Guineas meeting abandoned after heavy rain
The Sunshine Coast meeting was abandoned on Saturday after a heavy downpour after the fourth race which left surface water on the track. “There was surface water earlier this morning which subsided, however the showers throughout the day have forced us to abandon,” Acting Chief Steward Geoff Goold told Racenet.com.au.
“It is a significant amount of water; it was up to our ankles when we inspected the track.”
The G3 Winx Guineas, Listed Glasshouse H., Caloundra Cup and the other two races will be run at the same location next Saturday. “There was a proposal to cancel the races, however it is important to have them at the end of the Queensland carnival,” Racing Queensland Chief Executive Jason Scott said.
“They give local trainers, jockeys and connections a good opportunity at more than $1 million in prizemoney.”
Ellerton to return to Melbourne on Sunday
Flemington trainer Mathew Ellerton is expected to return to Melbourne tomorrow night as he continues to recover from his recent stroke. “He’s doing amazingly well. He’s been keeping up with all the races and his memory is still as good as ever,” his wife, Leah, told racing.com.
Mathew Ellerton | Image courtesy of Ellerton Racing
The GoFundMe page set up by the Australian Trainers Association to assist Ellerton has raised almost $72,000, which will be much needed as his hospital bills already total over $50,000 with more expected as well as the travel costs, etc.
Four wins for Lloyd at Randwick
Apprentice jockey Zac Lloyd rode four winners at Randwick on Saturday, opening with the first aboard 2-year-old colt Brave One (Exceedance) for Team Hawkes.
He then won on Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich trained unbeaten mare Clear Thinking (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Bjorn Baker trained Shezanalister (Star Turn) and the Listed Winter S. on Godolphin’s Tamerlane (Golden Horn {GB}).
Treble for Brown at Flemington
Jockey Ethan Brown rode a treble at Flemington on Saturday aboard Ciaron Maher trained Berkshire Breeze (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). He won the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final on 2-year-old filly Jenni’s Meadow (Brutal {NZ}), and then he won on Michael Kent-trained Steel Run (Real Steel {Jpn}).
Ethan Brown
Treble for Toeroek at Gawler
Jockey Jake Toeroek increased his lead in the South Australian jockeys premiership with a treble at Gawler on Saturday. All three wins were for the Richard and Chantelle Jolly stable being Six Stars (Impending), Hard Prince (All Too Hard), and Klabel (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}).
Oak Park card won by two jockeys
The entire five race card at Queensland’s country meeting at Oak Park was won by two jockeys. Nathan Day won three races on Spirit Of Heath (Spirit Of Boom), Choir Boy (Divine Prophet) and Rough Cut Jewel (Whittington), while Tyler Leslight won the other two races on Borlotti Beans (Spill The Beans) and Bloomin’ Ripper (Spirit Of Boom).
20 Metro wins for apprentice Bourke
Apprentice jockey Molly Bourke won her 20th metropolitan race on John Sargent-trained Ningaloo Star (Deep Field) at Randwick today. Racing NSW stewards informed trainers, “Apprentice Bourke will claim 3kg for the remainder of the meeting, however, will claim 2kg in the metropolitan area after today.”
Molly Bourke
A half-sister to three stakes placed horses, 4-year-old mare Ningaloo Star took her record to seven wins from 30 starts. Her 2-year-old half-brother is G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) placed Stay Focused (Cosmic Force).
Bourke made it a double later in the day when winning Gary Nickson trained One Destiny (Super One).
Wyong postponed on Saturday
Racing NSW stewards reported, “Wyong meeting has been postponed at 9am following further rainfall during the morning. Surface water is rendering the track unsuitable to race.” The meeting will run on Monday.
The Coffs Harbour meeting for Saturday was called off on Friday and it was announced on Saturday that it would be rescheduled to Saturday, July 13.
Burke taken to hospital with concussion
Jockey Lauren Burke fell from Bella Nights (Magnus) in race nine at Wangarrata on Saturday. Reports from the track are that the horse was caught by the Clerk of the Course and is fine.
“After a fall at Wangarrata Lauren Burke was transported to Wangarrata hospital with concussion,” said the Victorian Jockeys Association. The last race of the day was cancelled due to a lack of ambulance.
Entries open for NZB Ready To Run Sale
Entries for New Zealand Bloodstock's 2024 Ready to Run Sale of 2-Year-Olds are now open, with the Sale set to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on 20 and 21 November.
2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2-Year-Olds are now open | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
The 2023 sale had a massive 39 per cent increase in aggregate from 2022 with 12 lots selling for more than NZ$500,000.
In the past five racing seasons, Ready To Run graduates have won 29 Group 1 races, led by Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse).
100 career wins for apprentice Sutherland
New Zealand apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland won her 100th race on Saturday at Hastings aboard Aljay (NZ) (Rock ‘n’ Pop). “This is very special,” Sutherland told Loveracing.nz.
“It’s even better doing it in these colours, because Kevin (Myers) has been a huge supporter in my career. I’m very grateful to Kevin and his owners for this ride. (Aljay)’s got a lot of class and was definitely the best horse in the field today.” Aljay took his record to seven wins from 38 starts with earnings over NZ$390,000.
Wewillrock’s emotional win at Te Rapa
Co-trainer Guy Lowry, whose uncle, legendary Hawke’s Bay studmaster and administrator, Tom Lowry died on Monday aged 88, won the feature race at Te Rapa on Saturday with Wewillrock (NZ) (El Roca). “This horse has done plenty of travelling and he handles it so well. He’s just like a big dog – you can do anything with him,” Lowry’s co-trainer Leah Zydenbos told Loveracing.nz.
“The Foxbridge Plate is definitely an option. He’d come back from a campaign in Sydney when he ran in it last year, so I think we can have him in better shape for a race like that if we have another crack at it this time around. The Tarzino could be a possibility too. We’d never really thought he was quite up to Group 1 level before, but gee he was impressive today.”
Wewillrock has won seven of his 28 starts and is stakes placed in New Zealand and Australia.
Ezeliya retires
Ezeliya (Fr), winner of this year's Oaks at Epsom for HH Aga Khan and trainer Dermot Weld, has been retired from racing. The news was announced on Saturday morning (local time) by the Aga Khan Studs.
A post on the operation's social media accounts read, “The Aga Khan Studs regret to announce that 2024 Oaks winner Ezeliya has been retired from racing. The filly suffered a setback in training and will join the broodmare band.”
Ng pays tribute to former boss Lui in premiership battle
Trainer Pierre Ng leads the Hong Kong Trainer’s Championship 67/65 over Francis Lui with three meetings to go. Ng worked as Lui’s assistant for two years prior to stepping out on his own. “It doesn’t feel like there is,” Ng told scmp.com about the pressure to beat his old boss. “I’m training myself and I’m quite independent, so we just keep going and win it if we can.
Francis Lui | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I’ve definitely learned a lot from him and from the previous trainers I worked with. I got a lot from them and it seems to be working well. Hopefully it will continue to work next season.
“We still show respect to each other and we talk sometimes, but work is work. He is a very focused man and I’m focused as well so we don’t talk a lot.”
Flightline’s first foals to sell in Japan
Three members from the much-anticipated first crop by undefeated Horse of the Year Flightline (USA) (Tapit {USA}) are scheduled to go under the hammer during the foal session of the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale on Tuesday, July 9, on the northern island of Hokkaido. The foal sale is preceded by the Select Yearling Sale on Monday, July 8.
Section of HISA ruled unconstitutional
A judgment Friday by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declared that part of the Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act (HISA) is unconstitutional.
Even though the three-judge panel agreed with “nearly all” of a lower court's ruling that other contested aspects of HISA's constitutionality were fixed by a Congressional amendment to the law in 2022, the panel's one unconstitutional finding has to do with the HISA Authority's broad powers to investigate and operate.
“The Court reasoned that Congress unlawfully gave executive governmental power to regulate the horseracing industry over to a private corporation,” the release stated, in part. “[The judges] called HISA a 'radical delegation' of governmental enforcement powers to a private corporation. The Court ruled that the FTC was given 'scant oversight' of the Authority, which could execute many governmental functions on its own…”
“While the judicial review process continues, it is critical for all racing participants to know HISA is still the law of the land. Its rules are still fully in effect and will remain so for the foreseeable future. We continue to focus on our mission of protecting the safety and integrity of Thoroughbred racing,” said Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of HISA.
