Daily News Wrap

Foxwedge heads Woodside Park Stud's roster

Fastnet Rock’s son Foxwedge will head Woodside Park Stud’s 2021 stallion roster at an unchanged service fee of $11,000 (inc GST).

He has been represented this year by the G1 Australian guineas winner Lunar Fox and the G1 Cape Flying Championship S. winner Run Fox Run to take his tally of top-flight winners to five.

Rich Enuff, sire of unbeaten dual Group 3 winner Dosh, will again be available at $8800 (inc GST) and is currently leading the Second Season Sire table for winners by a Victorian-based stallion.

Two-time Group 1 winner Tosen Stardom (Jpn) will be covering his fourth book this year and has had his fee reduced from $12,100 to $7700 (inc GST).

Top internationals will still come

Champion trainer Chris Waller believes high-class internationals will still target the G1 Melbourne Cup in the wake of the review conducted by Racing Victoria and Victoria Racing Club.

Waller, who was a member of the review panel, said changes would ensure the iconic nature of the race.

"The group was all about maintaining the standard and level, but also trying very hard to minimise risk," he told Racing.com.

"The vast majority (of trainers) see that the fact is, we can't afford racing to be put in the papers for the wrong reasons. This is our centrepiece and what captures the nation's attention, and we need to ensure that is the case for many generations to come.

"The best horses will have no problems coming, provided they are sound and have had no previous issues. The lesser-performed horses trying to come out to Australia to make a name, it's going to make it harder for them."

Online tracking of retirees

Racing Victoria (RV) has taken steps to increase its visibility of former thoroughbred racehorses across the state by introducing a new online post-racing platform.

The Off The Track (OTT) Community lays the foundation for a state-based system that will improve data collection and close the knowledge gap on the ownership and location of ex-racehorses in Victoria.

The free online platform – ottcommunity.com.au – will allow retired racehorse owners to claim ownership of their horse, promote their progress post-racing and take advantage of a range of exclusive content and educational offerings – all while playing their part to improve horse visibility in Victoria.

The new system will automatically register all thoroughbreds retiring from the Victorian racing industry on the OTT Community, whether the retired racehorse transitions to their new home via an RV post-racing program or directly from the care of their trainer or owner.

Queensland off table

Group 1 winners Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) will not be competing at the Queensland winter carnival.

“While we had hoped both horses would get to Queensland, we have made the decision that to prepare properly for the Spring, they need to have a decent break,’’ trainer Chris Waller told Racing.com.

“There are no issues with either horses, we just want the appropriate time to prepare them. As everybody in this modern day respects, preparing horses for big races is still an art and they do need a bit of down time.

“I can see both horses are not quite as bright as they were mid-preparation and I would rather stop now than know that I have gone one run too far.’’

Top-flight options

Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) has a number of Group 1 events on her program, starting with Saturday’s G1 TAB Classic, formerly the Robert Sangster Classic, at Morphettville.

“If she runs well, we'll be tempted to stick around and run in the G1 The Goodwood, but we'd definitely prefer to go to Queensland and prep her up for a G1 Stradbroke H. or a G1 Tatts Tiara, which is probably the right race for her," co-trainer Jason Warren told Racing.com.

Brooklyn Hustle finished fourth in the G1 Oakleigh Plate three runs back before she ran eighth in the G1 Newmarket and seventh in the G1 William Reid S. She will be reunited on Saturday with Mark Zahra, who last rode her when they were fourth in the G1 Manikato S. in the spring.

Darling View’s 2021 fees

Darling View Thoroughbreds has announced its 2021 service fees with Playing God, sire of G1 Kingston Town Classic winner Kay Cee and G2 Karakatta Plate and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Ex Sport Man, to increase to $16,500 (inc GST).

He stood his first season at the Western Australian farm at $13,200 (inc GST) after beginning his career at Mungrup Stud and his yearlings have sold for up to $200,000 in 2021.

I’m All The Talk will stand at the unchanged fee of $6600 (inc GST) and Patronize will again be offered at $4400 (inc GST) while Lucky Street’s fee drops from $4400 to $3300 (inc GST).

Spendthrift secures Derby hope

Hronis Racing LLC and Talla Racing LLC's Rock Your World (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}), the G1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner and second favourite for the G1 Kentucky Derby, will stand at B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm at the conclusion of his racing career.

Bred by trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah, Rock Your World was a US$650,000 (AU$836,000) purchase by Sapphire Stable at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale before joining the Southern California barn of trainer John Sadler.

“We are really excited about Rock Your World and thankful to the Hronis family, Michael Talla and John Sadler for allowing us to be a part of the horse's promising future,” Spendthrift General Manager, Ned Toffey, said.

“Rock Your World has a wonderful combination of sheer talent, pedigree and sire power, and he's an imposing physical specimen. We were especially taken by the brilliance he displayed in the Santa Anita Derby in his first start on the dirt, and think he has a great shot to show that again in the Kentucky Derby and beyond.”

Beer to unveil import

Group 3-winning 3-year-old Opalescence (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) will have her first start for Mitchell Beer on Saturday when she contests a 1300 metre BM78 at Sandown.

Previously prepared by Byerley Park trainer Jenna Mahoney, Opalescence was a winner of the G3 Bonecrusher S. at Ellerslie.

Albury trainer Beer has been a good supporter of New Zealand and has formed a good association with Mahoney.

“Jenna does some breaking in and pre-training for me over there,” he said. “It’s an association that came about through Courtney Howells (of Ainsley Downs), who looks after our horses after the sales over there.

“I follow her horses and she follows mine and this one bobbed up and looked pretty well-placed over here, so over she came.”

Yearn headline act

Group 2-winning Savabeel mare Yearn (NZ) is the headline act in the 37-lot Autumn Online Broodmare Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.

Recently retired, Yearn won the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and is Group 1-placed over a mile. Adding precocity to her page, she is out of the juvenile winning Danehill (USA) mare Princess Uno.

“We’re very pleased with how this concept was received by vendors and we have a solid catalogue with a bit of European flair plus Australian sires and our own New Zealand suffix featuring heavily,” Gavelhouse.com representative, Harry King, said.

In addition to the Autumn Online Broodmare Sale, Gavelhouse.com also have live a 46-lot mixed bloodstock auction. Bidding in this sale closes from 7pm (local time) Monday at Gavelhouse.co.nz while the Broodmare Sale ends from 7pm (local time) on Wednesday, May 5 at plus.gavelhouse.com

First stakes test

Exciting 3-year-old No Filter (Toronado {Ire}) will have his first crack at black-type level when he contests the G3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ S. at Te Rapa on Saturday.

He has won three of his seven starts, placing in two others, and trainer Richard Collett said with the exception of one race he has never put a foot wrong.

“He has only really failed once when he over-raced in his second start at Matamata. Every run after that has been very sound, he is unlucky not to have won the whole lot,” Collett said.

“It’s a nice swansong for the season for the horse. It’s nice to get to a Group 3 race with the horse at set weights.”

Racing calendar released

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has released its racing dates for the 2021/22 season.

A total of 293 thoroughbred race meetings are scheduled to be held in the 2021/22 season, 13 more than were scheduled for the current season, but 23 fewer than were scheduled to be run in the 2019/20 season.

The number of venues planned to be used for racing for the coming season is 35, which includes the new Riccarton Park synthetic track. In its first season of use, there are seven meetings scheduled for the Riccarton Park synthetic track from May 2022 onwards.

The Cambridge synthetic track, which will host its first race meeting on May 19, 2021, will be utilised 12 times in the 2021/22 season. The increase of racing held at both synthetic tracks has resulted in the relocation of licenses from other venues.

“The introduction of synthetic track racing is a key part of NZTR’s Venue Plan, and its impact was clearly signalled in that plan,” NZTR Chief Executive Officer, Bernard Saundry, said

Patient approach

Trainer Richard Hannon said he and the team behind Rockcliffe Stud's homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) opted to bypass Sunday's G1 1000 Guineas with a view towards the bigger picture, which could include engagements in races like the G1 Prix de Diane, G1 Coronation S., G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and G1 Falmouth S.

Snow Lantern became the subject of Guineas talk immediately after breaking her maiden in eye-catching fashion at Newbury on April 18.

“It was a team decision,” said Hannon of the call to skip Newmarket this weekend. “She's by a Guineas winner out of a Guineas winner (Sky Lantern), so the 1000 Guineas looked her race, but you've got to look at the bigger picture.

“She has been lightly raced up to now. She's a very heavy filly, and they are looking to keep her as a 4-year-old. They don't want to throw her into the deep end right now. I hold her in the highest regard – I think she could be even better than her mum.”

Battaash progressing well

Four weeks after warning that Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) may miss the chance to defend his title in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, trainer Charlie Hills has issued an upbeat bulletin on the 7-year-old gelding, saying “at the moment there's no reason why he wouldn't make it.”

Battaash won all three starts last year, taking a fourth consecutive G2 King George S. and a second G1 Nunthorpe S. in addition to the King's Stand, but the Shadwell colour bearer picked up a minor fracture while wintering at his owner's farm and was delayed in returning to Hills's yard.

“He's been back with us a week now and straight away he's settled back into his routine of what he has done for the last few years. I'm really pleased with him,” Hill said. “His weight is pretty good and he's showing all the same levels of enthusiasm that he always has done, so I'm happy.”