Kiku offered in standalone Magic Millions auction
The Group 2-winning Kiku (Zoustar) will be offered by Magic Millions in a special standalone auction on the Magic Millions Online portal on Thursday, August 31.
Bidding is set to open at 10am (AEST) and close from 4pm (AEST) and the mare will be offered unreserved.
Kiku has earned over $1.2 million on the racetrack including victories in the G2 Theo Marks S. and the G3 Carbine Club S.
She is also a full sister to the gun sprinter and G1 Newmarket H. winner Zoutori.
Kiku | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Denise Martin's Star Thoroughbreds purchased Kiku as a yearling in conjunction with Brett Howard and he is presenting the mare for sale under the Glenesk Thoroughbreds banner.
“I really liked her as a yearling,” Howard said. “She's got a bit more leg than most Zoustars and there's plenty of scope about her.
“She was a high-class racehorse who had Group 1 ability and was never beaten far in big races around the country. I always thought a mile was her best distance - 1400 metres to a mile.”
Dragon Leap to fire in Foxbridge?
The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Dragon Leap (Pierro) is ready to tackle the G2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate on Saturday at Te Rapa after an impressive first-up effort.
“We were really pleased to see him quicken on the good ground up at Ruakaka, he often saves one of his best runs for his fresh-up run so we were expecting him to run well and it was so pleasing to see him round off the race in the manner that he did,” co-trainer Scott said.
“He’s come through that race really well, with the three weeks between runs his body weight is only two kilos lighter than he was first-up so he’s really held his weight, and especially when they’re sprinting, you want them feeling good in their condition.
“It certainly gives us a bit of confidence to take on a race like the Foxbridge, because it is certainly quite a step up in class.
“We’ve got improving track conditions tomorrow and that certainly improves his chances, the quicker the track the better chance he’ll quicken.”
Jolly has one concern for See You In Heaven
The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet) will contest Saturday’s Listed Leon Macdonald S. at Morphettville Parks.
“She has one little chink in her amour- sometimes she can be slow out,” co-trainer Richard Jolly said.
See You In Heaven | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Worst-case scenario, if she misses it a bit and she’s back worse than midfield cluttered up, then you could get. If you were 1200 metres at Morphettville you probably wouldn’t be concerned but if you miss the start at the Parks track and there are 14 runners, that could be interested.”
Snapper ready to make an impact
The Mike Moroney-trained Snapper (NZ) (Power {GB}) will return to racing in Saturday’s Listed Carylon S. at Moonee Valley. Moroney admits some hesitation over the 1000-metre journey of the Listed feature but is confident the 6-year-old is in for a fruitful campaign.
“The distance will be the question with him, but he is going well,” Moroney said.
Snapper (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“For a horse of his age he’s fairly lightly raced so that’s on our side too.”
Snapper brings a super record to the often tricky Valley track, winning four of six although none of those victories have come at a distance shorter than 1200 metres.
No Guineas for Harry
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Blazing Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) has been ruled out of a tilt at the G1 Caulfield Guineas. The connections have decided the G2 Sandown Guineas at the back end of the spring carnival is the most suitable aim for the progressive colt.
“We are skipping the (Caulfield) Guineas and we will have him for the back end of the carnival,” co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr said.
“He will be up and about for Flemington Cup week and maybe a race like the Sandown Guineas could appeal. We didn’t want to cut short his spell, we raced him deep into the winter and he’s still an immature horse that we want to give a six-week spell.”
Moir considered for Eduardo
Warwick Farm-based trainer Joe Pride outlined some potential spring aims for his stable stars. Among them was the 10-year-old Eduardo (Host {Chi}) whose immediate aim is the G2 Concorde S. on September 2.
Eduardo | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
However, Melbourne fans of the courageous galloper could see him tackle the G1 Moir S. at Moonee Valley on September 29 - Pride said, “Eduardo is going super. The Concorde is where he starts and that’s a target race. He’s great fresh and he’s a race-by-race horse. Eduardo could bob up anywhere, it’s about finding the suitable race.”
Godolphin Flying Start welcome new intake
The world-renowned Godolphin Flying Start program welcomed the 21st intake of trainees to Kildangan Stud. The program centres on exposing the successful trainees to the global racing industry and aiding their development to become future leaders of the sport. The class of 2023-2025 comprises trainees from five different regions including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The complete list of 2023-2025 trainees are:
Mitchell Whelan (New Zealand), Harrison Everett (Australia), Sean Cooper (Ireland), Anna Cahill (Ireland), George Connolly (Ireland), Sam Baker (Ireland), Johnny Marsh (UK), Jake Swinburn (UK), Daisy Fenwick (USA), Gerard Donworth (Ireland), Harper McVey (USA), Claire Wilson (USA).
Godolphin Flying Start Executive Director, Clodagh Kavanagh, said, “We welcomed our 21st Godolphin Flying Start class of 12 trainees to Kildangan Stud on August 14th. It is a milestone year for the programme, having had our 20-year reunion in Kildare in June which was attended by over 100 graduates. We look forward to collaborating with industry professionals to give the trainees opportunities to learn, complete externships, and gain employment in the future so that we may achieve our vision of being the source of influential leaders of the industry.”
Lawman on the move to Haras du Mazet
Group 1 sire Lawman (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) has been transferred to Haras du Mazet for the 2024 breeding season, Jour de Galop reported on Thursday. His fee will be €4000 (AU$6200).
Lawman (Fr) | Standing at Haras du Mazet
A winner of both the G1 Prix du Jockey Club and the G1 Prix Jean Prat in 2007, the 19-year-old has sired 38 stakes winners. Of his 22 Group winners, six have scored at the highest level, including Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Just The Judge (Ire), 2020 Cartier Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Pretty Gorgeous (Fr), Most Improved (Ire), Law Enforcement (Ire), St Leger victor Harbour Law (GB) and Marcel (Ire).
After beginning his career at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland in 2008, the half-brother of G1 Prix de Diane heroine Latice (Ire) (Inchinor {GB}) switched to Haras de Grandcamp for the 2019 breeding season, where he stood through 2022.
Blake and Cantillon buy smart sprinter Bouttemont
Kevin Blake and Jack Cantillon have secured French sprinter Bouttemont (Ire), who they are targeting at a rare Group 1 double in the Flying Five and Prix de l'Abbaye, before standing the highly rated son of Acclamation (GB) in Ireland.
The well-known racing pundit and breeder told TDN Europe, “We're doing things a little bit different in that people can get into Bouttemont for the remainder of his racing career and also secure breeding rights. This is a new partnership between Jack (Cantillon) and myself and I really believe that Bouttemont is quite a compelling horse. He has the form, the profile, the looks and the pedigree. You'd like to think he'd be an appealing horse at that level.”
He added, “Dealing in cold hard facts, this horse gave a performance in the Prix Hampton which places him on a career higher-rating RPR than Mehmas and Dark Angel, achieved a top speed of 72 kilometres per hour in that race and almost broke the track record. He's an exceptionally quick horse."
Blue Diamond Stud branches out with acquisition of Kentucky's Stonereath Farm
Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud is the new owner of Stonereath Farm in Kentucky in a purchase which “underlines the intention of the stud to compete on the world stage”.
The Kuwaiti-born owner-breeder of Group 1 winners Nashwa (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Decorated Knight (GB) has a burgeoning involvement in racing and breeding in North America, where his Blue Diamond Stud has been represented this season by the homebred Wonderful Justice (USA) (Justify {USA}), winner of the Black Gold S. at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old colt is trained by Brad Cox alongside the Grade 2-placed Free Look (USA) (Tapit {USA}), a recent purchase at the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Situated just outside Paris in Kentucky, Stonereath Farm was previously home to the celebrated broodmare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) while under the ownership of Darrell and Lindy Brown. Its most recent owner was Dr Christoph Berglar, the German owner-breeder of international Group 1 winners Protectionist (Ger) and Novellist (Ger).
“We are excited to add Stonereath Farm to the Blue Diamond Stud portfolio,” said Al Sagar, “With such a long history of producing such good racehorses, I am confident that it will be a valuable complement to our European division while allowing us great opportunity to diversify. We look forward to growing our presence in the US and yielding the advantages of everything that Kentucky and its differing bloodlines has to offer.”
Racing world mourns death of Lady O'Reilly
Highly successful and longstanding owner-breeder Lady Chryss O'Reilly, the owner of Haras de la Louviere in Normandy, has died at the age of 73.
As recently as Saturday, she was represented as the breeder of two Group 2 winners in Britain and Ireland. At Newbury, Witch Hunter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) won the Hungerford S., while Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), bred in partnership with Ecurie des Monceaux, won the Debutante S. at the Curragh.
As ever, Lady O'Reilly was present at Arqana in Deauville during the last week, where her consignment of yearlings once again put her among the top 10 vendors of the August Sale. Haras de la Louiviere also topped Arqana's V.2 Sale on Tuesday with a Kodiac (GB) colt out of Rainbow Vale (Ire) who was sold for €200,000 (AU$300,500) to Arthur Hoyeau.
Lady Chryss O'Reilly | Image courtesy of Scoop Dyga
Born in America in 1950 as Chryssanthie Goulandris. Operating under her own banners of Skymarc Farm and Petra Bloodstock Agency, Lady O'Reilly was also one of the breeding partners in Ecurie des Monceaux. With her husband, the businessman and former Irish rugby international Sir Anthony O'Reilly, she previously owned Castlemartin Stud in Ireland, and she was a former chair of the Irish National Stud.
Lady O'Reilly's achievements as a Thoroughbred breeder span almost 50 years and include the Group 1 winners and influential sires Highest Honor (Fr) and Lawman (Fr), as well as the latter's fellow Classic-wining half-sister Latice (Ire). She also bred the 1996 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Helissio (Fr), G1 Pretty Polly S. winner Chinese White (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Henri Bozo of Ecurie des Monceaux said on Thursday, “It's a sad day. She's been amazing and she's a huge loss for many people. She was such a supportive and kind person, and she made our industry nicer and more human. This is a big shock, but she has enjoyed the last days of her life doing what she loved.”
Saez sidelined, Prat picks up Travers mount on Mage
Jockey Luis Saez, who went down during the running of Wednesday's John's Call S. when his mount Burning Bright (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) suffered a fatal cardiac event, was diagnosed with a dislocated collarbone and slight fracture in his left wrist, according to a tweet from former trainer and current agent Kiaran McLaughlin but was released from Albany Medical Center. He will be out of the saddle for an undetermined period of time.
After Javier Castellano committed to GI Belmont S. winner Arcangelo (USA) (Arrogate {USA}) for Saturday's GI Travers S. Saez was named by trainer Gustavo Delgado to partner with GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (USA) (Good Magic {USA}) in the mile-and-a-quarter centrepiece of the Saratoga meeting. Early Thursday morning, Delgado tweeted that Flavien Prat will now replace the injured Saez.
Ruffian’s remains relocated to Claiborne Farm
The remains of Hall of Famer Ruffian (USA) (Reviewer {USA}) have been transferred from the infield at Belmont Park to Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, where the legendary filly was born and raised, officials at the New York Racing Association announced Thursday. NYRA has also relocated the plaque from Ruffian's gravesite at Belmont Park to Claiborne Farm.
Ruffian was buried Thursday at Marchmont Cemetery on the grounds of the famed nursery, the final resting place of the likes of Damascus (USA), Danzig (USA), Easy Goer (USA), Unbridled (USA), and many more.
Ruffian's remains had been buried at the base of the flagpole near the Belmont Park finish line since 1975. NYRA is beginning the construction of a one-mile all-weather track at that location. The move to Claiborne will allow greater public access to her gravesite.
“We are honored that Ruffian will be returning home,” said Walker Hancock, President of Claiborne Farm. “She is known throughout racing as one of the greatest fillies of all time and it's only fitting that she returns to her birthplace and will lie alongside other great mares such as Personal Ensign, Inside Information and Moccasin, among others, in our Marchmont Cemetery.”
“I'd like to thank NYRA for preserving and protecting Ruffian's gravesite at Belmont for close to 50 years,” said Stuart Janney, III, who made the decision to move the remains jointly with Claiborne and NYRA, where he is a board member. “We have been working with NYRA and Claiborne for months, and this is a wonderful outcome that will increase the public's ability to visit the site and pay tribute to Ruffian and her incredible legacy. Claiborne is one of the most beautiful and revered Thoroughbred farms in America and the home of some of the greatest horses in racing history, and the ideal place for Ruffian.”
In addition, NYRA announced that the remains of Timely Writer (USA) (Staff Writer {USA}), winner of the 1981 Hopeful S. and Champagne S. winner of the 1981 Hopeful S. and Champagne S., will be transferred to Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. A one-time claimer, he won the Florida Derby in 1982, but missed the Kentucky Derby due to injury.
