Cover image supplied

New Zealand racing has always been built on passion, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of progress. Few understand this better than Lachlan Fitt and Cameron Rodger.

Over the past few years, they’ve been at the coalface, steering the industry through wagering modernisation and reform while wrestling with its deep-seated traditions. Their journey through Entain has been one of ambition and transformation, but as they step into the next phase of their careers, they reflect on what has been achieved, what still lies ahead, and why the future of New Zealand racing hangs in the balance.

A defining era at Entain

When asked if there was a specific moment or project at Entain that made you think, “Yes, this is why we do what we do?” Fitt and Rodger were contemplative in their replies.

For Fitt, the rewards of his work at Entain weren’t measured in spreadsheets or turnover figures; they were found in the faces of the people the industry supports. “The whole experience of being able to partner with the New Zealand industry over the last couple of years has been an incredibly rewarding time," he reflects.

“In particular, it is when you see and hear about the impact we’ve been able to have on the lives of individual participants across the racing and breeding industry that it makes you proud of the significant commitment and time sacrifices you’ve made to try and provide a positive future for all across the industry.”

One of the crowning achievements of that partnership is the upcoming Barfoot & Thompson Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8. Fitt is confident it won't just be another race day, but a statement for the industry.

“This day is meant to be a celebration of New Zealand racing, and I hope the industry continues to build on it in the years to come," says Fitt. “It provides such a great platform—an aspirational target where every owner should want to have a horse racing. It showcases all the headline horses in NZ in one spot on one day—what more could an industry marketer ask for?!”

For Rodger, his defining moments were more cumulative; a series of conversations, connections, and moments that underscored the real purpose of his work.

“Rather than a single moment, it’s been a collection of experiences—conversations with trainers, breeders, and owners who’ve shared how the changes we’ve been part of have positively impacted their businesses and futures. Racing is built on the passion and resilience of its people, and knowing we’ve helped create meaningful opportunities for them makes all the effort worthwhile.”

The industry’s fork in the road

Despite their achievements, both Fitt and Rodger know the New Zealand racing industry still faces a reckoning. We asked, if they had full control over its next move, what would they do?

For Fitt, the answer was unequivocal.

“It is without question fixing the infrastructure—racing venues and surfaces, and training infrastructure to support the industry's growth. I believe there are some clear and obvious opportunities that could be pursued to address this issue, but the whole thing needs leadership and it needs focus.”

The urgency of infrastructure reform was reinforced again this past weekend when racing at Otaki Māori had to be abandoned due to track safety concerns, validating the decision for the Group 1 to be run at Ellerslie. It was another reminder of how fragile New Zealand's racing landscape remains without proper investment in tracks, despite the significant financial boost that has poured into the sport following the Entain and TAB NZ partnership.

This isn’t an isolated incident, and the New Zealand industry appears collectively frustrated with the continual issues. Last year, the G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate was relocated from Hastings to Matamata due to unsafe track conditions. It marked the second time in three years this meeting has had to be shifted. The grandstands at Hawke’s Bay were deemed earthquake-prone, casting further doubt on the long-term viability of other key racing venues.

At the core of this challenge is the governance model itself. The ‘community’ approach to race club administration, once seen as a strength, now poses a risk. Those passionate but often lacking formal training in areas such as track maintenance are tasked with preparing surfaces for elite-level competition and preparing racecourses for major racing events. The Messara Report identified this as a key issue back in 2018, and yet, little has changed.

Rodger backs this up further, and drives home the need for an open-minded approach to solutions. “The industry needs to stop relying on quick fixes and instead commit to a bold, long-term strategy. The biggest opportunity lies in modernisation and efficiency—developing world-class racing venues, improving scheduling, and creating a racing calendar that builds anticipation and engagement.

“Too often, energy is spent protecting the status quo rather than embracing new ideas. With the strong platform it now has, this is the time to take smart risks and drive real change. Or else the opportunity will pass it by.”

The non-negotiables

New Zealand racing has always walked the tightrope between tradition and change, and nothing exemplifies this more than the long-standing issue of self-serving decision-making. The industry, for all its deep connections and sense of community, has often been held back by competing agendas. Fitt doesn’t mince words when addressing this challenge.

“I think one of the biggest issues present in racing in lots of markets is self-interest. People often forget that the industry is funded from the same pie, and if everyone focused on how to run the industry in the best way possible to grow that pie, then actually everyone would have the chance to be better off.”

Tracks deemed unfit for racing, grandstands falling apart, and patchwork fixes to long-term problems have long plagued the industry. But for how much longer can it hold up?

“For New Zealand, without fixing the infrastructure and without the removal of the self-interest that has impacted progression, nothing will truly ever fix the long-term viability of the industry for all participants,” said Fitt.

Rodger agrees, and zeroes in on a solution: unity. "The industry suffers when decision-making is fragmented, and self-interest takes precedence over progress. Whether it’s clubs, breeders, trainers, or owners, everyone must recognise that the industry can only thrive when it grows as a whole.

“Long-term sustainability requires strong leadership that can unite different stakeholders, shift the focus from individual gains to collective success, and drive the industry forward with a clear, strategic plan.”

The road ahead

With a new focus on racing and breeding, Fitt and Rodger are entering a chapter where they can directly influence the industry’s future.

For Rodger, the move to racing and breeding is driven by two things: the people and the country’s legacy.

“The breeders I’ve met and come to know well—Mark Chittick, Roddy Schick, John Thompson, Brendan Lindsay—are not only leaders in their field but also some of the most hardworking, genuine, funny, and down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. Their passion is infectious.

“Despite being a small, geographically isolated country, New Zealand consistently produces elite-level racehorses that perform on the world stage. That’s something I take immense pride in as a Kiwi.”

For Fitt, the next five years marks a return to what he’s always loved—getting closer to the breeding industry.

“My passion was always racing, and I was fortunate to have had a decade-long career in the wagering industry that allowed me to pursue a career that was directly adjacent to my core passion of racing.

“During that time, my love of the breeding side of the industry continued to grow and has now reached the point where I believe we have found an opportunity to meaningfully contribute in a direct way within the breeding game.”

Learning from outside the industry

As New Zealand racing stands on the precipice of transformation, it's valuable to ask: have you ever looked at another sport or business model and thought, “Why aren’t we doing this?”

Fitt has long observed how other sports have evolved to better engage audiences and create commercially viable products. “Great question, and the answer is yes on lots of occasions. It has been interesting to watch how other sports have evolved their product to make them as marketable to the consumers of the sport as possible,” he says.

He points to recent progress in New Zealand racing, citing initiatives like the NZB Kiwi and Barfoot & Thompson Champions Day as steps in the right direction.

“I believe racing still has a long way to go in evolving the presentation of its product, but we have seen some encouraging changes over this season in New Zealand. The TAB Karaka Millions night is also a great example of ways to present and market your product that I believe has some real learnings for the industry that could be implemented elsewhere.”

Rodger, meanwhile, draws inspiration from a more unexpected source: the UFC.

“UFC is a standout example. They’ve mastered the balance between entertainment and competition, creating an unmissable product without compromising the integrity of the sport.”

It’s a model he believes racing should be looking to emulate.

“Racing needs to strike the same balance between tradition and entertainment, ensuring our biggest events feel like must-attend spectacles. Around the world, the most successful sports prioritise storytelling, engagement, and star power, and racing has all the ingredients to do the same—it just needs to be packaged the right way.”

The five-year vision

With all the potential and challenges ahead, we asked Fitt and Rodger to look five years into the future. What do they hope to have accomplished?

Fitt doesn’t hesitate. “The list is long, to be honest! There is so much that still needs to happen in New Zealand to get the industry to the point where it is maximising its potential.

“I guess most specifically in terms of what we will be focussing on in the short term, I hope in five years we have been able to substantially increase the level of investment in broodmares in New Zealand and have done that by attracting new capital into the industry. And if we’ve done that, we should have also created more opportunities for our stud farms to invest in a greater number of high-quality stallions.”

For Rodger, success is about tangible, lasting change. “The most rewarding part of my journey so far has been contributing to meaningful change in the industry, and I want to continue building on that.”

His focus remains on ensuring New Zealand racing is viable for future generations.

“In five years, I hope to look back and see that I’ve played a further role in shaping a stronger, more sustainable future for New Zealand racing—one where the industry is in a better place than it is today, with more confidence, opportunity, and momentum behind it. If I’ve been able to make a real impact in that regard, that would be a success for me.”

The next five years will be defining—cementing whether the New Zealand industry can evolve to meet global standards or remain stagnant in the face of change. For Fitt and Rodger, the mission is clear: to push the boundaries, embrace new ideas, and shape a future where New Zealand racing and breeding thrives for generations to come.

Fitt and Rodger are undoubtedly two leaders the industry is fortunate to have on its team.

Cover image courtesy of The Image is Everything

The magic of Kingstar Farm born and bred Devil Night’s (Extreme Choice) G1 Blue Diamond Stakes victory on Saturday is not lost on Adam Cook, who manages the blossoming stud for owner Matthew Sandblom.

Producing a G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner and a Blue Diamond winner - particularly when both are by the same fertility-troubled stallion - on a farm that is less than a decade old is no mean feat.

“We've only been going for literally nine years and one week,” Cook told The Thoroughbred Report on Sunday.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for a farm that’s been built from the ground up in that time, and is a testament to what happens when you set the standards high and ensure they are always met.

Perfect from the start

“He was a very nice foal,” Cook reflecting on the first time he saw the chestnut colt in the foaling yards at Kingstar, the colt who would later be sold for $1.4 million to Yulong Investments and named Devil Night.

“He never had any problems. No leg problems, no x-ray problems. He was just one of those perfect foals who grew perfectly, and obviously, that was reflected in the price.”

Competition was stiff for the son of Mischief Night (Shamardal {USA}) at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, before he was taken home by the rapidly growing Victorian operation. It was a fantastic result for a mating that transpired just a few short months after Stay Inside handed his sire a win in the Golden Slipper.

“Extreme Choice had, at that point, already proven himself a good stallion,” Cook said.

By the time the breeding season was half over in 2021, the chestnut son of Not A Single Doubt had an incredible six stakes winners - future sire Tiger Of Malay hot on Group 1-winning Stay Inside’s heels with two Group wins - from a debut crop of just 48 foals. “We had to upgrade our mares and, at that point in time, she was one of our best mares. Physically and pedigree-wise, it was a good match.”

Although unraced herself, Mischief Night had already proven herself a solid mare in the broodmare barn, having produced dual Group 3 winner Our Playboy (Sebring) who won the G3 Winx Guineas by a defiant 5.8l. Her pedigree is more than appealing, as she is out of G3 Millie Fox Stakes winner November Flight (Flying Spur), making her a half-sister to Yulong’s young stallion on the rise Pierata and G3 Skyline Stakes winner Ashokan (More Than Ready {USA}).

She was a perfect match for Extreme Choice in his fifth season, where his fee was FOA and heavily restricted to shareholders.

With Sandblom a co-owner in Newgate and shareholder in the Blue Diamond-winning stallion, it certainly made it easier to line mares up for him - particularly for a stallion whose average fertility over the last seven seasons currently sits at 45.7 per cent.

Still, Cook admits it can be a “struggle” to repeat the magic.

“We tried it with Nothin Leica Storm (dam of Stay Inside) and it just didn’t happen,” he said. “But when everything works out with him, you get bloody good results.”

As for Mischief Night, she delivered a three-quarter-brother to Devil Night by Stay Inside in the spring.

“We’re definitely insuring the mare and foal straight away,” Cook said. “The three-quarter-brother is a very similar physical to him (Devil Night). Unfortunately she missed to Extreme Choice late in the season, but you can guess where she’s going first up next season.”

Adding a Diamond to the Slipper

A Slipper winner, a G1 VRC Oaks winner, a G1 Melbourne Cup winner - and now a Blue Diamond, all from 115 foals to race. Those achievements alone would be impressive without the limited numbers.

Grandsire Redoute’s Choice managed siring winners of the two juvenile races and the Oaks more than once, but no Melbourne Cup, as did great-grandsire Danehill (USA). Sir Tristram (Ire) managed three out of four, but no Diamond.

And almost certainly, none achieved it in such a short time.

Cook had followed Devil Night’s progress intently and was feeling positive after the 2-year-old colt’s debut run in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (colts & geldings), where he loomed up to Field Of Play (Deep Field) - who would start in their next clash as the clear favourite - to only be beaten 0.46l.

“I was hopeful he could improve off the back of that,” he said. “And then he drew that barrier (two), I was feeling hopeful and confident that if he had improved, we would be a chance.”

Cook was on holiday near the coast when the race took place and sat out on the veranda to watch on an iPad, while his wife was inside. Devil Night started to move up the field - and Cook was glued to the screen.

“When it got to the last 100 metres, I was yelling at the screen, ‘hold on, hold on!’,” he recalled. Devil Night held the fast-finishing Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) at bay to snatch victory in the $2 million feature. “My wife was watching inside and the television was a bit delayed, so I ran in and told her that we’ve won it.

“I rang Matthew (Sandblom) up immediately and when he picked up, I was shaking - I was teary - Matthew was over the moon.”

Just four short years since Stay Inside claimed New South Wales’ premier juvenile race, another graduate had taken out the Victorian headliner. When they bred Stay Inside, Kingstar had a broodmare band of around 60 mares. By the time Devil Night was born, the herd had doubled in size and quality to 120, with the number approaching 150 this year.

It’s small numbers when compared to some of the nation’s most prolific operations - and paired with a stallion with just 189 foals of racing age. Of his 14 stakes winners, Kingstar has bred three, including two of his five Group 1 winners.

“Obviously, we are sending the right cross of mare to him to win,” Cook said.

Rarified air

Also stamped with the star inside a crown brand, Stay Inside was another standout from the beginning. If Cook had his way, he would have been retained - but conceived off of a $22,000 service fee with serious doubts about the stallion’s fertility going forward, Sandblom was motivated to sell when made a good enough offer.

“I didn’t want to sell him because I loved him,” Cook said. “But Matthew was given an offer for half of him as a weanling, and then Newgate sold him as a yearling.”

Stay Inside sold for $60,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale to Newgate Bloodstock, with Sandblom staying in 50 per cent of the colt. The following January, he was a $200,000 purchase for astute judges Richard and Michael Freedman in conjunction with Rick Connolly Bloodstock, and the looming pandemic offered the theme for his name.

After three crops on the ground and a fourth year of covers, the Newgate team eagerly awaited the first runners for a sire they truly believed in - and, of course, Stay Inside rewarded them, and the Kingstar team as well.

“I remember getting a text from Peter O’Brien,” Cook could still recall the message even four years later. As he remembers, it read: ‘Congratulations, to breed a Golden Slipper winner is the pinnacle of any breeding farm, and to do it with such a young farm, you’re obviously doing the right protocols and doing everything to a tee.’

It was an outstanding display of what Kingstar could achieve.

“Buyers could now say, ‘Well, obviously these guys are doing a very good job at the farm’,” Cook said. “‘They’re raising them right. They’re looking after them.’ And then they can buy in confidence.”

Cook received well wishes from across the country after Saturday’s big result, and Aquis’ Director Of Sales Jonathan Davies sent him a particularly special one.

It read: ‘Congratulations - a Diamond to add to your Slipper. That’s rarified air.’

“It’s so hard to even get a 2-year-old winner,” Cook said. “To get these two juvenile Group 1 winners - it’s unbelievable.”

2026 to be Kingstar’s best year yet

“I’ve never changed anything (about my processes) from the day that Kingstar started,” Cook said. “Everything is meticulously done from the moment they are conceived until - even after the hammer falls - they leave on someone else’s truck.”

With that in mind, he is looking forward to seeing the 2024 crop of foals hit the yearling sales in 2026, touting them as the farm’s best product yet.

“2026 is going to be huge,” he said. “We have a very exciting line-up of yearlings. We have half-siblings to Lady Laguna and Stay Inside, to name a few.”

The underbidder on Devil Night - and on exciting 3-year-old Emirate (Extreme Choice), also a graduate from Kingstar - was Henry Field himself, and Cook believes he might get his chance next year to take home a prime example of the Extreme Choice product.

“He’ll (Field) get a chance at Magic Millions next year,” Cook said. “We have a full brother to (Group 3-winning filly) Wollombi that we’re taking to Magics, and he is physically our best Extreme Choice colt that we have prepared. I don’t think there’s been an Extreme Choice colt of his calibre that’s a full relation to a Group horse.”

And given the calibre of horse that Extreme Choice already turns out, he will no doubt be a popular colt.

Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix

Deel Her In was the cheapest Dundeel (NZ) filly to be sold at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sales when purchased by Peter Morley’s Belhus Racing and John Price Bloodstock for $110,000 from the draft of Segenhoe Stud. However, she sent her shares skyward with an outstanding last-to-first victory in Saturday’s hotly contested 3-year-old feature.

Jockey Shaun O’Donnell took no part in the in the race early, snagging the filly to last from barrier 7. The race was run at a sedate pace, which looked unfavourable to the back markers. Nonetheless, Deel Her In quickly slid around the field on the home bend and took the lead shortly thereafter, racing away to win by 0.79l over Flower of Gold (Bull Point), with a further 0.71l back to All Grunt (Grunt {NZ}), who had defeated her at their previous outing.

“It was a really good job in a slowly run race,” trainer Trevor Andrews said.

“We just had to go back. The plan is to go up to 1800 metres next start so the plan today was to find a bum and relax.

“She tracked into the race following All Grunt and Shaun just produced her at the right time. She was a little bit soft on the line, it was a very impressive win. She’s a very good filly.”

The next logical step in the preparation will be the Group 2 Ascot 1000 Guineas over 1800 metres on March 9, before possibly going to the G3 WA Oaks over 2400 metres via the Listed Natasha Stakes over 2100 metres, and Andrews says he will make some training adjustments to help her relax.

“Her pedigree says she will get a trip all day. She just needs to learn to switch off a bit more. Once she got behind them today she was actually pretty good,” he said.

“We will just lengthen her work a little bit and just go about things quietly. It’s only her first campaign but she’s a Dundeel filly with a massive pedigree now with a stakes win next to her name.”

Shaun O’Donnell was eager to see what the future has in store for him and the lightly raced filly.

“Today I thought, we’re going – I want to be right on top of them at the corner because she has got such a big tank at trackwork, she just keeps going,” O’Donnell said.

“She’s an amazing filly, what’s inside her is a little bit scary.

“ She’s a busy filly and she just wants to try her heart out all the time. It’s a pleasure riding her.”

Share prices on the rise

Syndicator, Peter Morley was ecstatic with the result, sharing that he didn’t think she could win after settling at the tail of the field.

“It was a stunning victory. One person there who has been around longer than me said it was ‘Winx-like’,” Morley said.

“It was off a slow pace too and she has come home in 34.20. That was only her fourth start in a race. She bolted in first-up, she had no luck second-up and the start before yesterday I thought he just got to the front a bit too early and the other horse got us but yesterday was very good.

“I didn’t think she’d win when she settled last but goodness me she picked them up like they were all glued to the fence. It was obviously very visually impressive.”

The immediate impact on the value of filly was made clear by a number of bloodstock agents registering their interest to purchase her post-race.

“We’ve just talked about upping her insurance,” Morley said.

“There has been a little bit of outside interest from agents but I’ve told them she’s not for sale. When you divide it between 20 or 40 owners, it’s not going to change anyone’s life. She’ll stay in the current ownership and they are going to have an absolute ball with her over the next few years and then I’m sure she will find a nice home at some commercial farm.”

Despite some concern over her ability to settle in the run, Morley has every confidence that trainer Trevor Andrews is the right man for the job.

“I’m almost certain that if I was framing a market for the 1000 Guineas, she’d be starting odds-on,” Morley said.

“We are conscious however, that this is her first racing prep. So, as soon as she tells us she’s had enough, that will be it. We’ll turn her out and save her for another campaign. Trevor has done it before, getting fillies to the Natasha and the Oaks, of course he trained Natasha, so we have every confidence he will give her every chance.”

A savvy Easter purchase

Bred by Segenhoe Stud, Deel Her In became the fifth winner and second stakes winner from Mining Tycoon (Redoute’s Choice), who has also produced Listed winner Usmanov (Choisir). Mining Tycoon is a half-sister to three time Group 1 winning sprinter Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre {USA}) and its the family of Snitzel and Thorn Park.

It was Morley’s first purchase at the Inglis Australian Easter Sale, after being tipped off about the filly by bloodstock agent John Price.

“If you go to buy a Dundeel filly at Easter and you pick her up for $110,000, it is a little bit surprising,” Morley said.

“John Price, who buys a lot of horses for us said, I’ve found a nice filly here, and that was that. I don’t know what it is about John, but he sees something in a horse that others don’t see and he’s proven it time and time again. We trust his judgement.

“John was poking around and must have spoken to the vendor and found out it was around my ballpark figure. Usually, around $120,000 for a yearling see me out. We’re not one of the high-flyers, we just sneak under the radar, so you won’t see me putting my hand up at $300,000 or $400,000. He knew it was in our budget and thought it was a nice horse and luckily we agreed to buy it.

“It’s the only horse I’ve ever bought from Easter, so we’re one from one.”

Dundeel fillies on the rise

Deel Her In also became the 35th individual stakes winner for Dundeel, completing a weekend stakes double for the sire’s 3-year-old daughters with the Lindsay Park-trained Cinch blowing her rivals away as favourite in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks over 2100 metres on Friday night.

This continues a promising spate of stakes-winning fillies for the sire, including the Clinton McDonald-trained Jasmin Rouge who won the G3 Thoroughbred Club of Australia Stakes in November and the Chris Waller-trained Konasana, who added the G2 Westbury Classic to her resumé at Ellerslie in January.

Dundeel has historically produced a disproportionately high number of stakes-winning colts and geldings when compared to fillies, siring 25 stakes winning males and 10 stakes winning females over the course of his career to date.

However, as his career continued to evolve this is beginning to even out - six colts and five fillies have performed in stakes races this season - so targeting fillies could provide buyers with some incredible buying opportunities.

At the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales Dundeel fillies averaged $190k from six sold, with another six lots passed in. The colts on the other hand averaged $338,750 from 16 sold, with only one passed in. Furthermore, two of those fillies offered, Cinch and Deel Her In, became very valuable stakes winners this weekend. There has been one stakes performer from the colts division so far in Henlein.

Morley shared that he particularly likes sourcing fillies for their residual value and for that reason didn’t flinch when offered the well-bred Deel Her In as a yearling.

“I particularly like buying fillies because you have that safety net at the end,” he said.

“If they perform well to some degree, you can actually turn them over and get good money as a broodmare prospect which is akin to winning another race. For example, we’ve sold horses like Majestic Shot for $220,000 and It’s Me $350,000. Even though we have done well with colts and geldings, fillies do appeal with that extra safety net.

“Deel Her In has got a big future, which might be the understatement of the year. She could end up being a very valuable mare down the track.”

On track for a stellar year

Belhus Racing, the longest-serving racehorse syndication company in Western Australia, has enjoyed a strong start to the year, which was kicked off by the victory of Hemlock Stone (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}) in the Group 2 Perth Cup on January 1st at odds of $81.

“The harder I work the luckier I get,” Morley said.

“Let’s hope we can keep it going. It’s going to be a very exciting next couple of weeks.”

Cover image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Cup thriller goes to Forever Young

By Alan Carasso, TDN USA

The eleventh-hour defection of horses like Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}), reigning G1 Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) and GI Pegasus World Cup victor White Abarrio (USA) (Race Day {USA}) deprived the 2025 G1 Saudi Cup of its pre-race lustre. Remaining in the field of 14, however, were two of the world's top horses, having achieved their success heretofore in diametrically opposite ways.

The Arabic announcer at King Abdulaziz Racetrack whipped the crowd into a literal frenzy as the Saudi Cup field circled the starting stalls midway up the chute. The 109 seconds that followed the springing of the stalls nearly defies explanation.

Drawn widest in gate 14, Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) broke well and was angled down to the inside by Ryusei Sakai, already victorious aboard Shin Forever (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) for the same connections in the G2 Neom Turf Cup a few hours prior. The JRHA Select Sale grad was part of a four-way scrum for the early lead with anticipated front-runners, G1 Al Maktoum Challenge winner Walk of Stars (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) to his inside and Al Musmak (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) to his right.

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), customarily away quickly, bounced nicely from his low draw in three and James McDonald tucked the 7-year-old just in behind the leading group of four, showing no early signs that he might be struggling with the new surface.

Positions were mostly unchanged approaching the end of the back straight, and at that point, McDonald rolled the dice, angling out and around longshot Defunded (USA) (Dialed In {USA}) with fully half the distance yet to cover, and was therefore consigned to a five-wide run around the turn.

Romantic Warrior nevertheless continued to travel like a seasoned veteran and on the bridle, and he quickly moved up to the line of four and swept in front, looking every ounce a winner with Sakai and Forever Young left a bit flat-footed one off the fence turning in.

Romantic Warrior opened up on his rivals and they were partying in Wan Chai, but as he displayed when blousing out Book'em Danno (USA) (Bucchero {USA}) at the finish of last year's Saudi Derby, Forever Young loves a fight, and he began pegging back the margin with time ticking away. James McDonald was hard at work on Romantic Warrior and said post-race that his mount 'was not stopping', but Forever Young was kept after and proved narrowly better on the day in a race that won't soon be forgotten.

Previous Dubai World Cup winner Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), who was chinned on the wire last year, trailed down the back but closed off well for third–albeit a very distant one–picking up more Saudi prizemoney after just losing his own heartbreaker 12 months ago.

The final time for the 1800 metres was 1:49.12, which breaks the previous record of 1:49.50 set by Senor Buscador (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}) last year. Japanese runners swept the last four races on the card and now own multiple victories in each of the six group races on Saudi Cup night since the inception of the event in 2020.

Winner of the 2016 GII Santa Ynez Stakes, Forever Young’s dam Forever Darling (USA) (Congrats {USA}) is the dam of four winners from five to race, including Forever Young's 2-year-old half-sister Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who carried the Sunday Racing colours to a victory in last year's G3 Artemis Stakes on the turf.

Given her female family, it is not entirely surprising that Forever Darling might end up in Japan. Her stakes-winning and multiple Grade-I placed dam Darling My Darling (USA) (Deputy Minister {Can}) is responsible for 2017 GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes victress Heavenly Love (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}), the dam of aforementioned Sierra Leone, and Darling My Darling is a half-sister to Japanese Horse of the Year and G1 Japan Cup hero Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn).

No Disgrace for Romantic Warrior

Romantic Warrior's US$3.5-million (AU$5.5 million) payday takes his career earnings to a staggering US$26.3 million (AU$41.4 million). Connections were certainly feeling the sting of a difficult defeat but expressed their pride in their horse.

“It's a good run for his first time on the dirt, only beaten by Forever Young. He is a top dirt horse, and he was only beaten by a head–it's a good run,” trainer Danny Shum told the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Declan Schuster. “We all did our best. I hope to win every time, but racing is racing. As long as he tries his best and it's a really good race–I think most of the people enjoyed the race.

“James said it was a good run. James is happy and I am happy. It was a great run and he beat the third horse by lengths. It was a good run, and we will run in the [$6-million G1 Dubai Turf [back at Meydan Apr. 5].”

Japan wins four races at Saudi Cup meeting

By Emma Berry, TDN Europe

Stop me if you've heard this one before. Japanese-trained runners dominated the Saudi Cup meeting, landing the big race itself and a clean sweep of the turf races, while peppering results elsewhere on the card with placed finishers.

A little sprinkling of European spice was added to the mix in the French breeding of the G2 Howden Neom Turf Cup winner Shin Emperor (Fr), whose heritage is shared by Christophe Lemaire, rider of the G2 1351 Turf Sprint winner Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) but now just as much a son of Japan as of France. Irish native and British champion jockey Oisin Murphy got in on the act, too, when delivering Byzantine Dream (Jpn) for the turf hat-trick in the G2 Longines Red Sea Turf Handicap, but this was as much as the European raiders could claim credit for as Japan came out on top across the range of distances.

In six years of the Saudi Cup meeting, Japanese horses have now won 50 per cent of the runnings of the 1351 Turf Sprint, Red Sea Turf Handicap, Riyadh Dirt Sprint and Saudi Derby, while the Neom Turf Cup has gone Japan's way twice. Moreover, Forever Young (Jpn) and Panthalassa (Jpn) have struck gold in two of the last three runnings of the G1 Saudi Cup, making Yoshito Yahagi the outstanding trainer of the meeting with six victories to his credit.

The meeting had started well for Yahagi when he landed the Howden Neom Turf Cup for the first time with Shin Emperor. From first electing to buy the Siyouni (Fr) colt for a sale-topping €2.1 million (AU$3.5 million) at Arqana in August 2022, Yahagi, the most intrepid of all the Japanese trainers, hasn't shirked a battle with the perky chestnut. Expectations were high from the outset – after all, Shin Emperor is a full brother to the Arc and Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass (Fr) – and indeed this penultimate foal of the celebrated Ecurie des Monceaux matriarch Starlet's Sister (Ire) has delivered in each of his three seasons in training to date.

“Shin Emperor was definitely the best horse in the field,” he said. “With 200 metres remaining, I was convinced he would win.”

The trainer added that the Dubai Sheema Classic is next on his international wish list for Shin Emperor and it was no surprise to hear that Yahagi is also considering appearances at Ascot and York.

Japan then landed the one-two in the 1351 Turf Sprint when the similarly tough filly Ascoli Piceno (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) outgunned long-time leader Win Marvel (Jpn) (I'll Have Another {USA}) in the dying strides.

Trained by Yoichi Kuroiwa, Ascoli Piceno, a granddaughter of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), was the class act of the field, having landed the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies before finishing second last year in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).

“Today the track is very, very fast, so the horse in front was difficult to catch up with, but she battled bravely,” said Christophe Lemaire. “It was a shorter distance than she usually runs over, but she follows easily in a race and today, being fresh, she was straight into a good rhythm and I knew that she was going to produce a great performance.”

Oisin Murphy may not enjoy quite the same level of adulation as that given to Lemaire but he is nonetheless immensely popular with Japanese racing fans after several stints riding in the country and having won the Japan Cup in 2019 aboard Suave Richard (Jpn). His standing is now doubtless greater still after a perfect hold-up ride on Kazumi Yoshida's four-year-old Byzantine Dream (Jpn (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) for what was ultimately a bloodless victory over David O'Meara's fast-finishing Epic Poet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and 2023 St Leger winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}), who was the sole Ballydoyle representative at the meeting.

Like Ascoli Piceno, Byzantine Dream was bred by Northern Farm, while Forever Young was bred by the associated Northern Racing, ensuring a memorable day for Katsumi Yoshida's powerful operation.

It all sounds so easy really. Japan's four winners will take home roughly US$14 million (AU$22 million) between them, and with seven of the 17 Japanese-trained runners managing a top-three finish at King Abdulaziz racecourse on Saturday, it's little wonder that confidence continues to run so high.

Straight No Chaser wins Saudi Sprint for MyRacehorse

By Alan Carasso, TDN USA

For the second time in the last three runnings, America's reigning champion sprinter dominated in the desert, as MyRacehorse's Straight No Chaser (USA) (Speightster {USA}) asserted in the final furlong to prove a much-the-best winner of the Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

The 1200 metre dash was upgraded to Group 2 status for the first time, had its purse hiked to US$2 million (AU$3.15 million) and just this past Friday was named a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Champion Elite Power (USA) (Curlin {USA}) won the 2023 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.

“I'm just really proud of the horse and I'm glad he gets to prove himself on the global stage against the fastest horses in the world,” said winning trainer Dan Blacker

Straight No Chaser will in all likelihood get to take his show on the road to Dubai, where a potentially mouthwatering clash looms with defending champion Tuz (USA) (Oxbow {USA}) in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen on April 5.

The lone elite-level scorer for his sadly departed sire, Straight No Chaser is one of six winners from eight to race from his dam, Margarita Friday (USA) (Johannesburg {USA}) who is also responsible for the stakes-winning Hangover Saturday (USA). Third dam Desireux (USA) was a half-sister to champion sprinter Housebuster (USA) (Mt. Livermore {USA}).

Golden Vekoma wins G3 Saudi Derby

By Alan Carasso, TDN USA

Japanese-based horses had taken three of the first five renewals of the G3 Saudi Derby and went within a half-length of a fourth, and for the majority of Saturday's 1600 metre contest, it appeared they might add to that record. But although he required most of the long straight at King Abdulaziz Racetrack, Dubai raider Golden Vekoma (USA) (Vekoma {USA}) called on his class to grab Japan's dirt debutant Shin Forever (USA) (Complexity {USA}) with just under 100 metres to race and inched away to add to his prior success in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas across in Dubai January 24.

“He was a horse we thought a hell of a lot of from the beginning of the season,” said winning jockey Connor Beasley. “He has been progressing all the way. it's good for myself and good for the horse. We are up against the best here and for us to do it in the Derby, you know this is what dreams are made of.”

Out of stakes winner Sticks Wondergirl (USA) (Stevie Wonderboy {USA}), Golden Vekoma is a half-brother to Midshipman's Dance (USA) (Midshipman {USA}), winner of this year's Mockingbird Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Golden Vekoma hails from a third dam rich with Ramona Bass Stables black-type, including graded winner Goliad (USA) (War Front {USA}), Listed winners Dancing To Town (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) and Welcome Dance (USA) (Henny Hughes {USA}), stakes-placed Fredericksburg (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) and the latter's Grade II-placed full-sister Line Dancing (USA).

South Africa

Eight On Eighteen makes history in G1 Cape Derby

By Renee Geelen, TTR

Trainer Justin Snaith’s 3-year-old colt Eight On Eighteen (Saf) (Lancaster Bomber {USA}) became the first horse in 79 years to win the G1 Cape Met / G1 Cape Derby double with a 1.5l win for jockey Richard Fourie. Sat at the back of the field, Eight On Eighteen came roaring home to win from gallant stablemate Sail The Seas (Saf) (Vercingetorix {Saf}) with Garrix (Saf) (Vercingetorix {Saf}) 3.75l back in third.

“Eight On Eighteen is still immature – just a big baby, but with the nicest nature,” Snaith told caperacing.co.za. He has now won four of his eight starts.

Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Eight On Eighteen is the second foal of unraced mare Sempre Libre (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}), whose dam, Mystic Spring (Ire) (Royal Academy {USA}) produced a remarkable seven stakes winners and has founded a dynasty in South Africa.

Champion 3YO Filly in South Africa and triple Group 1 winner Bela-Bela (Saf) (Dynasty {Saf}), dam of Group 2 winner Ciao Bella (Saf) (Gimmethegreenlight), and Joint Champion 3YO Colt in South Africa and dual Group 1 winner Rabiya (Saf) (Jallad {USA}) lead the collection along with G2 KZN Guineas winner Secret Captain (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}).

Group 2 winner Secret Of Victoria (Saf) (Goldkeeper {USA}) has followed in her dam’s footsteps producing four stakes winner led by triple Group 1 winner and Champion 2YO Filly in South Africa All Is Secret (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}) and G1 Allan Robertson Championship winner The Secret Is Out (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}).

Group 3 winner Spring Lilac (Saf) (Joshua Dancer {USA}) is also the dam of four stakes winners including dual Group 1 winner Snow Dance (Saf) (Captain Al {Saf}), herself dam of G1 Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot (Saf) (Lancaster Bomber {USA}).

The other two stakes winners from Mystic Spring are Listed winners Touch The Sky (Saf) (Jet Master {Saf}) who was Group 1 placed, and Rafiya (Saf) (Jallad {USA}).