Arabian Summer heads to Sunlight slot race
The build up to January's The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival is in full swing with today's announcement of the first confirmed runner being locked in for the $3 million TAB Magic Millions Sunlight (1100 metres) on Saturday January 4. Victorian filly Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}), a member of the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable, has been secured to run in the Widden Stud and RMA Bloodstock slot in the TAB Magic Millions Sunlight.
Arabian Summer | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“With our close association with Tony and Calvin McEvoy through Sunlight, we are honoured to announce Arabian Summer will be running in our slot,” Widden's Antony Thompson told magicmillions.com.au. “We are also very good friends with a number of the filly's owners including Frank and Christine Cook, whose colours she runs in, so we are very pleased to have shaken hands on a joint venture.”
Four for McDonald at Randwick
Jockey James McDonald won the last four races on the card at Randwick aboard Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), Fangirl (Sebring), I Am Me (I Am Invincible) and Moravia (Snitzel).
Pink Ribbon Cup won by Catwalk Criminal
Trainer Adam Campton won the Pink Ribbon Cup at the Gold Coast on Saturday with Catwalk Criminal (Press Statement). "She's pretty special,” he said.
The win had an emotional twist with Campton’s mum being a cancer survivor. Catwalk Criminal now has four wins from eight starts and earnings over $142,000.
Around the Nation: 3-year-old winners
Outside the main race meetings around the nation on Saturday, there were several 3-year-old winners. At Newcastle, Zoubaby (Zoustar) and Pariah Engagement (Pariah) won, while at Wagga, colt Cambar (Pierata) maintained his unbeaten record with his second career win from as many starts.
At Echuca, 3-year-olds won the first four on the card, being Savvy Thinker (Savabeel), Grinzinger Love (Hellbent), Torvecchio (Castelvecchio) and Snatched (Written By).
In Queensland, Apollo Ten (Magna Grecia {Ire}) won at Dalby, Harley Charlie (Honorius) won at Gympie, Fraser’s Ridge (Kobayashi) won at Twin Hills. At Belmont in WA, Keep Ita Mystery (War Chant {USA}) and Sinful Living (Safeguard) found the winner’s post. South Australia’s Morphettville meeting saw Talisay (Pride Of Dubai) win.
Orchestral disappointing in return
All eyes at Ellerslie on Saturday were on last season’s NZ Derby winner Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) as she made her 4-year-old debut, but she settled second last then ran on strongly to finish eighth less than two lengths from the winner without giving punters a return. The race was won by Group 2 winner Shamus (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}).
“He loves this surface at Ellerslie as we brought him to the jumpouts and he revelled in it as it is nice and smooth with a little bounce in it,” said trainer Moira Murdoch. “We’d like to step him up in distance now as (part-owner) Ron (Stanley) is keen on that. We thought we would kick off here and I actually would have been thrilled if he had only weighed in, but there you go.”
Beer’s kiwi purchase ready to showcase on Sunday
Mitchell Beer had to teach kiwi purchase Sunrise (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) to relax and now she will run at Nowra on Sunday. “We've had to teach her to settle a bit, she would lead in New Zealand and just run flat out,” Beer told racingandsports.com.au.
“That doesn't get you too far, you might win a race but you find your benchmark pretty quick. I thought she was really good the other day at Hawkesbury and she's ready to win. She got held up, we went back to the inside and the winner got going on us but she was good the last bit.
“Now she's had a couple of runs and learned not to just jump and go flat out you can give her a little squeeze and be closer. I think we'll be a lot more positive, Nowra is typically not a place you want to be getting too far back.” A winner at two from six starts in NZ, the 3-year-old filly has had two starts in Australia for Beer.
Cup aims for Poon
Matthew Poon has enjoyed a strong start to the season and he hopes Flying Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) can continue in this Sunday’s G3 Celebration Cup. “I’m very confident at the moment,” Poon told scmp.com. “When you ride winners everyone can see – trainers, owners. You can feel people trust you and that makes you confident in yourself. I only took a short trip over the summer then came back and started working early. I was really keen to try and get more opportunities and go better than I did last year, so I’ve been doing a lot of work and a lot of fitness and exercise.
“Fortunately, I’ve had a good start so it’s a little bit easier to get a bigger number of race rides. Now I need to keep it up and try to get the best results I can.” Flying Ace is coming off a last start fifth when resuming this season.
City Of Troy test goes well
It is not often that the eyes of the racing world are on Southwell. The country track had been closed to the public for nine months until early August following extensive flooding, but on Friday it was the place to be as the top-rated horse in Europe, City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}), descended on Nottinghamshire with an entourage akin to a Taylor Swift tour. He even brought his own American starting stalls.
“He is different, and he knows it,” was O'Brien's assessment of the four-time Group 1 winner who will attempt to become the first horse to win the Derby and the Breeders' Cup Classic. He will be his trainer's 15th challenger in the latter. “He's a hardy customer. I thought today was his best. Ryan had his hands down on him and he travelled in a relaxed manner. He came into the straight very balanced and straight and when Ryan let him down, he was as straight as a gun barrel. Me, watching him here, that's the best I have ever seen him with Ryan.”
Keeneland continues
During the 11th session of the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Kazakhstan-based bloodstock agent Nadir Khassanov paid US$12,000 (AU$17,600) for a colt by California Chrome (USA). After nearly running the table in Kazakhstan and Russia, the colt that came to be called Kabirkhan (USA) took his show on the road to Dubai over the winter, where he won the G1 Al Maktoum Classic in his second start for trainer Doug Watson.
Khassanov accounted for Friday's top-priced offering at the Book 6 session at the September Sale when giving US$95,000 (AU$139,000) for a May-foaled colt by Upstart (USA). He was easily the dearest of six purchases on the afternoon for Khassanov and the most expensive of his 26 acquisitions, all since day eight of the sale.
During a session that also featured strong participation from Central American, Russian and Middle Eastern interests–so-called 'emerging markets' that Keeneland has taken pains down the years to pursue–the auction house reported sales on 206 head for US$3,568,000 (AU$5.1 million), an average of US$17,320 (AU$25,000) and median price of US$11,500 (AU$16,800), representing gains of 5.8 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively. With one day of selling remaining, some 2532 horses have sold for record turnover of US$409,087,500 (AU$600 million) (not including post-RNA sales), good for an average of US$161,567 (AU$237,000) and a median of US$80,000 (AU$117,000). The cumulative average price increased by 6.4 per cent, while the median was up by 6.7 per cent.
Inglis Digital USA Sept Sale online
The catalogue for the 2024 Inglis Digital USA September Sale is now online, featuring a slate of 57 offerings, the auction company said in a release on Friday afternoon.
Bidding is currently open for the online auction, and lots will begin to close on Wednesday, September 25 at 2 pm ET, with subsequent listings closing in three-minute increments. Among the horses offered is multiple New York-bred stakes winner My Shea D Lady (USA) (Solomini {USA}), who is offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.
