Brunton’s future up in the air
Tasmania’s leading trainer Scott Brunton, who has the island’s best horse The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}), faces an uncertain future after his business was placed into liquidation due to a huge debt owing to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The Federal Court last week issued Brunton Racing with a winding up order after the ATO rejected the business’ plan to pay more than $1 million via a payment plan. According to the ABC, the stable was hoping to pay back $4000 per week over the next five years.
Australian Trainers’ Association (ATA) boss Andrew Nicholl told RSN Racing & Sport “each individual case has to be looked at on its merits” when it comes to trainers going into liquidation.
“There’s about three or four moving parts to any circumstance where a trainer might go into liquidation,” Nicholl told RSN Racing & Sport.
Scott Brunton | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“The fundamental of every trainer’s licence is that he must be solvent, he must be able to pay bills, he must have financial resources so he can trade and continue to pay staff, etc., etc.”
“One thing to be clear about is that the license to train is issued to the individual, it’s not issued to a corporation or a company, it’s issued to the individual.”
It is believed Brunton advised his clients that he was planning to adjust the stable's structure to race under the name Keys/Brunton, with his partner Tegan Keys to become the trainer while he became stable foreman.
Brunton has won the past nine Tasmanian Trainers' Premierships.
Liquidators from Deloitte have been appointed to oversee the process.
Tasmania's Office of Racing Integrity are investigating the situation in order to determine whether Brunton can continue training.
Zaaki to resume in Winx
Four-time Group 1 winner Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) will kick off his spring campaign in Saturday’s G1 Winx S. at Randwick, with champion jockey Jamie Kah heading to Sydney to take the ride.
“He’s come back as well as ever,” trainer Annabel Neasham said on RSN Racing & Sport.
“I don’t know if I want to dare say it but I don’t think I’ve had him going any better, ever.
Zaaki (GB) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s flying and his trial was really good on Friday.
“After it, Jamie (Kah) felt that he was ready to go.”
The 9-year-old boasts four wins and four minor placings from 10 fresh-up runs.
A host of other Group 1 winners have been nominated for the 1400-metre event including Fangirl (Sebring), Communist (Russian Revolution), Lindermann (Lonhro), King Colorado (Kingman {GB}) and Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel).
Raheen Stud adds Group 1 winner to roster
Last year’s G1 Epsom H. hero Top Ranked (Ire) will stand at Raheen Stud in Queensland this spring at a fee of $7700 (inc GST and free return).
The imported son of Dark Angel (Ire), who was trained in Australia by Annabel Neasham, won the G2 Bill Ritchie H., before dead-heating with Ellsberg in the Epsom.
Top Ranked (Ire) | Standing at Raheen Stud, image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It probably sounds like a strange thing to say, particularly given he won an Epsom and a Bill Ritchie at his last two starts, but I reckon we didn’t get to see the best of Top Ranked here in Australia,” Raheen Stud’s Basil Nolan said.
Top Ranked joins Heroic Valour at Raheen Stud. The latter stands at the same fee as his barnmate.
Shesallshenanigans to tackle Quezette
The Simon Zahra-trained Shesallshenanigans (Toronado {Ire}) will tackle the G3 Quezette S. on Saturday.
The daughter of Toronado (Ire) won The Showdown last preparation.
“She’s stakes-placed when she ran third in a Listed race in Adelaide and the form out of that race is good because the winner came out and won at Flemington.
“She’s probably improved as a racehorse. She hasn’t grown much but she’s come on mentally. We gave her jump-out last Friday and she probably had a bigger blow than I thought she would so we’re probably going in there a little bit underdone.”
Giga Kick ready to rumble
The reigning The Everest winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) is set to jump-out on Monday, August 21, at Cranbourne in preparation for his anticipated first start in the G2 McEwen S. on September 9 at Moonee Valley.
“The development has been phenomenal,” trainer Clayton Douglas said.
“He’s now turned a 4-year-old and he’s a lot bigger and strong and, putting it into perspective, he’s a lot heavier, so you would think he would only be better as a 4-year-old.
“Giga Kick will have a trial next Monday, it will be a cruisy trial, just a day away for him.”
Graysong puts it together
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Graysong (I Am Invincible) put it all together to break his maiden at start five on Monday at Pakenham on the synthetic.
The 4-year-old gelding was ridden by Thomas Stockdale and won by 2l from Holy Racket (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Segament (Overshare) further away in third.
Graysong is the ninth foal from the Singspiel (Ire) mare Rewaaya (NZ). She won the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. and the G3 Let’s Elope S.
Graysong was a $160,000 purchase by Mick Price Racing from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Krakarib ready for return
The Simon Zahra-trained Krakarib (Ribchester {Ire}) is set to return in Saturday’s G3 Vain S. at Caulfield.
The syndicator and co-owner Alex Vinar of Donald’s Racing said, “Simon is very pleased with him. We’ve gave him every opportunity to show he warrants a shot at the Vain S. because we didn’t want to go there and just be making up the numbers.
“He definitely warrants a spot in the race after Friday’s trial at Flemington. We were lucky enough to book Mark Zahra, and he’s pretty happy to be on the horse after getting a proper feel for him on Friday.”
Vale Lorraine Anderton
On Monday, it was shared that Lorraine Anderton had passed away on Saturday morning, Anderton had suffered from poor health over the last 18 months.
Anderton had been the wife of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Brian Anderton and had held a significant role at White Robe Lodge, despite her failing health.
“Mum always liked to have a handle on things, especially around the administrative side of the business,” said daughter Karen Stewart who, with her husband Wayne, manages breeding operations at the stud.
“Even on Friday she was at the office checking everything was in order. No way she was dropping the reins.”
Lorraine Anderton | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Brian and Lorraine Anderton met “on the dancefloor” and were to marry in 1960, becoming the parents of five children – Karen, Lynne, Cathryn, Shane and Nicola.
“I’ve got them all here with me now and to have all our children as well as the grandchildren around at this time is so important,” said Brian.
“It’s a wonderful tribute to someone who has been my best friend for more than 60 years and who has meant so much to so many.”
A Requiem Mass celebrating Lorraine Anderton’s life will take place at 11am NZST on Wednesday, August 16 at the St Mary's Church, 87 Church Street, Mosgiel, New Zealand.
Polly Grey to be served by Proisir
The 9-year-old mare Polly Grey (NZ) (Azamour {NZ}) will return to New Zealand to chase more stakes success and that elusive Group 1 before she retires to the broodmare paddock to be served by the Rich Hill Stud-based Proisir.
Polly Grey’s former trainer and co-owner Kyle Fawcett sent the mare to Chris Waller, who guided her to five stakes victories.
“At the time, around COVID, with our industry shutting down, it was just a no-brainer to send her to Australia and it has paid,” Fawcett said.
“She has won five races over there and they have all been black-type races.”
Polly Grey (NZ) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Polly Grey has subsequently returned to Sydney, and while she is pleasing Waller ahead of the spring, Sydney’s unseasonably warm weather has been far from ideal for her build-up.
“He (Waller) is very happy with her. He is almost the happiest he has ever been in terms of how she is training and her general wellbeing. He is just waiting for some rain to line her up,” Fawcett said.
“She is nominated to race at Hawkesbury on Thursday, but we have scratched the last four times because they are having a winter-summer over there and the tracks have been a Good 4 every time she has been due to race.
“She is all dressed up with nowhere to go, unfortunately.
“I can guarantee we will bring her back to New Zealand and dry the country out.
“She is coming back because she is going to Proisir. If we get conditions to suit, she will race on for a bit. If it doesn’t, she will be retired.”
Proisir | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
Fawcett said they were weighing up their options with stallions on both sides of the Tasman and settled on Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir as their ideal first mating for their Group 1 performer.
“When we were comparing stallions in Australia at similar money, he was still coming up as the best value,” she said.
Lofty to target Champions Sprint
The Julius Sandhu-trained Lofty Strike (Snitzel) will target the G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington. However, Sandhu has yet to pinpoint a starting point for the well-bred 4-year-old entire, indicating that he will likely be seen at the races towards the end of the spring.
“Lofty Strike has come back in work, and we’ll let him tick along. I haven’t really picked a kick-off race because I don’t want to be dictated by the race, I’ll let Lofty Strike tell me where he is,” Sandhu said.
“Whatever we start with, we’ll probably end up in the Champions Sprint. We tackled it last year; we’ll have another crack at the stumps and see how we go.”
Laced Up Heels pleases Kent Jnr
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Laced Up Heels (Toronado {Ire}) trialled at Cranbourne on Monday morning, the stakes-winning Western Australian mare pleased her new trainers with her performance with co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr saying, “Laced Up Heels can go through the mares' races here in Melbourne and we’ve put a circle around the Golden Eagle.”
Kent Jnr shared that the well-bred Illative (I Am Invincible) has returned to the duo’s Cranbourne stables after a two-week freshen up following her unplaced effort on debut at Flemington.
Laced Up Heels | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“She (Illative) scoped with grade two mucus post-race, which is certainly performance-affecting,” Kent Jnr said.
“We haven’t lost any confidence in her, she got quite lost down the straight and it was a slowly run race.
US$380k Violence colt tops Fasig
The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearlings Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session, ending with figures ahead of last year's opening session after a brisk evening of just 100 catalogued head. A colt by Violence (USA) brought the night's top price when Chris Baccari, bidding alongside trainer Ken McPeek, went to US$380,000 ($585,000) on behalf of country singer Toby Keith.
A total of 53 yearlings sold Sunday for US$5,999,000 ($9,236,600). The average of US$113,189 ($174,275) was up 5% from last year's opening-session figure of US$107,813 ($165,998), while the median of US$100,000 ($153,969) was up 29.9% from US$77,000 ($118,556) a year ago. With 28 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 34.6%.
“It was a very good opening session to the 2023 New York-bred Yearling Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “It seemed a tiny bit sticky at the beginning, with a little higher RNA rate that kind of smoothed out as the sale progressed. But it was a solid sale, a good sale. Last year was essentially a record-breaking sale and to be statistically improved in two key categories is a really good start.”
