Daily News Wrap

Justify fee doubles at Ashford Stud

Coolmore America has doubled the service fee of its Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) for the 2024 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. The son of Scat Daddy (USA) will stand for US$200,000 (AU$315,000), which is a jump from his current season’s fee of US$100,000 (AU$160,000).

Justify will stand for the fourth-highest of all the American stud fees announced to date, with only Into Mischief (USA), Curlin (USA) and Gun Runner (USA) ahead of him by price.

Ashford Stud also announced the remainder of its roster. Uncle Mo (USA) will stand for US$150,000 (AU$235,000), American Pharoah (USA) US$50,000 (AU$80,000), Practical Joke (USA) will command US$45,000 (AU$70,000), and both Epicentre (USA) and Jack Christopher (USA) will stand for US$40,000 (AU$62,000).

The rest of the roster includes Corniche (USA), Golden Pal (USA), Tiz The Law (USA), Mendelssohn (USA), Maximum Security (USA), Echo Town (USA) and Mo Town (USA), at fees ranging from US$25,000 (AU$40,000) to US$5000 (AU$8000).

Tests all clear for Amelia’s Jewel

Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) has been given a clean bill of health after blood tests were taken on Monday. It followed a disappointing effort when the mare was soundly beaten in the G1 Toorak H. at Caulfield on Saturday, but trainer Simon Miller said she is still not at her best.

“She’s still not eating right, which is not great,” Miller told The Races WA. “She’s still not breathing fire, so she’ll have a light week in Melbourne. I’m hoping she can bounce out of it and I can increase her work next week. It’s frustrating, but good that the tests found nothing major.”

Amelia’s Jewel was a surprise nomination for Perth’s Ascot Pinnacles carnival earlier this week. She appeared among the nominations for the G1 Winterbottom S. and the $1.5 million The Gold Rush. Miller confirmed the races were a back-up if the star mare doesn’t get to the $10 million Golden Eagle in Sydney.

Rawiller suspended

In-form jockey Nash Rawiller will miss the Caulfield Cup ride on Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) after being suspended for careless riding in Sydney on Wednesday.

Blake Shinn will now partner the Chris Waller-trained Montefilia in Saturday’s Group 1 staying contest. The mare has drawn barrier nine.

No Champions Sprint for I Wish I Win

Group 1 winner and this year’s The Everest runner-up I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) won’t be seen again this spring, with co-trainer Peter Moody advising Racing Victoria stewards the gelding has gone for a spell.

Moody and training partner Katherine Coleman had been weighing up whether to run I Wish I Win, who has had just two starts this time in, in the G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington on November 11.

Gold Trip in the 'big three'

The Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup remain on the agenda for the Melbourne Cup-winning Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), who was confirmed on Wednesday for an additional berth in this weekend’s Caulfield Cup. Ben Melham has been booked for Saturday’s ride, with connections digging deep for the $37,500 final acceptance fee.

Co-trainer Ciaron Maher told Racing.com that the decision to take on the Caulfield Cup was complicated.

“If the track is a Good 3 or similar, we’d have to have a look again,” he said. “It was a tough decision. The Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup are still in our plans. Horses carry weight, as a rule, in the Caulfield Cup. He was good in it last year.”

Gold Trip will jump from barrier 11 in the Caulfield Cup.

Muramasa claims Coongy Cup

Progressive stayer Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won the biggest race of his short career on Wednesday, taking out the G3 Coongy Cup at Caulfield. The Trent Busttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding was aided by a lovely Daniel Moor ride.

“He’s bred to get out over further and further and he’s got a turn of foot. Gelding has also helped him," Young told Racing.com. “He ran second in a Group 3 last year and he also ran in the Victoria Derby. This time next year he could be set for the bigger races.”

The 4-year-old is from the 2016 G2 Silver Shadow S. victress Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}) and she is a daughter of the 2009 G1 Thousand Guineas heroine Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock).

Lane for Zaaki in Cox Plate

Top jockey Damian Lane has been booked to ride Annabel Neasham’s multiple Group 1 star Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) in Saturday week’s G1 Cox Plate at The Valley.

Lane, who won the race in 2019 aboard the brilliant Japanese mare Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), is yet to partner Zaaki under race conditions.

Zaaki finished a close fourth in last year’s Cox Plate behind Anamoe. He has been in good form this spring, finishing in the placings in both the G1 Winx S. and 7 S., before missing last week’s G1 King Charles III S. due to a slightly elevated blood cell count.

Uncle Bryn sidelined

This year’s G3 MRC Foundation Cup victor Uncle Bryn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will miss the remainder of the spring after sustaining a fetlock injury at trackwork.

Vets have indicated the gelding’s chances of making a full recovery are good.

“It was a disappointing day on Monday but that’s the nature of the game. We will give him a good rehab program and get him back,” co-trainer Natalie Young told Racing.com.

Meanwhile, stablemate Brayden Star (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) will be aimed towards either the G3 JRA Cup at The Valley on Friday week or the inaugural Victorian Country Cups Final at Caulfield on November 18 (G1 Thousand Guineas Day).

Lastotchka touches down

Group 3-winning mare Lastotchka (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) has arrived in Victoria, ahead of a tilt at this year’s G1 Melbourne Cup. Formerly trained in France by Jean-Marie Beguigne, Lastotchka was recently purchased in partnership by Australian Bloodstock and Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.

The mare landed in Melbourne late on Tuesday night, before heading to the Werribee quarantine facility.

“She travelled extremely well, which is the most important thing. Everything’s got to go to plan, but it has so far,” Kent Jnr told RSN. “She polished every meal we gave her… she actually put on 1kg, which is incredible and makes our job easier.”

Kent Jnr said there is a lot to like about Lastotchka, who has 51kg for the G1 Melbourne Cup and is currently 24th in the order of entry.

“She has got a lot of things going for her; she’s only had 12 starts, for four wins, two at Group level and one at Listed level. She stays, she’s got very good stamina and a really good turn of foot.”

Raceday double for Santos

Second-season sire Santos, who relocated from Aquis to Highview Stud in New Zealand ahead of the current breeding season, had a raceday double at the Balaklava meeting in South Australia on Wednesday. It began with In Her Sights, trained by Shane and Cassie Oxlade, in the second race, and continued with Santastico for trainer Matthew Seyers in the seventh.

In Her Sights is a 3-year-old filly and her win finally broke her maiden status at start number three. Santastico, a 3-year-old gelding, was posting his second win in seven starts.

Santos is standing at Highview for NZ$7500 (plus GST). He currently sits within the top 20 on the second season sires’ table in Australia with four winners.

Tulloch Lodge with two in Kirkham Plate

The in-form Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable will have a pair of colts in Saturday’s $160,000 Kirkham Plate at Randwick, with Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) and The Three Hundred (I Am Invincible) set to debut.

Ten juveniles accepted for the race, however, James Cummings has scratched Admitted (Brazen Beau), Renege (Impending) and Spotted (Brazen Beau).

Racing SA introduces an Excluded List

Racing SA has introduced an Excluded List that details the names of individuals who are not permitted to have thoroughbreds in their care due to welfare concerns. The list will be maintained in a collaboration between Racing SA’s welfare department and the RSPCA.

“It’s a great tool for ensuring positive welfare outcomes,” said John Cornell, who heads the welfare program at Racing SA. “From time to time, we come across people who are not suitable to have a thoroughbred in their care and, in the past, we’ve had no real mechanism or structure to prevent a horse from being placed in the care of such a person.”

Racing SA’s Excluded List has been adopted in the Local Rules of Racing and includes a provision which prohibits the transfer of a horse to a location that does not meet Racing SA’s minimum standards and Guidelines of Equine Welfare.

Michelle Borserio disqualified for four months

Wagga trainer Michelle Borserio has been disqualified for four months by Racing NSW Stewards after a hearing of charges occurred last week. On October 3, stewards inquired into the circumstances surrounding the transfer of two five per cent shares in the racehorse Exalted Dennis (Valentia) without the consent of owners and registered stablehands Andrew Steiner and Bradie Steiner, where the shares in question were transferred to Borserio.

Borserio was issued with two charges, namely fraudulent practice under AR229(1)(a) and the trainer pleaded guilty on both counts. She received a six-month disqualification on both charges, reduced to four for guilty pleas and a good disciplinary record.

The disqualification period commenced on October 16 and will expire on February 16, 2024.

Opening session of Arqana’s October Yearling Sale

Tuesday saw the opening session of the 2023 Arqana October Yearling Sale at Deauville, and it was Siyouni (Fr) who featured prominently with a co-session-topping colt selling to Coolmore via Laurent Benoit for €420,000 (AU$700,000). Lot 132 was sold by Haras d’Etreham on behalf of his breeder, Glen Hill Farm.

The stallion Zarak (Fr) provided a session-equalling price of €420,000 (AU$700,000) when his colt, Lot 101, was consigned by Fairway Consignment and sold to Ross Doyle on behalf of Norwegian clients Magne and Bente Jordanger.

Siyouni’s 10 yearlings returned an average of €189,500 (AU$315,000), while the joint top-priced filly of the opening session was a daughter of Wootton Bassett (GB), who fetched €260,000 (AU$430,000).

Tuesday’s aggregate was €15,581,000 for 170 yearlings sold, which wasn’t far from the entire turnover of this sale in 2019. Monceaux was the leading vendor with 20 lots sold, while buyers Anthony Stroud and Matt Coleman of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock were the most active of the opening day, signing for 14.

Goffs Breeding Stock catalogue released

The Goffs Breeding Stock Sale catalogue was released on Tuesday, with the 541-strong lineup headed by over 40 lots from the Niarchos Draft. The sale will take place on November 24-25 after the four-day Goffs November Foal Sale, and among the stars included will be the Group 1 winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) in foal to Frankel (GB), and Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in foal to St Mark’s Basilica (Fr).

There will be 25 daughters of Galileo (Ire) consigned, as well as daughters of Dubawi (Ire), Frankel, Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Sea The Stars (Ire). Among the covering sires are Blackbeard (Ire), Blue Point (Ire), Dark Angel (Ire), Havana Grey (GB) and Night Of Thunder (Ire), among many others.

Among the farms, large drafts have been catalogued by Godolphin (54), The Aga Khan (18), Ballylinch Stud (16), the Irish National Stud (11) and Moyglare Stud (eight). A 61-lot draft from The Castlebright Consignment includes a number of well-bred German mares.

Good Magic colt tops Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale

A colt by Good Magic (USA) brought a top price of US$230,000 (AU$360,000) on Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale. During the single-session sale, 156 horses grossed US$4,522,200 (AU$7.1 million), with an average of US$28,988 (AU$45,500). The average decline some 13 per cent from 2022, while the median was down five per cent.

From a catalogue of 337, 243 horses went through the ring for a buy-back rate of 35.8 per cent. That was up from last year’s figure of 25.3 per cent.

Hip 251, the sale-topper by Good Magic, brought a sale record when sold by Vinery Stud on behalf of breeder Richard Nicolai, of Fortune Farm. He is out of the Medaglia D’Oro (USA) mare Popstar (USA) and is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Lady D’Oro (USA) (Catholic Boy {USA}).

277 for Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale

Keeneland has catalogued at total of 277 horses for its November Horses of Racing Age Sale, set to be held on November 17 at the conclusion of the important November Breeding Stock Sale. The single-session sale will consist of 66 juveniles, 126 3-year-olds and 85 older horses by sires such as Arrogate (USA), Gun Runner (USA), Into Mischief (USA) and Good Magic (USA). International sires Dark Angel (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Galileo (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr), among others, are also represented in the catalogue.

“We were very pleased with last year’s sale, which marked the first time Keeneland has featured racehorses in a standalone auction, and was topped by a million-dollar colt,” said Cormac Breathnach, Keeneland’s director of sales operations. “This is a perfect time of year for a racehorse sale as it allows people to add racehorses to their barns in preparation for the winter racing season.”

Angel Bleu and Belbek join Sumbe

Nurlan Bizakov's investment in French racing and breeding has been significant since 2019 when he bought Haras de Montfort et Preaux, followed later by the purchase of Haras du Mezeray. Branding his stallion and breeding operation as Sumbe, he added Golden Horde (Ire) to the roster for the 2021 season, and last year announced that Mishriff (Ire) would stand for Sumbe, with De Treville (GB) also on the roster.

The line-up for 2024 has been enhanced again with the announcement that Bizakov's homebred Group 1 winner Belbek (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) has been retired, and that he has bought another Group 1 winner, Angel Bleu (Fr) (Dark Angel {GB}).