Vale Kevin O'Brien

The Australian thoroughbred industry is mourning the passing of leading Victorian breeder Kevin O'Brien.

O'Brien, the founder of Lauriston Farm in Victoria along with his wife Tanith, had been suffering from ill health for some time.

Lauriston's iconic green and orange colours were carried to victory by a host of high-profile horses, including the star sprinting filly Gold Edition (Lion Hunter), who was a dual Group 1 winner.

Based at Corinella, south-east of Melbourne, and now run by the O'Brien's son James, who is the President of Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria, Lauriston Farm has bred over 150 winners, including Group 1-winning filly Global Glamour (Star Witness).

O'Brien was also a former committee member of the Melbourne Racing Club and MRC chairman Peter Le Grand paid tribute to him via Twitter.

"Racing has lost a true gentleman of the turf in Kevin O'Brien. Kevin raced many good horses inc G1 mare Gold Edition & made a significant contribution to racing as a former Committee member of the MRC & breeder at his Lauriston Farm stud. He was loved by everyone who knew him," Le Grand said.

Opie stays in NZ with Te Akau

Opie Bosson will remain Te Akau Racing's leading jockey for the upcoming 2020/21 racing season, rejecting a permanent move to Australia.

Te Akau Principal David Ellis confirmed the arrangement on Sunday.

“Opie and Te Akau go back a very long way – he started working with us when he was 14,” Ellis said.

“He is a truly gifted rider, with beautiful balance and the best instinct you will see.

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards was rapt to have secured Bosson's ongoing commitment to the team.

“Opie is such an asset to the team – obviously on race day as he is in a class of his own. His feedback from track work and trials is invaluable, he just has such a unique feel of where each horse is at.”

Bosson had strongly considered re-locating to Australia for the new season but has decided to remain with Te Akau as a retained rider.

"I have been to Te Akau Stud and the Matamata stable and after seeing the quality of yearlings David (Ellis) has bought, and also seeing how the older horses had spelled – I wanted to be part of the future success I know is coming," he said.

“The talent the stable has just blew me away.

“I also really enjoy working with Jamie – he’s a freak of a trainer who understands a horse better than anyone I know.”

Richards open on spring plans

Trainer Gordon Richards isn't yet committing to a spring plan for star sprinter Gytrash (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who is headed for a spell after being narrowly beaten in the G1 The Goodwood at Morphettville.

Gytrash, a winner of the G1 Black Caviar Lightning earlier this campaign has graduated to the top class of Australian sprinters with a further three placings in Group 1 sprints this time in.

He and Bold Star (Needs Further), who was eighth in The Goodwood, will be given a good break before plans are made for the spring.

“I’m sure they will all end up in Melbourne and with Gytrash obviously all of the big races are on his radar,” Richards told Racing.com.

“Someone asked me about The Everest and I thought they were talking about my new car as I’ve just bought a Ford Everest this week.

“Obviously we would be open for discussion regarding the race but we have had no contact with any slot holders to date.”

Snitzel and Vinnie celebrate 150 winners

Australia's two great stallion rivals I Am Invincible and Snitzel both passed the 150 winners milestone for 2019/20 season on the same day.

One Last Flight, a Snitzel filly out of Kylikwong (Red Ransom {USA}), broke her maiden at start number four, winning over 1000 metres at Queanbeyan on Sunday for trainer Joe Cleary and in doing so became the 150th winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based sire.

Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible marked the same achievement when the Trent and Toby Edmonds-trained Global Citizen held on to win at a very short price in his 1200-metre maiden at Ipswich.

That colt is out of Interfere (Royal Academy {USA}), a stakes-placed sister to Group 2 winner Phoenix Park.

Snitzel is on track for his fourth Australian Champion Sire's Title, with his progeny having won $15.1 million in prizemoney so far this season, while I Am Invincible ($13.65 million) is in third. Coolmore's Pierro, who separates them in second on $14.3 million, marked his 100th winner for the season on Saturday.

Eight winner for Pride Of Dubai

Leading first-season sire Pride Of Dubai has notched his eight winner, with debutante Proud Mia winning impressively at Queanbeyan on Sunday.

Proud Mia, trained by Canberra horseman Nick Olive, was far too good for rivals, winning by 3.63l from Delacour (Magic Albert) and Ronny Rock Art (Wandjina).

A $60,000 purchase by Olive from the Inglis Classic Sale, Proud Mia is out of Miatoko (Danzero), which is the family of Group 3 winner Testashadow (Testa Rossa) and Group 1 winner and Widden Stud stallion Zoustar.

Cooolmore's Pride Of Dubai leads the race to be crowned Champion First Season Sire, and is now just one win behind Spill The Beans when it comes to overall winners by first-season stallions in Australia.

Rondinella joins O'Shea stables

Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) will join the stables of John O'Shea and be targeted towards Group 1 races in Australia in the early spring.

Twice Group 1-placed, Rondinella has been prepared by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, but the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 protocols have seen her transferred to the Australian trainer.

“She (Rondinella) has gone to John O’Shea and has been over there for just on a week now,” Haunui Farm Managing Director Mark Chitty, said.

“After talking with Roger (James), she is rising six now and in the back of our minds we have the thought of possibly breeding her if she doesn’t quite come up.

“Given everything that is going on, her potential suitors are in New South Wales so we made the decision to transfer her after having a good discussion.

“She flew over last Sunday and has settled in well during the week."

Chitty praised James and Wellwood's work with the mare and confirmed the G1 Metropolitan will be her main target.

“Her best performances have been out over a trip although we didn’t really pursue that in her last prep," he said. “That is something we would like to test and we want to aim high with her."

Duggan suffers multiple fractures

Jockey Jenny Duggan has confirmed the extent of the injuries she suffered in a horrific fall at Scone on Friday.

Duggan fell from Steamboat Sally (Snitzel) in the final race and was airlifted to hospital with a variety of injuries. She has since confirmed on social media that she has a fractured occipital condyle, a fractured right shoulder, a fractured right wrist and a small fracture to her right heel, plus a broken nose.

Duggan also had a brain scan on Friday night which revealed minor bruising but no major damage.

"I'm feeling very lucky to be writing this... so far I have a fracture in the bottom of my skull, some bleeding on my brain, broken nose, concussion," Duggan posted.

"We are still working out what is happening with my shoulder."