Equinox ‘equine perfection’ in Japan Cup
The performance of Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in Sunday’s G1 Japan Cup brought his trainer Tetsuya Kimura to tears, while jockey Christophe Lemaire shook his head in disbelief.
The 4-year-old picked up the tearaway leader Panthalassa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in visual ease, with the race putting its hand up as arguably one of the best race performances of the year. Finishing in second was Yankee Rose’s (All American) daughter Liberty Rose (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), while Stars On Earth (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) ran third.
It is believed a decision on Equinox’s future will be made in the coming days.
Paddock beacons for Sky
Mitch Freedman’s talented filly Skybird (Exosphere) will head to the paddock a happy, healthy horse as he maps out the autumn moves for the filly.
A victress of the G2 Moonee Valley Classic before finishing third in the G1 Thousand Guineas behind Joliestar (Zoustar).
“She was just a bit exhausted after the Thousand Guineas, she had a real red-hot go,” Freedman told Racing.com.
Mitch Freedman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“But Skybird has headed out to the paddock in good shape, and we’ll just work out what we do over the autumn in the next few days. We were delighted that she was able to stick her head out and get that Group 1 placing under her belt, and we’re looking forward to seeing what she can do in the future.”
Kilmore Cup meeting abandoned
Sunday’s Kilmore Cup meeting was abandoned after Race 3 when riders raised concern over a small section of the track around the home bend being unsafe to continue upon. The abandonment was the second consecutive year the Kilmore Cup has been called off.
“Post the running of Race 3, a couple of jockeys reported some concerns on weighing in, in relation to the section of the track, between the 600 and the 400 metres,” Racing Victoria steward Sam Cochrane reported to Racing.com.
“Once we received that information, a number of jockeys, along with stewards went and inspected that part of the track. On doing so, it became apparent, there were a couple of inside sections that were softer than the rest of the track.
“A decision was made in consultation with the jockeys to move the running rail out, which the jockeys seem happy with. However, a subsequent inspection of the track didn’t leave the jockeys satisfied and a vote amongst them determined the meeting should not continue.”
A decision is yet to made on rescheduling the Cup or the other abandoned races.
Sunday double for Deep Field
Deep Field has been pensioned for the 2023 season. However, the winners haven’t stopped for the son of Northern Meteor, on Sunday he sired a double including a 2-year-old on debut.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Deep Joy scored on debut at Newcastle, ridden by Dylan Gibbons, the filly defeated Glorioso (Epaulette) and Sacred Fort (Tassort).
The filly is from the Drosselmeyer (USA) mare Find Joy (USA), who won the Listed Emerald Downs Kent S.
Deep Field
Deep Joy was a $70,000 purchase by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Starblue Consultancy from the draft of Kirks Bridge Farm at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
While at Kilmore, Deep Field’s daughter Faithinher, got off the mark in an impressive 4l display over Yeronga Songbird (I Am Invincible). The filly was a $60,000 purchase by Donalds Racing and Zahra Racing when offered by Rheinwood Pastoral at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Lane booked for Hong Kong
Damian Lane has been booked to ride two Japanese raiders in Hong Kong’s showcase meeting on December 10, while Lane will also ride the Singapore-based talent Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec {NZ}) in the G1 Hong Kong Mile.
Lane will partner Rousham Park (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in the G1 Hong Kong Cup where he will face the reigning Champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). The 4-year-old has won six of his last eight stakes and defeated the triple Group 1 winner Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in the G2 Sankei Sho All Comers. Zeffiro (Jpn), a son of Deep Impact (Jpn), will be ridden by Lane, in the G1 Hong Kong Vase. He is a last-start winner of the G2 Copa Republica Argentina.
Damian Lane | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lane will return to Australia on December 16 to partner the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) in the G3 Gold Rush in Western Australia.
Blueblood heads to Country Stampede
In 2021 Kalashnikov (Capitalist) was a leading hope in the G1 Golden Slipper after winning the G3 Black Opal. He was a $600,000 purchase by James Harron Bloodstock when offered by Segenhoe Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but failed to build upon his career in New South Wales and was sold on the 2022 Inglis Digital February (Late) Online auction by his owners for $180,000 to DL Freedman Racing.
That wasn’t the end of the story, Kalashnikov was re-sold this year as part of the Inglis Digital July (Early) Online auction to Toni Schofield for $6000. Schofield has trained the son of Capitalist to three of his first five starts in Western Queensland and she now has her eye on the $105,000 Country Stampede final on Saturday at Doomben.
Kalashnikov was purchased by Toni Schofield for $6000 at the 2023 Inglis Digital July (Early) Online Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
“James Harron paid $600,000 for him, we only paid $6000, so that’s nice,” Schofield told Punters.
“We saw him online and $6000 was the highest we were going because we didn’t like the look of one of his fetlocks, lucky we picked him. The thinking was always if we could get him back to form, he would be a good Stampede horse.”
Chinny Boom to bounce back?
Clinton Taylor has opted for a low-key return for his smart galloper Chinny Boom (Spirit Of Boom) at Rockhampton on Friday after a below-par campaign in the winter that has left Taylor scratching his head. A return to form could see the filly head towards the Magic Millions in January.
“She’ll be nominated at Rocky (Rockhampton) on Friday, hopefully she just has that run up here and then she can head to Brisbane,” Taylor told News Corp.
“It’s an open 1100-metre race, the problem up here is getting a race, if they don’t have enough nominations, they will can it and if they do, I’m not sure what we will do.
“There’s no real race picked out in Brisbane yet, we want to have a look at her up here, but we were really happy with the trial, she ran a good time and had a good blow after it.
“Her below-par runs in Brisbane were a mystery to us, we scratched our heads and the vets went right over her. Chinny Boom has never been the soundest horse, that’s never been hidden because she failed x-rays as a yearling, so maybe she jarred up, who knows.”
Beeby hails 'Truly historic' November Breeding Stock Sale at Goffs
There was a rather aptly-named top lot to the final session of the November Breeding Stock Sale as Over The Moon (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) led the way on Saturday with Goffs chief Henry Beeby summing up the trade at Kildare Paddocks this week as “historic”.
Over The Moon (Lot 1373) was sold in foal to Space Blues (Ire) to Ted Naughton for €80,000 (AU$139,600) from Knocktoran Stud in a week where the Niarchos draft, headlined by record-equalling half-sisters Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), led the way at €6m (AU$10,500,700) apiece.
Lot 1373 - Over The Moon sold from Knocktoran Stud to Ted Naughton for €80,000 (AU$139,600) at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale | Image courtesy of Goffs
The Niarchos draft played a massive role in turnover climbing 147 per cent to €40,734,500 (AU$71,100,900) and the average rocketing 126 per cent to €125,337 (AU$218,700). The median, however, dropped 23 per cent to €18,500 (AU$32,300) while the clearance rate dropped 5 per cent to 73 per cent.
Beeby commented, “The Niarchos draft was the most keenly anticipated consignment at any sale anywhere in recent years and duly delivered a truly historic day at Goffs yesterday with the highest grossing day in the company's 157 years of business at €39.5 Million. The duo of €6 million top prices equals the highest ever recorded in Ireland which, of course, was set 10 years ago at the same sale when Chicquita headlined the Paulyn Dispersal whilst it also represents the top price at any thoroughbred sale in the world this year.
The Niarchos draft made up roughly two thirds of the entire turnover with just shy of €27m (AU$47,100,400) spent on the 39 lots offered by the world-famous racing operation.
Intricate gives Gun sire 25
The Brendan Walsh-trained Intricate (USA) provided her star sire Gun Runner (USA) his 25th stakes winner when sensational in the G1 Golden Rod S.
The 2-year-old filly also received 10 points towards the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Oaks, in beating Thorpedo Anna (USA) (Fast Anna {USA}) and Central Avenue (USA) (Street Sense {USA}).
Intricate is from the Distorted Humor (USA) mare Complex Analysis (USA), who is a full sister to the 15-time winner Abraham (USA). Other notable members of the filly’s page include the G2 Churchill Downs Louisville Distaff S. and Fleur de Lis H. victress Miss Isella (USA) (Silver Charm {USA}) and the G2 Arkansas Derby hero Sir Cherokee (USA).
Honor Marie strikes in Jockey Club
The Whit Beckman-trained Honor Marie (USA) (Honor Code {USA}) took out the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill Downs earning 10 points towards the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The son of Honor Code (USA) defeated Real Men Violin (USA) (Mendelssohn {USA}) and Stretch Ride (USA) (Street Sense {USA}).
Honor Marie is from the Smart Strike (Can) mare Dame Marie (USA) a placegetter in the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile and a half-sister to the European Champion 3-Year-Old Stayer Rule Of Law (USA).
Furthermore, the colt is related to the G1 Grand Prix de Paris victor Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and the international performer Sacred Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who won the G3 Belmont Knickerbocker and placed in the G1 Arlington Million and the G1 Keeneland Maker’s Mark Mile.
Honor Marie is the 17th stakes winner and the first Group 2 winner for his sire, who has been sold to Yushun Stallion Station in Japan for the 2024 breeding season.
Daughters of Curlin battle out Comely
Two daughters of the super stallion Curlin (USA), Raging Sea (USA) and Julia Shining (USA) battled out the G3 Comely S. at Aqueduct. It was the former who was able to hold a late charge from Julia Shining.
It was a well-deserved success for Raging Sea, who was placed in Group 1s behind the Champion 2-Year-Old Wonder Wheel (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}).
The filly is the 101st stakes winner for Curlin and is from the unraced Storm Cat (USA) mare Stormy Welcome (USA), who is closely related to the G3 Lecomte S. winner Guest Suite (USA) (Quality Road {USA}). Raging Sea’s page also includes the legendary A.P Indy (USA) and the G1 Preakness S. and the G1 Hopeful S. hero Summer Squall (USA).
The filly’s trainer Chad Brown said, “Raging Sea will stay in training next year and she’s quite a nice filly.”
Sodashi relation scores Derby points
Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes {USA}) earned 10 points towards North America’s G1 Kentucky Derby when successful in the Cattleya S. at Tokyo Racecourse, the 1600-metre allowance is the first leg on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby series.
Amante Bianco is raced by Silk Racing and is from the Kurofune (USA) mare Yukichan (Jpn), who claimed the Listed Kawasaki Kanto Oaks and is a three-quarter sister to the recently retired Champion Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune {USA}) and her Group 1-winning full sister Mama Cocha (USA).
