Daily News Wrap

Entries now open

Entries are now open for this year's edition of the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale.

The Sale will be held at the Gold Coast on November 8 and 9 after four breeze-up sessions at three venues around Australia.

In 2020 the Sale boasted an outstanding depth to the buying bench with successful bidders from six states and six countries. There were 106 individual buyers across 130 sold lots.

Important dates

Baddock departs

Long-term Gooree Park Stud Manager Andrew Baddock has announced his departure from the Mudgee-based operation after nearly 36 years of service.

Baddock and his partner Natasha Ackland will join Mick and Michelle Talty in running the esteemed Edinglassie Stud at Muswellbrook.

“I have been at Gooree for the majority of my working life and have loved every minute of it. I am very proud of the success the farm has achieved over many years,” Baddock said.

“I will be forever grateful to the Cojuangco family for the opportunities they have given me and I have so many great memories, but the offer to team up with lifetime friends Mick, Michelle and the team at Edinglassie was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“The success Edinglassie has achieved over the last 30 years and the respect the farm has in the industry is testament to the hard work, ability and commitment of Mick and Michelle.”

First for Moore

Jumbo Goal (Exceed And Excel) gifted esteemed trainer John Moore his first metropolitan winner under his own name since returning from Hong Kong when breaking his maiden at Doomben on Wednesday.

The lightly raced 2-year-old finished 0.3l the better of the Robert Heathcote-trained Chief Artie (Flying Artie) in the 1100-metre maiden.

Duryea progressing

Injured Queensland-based trainer Darleen Duryea is steadily progressing from serious spinal and brain injuries sustained in a trackwork fall at Beaudesert last month.

“Darleen had a good day today, she was able to be lifted out of bed for the first time and was taken for a little ride around her ward to see some daylight which she enjoyed,” a statement read.

“She has no recollection of the accident and her memory overall comes and goes. She is in good spirits but not totally aware of the situation she is in and will no doubt over the coming weeks learn more about the predicament she is in.”

Stayer's return delayed

Trainer Robert Hickmott has confirmed on SEN Track that former boom import Schabau’s (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) return has been delayed by a week or two.

Hickmott said the 6-year-old gelding has come back nicely following an extended layoff and will bypass Flemington on Saturday in preference for an easier task in the coming weeks.

Price waiting on Rupee

Co-trainer Luke Price told SEN Track that a decision on whether promising gelding Count De Rupee (Real Impact {Jpn}) will line up at Rosehill on Saturday is to be made within the next 48 hours.

Price said the 3-year-old is trending in the right direction since pulling up with bruised feet after finishing down the track at Eagle Farm last month.

Findings revealed

Victorian Racing Integrity commissioner Sean Carroll has submitted a series of recommendations into the operations of Victorian stewards, following a detailed investigation into stewards’ handling of charges against Cranbourne-based trainer Richard Laming and his staff’s alleged tubing of Jamaican Rain (Manhattan Rain) in 2019.

Carroll’s findings, released on Wednesday, have led to eight recommendations, including ‘Racing Victoria to address the lack of transparency and accountability about how stewards exercise their discretion to prosecute and enforce the rules' along with ‘Racing Victoria to review and strengthen the minimum standards of education for key integrity staff’.

"The ensuing uncertainty and speculation served to undermine the racing industry and public confidence about whether the stewards, whose role is to 'police' the rules, had fallen short of maintaining the high standards of integrity expected of them," Carroll wrote.

Coffeys combine

Swan Hill-based trainer Austy Coffey and his jockey son, Harry teamed up to score a metropolitan winner at Sandown on Wednesday.

Messignadi (Turffontein), a 2-year-old filly out of Dozers Sister (Desert Sun {GB}) who is part-owned by Austy’s youngest son Harry remained unbeaten when winning the 2-year-old fillies H. by 0.3l.

Cumani delighted

Trainer Matt Cumani was delighted with the trial of star Enable’s (GB), half-brother Centroid (GB) (Dansili {GB}) at Bendigo on Wednesday.

Cumani said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the lightly raced 6-year-old's effort over 1400 metres, saying he expected to see him “very one-paced”.

"He went well actually, very good. He needed to be picked up a little bit in the straight and I was really happy with the way he finished off and he looked like a horse that when he gets up over a bit of distance he will be able to perform really well,” Cumani told Racing.com.

Werther in work

G1 ATC Derby runner-up Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) has returned from a two-month spell in superb order according to trainer Danny O’Brien.

"We're really happy with him coming back from his break, so hopefully he can improve again into the spring,” O’Brien told Racing.com.

“He only had three runs in the spring and he didn't have a hard autumn. He went up to Sydney for a couple of runs and then to the paddock, so he's still got more to give hopefully."

Surgery for Ryan

Rising trainer Nick Ryan will be sidelined from riding his horses in trackwork for the next five to six weeks after undergoing surgery on a hernia on Wednesday morning.

"I'll try my craft at a few other things. I'll get out in the tower and start trying to clock a few," Ryan told Racing.com.

"I'll take it as a bit of a challenge watching them as I can't always be on their backs riding them in work.”