Mitch Beer buys Desert Voice
Albury-based trainer Mitch Beer and Heywood Bloodstock were active on the Tattersalls Online August Sale purchasing Lot 28 - Desert Voice (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for 50,000gns (AU$100,500) from William Haggas’ Somerville Lodge.
The daughter of Invincible Spirit (Ire) has won two races from four starts and is bound for Australia.
Desert Voice (GB) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“We were looking for fillies and found her. She is a lightly raced, two-time winning filly by Invincible Spirit who needs no introduction down here (Australia),” Beer said.
“We spoke to William Haggas and he recommended her for Australia, so it was a no-brainer. There are so many options for her down here and I can’t wait to get her home.”
Maloney eager to unleash Skirt The Law
Jockey Ryan Maloney is excited to reunite with his R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Skirt The Law (Better Than Ready) in Saturday’s G3 Quezette S. at Caulfield.
“You could tell Skirt The Law had come down from Queensland, she was the only horse there on Tuesday morning that looked spot on, her coat was outstanding,” Maloney said.
“It took her a while to get on to the Melbourne leg, when I rode her the other morning, but once she did, she was great. I’m rapt that she has drawn barrier one, she has the rail to follow.
“She looks like a colt, she has strengthened up that much.”
Sixth winner for Santos
The young I Am Invincible stallion Santos, who has been relocated to Highview Stud, New Zealand sired his sixth winner on Friday at Canberra Acton.
The Gratz Vella-trained Chop The Ice broke his maiden at start five over 1080 metres.The 3-year-old gelding was ridden by Jack Martin and won by 1.30l from Gundy Guy (Capitalist).
Santos | Standing at Highview Stud
Chop The Ice was a bargain $8000 purchase by Vella Lodge from the draft of Hidden Valley Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Highway Session.
Santos will stand the 2023 breeding season for NZ$7500 (plus GST).
Staphanos sires third winner
The Kelvin and Aimee Tyler-trained Lady Sass (NZ) became the third winner for her sire Staphanos (Jpn) on Friday at Oamaru. Lady Sass hails from the family of the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Railings (Zabeel {NZ}).
Staphanos stands at Novara Park Stud, New Zealand for NZ$15,000 (plus GST).
Little Brose excites Dee
Victorian-based jockey Mick Dee is thrilled with the progress Little Brose (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) has made into his 3-year-old preparation. The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained colt won the G1 Blue Diamond S. as a juvenile and will tackle the G3 Vain S. on Saturday at Caulfield.
“He’s an exciting horse. I always thought he was going to be a better 3-year-old,” Dee said.
Little Brose (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Being a son of Per Incanto, he was always going to keep on improving with age. He was just that type as well. He had a lot of filling out to do, and he’s much stronger this time.
“I think he can win on Saturday. He’s certainly got the ability to win.”
King Of Steel will bypass International and point to Irish Champion instead
Derby runner-up King Of Steel (USA) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), last seen when third in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. last month, will skip the August 23 G1 Juddmonte International S. and instead target the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion S. on September 9.
“We didn't confirm him today for York,” said Tom Pennington, racing manager for owners Amo Racing. “I know when you look at the prizemoney and think it could be quite a small field, you might get a bit carried away, but we are going back to what was always Plan A and go to Ireland.
“We've been patient with him all the way along and I don't think another couple of weeks is going to do us any harm. He's in good form and he's on the right track, we're very happy with him.
“When you look at his size, touch wood, he should be even better again next year and we're playing the long game with him.”
The G2 King Edward VII S. hero, who is trained by Roger Varian, was due to face four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), G1 Prince Of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and 2022 G1 Derby victor Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) among others in the York showpiece.
Wertheimers acquires Wildenstein Family's Dayton Investments
Wertheimer et Frere has purchased the entirety of the Wildenstein family's Dayton Investments bloodstock, including G3 Prix Penelope heroine Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). She was due to race in the Ballymore Thoroughbred Racing colours in the G2 Prix de la Nonette on Sunday, but will instead carry the blue silks with white sleeves and seams of Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
A storied operation since the 1920s, the Wildenstein family's bloodstock have produced a slew of stars on an international scale, including a quartet of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners. Current flagbearers for the breeding programme are four-time Group 1 winner Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}).
“We confirm that we have recently acquired all the horses belonging to Dayton Investments,” a spokesperson for Wertheimer et Frere told Jour de Galop on Thursday evening. “This is a rare opportunity to integrate many elements of exceptional quality into our broodmare band."
A yearling and horses-in-training dispersal was conducted for the Wildenstein family by Goffs during the 2016 Orby Sale.
O'Brien charts course for River Tiber, Kyprios
Aidan O'Brien confirmed TDN Rising Star River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains on track for Sunday's G1 Prix Morny at Deauville despite missing a piece of work two weeks ago. Campaigned by Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant, the juvenile was last seen winning the June 20 G1 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot.
“The plan is to run River Tiber (this weekend),” O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. “He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him as we're a bit worried about his fitness, but the plan at the moment is to run.”
A runaway winner in his career bow at Navan at April 22, the colt followed up with another victory at Naas May 21.
River Tiber (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
O'Brien continued, “He had a hold-up and missed his second-last piece of work so he had that week off, but he did a piece of work this week so that gave him a chance to go.
“He seems to be in good form since, but the ground that we lost you couldn't make back up with him.”
O'Brien also indicated Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year's Gold Cup winner, may mark his return on September 10 in the G1 Irish St Leger. The chestnut was last seen destroying his rivals in the G1 Prix du Cadran at Paris Longchamp on October 1.
“Kyprios was at the Curragh for a canter last weekend after racing and that went well. He seems to have come out of that well,” said O'Brien. “We're looking at maybe starting at the (Irish) Leger, but that's a tough enough race to come back in so we'd be hoping he could run a good race, come out of it okay and then have a look at something on Arc weekend, something like that, because you couldn't expect him to perform at his best after such a traumatic year. If it all went well we could look at next year with him.”
Honor Code to stand at Yushun Stallion Station
Multiple Group 1 and stakes winner Honor Code (USA) has been sold and will stand the 2024 breeding season at Yushun Stallion Station in Japan, Lane's End Farm said in a release on Thursday.
The 12-year-old, who will take his place alongside notable sires such as Henny Hughes (USA) will offer an outcross to the many Sunday Silence (USA) mares there.
Bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge and campaigned by that farm along with Lane's End Racing, Honor Code entered stud at Lane's End in 2016.
“We are hopeful that on completion of his stud career Honor Code will return to Lane's End. He has provided us with so many memories. We would love to have him back some day,” said Bill Farish of Lane's End Farm.
Multiple Grade 1 winner Art Collector euthanised after developing laminitis
Art Collector (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), a winner of eight stakes including the 2023 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the 2021 GI Woodward S., was euthanised Thursday in Saratoga after developing laminitis.
Horse Racing Nation was first with the story.
“This was sudden and a tough experience for me and my wife,” said owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford. “I can summarise this pretty easily. He gave me my highest highs in this business and now my lowest low. That's as simple as I can put it. He will be in my brain and my thoughts for the rest of my life. He was very special. The biggest win of my life was in the Pegasus down in Miami, so this was a really big loss. And he was going to be a great sire.”
Trainer Bill Mott said the problems started only a few days ago but became more serious by the day.
“He started to develop laminitis a couple of days ago and he went in a hurry,” Mott said. “He had a very good work on the fifth of August and was fine the next day. Then he developed what appeared to be a small foot abscess two days later. We were soaking it and treating it. We didn't think it was going to be anything serious, but it developed into laminitis in all four feet. He was with us in Saratoga and was in his stall. He started to get real uncomfortable on Tuesday. Yesterday (Wednesday) was a bad day and it was getting worse, and we had to make the decision to put him to sleep.”
