ATA unhappy with RA's renewed cobalt stance

Racing Australia and the Australian Trainers Association remain at loggerheads over the ongoing status of cobalt as performance enhancing among thoroughbreds.

Racing Australia confirmed on Thursday it will not alter its stance on the current cobalt threshold of 100 ug/L being the right level for state-based jurisdictions to apply as the legal limit of cobalt.

"The view among international racing authorities continues to be consistent with Racing Australia that cobalt has the potential to positively affect performance and is a welfare risk at toxic levels and that Rules of Racing are required to protect against this risk," a RA statement read.

"The Board of Racing Australia reaffirmed its position in respect of cobalt and advises that it does not propose to make any amendments to the Australian Rules of Racing."

There are currently a glut of cobalt cases held up at various stages of the judicial process, while the high-profile cases of Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh were only resolved after protracted court proceedings.

ATA chief executive Andrew Nicholl is disappointed that the status of cobalt was not up for review, but it would keep on fighting.

"Cobalt arose a few years ago out of the belief that people were doping with it, but it is increasingly apparent that a lot of these positives are due to (vitamin) B-12 injections," Nicholl said.

"We are not going to give up," he said. "We are going to review all our options."

Magical heads to Hong Kong

Four-time Group 1 winner Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is set for at least one more trip to the post before visiting No Nay Never (USA) next year, with the 4-year-old remaining among trainer Aidan O’Brien’s entries for the Hong Kong International meeting on December 8.

Magical, the winner of the G1 Qipco Irish Champion S. and the G1 Qipco Champion S. within a five week span with a fifth in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in between, was scratched from the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf earlier this month after spiking a temperature before travelling from Ireland.

She is set for the G1 Hong Kong Cup, where her competition will include her stablemate and G1 Mackinnon S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}); Japan’s formidable mare Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}); the Aga Khan’s Edisa (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), victorious in stakes in France and the U.S. this season; and former winners of this race and full brothers Glorious Forever (GB) (Archipenko {USA}) and Time Warp (GB).

Aidan O’Brien also has Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (G1 Hong Kong Mile), Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mount Everest (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (G1 Hong Kong Vase) in the mix for Sha Tin’s big night.

Smoke causes further cancellations

Smoke from bushfires continues to cause havoc on race meetings around New South Wales, with races at Hawkesbury and trials at Warwick Farm called off due to poor air quality and poor visibility on Wednesday.

Bushfires in the Wollemi National Park have caused smoke to blanket Sydney during the week and ongoing concerns over the air quality led stewards to abandon the Warwick Farm trials after six heats, while Hawkesbury was called off at 9.30am, with Scone free to continue, despite some visible smoke across the track.

There is racing at Gosford and Orange on Friday, while Kembla Grange hosts its inaugural standalone meeting on Saturday featuring the $1 million The Gong.

Symons calls for whip reform

Jockey Chris Symons is the latest industry figure to question the future of the whip in racing.

Symons, who has ridden in more than 12,000 races, told RSN that racing needs to adapt to the standards of society and stop using the whip behind the saddle in races.

"I'll probably lose friends and colleagues for this comment, but it's 2019 and perception is 99 per cent of everything, and for that reason, there needs to be changes with the use of the whip," he said.

"The public are speaking and we need to take it into account.

"All publicity, photographs and images that are used to promote our industry, those photos are taken in the last 100 metres of a race, all the jockeys have their hands above their heads, so that's a bad look for us."

Symons believes whips should be carried in races for safety reasons only.

Luvaluva ready to strike Gong

John Sargent believes there will be no excuses for his talented mare Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) as she bids for her first win in 595 days in Saturday's $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange.

Sargent told Racing NSW that the 5-year-old mare, winless since her victory in the G3 Adrian Knox S. in April 2018, was ready to break her long drought.

"It’s up to her now on Saturday to front up, she’s a lot stronger this campaign than she’s ever been,’’ he said. “She has the perfect draw so there’ll be no excuses. She’s bang on for Saturday and if it is a truly run race it should be right up her alley.’’

Luvaluva has been placed three times in stakes company in the 15 starts since her last win, including a third in the G1 NZ Breeders' S. earlier this year.

California Chrome to Japan

California Chrome (USA), the richest winner of the G1 Kentucky Derby in history and for a time North America’s top money winner of all time, will continue his stud career in Japan after the California Chrome Syndicate reached an agreement with JS Company Limited to sell the 8-year-old, pursuant to all the Japanese government’s quarantine and exportation requirements being met.

“We were approached by representatives of the buyer, and being that California Chrome is owned by a 50-share syndicate, the offer was presented to the shareholders for a vote,” said Taylor Made’s Duncan Taylor. "Ultimately, the results were in favour of moving forward with the sale. California Chrome is the best horse we have ever owned, and he will now have the opportunity to have offspring performing in three different countries."

As part of the agreement, the California Chrome Syndicate has the first right of refusal if California Chrome is ever sold, and upon retirement from breeding, he can live out the remainder of his life at Taylor Made.

Morphettville set for January spell

Adelaide's Morphettville racetrack will be given a break throughout January.

Morphettville, which features both the main track and the Parks track, will be given a spell as a racing venue after the January 4 meeting and return to normal duties in February.

“We understand and appreciate the workload the turf tracks have had at Morphettville over the past 12 months,” TRSA CEO Jim Watters said.

“Therefore, we’ve been more than happy to work with the SAJC to facilitate the programming breaks that will enable them to undertake these important maintenance renovation works at what is our industry’s busiest venue.”

Meetings have also been transferred in May and July.

The transferral of the Saturday race dates in January are as follows:

Saturday 18th January – Murray Bridge

Saturday 25th January – Gawler

Saturday 23rd May – Murray Bridge

Saturday 4th July – Murray Bridge

Saturday 11th July – Gawler

Wyndspelle looks to Awapuni bounce

Off an underwhelming Australian campaign, Wyndspelle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) is looking to bounce back to form when he contests an open handicap at Awapuni on Saturday.

Otaki trainer Johno Benner has accepted for Saturday’s John Turkington Forresty Ltd/Wai Pine Bulls Country Cup where Wyndspelle will carry 59kgs with the claim of apprentice Charlotte O'Beirne.

“It is a step back in class on Saturday, so it should be interesting and I hope to see him back to his best,” Benner said. “He carries 59 kilos and it is a weight he carries pretty much everywhere he goes.

“His weight-for-age form is probably the second best in the country over the last couple of seasons.

“The last time he went into an open handicap was 12 months ago and he won.”

Le Havre filly tops Arqana final day

The final day of the Arqana Autumn Sale saw a daughter of Le Havre (Ire) (Lot 642), bring the highest price, selling for €45,000 (AU$73,320) to Narvick International/de Burgh Equine. Consigned by La Motteraye Consignment, who also offered the overall sale topper, the €420,000 (AU$684,350) gelding Master Dino (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}), the bay is out of Italian Listed heroine Rivabella (Fr) (Iron Mask {USA}).

MAB Agency bought the day’s dearest colt, extending to €36,000 (AU$58,660) for a son of Oasis Dream (GB) (Lot 464). Out of a daughter of G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Sage et Jolie (GB) (Linamix {Fr}), the March-foaled colt was consigned by Haras d’Haspel. Sage et Jolie also produced G1 Prix d’Ispahan victor and sire Sageburg (Ire) (Johannesburg {USA}). His third dam is the blue hen Saganeca (Sagace {Fr}), dam of Group 1 winners Sagamix (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and Sagacity (Fr) (Highest Honor {Fr}) and the granddam of this year’s G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Juddmonte International hero Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).

Wednesday’s trade resulted in a clearance rate of 83 per cent, or 147 of the 176 lots, finding new homes for €1,182,500 (AU$1.92 million) in aggregate. The average was €8044 (AU$13,100), while the median rose 8.3 per cent to €6500 (AU$10,591). Cumulatively, 465 sold, a clearance rate rise of 6 per cent from 2018. The gross was €10,984,000 (AU$17.9 million) (+42.2 per cent) and the average was up 29.7 per cent at €23,622 (AU$38,490). The median was €11,000 (AU$17,920) (+22.2 per cent).