigh In. “He (Crocetti) is a good horse, he has done nothing wrong. I think he can step up to the (WFA) level. He has been very good to me, and Daniel has been very good to me, and I may as well keep it going.”
All-Star Mile Owner Ambassador Competition returns
Entries are open for 2024's The All-Star Mile Owner Ambassador Competition which carries a lucrative prize pool of $250,000 in cash.
Owner ambassadors will be assigned to each runner in The All-Star Mile at Caulfield on March 16. The owner ambassador of the winning horse will pocket $100,000 cash, with each owner ambassador to walk away with at least $2500.
Entries are open for 2024's The All-Star Mile Owner Ambassador Competition | Image courtesy of Caulfield Racecourse
From Monday (February 5) until 6pm (AEDT) on February 25, Australian and New Zealand residents aged 18 or over need only register their details on The All-Star Mile website to go into the draw to become one of the 16 owner ambassadors on The All-Star Mile Raceday.
Entry is free and the competition has been simplified this year with voting removed to give everyone, irrespective of their racing knowledge, a chance at sharing in the prize pool.
Walcha gears up for carnival
The regional community of Walcha in New South Wales is gearing up for one of their biggest events of the year, a two-day carnival headlined by the Walcha Cup.
“Without doubt they’re two of the biggest social days of the year in Walcha as we welcome members, guests and friends to the Walcha Cup Carnival for 2024,” Simone Timbs, the Walcha Jockey Club’s secretary and manager told Racing NSW.
“We start off on the Friday (February 9) with the TAB meeting – a Racing NSW Country Showcase program – offering $295,000 in prizemoney.
“Then on Saturday (February 10) we host a Family Day bringing together two of the best afternoons of racing in Walcha.”
Sugah Sweet ready to taste success?
The Listed Wairapapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Tauherenikau on Tuesday presents as a valuable black-type opportunity for 6-year-old mare Sugah Sweet (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}), according to trainer Bryce Newman.
“We’ve been rapt with her, and it’s just been the draws that have held her up. It’s been a hard gig for her to overcome but she’s still gone great,” Newman told loveracing.nz.
Sugah Sweet (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images Palmerston North
“She’s rock-hard fit now, she didn’t do much in the spring and we’ve brought her up for these races.
“She is as good as we can get her and with a nice draw at seven it’s up to the mare now. Hopefully, Ryan (Elliot, jockey) can get a nice trip on her.”
Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale opens Monday
The Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale, which gives breeders one last chance to buy mares at auction before the breeding season opens later this month, begins its two-day run at Newtown Paddocks Monday morning, with the first of 300 catalogued hips scheduled to head into the sales ring at 10am local time.
A further 235 lots have been catalogued for Tuesday’s second session, which is largely dominated by supplemented offerings from the dispersal of the late Robert Lothenbach’s Lothenbach Stables.
The auction added some late fire power to its catalogue Sunday when Zetta Z (USA) (Bernardini {USA}) (Hip 536) was supplemented to the catalogue a day after her sophomore son Nysos (USA) (Myquist {USA}) dominated the G3 Robert B. Lewis S. at Santa Anita. The 14-year-old broodmare, who is in foal to Cyberknife (USA), will be offered through the Grovendale Sales consignment.
“Nysos has been brilliant in each of his starts,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “His numbers lead all 3-year-old colts and his potential is unlimited. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to offer his dam, who is in foal to the exciting first-year stallion Cyberknife.”
