Tragic accident

Four Lindsay Park horses were killed in a truck accident near its Euroa base on Monday night.

RSN reported three fillies owned by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud and another broodmare were killed in the crash, which happened about 9pm.

The fillies were heading to the Hunter Valley to start their breeding journeys at Yarraman Park Stud. The accident happened as the horse transport truck was entering the Hume Freeway to start the trip north.

Tom Dabernig told the radio station the driver, who escaped without serious injury, lost control of the vehicle soon after leaving the Lindsay Park complex.

“I can’t recall in my lifetime, with the amount of horses we transport, of there ever being an accident to that extent,” he said.

Woodside Park embrace Digital Sale

Woodside Park Stud has embraced the online platform and will offer a quality draft of 10 yearlings at the Inglis Digital Sale on April 24-29.

Details of each lot will be released this Friday and will include youngsters by Victoria’s champion stallion Written Tycoon and his highest-rated son and promising first-season sire Rich Enuff. There will also be representation for Cable Bay (Ire), whose first Southern Hemisphere yearlings have been well received.

The yearlings were originally set to be sold at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale, however Woodside Park decided after the postponement of the sale to sell via the online platform, rather than spell and begin their sale preparation again in a month or two.

“In uncertain times, we felt that by offering all lots as unreserved, it would continue to aid our clients. By selling unreserved, we hope to assist our clients to continue to grow their businesses beyond COVID-19,” Woodside Park Chief Executive Officer James Price said.

“It is going to be difficult to change an age old tradition of presenting yearlings at a complex for potential buyers, but via exceptional videography, not seen before on a digital yearling sale platform, we believe we can achieve a successful result,” Price said.

No job interest from V’landys

Racing New South Wales Chief Executive Peter V’landys isn’t interested in the post of NRL Chief Executive.

The role became vacant when Todd Greenberg resigned and V’landys, who is also the ARL Commission Chairman, won’t be filling the position.

"I've made that clear that I won't do it," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I'm not interested in it and I've never been interested in doing it. I don't think it's appropriate: there needs to be segregation between the board and management.

"Once this crisis starts to ease, I want to take a step back. The only reason I am front and centre of things at the moment is because we're in an emergency. As I said at my first press conference, if there's an emergency, I will step forward. Well, this is a pretty bad emergency."

Novara Park fees unchanged

Novara Park, near Cambridge, has announced its service fees will remain unchanged in 2020 for Sweynesse and Staphanos (Jpn).

Sweynesse is the leading New Zealand first-season sire on earnings, winners and stakes winners and while in previous years this would normally lead to an increase in service fee, Novara Park have decided to keep his service fee unchanged at NZ$6000 + GST.

From limited 2-year-old runners Sweynesse has sired the G3 Woburn Farm Classic winner Bonita Aurelia (NZ).

“We believe that Sweynesse provides breeders with the best upside in New Zealand for this breeding season,” Novara Park principal Luigi Muollo said. “Sweynesse is on an upward trajectory and it looks like he is just what New Zealand breeding needs in these challenging times. "

The service fee for Novara Park’s Japanese stallion Staphanos will also remain at $7000 + GST for the son of Deep Impact (Jpn).

“The Group 1 races at the Melbourne spring carnival were dominated by the Japanese,” Muollo said. “Mer De Glace won the Caulfield Cup, Lys Gracieux won the Cox Plate and Fierce Impact, also by Deep Impact, pulled off a Group 1 double winning the Toorak H. and Cantala S."

Title on line

Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) is facing a strong challenge for Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year award this season and anything but a record third straight victory in the Champions Mile on Sunday could see him dethroned.

“If Beauty Generation doesn’t win the Champions Mile, I’d think it might swing Golden Sixty’s way,” the superstar’s trainer John Moore said.

But the world champion miler and his connections are not ready to relinquish the title just yet to fellow Karaka graduate Golden Sixty.

“I think he’s in with a serious chance of winning the Champions Mile and getting Horse of the Year for a third time,” Moore said.

Barbie impresses

Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom) took steps closer to resuming with an easy trial win at Doomben on Tuesday.

The G1 Stradbroke H. hopeful raced with the pace before drawing clear to win her 1000 metre heat.

Watch: Outback Barbie trial

Outback Barbie has not raced since January 11 when her win in the Magic Millions QTIS race lifted her earnings beyond $1.3 million.

"Her main mission is the Stradbroke on June 6 which is creeping up on us quickly," trainer Tony Gollan said. "She did exactly what we hoped in the trial and she should be ready to run a strong 1400 metres."

Guineas back-up

St Covet's Spirit (Uncle Mo {USA}) is on track to race on a seven-day back-up in the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas this weekend.

The Jason Coyle-trained St Covet's Spirit resumed when fifth in the G3 PJ Bell S. at Randwick on April 4 before third in the G3 James HB Carr S.

He said St Covet's Spirit would run in Saturday's Guineas while stablemate Mo's Crown (Uncle Mo {USA}) is also among the entries.

"The plan was to back the filly up and the other horse has done well so at this stage I think we'll more than likely accept for him on Wednesday.”

Coyle was leaning to stakes-placed St Covet's Spirit as his leading chance, but said last-start winner Mo's Crown was in fine form also.

Time of benefit

Cambridge trainer Ben Foote is finding a silver lining to New Zealand’s strict lockdown measures under COVID-19 Alert level 4.

Foote has said there had been some benefits and among them the additional time quality filly Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) has had to mature.

The winner of five of her seven starts to date, including the G1 Levin Classic, Foote opted to give the filly a break after finishing second in the G2 Waikato Guineas in early February.

“She went straight out after that run in the Waikato Guineas,” Foote said. “She was feeling her shins and her suspensorys a bit. We had brought her in and she had two weeks work before lockdown because she was going to the Brisbane carnival.

“We decided a day before lockdown it wasn’t going to happen so we tipped her back out. I took her cover off last week and she looks like she is turning into a woman now.”