No magic fix for mare

Quality international mare Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was withdrawn on Friday from the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

Fourth in the race last year before winning the G1 Mackinnon S., Magic Wand has been scratched by trainer Aidan O’Brien due to lameness in her off-fore leg.

Her stablemate Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had also been under an injury cloud, but Racing Victoria vets have cleared the 4-year-old to run.

With Magic Wand out, O’Brien’s son Joseph will be represented by Buckhurst (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who had controversially been made the first emergency earlier in the week, coming off the ballot to take his place with Jamie Kah to ride.

Mugatoo ready to go

Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) has pleased connections with his work ahead of the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate.

The Kris Lees-prepared 6-year-old arrived in Melbourne a fortnight ago and has galloped twice at The Valley under race day jockey John Allen, who has delivered positive reports to the gelding’s trainer.

Mugatoo brings different form lines to the table having won at Group 3 level in the Premier’s Cup at Rosehill and the Newcastle Gold Cup. At his last appearance he finished second in the G1 Metropolitan.

Doomben best option

Money has spoken with the well-bred Ghostwriter (I Am Invincible) to make his debut at Doomben rather than at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Annabel Neasham has sent the 2-year-old to Queensland for the bigger winning cheque as he is eligible for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic after Aquis bought him out of Rosemont Stud’s draft at the Gold Coast for $975,000.

Ghostwriter’s grandam is a sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and champion sire High Chaparral (Ire).

Eagle ambassador

The Australian Turf Club has confirmed TV personality, singer and former Miss World Australia Erin Holland as the official ambassador of Golden Eagle Day, featuring the $7.5 million Iron Jack Golden Eagle to be held at Rosehill October 31.

The popular personality is a familiar face to Western Sydney and has been a lover of horses from a young age and will bring her passion for racing and fashion to the day.

A classically trained soprano singer, Holland will be performing the national anthem before the Golden Eagle and will also be part of the judging panel alongside Everest Carnival Ambassador Samantha Armytage and Elle Halliwell for this year’s digitally led Spring Fashion Stakes competition.

“I am honoured to be representing the ATC on Golden Eagle Day and look forward to being trackside, surrounded by elite horses and world-class fashion. I can’t wait to see a splash of gold incorporated into racegoers looks,” Holland said.

Top honour to Nature Strip

Multiple Group 1 winner Nature Strip (Nicconi) has been named TAB New South Wales Horse of the Year Award and Australian Turf Club Champion Sprinter.

The Arrowfield Stud Champion 2-Year-Old Award was taken out by Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) while Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) won the Inglis Champion 3-Year-Old Award.

Fierce Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was the Wild Oaks Miler of the Year and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) was crowned Champion Middle Distance Horse. Sponsored by the NSW Trainers’ Association, they dedicated the award to fellow trainer and NSWTA Board member, Rick Worthington, who passed away recently.

Highclere Australia’s Champion Stayer Award winner was Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and the City Tattersalls Club Queen of the Autumn winner was Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}).

Co-major sponsor Racing NSW also presented their annual awards on the night, with Waller, who also picked up the T J Smith Award for Sydney’s premiership-winning trainer, again taking out the coveted Bart Cummings Medal.

Other awards presented included the George Moore Award to James McDonald and the Theo Green Award to Robbie Dolan, Sydney Strapper of the Year was Graeme Wilson while the BOBS Horse of the Year was a tie between Fituese (Deep Field) and Edison (Fastnet Rock).

Sky Thoroughbred Central Champion Country Horse was Victorem (I Am Invincible) and Raheen House (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was the TAB Champion Provincial Horse.

NSW Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year, renamed the Caryl Williamson Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year in honour of their much-admired colleague, was won by Warwick Farm trainer Greg Hickman.

Guineas prospects

The strength of Ben Foote's hand in next month's G1 Barneswood Farm 48th New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton will become clearer after racing this weekend.

Foote will saddle Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) in Saturday's G3 Waikato Stud Soliloquy S. at Te Rapa and produce Vitesse Bo (NZ) (Proisir) in the G3 War Decree S. at Riccarton less than an hour later.

"Babylon Berlin has shown she's up to it and the other filly is really progressive. I was looking at the Soliloquy for her too, but the mile and the bigger track will suit her better down south. If she ran in the Soliloquy, she would have needed the right draw and everything to go right," Foote said.

Vitesse Bo is a half-sister to G1 Levin Classic winner Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca).

"She's big and strong and a really good doer, just not quite as natural as Travelling Light was," Foote said. “We want to make the 1000 Guineas field if she's up to it so she's going to have to go super-well on Saturday and run in the first three.”

Caravaggio to Coolmore America

Caravaggio (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) has been relocated from Coolmore’s headquarters in Ireland to its American base at Ashford Stud for the 2021 season.

“Ever since he retired to stud, Caravaggio has been supported by top American-based breeders such as David Anderson, Peter Berglar, John Gunther, Hunter Valley Farm, Runnymede Farm, Fred Hertrich, Mike Ryan, e5 Racing & Merriebelle Stables,” said Ashford’s Director of Sales Charlie O’Connor who co-bred the printer with his father-in-law’s Windmill Manor Farms.

This support carried into the sales ring in both the US and Europe with several of his highest-priced yearlings being bought by American-based owners including Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, Wesley Ward, Ben McElroy, Susan Moulton, DJ Stables, Mike Akers and Meah/Lloyd for Calvin Nguyen. These included a US$400,000 (AU$559,487) filly and a US$300,000 (AU$419,615) colt sold by Gainesway at Keeneland.

EquiPotential NZ launched

The Hamilton Group Riding for the Disabled (HGRDA) is now an independent organisation and will be known as EquiPotential NZ Inc.

“This is a significant decision for our organisation and there were several drivers for this change – the most important being the need to meet the ever-increasing demand for therapeutic riding programs across the community,” President Kathie Shepard said.

Equipotential is an area where all points have equal potential. This reflects that everyone involved in the organisation has equal potential, which will be developed by building people’s capabilities through interaction with horses.

Based at the Waikato Equestrian Centre, the organisation that changes lives has a big eye on the future, with plans to significantly extend its community reach.

“COVID-19 gave our organisation the opportunity to analyse our services and our environment, and to develop a very clear vision for our future opportunities. You do not grow if you do not change.

"The demand for our services is enormous and we have responded to this by developing new programs and opportunities for our community,” said Ms Shepard.

“A review of our strategic plan identified areas outside of traditional riding programs that the wider community is crying out for and these are services that we can and will professionally provide."

Equipotential NZ salutes the volunteers, funders, sponsors and supporters who have been crucial to the group’s success to date. David Ellis CNZM and Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM remain joint Patrons of the organisation.

Clearance rate stays high

The prices may have dipped significantly at Arqana on Thursday, but the activity at the sales grounds did not. If anything there were more people in attendance than on previous days, with the boost in French 2-year-old premiums to 70 per cent perhaps acting as an incentive for owners.

Certainly buyers were out in force and the clearance rate climbed again for this third tier of the Sale, though it has to be said that not many below the top 20 lots of the day would have made any kind of profit for their breeder after expenses. That said, if you breed a horse in France, even if the sales price is not profitable there is always the chance that the horse keeps earning for you through breeders’ premiums.

One of the joint top-lots of the day (635) from Haras de Grandcamp is off to race in Poland, where his half-sister Furia (Fr) (Campanologist [USA}) won the Oaks among her five 3-year-old victories. Daniela Nowara signed the ticket for the son of Mastercraftsman (Ire) out of the G2 Prix Corrida winner Fair Breeze (Ger) (Silvano {Ger}) on behalf of his new owner at €42,000 (AU$53,000).

The same price was bid by Victor Langlais of Langlais Bloodstock and Ludovic Gadbin for Lot 640, Haras de la Haie Neuve’s son of the first-season War Front (USA) stallion Whitecliffsofdover (USA).

The shortest session of the week so far saw 87 of the 105 yearlings offered find a buyer, at a clearance rate of 83 per cent. Turnover was €1,221,500 (AU$2.03 million), the average price was €14,040 (AU$23,240) and median €13,000 (AU$21,580).

Without Parole to Newsells Park

G1 St James’s Palace S. winner Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2021 at Newsells Park Stud in England.

“We’re delighted to be standing Without Parole at Newsells Park. It’s no secret that we, like virtually every other global stallion operation, chased this horse hard after his impressive win at Royal Ascot and it’s fitting he should now retire to the stud where he was born and raised,” Newsells Park Stud General Manager Julian Dollar said.

“Without Parole is a beautiful horse with an athletic physique and superb conformation. He’ll certainly be heavily supported by Newsells Park and of course his Eclipse award-winning breeders, John and Tanya Gunther.”

Goffs Sales

Goffs UK staged a pair of sales at its Doncaster headquarters on Thursday, the Autumn Horses-in-Training & Autumn Yearling Sales and the Silver Yearling Sale, which was amalgamated with the Autumn sales for 2020 due to the rescheduling necessitated by COVID-19.

The Autumn yearlings portion of the Sale was topped by a first-crop daughter of Overbury Stud’s G1 Irish Derby and G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Jack Hobbs (GB); Lot 302 was selected by Ian Pallas for £15,000 (AU$27,540).

An offering of 129 horses in training kicked off proceedings, with the Philip Hobbs-trained jumper Crooks Peak (GB) (Arcadio {Ger}) (Lot 131) leading the way when bought by Ryan Mahon for £36,000 (AU$66,100).

A filly by War Command (USA) (Lot 208) led the way at the Silver Yearling Sale, having been bought by Tony Coyle and David Bishop for £12,000 (AU$22,000).