Mystery remains around sudden horse deaths
Authorities remain uncertain as to the cause of death of at least 13 horses since the start of July. No common links between the five affected properties and no evidence of infectious disease has been identified.
Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke on Thursday thanked horse owners and veterinarians for providing information and samples, which is assisting the investigation.
“Action was taken on Saturday, 15 July, as soon as we were notified of the multiple sudden horse deaths – we’ve been working with private veterinarians and experts to understand the causes of those deaths, and alerting horse owners and the public via a media release, website update, social media and industry updates,” Dr Cooke said.
“Our investigation has identified no immediate common link between these incidents, and no evidence of an infectious cause, so there’s no need to restrict horse movements or horse events.
“We’re continuing to attend properties, work with owners, vets and experts, test samples and look into all reports of horse deaths made to our hotline.
“The best chance of getting some answers requires early notification and extensive sample collection for any new cases.
“Even though substantial awareness has been raised about these incidents, the last reported multiple sudden deaths occurred on Friday, 14 July.
“Further to that, some of the reports we’ve received this week date back to early July.”
Next steps for Hawaii Five Oh
John Singleton has told Racenet that his star 3-year-old Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible), a full brother to the late Libertini, will begin his spring in the G1 Winx S. on August 19. He said it was a deliberate target to have the colt ready early for spring racing. Thereafter, the horse could contest The Everest or Golden Eagle, depending on whether he proves good enough.
Hawaii Five Oh | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“If he goes up a couple of lengths, he’s going to be a Group 1 horse, for sure,” Singleton said. “I would love to have a horse racing in The Everest. After the Winx S., we can talk sensibly about what his spring might look like.”
Hawaii Five Oh was last seen when third to Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) in the G1 Stradbroke H. Singleton said his colt never looked like winning, but that the winner could well prove a “freak”.
“If you ran that race 20 times, Think About It would win every time on that day over that distance,” he said. “I think there is a good chance we got beaten by a freak in the Stradbroke.”
Caulfield Guineas fancy back in work
The Artie Schiller (USA) 2-year-old Steparty, trained by the Horsham-based Paul Preusker, is back in the yard ahead of a spring campaign that will target the G1 Caulfield Guineas. The colt bypassed a return in the Taj Rossi Series Final recently, taking a few extra days in the paddock instead.
Steparty | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He is going along really good,” Preusker told Racing.com. “I am rapt with him so he won’t take long to come together. There are no weaknesses about him. I’ve got a broad range of horses here, but he is the biggest and strongest.”
Steparty is undefeated in three lifetime starts at Ballarat and Flemington. His last run was on June 17, after commencing his juvenile career in May. He is a son of the Sepoy mare Watch Your Step.
Romantic Warrior a Cox Plate shoe-in?
Legendary Australian jockey Shane Dye has told Racenet that Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) has the Cox Plate at his mercy this spring, the gelding all but confirmed for the weight-for-age Classic. Dye, a new Hong Kong form analyst, pointed to Romantic Warrior’s thrashing of Group 1 winner Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) at Sha Tin in April.
“He is better than anything in Australia at present, unless a very good 3-year-old comes along,” Dye said. “Australia isn’t producing good weight-for-age horses at present. The weight-for-age class is just gone. You go back to the 80s or 90s and it was unbelievable, but now there is nothing.”
Romantic Warrior was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Trained by C S Shum, he is one of the most respected horses in Hong Kong right now and touching favouritism for the Cox Plate.
Stakes win for Sir Dragonet’s half-sister
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Les Pavots (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) became a stakes winner when taking out the Listed Prix des Jouvenceaux et des Jouvencelles at Vichy in France. The 2-year-old filly, who is a half-sister to the 2020 G1 Cox Plate hero Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), was handled by Mikael Barzalona and scored by 0.5l in the 1400-metre contest.
Bred by Coolmore, Les Pavots is from the winning Oasis Dream (GB) mare Sparrow (Ire), who also produced the dual Listed winner and G3 Gordon S. runner-up Sir Lucan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). The filly’s grandam is All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), a Group 3 winner and sister to the great Galileo (Ire).
Walker not prioritising 200 winners
Te Akau trainer Mark Walker is sitting on 196 winners in New Zealand this season and is on the verge of a history-making 200, but he isn’t prioritising the record. Speaking to the NZ Herald this week, he said the record is not a personal goal.
Mark Walker | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“If it happens, it happens, but I’m not chasing it,” he said. “We’ve had a great season and one the whole stable can be proud of, and the horses will go through their normal programs and we won’t do anything special. We have horses at Hastings on Thursday and some racing on Saturday, so we still might have a chance of getting to 200.”
Te Akau’s 20 boxes at Cranbourne will be ready to go on September 1, with the outfit installing Victorian horseman Ben Gleeson as its Australian assistant trainer. Gleeson held a similar role with Danny O’Brien in the past.
Another juvenile winner for Better Than Ready
The Phillip Stokes-trained Let’s Get Down posted another 2-year-old winner for his sire, Better Than Ready, at Pakenham’s synthetic meeting on Thursday. The gelding was on debut and won his race comfortably by 1.75l with jockey Daniel Moor.
He is the 98th overall 2-year-old winner for the Lyndhurst Stud-based Better Than Ready as he inches closer to a century of 2-year-old winners, and the stallion’s 18th seasonal 2-year-old winner. He sits behind Spirit Of Boom (with 23) right now on the overall 2-year-old sire table for this season, tied with Russian Revolution and I Am Invincible.
Let’s Get Down was bred by Baddock Bloodstock and consigned by Edinglassie Stud to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Stokes paid $160,000 for him. He is from the Rothesay mare Second Date.
Racing.com goes HD
Racing.com announced on Thursday that it will now broadcast in high definition (HD) across Foxtel and Kayo networks, including Foxtel cable, satellite and IP customers, Foxtel Go and Foxtel Now customers, and those streaming on Kayo. Company CEO Peter Campbell said it was a pivotal development for industry broadcasting.
“This is a watershed moment for racing as the stunning pictures captured on track in both Victoria and South Australia are broadcast into 2.879 million homes around the country in high definition,” he said. “Adding to our Channel 78/68 deal with Seven, this enhanced new arrangement with Foxtel Group means Victorian and South Australian thoroughbred racing is without peer in terms of distribution and availability.”
Tulloch Lodge eyes spring with Taormina
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will use Saturday’s 2-year-old race at Rosehill to help determine what level Taormina (Written Tycoon) can get to. Taormina, who won well on debut at Warwick Farm on June 28, tackles Saturday grade for the first time in the 1200-metre event.
Taormina (red and navy cap) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Saturday’s race will give us a good indication of how she can measure up going forward, whether there are any potential spring targets for her,” Bott said. “She is quite fit now a couple of runs into the preparation so if she is able to measure up on Saturday, you could make a case to keep her ticking over into the early part of the spring and using that recent racing to your advantage.”
Allpress on the comeback trail
Premiership-winning Kiwi jockey Lisa Allpress is on the comeback after four months away from the sport. On Saturday, she will ride one of her favourites, the 5-year-old gelding Old Town Road (NZ) (El Roca), at the New Plymouth meeting. Allpress had a shoulder reconstruction in March to repair damage after a jump-out fall six years ago.
“I am still really keen to ride so I will be right back into it next season,” the jockey told the NZ Herald this week. “I rode at jump-outs (this month) and then had one ride last Friday, and I will have two this Saturday because I love Old Town Road. He is one of my favourites.”
Allpress was initially advised not to ride until at least September. However, her recovery has been positive. She started this season on a high with a win aboard Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir) in the G1 Tarzino Trophy.
Former Bjorn Baker import heading to Townsville Cup
The former Bjorn Baker import Night Of Power (Ire) (Masterofthehorse {Ire}) will line up next month in the Townsville Cup for local trainer Patrick McGuire, with the McGuire family recently acquiring the 8-year-old gelding from Sydney. The horse is well-campaigned, with 42 starts and six wins in Ireland and Sydney, and his last start for Baker came in mid-March.
“He is a nice old horse,” McGuire told RQ News. “He has a few tricks on the track but around the stables, he is beautiful to have. “While he’s getting big weight now, you need a horse with this kind of class to get into the Cups.”
Opunake Cup contender may head to Melbourne
Trainer Andrew Forsman will help use Saturday’s Listed Opunake Cup at New Plymouth to help determine whether his Group 3-winning filly Wessex (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) is worthy of a trip across the Tasman.
Wessex (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“It (Opunake Cup) has always been the intermediary target, just to chip away and get as much blacktype on the board as we can,” Forsman said.
“She has had a few tough races and a fair bit of travelling, so we will have to keep that in mind and just see how she comes through it.
“That (Australia) would be up to the ownership group, it is certainly a possibility. We have to just make sure there are the right races for her. She would have to run really well on Saturday to justify that.”
The 3-year-old will have to overcome the outside alley (14) if she is to win the 1400-metre affair.
Zoustar's Zoology for Australia
Qatar Racing has sold a half-share to Ciaron Maher in the Royal Ascot runner-up Zoology (GB), a 3-year-old son of Zoustar from the Dream Ahead (GB) mare Peach Melba (GB). The horse has won two races in the UK for five starts and was last seen when second to Ballydoyle’s Age Of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) in the G3 Jersey S. at the Royal meeting. Redvers confirmed the sale on Wednesday.
“After Royal Ascot, a 50 per cent share in Zoology was bought by Ciaron Maher for a significant sum and the plan is to aim him at the Golden Eagle in Sydney later in the year,” he said, as reported by Racing.com. “It’s highly unlikely that the horse will run here again, but he’s with Harry (Eustace, brother to David Eustace) until he goes to Sydney for their spring.”
Coffs Harbour host to Racing Mates BBQ
This Sunday’s Coffs Harbour race meeting will host a Racing Mates BBQ ‘get-together’, with industry participants from across the Northern Rivers districts invited to attend. Racing Mates is a peer support initiative established by Racing NSW, encouraging ‘mates to look after mates’ when it comes to mental wellbeing.
“We are pleased to be returning to catch up with the Northern Rivers Racing participants at Coffs Harbour,” said Pat Webster, Racing Mates ambassador. “Our BBQ gatherings are all about bringing the racing community together for a chat, which has proven to be very effective with past events held.”
The BBQ will be held from midday in the raceday stalls area of the Coffs Harbour Racing Club, ahead of the race meeting schedule.
Thorough Care SA reaches 500 milestone
Thorough Care SA, which was launched two years ago by Racing SA as an aftercare initiative for retired racehorses in the state, reached a milestone this week of distributing its 500th Retired Thoroughbred Racehorse Assistance Package. The pack went to the new home of retired gelding Friendly Ghost (Sizzling), who won a single race in 20 starts across the state.
The Thorough Care pack includes a branded rug, Hygain supplements, cryotherapy treatment, access to Horse Records and subsidised veterinary care. Thorough Care SA initially budgeted for 200 packs per year, but the initiative’s popularity has increased that forecast figure by 25 per cent.
Friendly Ghost and new owner Bella Masters | Image courtesy of Racing SA
“We are currently bordering on 90 per cent of all retired thoroughbreds in South Australia applying for or receiving a pack, which just means the Thorough Care family is growing,” said Keely Rayson, Racing SA’s equine welfare coordinator. “It’s just getting bigger and more popular, and the pack is constantly growing and getting better as we go on.”
Ballydoyle assault on the King George
The dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will be among as many as six horses for Ballydoyle to line up in the G1 King George and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot on July 29. Auguste Rodin will head into the field after taking out the English and Irish Derbies this European season. He will be hoping to emulate former Coolmore great Galileo (Ire), who won the King George after notching both Derbys in 2001.
“He’s on that program and, so far, everything is going well,” Aidan O’Brien told the Nick Luck Daily podcast on Wednesday.
Further Ballydoyle entries could include Adelaide River (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {GB}), as well the Group 1-placed Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}).
Trainers react to closure of Golden Gate Fields
The news last Sunday that Golden Gate Fields in northern California, in operation since 1941, will close in December has left local trainers with just five months to work out what to do. On Wednesday, it was reported by TDN America that options include shifting to Santa Anita, leaving the sport entirely or hoping that the state fair circuit will expand to make it viable to stay put.
TDN spoke to a number of affected trainers whose responses included thoughts of retirement, relocation to Los Alamitos and concerns that Santa Anita is already full. Dan Markle, who mixes up his routine between Emerald in the summer and Golden Gate Fields in the winter, said it was devastating.
“I don’t have the calibre of horses that can compete at Santa Anita, so I won’t be going there,” he said. “And the purses at Santa Anita aren’t that great compared to some of the other big tracks. I guess I’m going to have to relocate.”
Trainer Steve Sherman echoed concerns about Santa Anita, citing only a handful of horses in his barn that could cut the mustard in the more competitive southern environment.
“I was going through my barn and I have probably 10 to 12 horses that could compete down there,” he said. “It’s just a different beast compared to the way it is here. The horses are much better and the races are a lot tougher.”
