High temperatures force late start to Railway Day
Perth Racing confirmed on Wednesday morning that the running of races on Saturday will occur into the evening, with the meeting start time pushed back to avoid the predicted temperature of 38 degrees.
Racing and Wagering Western Australia’s heat policy stipulates that race meetings where a top above 38 degrees is forecast must have their program amended to avoid the peak temperature, moved to a different day, or abandoned.
With Sunday forecast to be no cooler, officials have elected for option one, with the first race now to be run at 2.05pm local time (5.05pm AEDT) and the last to be completed at 6.47pm (9.47pm AEDT).
Bainbridge stands firm on Cranbourne Cup Day
Cranbourne Racing Club CEO Neil Bainbridge has expressed his club’s desire to remain a feature Saturday meeting in November, in the face of a push from the Victoria Racing Club to host an additional Flemington meeting a fortnight after Champions Day.
The south-east fringe of the Melbourne metropolitan area has already lost one key meeting around this time of year, with Packenham conceding their Saturday meeting, which hosted the Pakenham Cup at Listed level, to a Thursday night in February.
Bainbridge told RSN on Wednesday, “Rest assured, from our club's point of view, we are absolutely committed to running our Cranbourne Cup on a Saturday in November in the heart of the spring carnival.
Neil Bainbridge | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We think it's appropriate, we think it’s important for the industry.
“This is an enormous, fast growing area out here in the City of Casey. We think it's important that RV (Racing Victoria) along with the club brings the big show to town so that people can embrace and support and get involved in racing.
“A key focus for us is to grow the audience and the fan base in the city of Casey. Bringing the Cranbourne Cup and the spring racing carnival to Cranbourne on a Saturday in November is a must in our view, not only for Cranbourne but also for the racing industry.”
Ghaiyyath shines at Goffs
Exciting stallion prospect Ghaiyyath (Ire) has garnered plenty of attention at the Goffs November Foal Sale, with a colt (Lot 424) out of High Chaparral (Ire) mare Experte (Fr) fetching €200,000 (AU$333,000) on Day 2 of the sale.
Jack Finegan with Lot 424 - Ghaiyyath (Ire) x Experte (Fr) (colt) | Image courtesy of TDN Europe
It was a strong day for fellow shuttle stallion Earthlight (Ire), who had a colt out of Stone Roses (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) fetch a price of €115,000 (AU$191,000).
Of the 250 foals offered on Tuesday, 2016 were sold, which represented a clearance rate of 82 per cent. The aggregate was down 9 per cent on the corresponding day's trade last year to €7,608,500 (AU$12,638,084) while the average fell 4 per cent to €36,935 (AU$61,300). Similarly to the Monday figures, the median rose 3 per cent on Tuesday to €31,000 (AU$51,500) on what was overall another solid day of trade.
Heads You Lose extends unbeaten record
Promising 3-year-old Justify (USA) colt Heads You Lose continues to progress through his grades nicely, making light work of his opposition at BM68 H. level at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Ridden by James McDonald, he left his opposition behind in a matter of strides, crossing the line 2.9l clear of his closest rival.
Speaking to Sky Thoroughbred Central after the race, McDonald said, “He’s lovely, he’s still a work in progress, he’s big and raw, you go left he wants to go right.
“Plenty of improvement in him, but he’s very well placed (in benchmark grade) and he’s going to progress really nicely because he uses himself beautifully, he can sustain a long gallop.
“That was a good pressure race for a small field, but he sustained it well.”
The win of Heads You Lose propels Justify to equal-first on the second-season sires rankings by wins, joining Trapeze Artist on 14 wins.
More delays in Weir tribunal proceedings
An outcome into the continuing Darren Weir saga has been further delayed on Wednesday, with the directions hearing scheduled for Thursday now rescheduled for March 2024.
Weir, who has been accused of using electrical devices on Red Cardinal (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Yogi (NZ) (Raise The Flag {GB}) and Tosen Basil (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in the weeks preceding the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup, faces the charges alongside former employees Jarrod McLean and Tyson Kermond.
According to Newscorp, the matter will be heard by the Victorian Racing Tribunal, with a panel consisting of three members, from March 18 to March 22.
Winter the time for magical mare?
Fresh off success in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. on Saturday, trainer Grahame Begg has his sights set on more elite-level glory for his stable star Magic Time (Hellbent).
Magic Time | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The 4-year-old mare has earnt her place in the field for The All-Star Mile in March next year, but Begg is thinking even further ahead, telling RadioTAB that the G1 Stradbroke H. at the end of the Queensland carnival is an option.
Fellow Grahame Begg-trained mare Rose Quartz (Written Tycoon) may also venture north, albeit earlier, to contest the Magic Millions carnival on the Gold Coast in January.
Racing SA financials in the green
Another major racing body has been able to report a positive result for the 2023 financial year, with Racing SA announcing a surplus of $7,270,000.
Crucially for the jurisdiction, it is not solely the end financial number that has performed strongly, with a number of key metrics also trending in the right direction. Average starters per race cracked 10.3, the highest in the last five years, while metropolitan figures continue growth across the board.
The forecast decrease in overall wagering was realised, however through tight budgeting, any substantial impacts were negated.
Waller takes strong hand to The Gong
With $1 million in prizemoney on offer in the feature at Kembla Grange on Saturday, it’s little surprise to see some of the country's top trainers fielding some talented competitors.
Chief among them is Chris Waller, who has accepted five runners for The Gong.
Chris Waller has accepted five runners for The Gong | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro) is the most notable, the Group 1-winning 4-year-old receiving the services of star jockey James McDonald. Also making the trip are last start winner New Mandate (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Skyman (GB) (Mukhadram {GB}), Waterford (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) and Wicklow (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}).
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will be represented by Surf Dancer (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), while Ciaron Maher and David Eustace prepare Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}).
Imported mare finds her speed
After an even run at Moonee Valley earlier in the month, Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Sea Speedwell (GB) bounced back at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday, recording a narrow victory in the BM70 H. over 2100 metres.
Piloted by apprentice Carleen Hefel, the 6-year-old was there to be beaten for the length of the straight but was able to resist a late challenge from One Last Kiss (Toronado {Ire}) to win by an official margin of 0.1l.
Progeny of Sea The Stars continue to have a good record in Australia, with 29 winners from 42 runners, including 12 at black-type level.
Hong Kong international races take shape
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has finalised entrants for their world-class raceday on December 10, with global forces descending on the jurisdiction for a shot at lucrative prizemoney.
There is strong local representation, with Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {Ire}) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) among the elite-level horses participating that call Hong Kong home.
Japan once again brings a fearsome team to the meeting, spearheaded by the likes of Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) and Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}).
Aidan O’Brien will travel four; Aesop’s Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}), Cairo (Ire) (Quality Road {USA}), Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will also progress on after his Australian campaign.
Singapore is set to have their final representative at the meeting, with Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec {NZ}) representing the jurisdiction for the last time before racing ceases in late 2024.
Shadai Farm fees announced
Japan-based breeding operation Shadai Farm have announced their fees for the 2024 season, with a number of high-performing stallions commanding a higher fee.
Kitasan Black (Jpn) | Standing at Shadai Stallion Station
Kitasan Black (Jpn), sire of the revered Equinox (Jpn) is the most notable increase, with his fee now ¥20,000,000 (AU$206,000). This increase takes him past Epiphaneia (Jpn) as the highest fee amongst the Shadai offerings. The latter has seen a reduction from ¥18,000,000 (AU$185,000) to ¥15,000,000 (AU$155,000). Also on the second line is Suave Richard (Jpn) and Contrail (Jpn).
Savaglee out to record stakes success
Promising 2-year-old colt Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) will have the opportunity to gain some early season black type, when he lines up in the Listed NZ Counties Challenge S. at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Savaglee (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Recording a dominant 4l win over 900 metres on debut at Trentham in October, the Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained galloper displayed some of the talent that ushered him through the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for NZ$400,000.
He’s not alone in being an impressive maiden winner, with Poetic Champion (NZ) (Super Seth) posting a 6.3l win in his only start to date, at Hawera. Should the gelding be victorious, he would be the first stakes winner for Super Seth.
Songline, Schnell Meister retired
Triple Group 1-winning mare Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and G1 Tokyo NHK Mile Cup winner Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB}) have both been retired from racing on Wednesday.
Boasting wins in her native Japan as well as Saudi Arabia, Songline finishes her career with seven wins from 17 starts, with six victories coming in black-type company. Her last success was in June this year in the G1 Yasuda Kinen.
Fellow retiree Schnell Meister also finishes with 17 racetrack appearances, five of them resulting in wins. The G1 Tokyo NHK Mile Cup is his crowning achievement, but he also has two Group 2 victories to his name. He will take up stallion duties in the new year.
Turner notches 1000 winners
Hayley Turner, Britain's most successful female jockey, received a standing ovation from her fellow members of the weighing-room when becoming the first woman in Europe to ride 1000 winners.
Turner, 40, reached the notable landmark at Chelmsford City on Tuesday evening aboard Tradesman (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) for Khalifa Dasmal and David Simcock.
“I did drag it out a little bit but I got there eventually,” said Turner on Racing TV. “It's taken me plenty of time, and it's nice to see the girls coming through behind me that are up and coming, the likes of Hollie (Doyle), Saffie (Osborne), Nicola (Currie) and Josephine (Gordon) all riding so well every day. Although it's taken me 20 years to do it, hopefully it will take them half the time.”
