V'Landys comments on Goulburn proposal
As reported by the Goulburn Post, Racing NSW CEO Peter V'Landys highlighted the organisation's commitment to safeguarding the future of the racing industry by ensuring that racecourses remain dedicated to the industry “in perpetuity” and thus protected against being sold or repurposed.
V'Landys emphasised that transferring ownership of the land to Racing NSW was a strategic move to “ensure that (it) remains a racecourse for the industry in perpetuity and is never at risk of being sold or converted for another purpose."
“Ownership of the land is of no benefit to the club if there is no intention to ever sell it. In fact, retaining ownership...is a poor use of the club's capital assets as construction of stabling through this funding provides the club an opportunity to generate significant recurring revenues.”
Peter V'Landys | Image courtesy of Racing NSW
The approach taken with the Goulburn District Racing Club (GDRC) follows a precedent set with other race clubs, including Newcastle, Gosford, and Tuncurry Forster, where clubs continue to operate without additional costs or obligations and are offered a long-term lease at a peppercorn rate following the transfer of ownership. This model has been applied at Moruya and Scone racecourses as well.
The club's ambition for expansion, which has been in the works for eight years and recently received council approval, aims to be "shovel ready" by June for completion by December 2024. This plan, according to CEO Robyn Fife, would not result in the loss of control over the club's operations but rather bolster growth and income through collaboration with Racing NSW, which will support but not interfere in the club's management.
All Golden Slipper runners cleared by vets
The Racing NSW veterinarians have cleared all 16 G1 Golden Slipper runners, plus the emergency, as fit to run after they did their inspections on Friday morning. “All the Golden Slipper horses have been assessed as suitable to race,” Racing NSW chief steward Steve Railton told Racenet.com.au.
“We also had Think About It inspected and he has the all-clear for the George Ryder Stakes. Think About It has pleased trainer Joe Pride since he reported to us the horse had a slightly elevated white blood cell count on Thursday.”
The track has been rated as a soft 5 but stewards expect it might be upgraded. “The track is getting close to a (good) 4. Earlier in the week when there was rain forecast, it looked like we would have a soft-heavy track but that rain didn't eventuate. There is a little bit of ‘scarring' near the 600 metres and turn from last week but that can't be avoided and won't impact any horse. The track should race fine.”
Ozzmosis using Galaxy as stepping stone to The Everest
Group 1 winning 3-year-old Ozzmosis (Zoustar) will use the G1 Galaxy S on Saturday as a guideline for next spring’s The Everest. Trainer Bjorn Baker has been in discussions with part-owner Newgate about the schedule, since Newgate have a slot in The Everest. “We’d love him to go really well and be able to force his way into the Everest early,” Baker told Racingnsw.com.au.
“If we could do that it would take a bit of pressure off as to where we go into the spring. He’s a very lightly raced horse, if we can get him back in the spring he’s only going to be better again.”
Ozzmosis hasn’t raced since winning the G1 Coolmore Stud S. back in November 2023, and has a record of four wins from five starts (and a third in the other one) with earnings over $1.4million. He was a $250,000 purchase by Darby Racing from Sledmere Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Distance perfect for Tom Kitten in Guineas
Trainer James Cummings believes the 2000 metres of the G1 Rosehill Guineas will suit Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) perfectly. “We are up to a mile-and-a-quarter, which is right in the wheelhouse for our colt. He can begin to make things happen, rather than force things to happen over shorter distances,” Cummings told Racingnsw.com.au.
“Hugh (Bowman) slides in as a beneficiary and it’s a real horse race. There’s nine of them who finished within a length-and-a-half in the Randwick Guineas. And don’t forget the horse from Melbourne, Immediacy, he keeps improving that horse. To win a Rosehill Guineas you need a very good horse and Tom is going to need to be at his best to be winning this race.”
Tom Kitten | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Tom Kitten won the G1 Spring Champion S. in the spring and ran fourth in the G1 Randwick Guineas at his most recent start. All up, he has four wins and three placings from 13 starts and earnings over $1.6million. Tom Kitten is from the first crop of Harry Angel and is his first Group 1 winner. Harry Angel has nine stakes winners to date.
Te Akau unfazed by barrier draw for Imperatriz
Star sprinter Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) has drawn 10 of 11 in her attempt to win successive G1 William Reid S. on Saturday at Moonee Valley but her trainer Mark Walker is unfazed by it. “I don't think it's (the barrier) a problem, in the McEwen, first-up, she was back and even in the Moir, she was a fair way back, she's pretty versatile, I don't think it poses too much of a problem,” Walker told Racing.com.
“She just seems to camber when she turns for home (at Moonee Valley), and changes onto that outside leg, I suppose it's like driving a Mercedes compared to a Mini, there's just that acceleration, isn't there. She's certainly, probably, the best horse Te Akau's ever had now.”
Winner of $6.2million, 18 races including eight at Group 1 level, Imperatriz is heading to the G1 TJ Smith S. on April 6 after this.
Aft Cabin is Cummings pick of trio for Galaxy
Godolphin’s trainer James Cummings has three in the G1 Galaxy S on Saturday; Aft Cabin (Astern), Zapateo (Brazen Beau) and Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), with the trainer being the most effusive about Aft Cabin. “He’s really flying, he’s really responding to the abbreviated preparation we gave him last time,” Cummings told Racingnsw.com.au.
“His effort first-up in the Challenge (Stakes) was outstanding. The fastest last 600 metres sectional of the day was awarded to Passive Aggressive, who had an uninterrupted run in her last three furlongs. Aft Cabin was climbing over heels, not James’ (McDonald) fault, you can blame the instructions.
James Cummings | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Nevertheless, Aft Cabin is bursting with energy now, he only needed to get a little crack ahead of him and he would have won the race and we don’t say that lightly.”
Aft Cabin has four wins and three placings from 11 starts and earnings over $1.2million.
Asfoora seeking redemption in Galaxy
Group 2 winning 5-year-old mare Asfoora (Flying Artie) is out for redemption in the G1 Galaxy S. after having bad luck in the running of last year’s race where she finished fourth. “This race last year was probably the one that got away, anyway at least we know she goes that way around and she handles the track and the travel,” trainer Henry Dwyer told Racing.com.
“She ran second first-up and wasn't ready, last time everything went wrong. If she can run top three or four, we'd still be happy to go. If she does go, she'll be on a plane on the 17th of April (to Royal Ascot). There is not one suitable race for her to run in here over the next six months. She either stays here and has a long spell or goes over there where there are five or six suitable races for her.”
Asfoora has won eight of her 17 starts, including two Group 2 wins, with earnings over $1.2million. She is raced by Noor Elaine Farm, who passed her in at the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Southside Racing announce new charity series
Southside Racing have announced a $100,000 Ladbrokes Southside Challenge for maidens over 1300 metres to be held on Good Friday night and the field of 12 will include six representatives from each of their Cranbourne and Pakenham training bases. “We're delighted to launch this exciting initiative at our first Good Friday Night meeting,” Neil Bainbridge, Chief Executive Officer of Southside Racing, told Racing.com.
“When Southside Racing made its submission to race on Good Friday night, we had a very clear vision that the timeslot presented a fantastic opportunity to create a community event that would not only engage people in our sport, but also support fundraising efforts for the Good Friday Appeal. The Ladbrokes Southside Challenge will showcase the trainers that have invested their training operations and trust in Southside, while supporting a very worthy cause.”
Oaks target for Basilinna
Taking on the colts in the G2 Alister Clark S. isn’t ideal for 3-year-old filly Basilinna (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) but it will give trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne a guideline on which Oaks they should target. “That's one of the exciting things about being in Australia as you don't have one Oaks to look at. There's quite a few different options for her. We'll make a decision after Saturday and see how we go,” Emma-Lee Browne told Racing.com.
Basilinna (NZ) | Image courtesy of Morgan Hancock (Racing Photos)
“Adelaide is quite tempting with the huge amount of money they have put into the race this week.” The options are the G1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville on April 27 or the G1 Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 13.
Basilinna is a winner from seven starts but has placed in group company three times including third in the G1 VRC Oaks during the spring. She is a homebred for her trainers.
First Southern Hemisphere winner for Ten Sovereigns
Valachi Downs stallion dual Group 1 winning Ten Sovereigns (Ire) only had one season in New Zealand and that crop has yielded it’s first winner with 2-year-old colt Beyond My Ken (NZ) winning at Scone on Friday. Trained by Scott Singleton, Beyond My Ken was on debut. Scott Singleton purchased Beyond My Ken at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$120,000 from Blandford Lodge.
Ten Sovereigns is based at Coolmore in the Northern Hemisphere and has three stakes winners from his first crop there where they have just turned three. Valachi Downs was purchased by Lib and Katrina Petagna’s breeding business Elsdon Park in 2021.
Markus Jooste passes away
Markus Jooste has died at the age of 63, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Jooste, who was at one point heavily involved on the worldwide racing scene through his Mayfair Speculators, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the FT reported.
He was fined R475 million ($38,422,037) for accounting fraud–due on or before Apr. 19–by South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The regulator found that Jooste had published “false or misleading financial statements” following an investigation into the matter. Jooste was also ordered to pay R10 million to reimburse the FSCA for their expenses incurred during their investigation into Steinhoff.
Into You using Alister Clark as trial for Vinery
Ballarat trainer Shay Keating is using the G2 Alister Clark S. on Saturday to leapfrog Into You (No Nay Never {USA}) into the G1 Vinery Stud S. “I don’t think she has enough stake money to get into The Vinery. If we waited until then and she didn’t get in that would mean she hasn’t raced for three weeks,” Keating told Racing.com.
“It’s a big deal for someone like me with a small stable to have a throw at the stumps at these big races.” 3-year-old filly Into You has won two of her four starts and was purchased by Yabby Dam Farms for $9500 at an Inglis Digital Sale in 2022.
Gear change for Fire in Lindop S.
Trainers Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea are hoping a gear change will help Divine Fire (Divine Prophet) find form again in Saturday’s Listed Clare Lindop S. at Morphettville. “She was good first-up, we were expecting a big run last start at Strathalbyn and she disappointed on the day,” Clarken told RacingSA.com.au.
“We can’t work out what happened there. She’s a filly with very good ability, we’ve applied the tongue tie and her work was good on Tuesday morning. We’ll ride her conservatively to find the line late, but it is a very strong edition of the race.”
Will Clarken | Image courtesy of Racing SA
Divine Fire is currently at $61 with the TAB, and has a record of one win from five starts. The race has been affected by several scratchings with many Victorian trainers dual nominating and electing to stay in Melbourne. Divine Fire was sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds for $95,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale to Clarken Bloodstock and Onfire Racing.
Consistent Proisir mare chases black type
5-year-old mare Dazzling Miss (NZ) (Proisir) was transferred to South Island trainer Terri Rae at the start of this season by owners Monovale Holdings’ Joe and Max Smithies and has won three of her eight starts for Rae. “Hopefully we can get a bit of good luck on Saturday, there’s a couple of nice mares in there with Ears Back and Miss Layla, they’ve got to be well respected,” Rae told Loveracing.nz.
“We’ll look at the Southern Alps Challenge for her after this, and see how she pulls up from there. If she’s feeling well, we may look at the Canterbury Gold Cup as it’s another Group 3 for her, any further black-type is just going to enhance her value as a broodmare in the future.”
Dazzling Miss has won six of her 15 starts and was Group 3 placed for Rae two starts ago. A homebred for Monovale Holdings, she has earnings over NZ$145,000.
Weather the key to Widdup’s runners in Qualifier
Trainer Brad Widdup has two runners in the $150,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championship Qualifier over 1400 metres at Kembla Grange on Saturday, but will only run Ausbred Flirt (Maurice {Jpn}) if the track dries up a bit with the decision to be made on Saturday morning. “Ideally I’d like to take this chance to get Ausbred Flirt qualified for the final, but she doesn’t like wet tracks - especially when it starts getting into the higher range,” Widdup told Racingnsw.com.au.
“It’s her Achilles’ heel, so we’ll wait and see what happens with the weather and the track. I’m not looking at running them both, against each other. If the track is good enough I’ll run Ausbred Flirt and keep Ruby Flyer for the qualifier at Wyong the following Saturday. Hopefully the track dries up a bit over the next 24 hours and I’ve got options. The series is a good fit for each of them and I’m keen to give them both a chance to get through to the final.”
Ausbred Flirt has won five of her 16 starts with earnings over $310,000 and was a $115,000 purchase from Goodwood Farm at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Astute Bloodstock (FBAA) and Ausbred Racing. Ruby Flyer (Flying Artie) was third in the Listed Rowley Mile back in the spring at his most recent start and comes into this fresh. The 5-year-old gelding has won four of his ten starts with earnings over $110,000.
Lismore cancelled due to rain
With no alternative track available, Racing NSW has cancelled the Lismore meeting for Saturday. The course received 95mls of rain in the last seven days. Racing NSW Stewards said, “the surface (is) unsuitable for racing with sections of the track between the 600m and the crossing being waterlogged and unsuitable for racing.” With all other tracks in the vicinity having the same rainfall, there was no alternative location.
Global interest in NZ Oaks winner
The connections of G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Pulchritudinous (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) have been fielding several calls from international breeders wishing to purchase the 3-year-old filly. “There are a couple of interested parties from overseas that are interested in buying her. We will see what we can come up with there first (before making any plans). They are from all parts of the world at this stage – Australia, America and Japan. It is quite encouraging that a New Zealand Thoroughbred is on the map,” trainer Chad Ormsby told Loveracing.nz.
“Outside Orchestral, she looks the standout (3-year-old filly), and they might even meet in the Australian Oaks. A lot of them (prospective buyers) are looking longer term for a Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup sort of horse. That is the mould she fits, especially when she is running out 2400 metres pretty strongly. We haven’t got too long before we need to make a decision on whether she goes to Sydney, but it is just a matter of the process that we have got to ride with at the moment.”
Pulchritudinous (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Pulchritudinous has won three of her seven starts, with the G2 Lowland S. and G1 New Zealand Oaks in her last two starts. Ormsby purchased her as a yearling under his Riverrock Farm name at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$32,500 and took her to the Ready to Run sale as a pinhook but passed her in. She has now earned over NZ$380,000.
Favourite drawn out wide for Hong Kong Derby
The favourite Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}) for the (Listed) Hong Kong Derby has drawn 13 of 14. “I'll have to have a look at the race, see what the jocks think and try and work it out,” trainer John Size told TDN regarding his three runners. “The horse (Helios Express) is fine, he galloped (Thursday) morning and he looks good.”
Size also has Ensued (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}) with Ryan Moore from barrier 12 and the longshot Simple Hedge (Sebring) jumps from barrier six. If he wins, Helios Express would join Rapper Dragon (Street Boss {USA}) and Golden Sixty (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) as horses to win all three of the 4-year-old Classics.
Breeder doesn’t regret selling Helios Express
Derby favourite Helios Express was bred by Chris Wells who only became a breeder by accident after his mare Paris Texas (Hinchinbrook) was troubled by injuries. “I used to race her in Perth and she was a pretty good horse. One day we started her at Northam, I remember, and coming around the bend the jockey just gave her one (strike) with the whip and she took off won easily,” Wells told scmp.com.
“I thought ‘that’s not a fluke’, but she had knee problems, so we never really saw the best of her. I thought rather than just give her away, I’ll breed from her. I loved Toronado (as a sire), he was only cheap at the time so I went there.”
Chris Wells | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Wells sold Helios Express at the Inglis Digital 2020 August Sale for $10,000 to Emsleylodge. He had one start in Australia, winning that, before being sold privately to Hong Kong. Sadly Paris Texas died foaling in 2021, but Wells has a 3-year-old full sister to Helios Express named Isolation Ridge who is in work with Lindsay Smith. “It is what it is. He was sold to Hong Kong and away he’s gone. I’ve been cheering him on. The full sister is a much bigger horse than Helios Express. She’s got some ability. We’ll see how she goes.”
Prizemoney boost for Britain thanks to stallion farms
The European Breeders' Fund (EBF) has announced that the British arm will contribute more than £2 million towards prize-money in Britain for 2024. “The contribution from British stallion owners continues to be a vital and much appreciated source of funding for racing,” said the British Horseracing Authority (BHA)'s chief operating officer Richard Wayman.
“The BHA are pleased to be working with the British EBF and two of its major donors in Darley and Juddmonte, alongside Tattersalls, in expanding the development race initiative for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds this year.”
This includes the third annual £100,000 British EBF Two-Year-Old Finals run at Goodwood and York for colts and fillies respectively. Other prizemoney increases include £325,000 for novice and maiden races for two- and three-year-olds as part of a wider project with the BHA, Levy Board, Darley, Juddmonte and Tattersalls. The High-Value Development Series of 84 races commences this Saturday with the £40,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Brocklesby S.
King of Steel has Group 1 aims
Trainer Roger Varian has announced the key target for King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot. “We will be very much looking at the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot with one run before, either in Ireland or here. That will be his primary target for the first half of the season,” Varian said.
“We wouldn't be looking to get him started before May and I guess closer to the time we will make a decision between going to Ireland for the Tattersalls Gold Cup or staying closer to home and going for the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown. The Prince of Wales's Stakes is the obvious early season race for him, he's been successful twice at the track and the only time he wasn't he was a fine third in the King George.”
The 4-year-old entire has won three of his eight starts including the G1 Ascot Champion S. last season.
