NSW Government announces new Racing NSW chair
Dr Saranne Cooke has been appointed as the new chair of Racing NSW by the NSW government after a public expression of interest process. Dr Cooke becomes the first woman to hold the position and has been on the board of Racing NSW since 2015, holding the deputy chair position since December 2021.
“I am pleased to announce Dr Cooke as the new chair of Racing NSW. Dr Cooke brings a wealth of experience to the Chair role, having served on the board since 2015, including as the Deputy Chair,” said Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris.
“Dr Cooke is the perfect choice for the role, with the leadership skills needed to navigate the challenging economic headwinds facing the racing industry.”
A Bathurst local, Dr Cooke also serves as the chair of both the Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern section) and the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians. The appointment of Dr Cooke to chair leaves the deputy chair position vacant and a selection panel chosen by the Minister for Gaming and Racing will consider expressions of interest from the other board members for the role.
Additionally, former Minister for Gaming and Racing and Sport and Recreation, the Hon. Kevin Greene AM, has been appointed as an ordinary member of the board. He previously served on the board from 2011-2018 and currently also serves as the director on the NSW Rugby League board, as deputy chair of Cricket NSW and the chair of the NSW Rugby League Referees Association. The Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996 (the act) provides for seven members of Racing NSW to be appointed by the Minister, with two of the members to be appointed as Chair and Deputy Chair.
Begg’s star mare succumbs to colic
Trainer Grahame Begg’s G3 How Now S. winner Rose Quartz (Written Tycoon) has died of colic. “She got colic and we had to do surgery, but she didn't make it,” Begg told Racing.com.
“It's just one of those things out of the blue … they did surgery and she survived the first 24 hours. I dare say she would've ended up in one of the (broodmare) sales later in the year and would have been a valuable mare.”
Rose Quartz | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
She ran third in the Magic Millions Snippets at her last start, and her career record was five wins and eight placings from 20 starts with earnings over $600,000. A $300,000 graduate of Mill Park Stud’s 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, Rose Quartz was a half-sister to Group 2 winner Seradess (Astern). Her dam doesn’t have a yearling this year, and has a weanling colt by Pinatubo (Ire).
Trainer Richard Cully gets first Group win in Launceston
Excelleration (Excelebration {Ire}) has won the G3 Launceston Cup in fine style, giving trainer Richard Cully his first Group success.
Cully, who was previously a jumps jockey, won his first black-type race back in 2021 when Pintoff (Toorak Toff) won the Listed Regal Roller S. Excelleration was the $2.60 favourite, coming off a last-start win in the Great Western Cup, and took his record to six wins and seven placings from 18 starts with earnings over $425,000.
He was a $6000 purchase from the Riverina Downs draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Sale, and is out of a city-winning Red Ransom mare.
Team Hayes leases boxes at Pakenham
The training trio of Ben, Will, and JD Hayes will expand to Pakenham after leasing the boxes that used to be occupied by Peter Moody. “With the changes, we reduced and closed down our Pakenham and Sydney stables and now we are back up to those numbers,” Ben Hayes told Racing.com.
“We are back to the numbers where we want to be, which is just over 200 horses. Pakenham is a great facility now and you've seen the success of the likes of Peter Moody, Phillip Stokes and the other trainers. Last time we were there it had only just started up but now it’s so attractive, especially with those back tracks, gallops and the regular trials.”
Will, Ben and JD Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The trio will now operate out of Flemington, Pakenham and their Lindsay Park facility at Euroa. “The way it’s structured all horses get fit at the farm, which is a one-stop shop, spelling there and they come straight into work there and then it just depends where they are racing. Sometimes the best way to turn a horse around is just by changing its scenery and this is just another asset we have now.”
Coffey confirmed for Benedetta in Newmarket
Jockey Harry Coffey won the G1 Oakleigh Plate on Queman (Mint Lane {USA}) last Saturday and gets another chance at a Group 1 after being booked for Benedetta (Hellbent) for the G1 Newmarket H. on March 9.
Harry Coffey | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Trainer Jason Warren confirmed that Coffey will replace the suspended Daniel Stackhouse for the race. Four-year-old mare Benedetta ran fourth in the G1 Oakleigh Plate last start, while her career record is six wins from 11 starts including the 2023 G3 WW Cockram S. She has earned over $950,000 and was a $75,000 purchase from the Mill Park Stud draft at the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Mill Park Stud will offer Benedetta’s half-brother by King’s Legacy at the upcoming Inglis Premier Yearling Sale as Lot 62.
Grid Girl wins Australian debut
Lindsay Park’s Grid Girl (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) won her Australian debut at Sandown after placing twice in New Zealand earlier in her career.
“Very happy to see how the form was developing while she was here in Australia,” JD Hayes told Racing.com, referring to her second start where she finished third and eventual G1 1000 Guineas winner Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) finished fifth.
“She was picked out by our racing manager Dom Rhoden and syndicated … she runs around in Gerry Ryan’s colours, so we’ve got very good clients on board. We completely reset her, she’s had a lovely introduction and build-up here in Australia.” Grid Girl was trained in New Zealand by Guy Lowry and wasn’t offered at auction as a yearling. She is out of a city-winning Savabeel mare.
Promising Dundeel filly wins three in succession
Trainer Chris Waller’s 3-year-old filly Mare Of Mt Buller (Dundeel (NZ)) won her third race in succession on Wednesday at Rosehill. She ran fourth on debut in her only start at two behind Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun) who went on to the Listed Oaklands Plate at her next start.
Back at three, Mare Of Mt Buller has won all her three starts this season with earnings over $100,000. She was a $250,000 purchase from Torryburn Stud’s draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, and her full sister was purchased by Waller and bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for $150,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Dead-heat in Hellova Street S.
Tasmania’s Listed Hellova Street S. resulted in a dead-heat with Indispensable (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) and Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) unable to be separated by the judge as they closed the line together. Each horse was ridden by a Craig – Williams on Keats and Newitt on Indispensable – while Indispensable is trained by Longford-based trainer John Blacker and Keats is trained by Gavin Bedggood at Cranbourne. Meanwhile, the G3 Vamos S. was won by 7-year-old mare Megamea (Master of Design) for trainer Luke Oliver.
Justify’s City Of Troy leads Epsom Derby nominations
Group 1 winner City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) leads the 72 nominations for the G1 Epsom Derby and is one of 17 horses nominated by Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Derby nine times since the year 2000.
O’Brien also has Group 1 winners Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) nominated. To be run on June 1, the Epsom Derby is England’s richest race worth £1.5 million (AU$2,918,100).
Twenty-three of the 72 nominations are trained in Ireland, while France, Japan and America have one entry each. Shuttle sire Justify’s (USA) oldest Northern Hemisphere crop are 4-year-olds and Southern Hemisphere crop are 3-year-olds, and he already has 26 stakes winners with six Group 1 winners.
Slight increase in rate of fatal injuries in 2023 in America
According to numbers compiled by The Jockey Club for its Equine Injury Database (EID), there were 1.32 fatalities per 1,000 starts at North American racetracks in 2023. That was slightly worse than in 2022 when the number was 1.25, the lowest rate of fatalities since The Jockey Club started compiling numbers in 2009. It was the first time the number had increased year-over-year since 2018 when there were 1.68 fatalities per 1,000 starters.
Once again, synthetic tracks proved to be the safest among the three types of racing surfaces. There were 0.97 deaths per 1,000 starters on synthetic tracks, 1.13 on turf courses, and 1.43 on dirt tracks.
Races for 2-year-olds proved to be the safest types of races. There were 0.79 fatalities per 1,000 starters in those races versus 1.37 for 3-year-old races and 1.38 for races for 4-year-olds an upward.
Justify to Hall of Fame?
Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg})--both in their first year of eligibility--head a list of nine racehorses, six trainers and two jockeys who were named as finalists on this year's Hall of Fame ballot by the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame Nominating Committee on Tuesday morning.
Trainers on the ballot are Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, Graham Motion, Doug O'Neill, John Sadler and John Shirreffs.
