Dean Holland’s final goodbye at Flemington
Family, friends, fans and industry participants congregated at Flemington Racecourse on Monday afternoon to celebrate and farewell Dean Holland, 34, after he tragically lost his life at Donald in a race fall a fortnight ago.
The funeral service held at Flemington Racecourse was fitting given only earlier in March, Holland had arguably his most significant success partnering the James Cummings-trained In Secret (I Am Invincible) in a memorable G1 Newmarket H. victory.
While surrounded by an overwhelming cloud of sadness at a life cut much too short, the service remembered Holland’s cheeky nature—his incredible pride in his children and prowess in the saddle.
A guard of honour lined the Flemington straight as those who loved him so much got to say goodbye to Holland for one last time.
Despite Holland’s victories on In Secret or Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), unlikely to be forgotten by racing folk, Holland’s legacy will live on through his four beautiful children - Harley, Franklin, Luca and baby Lily.
Novara Park Stud fees released
Luigi Muollo’s Novara Park Stud near Cambridge will stand four stallions this season, spearheaded by exciting young stallion Staphanos (Jpn) at NZ$15,000 plus GST.
The son of Deep Impact (Jpn) is the sire of G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. winner Pignan (NZ) from his first crop, with the Lisa Latta-trained filly carrying all the traits of her Group 1-performed sire.
Staphanos (Jpn) | Standing at Novara Park Stud
“When you go back in history and see which stallions left a 2-year-old Group 1 winner from their first crop, the only ones in recent history were Makfi and Per Incanto and both ended up siring multiple Group 1 winners and became very successful sires, so the future for Staphanos is going to be very exciting,” Muollo said.
Barnmate Sweynesse will also have a fee increase to NZ$10,000 plus GST, with his progeny headed by outstanding Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ).
The world’s highest-rated sprinter this year, Lucky Sweynesse, joined exulted company with a runaway win in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize as he claimed Hong Kong’s three-race Sprint Series.
Sweynesse | Standing at Novara Park Stud
King Of Comedy (Ire), a Group 1-performed son of Kingman (GB), remains at an unchanged fee of NZ$7000 plus GST as he enters his third season at stud, having covered 190 mares across his first two seasons.
“King Of Comedy has the looks, pedigree and racetrack performance to be a hit at stud. His first-born foals are now weanlings and look very strong and balanced.”
Group 1-winning stallion Press Statement completes the Novara Park quartet, joining the stud ahead of this breeding season.
Press Statement | Standing at Novara Park Stud
Press Statement will stand at a fee of NZ$6000 plus GST.
“Novara Park is always looking at offering upside and value for money to breeders,” Muollo said. “Our stallion lineup offers breeders the best bloodlines in the world while our fees give our clients affordability.”
Gai’s stars step out at Hawkesbury
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Converge (Frankel {GB}) and Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible) posted smooth barrier trial victories on Monday morning at Hawkesbury.
Hawaii Five Oh was a last-start winner of the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas and ran out a comfortable winner of Heat 3 over 1000 metres.
Converge was the next to step out in Heat 5 and posted a comfortable victory like his stablemate. Converge, a former dual Group 1 winner and once conqueror of Anamoe, returned to form with a slashing third in the G1 George Ryder S. before unplaced in the G1 Doncaster H. on an unsuitable Heavy 9; it is expected Converge and Hawaii Five Oh have assignments in Brisbane on the radar.
Winx’s half-sister impresses Moody
Pakenham-based trainer Peter Moody has been entrusted to preparing Time Of My Life (I Am Invincible), the half-sister to the superstar Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).
Breeder John Camilleri has retained the 2-year-old filly, and she impressed connections, winning a recent jump-out at Pakenham.
“Time Of My Life seems a nice filly. What level, I am unsure yet,” Moody told Racing.com.
“She’s more a 3-year-old than a 2-year-old, but she is getting closer to turning three.
“Time Of My Life is a nice-size filly; she is not a monster but well put together.”
The daughter of Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar) led throughout to win her recent 800-metre jump-out.
Moody shared that the filly would trial again at Pakenham on Tuesday before he makes a call on if she is ready to debut.
“We’ll see how she pulls up tomorrow. We’re not in a rush.”
Tootell is awake and communicating after fall
South Australian-based jockey David Tootell has come out of an induced coma and is communicating with family after suffering a race fall at Port Augusta on Sunday.
Racing SA confirmed the 61-year-old hoop would undergo scans on Monday to determine any further injuries.
Tootell was thrown from his mount Hardashian (Typhon) in Race 3 when the horse knuckled shortly after the start.
David Tootell | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Tootell was transferred to the Port Augusta hospital and was put to sleep in an induced coma due to two small brain bleeds.
South Australian trainer and close friend to Tootell, Shayne Cahill shared, “Another reminder today of how dangerous this job is.”
Tootell’s daughter, the apprentice jockey Caitlin (Tootell), was also riding at Port Augusta but was stood down from the remainder of her rides following the incident.
Rawiller set to call Victoria home again
Multiple Group 1-winning jockey Brad Rawiller has again decided to call Victoria home. Rawiller will start with Tuesday’s Ballarat Synthetic meeting, where he’s been engaged for three rides.
Rawiller left Victoria in 2020 and moved interstate, starting in Western Australia.
“I had some real success, won many feature races and didn’t do badly, but just not riding every day; you’re only riding three days a week in Western Australia,” Rawiller told Racing.com.
Rawiler then moved to New South Wales, where he joined his brother Nash, but struggled with the spread-out racing landscape in the jurisdiction.
“It’s not a three or four-hour drive, it's a five-hour drive just about to most of the real provincial tracks if you ride every day.
“I just thought I wanted to get back going again in the winter in Melbourne and get my life back on track.”
Rawiller signed off his stint in New South Wales with a winner at the metropolitan meeting at Gosford on Saturday.
Half-brother to The Everest winner to debut at Sandown
The Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Grand Larceny (Zoustar) will debut on Wednesday in Race 1 at Sandown-Hillside over 1000 metres. The son of Zoustar is a half-brother to the Coolmore Stud-based Yes Yes Yes, who won the 2019 The Everest.
Grand Larceny as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt was an $800,000 yearling purchased by PR Funds from the draft of Kitchwin Hills at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Also in the race will be the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Austmarr (Exosphere); the Godolphin-owned filly is a half-sister to the Rosemont Stud-based Hanseatic.
Hong Kong International races see increased prizemoney
Hong Kong’s flagship meeting - Hong Kong International Day, has seen a prizemoney increase to enhance the appeal for connections to bring the world’s best thoroughbreds to Sha Tin in December.
The four Group 1s, the Hong Kong Vase, Sprint, Mile and Cup, are now worth a combined AU$22.2 million.
The G1 Hong Kong Mile and G1 Hong Kong Cup are worth more than AU$6 million. Making the jurisdiction a distinction of hosting the world’s richest Group 1s over 1200, 1600 and 2000 metres.
“With growing competition around the world, Hong Kong's two international race days - the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and FWD Champions Day - must continue to be destinations of choice for owners, trainers and jockeys from around the world,” said Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's CEO.
“As we saw in December with the successful staging of the 2022 LONGINES Hong Kong International Races and again with the latest wonderful FWD Champions Day meeting, these prestigious international meetings allow us to showcase Hong Kong's world-class racing on the global stage.”
Star-studded 10 inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
Six people and four horses were inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame on Sunday night in a gala dinner in Hamilton.
They included champion racehorses Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Beau Vite (NZ), leading trainers Paul O’Sullivan, Michael Moroney and George Price and outstanding jockeys Opie Bosson and Keith Voitre.
Also inducted were breeder, auctioneer, administrator Ken Austin, and long-serving Wrightson Managing Director Michael Floyd.
New Zealand Racing Hall of Famers Lance, Paul and Dave O’Sullivan | Image courtesy of New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
Champion jockey Opie Bosson said it had been a long-standing ambition to be inducted alongside those he admired.
“It means the world to me,” Bosson said. “It’s good just to be recognised for my achievements. It is really cool.
“Lance O’Sullivan was my idol as a kid and he was inducted in the inaugural Hall of Fame and I thought it was something I wanted to achieve.”
With 91 Group 1 wins to his name, Bosson is keen to hit the century within the next few years, while he is also closing in on 2000 career victories, currently sitting on 1959.
Opie Bosson | Image courtesy of New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
Also on-hand for the awards was Trans-Tasman trainer Michael Moroney, who said it was an honour and he was pleased his late father Denny, who passed away last year aged 93, was aware of the then impending induction.
“It means a lot,” Moroney said.
Moroney, who has 55 Group 1 wins to his name, said the win of Brew (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup was a highlight of his career, while the G1 Cox Plate is the most coveted race that he has yet to win.
“The Melbourne Cup was a life-changing event,” Moroney said. “It wasn’t until I won it that I realised what it was like. I had been living in Victoria, where I wasn’t well known, even though I had trained a Victoria Derby winner.
Watch: NZ Racing Hall of Fame tribute to Mike Moroney
“I was well known in New Zealand but certainly not over there (Australia), and when I won the Melbourne Cup, it all changed, and no matter where I went in the world, it changed. It was quite mind-boggling as to what it means.”
It was fitting that Moroney and recently retired trainer Paul O’Sullivan were inducted on the same night, with the pair having trained in partnership early in their careers along with Paul’s Hall of Fame father, Dave.
