Glenfiddich out of Guineas

G1 Caulfield Guineas fancy Glenfiddich (Fastnet Rock) has been scratched from Saturday's $1 million feature.

Stewards confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the Peter Moody-trained colt was withdrawn due to a "detected epiglottic entrapment".

"Unfortunately this afternoon I’ve had to withdraw Glenfiddich from the Caulfield Guineas," Moody said in a statement on Twitter.

"The colt has developed an epiglottic entrapment which will require minor surgery. Still some hope for the Coolmore Stud S. on Derby Day but more realistic will return (in the) autumn."

Glenfiddich will undergo surgery to fix the problem on Thursday.

Caulfield backup for Hungry Heart

G1 Flight S. runner-up Hungry Heart (Frankel {GB}) will back-up in the G1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield this weekend.

The Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old was a surprise acceptor for the $500,000 feature for 3-year-old fillies and has drawn barrier three with Hugh Bowman booked to ride.

She has been rated the $4.20 second-favourite on TAB behind the unbeaten G2 Thousand Guineas prelude winner Instant Celebrity (Not A Single Doubt).

Ole Kirk drawn well

The draw for Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Guineas was released on Tuesday with the favourite for the race Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) landing a favourable gate in seven.

G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) has also drawn well in barrier three while King's Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) and Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) have drawn barriers 12 and 11 respectively.

Praise for Guineas hope

Damien Oliver had his first sit on his G1 Caulfield Guineas ride in Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) on Tuesday morning and he was full of praise for the Chris Waller-trained colt.

"He certainly got around the left-handed way at Caulfield for the first time as good as you can ask for. I was happy with him," Oliver told Racing.com.

"You just want to see a horse coming from Sydney adapt to going left-handed for the first time and make the turns well. It's a bonus if they take it all in their stride, which he seemed to do this morning."

Spring Champion for Cherry

Patrick Payne has elected to run Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) in the G1 Spring Champion S. at Randwick on Saturday instead of the G1 Caulfield Guineas due to forecast rain in Melbourne.

“It looks like it could be wet in Melbourne and I think he’ll struggle to finish top five in the Caulfield Guineas, but is a realistic first three chance in the Champion S.,’’ Payne told Racing.com.

Love Tap offer rejected

Connections of G1 Spring Champion S. favourite Love Tap (Tapit {USA}) have rejected lucrative offers for the unbeaten 3-year-old ahead of the $1 million race.

“The owners said they didn’t buy this horse as an investment strategy, they bought him as a lifestyle choice and they are living the dream,’’ Dean Watt of Dynamic Syndications told Racenet.

“He’s already a ‘free’ horse as he’s won more than we paid for him as a yearling.

“When our prizemoney is tax-free - and we have some of the wealthiest races in the world – then it is exciting to think we have a genuine, good horse that is eligible for so many of those good races.’’

Caulfield target for Anders

Boom 3-year-old Anders (Not A Single Doubt) will have his next run in either the G3 Blue Sapphire S. on October 14 or the G2 Caulfield Sprint on October 17 after impressing connections in a jump-out on Tuesday morning.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt was originally targeting the G1 Moir S. but was found to have a temperature in the lead-up to the race and was subsequently ruled out of the 1000 metre dash.

"He'll either run in the Blue Sapphire or the Caulfield Sprint," Eustace told RSN.

"Based on this morning I'm leaning towards the Blue Sapphire. He really did relax nicely underneath Mark (Zahra).

"We really think it will suit Mark's style of riding and it was suggested to me this morning the 1200 metres would be fine, so hopefully he comes through it well, we can gallop Saturday and head towards that race with the Caulfield Sprint as a back-up.”

Vinery welcomes Farnan half-brother

Vinery Stud has welcomed the half-brother to Champion 2-year-old Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) on Sunday night.

After missing in 2017 and 2018, Farnan’s dam Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}) produced a colt by young Arrowfield Stud sire The Autumn Sun.

RV awaiting results

Racing Victoria is expecting to know later this week whether Aidan and Joseph O'Brien's international spring contingent have been exposed to contaminated feed.

The trainers were forced to scratch their runners in Ireland and France over the weekend due to alleged contamination concerns. RV has conducted testing on the 10 horses they have in quarantine at Werribee.

"Reports from both trainers and international racing authorities are that feed used by both stables has been found in Europe to be contaminated with the prohibited substance Zilpaterol," RV said in a statement.

Innes chasing last leg

Big-race jockey Leith Innes believes Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) could be the horse to help him complete the Hawke’s Bay Group 1 Triple Crown.

Innes has won the first two legs of Hastings’ spring attraction, taking the G1 Tarzino Trophy on three and the G1 Windsor Park Plate once, but he has had no luck in the G1 Livamol Classic.

However, the South Auckland-based hoop feels he could have the right ammunition with Two Illicit to give him his first on Saturday week.

“Obviously in a dream world you would want to ride Melody Belle, but apart from her there’s nothing else I would want to be on than Two Illicit,” Innes said.

“I haven’t had any luck in the Livamol and I would definitely love to knock it off. It’s a Group 1 that I haven’t won yet. I like riding at Hastings and to win all three legs would be special.”

Mohaather to stand at Nunnery Stud

Group 1 winner Mohaather (GB), the son of Showcasing (GB), will stand at Nunnery Stud in 2021, Shadwell announced on Monday.

The 2020 G1 Sussex S. hero was retired earlier this year after sustaining bone bruising in his near hind fetlock joint. A fee for the bay will be announced later.

Richard Lancaster, Shadwell Stud Director, said, “The entire team at Shadwell are delighted to be standing Mohaather at Nunnery. He put up arguably the best performance of any miler this year when defeating a top-class field in the Sussex S., backing up what was an ultra-impressive performance in the Summer Mile at Ascot. His explosive turn of foot will live long in the memory.”

Goffs Autumn Yearling Catalogue online

The Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale holds the unique distinction of being the only yearling sale to take place in Ireland in 2020, and the catalogue for the 2020 edition is now online.

Slated for Kildare Paddocks on November 4 and 5, the sale will offer 461 yearlings, with 61 lots originally from the Goffs Sportsman’s Sale that did not travel to the UK.

“Due to the issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the relocation to the UK of the major Irish yearling sales, the Goffs Autumn Sale will have the distinction of being the only dedicated yearling sale held in Ireland this year,” said Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby.

“We commend it to potential purchasers who seek quality and value as the performances of its many winning graduates this season graphically illustrate that the Autumn Yearling Sale features both facets in abundance.

“This year’s catalogue contains some impressive commercial types which are further bolstered by a draft of Sportsman’s yearlings making the sale a most attractive proposition.

“Together with our colleagues at Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, we look forward to welcoming buyers back to Kildare Paddocks, in person and online, for both the Autumn Yearling and Horses In Training Sales.”

Into Mischief bumped to US$225,000 for 2021

Into Mischief (USA), the reigning leading general sire whose son Authentic (USA) became his first Classic winner in the G1 Kentucky Derby last month, will command a fee of US$225,000 (AU$313,065) for the 2021 breeding season, officials at Spendthrift Farm have announced.

The sire of 26 stakes winners and 11 Graded winners in 2020, the 15-year-old stood for US$175,000 (AU$243,495) this past year. Only War Front (USA) currently stands for a larger advertised fee.

“In our minds, there was only one box left to tick for Into Mischief and that was siring a Classic winner. Authentic was able to do that pretty emphatically in the Kentucky Derby, and we continue to believe the best is still to come for Into Mischief,” said Ned Toffey, General Manager at Spendthrift.

“Authentic, Gamine and these 3-year-olds were bred on a US$45,000 (AU$62,869) fee, and Into Mischief has continued to cover better books every year.

“It has been gratifying to see him thrive in the sales arena, including having the second-highest yearling average along with more seven-figure yearlings than any other North American sire in 2020.

“Into Mischief is the best sire in the world and set to continue to prove it. We are also confident he will become an important sire of sires and have shown that in our commitment to acquiring his best sons.”

Cupid Colt tops Midlantic opener

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale got underway with an abbreviated session Monday afternoon which opened with an offering of 154 catalogued New York-breds and featured the session’s two six-figure transactions.

During Monday’s session, 162 of 200 catalogued yearlings went through the ring with 122 selling for a gross of US$2,983,600 (AU$4,151,381). The average was US$24,456 (AU$34,028) and the median was US$15,000 (AU$20,871). A further 374 yearlings are catalogued for Tuesday’s second and final session of the auction.

Just minutes into the action, Vicki and Mike McGowan’s Xtreme Racing Stables purchased the day’s top-priced offering when going to US$160,000 (AU$222,624) to acquire a colt from the first crop of Grade 1 winner Cupid (USA) (Hip 4). The yearling was consigned by Eaton Sales.

“We put him here because we thought he would be a bigger fish in a smaller pond,” Eaton’s Reiley McDonald said. “I think he was so good physically that he brought as much here as he would have brought anywhere else in the country.

“When you are in the top 20 per cent of the auction, whether it is this year or any other, you are probably going to do relatively close to the same, except at the very highest levels where you need the principals bidding.

“So if it’s an agent-driven year, which it has been, we are not going to hit the huge high numbers. At the same time, he was a beautiful colt and a lot of people liked him. He was clean and he sold really well in this market.

“We’ve never sold here before, so it was a nice experiment and it worked well for us.”

She’s A Julie headed to Fasig-Tipton

Winner of the G1 Ogden Phipps S., She’s A Julie (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) has been retired from racing and will be offered as a broodmare prospect at the November 8 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Denali Stud will consign her for the partnership of Bradley Thoroughbreds, Tim and Anna Cambron, Denali Stud, Rigney Racing, and Madaket Stables.

“Her talent was obvious with two Grade 1 wins on top of her other Graded stakes wins and Grade 1 placings,” said Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

“She was the real deal on the racetrack, but you have got to see her in person to understand what a beautiful mare she is. Named after my wife, she is so very special to me and my family. It is really hard for me to let this one go.”