Racing WA announce partnership with Seven Network
Racing WA and the Seven Network announced on Friday that they have agreed to a new multi-year partnership to showcase Western Australian thoroughbred racing live and free on the screens of Seven. From 16 September 2024, all thoroughbred race meetings in Western Australia will be broadcast live and free on the Seven Network’s digital streaming platform, 7plus.
“This partnership with Seven marks a fantastic opportunity for the WA racing industry,” Racing and Wagering Western Australia CEO Ian Edwards told racingwa.com.au. “We are excited to be partnered with Seven to enhance the visibility of WA racing and further showcase our state’s racing to a wider audience than ever before.”
“The partnership represents a collaborative effort between Racing WA, Perth Racing and the Western Australian Provincial Thoroughbred Racing Association,” Perth Racing CEO James Oldring said.
Bidding Open in Inglis August (late) digital sale
Bidding is open in the latest Inglis digital sale and will end on August 21. The catalogue includes 344 lots, with 190 racehorses, 89 race fillies, 16 yearlings, 91 broodmares, and the stallion Outreach. Stakes winner Mirra View (More Than Ready {USA}) is another stand out lot.
Mirra View is a five-time winner of almost $400,000 in prizemoney and has spent the past 12 months racing exclusively in stakes races. She is by leading broodmare sire More Than Ready, the broodmare sire of 179 stakes winners worldwide, and is being offered as a breeding prospect ready for her maiden service this season.
Caulfield Guineas target for Wonder Boy
Jerome Hunter trained Wonder Boy (Cosmic Force) will take his first steps towards the G1 Caulfield Guineas on Saturday when he lines up in the G3 Vain S. at Caulfield. “He pretty much showed what we thought he had, that's why we ran him first-up at Flemington,” Hunter told racing.com about the gelding’s only start to date.
Wonder Boy | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We decided to give him a spell after that, a quick freshen up, aiming for the Spring Carnival. It's not the grand final, we're going to give him a Guineas path. What he showed, how he went through the line at Flemington, you'd certainly say 1400m to a mile would be perfect.”
New favourite for Quezette S.
South Australian filly Kuroyanagi (Written Tycoon) finds herself the $2.80 favourite for the G3 Quezette S. at Caulfield on Saturday after the scratching of pre-post fancy Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}) due to a foot abscess.
“She has the right jockey in Jamie Kah and she's had the benefit of one run back from a spell,” co-trainer Will Clarken told racingsa.com.au. “It's a small field but they should run along and she should be able to find a good spot. If she's good enough, she'll be in the finish.”
I Am Famous chasing four successive wins on Saturday
$2million yearling, now 4-year-old mare I Am Famous (I Am Invincible) is chasing her fourth successive win on Saturday at Rosehill. The half-sister to The Everest winner Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and Hong Kong group winner Aethero (Sebring) has had eight starts with all of her three wins coming in her last three starts. “She’s come a long way in the last six months,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy told racingnsw.com.au.
“She showed glimpses of talent early on, I suppose you could say she was highly strung and taking her time to get her head around what was involved. She is a different type of horse in regards to her best trip so it’s hard to compare her to Classique Legend. He was quite a freak but he did keep improving as he got older so there’s no reason why she can’t do the same.”
Toronado’s El Soleado headed for Caulfield Cup
Robbie Laing has some big spring plans for El Soleado (Toronado {Ire}), who will resume in the Listed Regal Roller S. at Caulfield on Saturday. “He should do what good stayers or middle-distance horses do over a short trip first-up; he'll probably be outpaced early, but I'm expecting him to run home to finish third or fourth,” Laing told racing.com about the 5-year-old gelding who holds a G1 Caulfield Cup nomination.
El Soleado | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He's got his rating to 96 but we've got to get a bit ambitious and to qualify him for the Caulfield Cup it's going to be a run every fortnight and he might even run in the Memsie Stakes. The Caulfield Cup seems an ideal race for him because he can race up on speed. He's got a good finish, he's clean winded and he's got a beautiful action.”
Pericles on a Group 1 path, but which?
Godolphin’s Pericles (Street Boss {USA}) will resume in Saturday's G2 P.B. Lawrence S with Blake Shinn in the saddle. “He's a chance to graduate all the way to Group 1 level and there are good targets along the way,” trainer James Cummings told racing.com.
“There are a number of races I've got my eye on, but I'd like to see the horse in an Underwood (Stakes). I'd also like to see the horse in a Hill Stakes. A Memsie (Stakes) possibly, or maybe the So You Think Stakes a week later. There are plenty of options on the table for him.”
Pair of second season sires on the board at Ballarat
Second on debut, 3-year-old gelding Immortal Shield (I Am Immortal) won at his second start at Ballarat on Friday for trainer, the Hayes brothers, with jockey Blaike McDougall on board for an impressive 5l victory. He becomes the fifth winner from the first crop of I Am Immortal.
John McArdle trained 3-year-old gelding Viasain (Zousain) won the second on the card by 3l for jockey Jamie Mott. Viasain is the 12th winner for Zousain.
Kalgoorlie raises $50,000 for charity
The Goldfields racing community can take pride in their recent achievement, with the annual Variety Race Dat at Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club (KBRC) raising $50,000 for the children’s charity. “It’s great to see the support from racegoers, with the money they contribute going towards assisting disadvantaged children with a disability or serious illness,” KBRC CEO Ian Dunstan told racingwa.com.au on Friday. “The donation from Racing WA is a huge boost and means no matter the circumstances, the fundraiser is already on its way to being a success.”
“Race clubs play an important role in their communities – both economically and socially – with partnerships like this a prime example of the strong connection race clubs have with their communities,” Racing and Wagering Western Australia CEO Ian Edwards said. “KBRC chose a worthy cause for their fundraising, and we are pleased to add to their efforts. Racing WA is committed to making a positive contribution to our State. The Race Club Community Program allows clubs to guide our giving by proposing a local group or charity they believe deserves support and we match the funds raised on special race days up to $5000.”
Zoustar colt heads to Northland Breeders
Talented 3-year-old colt I’m All In (Zoustar) will be tested in stakes company for the first time at Ruakaka on Sunday, lining up in the G3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ S. “We’ll take a dead heat, he didn’t jump from the gates well and it was a funnily run race,” trainer Stephen Marsh told Loveracing.nz of his last start win.
Zoustar | Standing at Widden
“If he’s on his game and has gone ahead a little bit, which we think he has, he has got to be very competitive.”
Mahrajaan resumes on Saturday for Melbourne Cup campaign
Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray won both the two mile Cups in NZ last season with Mahrajaan (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), and with the ultimate two-mile contest, the G1 Melbourne Cup, now on their radar, he will appear for the first time this season at Ruakaka on Saturday.
“He does take all of the two miles to get to his best as he’s proven in the past, in fact I think his form is duck-egg, win, duck-egg, duck-egg, win. So, he’s unlikely to be competitive on Saturday,” Ritchie told Loveracing.nz.
Easy win for Economics in G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano
If Thursday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano was supposed to be a stern test of the ability of 3-year-old colt Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), it failed to plumb the depths of Isa Salman Al Khalifa's bright prospect as he came back from a brief absence to shine at Deauville. Given time to mature without the stresses of preparing for the elite races since his six-length G2 Dante Stakes success at York in May, the William Haggas-trained chestnut looked comfortable throughout giving most of his rivals a headstart.
The 11-10 favourite won by 2l and took his record to three wins from four starts. “The natural place is the Irish Champion Stakes, as it's sponsored by Bahrain's royal family and he's in the Champion Stakes. All being well, it'll be those two,” said trainer William Haggas.
Starspangledbanner filly wins G3 Prix de Lieurey
The G3 Prix De Lieurey on Thursday was won by 3-year-old filly Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) who could be on course for a return to Group 1 targets. “She's always promised a lot and I think that being ridden differently today was the key to her success. William (Buick) got her out smartly from her wide draw and it enabled him to get that good position,” trainer George Boughey told racingpost.com.
“She's a strong stayer at the mile and now she's a Group 3 winner as well as a Royal Ascot winner. She was littered with black type as a 2-year-old and it was good to get that Group race win.” She has won three of her 12 starts with six placings.
Arqana Sales series races won by debutants
2-year-old filly Mojave River (Fr) (Mohaather {GB}) fared best in Thursday's valuable €160,000 Arqana Series Des Pouliches at Deauville. Mojave River, who qualified for this incentive by selling for €17,000 at the 2022 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, becomes the ninth winner for her first-season sire.
Making an instant impact in Thursday's €160,000 Arqana Series Des Poulains at Deauville, Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald and John Baxter's 2-year-old colt Maranoa Charlie (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was a €220,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate.
Both were on debut.
2021 USA foal crop hits commercial benchmark
The 2021 USA foal crop is the first to have cracked an interesting statistic with 51% being offered at auction at some point in their life. “I think it is a meaningful statistic, but we have known that we were headed here for a long time. It is a little surprising that we just got here recently,” Bill Farish with Lane’s End told bloodhorse.com.
“I’m guessing there are more breed-to-race places in the regional markets. I think most people in Kentucky breed for the commercial market.” 71% of foals born in Kentucky are offered at auction.
Belmont autumn meet prizemoney announced
The Belmont at the Big A fall meeting will feature 50 stakes races worth $10.35 million, officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced Thursday.
Thirty-one days of racing are scheduled at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will once again stage the meeting due to the ongoing construction at Belmont Park. The meet begins on Friday, September 13 and runs through Sunday, November 3.
Keeneland supplements ten for September sale
Keeneland will add 10 horses–colts by Authentic (USA), Constitution (USA), Into Mischief (USA), Maclean's Music (USA) and Uncle Mo (USA), along with fillies by Authentic (USA), Curlin (USA), Gun Runner (USA) and Not This Time (USA)–to Book 1 of its September Yearling Sale scheduled for Sept. 9-10, the auction house said in a release on Thursday.
Gulf Legend tops Tatts online sale
Gulf Legend (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) topped the Tattersalls Online August Sale when picked up by Qatar-based trainer Gassim Ghazali for 75,000gns (AU$153,000) on Thursday. At the end of the sale, 90 lots sold for a gross of 667,500gns (AU$1.36million) and averaged 7,417gns (AU$15,130).
