Caballus to prove a bargain buy?
The former Chris Waller-trained Caballus (I Am Invincible) made an immediate impact for his new trainer Bjorn Baker and owners Darby Racing on Saturday at Rosehill.
The lightly raced 3-year-old colt was visually impressive in taking out Race 5 over 1100 metres.
Caballus was a $1 million purchase by Tom Magnier from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and won once before being thrown into stakes company. Failing to measure up in those races his owners offered him for sale in the 2023 Inglis October (Early) Online Sale where Darby Bloodstock secured him for $315,000.
“It’s always a bit nerve-racking when you get given a horse like Caballus,” Baker told Sky Racing.
“He has come to my stable with a bit of a profile, I thought he was going pretty well, it was a good win and a nice ride by Josh (Parr).
“We are fortunate to get such a ready-made racehorse. Darby Racing did a remarkable job.”
Pike out of action
West Australia’s top jockey William Pike sustained a broken heel during trackwork earlier in the week and will be ruled out for at least eight weeks according to report.
William Pike | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Pike was due to ride in nine races on Ascot’s program but scans on Saturday morning saw him removed from all mounts after the severity of injury was discovered.
Bermadez finds form at Flemington
It took the length of the Flemington straight but Mike Moroney’s Bermadez (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) got the job done on Saturday. The 7-year-old gelding had been working towards a breakthrough after running three consecutive seconds before Saturday’s success.
Bermadez, ridden by Jye McNeil, stayed on well to chase down Beehunter (Toronado {Ire}) and the last-start Flemington winner Suparazi (Super One). Later on the program Moroney trained a double when his speedster Jungle Jim (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) made it back-to-back victories at Flemington.
Gaudray doubles the dose
The Mark Walker-trained Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) prevailed at Flemington for Te Akau Racing - Te Akau In No Doubt Racing Partnership.
Sans Doute, partnered by Celine Gaudray, had won last start at Flemington in December and doubled the dose on Saturday.
The 4-year-old mare is from the unraced I Am Invincible mare My Prerogative. Sans Doute was a $300,000 purchase by David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Gaudray also rode the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained So Risque (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) to victory in Race 9 at Flemington.
Michel kicks goal
French-born Mickaelle Michel, who has ridden all over the world, including recently in Japan, admitted it was a dream to ride a winner at Flemington during her six-month Australian stay. On Saturday, that dream became a reality when Michel guided the Stephen Brown-trained Southern Fire (Toronado {Jpn}) to a memorable victory.
Michel, speaking to Racing.com after the success said, “That was my wish, to ride a Flemington winner, but a wish and what happens can be very different,” she said.
“It’s the next step for me, riding winners at the biggest tracks all over the world. I’ve only been in Australia for one week, so I can’t imagine it any better.”
Michel was living in Melbourne before moving out to Bendigo recently and was thrilled to be about to finally see a Kangaroo.
“I’ve been living in Melbourne and then Bendigo for the last few days. It’s a lovely town and I even saw some kangaroos, so I’m happy, it was difficult to find them.”
Gleeson gives Tangerine pair thumbs up
Te Akau Racing’s Cranbourne foreman Ben Gleeson was beyond pleased with the gallops performed by Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel). The Group 1 winners worked between races on Cranbourne night as they prepared for their racetrack returns.
“We emulated a raceday with them. They came here on the truck an hour before the gallop and it would have been stimulating,” Gleeson told Racing.com.
“Both were spot-on, they both looked to corner well, change their lead legs and do everything right. Once they came back in they wouldn’t have blown for too long, so just shows their fitness is progressing the right way. We couldn’t be happier with that piece of work from both of them.”
Mister goes all the way in Camperdown Cup
The Symon Wilde-trained Mister Me (Zoustar) was too good for his opposition in Saturday’s Camperdown Cup. The son of Zoustar, ridden by Dean Yendall, defeated the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Desperado (NZ) (Ghibellines) by 5.5l.
Mister Me is the final foal from Group 3 winner Alpine Club (SAf) (Model Man {SAf}), and is a half-brother to the 13-time winner Chamois Road (Choisir).
Mister Me was a $160,000 purchase by Busuttin Racing from the draft of Rosemont Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Busuttin Racing sold Mister Me to Maddie Raymond Racing for $55,000 through the 2021 Inglis Digital December Online Sale.
Drum Roll Please off Derby trial
Gold Square LLC's Drum Roll Please (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}), an individual betting interest in this weekend's Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3, was injured in a Friday workout and has been removed from the Triple Crown trail. Daily Racing Form was the first with the news.
Winner of the Jerome S. under jockey Javier Castellano for trainer Brad Cox, Drum Roll Please reportedly sustained a sesamoid fracture in his left hind during the Belmont Park work. It is believed the chestnut will undergo surgery and require approximately three months to recover before he is able to resume training.
In addition to his Jerome win, Drum Roll Please was third behind Dornoch (USA) (Good Magic {USA}) and Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) in the G2 Remsen S. in December. His next target was reportedly the G3 Withers S.
First foal for Speaker’s Corner
Speaker's Corner (USA), who stands at Godolphin's Darley division in Lexington, Kentucky, sired a filly on January 18–his first reported foal–for breeder Airdrie Stud, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon.
The new filly is out of the Upstart (USA) mare Gratz Park (USA), who is a half-sister to Graded stakes winner Rich Mommy (USA) (Algorithms {USA}).
“We are overjoyed to see such a nice first foal by Speakers Corner out of the Upstart mare Gratz Park,” said Ben Henley, Airdrie's General Manager. “She has a tonne of quality and within a few hours of being born was running laps around the stall!”
Speaker's Corner's top-level wins included the G1 Carter H. in which he earned a 114 Beyer. Only Flightline (USA) ran a better number over the past four years.
C2 Racing Stable sells an interest in White Abarrio to HRH Prince Faisal Of Saudi Arabia
Brothers Mark and Clint Cornett, who race under the name of C2 Racing Stable, have taken on HRH Prince Faisal Bin Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia as a partner in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner White Abarrio (USA) (Race Day {USA}). The 5-year-old will make his next appearance in the February 24 running of the G1 Saudi Cup. Mark Cornett said that C2 remains the majority owner, but declined to say how big of a percentage was sold.
The story was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch.
“Winning the Saudi Cup is very important to them,” Mark Cornett said. “It's in his backyard and he'll be representing his country in an international race. You're going to have four or five Japanese horses, horses from all over the world. It's very important to them that they represent the Saudi people.”
Cornett said the deal has been in the works for about four weeks.
“We've been working on this for about a month,” he said. “They've flown over a couple of times to watch the horse breeze. Their vet has come over twice from France to do his due diligence. They ended up pulling the trigger on it and we consummated the deal this week. They're going to be great partners for us and we will be great partners to them. We look forward to doing additional things with them in the future.”
Classic-winning son of Uncle Mo welcomes first foal
Spendthrift Farm's Mo Donegal (USA), the classic-winning son of Uncle Mo (USA), sired his first reported foal this week when a colt was born at WinStar Farm in Versailles, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon.
Mo Donegal (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm, USA
Bred by Alfredo Gastaneta, the bay colt is out of the Declaration of War (USA) mare Andavete (USA), a half-sister to 2020 G1 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) and hailing from the immediate family of champion sire Saint Ballado (USA).
“This is a good size colt with a good bone and leg underneath him,” said Fernando Macchiavello, agent for Alfredo Gastaneta. “He looks like an Uncle Mo, with that hip and balance and long legs. He has that look to him.”
Godolphin exacta in Cape Verdi, as Silver Lady the latest stakes winner for Sea The Stars
It was a stirring game of jockeyship, as Mickael Barzalona and Silver Lady (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) fended off the finishing rush of William Buick and English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to win by a measured neck in the G2 Cape Verdi Presented by DP World CGG at Meydan on Friday. The Godolphin runners are both trained by Charlie Appleby. The duo had closed on stablemate Shining Jewel (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) who had set the pace for much of the race until midstretch.
The 4-year-old is the 116th stakes winner and 70th Pattern winner for her sire, who stands at Gilltown Stud in Ireland under the banner of The Aga Khan Studs. Silver Lady is from Lumiere (GB), a daughter of the much-missed Shamardal (USA) (now has 102 stakes winners and 52 Group winners as a broodmare sire).
Lumiere claimed the G1 Cheveley Park S. and was also placed in the G2 Lowther S., G2 Challenge S. and G3 Sceptre S. throughout her career. She hit black type pay day with her first foal, the G3 Darley S. winner Highland Avenue (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), and Silver Lady is her second Group winner. She has a full sister to Highland Avenue named Dazzling Jewel (Ire) who just turned three, a juvenile filly by Siyouni (Fr) and a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire) still to come.
Multi-year strategy unveiled by charity retraining of racehorses
A three-year strategy covering the years from 2024-2026 was launched by charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) on Friday in the United Kingdom. The strategy gives the vision for the future of the organisation and a road map to achieving its goals with an eye to expanding RoR's charitable work in the area of aftercare of former racehorses, now and in the future. To view the strategy, please visit the RoR website.
David Catlow, managing director of RoR, said, “Our strategy is ambitious, but it comes at a time of real need. RoR now requires the full support of the industry and the commitment of the funding required to build on our core activities and maximise our impact.
“Our welfare and support work is embedded through our strategy. Concurrently, increasing the demand for former racehorses, educational initiatives, traceability and building the RoR community are vital components aimed at proactively addressing potential welfare issues.”
