Daily News Wrap

Racing Queensland CEO resigns

Racing Queensland has announced its Chief Executive Officer Jason Scott will conclude his term in 2025 with the date to be determined once a successor is found. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time leading the Queensland racing industry,” Mr Scott told racingqueensland.com.au.

“It’s been incredibly challenging, and equally rewarding, to work in an industry that is my passion, but there are other challenges that I would like to pursue. While I am not leaving immediately, ensuring the Board can conduct a thorough process to appoint my successor, there are many things to look forward to including three highly anticipated Winter Carnivals, new stables in Townsville and lights in Redcliffe and the grand opening of the world’s best greyhound venue at The Q.”

“Jason has done a stellar job in his successful tenure as CEO,” RQ Chair Steve Wilson AM said.

“The economic headwinds have been challenging since he assumed the role, but he has taken that in his stride, growing our revenue, market share and stature as a racing jurisdiction. He has also served with distinction on the Racing Australia Board and as its representative on the Asian Racing Federation Executive Council. The Board and I are thankful for the sterling job that Jason has done and we look forward to him continuing to do so during his transition.”

Schwarz wins the G2 Australia S.

Resuming after a mixed spring, 4-year-old colt Schwarz (Zoustar) made the G2 Australia S. his own on Friday night. Trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, the $1.25 million colt took his record to five wins from ten starts, having earlier won the Listed Amanda Elliot at two and the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas at three. He won the G2 Missile S. when resuming in the very early spring this season but was disappointing last start in the G3 Rising Fast S.

Ridden by Blake Shinn, he won by 2l from Paul Preusker trained 4-year-old gelding Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) and Michael Trotter trained 4-year-old mare Apache Song (Sioux Nation {USA}). Purchased by Rosemont Victorian Alliance and Suman Hedge Bloodstock for $1.25 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he was offered by Widden Stud and is one of 61 stakes winners for Widden's stallion Zoustar.

He is the second foal of Group 2 winner Summer Sham (Not A Single Doubt) from the Redoute’s Choice family.

Wynyard’s Karaka Millions pair ready

Trainer Hollie Wynyard will run smart juveniles Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Sierra Leone (NZ) (Sun City) in Saturday’s R-Listed Karaka Millions 2YO. Foreperson for trainer Johno Benner when Vespa (NZ) won the race, they trained in partnership for several years following until Benner retired recently. “(Toretto)’s flying, he’s improved all the way through his prep and he’s going the right way,” Wynyard told Loveracing.nz.

“Drawing barrier one, you can’t get much better than that. (Sierra Leone)’s a very natural 2-year-old and finds it all very easy. Hopefully she can jump away and be a little bit handier, sitting just in behind them.

“It was almost surreal (the barrier draws), you always expect the worst and when it comes up like that, it’s a little bit out the gate. It was a bit of a relief off the shoulders and hopefully everything can go right on Saturday.”

Forsman pair ready for Karaka Millions 3YO

Trainer Andrew Forsman’s R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO fourth favourite Yaldi (NZ) (Ardrossan) will be joined by stablemate Retrostar (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) in the race. “(Yaldi)’s very well, he’s improving all the time and mentally I think he gets better every time he turns up to the races,” Forsman told Loveracing.nz.

“I think he is (a big player), it’s just going to be dependent on tempo as much as anything. Up to the mile is the question mark, but if it’s strongly run and he’s got horses to chase, he’ll run well. The mile for Yaldi is a question mark, but on ability, he’s well up to winning.”

Mercurial heads team of five for Marsh

Group 1 sprinter Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) runs in Saturday’s G1 Railway and heads up a team of five for trainer Stephen Marsh for the day. “His run two starts ago was great. He then went down to try to defend his title in the Telegraph, and I thought he performed decently there. He just stumbled at the start and got back and wide, so it didn’t really go right for him. It was a race to forget, really,” Marsh told Loveracing.nz.

“This is the best sprint field I’ve seen in a long time, so he’s probably going to need to be at the absolute top of his game and then some.”

Marsh has three runners in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO with Bourbon Proof (Justify {USA}) the favoured of them. “Bourbon Proof is going super. His last win was very good, and his previous runs had a huge amount of merit too. He’s trialled nicely leading into this.

“He’s the sharpest of our trio, while Kiwi Skyhawk and Balsan are more your Derby style of horses. But they’re both going really well too and warrant their place in the field. When you have horses with their level of ability, you’d be silly not to run them in a $1.5 million race.”

Lindsay Park trio in two Blue Diamond previews

Lindsay Park have three runners in the two juvenile features at Sandown on Saturday with Miss Celine (Magnus) and Gin Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (f) and Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) in the Listed Blue Diamond (c&g). Miss Celine won her only start in the Listed Debutant S. “She was very good in the Debutant and we've been very pleased with how she's building up through her trials,” Will Hayes told racing.com.

“She's a horse that only does what you ask of her and she always responds to the task, so looking forward to getting her back to the races and there's plenty of upside still left in her.”

Written By full brother hits G3 Manfred S.

Trainer Grahame Begg’s exciting 3-year-old colt Royal Insignia (Written Tycoon) will resume in Saturday’s G3 Manfred S. “I'm absolutely delighted (with him), I'm looking forward to it, and excited to see him back at the races,” Begg told racenet.com.au.

“He's had a couple of jumpouts leading into Saturday's race, we are very happy with his fitness going into it, seeing as he hasn't raced since November. We are very happy with him, we think he's a very progressive horse.

“He's certainly developed, he's a work in progress, there's no doubt about that, he's still a young horse, he's into his 3-year-old year so to speak. He's a very imposing looking horse, but he's certainly strengthened and he's got a good temperament.” His dam, Yau Chin (Tobougg {Ire}) has produced Group 1 winner and sire Written By, and Group 2 winner C’Est Magique (Zoustar) among her eight winners.

United States to mimic Switzerland

Twelve months ago, trainer Chris Waller and jockey Kerrin McEvoy won a juvenile race at Randwick with Switzerland (Snitzel) who went on to win this season’s G1 Coolmore Stud S. This Saturday, they will debut United States (Snitzel) in the same race. “Watching his trial closely he looked to be a horse with some talent for sure,” McEvoy told racingnsw.com.au.

“He was travelling along nice and willing behind the speed and James (McDonald) never looked to let him go. That gives you confidence. He has a high price tag on him and 1000 metres is starting off at the lower end of the trip scale for him but he’s got talent and a good barrier so they are pluses.” United States was a $1.75 million purchase by Tom Magnier from Segenhoe Stud’s 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft and he is the second foal of Warranty (All Too Hard) who is a Listed placed daughter of a half-sister to Group 1 winner Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).

Around the Nation: Friday’s highlights

Friday was busy with five day meetings and three night meetings. At Port Macquarie, 3-year-old gelding Bohdi Boy (So You Think {NZ}) remained unbeaten with his third win from as many starts. In Launceston, 3-year-old gelding Likeakalix (Calyx {GB}) won the Listed Launceston Guineas for jockey David Pires, who rode a treble with Speed Rock (Rock Hero) and Lily Luella (Siyouni {Fr}). Likeakalix's win gave his sire, who shuttled to Coolmore Australia for two seasons, his first stakes winner in the Southern Hemisphere.

Concussion for Taylor

Racing NSW stewards reported that jockey Jess Taylor was taken to hospital with a concussion after a fall at Queanbeyan on Friday. “Taylor was dislodged when her mount fell near the 250 metres during the running of Race 3 at Queanbeyan. … On examination Jess appears to have sustained a concussion after making heavy contact upon falling. She will be transported to hospital for further examination.” Reports from the track is that her mount Wandaye (Wandjina) was uninjured in the fall.

At Bowen, Adrian Layt sustained a broken collarbone in an incident in the barriers.

Racing SA apprentice dux to be voted by seniors

Racing SA’s Dux of the Apprentice Academy SA will be crowned at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Wolf Blass Event Centre on Thursday, January 30. For the first time, the Endeavour & Sportsmanship Medal presented by the South Australian Jockeys Association will be voted on by the senior jockeys. “Our senior riders play a critical role in mentoring and developing our apprentice jockeys, so we thought it was fitting that their vote decides the winner of the Endeavour & Sportsmanship award,” Apprentice Academy Talent Manager Ruby Mayers told racingsa.com.au.

The night also includes the awards for Ride of the Year (2024), the SAROA Above and Beyond Award, the Rising Star 2nd & 3rd year Apprentice Award, the Caitlin Forrest Memorial Award and the Simone Montgomerie Encouragement Award.

Maxwhooshtapin aimed for WA Derby

Trainer Misty Bazeley will set Thursday’s maiden winner Maxwhooshtapin (Pride Of Dubai) for the G2 WA Derby. “He’s dumb tough, I like dumb tough,” Bazeley said to Racing WA on Friday.

“I thought he may have had enough this prep, but not on this one. He’s a big boy, but hasn’t fully developed yet, he’s a big baby. I’ve had a look at the calendar and Baze (Aaron Bazeley, Misty’s partner) said why not have a crack at the Derby. So that’s plan A at this point, and we are going to put him away for a couple of weeks, then plan a couple of his lead up races to see if he is good enough.

“He’s probably two years off from where he’s supposed to be, but while he’s a 3-year-old, you might as well have a throw at the stumps. The more runs he has, the more it’s coming together, and his little brain is starting to get engaged a bit more.” Third on debut, he’s now a winner at his second start and was an $11,000 purchase from Milburn Creek’s draft at the Magic Millions Weanling Sale with an online bid.

Luckless Mary Shan can improve for Aotearoa Classic

Unplaced last start in the G2 Rich Hill Mile, Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) can improve for the Listed Aotearoa Classic. “She didn’t have much luck at all (in the Rich Hill), but she’s come through it great and we’ve kept her ticking over,” trainer Andrew Forsman told Loveracing.nz.

“Once she’s up and racing, she’s not a hard horse to keep fit and we hope again, it’s a truly run race and she gets her chance. She’s performed at a high level before, obviously if Orchestral is at her best she’ll be hard to beat, but outside of that, I think it’s very open.”

Furlong’s twin attack on Listed Timaru S.

Trainer Anna Furlong has two runners in Saturday’s Listed Timaru S. being Goldie’s Chance (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Tanzanite Rose (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}). “(Tanzanite Rose) is best ridden back, even when she gets a good draw you can’t really use it with her and she has to be ridden cold,” Furlong told Loveracing.nz.

“She is a lovely mare, it’s just her style and it would have been ideal to draw out and then run home.”

Court hears of alleged death threats in Sands Of Mali case

In an explosive turn of events surrounding the ongoing saga involving the ownership of promising young stallion Sands Of Mali (Fr), the High Court heard on Thursday of how leading owner Steve Parkin is alleged to have made death threats to Ballyhane Stud boss Joe Foley, his business partner and advisor of over 20 years.

Parkin, who once described Foley as being “like a brother” and, up until last January was happy to have him in charge of his Clipper Logistics ownership vehicle, is seeking an injunction to have Sands Of Mali moved from the County Carlow stud farm.

Representing the Jersey-based Parkin, Robert Beatty SC told Mr Justice Brian Cregan that to leave Sands Of Mali at Ballyhane Stud would be “unjust” and “a gross violation of property rights.”

The plaintiff's legal team are seeking to move the horse to Micheál Orlandi's Starfield Stud, where the Parkin-owned Space Traveller and Asymmetric relocated after a 20-year relationship between the pair broke down beyond repair last year. The latter has since been moved to India.

However, representing Foley, Remy Farrell SC said that his client maintains that he owns 50 per cent of Sands Of Mali. Richard Fahey and Federico Barbareni, both of whom have enjoyed fruitful relationships in their role as trainer and bloodstock agent respectively for Parkin, are understood to have provided written affidavits confirming the 50-50 ownership split. On top of that, the Court heard how Foley credited €120,000 in April 2021 to Parkin, which happens to be roughly half of what Sands Of Mali is said to have cost.

Sands Of Mali was purchased for £225,000 (AU$441,000) plus vat upon completion of his racing career. However, he is now said to be valued at £3 million (AU$5.9 million) by Parkin's legal team, who also shared that their client took out a mortgage for the latter amount with JP Morgan for the horse. Mr Justice Brian Cregan became visibly confused by earlier affidavits that saw Sands Of Mali valued “between two and two-and-a-half million.”

Foley's legal team questioned Parkin's fire sale of assets within the past 12 months. Not only have Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Fallen Angel and quality broodmares like Romantic Proposal and Dramatised been cashed in on, but Parkin's famous Rathbride Stud remains on the market. Parkin's legal team denied a fire sale of assets and insisted their client has a net worth of £200 million (AU$392 million). However, Beatty acknowledged that if he could turn back time, he would have disclosed that Sands Of Mali had been mortgaged with JP Morgan to the tune of £3 million (AU$5.9 million) in the written affidavit to the court.

A decision on where Sands Of Mali is set to stand for the upcoming breeding season is set to be delivered by Mr Justice Brian Cregan when the case reconvenes within the next fortnight.