Pakenham the venue for immortality
First-season sire I Am Immortal enjoyed his first winner at the Thursday night meeting at Pakenham, with I Am Velvet breaking through on debut for trainer Phillip Stokes.
Given an astute ride by jockey Zac Spain, the filly was able to deny Juviance (Exceedance) by 0.4l, gifting her stallion his first win from just four winners.
I Am Immortal | Standing at Swettenham Stud
The Stokes yard enjoyed an exemplary night, with Tiffany Valentine (Sepoy) and Chakado (Toronado {Ire}) also greeting the judge first in races five and six respectively.
Jewel to sparkle in The Quokka
After narrow heartbreak in the inaugural running of The Quokka, star mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) will return for the second installment of the Western Australian slot race, with the TabTouch slot being afforded to the talented 4-year-old.
Trainer Simon Miller is still working out the mare affectionaly referred to as 'The Ferrai', saying on Thursday, “We’ve got to figure out what to do in the spring and that’s the thing – I’ve got no idea.
“You find their strength and play to it. But what is it?”
“I think the thing that confuses everyone about her is that 1800 metre race (the G1 Northerly S.) because she just steered through the line, and she holds the track record at The Valley at a mile.
“But if you train her to sprint, she could win anything. You can do anything with her but I just wouldn’t mind knowing what it is. I’ve asked a lot of experts and they don’t have any idea either.
“Her first-up record, she’s been at 1000 metres, 1100, 1200m and 1400, so you can do anything with her. But it is my pet hate, not knowing.”
Cummings gunning for second Millions
Godolphin’s Head Trainer James Cummings will look for a second success in the R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Saturday with the $600,000 colt Parkour (Extreme Choice).
The operation scored the valuable race in 2019 with the star filly Exhilarates (Snitzel).
James Cummings | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s by a beautiful stallion (Extreme Choice) out of a Sebring mare and I like the bloodlines there in that are two very competitive 2-year-old stallions; the best 2-year-olds of their generations, chestnuts, fast and precocious,” Cummings told RSN.
“Every bit of six furlongs is going to be good for Parkour because he’s a casual customer and it gives him more opportunity to balance up and show his best late.”
Is It Me all heart
Daniel Bowman’s promising gelding Is It Me (Iffraaj {GB}) will chase success at Flemington on Saturday to build on his impressive record of four wins and three seconds from only nine starts. Bowman indicated Is It Me hasn’t raced since December 16, due to the gelding’s ability to his all into his races and taking several days to recuperate after.
“He just gets a bit impatient on the float and moves around a lot and wastes energy,” Bowman told Punters.
“A trip down to Melbourne and a trip home, it flattens him for a few days. He takes a fair bit from his runs and loses a bit weight, so it knocks him around a bit. Is It Me tries really hard and he’s not the best traveller so a trip to the races flattens him a bit so we space his runs.”
Soulcombe on Australian Cup path
Co-owner Ozzie Kheir has indicated the G1 Australian Cup is firmly within the sights of his promising galloper Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}). The son of Frankel (GB) will look to target the $3 million feature first-up.
“We’ll target the Australian Cup and most likely it will be first-up in the race,” Kheir told Racing.com.
Soulcombe (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Then we’ll reassess. He loves Flemington and he loves the Melbourne way of going. We’ll look at the Queen Elizabeth at Randwick, but it will be a very light autumn for Soulcombe.
“We definitely won’t be stretching him out to two miles in the autumn.”
Alligator in cruise control
Star galloper Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) took his first steps back to the racetrack with an easy trial win at Rosehill on Thursday morning.
It is believed the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained seven-time Group 1 winner would likely head towards the G1 Futurity S. first-up before a shot at The All-Star Mile at Caulfield in March.
Lynam forced to pause training career
Sarah Lynam has been forced to press pause on her training career after a number of serious falls and concussions has left her with no other option but to take time out from the profession in order to recuperate fully.
Sarah Lynam | Image courtesy of Sarah Lynam Racing
Daughter of Eddie Lynam, who earned the nickname of 'Fast Eddie' through his handling of superstar sprinters Sole Power (GB), Slade Power (Ire) and more, Sarah took out her licence in 2017 and sent out 25 winners from the same Dunshaughlin base as her father.
KY Derby raised to US$5-million
The 150th GI Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 4 will be the richest in history as the purse for America's greatest race has been elevated to a guaranteed US$5 million ($7,499,455), Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) said in a release Wednesday.
The US$2-million ($2,999,782) increase to the race highlights a record-setting, 50-race stakes schedule for Churchill Downs' 2024 Spring Meet, which will be run over 43 dates from Apr. 27-June 30.
"These record purse increases are a symbol of the health of horse racing in Kentucky," said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. "Churchill Downs Incorporated over US$1- billion investment into live and historical horse racing in Kentucky over the last five years has meaningfully strengthened the entire Kentucky Derby Week and year-round racing program. It's important to acknowledge the state legislature for its commitment to working closely with private enterprise in a truly collaborative partnership to support the continued growth of Kentucky's signature industry."
January to be Steparty time?
Talented 3-year-old Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) may return at the end of the month, according to his trainer Paul Preusker.
‘’We are sort of looking at the Manfred (Stakes) as a kick-off,’’ Preusker told Racing.com after a jump-out at Stawell on Tuesday. “We’ll look at that, but we’ll work out whether he needs another (trial).’’
‘’But it all ticked along nice and smooth(ly). (It was) a beautiful trial.
‘’We won’t get out of ourselves, but we’ll see if we let him spin-around his first run.’’
Kah continues globetrotting ways
Superstar jockey Jamie Kah will have to pack her passport again in late-January, with the Group 1-winning rider set for another trip to Hong Kong.
Kah will ride Packing Treadmill (Manhattan Rain) in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on January 28.
Jamie Kah | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The ride comes less than 24 hours after she partners Poetic Champion (NZ) (Super Seth) in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO Trophy, which will be contested at Ellerslie Racecourse on January 27.
Scorching weather postpones Ascot
Predicted peak temperatures of 41 degrees celsius have forced Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards to abandon the Saturday meeting at Ascot Racecourse.
Stewards subsequently advised that the feature race of the program, the Listed Miss Andretti S., will be held at Pinjarra Park as part of their Wednesday program on the 17th of January.
Mary Shan stares down Group 1 glory
Promising 3-year-old filly Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), faces a prime chance to crack success at the elite-level, when she runs in the G1 Levin Classic at Trentham on Saturday.
According to trainer Andrew Forsman, the filly is well-placed to use her versatility to overcome a tricky barrier, having drawn gate 11 in a field of 14.
“It’s a bit of a shame that the draws have favoured the horses to beat and not so much us, but the mile start helps,” Forsman told loveracing.nz.
“She’s adaptable and we’ll be positive and hopefully she can slot in and get a bit of cover. We don’t want to be leading or sitting outside the leader at Trentham,” Forsman said.
Return for Early Voting
Resident of Taylor Made Stud, Early Voting (USA), will make an extraordinary return to stallion duties in 2024, having been cured of a rare condition that had previously ruled him out of being able to stand.
The son of Gun Runner (USA) has relocated, having previously stood at Ashford Stud, and has made sufficient progress to resume duties.
In a statement, treating veterinarian Dr Padraig (Paddy) O’Casiagh said, “Early Voting has a very rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and treat.
Early Voting (USA) | Standing at Taylor Made Stallions
“Because of the work of the Mont Liggins Trust with the Kakapo and Tuatara (a native New Zealand reptile that is the closest living relative to the dinosaur), we have developed a very unique diagnostic suite for this exact scenario.
“I feel very fortunate to be involved and have had the assistance of our many international colleagues. It is such a credit to all the interested parties who have gone literally to the end of the earth for Early Voting's welfare.”
US$220k Godolphin mare tops Keeneland
Marvelous Time (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}), who sold just minutes into Wednesday's session at Keeneland, brought the day's top price when selling for US$220,000 (AU$328,974) to Centofanti Thoroughbreds, as agent for Brittlyn Stables.
The session topper was one of 17 sold for US$1,103,000 ($1,649,360) during what has become an annual offering of mares from Godolphin, making Sheikh Mohammed's operation the day's leading consignor.
For the session, 196 horses sold for a gross of US$4,352,900 ($6,509,065). The average was down 2.54% from last year's corresponding session, while the median was up 25%. From 316 catalogued horses, 242 horses were offered and 46 failed to meet their reserves for a buy-back rate of 19.01%.
