Forgot You kicks off at The Valley
Group 2 winner Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) will kick off his preparation in a handicap at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, the 4-year-old son of Savabeel’s campaign which will be geared towards the G1 Cox Plate and he has shown an affinity for Moonee Valley, having been unbeaten in three starts there, including the G2 Strutt S.
Forgot You (NZ) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Young said providing Forgot You wins, or runs well on Saturday, the ideal plan would be to head to the G2 Feehan S. at The Valley on September 3, which holds a ballot exemption for the G1 Cox Plate.
"He's filled out and got a little bit stronger as a 4-year-old. He's always been pretty good for a Savabeel colt, but this time in, mentally, he's a lot more there," Young said.
"I think we'll see that on raceday on Saturday."
Lickety Split all set for return
Group 1 winner Lickety Split (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) will return to the races on Saturday with the Andrew Forsman-trained filly set to line up in the G3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ S.
A winner of the G1 Sistema S. last season, Lickety Split warmed up for her return to competition with a trial at over 900 metres at Te Rapa a fortnight ago.
“We would have liked to have given her another trial but thought this looked a suitable race given her performance right-handed,” Forsman said.
“She has had a bit more experience on raceday right-handed and the one run she did have left-handed (seventh in G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.) she got run off on the turns, so she lost a bit of confidence.
“I think the race on Saturday, given it will be one of the better tracks we will get for a little while, looks a good starting point.”
Group 1 option for Uncommon James
Uncommon James’ (Cable Bay {Ire}) victory in the Listed Regal Roller S. at Caulfield last Saturday has earned him a shot at the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. according to his co-trainer Matt Hoysted.
“I think that is the exciting part about this horse – he still doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Hoysted told Racing.com.
“He still has that tendency to run away from other horses. It was really encouraging for him to have that pushing match with Ranges at the top of the straight as he’s never had to do that.
“He’s done it all on his own terms up here in Queensland so that was good for his confidence to have to bullock his way through and once he balanced up he was still able to show that dynamic turn of foot that he’s always had.
“He’s always been very forward and always had that big motor and he’s really starting to learn how to use it now, so the next six months are going to be a fair bit of fun with this bloke.”
Final hours for the Inglis Digital August Boutique Sale
The Inglis Digital August Boutique Sale, which features three notable mares from the Australian Bloodstock portfolio, is due to close at 4pm AEST on Wednesday afternoon.
The standalone, bespoke event offers the 5-year-old Wandjina mare Wandabaa, who was last seen coming second in the G2 Missile S. at Randwick on August 6. Now a winner of close to $1 million in prizemoney, she is for sale alongside her stakes-winning and stakes-placed stablemates Enchanted Heart (Shamus Award) and Lunakorn (Puissance De Lune {Ire}).
Wandabaa | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“The new breeding season is only weeks away and it’s rare that breeding prospects of this quality appear on the open market, so they’re a fantastic opportunity,” said Nick Melmeth, Inglis Digital's business manager.
ATC unveils Weather Tracker
The Australian Turf Club (ATC) has unveiled a new digital service, hosted in partnership with the sports and racing technology experts at tripleSdata, that will deliver live access to weather, wind and track information.
The ATC Weather Tracker will provide wind speed and direction data, plus rainfall, humidity and air temperatures (updated every 15 seconds, in some instances) from multiple points around Sydney racecourses.
The service will be linked to track information and data that includes soil compression and water content, in addition to the usual information currently available like track ratings and rail positions.
“Punters can view via detailed graphics wind speeds, directions and weather conditions from every angle of our racecourses as they change throughout a day,’’ said James Ross, the ATC's general manager of racing and wagering. “Sydney’s world-class racing now has an extra, new, world-leading service for punters.’’
The ATC Weather Tracker will be available via a mobile app, the ATC website, broadcast platforms and across on-course TV screens. Rosehill Gardens and Royal Randwick, starting from August 20, will be the first to use the service, with the technology to be rolled out at Canterbury and Warwick Farm thereafter.
Outgoing members at Canberra Racing Club
The Canberra Racing Club (CRC) has revealed that its Chairman, Tim Olive, and Committeman, Ian Mackay, will not be seeking reelection at the club's Annual General Meeting in October. Olive has served on the committee for 18 years, including two terms as Chairman, while Mackay has been on the committee for five years.
The CRC Vice Chairman, Les Boag, said it was an opportune time for the club to be seeking new members while it acknowledged the contribution of both men.
"We will forever be immensely grateful for the great contributions both Tim and Ian have made, and the time and effort they have given to the club," he said.
The CRC is encouraging new, eligible members to apply for committee positions at the upcoming elections. The club is also recruiting a new chief executive officer and is expecting an announcement in relation to that appointment in the near future.
Vale Ken Smith
The South Australian racing industry is mourning the death of Ken Smith who, at the age of 80, died on Monday after some years of ill health. Smith was a notable owner, breeder and racing administrator.
Alongside his wife Helen, he only recently dispersed his famed Narrung Stud after 15 years of building it up, and the couple's portfolio was best-known for its string of 'Exalted' horses. They won the 2006 G1 Adelaide Cup with Exalted Time (Bellotto {USA}).
Helen and Ken Smith | Image courtesy of Racing SA
Smith, at one time, was on the board of Thoroughbred Racing South Australia (Racing SA) and the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC). The Racing SA Chief Executive, Nick Redin, acknowledged Smith's passing as a sad day for the industy.
"Ken leaves a lasting legacy and will be sorely missed," he said.
Apprentice jockey hospitalised
The 18-year-old apprentice rider Jett Stanley was hospitalised on Tuesday morning after a trackwork fall from one of trainer Mitchell Beer's horses at Albury. According to Racing NSW, Stanley has a fractured clavicle and will be transported to Melbourne for surgery.
Stanley's riding career began in Western Australia, but he returned east in mid-June to take up a tenure with the Albury-based Beer. He's ridden three winners from 10 rides for the trainer.
Stanley's first win as an apprentice rider came at Ascot Racecourse in April last year, and he's the son of the Caulfield Cup-winning jockey and now Cloud 9 trainer, Brent Stanley.
MyRacehorse with first splash into French yearling market
At the recently concluded Arqana August Yearling Sale, the American-based micro-share racehorse ownership group, MyRacehorse, made its first splash into the French yearling market with two filly purchases, Lot 105 by Justify (USA) for €100,000 (AU$145,000), and Lot 74 by Wootton Bassett (GB) for €200,000 (AU$290,000).
The new venture represents a partnership between Henri Bozo's Ecurie des Monceaux, bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau and MyRacehorse.
The plan is for the horses to train and race in France, with the initial shares sold to investors in America, the UK, Australia and Ireland as MyRacehorse is not yet licensed to offer shares in France.
Gallery: Yearlings purchased by MyRacehorse at the Arqana August Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Arqana
“I had been approached by MyRacehorse last autumn, just as an initial contact, and I said to Arthur it's a great opportunity to find a new audience for racing," Bozo said.
He added that it was also a means to buy yearling fillies to race, with those horses later joining the Monceaux broodmare band. The Arqana fillies will remain in France and go into training, although no trainer has yet been selected.
Troy Corstens back at work
Troy Corstens returned to work at Flemington on Monday as he continues his recovery from a horrific cycling accident last month.
The Group 1-winning trainer was also at The Valley on Tuesday morning casting an eye over his upcoming runners.
“I’m really good, I’m recovering as I should, I had my first morning back at the track (Monday) morning and handled it quite nicely, it was good, very nice to be back,” Corstens told Racing.com.
“I’m good as gold, if you looked at me you wouldn’t know that I’d hurt myself, I’ve got a scar on my head that’s insignificant, the brain – I'm probably 85 per cent right, it’s just a matter of time with head injuries and that’s something I’ve never had to experience before.
“The staff have done a magnificent job, it’s nice to be back, more so being able to be back part of it and not be stuck at home having to rest up, that’s the best part, getting your brain back into doing stuff.”
Son of Arrogate shines on the final day at Fasig-Tipton
A week of record-setting results continued in Saratoga when the two-day Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale concluded on Monday with its highest aggregate in history.
An action-packed Monday session was highlighted by an Arrogate (USA) yearling – a full brother to recent Del Mar winner Cave Rock (USA) – who became the auction's highest-ever priced colt when selling for US$700,000 (AU$998,000) to the bid of bloodstock agent Tom McCrocklin, on behalf of Michael Sucher's Champion Equine.
At the close of business Monday, 188 yearlings had grossed US$20,175,000 (AU$28,763,300) – eclipsing the auction's previous record of US$18,566,500 (AU$26,470,000) set just last year. The average of US$107,314 (AU$153,000) was second best in sales history, eclipsed only by the US$107,512 (AU$153,300) set in 2018. The median of US$74,000 (AU$105,500) was also just off the record of US$76,000 (AU$108,300) set that same year.
