Brisbane Racing Club director Neville Bell retires
Neville Bell announced his retirement from the Brisbane Racing Club board on Thursday. “Neville Bell will be remembered as one of the great chairmen in the rich history of the BRC and our predecessors,” vice chair Richard Morrison said in a press release. Morrison will step into the chair role and Terry Svenson becomes the vice.
“He has led the BRC through what is arguably the greatest transformation of any race club in Australia. On behalf of all BRC members, I would like to thank Neville for his service and wish him and his wife Mary a very happy retirement. We look forward to seeing them trackside.”
Neville Bell | Image courtesy of Brisbane Racing Club
Bell has spent 26 years on the board, and has served as chair for the past 12 years.
“I’m grateful for the support of so many good people over the years but, quite simply, the time was right for me to step down,” Bell said in a statement.
“I’m thrilled for Richard and Terry. I very much look forward to watching them and their team of directors and our wonderful staff take the BRC into the future. It’s almost head-spinning to think back to 1998 when I joined the board of the QTC. That was before the rise of corporate bookmakers, online betting and social media. How times have changed.”
New Racing Minister for SA
South Australia has a new racing minister after Premier Peter Malinauskas announced a shuffle to his Cabinet on Wednesday. Emily Bourke will assume the portfolio of Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing, taking over from Katrine Hildyard.
“Since I was appointed Assistant Minister for Autism in 2022, I have worked hard to make South Australia an Autism inclusive state,” Bourke said in a press release. “There is more work to do, and I am thrilled I will now be able to continue improving the lives of Autistic South Australians at the Cabinet table.
“I’m also excited to be taking on the portfolios of Emergency Services and Correctional Services as well as Recreation, Sport and Racing.”
Pricey Boa Vista to debut in G3 Chairmans Stakes
Expensive 2-year-old filly Boa Vista (Snitzel) will debut in Saturday’s G3 Chairman’s Stakes. “There are a few horses there that have shown their ability at jumpouts and trials and a couple at the races and she hasn't got three trials wins next to her name or anything,” bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills told racing.com.
Boa Vista as yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“But she seems to be a horse on the up. She went from her first trial to second trial and showed really good improvement.” Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Boa Vista was a $1.25 million purchase from Newgate Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She had previously sold for $480,000 as a weanling at the Edinburgh Park dispersal sale.
“I think this race is a good fork in the road to say do we chase that black type in Adelaide or do we chase it in a Blue Diamond. She is obviously a very expensive filly with a great pedigree and our system is geared around improving the value of these horses and gaining black type.”
Laws Of Indices sold to Ireland
Group 1 winner Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) has been sold and will travel back to Ireland according to racing.com. He was purchased by a current part-owner for $25,000. As an entire, he has stallion potential.
He arrived in Australia in 2021 after winning the G1 Prix Jean Prat, and placed in the G1 George Ryder Stakes and G1 Toorak Handicap. Winner of three of his 31 starts, with all wins in Europe, he has earnings over $2 million.
The Playwright to bounce into Widden
Tulloch Lodge’s 2-year-old filly The Playwright (Written By) will head into Saturday’s G3 Widden Stakes aiming to emulate last year’s winner and stablemate Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon). “It was a good run in the Magic Millions and she had been up there (Queensland) for a while,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told racingnsw.com.au. She ran fourth in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic last start.
The Playwright | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“The way the races got dragged out that extra week meant she was four weeks between runs and whether she felt that in the race or not, she was one that was disadvantaged with that additional week between races. I still thought she ran well and she gets the addition of the blinkers this time around coming back slightly in trip off her last two runs at 1200 metres.”
Fierceness to debut for Smith
Trainer Matthew Smith will debut homebred 2-year-old colt Fierceness (Fierce Impact {Jpn}) at Canterbury on Friday night. “(Fierce Impact) was a bloody ripper. I wouldn't mind a few more like him. He was a really tough horse and he had plenty of speed. He was really good around seven furlongs and a mile,” Smith told racenet.com.au about Fierce Impact (Jpn).
“He raced on too, he won those Group 1s when he was six so he was obviously very sound. His progeny have such good temperaments on them. They just want to please you. They're such racehorses. The breakers love them.”
Baker trio for Southern Cross Stakes
Trainer Bjorn Baker’s good run of form looks to continue with three runners in Saturday’s G3 Southern Cross Stakes at Rosehill, being Disneck (Trapeze Artist), Iowna Merc (Winning Rupert), and Wategos (Capitalist). “He’s (Disneck) going fantastic; he had a tick over trial in between runs and that’s kept him in good shape - he looks fantastic and the small field suits him,” assistant trainer Luke Hilton told racingnsw.com.au.
Luke Hilton | Image courtesy of Bjorn Baker Racing
“Inside draws are a big advantage for him (Iowna Merc). He likes to get a little soft run midfield somewhere and Tim (Clark) knows him well, so he gets the right scenario to bounce back.
“I think Wategos can run a cheeky race fresh. The small field will help him and it just depends (on) how quick they go. He may be fourth, fifth or sixth in the run which won’t be against him and he has run some good races at 1200 metres - I think he has come back as good as ever.”
Lighthouse Lass lives up to the hype
Juvenile filly Lighthouse Lass (Capitalist) was all the talk before Scone’s Thursday meeting and she delivered with a 0.83l win for jockey Jean Van Overmeire and trainer Cassandra Stummer. Scratched from the G3 Gimcrack Stakes after being on the ballot, she won her debut from Rodney Northam-trained Be Sharp (Headwater) and Brett Robb-trained Comongin (Showtime).
Around the Nation: Thursday’s highlights
With three meetings on Thursday, it was Warwick Satherley-trained and ridden 2-year-old filly Saraqael (Flying Artie) who won on debut at Rockhampton.
Gollan pair set for Group 1 targets
Tony Gollan trained $1 million earners Freedom Rally (Rubick) and Golden Boom (Spirit Of Boom) will have Group 1 targets with Freedom Rally heading to the G1 CF Orr Stakes and Golden Boom to the G1 Oakleigh Plate. “(Freedom Rally) jumped out pretty well earlier in the week, he just felt the pinch late,” Gollan told racenet.com.au.
Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“But he has had a busy time, he trialled at Doomben really well and then he had to travel from Brisbane down to Melbourne. It's all happened quite quickly and now I've got a really nice bit of time before the Orr on Saturday week.”
Broadsiding to resume in Hobartville
Godolphin’s Champion 2YO Colt Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}) will resume for the autumn in the G2 Hobartville Stakes on February 22. “I think he is getting there nicely towards that race without getting carried away just yet,” trainer James Cummings told racenet.com.au.
“I'm quite pleased with what we are seeing from him and he is really settling into his work beautifully. He's a little bit more defined as he matures. But he was a precocious young horse, Australia's champion two-year-old, he has kept a quite nice level since but I like the way he has toned up a little bit more this time in.
Broadsiding | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's certainly managed to go right on with it from his two-year-old career by doing so (winning the Golden Rose). It was a really critical thing for a horse like him who has the potential to train on even as an older horse. Whilst we continue to see improvement from him from one prep to the next it keeps that hope alive.”
Loy gives up the booze and returns to the saddle
Jockey Brodie Loy is returning to the saddle only a few months after his shock retirement, and giving up alcohol has been a key factor. “It's not something I've planned to do but it's just the way everything has worked out,” Loy told racenet.com.au.
“I'm just a lot lighter now naturally and it's mostly because I've been off the beers. As you do I was just scrolling through Instagram and I saw this Bradley Cooper video how he got off the beers after 28 and it sort of changed his whole life. I had that number in the back of my head for a while.
“Every time you have a big night you think to yourself, ‘this is it' and then three days later you're back on the piss. But I'm living in Canberra now and I've been off it ever since a few weeks after I turned 28. One of my mates had a (boxing) fight and I spent a bit of money on the table, so I thought I'd have a crack and then after that I'd give it up. That's the way it's all played out.”
Ron’s Finalflutter on song for WA Oaks
Trainer Dan Morton has set Ron’s Finalflutter (Written Tycoon) on an Oaks path and she resumes in the Listed WA Breeders’ Classic on Saturday. “I would never say never with her,” Morton told racingwa.com.au.
“She’s got a fair bit of class about her. It’s obviously on the shorter side, but nice and fresh I think she’ll show up. She’s an exciting filly and we’re looking forward to everything coming for us.
Dan Morton | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“From early days we had her penciled as one of the better chances leading into the 3-year-old season. From what we’ve seen so far, she’ll only improve on it as well. Off a low base she rose through the ranks pretty quick and was competitive against good fields. With a little bit of maturity under her belt, this prep ahead, all going well, should be a good one for her. She’s a really nice filly that is going to develop into a nice mare in time.”
Bustling is back, and the Quokka is a target
Co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr pulled the pin on 3-year-old gelding Bustling (Frosted {USA})'s The Everest campaign, but he’s ready to resume for the autumn and The Quokka might on the cards. “He’s had a really good spell and is in really good shape. We have to get him back and let the horse do the talking,” Kent Jnr told racingwa.com.au.
“He just had feet angles that were just not right and disuniting,” Kent explained about his spring issues. “He didn’t do it in his trial in Sydney leading in, he trialled so well there and ran slick time. He didn’t disunite, but in his one race start he did.
Bustling | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“He had another gallop and we were not 100 per cent happy with him. We could have forced the issue (and pushed to The Everest) but all the owners are seasoned campaigners. While he was an expensive purchase, the feeling was we have a really nice horse on our hands and lets just get him right.”
About The Quokka, Kent said, “It seems an obvious race and he has been very good previously at Ascot over 1200 metres. The timing is very good for us and incredible prize money. If we got him back to his best it would be a nice option for him.”
Gawler track to undergo repairs
Racing South Australia’s team will repair the Gawler track. “We’ve had some areas of concern that have pretty much got worse and worse over the last couple of months, so it’s got to the point where we’ve decided to remove those areas,” said Racing SA’s Industry Track Manager Ian Ricardo.
“The main sections of track that require attention are down the southern end from about 1700 metres through to 1500 metres, and there’s another section at the crossing as well. We’re going to take about 100mm of profile out of the ground and put some clean sand in and lay some instant turf this Friday.
“We have a couple of weeks up our sleeve now, so we’ve had some water testing and soil testing done and we’ll take these results to the agronomists so they can recommend the appropriate fertilisers and soil treatments in and around the use of some very high salt content water out in Gawler.”
Oaks target for debutant winner
The G1 New Zealand Oaks is the target for 3-year-old filly Twisted Love (NZ) (Vanbrugh) after she won her debut on Wednesday. “My daughters bought her and they just loved the way she walked,” trainer Bill Thurlow told Loveracing.nz. Twisted Love was purchased at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in book 2 for NZ$17,000 from Seaton Park.
Twisted Love (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
“We went through a lot of horses at the sale, and she was just a lovely mover and she fitted their budget. We have always thought that she was a good horse, but it has just taken a while for her to mature enough, and she is still probably not quite there. She is a big horse, so we have had to be very careful with how we have handled her.
“She is the one filly we nominated for the Oaks. We always thought she was an Oaks type of filly so that’s what we will be aiming for.”
Forsman filly heads to Derby
Andrew Forsman-trained 3-year-old filly Hinekaha (NZ) (Savabeel) will head to the G1 NZ Derby. She will run in Saturday’s Listed Oaks Prelude. “For her, it’s as much about more black type and the timing between races as to where we want to get to,” Forsman told Loveracing.nz.
“The 1800 metres is a nice progression, so it sets up perfectly for other races we’ve got in mind. She’s obviously spent time down at Surrey Farm (Bulls), Christopher Grace’s property where she was born and raised so she’s been up and down a few times and travelling won’t be an issue.
“We hope to run her in the Derby via an Avondale Guineas. If she was to be a Sydney candidate, going there off a long trip to Trentham (for the Oaks) would be tough but we are keeping all options open.”
Aussie runners set for New Zealand
Trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald will run Bosustow (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G1 BCD Group Sprint next week at Te Rapa, while stablemate Numerian (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) will run in the G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes on the same day. “Bosustow was excellent (in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas). He has been in good form, and it was nice to deliver on a good day like that at Magic Millions and hopefully he can hold that form and improve a little bit,” Archibald told Loveracing.nz.
Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald
“Stepping up to Group 1 company is a big ask but we feel like the horse is going as well as he can, and he will give it a good shot.”
“Numerian is great. He had a jump-out at Pakenham on Tuesday and he is travelling over tonight (Thursday). He is in good order, he ran really well in Perth, and the 2000 metres is just about his sweet spot. He should be fit and ready to go, and we have been really happy with him.”
Hayes can grab his third Classic Mile
Trainer David Hayes thinks Rubylot (Rubick) can win Friday’s Listed Classic Mile and take the first leg of the 4-year-old series. “I think Packing Hermod is probably the horse to beat, but Rubylot is joint top-rated, an in-form horse and crying out for a mile,” Hayes told scmp.com.
David Hayes | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I think (Rubylot) is coming through the best form and he’s run well in the Class Two races, so I’m looking forward to running him against some Class Three horses at set weights. I just think he could be a really nice middle-distance horse.
“Further than a mile will be no problem as well. He’s a lovely, relaxed horse and his racing pattern is good. His record says he’s classy and honest and hopefully we see that on Friday.”
Happy ready for G3 challenge
Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) was brave in defeat under top weight last start and trainer Frankie Lor has his ready for Friday’s G3 Centenary Vase. “I think he has a better chance this time because he doesn’t have to carry 135(lb),” Lor told scmp.com.
“He still has 131, but I think the horse still has a bit of improvement in him and I think this will be his best season. I think he will run a good race.”
Johannes Brahms ready for Friday’s Classic Mile
Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), runner-up as the favourite in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes before filling the same spot in the G2 Gimcrack Stakes while under the care of Aidan O'Brien in 2023, is among a full field of 14 for the first leg of the 4-year-old Classic series in Hong Kong, the Listed Hong Kong Classic Mile. The HK$13 million event anchors Friday's Chinese New Year meeting at Sha Tin.
Impressive nominations for G1 Dubai World Cup
Nominations for Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on April 5 were released this week. Headlining the nine-race card is the $12 million G1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline. A total of 173 horses have been entered, led by 20 Group/Grade 1 winners.
The winners from 2023 and 2024, Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) and Laurel River (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), respectively, have signed on, as did the world's highest-earning horse, Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who drubbed a good field in the G1 Jebel Hatta just last weekend.
Japanese Derby hero Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) steps forward on the back of a victory in the G2 American Jockey Club Cup on Sunday, while Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), placed in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup Classic, takes his chance after winning the G2 UAE Derby over the dirt track here last March.
The winners of the past two Breeders' Cup Classics are also entered in White Abarrio (USA) (Race Day {USA}) (2023) and Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) (2024). Part of the supporting cast from the USA is Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan (USA) (Goldencents {USA}).
Japan and Hong Kong feature in other Dubai Group 1 nominations
Among the other Group 1 races on Dubai World Cup night, the $6 million G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic features 109 nominees, 16 of them successful at the top level including Shuka Sho heroine Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) and last year's third-place finisher and Japanese Fillies Triple Crown victress Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}). Standout G1 King George VI Stakes scorer Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) is part of this bunch, as is his Francis Graffard stablemate Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), and defending champion and dual Eclipse winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), will defend his title in the G1 Dubai Turf. Another 2024 Dubai World Cup night winner is Tuz (USA) (Oxbow {USA}), who is gunning for his second G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, but faces challengers in Straight No Chaser (USA) (Speightster {USA}) and Speed Boat Beach (USA) (Bayern {USA}). Rounding out the Group 1 races is the Al Quoz Sprint, with Hong Kong star California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) nominated, as well as Howdeepisyourlove (Deep Field).
