Racing Victoria release 2024/25 season schedule
Racing Victoria have released the 2024/25 Victorian racing fixture, with 548 race meetings for Victoria next season, seven less than this season. The All-Star Mile has no location yet with Racing Victoria undertaking a review of the All-Star Mile structure now that all major Victorian race clubs have twice held the rich autumn event.
RV's racing boss Matt Welsh noted turnover was up to 10 per cent on Thursdays where the sole meeting was a night fixture, and so all-day meetings on a Thursday where a night meeting was also scheduled have been removed for 2024/25.
Image courtesy of Racing Victoria
The only major change to the stakes program is that the G1 Manikato S. will move to the AFL Grand Final Eve public holiday Friday in late September to herald the start of The Valley's night racing season. This will give trainers a viable Melbourne lead-up run into The Everest, with a three-week gap into Australia's richest race.
“The 2024/25 race dates seek to build upon the substantive changes made in spring and autumn this season, whilst enhancing the schedule through summer to build engagement right across the state,” Welsh told Racenet.com.au.
“Our objective this season was to extend Group 1 racing further into November where there is less competition and to improve the pattern of feature races in March with the move of the Australian Cup to two weeks after the All-Star Mile.
“Both of these enhancements have proven successful with horses springboarding to further success, so our goal is to consolidate those dates in the spring and autumn of 2024/25.”
$50million prizemoney barrier set to be broken
Trainers Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are heading towards being the first to break the $50 million prizemoney earnings in a single season with two months remaining.
Waller’s team has earned $47.1 million so far this season, while Maher sits on $45.7 million. The Queensland carnival will provide plenty of opportunities for either trainer to break the record.
Waller confident about Kovalica in Doomben Cup
Trainer Chris Waller has told punters to stick with Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) for the G1 Doomben Cup. “There is no reason to be dropping off him. We were pretty happy with him (in the G2 Hollindale Stakes when third). After the Queensland Derby last year, we decided to go the shorter route with him, he just missed in an Epsom H.(1600 metres) by a nose and then went to the Golden Eagle and things didn't work out,” Waller told Racenet.com.au.
“Now we are back in the swing of things over 2000 metres, hopefully onto the Q22 (2200 metres) after that as well. He goes well everywhere, he has never had an issue, he has no soreness or anything like that, he just needs a bit of distance.”
Third Doomben Cup tougher for Huetor after bad draw
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Huetor (Fr) (Archipenko {USA}) has drawn 11 for Saturday’s G1 Doomben Cup, after winning it from barrier six last year and barrier two in 2022.
Huetor
He ran fifth last start in the G2 Hollindale S, having run second in that race last year and fourth the year before.
Neasham has four strong team for Doomben Cup
Annabel Neasham has four contenders for Saturday’s G1 Doomben Cup, led by last start G2 Hollindale S. winner Numerian (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). “It was a great win first-up from Numerian in the Hollindale and he’s come on very well since,” Neasham’s Brisbane stable manager Todd Pollard said.
“He’s definitely our number one seed but Fawkner Park is also a good chance.” Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) has won the Listed Albury Cup and Listed Wagga Wagga Gold Cup at his last two starts. Neasham also has Bois D’Argent (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) and Naval College (GB) (Dartmouth {GB}).
Stradbroke target for Toronado 3-year-old
Brent Stanley’s 3-year-old colt Celui (Toronado {Ire}) will either contest the G3 BRC Sprint (1350 metres) or Darby McCarthy (1100 metres) on Saturday at Doomben. “Over 1350 metres, he can actually jump and lead by three or four lengths and get a breather but when something eyeballs him, he over-races the whole way,” Stanley told Racing.com.
“He's improved and I reckon the BRC Sprint becomes an option, it just comes down to finding a rider at that weight. He is the most-relaxed horse away from the races, but he just wants to race.
“We might head towards the Stradbroke with 50kg on our backs. Can he beat I Wish I Win? He's going to get back and we'll have no weight on our backs. He might be 12 months away but there is no standout sprinters this year like Imperatriz. He isn't going to get that weight again and if it's not going to harm him and he's thriving.”
Celui has won four of his 11 starts and was third in the G3 Gold Coast Guineas last start.
Magic Millions inaugural race for Arabian Summer
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy will run 2-year-old filly Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in Saturday's new $1 million juvenile race at Doomben, the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO National Classic. “We had a float booked for them to come home and the day before the float was leaving, they announced this race, so we took her off the float and kept her in work up there,” Tony McEvoy told Racing.com.
Arabian Summer | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
She will be ridden by Harry Coffey and has a record of two wins and two placings from five starts and hasn't raced since fifth in Storm Boy's (Justify {USA}) R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Hickmott to debut son of Pierata
Greg Hickmott trained the Group 1 winner Pierata, and now will debut his first runner by the young sire with Prorata at Warwick Fam on Wednesday. The 2-year-old colt has drawn 11 for his first race day run and will be ridden by Rachel King.
Pierata | Standing at Yulong
A $200,000 purchase by Hickmott at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Valiant Stud, Prorata is out of winning mare Miss Beauty World (God’s Own), a half-sister to five stakes winners: Written Beauty (Written Tycoon), Loveyamadly (Bel Esprit), Hi World (High Chaparral {Ire}), Lite’n In My Veins (Henrythenavigator {USA}), and Ducimus (Snitzel).
Injured rider update for Cavallo
Jockey Anthony Cavallo was dislodged from his mount Paziah (Pariah) during the running of Race 5 at Wellington on Tuesday, May 7. He had spinal surgery on May 14, and was set to be in a neck brace for six weeks. On Monday, Cavallo underwent further shoulder surgery and it was reported by Racing NSW on Tuesday that the surgery was successful and he will be discharged from hospital in a few days.
Two new trainers debut at Balaklava on Wednesday
Two trainers will have their first runners at South Australia’s Balaklava meeting on Wednesday. 2021 John Letts Medal winner Jessica Eaton will saddle up her first runner since taking out her training license earlier this year when 3-year-old gelding Mateo (Russian Revolution) makes his South Australian debut while young Morphettville horseman Tyson Cowan has his first starter with 5-year-old mare Exalted Joy (Valentia) who hasn’t raced since she was two.
“I’ve been here with Richard and Chantelle for the last six months, they are pretty flexible knowing I want to transition into training,” Cowan told Racingsa.com.au. “She (Exalted Joy) had two starts as a two-year-old and probably wasn’t quite ready, she was always one I had a connection with. She’s had a few dramas. It’s been a long time in the making, she’s been working well and I’m hoping she goes out there and shows me she’s interested and wants to keep doing it.”
Kheir’s kiwi fillies set for the Queensland Oaks
Owner Ozzie Kheir heads head into Saturday’s G2 The Roses at Doomben with a couple of Kiwi-bred fillies, Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) and Scarlet Oak (Kermadec {NZ}), who he is hoping can feature in the G1 Queensland Oaks next month. "Saturday's race is the best race for both of them at this stage and it will tell us a lot about our Oaks chances," Kheir told Racing.com.
Ozzie Kheir | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
"Molly Bloom, she is seasoned and is a big, strong girl and she loves her racing, whereas Scarlet Oak, she has done it all in her first prep.”
Molly Bloom won the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas back in the spring, while Scarlet Oak won on debut in New Zealand before transferring to Chris Waller, where she ran second in the G3 James HB Carr S, then won at Gosford.
Another juvenile winner for Better Than Ready
Trainer Michael Nolan’s 2-year-old filly I’lltellyouso (Better Than Ready) won her first race on Tuesday at Warwick at her third start to give her sire his sixth juvenile winner for the season.
A $55,000 graduate from Baramul Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, I’lltellyouso was purchased by her trainer.
Another Legarto or Levante for the Kelsos?
Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso hope to find another good Proisir with 2-year-old filly Levakia (NZ) (Proisir) who debuts on Wednesday at Taupo. “It is the same syndicate as Legarto,” Ken Kelso said. “We bought her as a yearling online for NZ$105,000 and she has developed into quite a nice filly.”
“We were going to give her another trial, but when they brought along this two-year-old race at Taupo we decided to roll the dice. But now with the weather, a question mark on the track, and probably drawn in the wrong place in one, I am not 100 per cent sure we are going.”
The Kelso team have previously enjoyed Group 1 wins with Levante (NZ) (Proisir) and Legarto (NZ) (Proisir).
Barrier dents confidence ahead of Justify juvenile’s debut
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh’s confidence about a winning debut for 2-year-old colt Bourbon Proof (Justify {USA}) at Taupo on Wednesday took a severe hit when he was handed a horror gate. “We think he is very good and if it was a month ago, we would have waited for a better draw, but we want to give him a run and then set him aside for the spring,” Marsh told Loveracing.nz.
Stephen Marsh
“Warren (Kennedy) knows the colt and rode him in his last trial and really liked him, but I was certainly deflated when I saw the barrier draw. We do think he could be in some pretty good races next campaign. He will definitely spell after this race.”
Stephen Marsh and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock purchased the colt from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Phoenix Park for NZ$130,000. He is out of a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Showbeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
Only eight remain for G1 Champions and Chater Cup
The G1 Champions & Chater Cup over 2400 metres on Sunday is down to eight runners after Frankie Lor confirmed Unbelievable (USA) (Justify {USA}) will not take his place after suffering a minor tendon injury.
Meanwhile Rebel’s Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday night for trainer Charlie Appleby. “Charlie Appleby’s horse will start odds on and should be winning, but there’s plenty of prize money there and we’re hopeful of running very competitively,” trainer Caspar Fownes, who saddles up Straight Arron (Fastnet Rock) and Senor Toba (Toronado {Ire}), told scmp.com on Tuesday.
“I’m looking forward to it. Firstly, we don’t have a lot of races over this trip in Hong Kong so the ratings are unexposed a bit,” jockey Lyle Hewitson said ahead of his first ride aboard Moments In Time (Chi) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}). “Last time, although he had the light weight, it’s really hard to go those sectionals and still finish where he did. He ran full of credit there.”
Flightline’s first foals on offer at Japan Foal Sale
A yearling full brother to the globetrotting Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) and first-crop foals by Flightline (USA) and Baaeed (GB) are among the entries for the JRHA Select Sale, which is set to take place at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido on July 8 and 9. There are 244 foals catalogued who will be offered on the first day.
A colt from the first crop of Palace Pier (GB) out of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Incarville (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) is catalogued as Lot 11, while Lot 24 is a son of Epipheneia (Jpn) and the G1 Irish Oaks winner Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Lot 433 is a colt by Kizuna (Jpn) out of the Australian champion 2-year-old filly She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain).
American Horse of the Year Flightline (USA) features as the sire of three foals in the catalogue including lot 347, a colt who is a son of the Argentinean champion racemare Blue Stripe (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}), who also won the G1 Clement L Hirsch S. at Del Mar.
“It is great to witness Japanese-bred runners performing so well at international competition. First of all, it is still fresh in the memory that Equinox (Jpn) was unbeaten through four starts in 2023, including the G1 Japan Cup in November, which he won by four lengths, and was recognised as the world's highest-rated horse with an official rating of 135,” said the JRHA in a statement.
“And JRHA is proud of the bravest performance of Forever Young (Jpn) at Churchill Downs on May 4, when the Japanese-bred colt was a narrowly beaten third in the G1 Kentucky Derby. The winner of the G3 Saudi Derby and G2 UAE Derby was bought at the yearling session of the JRHA Select Sale in 2022 for 98 million yen (AU$941,000).”
British Horse Racing scraps Sunday night racing
Sunday evening racing in Britain will not continue in the short term after a six-week pilot during the winter months failed to yield any significant benefit to the sport via an increase in betting turnover.
The controversial trial was introduced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) as part of a wider range of changes to the fixture list for 2024, which included the launch of 'Premier' and 'Core' meetings.
BHA chairman Joe Saumarez Smith said that “some valuable lessons” had been learned from the trial. He continued, “However, while the pilot did not deliver what we had hoped, there was a recognition of the challenges presented by making a decision based on such a small sample, especially when the data varied so significantly across the fixtures. It's also the case that new concepts, which include behaviour change from the betting public, are likely to take time to settle in.
“The Board concluded that the concept of Sunday evening racing is not something that should be dismissed and that it would like a further and longer trial to take place, where circumstances permit, to gather additional data.”
G2 Prix Corrida goes to Pensee Du Jour
Andre Fabre-trained 4-year-old mare Pensee Du Jour (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) returned to winning ways in Monday's G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud under a strong ride from Maxime Guyon. “She can win a group 1 this year,” Guyon said. “She had run very well on her comeback, and we wanted to let her go in her own rhythm today. She never gives up and is only ever moving forward.”
Maxime Guyon
Pensee Du Jour is the last known foal out of the unraced Painter's Pride (Fr) (Dansili {GB}), whose son Canvassed (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) captured the G3 Mahab Al Shimaal and was placed in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. Her second dam is G2 Long Island H. winner Peinture Bleue (USA) (Alydar {USA}), dam of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Prix du Jockey Cub hero and leading sire Peintre Celebre.
German 2000 Guineas won by New Bay colt
Clive Washbourn's 3-year-old colt Devil's Point (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) won Cologne's G2 Coolmore St Mark's Basilica German 2000 Guineas on Monday, ridden by Silvestre De Sousa. “The draw in ten wasn't favourable and we didn't want to suffer, so we decided to let him stride on. From the earlier races, we could see that nothing was coming from behind and he's pretty straightforward,” said trainer David Menuisier.
“He was tired at the end, but the fractions were fast, and we always had the plan to come here and then drop in trip for the G1Prix Jean Prat and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.” The win was the third career victory for Devil’s Point, and he became the 14th stakes winner for his sire, New Bay (GB), who is a son of Dubawi (GB).
His dam, Hairy Rocket (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), was a stakes placed juvenile winner of two races, and Devil’s Point is her third winner from four to race. His older half-brother is Group 2-placed 2-year-old winner The Acropolis (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}).
$650,000 2-year-old leads first day of Fasig-Tipton May Sale
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale opened with a steady session which gained steam throughout the day Monday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.
“It was a very good start to the May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “The results were basically identical to last year, from a statistical standpoint. We were very encouraged.”
A total of 142 horses sold Monday for a gross of $13,162,000 (AU$19.66million). Monday's average was $92,690 (AU$139,100), and the median was $48,500 (AU$72,800) down from last year’s Monday median of $50,000 (AU$75,000). Bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz, bidding on behalf of the Saudi-based KAS Stables, acquired the day's highest-priced offering when going to $650,000 (AU$975,000) for a filly by Bernardini (USA) late in the session, while the second top lot was a Justify (USA) filly who sold for $500,000 (AU$750,000) to Bloodstock agent Case Clay, bidding on behalf of Qatar's Wathnan Racing.
New racetrack due to open in Philippines soon
A state-of-the-art racecourse in the Philippines is slated to open in the last quarter of this year, providing a long-term home for thoroughbred racing in the Asian nation and certainty for the country’s industry participants.
Philippine Jockey Club director Manny Viray, a former Philippine thoroughbred stud owner and Manila racing television pundit who also acts as a bloodstock agent, revealed the group had raised a billion pesos (AU$25.85m) to fund the initial building of the new racetrack.
“With that I was able to convince the group of breeders and horse owners to come up with a plan to secure a national franchise in government for a new racetrack. We're not even here to make money out of the property, we're here to build something for our horses and the racing industry,” Viray told Racingpost.com.
