NZTR CEO resigns
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has today announced the resignation of its chief executive Bruce Sharrock, effective December 31. “I joined NZTR with a genuine passion for racing and a determination to see us return to the glory days of the sport. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished over the past 30 months, and feel the time is right to step aside and let the team continue to execute this vision for the future,” Sharrock told Loveracing.nz.
Bruce Sharrock | Image courtesy of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
“I would like to thank the NZTR Board and staff who have supported me throughout my tenure. The building blocks are in place to enable a bright future for New Zealand racing. We now need to accelerate and capitalise on the opportunities ahead.”
Sharrock will remain in his role as chief executive until December 31 and will continue as a consultant to NZTR until March 31 to oversee the implementation of current projects.
G3 National Day Cup won by Beauty Waves
Talented sprinter Beauty Waves (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) won the G3 National Day Cup on Tuesday at Sha Tin and was part of a double for trainer Pierre Ng. “He improves every race for me,” Ng told scmp.com. “Last time we were running against a very good horse, and he still ran second. He did everything well today.”
On whether he would go to the G2 Premier Bowl, Ng said, “We’ll see how many points he’s going to be put up. If they give him a hard time and he’s one hundred and something, we’ll have to see. Otherwise, in January there’s another straight race, (the Group Three Bauhinia Sprint Trophy), for him.”
Beauty Waves took his record to five wins and seven placings from 14 starts and this was his first stakes win. He becomes Starspangledbanner’s 45th stakes winner. He is the second winner for Little Sweetheart (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) who won five races and ran fourth in the Listed Cork Midsummer Sprint. A half-sister to Listed winner Queen Amira (GB) (Forestry {USA}), Little Sweetheart is out of triple Listed winner Lady Gin (USA) (Saint Ballardo {USA}).
Big day at Randwick on Saturday
Saturday marks the beginning of juvenile racing in NSW with a big day at Randwick. “TAB Epsom Day with three Group 1s, TAB Everest contenders and the first 2-year-old races of the season is one of the best cards all year,” Australian Turf Club Executive General Manager Racing and Wagering, Nevesh Ramdhani told racingnsw.com.au.
“Three time-honoured Group 1 races are joined by a crucial pathway and final lead up to the ($20 million) TAB Everest along with important breed-shaping juvenile races in the Arrowfield Breeders' Stakes and Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes.”
Group 1 debut for apprentice Wadick
Apprentice Zac Wadick gets his first Group 1 ride at Randwick on Saturday aboard Ciaron Maher trained Future History (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap.
“I was hoping at this time of year when you get these handicap races and a lot of horses get light weights there might be an opportunity for me to ride something,” Wadick told racingnsw.com.au
Zac Wadick | Image courtesy of Racing Photography
“I wasn’t expecting to get on one and definitely not one like the horse I ended up nabbing. Jeff, my manager, wanted to throw my name in the ring to ride the horse for Ciaron Maher at 51.5kg and I thought we’d see if we can get on the horse first then I'll worry about the weight later. He rang me back 10 minutes later and said I was on it.
“I’d done a bit of work for the Maher stable, going to Bong Bong to ride for them, and he said that had a little bit to do with it. The Bong Bong Farm is a state of the art facility, I really enjoy going there and riding a few horses and they’ve repaid me really well and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Derby runner up ready for G1 Epsom
Trainer Joe Pride believes Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) is the right horse to win Saturday’s G1 Epsom at Royal Randwick. “It’s always been a good race for 4-year-olds and he’s got that profile of an emerging horse that hasn’t hit his mark yet,” Pride told racingnsw.com.au
“It looks ideal, throw into the equation a big field and needing some luck but he looks well placed. You look down the field and it’s very open, I don’t look at a lot of horses and go ‘that’s a threat’ or ‘that’s a threat’. I think he will be in the finish, he’s becoming a very genuine horse who has a hell of a lot of ability so I can’t see him not figuring in the finish.”
The G1 Epsom has been won by 4-year-olds in 21 of the last 31 years. Ceolwulf ran second last start in the G3 Kingston Town S.
Pinn cleared for trip to Sydney
Wiremu Pinn has been cleared on Wednesday for a trip to Sydney following an incident at the Waipa trials on Tuesday. “One just flipped over in the barriers and crushed me a bit at the back of the gates,” Pinn told Loveracing.nz.
“My x-rays and scans are clean, I am just a little bit sore. I am just thankful nothing is broken. I will be alright to ride this week, I just thought I would have today (Wednesday) off, but I will ride the rest of the week.”
Wiremu Pinn | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
He will ride lightweight chance Unusual Legacy (NZ) (Unusual Suspect {USA}) in the G1 Metropolitan H. for Chris Waller. “Chris is a gun trainer, it is a good opportunity and the horse looks like a good chance too. He still has to get a run in the race, but I think if he does make the race, he is going to be a big chance. He looks like a big, robust horse that will definitely get the 2400 metres.”
Saturday is last meeting in Singapore
Saturday will mark a significant day in racing history, as Singapore holds its last-ever meeting, 180 years after the sport was established there. “It's quite emotional to really think about it, it's going to be a tough day for everybody involved, that's for sure,” trainer Daniel Meagher told Racing.com.
Daniel Meagher | Image courtesy of Singapore Turf Club
“For us participants, it's going to be like going to a funeral when you really think about it because it's the closing of our industry. There's going to be a lot of people there, I think there's 10-15,000 people who've already booked their tickets, so it's going to be a pretty big day in that aspect, but it's not going to be an easy day, so we'll try and enjoy it as much as we can.
“I've got a lot of runners, my stable, so we're going to be very busy, that might take the emotions away a little bit.”
National Day turnover up 7.1 per cent
Despite the scratching of the favourite Stoltz (More Than Ready {USA}) in the G3 National Day Cup, HK$1.5 billion (AU$280 million) was wagered on National Day on Tuesday at Sha Tin, with nearly 25,000 fans ticked through the turnstiles at Sha Tin, including almost 5000 visitors from mainland China.
“Business was very good,” Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges told scmp.com. “We were up seven per cent, the local market up 5.9 (per cent) and commingling 12.6 (per cent). This is a very strong result. The scratching cost us definitely HK$40 million (AU$7.47 million). It was a pity but welfare comes first.”
Keeneland November Breeding Sale catalogue released
Keeneland has catalogued 3373 horses for its 81st November Breeding Stock Sale, which will begin Tuesday, Nov. 5 and run nine sessions through Wednesday, Nov. 13, with the stand-alone November Horses of Racing Age Sale the following day. Click here for the full catalog for the Breeding Stock Sale, which features proven broodmares, young broodmare prospects and well-bred weanlings. Among the horses in the catalog are the first mares in foal to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (USA) and the first weanlings by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline (USA).
The November Breeding Stock Sale will open with a single-day Book 1, which begins at 1 pm ET with a select group of broodmares, broodmare prospects and weanlings.
Cissel promoted at Three Chimneys
Tony Cissell has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer and General Manager at Three Chimneys, the farm announced Tuesday. Cissell, who has managed the likes Crescent Farm, Calumet Farm and WinStar Farm, has been at Three Chimneys running the Big Sink division for the last five years.
Tony Cissell | Image courtesy of Three Chimneys
Previous COO Chris Baker is resigning from his position after more than a decade at Three Chimneys. Baker stated, “First and foremost, I want to thank the Torrealba Family for all the outstanding opportunities they have given me over the past 11 years. From Champions and Classic winners like Gun Runner, Wonder Wheel and Early Voting to Grade I winners like Carina Mia, Guarana, Volatile and Gun Pilot, it has been my privilege to work alongside such a great family, great team, and great horses operating at the highest level of our sport. The passion, guidance, resources and trust bestowed on the Three Chimneys team by Goncalo and his siblings has provided all of us the chance to do meaningful things–the connection to Gun Runner being the opportunity of a lifetime.”
Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings same as 2023
Despite a smaller catalogue, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale produced an average and median in line with its 2023 edition Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. “It was fine. It wasn't exceptional, it wasn't terrible. It was a solid day of work,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. at the close of business Tuesday.
“There was significant demand for what were perceived to be the better horses. The lower end, the horses that were either considered conformationally lacking or were lacking in terms of commercial pedigrees, were difficult to sell. It was the same trends that we have seen in recent years and that I think we will continue to see. It was a satisfactory exercise.”
A total of 180 yearlings sold Tuesday for a gross of US$4,267,700 (AU$6.08million). The average of US$23,709 (AU$34,300) dipped 2.9 per cent from a year ago, while the median rose 25 per cent to US$15,000 (AU$21,700).
Champions Day second entry stage has 151 horses
A total of 151 horses remain in the five QIPCO British Champions Day races after the second entry stage, the highest number in the past six years. The event will be staged at Ascot on Saturday, October 19.
The G1 QIPCO Champion S. sees G1 Irish Champion S. hero Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) square off with Franci-Henri Graffard's G1 International Stakes runner-up Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and Jean-Pierre Gauvin's Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}). Joseph O'Brien's Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains in the entries, as does Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) for James Fanshawe. The G1 Japan Cup-bound Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) are also still included by Aidan O'Brien.
Symbol Of Strength sold to Hong Kong
Group winner Symbol Of Strength (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) has been sold to race in Hong Kong, trainer Adrian Keatley confirmed on Tuesday. The juvenile colt was originally raced by Keatley Owners Group, Finneran and Moore.
A winner at second asking at Ayr in July, the son of Symbol Of Love (GB) (Shamardal) ran third in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes a month later, before a half-length triumph in the G3 Sirenia Stakes over six furlongs at Kempton on Sept. 7. “Symbol Of Strength has been sold,” said Keatley. “There was always a possibility and now he's been sold to Hong Kong, we wish them well.”
