Daily News Wrap

Pike returns from injury, but in Melbourne

WA jockey William Pike has elected to resume riding in Melbourne after an enforced injury break thanks to a broken wrist in an e-scooter incident. “The wrist is feeling pretty good,” Pike told racingwa.com.au.

“Fitness probably isn’t quite where it should be, but it will be okay for the one ride. I was going to do trials on Monday anyway, so, I figured what’s one race ride. I will be easing into it; I won’t be back going full tilt.” He rides Aztec Ruler (Universal Ruler) in Saturday’s Listed Elms Handicap at Flemington.

SA’s new racing minister keen

South Australia’s new Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing Emily Bourke was on track to present the winning trophy for the Listed Premier’s Plate on Saturday. “I’m excited to be taking on the racing portfolio and continuing our Government’s strong relationship with industry,” Ms Bourke told racingsa.com.au on Wednesday.

“It’s been great getting an insight into how many people are involved in the sport and the team effort and energy behind each horse. Witnessing apprentice Alana Livesey and trainer David Page of Wild Imagination take out the Premier's Plate at Morphettville – on a day celebrating women in sport – was an early highlight.

“The significant role racing plays in our communities and the state’s economy is clear, helping to create a ripple effect which supports jobs. I want to meet and learn from as many people in the racing community as possible and look forward to building on the work underway.”

ATC thrilled with Apollo Stakes quality

The Australian Turf Club are expecting a big crowd to witness the quality field in Saturday’s G2 Apollo Stakes. “A number of Australian racing’s best horses will race at Royal Randwick on Saturday as we start to see autumn campaigns hit full stride," Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering, Nevesh Ramdhani told racingnsw.com.au.

“The clash of Via Sistina and Ceolwulf against other star gallopers in the Petaluma Apollo Stakes will be a major highlight on a card of high-quality Group racing.”

Waller issues a warning for Via Sistina rivals

Trainer Chris Waller is impressed with the improvement in G1 Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) who resumes in Saturday’s G2 Apollo Stakes. “In her first prep she was just off the plane and quarantine and last prep, although it was spring, her coat didn’t come right until after the Cox Plate,” Waller told racingnsw.com.au.

“Her demeanour was never a problem but she’s certainly very relaxed and happy. It’s a short break from the spring now to Apollo Stakes Day so I guess they don’t get too far away on you in terms of fitness. At the same time she’s had two trials and an exhibition gallop so she’s well prepared. She’s at the right weight she needs to be starting the prep and mentally she’s great.”

Wellington Boot or Slipper for Shaggy

Trainer Allan Kehoe originally thought 2-year-old gelding Shaggy (Sandbar) would be his Wellington Boot horse, but now he’s having a crack at the Listed Pierro Plate on Saturday to see if he’s up to Golden Slipper grade. “He’s a nice little horse, we’ll see where he ends up. We’re throwing him in the deep end and we’ll see how he goes,” Kehoe told racingnsw.com.au.

“He’s probably the best horse I’ve had to date so it’s hard to get a gauge on him. I’ve ridden good horses for good trainers, I know what a good horse is and he’s the first one I’d call good in my barn. I’ve had some handy horses. We were going to aim at Wellington but we’ll leave it up to the weekend. He’s one of those horses that whatever we throw at him he does it with ease. He’s got a tough task but if he does happen to win, and funnier things have happened, we’ll have to go a different path.”

Albany Racing Club suspended

Racing WA has temporarily suspended all race meetings at the Albany Racing Club due to ongoing financial issues. “We have made extensive efforts to work collaboratively with the club to develop a viable financial plan, however, this is yet to be achieved,” Racing WA chief racing officer David Hunter told thewest.com.au.

“Suspending racing is never a decision taken lightly and this step will provide the club the necessary time to focus on addressing its financial position and developing a long-term solution. Importantly, the suspension of racing does not impact the club’s ability to continue operating as a training facility.

“We appreciate the industry’s understanding and will continue to provide updates as we work towards a positive outcome for the Albany Racing Club which ensures its sustainability and long-term future.” The club was set to host 18 meetings from February 21 and there is some doubt over the future location of the slot race The Bluff Knoll on March 16.

Golden Boom set for Oakleigh Plate

Trainer Tony Gollan has set Golden Boom (Spirit Of Boom) for the G1 Oakleigh Plate in a long term plan. “The Oakleigh Plate has been in the back of my mind since we took him to The Valley in the spring when he was just grabbed by Mornington Glory, who then won a Group 1 at his next start,” Gollan told racing.com.

“The Syndicate was the main target and we were beaten in a photo. The race was transferred to the Sunshine Coast and he's better suited on a tight-turning track like the Gold Coast. He's a good fast sprinter and with his rating now he has to contest this sort of race. There aren't too many Group 1 handicaps over 1000 metres to 1100 metres for him, so it's the perfect race for him.”

Around the Nation: Wednesday’s highlights

With most of the highlights covered in TTR’s Wednesday feature, one win at Ipswich was notable with David Vandyke trained Annie One Ready (Better Than Ready) becoming the first winner for a long time stable client. “One of the owners, Rob Matthews, has been in the game for 40 years. … Today is his first winner ever. He bought his wife here and he’s in tears, he can’t believe it after nearly a lifetime in the game, it’s his first winner ever.” Annie One Ready ran second on debut and this was the 3-year-old filly’s second start.

Seven internationals for autumn, including three for Haggas

There are seven international runners in the nominations for the Sydney Autumn carnival. “This group of horses heading to Sydney are amongst some of the best in recent years and pleasingly are nominated across a range of races and distances,” Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering Nevesh Ramdhani told racingnsw.com.au.

“William Haggas has an incredible success rate in Sydney and we especially look forward to seeing his champion Dubai Honour return. There will also be great interest in His Majesty’s horse as he possibly runs in our Autumn flagship middle distance race named in his mother’s honour.” Haggas is bringing three horses, Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai), Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and Al Mubhir (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

“We are also delighted to see more Japanese horses from different stables heading back to Sydney to take on Australia’s very best. The growing number of trainers and owners heading to Sydney for our major races is a testament to the quality of the quarantine facilities, racing and training facilities, and the world-class hospitality shown to international visitors.” The Japanese contingent are Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong {USA}) for trainer Tetsuya Kimura in the G1 Doncaster, Rousham Park (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) for Hiroyasu Tanaka in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Tosen Jordan (Jpn) (Jungle Pocket {Jpn}) for Yukio Inagaki in the G1 Sydney Cup. James Ferguson trained Mrs Morrell (GB) (Zoustar) is the seventh.

Pivotal Ten aiming for hat-trick of Listed wins

Southland 3-year-old filly Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) has won two Listed races in succession and will aim for a third in Saturday’s Listed Southland Guineas for trainer-jockey Samantha Wynne. “She has been going great, I couldn’t ask for more. She seems happy in herself at the moment,” Wynne told Loveracing.nz.

“Hopefully she keeps doing what she is doing, but we will just take each race as it comes. I would be lost without the horses, so it is a dream come true to be able to train horses for a living.”

Town Cryer’s final Group 1 before stud

Second in last year’s G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) will attempt to go one better in her penultimate race next month. “We may just wait for the Breeders with her, we’re mulling it over with the owners,” trainer Roydon Bergerson told Loveracing.nz

“She may have a quiet trial in between times and go back to the Breeders instead of the Otaki race, we had Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) to ride her but now with Orchestral in, we’re more likely to miss that and concentrate on the Breeders.

“It was a good run the other day, but it was just frustrating that they took her on. I did feel as though we shouldn’t be having three-kilo claiming apprentices riding in races on our biggest night, with the world watching. Our industry is trying to bring up the standard of racing here to a global level and having kids on horses in high-pressure races does not reflect that.

“But Craig Williams (jockey) was full of praise for the horse, he said she was really strong in the last 100m. We had a go because it was a $700,000 fillies and mares race and we knew it would be a battle going back to the 1400m, she is better at a mile. After the Breeders’, her swansong will probably be the Awapuni Gold Cup. It’s definitely her last prep.”

Ho out of ICU

Hong Kong jockey Vincent Ho has been moved out of ICU on Tuesday and into a general ward with the HKJC confirming that Ho is “awake, coherent and has full limb movement.” He sustained head and neck injuries in a fall on Sunday.

British field sizes at risk from falling foal crops

The recently published Weatherbys Fact Book outlines the extent to which the foal crops have declined in Britain and Ireland, with the number born in Britain having contracted by 27 per cent over the last 20 years, while last year Ireland recorded its lowest figure since 2015.

In his foreword to the Fact Book, Simon Cooper, director of the Weatherbys General Stud Book said, “In 1959, 65 years ago, the combined foal crop for Britain and Ireland was a little over 4,000, and 20 years later in 1979 it had doubled to 8,621. This continued to grow over the following 20 years and by 1999 our total combined foal crop stood at 13,115, before peaking in 2007 and 2008 at over 18,000, a 435 per cent increase in 50 years. That steady recovery since the financial crisis appears to have stalled, at least for now.”

He continued, “Of additional concern, there has been a disproportionate reduction in stallions compared to broodmares for the last 15 years: in round numbers stallion numbers have halved in that short period compared to a 25 per cent reduction in broodmares, resulting in us having the highest ratio of stallions to broodmares in the world at 1:60.”

France Gallop changes black type entry fees

France Galop has approved changes to the entry process in Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races, following a meeting of its Board on Tuesday, December 17. To ensure consistency in the process, the entry fee for Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races now stands at 0.65 per cent of the total prize-money, falling in line with that for Group 1 races.

The impact is a drop in the entry fee of 29.5 per cent for Group 2 races and 37.5 per cent for Group 3 races. The early closing stage for these events has also been moved forward for 2025, from four and a half weeks prior to the race to five and a half weeks.

In addition, the supplementary entry fee in Group 2, Group 3 and Listed races now stands at 7.2 per cent of the total prize-money, with the aim of standardising entry fees in all Pattern races. This percentage is already applied to Group 1 races, except for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines.

Racing trophy theft case closed

Three thieves who targeted sporting museums in a two-decade long crime spree were convicted by a Pennsylvania jury Feb. 7 and are now facing federal prison sentences after a fourth, the ringleader of the group, pleaded guilty and testified against them. Included in the 1999-2019 crime spree was the 2013 smash-and-grab, nighttime heist of five trophies worth an estimated US$400,000 (AU$636,000) from the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The looted trophies, three of which were solid gold and one of which was the 1903 Belmont Stakes trophy valued at US$150,000 (AU$238,000), will never be recovered. That's because in the hours following the theft, the thieves drove 215 miles south to a bar that one of them owned in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and “melted the trophies down into easily transportable metal pieces,” according to the criminal indictment.

Re-brand for Women’s Summit

The Horse Racing Women's Summit has transitioned to the Horse Racing Women's Association, reflecting the organization's change from an annual event to a year-round association dedicated to empowering women in the horse racing industry. With a mission to engage, elevate, and invest in the women of horse racing, the HRWA aims to create a vibrant community of women who work across all aspects of the industry.

“We launched four years ago intending to be either a one-time or once-a-year summit,” HRWA chairwoman Stephanie Hronis said in a release from the organization Tuesday. “The notable interest from the women in our sport seeking opportunities to network, learn, and be inspired, led our dynamic committee members to answer the call, recognizing that we are an official and organized community. We celebrate our name edit that reflects our expansion and impact.”

U.S. Jockey Club launches AI naming tool

Naming AI will provide assistance to owners naming their horses, The Jockey Club in America announced on Tuesday. The new technology enables users to generate five or 10 name options with a choice of one-, two-, or three-word names. Customers can use the tool to generate names based on words of their choosing or based on a foal's pedigree.

But one wonders, doesn’t this remove the creativity and fun elements of owning a racehorse?