Daily News Wrap

New appointment for China Horse Club

China Horse Club announced this week the appointment of Christie DeBernardis as its regional manager in the United States and wider Americas, and also as its senior media manager in a dual role. DeBernardis is an award-winning journalist with a decade at the editorial helm of Thoroughbred Daily News in America.

In her new role, effective immediately, she will be responsible for the management of China Horse Club’s racing and breeding portfolio in the US, with individual responsibilities including trainer liaisons, selecting new stock, matings and stock assessment. She will also work closely with the group’s members, partners and vendors.

“Christie’s appointment comes at a time when the China Horse Club’s involvement in the United States, in particular, is maturing,” said Teo Ah Khing, the group’s chairman. “The fruits of our efforts over many years are only just starting to be seen… and Christie brings with her a great understanding of this region, as well as credibility, professionalism and intent.”

First winner for Encryption

Eureka Stud’s resident sire Encryption posted his first winner on Tuesday with 2-year-old Floral Code winning easily by 4l at Townsville. The gelding was ridden by Carl Spry for local trainer Sarah Acomley.

Floral Code is a graduate of the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, consigned by Gleeson Thoroughbred Connections and sold to Journeyman Lodge for $12,000. He hails from the family of Australia’s Champion sprinting mare Ruffles (Zeditave), and he was among the 89 live foals that emerged from the first crop of Eureka’s 7-year-old first-season sire Encryption.

Apache Chase sustains career-ending injury

Last season’s G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Apache Chase (Better Than Ready) has been officially retired after sustaining a career-ending injury on Saturday.

Time was called on the Desleigh Forster-trained gedling’s career after a sesamoid injury at trackwork at Eagle Farm. The 5-year-old gelding was then taken to Gatton University Vet Hospital following the incident and subsequently had a six-hour surgery over the weekend.

“He's retired,” Forster said. “He's undergone surgery and all's good.

“He'll now go and lead a wonderful life. He's been a wonderful horse to the stable.”

Australians arrive in Hong Kong

A large shipment of Australian and New Zealand horses arrived in Hong Kong on Monday night, among which was the 2021 G2 Skyline S. winner O’President (Fastnet Rock). O’President was originally a $520,000 yearling at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2020 when sold by Kia Ora Stud to James Harron, and he won three races from 11 starts before selling on Inglis Digital in May for $435,000.

Alongside O’President, the G1 Queensland Derby runner-up Paternal (NZ), a 4-year-old son of Savabeel, was one of three Waller horses in the shipment. Paternal is a two-time winner and was last seen when unplaced behind Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in the G3 Coongy H. in October. All up, 24 horses arrived in Hong Kong from Australia.

Valuable De An Andretti returns

Ron Quinton’s talented and lightly raced mare De An Andretti, a 4-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible and a full sister to the late Libertini, will make an anticipated return on Wednesday in an 1100-metre handicap at Warwick Farm. She was last seen in September 2021 when unplaced in the G2 Furious S. after showing promise on debut at Hawkesbury.

De An Andretti picked up a virus after her Furious effort and hasn’t raced since. She won a Randwick trial last June and was third to King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) in a recent trial at Canterbury last month.

“She got very, very sick and it’s been a long haul back,” Quinton told Ray Hickson of Racing NSW. “It was very serious. It was a marathon getting her back. I couldn’t be happier with the trials. They’ve been very good… and she’s probably as fit as we can get her.”

Marocchino top weight for Perth Cup

The 6-year-old gelding Marocchino (Machino) has been allotted top weight of 59kg in the G2 Perth Cup. Worth $500,000, the race will be run at Ascot on New Year’s Day. Marocchino is trained at Capel by Lou Luciani and he’s won his last two races, the Listed AJ Scahill S. last month and G2 Ted Van Heemst S. last weekend.

Marocchino has been rated 2.5kg superior to Ironclad (GB), the Will Clarken-trained son of Dubawi (Ire), and local horse Trap For Fools (Poet’s Voice {GB}), who were both assigned 56.5kg in the 2400-metre feature.

Thunderstruck for The All-Star Mile again

The dual Group 1 winner I’m Thunderstruck (NZ), a 5-year-old son of Shocking for OTI Racing, will again target the rich The All-Star Mile in 2023 when it’s hosted at Moonee Valley on March 23. The gelding was runner-up in the feature to Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) this year.

“The All-Star Mile is a race that fits perfectly into his preparation,” OTI’s Principal, Terry Henderson, told NZ Racing Desk. “Given the lucrative prizemoney on offer, it is a most enticing option. He is a popular horse and we’d expect him to poll enough votes to gain an automatic entry.”

I’m Thunderstruck has had a brilliant season to date, running second to Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) in both the G1 Cox Plate and G1 Caulfield S., and he was a last-start second to Zaaki in the G1 Champions S. during Cup Week.

Funeral for Megan Taylor

The 26-year-old New Zealand apprentice Megan Taylor, who died last Thursday after a mid-race fall at Ashburton, will be remembered at a funeral service this Thursday, December 22, at the Show Gate Lounge at Riccarton Park Racecourse, 2pm (NZDT).

Taylor was apprenticed to Riccarton trainer Andrew Carston at the time of her death after kicking off her professional riding with North Canterbury trainer John Blackadder. She died just four months after the New Zealand industry lost Taiki Yanagida in a race fall at Cambridge.

Shinn’s sentence reduced

Jockey Blake Shinn appealed on Tuesday his 13-meeting careless riding suspension, incurred last Wednesday at Sandown. It was reduced to nine meetings by the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT), but in-hand with his further 12-meeting ban picked up at Flemington on the weekend, the jockey will remain sidelined until January 11.

Racing.com outlined Shinn’s record of suspensions since October last year, which included whip over-use and careless riding charges at meetings in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore since October last year. It was for this reason that the jockey wasn’t awarded any discounts on penalty on Tuesday, according to Rob Montgomery, acting chief steward at Sandown’s meeting last week.

New integrity appointment for Racing NSW

Racing NSW announced on Tuesday the appointment of Jacqueline Johnstone to the position of General Manager - Integrity. The role will see her responsible for the oversight of integrity within the state’s thoroughbred racing industry, including the management of the Investigations and Surveillance Unit, supervision of equine welfare investigations and other matters.

Johnstone spent a decade with NSW Police, specialising in criminal investigations as a detective, and her appointment comes after three years as manager of Investigations and Surveillance within Racing NSW.

“The appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process with a number of high-calibre candidates who had extensive experience in policing,” said Peter V’Landys in a media release. “Jacqueline is one of the most conscientious and professional members of our staff.”

Polly Grey for Zabeel Classic

The 8-year-old mare Polly Grey (NZ), a dual Group 3 winner and daughter of Almanzor (Fr), will return to New Zealand briefly for an attempt at the G1 Zabeel Classic at Pukekohe on Boxing Day. The mare has won stakes races on both sides of the Tasman, but she last ran in New Zealand in March 2020 when second in the G2 Japan Trophy.

Her former trainer, Kylie Fawcett, said Polly Grey would only target the Zabeel Classic during her sojourn in New Zealand.

“She’ll go back after the Zabeel and get ready for one more prep in the autumn and hopefully go through to Brisbane before she goes to the broodmare paddock,” Fawcett said. “Initially we will probably send her to a stallion in Australia and then bring her back here in foal. We were tossing up getting her in foal last season and we looked at a couple of stallions, but decided to race on.”

Adelaide Cup for Tralee Rose

Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde is pointing his 6-year-old mare Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) at the G2 Adelaide Cup for the second time. The mare was fourth in the race in 2021.

Tralee Rose has won six of her 20 starts to date, most of those victories occurring during her in-form run through 2021/21 when she won the Listed Bagot H. and G3 Lord Reims S. She also won the G3 Geelong Cup last year and, after a long break early this year, she’s been unplaced in four starts.

“She’s had a bit of bad luck here and there in a couple of these Melbourne Cup campaigns and so we’re going to drop the bar a little bit,” Wilde told NZ Racing Desk. “She’s our only one at that level. You hope things go a bit smoother than they have, but that’s racing. We understand that and we’re grateful to have a horse like her.”

Hezashocka for Australian Cup

The Kiwi-bred gelding Hezashocka (NZ) (Shocking) is likely to contest the G1 Australian Cup in the autumn, according to his co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr. The 5-year-old gelding was in excellent form through the spring, running second in the Listed Rosehill Cup before a third to Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 Champions S.

“Had he gone straight (in the Champions S.) he may have won the race on the last day of the carnival,” Kent Jnr told RSN on Tuesday. “He is a horse that has really improved and he will go the Blamey into the Australian Cup. He is an exciting horse.”