Te Akau announce Imperatriz plan
On Sunday Te Akau Racing announced the plan for their star mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible). She is due to resume in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. at Flemington and will spend her autumn preparation Australia based at Te Akau Racing’s Cranbourne base.
“After careful consideration, the decision has been made that Imperatriz will resume in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. in February. She will remain in Australia for her autumn campaign, thus will not be travelling to the Northern Hemisphere,” said David Ellis CNZM in a statement from Te Akau Racing.
“Once safely through the Lightning S., Imperatriz will defend her G1 William Reid S. crown at The Valley and then contest the G1 TJ Smith S. She will then return home to Te Akau Stud for a well-deserved spell.”
Third winner for Sun City
The Les Ross-trained Mishani Fearless provided his first-season sire Sun City, who stands at Telemon Thoroughbreds, Queensland, with his third individual winner on Sunday at the Sunshine Coast. The 2-year-old gelding had his second start, and was ridden, by Ben Thompson, to defeat Valley Of Owls (Invader), while stablemate Mishani Reactor (The Mission) finished third.
Mishani Fearless is from the unraced Octagonal (NZ) mare Mishani Lotus, who is a half-sister to Mishani Honcho (Jet Spur), a seven-time winner including the G3 BJ McLachlan S. and placegetter in the G2 Silver Slipper.
Keats toughs out Werribee Cup
Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) had been out of the winner's circle since October last year but found plenty under Linda Meech to win Sunday’s $150,000 Werribee Cup.
The Gavin Bedggood-trained 7-year-old was winning for the eighth time.
“He’s very genuine, if they all tried as hard as he does it’d make my job a lot easier,” Bedggood told Racing.com after the victory.
“He doesn’t know when to lay down, and he’s a more than deserving winner of a race like this.”
Party returns
Paul Preusker’s outstanding 3-year-old Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) has returned to his Wimmera property after a four-week spell.
“I’m just watching him off that short spell and he’s a different animal again, he’s furnished out and mentally he’s spot-on,” he told Racing.com.
Steparty | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s been a good galloper, but I think when he’s back he’ll be a proper racehorse and just get out over ground and still be ticking away at four and five. He should get better with every preparation.”
Preusker advised races such as the G1 Australian Guineas, the G1 Futurity S. and The All-Star Mile are on the radar for the promising galloper.
Noske and McDonald breach whip rules
Jarrad Noske and James McDonald have both been fined for overuse of the whip in Saturday’s G1 Northerly S.
Noske, who saluted in the Group 1 aboard Dom To Shoot (Shooting To Win) was fined $1500, while McDonald rode the runner-up Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and received a $2500 fine.
Stewards found Noske used the whip one more time than the allowed five prior to the 100-metre mark, while McDonald was four over the allowed.
Group 1 goals for Veight
Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s brilliant 3-year-old Veight (Grunt {NZ}) will return to work next week in preparation for an autumn campaign.
Tony McEvoy advised he has races such as the open-age G1 CF Orr S. and the G1 Futurity S. on the radar for the son of Grunt (NZ).
“Calvin (McEvoy) went and saw him (last Friday) and he sent me a video and he’s (Veight) a boy grown into (a) man, he’s lengthened now, he’s incredible, done beautifully,” McEvoy told Punters.
Calvin and Tony McEvoy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’m going to get him back into the stable next week with maybe looking at the Australia S., the CF Orr and the Futurity, with the long–term plan being the Golden Eagle. I wouldn’t rule out the Australian Guineas because he didn’t run a mile in the Caulfield Guineas but he will run a mile.
“We’re so excited to have a horse of his quality, he showed in those two runs, the Coolmore and the Caulfield Guineas, that he’s an elite-level horse, we just got to find the right race.”
Barb Raider served by Hitoshu
Jerome Hunter has advised his talented mare Barb Raider (Rebel Raider) has been retired to stud. The 5-year-old daughter of Rebel Raider was a talented performer of her generation, winning thrice at Group 2 level and placing in the G1 Thousand Guineas, the G1 Australasian Oaks and the G1 Queensland Oaks.
“We felt if she’s not at her best we’ve wasted 12 months and not where we wanted her to be at the elite racing,” Hunter told Racing.com.
“So, we thought she can go to stud this year and otherwise it would have been a five-year wait until her foal races because more than likely on average it would race as a 3-year-old.”
Barb Raider | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Barb Raider was served by Arrowfield Stud’s Maurice (Jpn) but failed to get in foal to him before he returned to Japan. However, Maurice’s fellow stud mate and star son Hitotsu was the benefactor.
“We had a lot of fun while it lasted. She was great, but she has another career now and hopefully she will be just as successful.”
Owned by Graeme Gathercole, Hunter has the half-brother to Barb Raider in training - Graewazi (Our Wazi), who has started once and placed.
Brisbane Racing Club calls for The Debut date change
The Brisbane Racing Club believes the introduction of the $500,000 The Debut on Magic Millions Day has caused the 2-year-old fields in Queensland to dwindle with trainers and connections holding juveniles at bay to contest the January race.
Saturday saw Queensland hold the Listed Phelan Ready S. of which only ran with four runners. However, nine fillies contested the Listed Calaway Gal S.
Matt Rudolph, head of racing at the BRC told News Corp, “While the novelty of The Debut races has great merit, we flagged with Magic Millions and the thoroughbred department at Racing Queensland the likelihood of cannibalising our early season races given that 2-year-olds are ineligible once they have raced.
“It’s a shame to see it play out as the Brisbane lead-up races to the Magic Millions have provided the past four winners of the race including Away Game, Coolangatta and Skirt The Law.”
Rudolph advised the BRC will meet early this week to discuss the current situation along the programming priorities they have put to Racing Queensland for the 2024 winter carnival.
Cody's Wish brings home another Secretariat Vox Populi Award
The beloved equine friend of the late Cody Dorman, Cody's Wish (USA), was voted the first back-to-back winner of the Secretariat Vox Populi Award, the website Secretariat.com said in a release on Saturday.
Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery created the award in 2010 to annually recognise the racehorse whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the public and gained recognition for the sport.
Though he retired to stud duty with 11 wins and, it was the Godolphin homebred's connection to Cody Dorman that elicited widespread admiration and affection from fans.
“Cody's Wish embodies all that the Secretariat Vox Populi Award represents. He has wowed us with his performances on the racetrack and touched countless people's hearts with his profound connection with Cody Dorman,” said Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Secretariat's late owner Penny Chenery.
Representatives of the Cody's Wish team will return to Santa Anita Park on January 13 for the Vox Populi Award trophy presentation as part of the day's activities.
Noted bounds home in Gulfstream's Pulpit
Noted (USA) (Cairo Prince {USA}) rebounded from a disappointing ninth-place showing in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile last month to score his second stakes victory of the season in the Pulpit S.
Victorious in Monmouth's Sapling S. in August after breaking his maiden at Saratoga, he missed a Graded victory by a nose October 8 in Keeneland's G2 Bourbon S. and finished way back in the field last month at the Breeders' Cup.
Breaking as the 6-5 favourite and bumping with the outside runner, Noted settled in seventh for the lion's share of the race before being coaxed along into the far turn. Angled out sharply leaving the bend and causing tight quarters for a pair to his outside, he kicked on from eight wide into the final furlong to nail Reminder in the final strides to win by a neck. With the victory here, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. completed his sweep of the turf features on the card.
The first to the races after his eldest full brother died in 2021, Noted leads the way for his young dam's Sea View Millie (USA) (Proud Citizen {USA}) broodmare career. She produced a yearling filly by Global Campaign (USA) as well as a 2023 filly by Upstart (USA).
Old Friends welcome Alpha
Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky welcomed Godolphin's G1 Travers S. hero Alpha (USA) on Friday, December 8, the retirement farm said in a release on Saturday.
Bred by Darley in America, Alpha, a son of Bernardini (USA), was trained by Kiaran P. McLaughlin and owned by Godolphin his entire career. He finished with a record of six wins and over 22 starts, which included the first dead heat in the Travers since 1874.
Alpha (USA) | Retired to Old Friends, USA
Alpha began his stud career in 2015 at Sequel Stallions in New York, before moving to Haras Bagé do Sul in Brazil in 2019. He returned stateside and arrived in Florida, where he completed quarantine. Shipping to Kentucky, the recent retiree was inspected to ensure he was in good condition and then sent to Old Friends.
“While Alpha was small in stature, he was big in heart,” said Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock, Godolphin USA. “He was a Saratoga specialist, winning multiple graded races there during his career. He became the second Travers winner for our stable, with his sire, Bernardini, being the first. But it's also special being able to facilitate his return to Kentucky and Old Friends.”
