Autumn Glow scratched from Flight Stakes
Chris Waller Racing announced on Friday morning that unbeaten 3-year-old filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) would be scratched from the G1 Flight S. “Unfortunately, Autumn Glow was found to be slightly lame this morning in her right front leg,” said the statement.
Autumn Glow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“An x-ray was taken which shows a minor chip in her right front knee. She will therefore not take her place tomorrow in the Flight Stakes. The chip will be surgically removed, giving her the best prognosis for a return in the Autumn.”
Autumn Glow, the sale-topping yearling at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale at $1.8million, is unbeaten in three starts including a last start win in the G2 Tea Rose S.
Opportunity for others in G1 Flight S.
The shock scratching of odds-on favourite Autumn Glow presents the remaining fillies in the G1 Flight S. the chance to snare a valuable win at the top level and trainer John Sargent has a strong option with Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}). “She’ll be closer, there’s no reason to ride her back, she can use the draw and ride her how she feels and she’ll relax there,” Sargent told racingnsw.com.au.
“I’d like her to run in the money to get some Group 1 black type then we can look at where we go. She’s a lot more relaxed now, grown up a bit mentally. As long as she’s hitting the line well, I’ll be very happy.”
She comes into the race off a last start third in city class.
Magic Millions Breeze Ups online
Magic Millions announced on Friday that the breeze ups for three of the four breeze up sessions, at Seymour, Newcastle and the Gold Coast, will be available online with buyers now able to view their breeze ups and comprehensive electronic TripleS data analysis reports.
“Our team is really looking forward to Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale on October 22,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “We have one more breeze-up session to go at the Gold Coast. The three sessions held so far in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have produced some exciting prospects for prospective buyers.”
“At all three sessions data was electronically gathered using industry leading TripleS data with electronic chips providing interested parties with raceday quality data on stride length, frequency and speed over 600 metres. Naturally track and weather conditions presented on the day at each course will differ but the same real-time positioning technology is used across all sessions.”
Of the 32 juveniles to breeze at Seymour, the fastest was the Hanseatic x Exotic Blend (Encosta De Lago) colt (Mitchell Williams Bloodstock) who went in 10.51s. At Newcastle, 33 horses breezed up with the Street Boss (USA) x Mayaaseh (Exceed And Excel) gelding (Border Bloodstock) going fastest in 10.20s, and at the Gold Coast 67 horses breezed up with faster times than the other two location. The fastest at the Gold Coast was the Exosphere x Ellay Doll (California Dane) filly (Symphony Lodge) who was the only one to break 10s at 9.94s.
Sharp ‘n’ Smart resurgence to continue in G1 Turnbull
Graeme Rogerson has seen promising signs that Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) is rediscovering the form that earned him Horse of the Year honours as a 3-year-old, but Saturday’s G1 Turnbull S. at Flemington will put his resurgence to the test. “I think he’s back,” Rogerson told Loveracing.nz.
“He had that bacterial viral issue that caused him a lot of problems last season, but he’s put all that behind him. He looks fantastic, the horse. He trialled up nicely and has gone well in his first couple of races. It was a super performance under his big weight last time. It’s so far, so good.
“I think he’ll run well this weekend, but this race will really tell us how he’s going. There’s nine Group 1 winners in the field, so that’s going to test him. But I don’t see any reason why he won’t put in a strong performance.”
Conundrum for Graham
Peter Graham would love nothing more than to watch his daughter, Ceejay, win her first Group 1 on Saturday aboard Kintyre (Hallowed Crown), but he will be riding at Armidale at the same time the G1 Epsom H. jumps at Randwick. “I don't ride that much these days, so I am spewing, I ended up getting a full book of rides on Saturday, then she got the Group 1 ride,” Graham told racenet.com.au.
“I am only a bush jockey, I have ridden a lot of winners in my time, but what she has done in her short time is much more than I could ever achieve, she is really going full steam ahead. She won the apprentice title up there in Queensland, so we all went up for the awards night the other week, I was just so bloody proud of her. What you see is what you get with Ceejay, there is no bullshit, I know that.
“It is unreal she has this opportunity, she has deserved it, so we are just hoping the horse can run well for her because it is a hard race.” Kintyre gets into the race with just 50kg on his back and is coming off a last start fourth in the G3 Bill Ritchie H.
Think About It’s jockey thinks he can get Everest slot
Jockey Jason Collett believes that reigning TAB Everest champion Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) can make a case for a last minute berth in this year’s Everest with a strong performance in Saturday’s G2 Premiere S. “I think he’s always been a sprinter, he’s a very athletic horse and he’s just a very good horse,” Collett told racingnsw.com.au.
Jason Collett | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’d expect him to run a big race, Joe is confident. They don’t lose that ability, I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t perform. They’re the top sprinters going around in the Premiere so I’d like to think there’ll be enough pressure where he’ll get that bunny and he can hunt it down.”
Four for Stanley at Rockhampton
Jockey Justin Stanley rode four winners on the seven-race card at Rockhampton on Friday, winning on Magic Game (Rubick), 3-year-old filly What A Doozy (Unite And Conquer), Mighty Judd (Epaulette), and Kathy’s Beau (Turffontein).
Around The Nation: 3-year-old winners
Friday saw seven meetings across Australia, with three night meetings marking the start of warmer weather and longer days. The night meeting at Moonee Valley enjoyed the win of Brandjam (Alabama Express) before the meeting was abandoned due to lightning, while at the Sunshine Coast, Trevatt Court (Spirit Of Boom) and at Launceston, Wild Nights (Stratosphere) won.
Impending filly Roses Imminente took her record to two wins from three starts at Dubbo for trainer Lou Mary, while at Rockhampton What A Doozy (Unite And Conquer) became her sire’s third winner and at the same track, Lamentum (Deep Field) made it two wins in his last three starts. Warrnambool saw three 3-year-olds win, Houdini (Snitzel), Cherish The Day (Capitalist) and Imamanzor (Almanzor {Fr}).
Inglis Digital October (early) sale open
The latest Inglis Digital sale is now open for bidding. The 274 lots including 168 racehorses, 78 race fillies, and 33 broodmares.
Snitzel mare Angel Flight, being offered with a So You Think (NZ) filly at foot, is one of several standout entries, as well as stakes-winning mare Little Miss Kubi (Headwater) and G3 Gimcrack S. winner Starfield Impact (Demerit) who is being sold with a colt foal at foot by dual Group 1-winning sire Shamus Award.
NSW Country Racing Awards
Racing NSW Country announced their annual awards on Friday. The winners are:
Simon Nivison Special Achievement Award – Terry Carroll (Grenfell Jockey Club)
Country TAB Race Club of the Year – (Cat A) Murrumbidgee Turf Club
Country TAB Race Club of the Year – (Cat B & C) Moruya Jockey Club
Outstanding Achievement Award (Community & Picnics) – Cooma-Monaro Race Club
Special Recognition Award – Dubbo Turf Club
Country Trainer of the Year – Brett Cavanough
Country Jockey of the Year – Aaron Bullock
Country Apprentice Jockey of the Year – Braith Nock
Country Approved Rider of the Year – Leandro Ribeiro
Waikato Stud purchases slot for The Kiwi
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) is excited to announce that leading thoroughbred nursery, Waikato Stud, has secured a coveted slot in the NZB Kiwi. “It’s such an exciting time for the New Zealand thoroughbred racing industry as a whole and we are very excited to now be involved with the NZB Kiwi,” Waikato Stud Principal Mark Chittick told Loveracing.nz.
“We love breeding the best racehorses that we can, but we especially love racing a good horse, and with the opportunities that are now presented in New Zealand, it’s fantastic having those horses in our backyard. Having been involved with The Everest through I Wish I Win and Entain, I can say that those of us who are now part of the NZB Kiwi are in for a hell of a lot of fun. Both Champions Day and the NZB Kiwi elevate us to the level of any major international race day and it’s exciting to be a part of that.”
Town Cryer looking to win G3 Breeders’ S. again
Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) returns to go back-to-back in the G3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ S. on Saturday at Hawera. “We were pretty confident last year, and we were chasing one of the best horses in New Zealand, but the wet track held the other mare up a bit and enhanced our chances,” trainer Roydon Bergerson told Loveracing.nz.
“I’m pretty happy going into the race this time, she’s got a good draw and a good jockey. I’ll be trying to get her to the TAB Classic. We’ve just got to try to work a path to get her there, the programming is a bit hard at the moment and finding races is proving very difficult, also for the open sprinters.” The G1 TAB Classic is held at Trentham in December.
Sixteen for this year’s G1 Arc field
A field of 16 will take part in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, with Aidan O'Brien responsible for the only withdrawals on Thursday morning with the expected easy ground unsuitable for Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). That leaves the G1 Irish Derby hero Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) to represent Ballydoyle with the Wertheimers' G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) currently shading favouritism for an open renewal of the mile-and-a-half monument.
Sosie, who bids to provide Andre Fabre with a record-extending ninth edition, has drawn favourably in five while Al Shaqab Racing and Ballylinch Stud's G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is in eight and Los Angeles will start from stall 10. Susumu Fujita's G1 Irish Champion Stakes third Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) will attempt to bring Japan's long wait for an Arc hero to an end from stall 11, while Juddmonte's G1 Prix Vermeille and G1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) is in three. Drawn widest of all is Baron Edouard De Rothschild's multiple group 1 winner Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), while two other notables are the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Coolmore's Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) drawn in nine and seven respectively.
Can Frankel Retain his Title as Champion Sire in Britain and Ireland?
The wins of Lake Victoria (Ire) in last month's Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and last weekend's Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket, along with The Euphrates (GB) winning the extremely valuable Irish Cesarewitch means Frankel (GB) suddenly finds himself with at least a fighting chance of reeling in Dubawi (Ire), Galileo (Ire) and Dark Angel (Ire) in what is shaping up to be a tantalising championship race.
Frankel (GB) | Standing at Banstead Manor Stud
Dubawi, Britain and Ireland's champion sire in 2022, currently leads old sparring partner Galileo by around £120,000 (AU$230,000), with Dark Angel barely able to be separated from Coolmore's 12-time champion in third. Then there's Frankel, who trails the pacesetting Dubawi by around £280,000 (AU$540,000).
Who will be Crowned Europe's Leading First Season Sire?
The battle to be crowned champion sire in Britain and Ireland isn't the only one that looks destined to go right down to the wire this year. The 2024 crop of first-season sires in Europe has Sergei Prokofiev (Can) maintaining the advantage he's held from the outset, having sired the winner of the first juvenile race of the season in Ireland, the subsequent Marble Hill Stakes scorer and Phoenix Stakes third Arizona Blaze (GB) and now leads with 17 winners.
Sands Of Mali (Fr) is second with 15 equal with Pinatubo (Ire), while Mohaather (GB) finds himself in a three-way tie for fourth with Earthlight (Ire) and Hello Youmzain (Fr) on 14 winners.
Median and average down for Goffs Book 2
Book 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale showed a downfall across the board. Of the 246 lots offered on day one, 175 were sold at a clearance rate of 70%. The median was down 23 per cent to €15,000 (AU$24,000), the average fell 9 per cent to €21,563 (AU$34,600) and the turnover also dipped 15 per cent to €3,773,500 (AU$6.1 million).
The joint top lots by Acclamation (GB) and Supremacy (Ire) at €80,000 (AU$129,000) with the gavel falling to trainer Johnny Murtagh and American buyers Legion Bloodstock respectively.
Fasig-Tipton October Digital open
Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 361 entries for its October Digital Sale with bidding now open through Tuesday, October 8, beginning at 12pm ET, the auction house said in a Thursday release.
“The October Digital Sale is our largest digital sale to date,” said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. “With our industry leading 83 per cent clearance rate in 2024, buyers and sellers can both have confidence that they can get a horse bought or sold on Fasig-Tipton Digital.”
Canadian Yearling sale figures steady
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Alberta Division) held a yearling sale at Westerner Park in Red Deer on Friday, September 20, and gross sales were up by 15 per cent (a reflection of the increased number of horses sold), the division said in a release on Thursday.
With 79 head catalogued, this year saw an increase in gross sales, with C$700,000 (AU$754,000) spent on 56 yearlings–a 15 per cen rise from the C$607,800 (AU$654,000) spent on 43 yearlings in 2023. While the average price per yearling slightly decreased to C$12,482 (AU$13,400) from C$14,135 (AU$15,000) last year, the median held steady at C$9,850 (AU$10,500).
