Big goals for Pride Of Jenni
Ciaron Maher believes star mare Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) can back-up in seven days into a Cox Plate from a Group 1 run at Randwick at the height of the spring carnival. “To run in both,” Maher told racing.com when asked of his spring dilemma with the star mare.
“I think she will. You never know but she’s coming up very well, so everything is on the table at the moment. Gai did it and won the Thousand Guineas, so it’s about what sort of run you have. If you have a gut-buster, it’s going to make it tougher.
Pride Of Jenni | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“You’ve got to have her right to go first-up and so that makes it job a bit easier. If you are trying to play catch-up, if she’s running like she does and trying to build fitness, it makes the job a lot harder.”
Waterhouse-trained Global Glamour (Star Witness) was the last horse to succeed twice in separate states at Group 1 level in the space of seven days. She won the G1 Flight S. in 2016 at Randwick before seven days later scoring a G1 Thousand Guineas win at Caulfield.
Grenville Stud announces fee for Stratosphere
Stratosphere will stand at Grenville Stud in 2024 for $6600 (inc GST), announced the stud on Monday. "We are aware of the current challenging economic climate we are in and have set Stratosphere's fee for the upcoming season with this in mind,” said Bart McCulloch.
“It is important for us that breeders get a return on their investment whether that be in the sale ring or on the racetrack and we know breeders can achieve this with Stratosphere.” The son of Snitzel is the sire of the Listed winner Greatham Boy, and stakes-placed winners Cairns, and Encounter Sphere.
“His first crop which has had just 32 runners has produced three stakes performers, over $1.2m in progeny earnings and he is going at 62.5 per cent winners to runners with this first crop which have just completed their 3-year-old season.”
Spell for Golden Path
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr's in-form galloper Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) has won three in succession and will enjoy a brief break before returning to the track later this spring. “The problem with Golden Path is he's had six runs already, so we're going to freshen him now and try and bring him up again for a couple of races in the spring in Sydney,” Kent Jnr told racing.com.
“The race that we'd like to have a go at is probably the Hill S..”
Pocketing wins on debut at Nowra
Richard and Will Freedman took 3-year-old gelding Pocketing (Grunt {NZ}) to Nowra on Monday for his debut start and he won by 1.3l for jockey Lee Magorrian and owners Yulong.
From the second crop of Grunt (NZ), who has sired Group 1 winner Veight and Listed winner Miraval Rose, Pocketing is the second foal and first winner for unraced mare Pickpocket (High Chaparral {Ire}).
First Aussie winner for Hong Kong jockey
Hong Kong-based jockey Lyle Hewitson rode his first winner at Pakenham on Monday on 3-year-old filly Peridot Star (Shalaa {Ire}). “She's a bit of a hot filly. She did get a bit worked up, but when the gates opened, she was the ultimate professional,” Hewitson told racing.com.
“I haven't had too many rides. I understand it's quite difficult. I'm grateful to someone like Mr Stokes and his team, who has given me this opportunity.”
The other 3-year-old to win at Pakenham on Monday was also trained by Phillip Stokes, the gelding Fulmen Filou (Fiorente {Ire}).
Giga Kick to trial on Friday
The Everest winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) will trial on Friday at Randwick with James McDonald to ride. Giga Kick hasn't raced since September 2023.
Reminder: BOBS nominations close 1 September
Racing NSW put out a reminder on Monday that BOBS nominations for horses foaled in 2022 that turn 2-year-olds on 1 August 2024 will close on September 1.
Registrations for Inglis Pink Series close 1 September
Inglis reminded everyone on Monday that registrations for their Pink Bonus series close on September 1. “To be eligible for the $1,000,000 lnglis Pink Bonus Series, any horse must be eligible for, fully nominated and paid up for the Inglis Race Series and be a minimum 75 per cent owned or leased by female owners. Registrations for the Inglis Pink Bonus Series for horses born in 2022 must be submitted by 5pm on September 1st 2024.”
First Aussie win for Malaysian Malik
Malaysian jockey Aizat Malik showed he will be a welcome addition to the Tasmanian jockey ranks landing his first winner at just his fifth start since arriving in the state with a clever front-running ride aboard Rafael’s Raid (Rebel Raider) at Hobart on Sunday.
“I’m happy to be here in Tasmania, such a new experience for me riding in the cool weather,” Malik told tasracing.com.au.
Final Raffles Cup won in a thriller
It was an exciting finish in the Listed Raffles Cup at Kranji on Sunday with Lim’s Saltoro (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) doing what few people thought possible by holding off Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec {NZ}) in an epic contest. “I’m very happy that I can take this race (Raffles Cup) three times in a row,” jockey CC Wong told Loveracing.nz.
Trainer Daniel Meagher enjoyed his fourth win in the race. “It’s very emotional because we haven’t got many (races) left and it’s (Singapore racing) been a big part of our life. Little Kosi’ got beat and he doesn’t deserve it. He ran great. Marc rode him fantastically and I felt for Marc a little because he’s done the work on both these horses. But who do you pick?
“They’re both great horses and (Lim’s) Saltoro is a wonderful horse. CC (Wong) was lucky to get on him after Marc has done so much work on him.” Both horses are scheduled to move to Australia with Meagher when Singapore closes later this year.
BUCA calls on Goffs & Goresbridge to abandon news sales
Uncertainty hangs over the breeze-up sector ahead of the first major yearling sale of the season at Arqana this week after the Breeze-Up Consignors Association (BUCA) instructed Goffs and Goresbridge not to go ahead as previously planned with its respective new sales in 2025.
“There were 1100 places offered to the main breeze-up sales in Europe this season and 960 turned up. Only 768 were sold and that follows on from the 760 that sold in 2023,” said Grove Stud's Brendan Holland, who is the new chairman at BUCA.
“The numbers that are being sold at the breeze-up sales is constant and the market is stable at that level. We can't see how there is room or demand to sell 100 more horses-or any more horses for that matter-and, until we get to a stage where the market expands, I think it is BUCA's responsibility to protect the marketplace that is already in place. We should not be saturating it.”
“Goffs is in dialogue with BUCA and I plan to meet with Brendan over the next couple of weeks to have a chat. We're not going to make any definitive decisions now-I mean, the sale isn't happening until next June. Also, our AGM takes place after our Premier Yearling Sale, so that will be the earliest that Goffs can announce whether the new sale will go ahead or not,” said Goffs chief Henry Beeby.
US$300k colts top Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred sale
The Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale kicked off its two-day run with an abbreviated session featuring competitive bidding from start to finish Sunday evening in the Humphry S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga.
Early in the session, Jacob West and Eddie Rosen, acting on behalf of Mike Repole, paid US$300,000 ($454,945) for a colt by Constitution (USA) from the Elite consignment. That session-topping price was matched late in the day when trainer Christophe Clement purchased a son of Vekoma (USA) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.
