Darley and the Australian Turf Club partner for the 2024 Darley Princess Series
Darley Australia announced on Tuesday that it will continue its ongoing partnership with the Australian Turf Club, centred around the prestigious Darley Princess Series, a four-leg race series highlighting the best 3-year-old fillies in the country.
“We're committed to supporting Black-Type and Group racing, rewarding breeders who achieve significant milestones,” said Alastair Pulford, Head of Stallions at Darley Australia. “The Black-Type racing aspect drives trainers, owners and breeders to target these races and we enhance this by offering winning breeders a nomination to one of the Darley stallions.
“This year, breeders have the chance to secure a nomination in Cylinder, Golden Mile, Triple Time and Native Trail, all Group 1 winners standing their first season at stud in 2024.”
Kia Ora invitation to Stallion Parade
Kia Ora Stallions invites you to attend their stallion parade on August 24, where you will get an up-close and personal look at their stallions, Farnan, Captivant and Prague.
The parade, held at the Kia Ora Stallions complex, will begin at 12:30pm sharp and will be followed by lunch and refreshments. RSVP by August 10 is essential.
36 overseas entries for Caulfield Cup
The G1 Caulfield Cup nominations were released on Tuesday with 36 overseas-trained runners among the 173 nominations for the race which will be run on October 19. Chris Waller is the local trainer with the largest contingent with 24.
Caulfield Cup
137 nominations for Cox Plate
Last year’s winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was not among the 137 nominations for the G1 Cox Plate. There are 20 internationally trained runners among the nominations.
“Whilst the noms collectively are down (from 178 last year), it is good to see we are 18 per cent up in internationals as we’ve done a lot of work this year in going over and attracting runners internationally,” Moonee Valley’s Head of Racing Charlotte Mills told racing.com.
“We knew this year was going to be difficult as we are literally wedged between a King Charles and a Golden Eagle. I think for us, our excitement this year is about the prospect of potential Japanese runners. Of the 20 nominated that are internationals, it is really positive to see three of those - Prognosis, Killer Ability, Hishi Iguazu - are from Japan.
Yulong buys Tropical Squall
Yulong has purchased dual Group 1 winner Tropical Squall (Prized Icon) for an undisclosed private sum. “These things come across your desk and it came up in the last week or so,” Yulong’s Vin Cox told racenet.com.au. “Being a dual Group 1 winner and a filly with a bit of racing upside, it was just a good thing from that perspective to have a look at.”
Tropical Squall
Scaletrix aiming for five in a row
Trainer Matthew Smith’s Scaletrix (So You Think {NZ}) has won four in a row and runs at Canterbury on Wednesday. “He’s not a horse that likes to do too much work, he’s better when he’s on the fresh side,” Smith told racingnsw.com.au.
“Prior to this winning streak he was very inconsistent, he’d run a good race then a bad race, so we decided let’s not let him do too much work at home and see what happens. He’s had a couple of trips to the farm, I think that helps, a little bit of TLC and he’s turned the corner.” Scaletrix has won five of his 14 starts, with his last four in succession.
Injured rider update
Racing New South Wales posted the following update after Tuesday’s racing, “Jockey Brendan Ward injured his left shoulder when his mount (Alpine Rose (Denman)) became fractious in the barriers prior to the star of Race 3 at Gundagai on Tuesday (August 6). Brendan stood himself down for the remainder of the day.”
Jockey McCarthy out until new year
Willie McCarthy will be out until the New Year after surgery on a dislocated shoulder. “It's going to be a while, unfortunately, I have an appointment with my specialist in Melbourne this week and they reckon he'll have to do surgery,” McCarthy told racing.com.
Willie McCarthy
“There are two tears on my rotator cuff, so he's got to stitch those back on the muscle and then post-op you're in a sling for six weeks. Then it's not until three months after the operation that you can begin rehabilitation. So it's going to be a lengthy spell on the sidelines unfortunately but it could be worse. I've had worse injuries from falls when I've broken my back or neck, at least with this I can still walk around.”
Inglis 2-year-old sale entries close on Friday
Entries for the Inglis Ready To Race (2-year-old) Sale close this Friday, August 9. “Don't miss out on participating in the sale that has had the highest median ever for any Australasian 2YO Sale last year and highest for the past 3 years.” The schedule is:
New Zealand Breeze Up, Taupo (Grass) - Monday 30th September
New South Wales Breeze, Hawkesbury (Synthetic/Grass) - Monday 30th September
Victoria Breeze, Wangaratta (Synthetic/Grass) - Tuesday 1st October
Sale, Riverside Stables Sydney - Tuesday 15th October
Heywood brilliance continues with another treble
Jockey Nick Heywood rode a treble at Gundagai on Tuesday aboard Debout Belle (Cable Bay {Ire}), Fifi Blue (Fiorente {Ire}), and Acheson (Churchill {Ire}). He also rode a treble at Forbes last Sunday and has 8 wins in his last 20 rides.
Double for McDougall
Jockey Blaike McDougall rode two winners on the six-race card at Ballarat on Tuesday aboard Lord Admiral (Churchill {Ire}) and Release The Brakes (Toronado {Ire}).
Blaike McDougall
Volunteer award for Longreach’s Mort
Longreach Jockey Club’s Helen ‘Mort’ Morton has been crowned the latest Racing Queensland Cheer A Volunteer winner. “I’ve been in this role for about 12 to 15 years, been involved in racing my entire life and my family at this club goes right back to the very, very beginning on my Mum’s side,” Mort told racingqueensland.com.au.
“We’ve always been involved with the Longreach Jockey Club in some way or another. Even my grandfather, he was a timekeeper here for years and then Dad took over and I came back to Longreach and I just fell into this by default because I was always at the races I suppose! I’m quite humble about these sorts of things, and I think it’s more an award for the club – there’s so many of us here that all put in hours and hours.”
First runner for new Cahill partnership
Shayne and Chelsea Cahill will saddle up their first runner in official partnership when Royal Telephone (Cable Bay {Ire}) steps out in the last race of the day at Gawler on Wednesday. “Chelsea and I have been training alongside each other since I moved into training and the timing was right to go officially into partnership,” Shayne Cahill told racingsa.com.au.
“The timing was right to not renew my riding licence. I hadn’t ridden a lot in races over the past couple of years. I still ride all the trackwork here, it’s an important part of the business.”
Alabama Lass to follow proven path
Ken and Bev Kelso will take 3-year-old filly Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) on the same spring pathway as their former Group 1 star Bounding (Lonhro). She trialled on Tuesday. “I have got the option of either trialling her again or going to the 3-year-old race at Taupo on the same day as the trials or go to the Group and Listed trial on that day,” Ken Kelso told Loveracing.nz.
Alabama Lass as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We sort of did that with Bounding. She had won as a two-year-old and went to that three-year-old fillies race at Taupo. I am conscious of the fact of giving too many big trips away, so we will play it by ear. She has been nominated (for the 1000 Guineas) and they certainly get away with it (mile) as a three-year-old, Bounding did. She ran in a 1000 Guineas and was very unlucky and got beaten for second and then came back and won the Railway.
“She (Alabama Lass) will tell us after the Gold Trail (whether she is on track for the 1000 Guineas). The next logical step is probably the Soliloquy, and if you go alright in the Soliloquy you can look to be going further at Riccarton.”
Fannin welcomes jumps review
Leading jumps jockey Shaun Fannin has welcomed the review into jumps racing in New Zealand. “It (jumps racing) has been under a bit of pressure for a few years now and we have been trying to make suggestions to help improve it for a fair while,” Fannin told Loveracing.nz.
Shaun Fannin (right) pictured with trainer Mark Oulaghan | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
“We have been onto them (NZTR) for a while now and we have been waiting for something to happen, and luckily something has happened eventually. There is a lot of work that goes into jumpers, probably more so than the flat horses. A lot of people right from the grassroots level start with the jumpers, it is a real community, and without jumpers you miss a lot of your ground staff and people on the way through that can’t be jockeys, they have a huge involvement in the jumpers.”
USA July markers down
July 2024 saw declines across the board in America compared to the same month last year with only average field size (+0.98 per cent) and average available purses per race day (+3.42 per cent) seeing gains for the month. With race days down to 383 from 423 last year (-9.46 per cent), wagering, available purses, races and starts all saw declines.
Race days are down year-to-date (2,173 vs. 2,284) leading to declines in wagering (-3.20 per cent), races (-4.63 per cent) and starts (-3.87 per cent). Available wagering per race day (+1.71 per cent) and average available purses per race day (+8.88 per cent) both showed gains as did average field size (+0.79 per cent).
Equality for Shergar Cup
Nine countries will be represented across the four teams in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot, while new ground is broken this year with an equal number of male and female jockeys for the first time in the history of the Shergar Cup.
Multiple Classic winner Seamie Heffernan, Royal Ascot-winning teenager Billy Loughnane and French Group 1 scorer Marie Vélon are among the 12 jockeys today confirmed to ride.
Sovereign Award winner Tyson for sale
The Hill 'n' Dale consignment at Keeneland November this year will feature 2023 Canadian Champion Older Male Tyson (USA) (Tapit {USA}) the farm announced on Monday. The Group 1-placed Group 2 winner is a well-bred son of Tapit and is out of a full sister to both Group 1 winner Streaming (USA) and stakes winner Treasuring (USA), each of whom has already produced a stakes runner.
