Racing Victoria elect new Board chair
Racing Victoria directors unanimously elected Tim Eddy as chair and Sharon McCrohan as deputy with Racing Minister Anthony Carbines confirmed the appointments on Friday. “I love the sport of thoroughbred racing and the passion of the people who live and breathe it, and I'm honoured to be entrusted with the role of Racing Victoria Chair. It is not one that I take on lightly,” Eddy told racenet.com.au.
“I look forward to leading an immensely talented, knowledgeable and passionate Board of Directors that has been bolstered by the new appointments of Tim Rourke and Mark Player and supporting our deeply experienced executive leadership team at Racing Victoria.
Anthony Carbines
“My first priority will be to actively engage with our stakeholders to keep the focus on the opportunities and challenges ahead that unite us. Success can only come if we work together. A strong and vibrant Victorian racing industry is in the best interests of every fan of the sport and the tens of thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it.”
Eddy owns shares in Zaaki (GB) (Lesroidesanimaux {Brz}), My Oberon (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Nugget (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Floating Artist (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Riding High (Exceed and Excel) and Miss Leonidas (I Am Invincible).
Danny Beasley announces retirement
Jockey Danny Beasley announced this retirement on Friday. He had planned for a gala farewell to race riding on Saturday week at Wodonga - where he took his first ride in 1992 - but a freak incident at Wagga on Monday has brought his retirement forward.
“I was riding a young horse and he just ducked out a gap and when I fell off him, he copped me in the face with his leg or knee I think,” Beasley told Racing.com. “It's not the way I would have liked it to go out, but at least my last ride won at Narrandera last Saturday at what is now my last-ever ride, so it was good to go out a winner. Wodonga would have been something special. My wife and kids and Mum and Dad and sisters and my brother and a lot of other family and friends were to take the trip.
“But we will still have a day there on Jack Maher Day on the 14th (July). As I was apprenticed to Peter Maher, that race day is special as Jack Maher was Peter's dad, so it holds significance for Peter's family and to mine.”
Beasley won over 2000 races including 14 at Group 1 level. “I was very fortunate that I rode for Gai (Waterhouse). She was unbelievable in my career. She laid all the stepping stones for me to get where I did in her stable or in other stables, so I am forever grateful to her.” Beasley has taken out his trainer’s licence.
Mare in foal to Frankel added to Inglis Digital June (Late) Online Sale
The Inglis Digital June (Late) Online Sale is open for bidding with the highlight being stakes placed Luna Dorada (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}) who is in foal to Frankel (GB). Other exciting entries include Thorsborne (Hinchinbrook) is the dam of recent Group 1-winning Hong Kong sprinter Invincible Sage (Thronum).
Stakes winner Fabergino (Maschino) is in foal to exciting young stallion Too Darn Hot (GB) and Godolphin have included a draft of five race fillies and two broodmares.
The catalogue of 402 lots consists of 150 racehorses (75 race fillies), 135 broodmares, 64 racehorse shares, 37 weanlings, 13 yearlings and three unbroken stock. Bidding closes on Wednesday June 26.
Craig Williams given award by Ukraine
Craig Williams and wife Larysa have been recognised as Brothers In Arms by former Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko. “Ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the atrocities committed, we've raised money in Australia to come over here and support,” Williams told Racing.com.
“Australia is 15,000km away from Ukraine and there's so many people from not just in the thoroughbred racing industry, but people in general, who have donated their hard-earned money. It's a fight for survival every day.”
More than 10,000 civilians have died in Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, with a further 20,000 injured.
So You Think to have a race named after him
Dual Cox Plate Champion So You Think (NZ) will have a race named after him, Moonee Valley Racing Club announced on Friday. The MVRC said the inaugural So You Think S. will be run on Saturday, September 7 for $200,000.
So You Think (NZ) | Standing at Coolmore
“With the move of the Group 2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes to Friday, 27 September, the So You Think Stakes is strategically positioned and will act as a key target early in spring,” MVRC Head of Racing Charlotte Mills told Racing.com.
“So You Think is regarded as one of the greatest-ever winners of the W.S. Cox Plate, a two-time champion who may have won three or four had he stayed in Australia and now is the right time to honour him with his own race here at The Valley. His ability on the track matched his stunning looks and charisma off it and it is of no surprise that he is still producing Group 1 winners at stud.”
Earth God wins at Geelong
Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman produced 2-year-old colt Earth God (Written Tycoon) to win at his second career start at Geelong on Friday, ridden by jockey Jye McNeil.
Raced by Yulong Investments, Earth God was purchased from Vinery Stud for $520,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. He is the first winner for stakes placed winner Miss Antaeus (I Am Invincible), and Miss Anteaus is out of a half-sister to the dam of Zoustar.
Calyx juvenile wins on debut
Trainer Blake Ryan took his 2-year-old gelding Tai Victory (Calyx {GB}) to Goulburn for his debut race, and he saluted for jockey Jean Van Overmeire. Tai Victory was sold three times, as a weanling, yearling, and 2-year-old, the last of which being a $90,000 purchase by Mark Newnham Bloodstock at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
Tai Victory as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Jay Ford makes rare trip to Melbourne
Sydney jockey Jay Ford doesn’t ride in Melbourne much so to travel for Joe Pride’s The Black Cloud (Shamus Award) tells punters a lot. “I just don't like travelling,” Ford told Racing.com. “I rarely even venture to Queensland or anything. It doesn't really appeal to me unless I really am riding something I want to follow.”
“I do a lot of riding for Joe (Pride) and Proven Thoroughbreds, and they asked if I would be interested and I didn't have a lot on in Sydney on Saturday, nothing out of the ordinary, so I thought why not come down and continue the association with her because she's got a good little record and she's progressing well. She's shown a lot of promise and she's on that upward spiral and I suspect at some stage in the future you'll see her progress to a black-type race.”
The 3-year-old filly has won three of her five starts.
Lindsay Park chasing black type with Sneaky Sunrise
The Hayes team at Lindsay Park avoided the G1 JJ Atkins S. with 2-year-old filly Sneaky Sunrise (The Autumn Sun), instead aiming her at the Listed Taj Rossi Final in a fortnight. She runs at Flemington on Saturday as a lead up.
“She hasn’t been beyond a mile yet, but with The Autumn Sun (sire) and what he’s done so far, they generally seem to get better with age and distance. So, it’s a decision we are going to have to make, whether we target an (VRC) Oaks, or target a Thousand Guineas, which is now late in the carnival,” Ben Hayes told Racing.com.
Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“You kind of have to commit to one or the other, which can make it pretty tricky. But she’ll tell us with how she runs. We are really happy with her going into Saturday.”
Adelaide trainer’s premiership heats up
Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly will try to win back a premiership lead from Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea with a team of ten runners in South Australia on Saturday. “We were originally going to give him a little break, but he's done pretty well since that run,” Richard, who trains in partnership with daughter Chantelle, told Racenet.com.au about Losesomewinmore (All Too Hard).
Chasing a hat-trick of Adelaide trainers' premiership titles, the Jolly stable (37 wins) sits one metro win behind Clarken and O'Shea (38 wins) for the 2023/24 season.
Malt Time ready for stakes break through
Group 1-placed Malt Time (Adelaide {Ire}) is primed for a bold showing in Saturday's Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic for trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy. Malt Time’s last start win was her first since winning the Listed Waikato Sprint in 2022.
“That was a pretty pleasing performance,” Shaun Clotworthy told Loveracing.nz. “She’d had only one other start there and won that too, so she obviously quite likes that surface at Ruakaka. We haven’t had any issues with her since then and we haven’t had to do a lot with her. She had a gallop on Tuesday morning and went really, really well. Ace Lawson-Carroll, who will ride her again on Saturday, was thrilled with how she felt. So, I think she’s heading into Saturday in good shape. It looks like a suitable race for her.”
USA Horse of the Year event announced
The 54th Annual Eclipse Awards, honouring thoroughbred racing's human and equine champions of 2024, will return to the Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on January 23, 2025 according to an announcement Thursday by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters. The Awards will be held two days before Gulfstream Park hosts the G1 Pegasus World Cup.
Tom Rooney | Image courtesy of NTRA Photo
“We are thrilled to be returning to the Breakers Palm Beach for our third year in a row,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Celebrating the success of racing's human and equine champions is the highlight of the year, and the Breakers is the perfect venue to bring the industry together to do just that.”
More Wildcards added to Arqana Sale
An additional six wildcards have been added to the Arqana Summer Sale in Deauville on July 1, to July 4. On the flat, Nardaran (Fr) (Waldgeist {GB}) (Lot 478) will sell after a debut third at Saint-Cloud. He is out of multiple Group winner Narniyn (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Another flat-bred horse is Fang Mich (Ger) (Starspangledbanner) (Lot 503), who has a win and a placing from two starts, while the others are jumps horses.
