Barbara Kennedy to take over Williams stable
With Peter and Dawn Williams announcing their retirement on Sunday, their replacement was announced on Monday. Barbara Kennedy, wife of leading jockey Warren Kennedy, will take over from June 1. “I have been in the industry my whole life,” Kennedy told Loveracing.nz.
“My Dad was a jockey for 24 years. When he retired, he became the course manager at one of the tracks in South Africa for 21 years. My sister went to the jockey academy and was an apprentice for a couple of years, but it didn’t work out for her. Our whole family is into racing, so I was born into it, it is in my blood.
I had a really great opportunity with a trainer in South Africa where I ran his satellite yard in Durban where we had about 50 horses, and I was with him for four years. That is where it hit me that that (training) is what I wanted to do, and I took out my own trainer’s license. I had my first daughter at that time, and I went into a training partnership with my brother, and I trained for three years. We were pretty successful, we had 59 winners in the three years, with one of those being hindered by COVID.
Barbara Kennedy | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“Warren then decided that we needed to get out of the country to give our girls a better life. It was always a goal to get back into it in New Zealand, we just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Since we moved to New Zealand, they (Williams’s) had always been very good to Warren, and Warren has ridden a lot for them. They extended to come out to the yard with the girls and I did mornings there mucking out stables and we have become really close with Peter and Dawn, we have adopted them as our family here.
It is exciting. It has happened quite quickly, but we are taking this opportunity with both hands. I am grateful that Peter and Dawn have trusted me enough to hand everything over to me, so we will be forever grateful for that.”
All-Star Mile runner Desert Lightning heads to Australia
The connections of Peter and Dawn Williams trained Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) have decided to move him permanently to Australia after the trainer’s announced their retirement.
“Desert Lightning will head to Australia, not that we don’t have confidence in Barbara (Kennedy), but it was just in weight-for-age he is probably better suited over there now,” Peter Williams told Racing.com on Monday.
Desert Lightning (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
The G1 Captain Cook S. winner Desert Lightning has won five of his 18 starts and over $1million. He is owned by Barneswood Farm.
Magic Time to trial at Gold Coast on Tuesday
Trainer Grahame Begg will trial his dual Group 1 winner Magic Time (Hellbent) at the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning before making a decision on her Queensland options. “She trials on Tuesday on the Gold Coast and then she runs in the Kingsford-Smith (1200 metres) on the first (of June),” Begg told Racing.com.
“We’ve got options. The Kingsford-Smith into the Stradbroke H. The Kingsford-Smith then spell or the Kingsford-Smith and then Tatt’s Tiara. We’ll let her tell us where she’s at and how the tracks are. We’ve got to be mindful because there are so many riches in the spring.
Magic Time | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She’s in really good order. It’s going to be five weeks between runs so it (trial) will top her off nicely for the race 10 days later.”
Treble for Meech at Stawell
Monday’s Stawell meeting was a good one for jockey Linda Meech who rode a treble on Silent Alert (Shamus Award), Mark Of The Man (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), and Preferential (NZ) (Preferment {NZ}).
Million dollar colts go head to head on Wednesday
Two expensive colts have been nominated for the 2-year-old race at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Chris Waller-trained Indigo Star (Zoustar) is a trial winner. He was sold by Widden Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Hermitage Thoroughbreds for $1.3 million.
Peter and Paul Snowden’s Braveheart (I Am Invincible) was sold by Yarraman Park Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $1.3 million to China Horse Club, Go Bloodstock, Trilogy Racing, and Newgate Farm.
Joyce enjoying new opportunity with Maher
Former jumps jockey and trainer Adrian Joyce is relishing his move from Ireland to join Ciaron Maher's Cranbourne stable as head foreperson. “I trained for the last eight years at home, so that was quite good, on my own yard at home,” Joyce told Racing.com on Monday.
“We had plenty of success - it's just hard to get big numbers at home with the competition… It was a big decision, I obviously have to move my wife and my two kids over here as well. I think there's more opportunity over here, joining the Ciaron Maher stable was a big thing as well, what I would learn there.
“I always said to myself that I'd love to train in Australia or America at some stage… Every day you're just learning something new, because there's such a big operation, there's different horses every day, it's amazing people to work with, Ciaron and Jack, the staff, you're just learning every day. It's amazing.”
Giga Kick half-brother to debut at Bendigo on Wednesday
Giga Kick's (Scissor Kick) trainer Clayton Douglas will unveil his half-brother at Bendigo on Wednesday with 2-year-old gelding Pantoja (Pariah). Both are out of Rekindled Applause (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) and Pantoja is her final foal.
Clayton Douglas | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Rekindled Applause has produced seven winners from nine to race including Group 1 winner Giga Kick, stakes placed winners Shuffle Up (Redoute’s Choice) and Rekindled Power (Redoute’s Choice).
Treble for Stevenson at Devonport on Sunday
Glenn Stevenson trained a treble at Devonport on Sunday to regain the lead in the Tasmanian trainer’s premiership. He won with Lispector (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) who was formerly trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. in Victoria. “I was surprised she got out the price she did; she’s only got to learn to travel a bit,” Stevenson told Tasracing.com.au on Monday.
His other winners were Mystic Hope (Rebel Raider) and Brazen Impact (Real Impact {Jpn}).
Ng nabs a century in short training career
In only his second season trainer Pierre Ng won his 100th race in Hong Kong on Sunday night with Taj Dragon (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}). Ng leads the Trainer’s Championship with 59 wins from Francis Lui (56), Ricky Yiu (47), and John Size (45). “For a new team to win 100 races in two seasons is amazing. It's well deserved for the team and I'm very happy with what we're doing,” Ng told Racingnews.hkjc.com.
Pierre Ng | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We don't think about the 100 (wins) too much, we just tick along and try and get some more winners. Now, we can look for the next 100 maybe in the next two seasons.” Group 3 winner Taj Dragon took his record to nine wins from 22 starts.
Treble for Bowman at Sha Tin
Jockey Hugh Bowman rode a treble on Sunday at Hong Kong’s Sha Tin meeting aboard The Winnabe (Caravaggio {USA}), Sky Trust (So You Think {NZ}) and Hong Kong International Sale graduate Patch Of Theta (Zoustar) to take his season tally to 55 wins.
“Patch Of Theta was no surprise either – I thought he was my best ride for the day – and Sky Trust has got scope for more in store,” Bowman told Racingnews.hkjc.com.
Hugh Bowman | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I’m just delighted to have a few winners, I’ve been chipping away, going well but it’s my first multiple-win day for a while.” Patch Of Theta took his record to three wins from eight starts, and was purchased for $550,000 from Edinburgh Park’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft by the Hong Kong Jockey Club who on-sold him at their International Sale to Yeung Kit Ming Angela for HK$8.6million (AU$1.6million).
Saxon Warrior collects G2 Roma Derby with Borna
German raider Borna (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) ran out a comfortable winner of Sunday's G2 Premio 141 Derby Italiano at Capannelle Racecourse in Rome, his third win from five career starts for Markus Klug.
Offered by Haras des Capucines at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, Borna sold to the HFTB Racing Agency for €20,000 (AU$32,480) and later made the perfect start to his career when winning a conditions race at Baden-Baden in August last year.
Borna is the fifth Group winner for Coolmore Stud resident Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and the first from his second crop of 3-year-olds. The standout performers from his first crop included the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire), G2 Blandford S. winner Lumiere Rock (Ire) and G3 Prix Greffulhe victor Greenland (Ire).
Saxon Warrior (Jpn) | Standing at Coolmore, Ireland
Bred by Haras D'Ecouves, Borna is the second winner from four runners out of the King's Best (USA) mare Kingdom Come (Fr). She ran 18 times in France without managing to win a race, but there is nothing wrong with her pedigree as a half-sister to the G2 Prix Hocquart winner Top Trip (GB) (Dubai Destination {USA}) and the multiple G3 winner Believe In Love (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}).
Fairy Godmother wins G3 Naas Fillies Sprint
Aidan O'Brien-trained 2-year-old filly Fairy Godmother (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) entered the Royal Ascot picture with a stunning display in the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint S. at Naas on Sunday. “It means a lot. But, I tell ya, it's a huge plus when you sell a horse to John Magnier and it goes on to be trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore. It makes some difference, doesn't it?” said breeder Paul McCartan.
“As a breeder, you hear plenty of stuff early in the year about how the horses you've sold are getting on. When you get a positive bulletin, you're almost afraid to hear it. The word coming out of Ballydoyle about Fairy Godmother was very strong from early on this year.”
Fairy Godmother ran second at her first start and this was her maiden win. The second foal out of Scintilating (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), a black-type producer already through Sketch (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), Fairy Godmother was knocked down to MV Magnier at the Book 1 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for 425,000gns (AU$886,000).
Wooded brother makes strong seasonal debut in Group 3
The G1 Phoenix S. and G2 Railway S. winner Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) made virtually all on his seasonal bow in Sunday's G3 Goffs Lacken S. at Naas. “He's a nice horse and is going to improve a lot, because we were not hard on him and he will get fit from the race,” Robson Aguiar said.
Wooded (Ire) will stand for $22,000 inc GST in 2024 | Standing at Swettenham Stud
“He will go over six furlongs at Ascot. He has great speed and he stays well, so that is the plan for him now.” Bucanero Fuerte is a full brother to the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp-winning sire Wooded (Ire) and the G3 Sovereign S. runner-up Beat Le Bon (Fr), and he took his record to four wins from six starts.
Wooded stands at Swettenham Stud in 2024 for $22,000 (inc GST).
Listed winner for Zoustar in USA
King Of Gosford (GB) (Zoustar) won nicely at Santa Anita on Sunday in the Listed Desert Code S. giving him a stakes double having won the Listed John Shear S. at his previous start. Trained by Phil D’Amato, King Of Gosford was ridden by Antonio Fresu.
A winner at two in Ireland, King Of Gosford has now won three in succession in the USA to take his record for four wins from eight starts.
Irish Light’s Preakness runner Just Steel injured
Just Steel (USA) (Justify {USA}), who finished fifth behind stablemate Seize The Grey (Arrogate) in Saturday's GI Preakness S., exited the race with a condylar fracture of the right front leg, and will require further evaluation before a full diagnosis can be given, according to D. Wayne Lukas Sunday morning.
“That will fall to Dr. Larry Bramlage down in Lexington,” said Lukas when asked of the colt's status. “He has seen it already, and at first blush, his reaction is that it will be ok. Obviously, it's nothing life threatening. But how far he goes as a racehorse will need to be determined.”
The 3-year-old colt is a son of Australian Group 1 winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock). He is her third stakes winner, having previously produced Group 2 winner Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}), dam of Group 3 winner Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}), and Listed winner Lipizzaner (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}).
