Weir banned for another two years
Disgraced trainer Darren Weir has seven days to move horses from his Trevenson Park property before he starts another two-year disqualification. The Victorian Racing Tribunal ordered Weir's new disqualification commence immediately after considering submissions on the starting date of Weir's disqualification for using a ‘jigger' on three horses in 2018.
VRT chairman Judge John Bowman said, “The order made in relation to Mr Weir will come under operation from seven days from this date on the 9th of September.”
Darren Weir | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Under the terms of disqualification, Weir cannot earn a direct or indirect income from racing, nor can he attend race meetings. As a disqualified person, Weir would need to reapply to RV's Licensing Committee at the end of his time out to regain his trainer's licence.
Richards joins FBAA
The Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia is pleased to announce that up and coming, Victorian-based bloodstock agent, Ash Richards of Intel Bloodstock is joining the membership ranks of the organisation. “Being accredited with the FBAA has long been a strong ambition of mine, and I am thrilled to be recognised as a member of this esteemed Federation,” said Richards.
Ash Richards | Image courtesy of the Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia
“The FBAA stands for integrity, quality and honesty and is fundamental to the bloodstock industry. It is truly humbling to have my agency, Intel Bloodstock, accredited by the FBAA. I am excited about the opportunity to represent the FBAA and to contribute to the ongoing success of the thriving bloodstock industry, both now and in the future.”
Gollan’s Freedom Rally aimed at Epsom
The Tony Gollan-trained Freedom Rally (Rubick) will resume in Saturday’s G2 Tramway S. after trialling well last week. “The reason we are in Sydney with him is we have had a bit of a mindset of looking to go towards the Epsom with him,” trainer Tony Gollan told racenet.com.au.
Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“But there is so many races and so much money. Could we deviate to Melbourne for a Toorak? Or do we look at if we are not up to that top level for an Epsom, do we look at trying to qualify for a Big Dance with what races are left down there because he will be based in Sydney? There are a lot of options for him.”
Bold Bastille to skip G1 Moir for Listed option
The Hayes brothers at Lindsay Park will skip Saturday’s G1 Moir S. with 3-year-old filly Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau). “There was nothing wrong with her run but we got a look at what it looks like against the older horses and we'd like to take her back against her own age,” Will Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers Ben and JD, told racenet.com.au.
Bold Bastille | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She was beaten by a horse that will probably go to the Moir and be very competitive. She definitely hasn't lost any fans out of her first-up run and we think she's come out of it well. For us, it looks a logical step to go to the Cap D'Antibes S. at Flemington.” She ran fourth when first up in the Listed Carlyon S.
Group 2 win for Winx’s strapper
Winx's former strapper, Umut Odemislioglu, celebrated the biggest victory of his burgeoning training career when he saddled up a Group 2 winner with 2-year-old colt Patrick Star (Tur) (Marcavelly {USA}) in Istanbul on Sunday. Odemislioglu and his wife Cansu launched Byerley Racing Turkiye from Antalya, in Turkey's south in 2022.
Patrick Star has won three of his four starts.
Melbourne Cup noms close Tuesday
The G1 Melbourne Cup nominations close Tuesday with many international raiders preparing to go into quarantine soon. “The first shipment, they either arrive on the 28th or 29th of September, with the second flight arriving either on the 12th of October or the 15th of October,” Racing Victoria's international recruiter Paul Bloodworth told racing.com.
Moe abandoned due to wild weather
Monday's scheduled Victorian race meeting at Moe has been abandoned amid a severe weather event. More than 130,000 Victorian homes and businesses were left without power overnight as wild winds battered the state.
“The club suffered a power outage due to the severe weather and with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting wind gusts of up to 90km per hour this afternoon, RV Stewards made the decision to abandon the meeting in the interests of participant welfare,” a Racing Victoria statement said.
Nominations opened up for Eagle Farm trials
Racing Queensland could only attract 48 horses of the 64 required for the trials scheduled to take place on Thursday morning to ensure racing could return to the track, with the condition it was for non-Eagle Farm-trained gallopers and horses who had never raced there. The nominations were extended for local horses on Monday and got the numbers late in the day.
A condition of trialling at Eagle Farm on Thursday will be that jockeys are required to canter their horses past the construction site prior to the running of each heat.
Jackson to train on his own
The two-time Tommy Corrigan Medal winner Shane Jackson will go out on his own as a trainer this season. He has been Lindsey Smith's assistant trainer for five years and, in that time, he has trained four winners of his own, including the 2023 Listed Warrnambool Cup with stayer Mystery Island (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}). “It's very exciting, it's very daunting,” Jackson told racing.com.
“I've been here (Australia) quite a while, I've been part of Lindsey's team as assistant trainer for the last five years and the last two seasons I've had a couple of horses in my own right. There's been no falling out at all - Lindsey and I are still very close - but I just thought it was about time to build something for my own family and our future. We've made the jump and let's see how it goes.”
Widdup’s good run to continue on Tuesday
The winning run of Hawkesbury-based trainer Brad Widdup is set to continue at Newcastle on Tuesday with talented mare Colours Of Autumn (The Autumn Sun). “Colours Of Autumn is a really nice mare and well-bred,” Widdup told racingnsw.com.au.
Brad Widdup | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“She’s had nine starts and has a win and a few placings to her name already. She took on Group 3 company back in the autumn, we thought that much of her. She finished down the track in that event, but she did manage to run second at Rosehill before that behind a handy filly, so there’s no doubting she has a stack of ability.” Her dam is a city-winning full sister to Group 3 winner Celts (Lonhro).
Conquistadores to show consistency at Gatton
Co-trainer Peter Hulbert, who trains with his son Will, is hopeful Conquistadores (Heroic Valour) can live up to his consistent record of earning prizemoney cheques when the gelding returns to Gatton on Tuesday. “He’s been very consistent all his career and has only missed a prizemoney cheque once,” Peter told racingqueensland.com.au.
“He’s only had the one win, but he’s placed three times and hasn’t been far off them in a few other races. His last run was very good when he ran fourth as it was his first start since he had chips taken out of both front knees and had six months off to recover.”
Derby winner adds another Group 1
Last year's G1 Deutsches Derby winner, Liberty Racing's Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) proved too strong for Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) in Sunday's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. Anchored in rear early by Rene Piechulek, the Sarah Steinberg-trained 2-1 second favourite surged to the front inside the final two furlongs en-route to a 1.25l-success from the William Haggas raider.
Fantastic Moon took his record to seven wins from 13 starts. One of 34 stakes winners for Sea The Moon, who sired Caulfield Cup winner Durston (GB), Fantastic Moon is out of Frangipani (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}), a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Fearless Hunter (Ger) (Alhaarth {Ire}).
He was the Champion 3-Year-Old (Long) in Germany of 2023 and is raced by a syndicate which includes Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) and some Australian clients.
Highland Falls earns Breeders’ Cup slot with Grade 1 win
Godolphin's 4-year-old entire Highland Falls (USA) (Curlin {USA}) outdueled favoured Arthur's Ride (USA) (Tapit {USA}) and strode home an easy winner of the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Sunday at Saratoga. It was his first top-level victory, also earning him an automatic berth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic and gave jockey Flavien Prat his record-setting 13th Graded win of the meeting.
“I thought if one horse could handle the distance, it was him,” Prat said of Highland Falls, who was making his second try at 1 1/4 miles following a fourth-place effort in the G1 Santa Anita H. in March. “We wanted to break running and then try to make a good pace. That was the case, and we got past the wire for the first time, it felt like Arthur's Ride was going a bit quicker, easier than me, so I don't need to go on, but I was able to get him outside after that and give him another push. He was just a well of stamina.”
One of 60 Graded winners world for Curlin (USA), Highland Falls is his sire's 24th Grade 1 winner and his second of the Saratoga meet following Raging Sea (USA)'s win in the G1 Personal Ensign S. Aug. 23. Highland Falls is the final foal out of 2006 G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Round Pond (USA), whose first foal, Long River (USA) (A.P. Indy {USA}), was third in the 2014 G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup before inning the 2017 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 at the age of seven. The mare's unraced daughter Tyburn Brook (USA) (Bernardini {USA}), produced G1 Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (USA) (Street Sense {USA}).
Del Mar Derby won by Formidable Man
Formidable Man (USA) (City of Light {USA}), favoured off a win in the Oceanside S. at Del Mar July 20, stormed to the lead and held off Stay Hot (USA) late to earn his first Graded victory in the G2 Del Mar Derby at the oceanside oval Sunday.
“When it's a small field like that, it's always tactical,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli. “My first intention was to go outside and lead and I know at some point I need to get a jump on him [Stay Hot] but thanks to [trainer] Michael [McCarthy], we did it. He has been improving race by race, with credit to the McCarthy team. The key was to get the jump on Stay Hot and I think it worked okay for us. I am certainly happy with that.”
Formidable Man is the fourth Graded winner for City of Light. His dam, Fanticola (USA), won the 2015 G2 Royal Heroine S. and was second in the G1 Gamely S. The 14-year-old mare has a yearling filly by Knicks Go (USA) and produced a filly by Jack Christopher (USA) this year. She was bred back to Star Guitar (USA). She was purchased by Clear Creek Stud for US$60,000 (AU$88,500) while in foal to Flatter (USA) at the 2021 Keeneland November sale.
