I’m Thunderstruck put down after surgery accident
The outstanding 5-year-old gelding I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), raced by OTI Racing to the tune of $8.4 million in earnings, was euthanised on Thursday after an accident following routine surgery. The horse had been in theatre for an athroscopic procedure and, while further details aren’t forthcoming, it was stated that OTI had little option but to humanely put him down.
I’m Thunderstruck had run 11th to Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) in The All-Star Mile on March 18, a race in which he’d been second a year ago. Among his career highlights were the G1 Makybe Diva S., G1 Toorak H. and a second to Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) in the 2022 G1 Cox Plate.
OTI Racing said in a social media post; ‘Words can’t adequately describe our sadness at today’s news on I’m Thunderstruck. We feel for all connected with this amazing horse - our co-owners and the team at Mick Price Racing, in particular.’
Ellsberg passed in on Inglis Digital
The 5-year-old Group 1-winning stallion prospect Ellsberg, a son of Spill The Beans, was passed in on Thursday at $920,000 via a bespoke auction on Inglis Digital. The Epsom winner attracted a flurry of activity in the last hour of his sale, with 41 bids bringing him to his final figure. However, it wasn’t enough to clear the reserve of $1 million and he was passed in.
Ellsberg | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Ellsberg is the first standalone stallion prospect to be offered on Inglis Digital after earlier racing shares were offered in Williamsburg (Snitzel) and, just this month, in the Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir. Offers for Ellsberg are being welcomed by Inglis Digital.
The horse has to date won $3.3 million in prizemoney and is the highest earner for his late sire, Spill The Beans.
Racing NSW wins latest round of court battle
A high-profile Sydney communications company, Cato and Clive, has been ordered by a court to hand over documents amid claims that it put together a spin plan to help respective principal racing authorities (PRAs) exile Racing NSW. It’s a small win for Racing NSW in its legal action against Racing Victoria, Racing Queensland, Racing SA, Tasracing and Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) amid accusations in February about anti-competitive behaviour.
Cato and Clive had been seeking to set aside a Racing NSW subpoena calling for access to documents that would outline an alleged plot among the other PRAs to exile Racing NSW from Racing Australia, but the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the company must join all PRAs at a summons hearing next month.
Human error to blame for Tokyo Tycoon positive
Following the news earlier this week that Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) had returned a positive swab after winning the G1 Sistema S., Te Akau Racing on Thursday released a further statement apportioning blame to human error.
The group revealed that CCTV footage had captured a senior foreperson giving the horse treatment in error, and support for the ‘devastated’ staff member was ongoing. The footage has been shared with the Racing Integrity Board (RIB) as the Te Akau operation seeks integrity and transparency throughout this issue.
Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kirstin Ledington
Two-year-old Tokyo Tycoon is one of Te Akau’s hottest new stars, a winner of the G3 Waikato Slipper S. and R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO this season already. A final decision on the G1 Sistema S. result is still pending.
Everest on Yahagi’s radar?
Globetrotting Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi is in Sydney this week with horses Unicorn Lion (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) and Ho O Amazon (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), and in press interviews on Wednesday he revealed that he had his eye on The Everest and Golden Eagle.
“Wherever I go in the world, our focus is to win a race and bring the prizemoney back home,” the trainer said. “There are plenty of races in Australia I would like to have runners in, such as The Everest and Golden Eagle, so we are always looking at those.”
Yahagi was a one-time student of Neville Begg during the 1980s and he will line up Unicorn Lion in next week’s G1 Queen Elizabeth S. Stablemate Ho O Amazon will tackle the G1 All Aged S. Yahagi is fresh from winning the US$20 million (AU$29.8 million) Saudi Cup recently with Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).
Nolen in the TJ with good memories
Jockey Luke Nolen will be aboard the Golden Eagle winner I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) this Saturday in the G1 TJ Smith S. and it will be a race with plenty of memories, being a decade on from the day he rode Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) to her famous, final victory in the 2013 TJ Smith S. at Randwick.
Nolen told journalist Ray Hickson this week that it’s been a privilege to “hitch his wagon” to I Wish I Win, and the pair will tackle such horses as Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) this weekend.
“There’ll be good speed in the TJ and you’ve got some very good horses in the second half of the field, so I’ll get a tag off one of them,” the jockey said. “He’s a no-fuss sort of horse, he’s adaptable. He’ll have to be a very good horse to be running past them, but I believe I’ll have an effective enough run to give him his chance.”
Kementari for The Quokka
Evergreen Godolphin sprinter Kementari (Lonhro) will line up in the inaugural running of The Quokka. The James Cummings-trained Group 1 winner will run for slotholder SEN in the $4 million Western Australian slot-race next month.
“For Godolphin, there’s something rather special about being part of the inaugural running of The Quokka with a horse who has successfully campaigned on the western front in the past,” Cummings said. “Every work rider who has thrown their leg over him just can’t believe how exuberant he feels, how fresh he is, how well he’s training and how impressive the gallops are that he’s throwing down each week at Osborne Park.
“He is an impressive athlete who has lived a very interesting life so far and I think it would surprise me to ever see a horse accomplish what this horse has done.”
McEvoy eyes Group 1 with Grunt colt
Tony McEvoy expects to field some calls if last-start G2 Sires’ Produce S. winner Veight (Grunt {NZ}) becomes a Group 1 winner on Saturday. The unbeaten colt will line up in the G1 Inglis Sires’ at Randwick.
Veight | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s a colt with a good pedigree and if he were able to tick the box on Saturday, I’m sure the phone will be ringing,” McEvoy, who trains alongside son Calvin, told Racing.com. Veight will break from the outside gate under Damian Lane in the $1 million feature.
“We got given the visitor’s draw, 13 of 13, but we’ve got confidence in the horse, confidence in the jockey and hopefully he can overcome that.”
Two-year-old winner for Shalaa
The Paul Perry-trained The Escape (Shalaa {Ire}) is a maiden no more after winning Race 1 at Newcastle on Thursday. The juvenile colt, who ran third at Gosford on debut, was handled by Reece Jones in the 900-metre scamper.
The Escape is from the five-time winner Kokomo (Choisir) and is closely related to the Group 3 scorer Wouldnt It Be Nice (Choisir).
Converge to be monitored ahead of Group 1
A leading hope for the G1 Doncaster Mile, Converge (Frankel {GB}) was found to have swelling on an off-hindleg following his final piece of work (on Wednesday) before the $4 million feature. He will be monitored by both clinical and regulatory veterinarians to determine his suitability to start. Brett Prebble has been booked to ride Converge, who has drawn barrier six.
Glamour filly returns in WA
Western Australia’s star filly Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) will return to racing this weekend in the G3 Roma Cup after her last-start win in the G1 Northerly S. in early December. She will take on Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man) and Resortman (Helmet) in the 1100-metre sprint, both of whom have or might have The Quokka ambitions.
“She’s not wound up yet,” said her trainer Simon Miller on Tabradio. “The Quokka is our go. She is forward enough to win on Saturday, but I still have room for improvement. I have heaps of wiggle room to use this as a building run for The Quokka.”
Amelia's Jewel | Image courtesy of Racing and Wagering Western Australia
Miller has won the Roma Cup in the past with Power Princess (Marwina), and his star 3-year-old, who gets into the race this Saturday with 54.5kg, has lost only once in her seven-start career.
Dunn hoping to smash Group 1 hoodoo
Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn is hoping this Saturday to break a Group 1 hoodoo when he sends out Cepheus (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Doncaster Mile. The 6-year-old OTI gelding was a last-start winner of the G2 Ajax S. on March 11, and Dunn said they have a great chance if the horse can overcome barrier 16 with Dean Yendall.
“He’s going well and his form has stood up since he won the Ajax,” Dunn said.
The trainer has started horses in just 10 Group 1s to date but is yet to break his duck. He also has the 3-year-old colt Lubrication (I Am Invincible) on a G1 Stradbroke H. path this season.
New WA funding for horse welfare
The Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) Research Fund is now open and Dr Anna Smet, head of animal welfare at RWWA, is welcoming applications for racehorse study projects. The Research Fund is the latest in an increasingly wide range of RWWA welfare initiatives, following the recently established Off The Track WA Community Fund, which supports education and therapy projects in which retired racehorses are involved.
“Our welfare strategy is data-driven, so we are throwing open the doors for research projects that can provide transparent and dependable information to guide us, and those who care for horses, in making decisions to safeguard animal welfare,” said Dr Smet.
Education involving retired racehorses | Image courtesy of Racing and Wagering Western Australia
The initial round of research funding has $100,000 available and projects eligible can focus on both thoroughbred and standardbred horses. Applications are open until 4pm (local time) on May 5, with further information available at animalwelfare@rwwa.com.au.
Positive swab for Wayne Walters' runner
Racing Victoria stewards revealed this week a positive swab from the Wayne Walters-trained Fifth Husband (NZ) (Ekraar {USA}) after the gelding won at Nhill on Boxing Day last year. A post-race sample provided a positive result to Lignocaine, a local anaesthetic which is prohibited on raceday in accordance with the Rules of Racing.
The positive result was detected within the reserve portion of the gelding’s urine sample, and the Mt Gambier-based Walters was notified of the irregularity on February 10. Walters was also informed of the confirmatory findings, and stewards are continuing their investigation.
Buyers circle There Goes My Hero
The promising Kiwi 2-year-old There Goes My Hero, a son of No Nay Never (USA) for Byerley Park trainer Stephen Cole, will bypass this Saturday’s G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. in favour of a target closer to home at Avondale. After two starts for two seconds through February, interest arrived in the colt from Hong Kong and there is every chance he will be soon sold.
There Goes My Hero | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“There have been a few people from Hong Kong interested in the horse, so he could be sold if he won,” Cole told NZ Racing Desk. “We’ll just have to place that by ear. We might look at the Champagne S. (at Pukekohe on April 22) if he goes well and comes through this race alright.”
Desert Lightning unlikely for Australia
The consistent Kiwi 3-year-old Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), trained by South Auckland pair Peter and Dawn Williams, is unlikely to finish his seasonal campaign in Australia. Instead, he will line up this Saturday at Awapuni in the G3 Manawatu Classic in what may be one of the horse’s final runs this preparation.
“This will probably be his last race,” Peter Williams told NZ Racing Desk. “We were going to think about Australia (the G3 Frank Packer Plate at Randwick), but that might be a bridge too far considering the campaign he’s had this year. It’s highly unlikely he’ll go now, but let’s first see how he goes on Saturday.”
Desert Lightning (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Desert Lightning has raced every month since September, winning the G2 Avondale Guineas in February and running fourth in the G1 New Zealand Derby. He was third in the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic and second to Pier (NZ) (Proisir) in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
Vale John Brien
The former president of the Coonamble Jockey Club, 77-year-old John Brien, has died. Brien was credited with reinvigorating the sport of racing in his hometown of Coonamble, serving as president of the Club from 1987 to 1990, and then 2002 to 2005.
Coonamble Racecourse will host a memorial to Brien at midday on Wednesday, April 5, with attendees invited to wear bright colours. Brien’s funeral will occur on Friday, March 31, at 12.30pm AEDT at Macquarie Park Crematorium Camellia Chapel.
Maison-Laffitte sold
The former French racecourse Maison-Laffitte, which closed in November 2018, was announced by France Galop on Wednesday as sold. Included in the sale to the Etablissement Public Foncier d’Ile-de-France (EPFIF), mandated by the City of Maison-Laffitte, are onsite buildings such as the grandstand, plus the course proper and the golf course installed in the infield.
Negotiations for the racecourse's sale were ongoing through 2022, and news of the successful sale was welcomed by France Galop this week. Interest in the site had been expressed by the City of Maison-Laffitte in April 2021, with approval given for its sale to EPFIF that October.
Maison-Laffitte was the racecourse on which Australian Hall of Fame jockey Neville Sellwood was killed after a race fall in November 1962.
