Daily News Wrap

Karaka 2YO Classic barrier draw

The barrier drew for Saturday's NZ$1 million R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO was conducted on Wednesday. The current favourite Velocious (NZ) (Written Tycoon), trained by Stephen Marsh drew barrier 7, and will have James McDonald in the saddle. Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), who occupies the second-line betting draw barrier 6.

Local rule endorsed to further protect welfare of thoroughbreds

Racing Victoria (RV) has endorsed the introduction of a Local Rule of Racing (LR) aimed at further protecting thoroughbreds.

The local rule, which will come into effect from February 1, will prohibit industry participants sending live thoroughbreds to knackeries or abattoirs.

The decision to implement the rule was made by the RV Board only after it was satisfied that the range of world class post-racing transition programs put in place over the past five years provided genuine options to support all healthy thoroughbreds to transition to successful second careers.

RV Chief Executive, Andrew Jones, said: “Our focus in the past five years has been on building a sustainable post-racing framework that provides alternate pathways for retiring thoroughbreds.

“There is now a full range of programs for healthy retired racehorses. If humane euthanasia is the best welfare outcome, for example where a horse has a chronic injury or disease with negligible prospects or exhibits dangerous behaviours, this can be done humanely onsite rather than at a knackery.

“With the implementation of OHEP in March 2021, we have a safeguard in place for thoroughbred owners and to help avoid the overseas experiences that have led to worse welfare outcomes for thoroughbreds.”

Imperatriz rated equal 69th as she nears racetrack return

The latest round of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings were released on Tuesday night and saw Te Akau Racing’s star sprinter Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) rated equal 69th, receiving a mark of 118 to finish behind I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel), Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) on 121 and 120, respectively, while Private Eye (Al Maher) also received a mark of 120 and Godolphin’s Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) on 119.

The daughter of I Am Invincible is nearing her racetrack return and took another step towards the G1 Black Caviar Lighting S. with a jump-out at Mornington on Wednesday.

“She is spot on,” Te Akau Racing’s assistant trainer Ben Gleeson said.

“We planned this about a month ago to get her here. Just a trip away from home, she’s got a few kilos to strip off. It was perfect for where we are at in the preparation, Mick (Dee) just sat quietly on her and asked her to improve without letting go and she just cruised to the line under her own steam.”

Te Akau announce Karaka Millions bookings

Champion jockey Opie Bosson will partner Cool ‘N’ Fast (NZ) (Savabeel) in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) in the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO for Te Akau Racing on Saturday.

Te Akau Racing has four runners in the juvenile feature, while Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) is the first ballot. Blake Shinn will partner Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan), Michael McNab is booked for When Stars Align (NZ) (Zoustar) and Warren Kennedy will be aboard Bellatrix Star (Star Witness).

Talisker (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) will provide a two-pronged attack for Te Akau in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO, with Kennedy to ride.

Snitzel colt scores impressive debut win

Te Akau Racing looks to have another talented 2-year-old, after Unbridled Joy (Snitzel) motored late to score at Matamata.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Unbridled Joy, who was sent out a warm favourite in the 1200-metre 2-year-old maiden, certainly didn’t have it all his own way, and veteran jockey Vinnie Colgan needed to call upon all of his experience to get the best out of the colt, who did a few things wrong.

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Unbridled Joy was consigned by Westbury Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with David Ellis buying him for $650,000.

The colt is out of the winning High Chaparral (Ire) mare Joy Forever and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes performer Kumasi (Snitzel).

Featuring on Unbridled Joy’s page are the Group 1 winners Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre {USA}) and Thorn Park.

Ozzmosis back ‘bigger and stronger’

Bjorn Baker’s G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Ozzmosis (Zoustar) is set to tackle older horses in the autumn, with the G1 The Galaxy and the G1 TJ Smith S. high on the promising colt’s agenda.

“We are going to The Galaxy and then the TJ Smith S. There is nowhere to hide now,” Baker told RSN927.

“Ozzmosis is going great, he has definitely gotten bigger and stronger. Even with the 10 days I was away at the Magic Millions, I’ve noticed how much he has come on, he’s thriving.”

Maher looks to Guineas for King

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have a strong hand of 3-year-olds nominated for the feature races this weekend. The stable has King Colorado (Kingman {GB}), Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}), Southern Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and Scentify (Justify {USA}) entered in the G3 Manfred S. at Caulfield on Friday along with the G2 Australia S. on Saturday at The Valley.

Maher indicated the barriers would be the deciding factor in which horses run where, “If you’ve drawn 10 in one (race) and two in another race, then it might be an easy decision,” he told RSN927.

“But it will all depend on the shape of the race and what accepts where.”

Meanwhile, Maher shared that the Group 1 winner King Colorado would be aimed at the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington over a mile.

“He was always a bit casual last preparation, but he seems a lot more professional this time around. He had a great run in the Caulfield Guineas and will only be better suited at Flemington.”

Karavas out of Diamond

The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Karavas (Alabama Express) has been ruled out of this year’s G1 Blue Diamond S., with the stable opting to send her back to the paddock following a below-par jump-out on Tuesday.

Karavas has won her two starts and was last seen taking out the G3 Ottawa S. at Flemington in November.

“We’re going to turn her back out,” Richard Jolly told News Corp.

“She had a bit of a virus just before we went to the Gold Coast (earlier this month) and she just hasn’t bounced back from it. Her bloods haven't been 100 per cent so we’re going to pull the pin.

“We’ll probably give her two or three weeks off and then focus on Adelaide.

“We just need to stop and reset. There’s nothing much wrong with her, but she’s leaving a bit of feed and she's not as good as she could be.”

In The Boat retired

The Lindsey Smith-trained In The Boat (Nostradamus) has been retired after a throat surgery operation was unsuccessful. In The Boat won seven races, including the Listed Abell S. and the inaugural $500,000 Country Discovery at Sale.

“He had a throat operation that got infected and it was just going to be too hard,” Smith told Racing.com.

“In The Boat had a good will to win. He was a good, fun horse for the people that owned him and were very appreciative of the successes he had.”

Smith indicated that In The Boat would be retired to one of his owners’ farm’s to enjoy his retirement.

No Cause For Concern for Mathrick

Shawn Mathrick has indicated his promising gelding Cause For Concern (Worthy Cause) would be aimed towards races such as the G1 Stradbroke H. in Queensland this preparation.

“He’s come back so much stronger. I can’t believe how much stronger he is mentally and physically,” Mathrick shared with Racing.com.

“He probably won’t race until the middle of March, and we’re going to take him up to Queensland and have a crack up there in the Stradbroke. I’ve always said once he has a good spell he’ll come back a better horse and find another gear.”

No Diamond for promising filly

The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Karavas (Alabama Express) has a date with the paddock rather than the G1 Blue Diamond S. next month as originally intended.

“We’re going to turn her back out,” Jolly told Punters.

“Karavas had a bit of a virus just before I went to the Gold Coast and she just hasn’t bounced back from it. Her bloods haven’t been 100 per cent so we’re going to pull the pin. We’ll probably give her two or three weeks off and then focus on Adelaide.”

Zahra picks up Smart ride

Victorian-based hoop Mark Zahra has picked up the ride on the reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) in the NZ$1 million Aotearoa Classic at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Zahra will also ride the last-start G2 Auckland Guineas winner Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) in the NZ$1.5 million R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO.

Zahra joins James McDonald, Blake Shinn and Robbie Dolan as other Australian-based jockeys to make the trip for New Zealand’s biggest raceday.

Maskiell complains of chest pains

On Wednesday, jockey Jason Maskiell was transported to the Dandenong Hospital after he complained of chest pains that saw him replaced on his rides at Sandown-Hillside.

Maskiell was due to ride Second Guess (Swear) in the opening event but was indisposed by Racing Victoria stewards 15 minutes before the race.

The Victorian Jockeys’ Association are monitoring Maskiell’s condition and will provide an update.

McDonald to take it slow with Acid Wash

Clinton McDonald is keen to keep the confidence high in his promising galloper Acid Wash (American Pharoah {USA}) rather than throwing him in the deep end this autumn.

“I want to keep his confidence up as he’s still learning his craft,” McDonald told Racing.com.

“I think he’s one of those horses who can be adaptable and capable of settling back or forward. We’re just teaching him at the moment and I think he’s going the right way.

“We have a plan in our head to get him to Queensland as he’s been in work for a long time, the aim would be to spell him during the winter up there.”

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia takes steps to disqualify Maximum Security

Nearly four years after Maximum Security (USA) crossed the wire first in the inaugural Saudi Cup and six months after his trainer Jason Servis was given a four-year prison sentence for doping horses under his care, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) announced Tuesday that it has concluded its own investigation into the matter and will recommend to a Stewards Committee that it should sanction Servis and disqualify Maximum Security.

The final decision will be made by the stewards committee, but in the press release it issued Tuesday the JCSA made a strong case that Maximum Security should be disqualified and Servis should be sanctioned. At stake is the US$10 million (AU$15 million) that is paid out to the winner of the US$20-million race (AU$30.4 million). Should Maximum Security be disqualified, Midnight Bisou (USA) (Midnight Lute {USA}) would presumably be declared the winner.

Maximum Security did not test positive for a prohibited substance before or after the Saudi Cup, but Servis was caught on wiretapped phone calls bragging that he gave the banned substance SGF-1000 to nearly every horse in his barn. Racing officials from JCSA have maintained that it is within their power to strip Maximum Security of the win if it was proven that Servis had been illegally drugging Maximum Security in the months surrounding the race.

Pinatubo and Sergei Prokofiev head first-season sires' betting

Paddy Power have had their say on the first-season sires' championship and the betting giants are unable to separate Pinatubo (Ire) and Sergei Prokofiev (Can) at the head of the market at odds of 6-4.

It was Blue Point (Ire) who dominated the first-season sires' championship last year in recording 50 individual winners in Europe including two Group 1 scorers. According to Paddy Power, Darley are in a strong position to scoop the prize for the second successive year as, not only can the powerful operation call on joint-favourite Pinatubo, but Earthlight (Ire) is also prominent in the betting at 2-1.

Whitsbury Manor Stud, where Sergei Prokfiev is based, has a good reputation for getting young sires up and running with their first crop and famously landed this prize in 2022 with sire sensation Havana Grey (GB).

The Starfield Stud-based Far Above (Ire) is another stallion that the betting firm seemingly gives a chance to while Mohaather (GB) is frictionally bigger at odds of 10-1. Ballyhane Stud resident Sands Of Mali (Fr), whose stock has caught the attention of trainers Richard Fahey, Johnny Murtagh, Michael Dods and more, is one of the more interesting outsiders at odds of 33-1.

Justify's City Of Troy tops 2YO Classification

Aidan O'Brien hailed City Of Troy (USA) as the most exciting 2-year-old he's trained as the son of Justify (USA) was named Europe's champion juvenile for 2023 when the classification was released on Tuesday. He becomes the 13th European champion two-year-old to have been trained by O'Brien, with only Johannesburg (USA) (126) achieving a higher rating among the previous 12.

A Coolmore homebred out of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), City Of Troy went unbeaten in three starts as a 2-year-old, culminating with a dominant display when winning the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket. It was that effort which earned him his rating of 125, five pounds clear of the next best juvenile, G1 Phoenix S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

“We've probably never had a horse as exciting as City Of Troy as a 2-year-old,” said O'Brien. “I suppose from the first time he ran he looked like he was something different. What makes him different is the tempo he's able to go in a race and then he just kicks into another gear at halfway.”

Equinox crowned Longines World's Best Racehorse

Japan stole the show at the Longines World Racing Awards in London, with Silk Racing's Equinox (Jpn) named the Longines World's Best Racehorse for 2023 while the G1 Japan Cup claimed the title of Longines World's Best Horse Race. The top-rated 3-year-old filly in the world was Japan's Triple Tiara winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}).

Equinox's top rating of 135 – the highest ever awarded to a Japanese horse – was achieved in his 4l romp in the Japan Cup.

The Tetsuya Kimura-trained Equinox was the second Japanese horse to receive the accolade after Just A Way (Jpn) in 2014. Ridden throughout his career by Christophe Lemaire, he was unbeaten in 2023, with his other victories coming in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, G1 Takarazuka Kinen (G1), and G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn).

“To be honest it was quite enjoyable,” said Lemaire with no little understatement of his association with Equinox as he accepted his award on Tuesday.”

He added, “He was nearly the perfect racehorse, and we have to congratulate the breeder for producing such a beautiful horse and the trainer for allowing him to mature and getting the best out of him.

“Equinox was something special. He had an aura. Most of the people first discovered him in Dubai but in Japan he was already a rising star.”