Vale Bill Waterhouse

Bill Waterhouse, once the biggest bookmaker in the world, has died at the age of 97.

The father of high profile bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse and father-in-law of leading trainer Gai, Waterhouse's death was confirmed by his son via Twitter on Friday.

"Very sad that we have lost my father, Bill Waterhouse," Robbie Waterhouse said. "He left us peacefully with his family by his side. He was in great spirits until the end.”

Bill Waterhouse was known for his boldness and willingness to go head-to-head with leviathan punters such as Ray Hopkins, 'Hong Kong Tiger' Frank Duval and 'The Filipino Fireball' Filipe Ysmael.

In 1984, Waterhouse and his son Robbie were stripped of their bookmaking licences when the Australian Jockey Club alleged they had prior knowledge of the Fine Cotton 'ring-in' scandal.

Bill Waterhouse always maintained his innocence and in 2002 had his bookmaking licence reinstated in order to train his grandson Tom in the business. He retired from bookmaking in 2010 at the age of 88.

Waller chasing The Gong

The lure of a $1 million purse has been too attractive for leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller.

The expatriate Kiwi horseman will line-up three runners in the The Gong at Kembla Grange on Saturday, including New Zealand-bred gelding Star Of The Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Waller opted for the race over a trip to Perth with two of his runners, citing the reduced risks involved with racing closer to home.

“The beauty with $1 million races is you can see them coming a fair way out and two of our horses would have normally been in Perth, Mister Sea Wolf and Star Of The Seas,” he said.

“We have decided to stay home to support New South Wales racing and support our own pockets - running for big prizemoney with less costs and risks involved with the horses travelling.

“That is the reason why Star Of The Seas and Mister Sea Wolf are there, and Asterius is giving his owners the chance to race for $1 million.”

Passing of Les Young

The committee of Thoroughbred Breeders New South Wales, along with the Australian breeding and racing industry, are mourning the passing of successful bloodstock agent and fellow committeeman Les Young.

From running his own sales company, to managing the Sydney premiership winning combination of Bob Lapointe, Robert Sangster and Brian Mayfield-Smith, which under the Nebo Lodge banner finally ended Tommy Smith’s 33 year reign as champion trainer, he was also a successful breeder and owner.

Young made a lasting contribution to thoroughbred breeding literature with his long running Breeders’ World column in Sportsman and as a regular contributor to Bluebloods magazine, ANZ Bloodstock News and other industry publications.

A Life Member of the NSW Thoroughbred Breeders, he also penned the essays on eight stallions for the respected reference Great Thoroughbred Sires Of The World.

Queensland calling

A Queensland summer campaign awaits the promising 3-year-old King Of Hastings (Ilovethiscity).

He will resume in the Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic at Ballarat on Saturday as a lead-up to the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on January 11 at the Gold Coast.

A debut winner at Cranbourne in May, King Of Hastings raced through the winter, winning at his third start at Caulfield in June. Following a freshen-up, he led before being run down by his G1 Caulfield Guineas winning stablemate Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}) in the G3 McNeil S. The gelding had one more start, finishing second before a break.

"We decided after he got beaten at The Valley that he wasn't going to be up to those top spring horses," assistant trainer Sam Freedman said. "So we gave him a let-up and put him in the paddock for a few weeks.

"He's one that we've got earmarked to go towards that Magic Millions meeting for the 3-year-old race providing he's going well.”

Harbour Views spelled

Harbour Views (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) is out of the Listed Ballarat Cup after trainer Matthew Williams noticed some inflammation around his fetlock joints.

"It's nothing major, but you don't want a change like that going into a 2000 metre race where you are probably going to hit a good three track later in the day," Williams said.

"He could be pulling up a bit messy if he did run. That's on the proviso he was to get a run so we've taken the temptation away and he's gone to the paddock and is already on the grass."

Williams said X-rays taken of Harbour Views' joints came back clear of any bone chips.

Catalogues online

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series catalogues are now online.

The sales series has attracted a strong catalogue of 1265 yearlings, including 677 lots in the select Book 1 Sale.

The Sale week will once again begin with the popular Karaka Million race meeting at Ellerslie Racecourse on Saturday, January 25, which will feature the Karaka Million 2YO and Karaka Million 3YO Classic, as well as three Group races.

Attention will then turn to New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Sale Complex, which offers six days of selling action, commencing at an earlier time of 11am on Sunday, January 26.

In another change introduced next year, Book 3 will take place on the afternoon of Friday, January 31 where 115 yearlings will go under the hammer immediately after the conclusion of the Book 2 Sale.

Following suit

Queensland racing's chief of integrity Ross Barnett has made it clear the state has no choice but to follow national rules regarding cobalt positives.

There are believed to be at least six unresolved cases in Queensland involving cobalt charges.

In the past year there have been several leading Queensland-based scientists who have attacked the current cobalt rules.

Barnett said in a statement that the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission should re-state its position about the status of unresolved cobalt inquiries after Racing Australia's Veterinary and Analysts' Committee review into the matters.

RA has reaffirmed its position and does not propose to amend the Australian Rules of Racing. Barnett said that in light of that decision all Queensland cobalt Inquiries currently in process would continue to be dealt with in accordance with the rules.

Death of Zebedee

Cornerstone Stud is mourning the loss of Zebedee (GB), who has been laid to rest alongside Hussonet (USA) at the Angaston farm.

The stallion had been withdrawn from service in September following an awkward dismount from a mare, which aggravated a previously undiagnosed level of ataxia and Zebedee regressed in the last two weeks, losing his full range of motion and some control in his hindquarter.

“I am extremely grateful for the support that Zebedee received from breeders both here in South Australia and also across the country since his arrival in 2015 from Tally Ho Stud in Ireland,” Hayes said.

“Zebedee was a beautiful stallion, with a wonderful character and placid demeanour. He was a farm favourite and his early departure has certainly been felt by those that worked alongside him on a daily basis.”

The son of Invincible Spirit has sired 277 individual winners and 10 stakes winners, including Coolmore’s first season sire Ivawood (Ire), who resulted from a first Northern Hemisphere crop of 32 individual 2-year-old winners.

McLean appeals

Suspended trainer Jarrod McLean is appealing a court decision allowing racing authorities to charge him based on evidence seized during a police raid.

It comes after the Supreme Court of Victoria in October ruled police had acted lawfully when it gave the state's racing body information about evidence seized in January at Yangery, near Warrnambool.

The Supreme Court on Friday confirmed McLean had filed an appeal against Justice Melinda Richards' decision.

Dream job

Cambridge horseman Glen Harvey is loving being back in New Zealand and is fulfilling a life-long ambition.

The 30-year-old became a licensed trainer only a few months ago and will send out his first stakes runner when 2-year-old filly Beaune (NZ) (Kermadec {NZ}) contests Saturday’s Listed Fasttrack Insurance 5k Bonus 2YO S. at Pukekohe.

Harvey, the son of well-known racing and bloodstock identities Bruce and Maureen Harvey who operate Ascot Farm in Cambridge, has grown up with racing in the blood.

“I always wanted to be a trainer, but it has just been a work in progress,” Harvey said. “I was only 5-years-old when Roysyn, who was raced by my grandparents, won the G1 New Zealand Derby.

“When Mum and Dad got back from the races I said ‘one day I want to be a horse trainer'.

“For the last couple of years I have been in Singapore, where I was assistant trainer to Kah Soon Tan and we had a fair bit of success.”

Ton for Doyle

Hollie Doyle has become the third female jockey in Britain to ride 100 winners in a year with victory on The Perfect Crown (Hallowed Crown) at Chelmsford.

The 23-year-old joins Hayley Turner and Josephine Gordon as the only women to reach the century in a season.

Fittingly, The Perfect Crown is trained by Archie Watson who has supplied 41 of Doyle's winners this year. She could yet break Gordon's record of 106, set in 2017, and did not have to wait long for winner number 101, through Lady Dancealot (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) for David Elsworth.

Her partner, fellow jockey Tom Marquand, said Doyle had worked hard for her success.

"When you are doing it every day I don't think you really take it in. It's a phenomenal achievement, she stands in the record books and she's still got a bit of time.”