Daily News Wrap

Four injured in Flemington tree fall

Four people were hospitalised with one suffering life-threatening injuries after a tree limb fell on them at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday evening.

Emergencies services were quickly on the scene with security employed by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) clearing the area for police and fire brigade crews to get full access

“At approximately 6.19pm this evening, a tree branch fell from a gum tree situated in the taxi rank zone of Flemington Racecourse, injuring some nearby patrons,” the statement from the VRC read.

“First aid assistance was rendered within two minutes of the incident, ahead of the arrival of emergency services. Our immediate thoughts are with those injured and their families. The focus of the Victoria Racing Club is providing any assistance we can to those affected.”

First NZ Winner for War Decree

Two-year-old debutant Turf War (NZ) showed plenty of courage as he held off all challenges to register the first victory for his sire War Decree (USA) when taking out the opening event at Wingatui on Saturday.

Bred and raced by Gus Wigley and his wife Bianca under their Inglewood Stud banner, Turf War is from the first crop of G2 Goodwood Vintage S. winner War Decree, their current resident stallion who is a son of internationally acclaimed stallion War Front (USA).

Turf War was prepared by Wigley’s father Nick in partnership with Kayla Milnes. Turf War is the first foal of High Chaparral (Ire) mare Shuffled who is a full sister to G1 VRC Derby winner Ace High, who now stands at Rich Hill Stud and will have his first crop of yearlings at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Sale this year.

Inglewood Stud will offer a half-sister to Turf War by Lonhro as Lot 578 during the Book 1 sale at Karaka which commences Monday.

Cup bookings come from Roy Higgins Quality

Sydney and Adelaide Cup contenders have emerged from Saturday's Listed Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington.

Crystal Pegasus (GB) (Australia {GB}) earned a shot at the $2 million Sydney Cup by winning the Quality and runner-up Tigertiger (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) confirmed his path to Monday week's $300,000 Adelaide Cup over 3200 metres.

The winning Roy Higgins Quality favourite Crystal Pegasus brought up a hat-trick of wins with Jamie Kah getting the Chris Waller-trained import home a comfortable 5l in front of Tigertiger.

Boom day for Spirit Of Boom

It was a boom day for Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom on Saturday, scoring five winners for the day.

Three of those wins came on the Sunshine Coast Poly circuit with 3-year-old fillies Spirit Princess and Boho Beauty and 4-year-old gelding Safework.

Two of those winners were with Zac Lloyd in the saddle, with Lloyd riding a treble for the day.

Five for the day for Zoustar

Zoustar had the young winners on the go on Saturday, headlined by Millane’s win in the Listed Australian Childhood Foundation Plate at Flemington and well supported by wins in South Australia’s two Magic Millions feature races at Murray Bridge.

Winning in SA were colt Twin Stars in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Zoist in the race version for 3 and 4-year-olds. But the wins kept coming for the Widden Stud sire, Cap Estel winning at Randwick and Sacred Gift getting the job done in Singapore.

Warne name lives on in racing

Shane Warne's name could remain front and centre in thoroughbred racing for some years to come with a juvenile colt named after and co-owned by the late great of Australian cricket soon to begin a racing campaign, reported Racing.com.

Warne, a 2-year-old colt by Flying Artie, is co-owned by his breeders Newgate Farm and Warne himself after Newgate originally sought permission to name the horse after the cricket legend who died of a suspected heart attack late Friday, aged 52.

Newgate Farm Managing Director Henry Field explained on Saturday that Warne came about when he and his team were considering a name for the colt that was withdrawn from the yearling sales and was set to be raced by Newgate.

"We were kicking around a name for him and we thought, 'Why don't we name him after possibly the greatest legend in Australian sport'?" Field said.

"When the name came through, we thought it would be good manners to let Shane know and give him the opportunity to race the horse with us and we were thrilled that he was so excited about it. It was a great honour that he decided to race the horse with us." Warne has had a prep with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Flood relief funds available

The Australian Turf Club Foundation will expedite $50,000 in funding for racing industry participants and race clubs affected by the ongoing flood emergency in NSW as part of new community grants announced Saturday.

The $50,000 will be on top of a further $150,000 to be dispersed to equine and charitable organisations across NSW under a fifth round of grants from the ATC Foundation.

The ATC Foundation will work closely with the NSW racing industry in some of the worst affected regions to identify practical ways the donations can be used.

In previous years the ATC Foundation has provided emergency deliveries of hay bales, fencing and race club infrastructure during flood and bushfire disasters.

US wagering and purses climb

Total wagering on US races topped US$911 million (AU$1.23 billion) and purse money exceeded US$75 million (AU$101 million) in the month of February, according to statistics released Friday by Equibase.

Compared to the US$840.5 million (AU$1.14 billion) wagered on US races in 2021, the current figure represented a healthy gain of 8.39 per cent while purse money rose by a whopping 22.09 per cent. The number of US racedays and number of races run each increased by double digits, though average field size and the average wagering per race day declined modestly.

When compared to February 2020, weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began to wreak havoc on North American racing, wagering this year was ahead by 1.09 per cent, while US purses were down by about 2 per cent.

Baffert stay rejected

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) voted 10-0 Friday to deny stays of penalties while trainer Bob Baffert and owner Amr Zedan appeal their equine drug positive rulings related to Medina Spirit's (USA) (Protonico {USA}) disqualification from the 2021 G1 Kentucky Derby.

One of Baffert's attorneys, W. Craig Robertson III, told TDN after the vote that the decision was 'very disappointing.' He added that “I have never seen the KHRC not grant a stay in the past. We will take the matter back up with the Franklin Circuit Court on March 17.”

Robertson is referring to an active court case initiated February 28 by Baffert and Zedan to keep their penalisation from being enforced while their case gets appealed at the commission level. When their request for an injunction came before that court March 2, the judge said he would hold off on a full hearing for the matter until after the KHRC had a chance to vote on the stay.

Baffert is facing a 90-day suspension and US$7500 (AU$10,100) fine for now-deceased Medina Spirit's betamethasone overage in the 2021 Derby. Zedan has been ordered by the KHRC to forfeit his colt's purse winnings.

Farewell Le Havre

The Prix du Jockey Club winner and Classic sire Le Havre (Ire) has died at the age of 16. The son of Noverre was euthanised at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux in Normandy just three weeks after his retirement from stud duties had been announced.

Le Havre's owner Gerard Augustin-Normand told TDN at that time, “He has been the most important horse of my life. He was the beginning and it's very emotional for me. I wouldn't have been in the breeding business if he had not been there. Everything began with Le Havre and I wouldn't have started breeding horses without him.

“It has not been easy but it is the right thing to do. We love him so much and he has given us the biggest emotions. I hope he will stay with us as long as possible.”

Sadly, Le Havre was not granted a long retirement but in his 12 full seasons at stud he has to date been represented by 20 Group winners and 30 Listed winners.