Five for McDonald at Eagle Farm
James McDonald, freshly back from winning a Group 1 in Japan on Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), won five races at Eagle Farm on Saturday. He won on Tony Gollan-trained Princess Rhaenys (Iffraaj {GB}), Chris Waller-trained Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill {Ire}), and the Listed Spear Chief H. on Yellow Brick (The Mission) for trainers Tony and Maddysen Sears.
James McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
McDonald made it four with a win on La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) for trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander in the Magic Millions National Classic. He finished Saturday with a win in the G2 Moreton Cup on the James Cummings-trained Vilana (Hallowed Crown).
New stakes winner for Brave Smash in Perth
The Listed Ranconteur S. on Saturday at Belmont was won by 3-year-old gelding Brave Spirit (Brave Smash {Jpn}) for trainer Steve Wolfe and was ridden by Shaun McGruddy. The last start winner took his record to three wins from ten starts with earnings over $220,000.
He became the third stakes winner for Brave Smash from only 59 runners and is from Brave Smash’s first crop. Brave Smash stands at Yarraman Park Stud for $33,000 inc GST in 2024.
Brave Spirit is the second winner for his dam who is a half-sister to Listed winner Granny Red Shoes (Not A Single Doubt).
Brave Mnementh wins Listed Bob Charley S.
After a mishap last start where Mnementh (Eurozone) lost two shoes, he bounced back on Saturday with a dogged 0.69l win in the Listed Bob Charley AO S. for trainer Mitchell Beer. “Proud would be a pretty big understatement,” his trainer wrote on X.
“Thank you to the most incredible team of people involved in the stable to get him back to his best.” Mnementh took his record to 11 wins and seven placings from 34 starts with earnings over $680,000. He is one of five stakes winners for his sire, who is a son of Northern Meteor, with Group 1 winner Krone being the best performer for Eurozone to date.
French import wins Lord Mayor’s Cup and heads to spring Cups
French import Eliyass (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) dominated at his Australian debut in the Listed Lord Mayor's Cup at Randwick winning the 2000-metre event for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott by 1.75l. “You'd like to think there is a bit more to come from him in the future and he could potentially have a really light campaign now and a quick turnaround to the spring,” jockey Tim Clark told racingandsports.com.au.
“You never know what races he could end up in. Up to a mile-and-a-half (2400 metres) will be no problem for him. There are plenty of options for him and they do a great job with their horses, so they'll find the right races.” Five-year-old gelding Eliyass took his record to seven wins and two seconds from nine starts, with all his prior racing in France.
Right To Party gives McNeil first winner since injury
Jockey Jye McNeil won on 3-year-old filly Right To Party (Zoustar) at Flemington on Saturday, giving him his first winner back after a lengthy time off recovering from a fractured fibula.
Trained by Anthony and Sam Freeman, Right To Party has now won two of her ten starts and over $200,000.
Trebles for Queensland jockeys
Jockey Jag Guthman-Chester rode a treble at Saturday’s Sunshine Coast meeting. He won on Peter Robl’s 2-year-old gelding Genius Baby (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Jack Bruce’s Blue As Blue (NZ) (Savabeel) and Lee Freedman’s Singular (Nicconi).
At Balcardine on Saturday, jockey Tim Brummell rode a treble on New York World (Statue of Liberty {USA}), Jamaican (Lonhro), and Another Tosser (Whittington).
Warmonger sire gets another city winner
A week after Warmonger (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) thumped the G1 Queensland Derby field, his sire got another Australian 3-year-old winner with Artillery (NZ) who won at Morphettville on Saturday.
War Decree stands for NZ$7000 (plus GST) at New Zealand’s Inglewood Stud and has only 50 foals in his second crop which includes Warmonger and 13 other winners so far. He has also sired Group 2 winner Val Di Zoldo and three other stakes horses.
Pair of juveniles for Lees at Taree on Sunday
Trainer Kris Lees will run two 2-year-olds in the first race at Taree on Sunday with debutant Eclaire Encore (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) looking to be the most likely of the pair. “From what I’ve seen of them, the first starter (Éclair Encore) probably looks to be the pick of them,” Lees told Racingnsw.com.au.
Kris Lees | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Her trials have been pretty good, and she looks as though she’ll handle a wet track which looks like it will be the case on Sunday.” His other runner in the race is Star Venture (Capitalist) who is unplaced in three starts to date.
Relative of Winx wins on debut in New Zealand
Ruakaka trainers Kenny Rae and Krystal Williams unveiled a promising young talent with 3-year-old gelding Dan Vegas (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who won on debut on their home track on Saturday afternoon. “I didn’t really think he could win today, but I was wrong – pleasantly wrong,” Rae told Loveracing.nz
Dan Vegas (NZ) | Image courtesy of Therese Davis (Race Images)
“It was a great ride by Jasmine. He’s been a bit of a work in progress and has over-raced in his trials, which had me a bit worried coming into a 1400m race today. But I told Jasmine to just let him run, and hopefully the others might not be able to stop him. He was impressive.
Bred and raced by Little Avondale Stud – home of the gelding’s outstanding sire Per Incanto – in partnership with long-time Rae stable clients Totara Park Stud, Dan Vegas is a full brother to Listed winner Gringotts (NZ), and a half-brother to stakes placed winner of seven races Millefiori (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}). His third dam is Vegas Magic (Voodoo Rhythm {USA}), the dam of Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar) who is the dam of Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).
Sound announced by Westwood Farm in Victoria
Dr Wood’s Westwood Farm in Victoria have announced that dual G2 Zipping Classic winner Sound (Ger) (Lando {Ger}) will stand his second season in 2024 for $3850 (inc GST). The incredibly sound horse won nine of his 57 starts with earnings over $2 million.
His sire Lando (Ger) was a dual Group 1 winner in Germany who travelled to Japan and won the G1 Japan Cup and has 28 stakes winners at stud.
Sound is a full brother to Germany’s Horse of the Year and Group 1 winner Scalo (GB), and a half-brother to French Group 3 winner Sexy Lady (Ger) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). They are out of Listed winner Sky Dancing (Ire) (Exit To Nowhere {USA}).
Thorpedo Anna strikes in G1 Acorn S.
G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna (USA) (Fast Anna {USA}) has added another Group 1 to her resume with the G1 Acorn S. win at Saratoga on Friday. “I think my first thought (after the Acorn) was, 'Dang, I could have run her in the Belmont,'” laughed trainer Kenny McPeek. “I really felt I could have. She makes it easy.”
Thorpedo Anna, owned by Nader Alaali, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, became the 14th filly to register the Acorn-Kentucky Oaks double and the second consecutive year after Pretty Mischievous (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) accomplished the feat in 2023 at Belmont Park.
“That was one of our goals coming into the race was to stamp her as the best 3-year-old in America,” McPeek said. “Whether we take on the colts later will be fun and it will be interesting. I'll probably tease you all with what I'm thinking about. We'll see. If she's doing really well and she came back in the G1 Coaching Club Oaks, and Mystik Dan didn't make the GI Travers S., then who knows?”
G1 Just A Game goes to trainer Brown
Chad Brown had five of the seven runners in the G1 Just A Game S. so the quinella going his way wasn’t a surprise. Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) earned her first career Grade 1 win with Whitebeam (GB) (Caravaggio {USA}) in second. “Chili Flag has been very versatile. She's run on very firm turf early in the season and she can handle moisture in it,” said Brown.
“Whitebeam improved off a disappointing loss off the layoff last time. She stepped up into Grade 1 company today and almost got it done. She proves to be a horse that likes Saratoga.”
It was a record seventh win in the Just a Game for Brown, while Chili Flag made it three wins in succession and now has a career record of seven wins from 19 starts and earnings over US$1million (AU$1.52million).
Last year’s runner up wins the 2024 G1 New York S.
6-year-old mare Didia (Arg) (Orpen {USA}) was the bridesmaid in last year's running of the G1 New York S., but no one was taking her 'New York moment' in 2024. “She was like a monster. It's a great feeling,” said trainer Ignacio Correas, IV.
“I targeted this race for months and months. It was really hard for me to lose this race last year [when Didia ran second]. I never expected to lose it last year. I was disappointed.” A Group 1 winner in her native Argentina, Didia has only been off the board three times in her career, and at once point rode a seven-race win streak that spanned two continents, and four different tracks across them. In total, she has won 11 of her 17 starts with three at Group 1 level.
Federal Trade Commission approves HISA updates
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved the proposed rule changes to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)'s Racetrack Safety Program and the changes will take effect starting July 8, the organization announced Friday via presser.
“The approval of these rule changes marks a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and integrity of Thoroughbred horse racing,” said HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “We are committed to working closely with all industry participants during this transition period and beyond to ensure these new standards are fully understood and effectively implemented.”
