Daily News Wrap

First winner for Pariah

Pariah filly Nalabelle made a solid case at Wagga on Thursday to watch going forward with a barrier to post 8l demolition for Canberra trainer Nick Olive.

She became the first winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based sire, who has had five starters.

In control from the outset with Jeff Penza aboard, the filly from Danewin mare Rivadorf stepped away from the field with absolute ease at the top of the straight in the 1000-metre race and kept getting stronger to the line for the crushing win.

Olive purchased Nalabelle for $32,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Nolan family's Noralla Stud, Queensland. Nalabelle is the dam’s first foal to race, while older half-sister Bitter Romance (Kiss And Make Up) has had a spring trial at the Gold Coast only. Rivadorf has a Husson filly foal.

Stackhouse airlifted after fall

Leading jockey Daniel Stackhouse was flown to hospital after a fall at Kilmore on Thursday.

Stackhouse was riding the Matt Cumani-trained Armansky (Mongolian Khan) when he fell in Race 4 at Kilmore, with fellow hoop Dean Holland also falling from Jodie Thompson’s More Saturdays (Needs Further).

Stackhouse was quickly attended to by the on-course ambulance before the decision was made to fly him to Melbourne.

He was conscious with initial reports from the track suggesting possible leg, pelvis and rib injuries.

It was later confirmed Stackhouse had received multiple rib fractures, liver damage and a small fracture of the pelvis.

Holland walked back to the jockeys’ room but was complaining of foot and knee pain. He was stood down from his remaining rides at Kilmore.

Both Armansky and More Saturdays were not seriously injured in the fall.

Colts in shape for Blue Diamond Prelude

Exciting Epaulette colt Daumier hasn’t dropped any form going into Saturday’s G3 Blue Diamond Prelude over 1100 metres, said Sam Freedman ahead of the race.

“We feel he’s in his right race,’’ Freedman said. “He’s got a nice gate and should get a nice run throughout.”

Freedman said Daumier had surprised over 1000 metres and had been very sharp but he had always been a horse they liked and thought better suited at 1100 or 1200 metres.

James Cummings said Thursday Daumier along with Jacquinot (Rubick) were the benchmarks and 'pretty good colts' but believed his Sepoy colt Lascars has had a bit of experience and learned from a jump-out.

“They’re going to be the benchmark going into the Blue Diamond but we’re happy with the way he’s going,’’ Cummings said of the runner-up in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. last October.

“He’ll just need to improve on his form from the spring.”

Seeking a more focussed Moko

Listed Merson Cooper S. placegetter Moko (Impending) is still a bit green but has a bright future ahead of her, Sam Freedman said, and takes some hopes for his team into the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies over 1100 metres on Saturday.

Craig Williams rides the filly from Dubawi (Ire) mare Zubbaya who gets the winkers on to keep her more focused.

“She’s taken a bit of improvement, she’s still a bit green and new and doesn’t know how to do it all just yet,’’ said Freedman. “But she’s got a bright future even though she might be even better suited at 1200 metres or even 1400 metres down the track.

“She can be a little bit green but she’s a nice filly going the right way.”

Her company in the race include the Godolphin trio of Seven Sisters (Street Boss {USA}) Astern filly Va Via, and the exciting and super-pedigreed Sumatra by Lonhro and out of G1 Blue Diamond winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel), a runner up on debut to Counttheheadlights (I Am Invincible) last month.

The rub on Sandpaper

A win by Robusto (Churchill {Ire}) on Wednesday at Warwick Farm has bolstered the form of Snitzel colt Sandpaper for the 2-year-old feature at Randwick on Saturday, says James Cummings.

“He beat that horse nicely at Canterbury on debut,’’ Cummings said. “He’s going about his business well. I’d like to think under race pressure he can find even more.”

That race pressure will come in the Coolmore Pierro Plate where Sandpaper will be joined by, among others, Godolphin’s Lonhro filly Magic Carpet.

“Despite running unplaced in two runs in the spring, she was well-liked in the Debutant (S.) last year and then just about started favourite in a 15-horse field in Melbourne, but it just came all too soon for her,’’ Cummings said.

“She’s done really well in her let-up and we like the way she’s gone about her work leading into this. If she can come back and compete with these horses we can look at some nice 2-year-old fillies' races in the next couple of months,’’ he said.

Jewell takes reins at Hawkesbury

Experienced racing executive David Jewell has been appointed administrator of Hawkesbury Race Club.

Jewell’s appointment by the industry’s governing body Racing NSW took effect from Thursday, December 23 after the Hawkesbury Board resigned their positions at the end of last year.

“We had a Members’ raceday here on Tuesday, and I addressed those present to update them on developments,” Jewell said Thursday.

“My role is to ensure things keep running smoothly by supporting management and making decisions in the Club’s best interests. As administrator, I effectively have the same power and responsibilities of the Board.

“I will be in charge until such time as a new Board is in place. Racing NSW has indicated that at this stage this is unlikely to occur until later in the year.”

Australian-born Jewell has a wealth of experience in the industry, having filled many roles, including General Manager Racing and Operations of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, during a 34-year stint in New Zealand.

He took up a new role as CEO of Wyong Race Club in 2014 at a time when the Board had been dismissed by Racing NSW.

More recently following his 'retirement', Jewell was asked by RacingNSW to step in as administrator at Tamworth Jockey Club to sort out problems that had arisen there.

“Pleasingly, Tamworth is now going ahead in leaps and bounds and it’s my goal to ensure a similar result at Hawkesbury, and I’m confident that will occur.”

Mills makes US purchase

Sheamus Mills Bloodstock overnight in the United States at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale snapped up broodmare prospect Road To Romance (USA) (Quality Road {USA}), a two-time stakes runner, from Bluewater Sales.

The 4-year-old mare is from Vindication (USA) mare Romantic Frolic (USA) and cost Mills US$160,000 (AU$223,000).

A cut above

Recent G1 La Brea S. runner-up Brilliant Cut (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) was as popular as many expected her to be, topping the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale at US$750,000 (AU$1.05 million). Japan's Katsumi Yoshida was the winning bidder over the internet.

A total of 431 horses changed hands during the two-day auction for a gross of US$17,245,500 (AU$24 million) with an average of US$40,013 (AU$55,000) and median of US$16,000 (AU$22,000).

“Tremendous horse sale,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said. “There was great activity on all types and levels of horses, unlike a few years ago when it was all or nothing at the top,’’ he added.

“The encouraging thing was the depth of the marketplace for yearlings, racing/broodmare prospects and mares in foal. People had money to spend and orders to fill. There was a tremendous clearance rate. From our perspective, February has clearly established itself as a meaningful Sale on the calendar that people should point horses to in the future.”

2500 up for Johnson

Riding legend Chris Johnson provided racing fans with another magic moment when he claimed his 2500th New Zealand winner at Invercargill on Thursday.

Johnson, 57, who last season established a new record for New Zealand wins, guided the Michael House-trained Lincoln Hills (All Too Hard).

It was a typically patient Johnson ride as he bided his time back in midfield behind a torrid early pace before unleashing the All Too Hard 7-year-old for an irresistible finish, scoring by 1.25l.

And typically Johnson was equally as humble afterwards - and expedient with his words.

"It's good but it is just a number, isn't it?" Johnson said.

"What it shows more than anything is that racing has been very good to me. It's nice to get any winner but I can tell you number 2501 will be even better."

Night Of Thunder colt tops at Goffs

Wednesday of the Goffs February Sale, an all-weanling cast, put on a show which resulted in €2,161,800 (AU$2.925 million) being added to turnover which has now surpassed that reaped by the previous two-day Sale of 2020, while the median remained at a respectable €10,000 (AU$13,500) and the average was €15,665 (AU$21,000) for 138 horses sold at a clearance rate of 76 per cent.

Top lot was from the late Sheikh Hamdan's legacy of 40 years of breeding through his Shadwell Stud, a Night Of Thunder (Ire) weanling that was selected by the husband-and-wife team of Frannie and Niamh Woods, whose sound judgement has been validated on more than one occasion.

Signing under their Abbeylands Farm banner, they bought the colt out of Afdhaad (GB) (Nayef {USA}) for €125,000 (AU$169,500). Both his dam and his grandam Albaraah (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) passed through the same ring in the Shadwell draft last November, the former selling for €25,000 (AU$34,000) to Charles Shanahan and the latter to Barronstown Stud for €230,000 (AU$311,000).

Frannie Woods, who plans to reoffer the Night Of Thunder colt in the autumn, said: “He's by one of the best sires in Europe and he's a lovely colt. I'm delighted to buy one from Shadwell who have been such great supporters of ours over the year. He'll come back later in the year and we'll be hoping for a bit of luck with the pedigree.’’

Woods could enjoy an update as early as Saturday with the mare's first foal Alafdhal (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) an entry for a novice stakes at Lingfield.

Hope returns to racing

Lee Hope is back in racing after he and son Shannon were disqualified for three years in 2019 dating back to cobalt-related offences from 2015.

The Kilmore-based trainers have been away from the racetrack for more than 1000 days and may chance their hand at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne hoping to pick up some horses for their 27-box stable and expect to have their first runner in the coming weeks.

Lee has had his trainer’s licence approved but Shannon has, at this point, been granted a stable employee registration only and his licence application will be considered at the Racing Victoria Board meeting later this month.

“We have got six horses and three trackwork riders helping us so it’s baby steps,” Lee Hope told Racing.com.

“A few old owners helped up with some tried horses, if we went out and bought a yearling it will be a while before they get there.

“We will probably go down and have a look at Melbourne (yearling sales) and have a nosey round there, but we won’t be putting our hand up too much I don’t think.

“We’ve only been open a week and we couldn’t do anything prior to that because the disqualification didn’t end until the 28th (of January) so we were on the other side of the fence.’’

Trophy haul

A dozen Royal Ascot trophies won by US trainer Wesley Ward have been stolen from his home in Kentucky.

The theft occurred on Tuesday morning when the intruder entered through an unlocked back door and poached all of Ward's Royal Ascot trophies earned since 2009.

Just one Breeders' Cup trophy was taken but other personal items belonging to Ward, including his laptop and desktop computer, were not stolen.

"It's strange they took what they did and that and that only," Ward said.

"They're really worth nothing except to my family and I guess if you melt them down for the silver and gold you could get some money, but it wouldn't be that much. Their street value, what could they be worth? Maybe US$50 per trophy."

Local police are investigating the case while Ward has already contacted British racing officials to inquire about the possibility of ordering replacement trophies.