Pride Of Jenni rated World’s Best Mare
Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is the highest-rated mare in the world, according to the latest release of the Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings. The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni improved her rating to 120 which has her ranked equal sixth overall behind Laurel River (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup in March on a rating of 128.
Pride Of Jenni | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Racing Victoria EGM-Customer resigns
RV's Executive general manager-customer, Ben Amarfio, who was previously the CEO of North Melbourne Football Club, has quit. Racenet.com.au reported that Amarfio emailed staff on Friday afternoon of his departure.
His resignation comes two weeks after CEO Andrew Jones resigned following a tumultuous 21-month tenure. Racing Victoria is also on the hunt for a new chairman, however, that role is expected to be filled by former AFL Chief Executive, Gillon McLachlan.
First Group 1 runner for Bain
Trainer Aaron Bain will saddle up his first Group 1 runner, Rubamos (I Am Invincible), in Saturday's the G1 Goodwood H. at Morphettville on Saturday. “We are there, and we are going to give the owners a great thrill and the stable as well,” Bain told Racenet.com.au.
“We are under no illusions that he is an outsider, he was bought with some of these better races in mind, but I'm very much looking forward to the day itself tomorrow and letting the owners experience that on home soil.” Rubamos is part-owned by the Crows syndication, which features 10 players from the Adelaide Crows including Brodie Smith, Patrick Parnell, Lachlan Murphy, Rory Laird, Darcy Fogarty and Kieran Strachan.
The dual-code trainer operates in partnership with Ned Taylor at Gawler, won the world's richest harness race, the TAB Eureka, with Encipher last year.
Two cheap purchases chasing Group 1 glory
Trainer Cody Reardon will have his first Group 1 runner in Saturday’s G1 Goodwood H. with $12,000 Inglis Digital purchase Grinzinger Prince (More Than Ready {USA}). “It's a huge thrill, the horse is going really well and I'm excited to get there and enjoy the day,” Reardon told Racing.com.
Also in the Goodwood is 3-year-old gelding Oscar’s Fortune (Rich Enuff) who owner Kevin Fowler purchased for $5500 via Inglis Digital in December 2021, and also bought his dam, Oscar Award (Sebring), at the same sale. “I bought him for $5500 and I bought the mother, with the full sister at foot, for $13,000.” Oscar’s Fortune has won five of his nine starts and over $1 million for trainer Dion Luciani.
Diamond Baby looking to provide McLeod with first stakes win on debut
Trainer Darren McLeod will chase a maiden stakes win with unraced 2-year-old filly Diamond Baby (Ilovethiscity) in Saturday's G3 David Coles S. “She was out of a Northern Meteor mare and on type she looked like she would run early,” McLeod told Racing.com.
“At the time, I thought that was exactly what we needed, a nice horse to race as a 2-year-old to get the stable moving. We're going there thinking that she can run a race, for sure.
“Mentally, she's ready to be a two-year-old but physically she's always been a bit small and while she'll probably be smaller than most of the others on Saturday, she's turned into a really nice type.”
Pharari breaks maiden in impressive style
Trainer Ciaron Maher’s 3-year-old filly Pharari (American Pharoah {USA}) won her maiden at Cranbourne’s Friday night meeting by an impressive 8l. Ridden by Ethan Brown, she was having her third start, having placed in both her earlier runs.
A $140,000 purchase by her trainer and First Light Racing from Yulong at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, she is the second winner for a half-sister to Group 3 winner Aramayo (Poet’s Voice {GB}).
New juvenile winner for Under The Louvre
Trainer Olivia Cairns won the juvenile race at Gatton’s Lockyer Valley meeting on Friday with 2-year-old filly Bonfire Spark (Under The Louvre). The filly was having her second start and was the second 2-year-old winner for her sire this season.
McDonald to ride I Wish I Win, not Nolen
Luke Nolen missed the ride on I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 TJ Smith S. due to injury with the star galloper ridden by James McDonald, and connections have decided to stick with McDonald for the G1 Doomben 10,000 next Saturday. “Completely shattered, disappointed and totally blind sighted (sic) after doing all his work,” Nolen’s wife Alicia said on Facebook.
I Wish I Win (NZ) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Nolen, who has a longstanding relationship with trainer Peter Moody, has ridden I Wish I Win in eight of the star sprinter's 10 Australian starts.
Racing NSW changes for this weekend
Racing NSW have announced the following changes for this weekend due to the wet weather. “The Gosford Stand-Alone Saturday meeting was transferred to Newcastle with the weather forecast of further rainfall when already a Heavy 10, including on raceday. Newcastle is currently rated a Soft 7 where the forecast is for a high chance of rain this afternoon and on Saturday.”
Saturday’s meetings at Kembla Grange, Tuncurry, and Marthaguy Picnics have all been abandoned. On Sunday, Mudgee is currently rated a Soft 5 with a high chance of heavy rain on Saturday prior to Sunday’s meeting, while the Sapphire Coast track has been deemed “unsuitable for racing following 50mls of rainfall over the past seven days and a further forecast of 40mls of rain over the weekend.” This meeting has been transferred to Queanbeyan.
Vale Ken Sweeney
The South Australian racing industry is mourning the loss of Morphettville horseman Ken Sweeney who passed away on Thursday night. Sweeney was an amateur jockey before becoming a trainer, where he trained nearly 1600 winners including 30 at black type level.
One of his best horses was Group 3 winner Riziz (Zariz) who won 15 of his 72 starts with earnings over $1 million including the 2014 G3 Spring S.
Unbeaten Better Than Ready colt aimed at stakes races
Unbeaten 2-year-old colt Gin A Tonic (Better Than Ready) will run in Saturday’s G3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic at the Sunshine Coast with bigger targets planned down the line for the colt. “He is the best we can have him,” Richard Laming, son of trainer Bevan, told Racingqueensland.com.au.
“The barrier draw probably is not ideal in 21. We are pretty confident but he will just need some luck from the tricky gate.” The Lamings have nominations in for the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce S. and then the time-honoured G1 J.J. Atkins with Gin A Tonic who is unbeaten in two starts.
Lipp chasing first Stradbroke
Trainer Rex Lipp turns 76 this month and is dreaming of claiming his first G1 Stradbroke H. with talented 3-year-old Cifrado (Encryption). “He’s turned into a lovely horse since he was gelded a while back and I finally met his owner for the first time on Magic Millions Day in January,” Lipp told Racingqueensland.com.au.
Cifrado | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“He got to the line very strongly and he’s ready to run a big race again. If he’s within three lengths of them on the home turn he’ll be hard to beat.” Cifrado runs in Saturday’s G3 Gold Coast Guineas over 1200 metres at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Tiny but high quality field for Tassie Sires’ Produce S.
Sunday’s Tasmanian Sires’ Produce S. at Hobart has attracted a field of just four 2-year-olds. Garçon D’espoir (Omaha Beach {USA}) won the Tasbred 2YO in Launceston on April 5 at his second start.
“He has had a little bit of a hiccup, I was supposed to be giving him a trial before this Sunday, but he’s started coming right, and he should be ready for the race; I am happy with him,” trainer Yassy Nishitani said.
The other three runners are last start winner Native Clan (Zululand), Lady Fern (Needs Further) and Halen (Stratosphere).
Guineas winner Molly Bloom to make Aussie debut
Group 1 winner Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) will make her Australian debut in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet at a rain-soaked Sunshine Coast on Saturday for trainers Andrew Scott and Lance O’Sullivan. She handled the trip brilliantly and we’re very happy with how she’s been looking since she arrived,” O’Sullivan told Loveracing.nz.
“The issue with her is that it’s been a long time since she’s had a race – not since February – and she’s got to run over 1800 metres on a heavy track. It’s a good field with a number of fillies that are really hard and fit, while she’s probably going to need this run. … hopefully we’ll get her back underway again with a nice first-up performance this weekend, and then we can carry on towards the Doomben Roses in a couple of weeks’ time.”
Molly Bloom has won four of her eight starts including the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and has earnings over NZ$500,000.
Wexford team include Almanzor colt for Queensland
Wexford Stables trainers Andrew Scott and Lance O’Sullivan will run 3-year-old colt Geriatrix (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) at Rotorua on Saturday, and if he goes well, he will join Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) in Queensland. “His last two runs have been in Group company, he missed the start in the Wellington Guineas and got wide, and then his sectionals and performance was very good in the Breeders’ Stakes,” Scott told Loveracing.nz.
Geriatrix will contest the Pak’N Save Taupo on Wednesday | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
“If he was to run well on the weekend, we would certainly look at taking him over. There’s a couple of good 3-year-old races that are a possibility for him.”
The stable also has Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) and I’munstoppable (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) in the G3 Rotorua S.
Pleasing ready for juvenile debut
Trainer Mike Breslin’s 2-year-old filly Pleasing (NZ) (Russian Revolution) will make her debut at Taranaki on Saturday. “She’s a very fast horse, but in her general nature she’s relaxed and that’s probably the most exciting thing about her, she can run quickly and her demeanour is pretty chilled,” Breslin told Loveracing.nz.
Romantic Warrior confirmed for Japan trip
Connections of Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {}) confirmed on Friday that he would run in the G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo racecourse on June 2. “He will go to Japan,” trainer Danny Shum told scmp.com.
“He will leave around the 21st of May. He should be OK – he can be better.” The gelding won his fourth Group 1 race in succession in the G1 QEII Cup last weekend, and it was also his third win in the G1 QEII Cup, having also won it in 2023 and 2022. All up, he has 14 wins from 19 starts with seven Group 1 wins.
Another stakes winner for Justify in Dee S.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien won his 11th Listed Dee S. on Friday at Chester with 3-year-old colt Capulet (USA) (Justify {USA}) when ridden by Ryan Moore. “All the options are open to him now, we'll see how he is, and it will be one of the Derbys in England or France, I'd have thought,” O’Brien said.
Aidan O’Brien | Image courtesy of Emma Berry
“There's obviously the Irish Derby in the mix too, so all things are open now. He's a lovely, honest horse.” A winner on debut at two, Capulet has now won two of his five starts.
The trainer/jockey combined later on the card to win the G3 Ormonde S. with Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}).
