Victoria Racing Club posts a loss
The Victoria Racing Club has announced a net loss of $24.2 million in its annual report on Tuesday, following on from last year's loss of $14.9 million. Membership increased to a record figure of 34,240 in the 2023/24 financial year but the VRC's revenue remained similar to last year at $216.6 million with expenses reported at $222.2 million.
The club spent $11.1 million on capital works, while interest paid on debts was also a factor. “The club has been subject to increasing costs of doing business, as experienced throughout the broader economy, including Melbourne Cup Carnival-related entertainment, temporary infrastructure and event delivery costs,” the VRC director's report read.
Maharba gets perfect draw for Winterbottom
Victorian jockey Jordan Childs was pleased when Grahame Begg trained Maharba (Pride Of Dubai) drew six for Saturday’s G1 Winterbottom S. “He's nice to ride but you have to ride him in his comfort zone early,” Childs told racenet.com.au.
“If you try to push too far forward, he doesn't finish off as well. Wherever he is, as long as he's travelling in his comfort zone, he can show a good finish like he has been doing. The big field will inject a lot of speed so hopefully he'll be in behind them somewhere.” Maharba won the G3 Rising Fast S. at his most recent start.
Maharba winning the G3 Rising Fast S. | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Saloon Bar to bring his best in Winterbottom
Trainer Dan Morton thinks Saloon Bar (Sessions) prefers tougher company. “Normally the better the race, the better he goes,” Morton told racingwa.com.au.
“He brings his A-game. He was at cricket-score odds in the Quokka, but I was bullish about him then. He’s improved since then and is more mature. I honestly couldn’t be happier with the prep that he’s had. This has been our grand final and if we’ve done our job he’s going to be peaking on Saturday. I wouldn’t be swapping him for too many in the race.” He ran third in the G3 Colonel Reeves S. last start.
Sargent’s French Ruler for Sandown Guineas
Trainer John Sargent has set 3-year-old gelding French Ruler (Nicconi) for the G2 Sandown Guineas on Saturday because he’s an improving type. “I think he's just on the way up and that's why I'm going down there for that race,” Sargent told racing.com.
“His coat has just come out and I was going down for the Blue Sapphire Stakes with him and then decided the Spring Stakes (at Newcastle) didn't look that strong, so I went there instead. It was a big jump up from 1200 metres to a mile - it was a bit of a gamble - but he took it all in his stride and just got beaten.
“He'll improve immensely with that and all systems are go to go to another mile race down there on Saturday.” He was second in the G3 Spring S. last start.
Racing Victoria statement on jump-out issue
With jockeys refusing to ride in jumpouts in Victoria for free as of Sunday, Racing Victoria released this statement. “Jumpouts are training and education tools used to prepare racehorses and are managed by race clubs who set and collect these fees. The engagement of riders who participate in jumpouts and their payment is a matter between trainers and riders.
“Racing Victoria supports the principle that all persons should be remunerated for work performed. In this instance, how and when these payments are made, and how those costs are passed on, is a matter for trainers and owners and RV encourages the representatives of each of these groups to come to an agreement.”
Drop in weight worth the wait for Payne
Trainer David Payne skipped The Beauford two weeks ago with State Of America (American Pharoah {USA}) in favour of Saturday’s Listed ATC Cup to get the services of jockey Zac Lloyd and the big weight drop is also worth the wait. “Why not have a go, he’s been carrying 59.5kg and 58.5kg and now he’s got 53kg,” Payne told racingnsw.com.au.
Trainer David Pain
“He’s up in grade but he’s a progressive horse and we’ve got to test the water. I was going to run him at Newcastle then Zac got suspended and other things didn’t work out so I thought we’d just wait for this.”
“You can feel if a horse is going well and Zac knows him. I think he’s just more mature, he’s racing more tractably. He was always going to take time, he was a lean baby and needed to carry condition and he’s just slowly matured.”
Unbeaten Cambar steps into city class
Winner of both his starts, 3-year-old colt Cambar (Pierata) will step up into city company on Saturday. Trainer Gary Colvin accidentally booked retired Riverina jockey Brad Clark instead of Tim Clark for the ride. “My blue, embarrassing, Brad used to ride a lot for me over the years but he retired in 2021. He rang back and said would it be okay if he rode it 5kgs over, with the travel and just the one ride all day!” Colvin told racingnsw.com.au.
Of the colt, Colvin said, “He's a natural, has lovely flowing action. He has an ideal temperament for a colt, there's not a lot of him but he's an all-round nice package and has all that upside off the wins. So far so good, we’ll see what happens this prep with more maturity.”
Around the Nation: Wednesday’s highlights
Wednesday enjoyed six race meetings across six different states, with Tim Clark riding a treble at Newcastle on Vieste (Maurice {Jpn}), 2-year-old colt Blitzburg (Snitzel) and 3-year-old gelding Rumbling Night (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).
Ciaron Maher trained 3-year-old filly Overtook (Deep Field) won on debut. Deep Field had another 3-year-old winner at Geelong with Stay Humble who took his record to two wins from four starts. Deep Field was the first leg in the treble for jockey Cejay Graham at Doomben who won on Taltarni Fields (Deep Field), Payline (Shooting To Win), and The Inflictor (Under The Louvre).
At Gawler, 3-year-old gelding Prancethrulife (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) won on debut.
Romantic Warrior ready for three-peat
Regular rider James McDonald has issued a positive bulletin on Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) ahead of his bid for a historic third consecutive win in the HK$40 million G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 8. “He wears his heart on his sleeve,” McDonald said of the 6-year-old Romantic Warrior, who could seek further riches in the Middle East early next year, having been given an entry in the G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on Friday, January 24.
“He's a once-in-a-lifetime horse and I would love to see him win a third. Even watching his videos at trackwork, he's moving like a well-oiled machine–he's just really strutting his stuff. He's in career-best form.
Romantic Warrior | Image courtesy of Hong Kong Jockey Club
“It's a great day (Hong Kong International Races) to be part of and to have a live chance is even better. I just enjoy coming back to ride him (Romantic Warrior). He gives you so much confidence as a rider. You just look forward to the day–it's very self-explanatory.”
Skew Wiff to stay in training
Group 1-winning Waikato Stud-owned mare Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) will stay in training. “The beauty about Entain and the prizemoney here, and in Australia, it gives a mare like that incentive to race on,” co-trainer Sam Bergerson said. “There are so many good races for her over summer, especially with that sprint series. She raced so well in the spring, we gave her a break and brought her back and Mark (Chittick, Waikato Stud Principal) was keen to have another season with her racing.”
Skew Wiff (NZ) | Image courtesy of New Zealand Racing Desk
“She will go onto another trial towards the middle of December and then hopefully onto the Telegraph and the Railway, which look the two logical options for her initially.” Both races are Group 1 status.
Trainer turns race caller for a moment
At Tuesday’s trials in Taupo, Wexford Stables co-trainer Andrew Scott stepped up to fill in for racecaller George Simon, who was stuck in traffic. “It was a short-lived career, I’m telling you now, it was so much harder than you could imagine,” Scott told Loveracing.nz on Wednesday.
“I’ve got a much greater appreciation now of the job commentators do. I did two heats and that was enough for me.”
Slow foal sale at Tattersalls
The Tattersalls December Foal Sale was slow out of the blocks with a clearance rate of 60 per cent. The average and median did improve throughout the day and ended with slight increases on this session last year at 12,086gns (AU$24,600) up eight per cent and 9000gns (AU$18,400) up 13 per cent. Turnover, from 111 of the 182 foals sold, dipped by 14 per cent to 1,341,500gns (AU$2.66 million), albeit from 24 fewer foals changing hands than on the corresponding day last year. Of those weanlings who found a buyer, 21 were bought for the minimum bid of 1000gns (AU$2039).
Share in Hello Youmzain tops Arqana digital
A 1/50th share in first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Lot 4) brought a sale-topping €250,000 (AU$405,000) from Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency during Tuesday's Arqana Online November Sale. Group 1 sire Kameko's (USA) 1/50th (Lot 7) share sold for €180,000 (AU$292,000) to Wertheimer et Frere.
Overall, 13 shares and four breeding rights sold for a gross of €1,019,000 (AU$1.6 million). A 1/50th share in established stallion Zarak (Fr) did not reach its reserve and was passed in at €650,000 (AU$1 million).
Horton secures lease over Stoute stables
James Horton has secured a lease on Beech Hurst Stables in Newmarket and will continue his training career there. It is the former base of the recently retired Sir Michael Stoute. Stoute, who trained star-crossed G1 Derby hero Shergar (GB) (Great Nephew {GB}) at Beech Hurst, later expanded to Freemason Lodge.
The 37-year-old Horton, a former Stoute assistant for seven years, previously trained for John Dance, who subsequently came under investigation for fraud last spring. Horton announced he was relocating to Newmarket in September of 2023, and was based out of Harry Eustace's Park Lodge Stables.
James Horton | Image courtesy of Racingfotos
“We're very lucky, we've been able to secure a lease on Beech Hurst Stables for next year,” he told Sky Sports Racing. “Obviously, everything went a bit upside down about 18 months ago, so this year has very much been a sort of rebuilding year. This time last year, we hadn't even moved into the yard, with just a handful of horses. We've had 10 winners from just over 100 runners, with a lot of 2-year-olds who we're educating and are exciting horses for next year.”
New CEO at Ascot announced
Ascot Racecourse announced on Tuesday that Felicity Barnard has been appointed as chief executive, with Alastair Warwick set to stand down from the role at the end of the year for personal reasons. Barnard currently serves as deputy chief executive at Ascot, alongside her role as commercial director.
Felicity Barnard | Image courtesy of Ascot Racecourse
Sir Francis Brooke, chairman and His Majesty's representative at Ascot Racecourse, said, “Alastair has played a major role in the success of Ascot Racecourse since he joined the business in 2008, most recently as chief executive where he has overseen two very important and successful Royal Meetings in the new reign of King Charles III. We are all grateful to him on so many levels and thank him for his dedication to Ascot over the past 16 years. For personal reasons Alastair has expressed a wish to step down from his role at Ascot. This will allow him time to consider other opportunities for the next stage of his career and we all wish him well.”
