Little Brose to stand at Little Avondale Stud
New Zealand’s Little Avondale Stud is pleased to announce the purchase of the 2023 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Little Brose who will stand his first season at LA in 2025 for a service fee of NZ$15,000 plus GST. The farm made the announcement via racingnews.co.nz on Sunday.
Little Brose is a son of Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto (USA). Winner of the Listed Merson Cooper S. at his second start, Little Brose came back in the autumn to run second in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts And Geldings) before winning the G1 Blue Diamond S.
Little Brose | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
At three, he placed in the G3 HDF McNeil S. before being injured in the G1 Caulfield Guineas. Sent to Hong Kong, he ran second at his second start in the region before injury forced his retirement.
A $200,000 purchase from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales by Lindsay Park Racing, Little Brose is one of seven Group 1 winners for his sire, who has 32 stakes winners in total.
He is the second last foal of Listed Belmont Music Prince S. winner Mohegan Sky (USA) (Straight Man {USA}), who is half-sister to 2-year-old Listed winner Vous (USA) (Wild Rush {USA}).
Per Incanto (USA) | Standing at Little Avondale Stud
Winners of the G1 Blue Diamond who have been successful at stud include Extreme Choice, Pride Of Dubai, Sepoy, Star Witness, Bel Esprit and Redoute’s Choice.
NZ Filly of the Year series busy over holidays
The NZ Filly of the Year series heats up over the holiday period. Hard on the heels of the G3 Eulogy S. on Saturday won by Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn), comes the Christmas-New Year Carnival at Ellerslie, which features the G2 Eight Carat Classic over 1600 metres on Boxing Day and the G2 Sir Patrick Hogan S. over 2000 metres on New Year’s Day. Both of those races carry eight points for the winner, four for second and two for third.
G1 Arima Kinen won by 3-year-old filly
The final Group 1 of the Japanese racing year is the G1 Arima Kinen, and with Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) not running due to injury, the field was wide open. The winner 3-year-old filly Regaleira (Jpn) (Sauve Richard {Jpn}) became the first 3-year-old filly to win since 1960 when putting 0.02l on Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) with Danon Decile (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in third.
An incredible ￥55,083,057,100 (AU$56 million) was bet on the race this year, up from ¥ 54,579,634,000 (AU$55.8 million) in 2023.
Regaleira hadn’t won since winning the G1 Hopeful S. at two and this was her fifth start as a 3-year-old. She now has three wins from eight starts. The fourth foal of Group 3-placed winner Roca (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), Regaleira’s third dam is the G1 Gelsenkirchen Aral Pokal winner Wind In Her Hair (Ire) (Alzao {USA}), the dam of Group 1 winner and Champion Sire Deep Impact (Jpn), Group 2 winner Veil Of Avalon (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}), and Listed winners New Beginning (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}), and Black Tide (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {USA}) who is the sire of Kitsasan Black (Jpn), the sire of Equinox {Jpn}).
Midnight Spirit continues Spirit Of Boom’s juvenile season
Spirit Of Boom has had a massive start with his current crop of juveniles, and on Sunday 2-year-old colt Midnight Spirit added to his record in winning the QTIS 2YO Plate over 1000 metres for trainer Tony Gollan. Ridden by Angela Jones, Midnight Spirit won by 1.3l from gelding Whatta Mission (The Mission) with colt Wannabe Brutal (Brutal {NZ}) another 1.5l further back in third. Midnight Spirit will be set for the Karaka Million 2YO.
Midnight Spirit became the sixth juvenile winner for Spirit Of Boom this season. He is the first foal of winning mare Blackbook (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) who ran fourth in the Listed Otago Breeders' S. Blackbook is a half-sister to G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Uga Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}). Midnight Spirit was purchased by John Foote Bloodstock and Tony Gollan from Inglewood Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$150,000.
Inglewood Stud will present Midnight Spirit’s yearling half-sister by Palace Pier (GB) as Lot 488 at the upcoming 2025 NZB National Yearling Sale.
“It was a huge thrill when Velocious won the (Karaka Million 2YO) race last season, a bit of a watershed moment for the farm,” said Inglewood’s Gus Wigley in a press release. “While there’s obviously some water to go under the bridge before the 2025 race, to have three of the 11 from our 2024 Book 1 draft in contention is pretty exciting stuff.
“We have wonderful growing conditions down here in Canterbury, the region’s renowned for growing some of the world’s best rye grass and has some of the purest water in the world, it’s a great place to rear a racehorse.”
Spirit Of Boom | Image courtesy of Eureka Stud
Unlucky Torque still aimed at Magic Millions
Trainer Matt Dunn hopes his unlucky 2-year-old colt Torque To Be Sure (Shamus Award) will gain a Magic Millions start after running second in The Debut at the Gold Coast on Friday night. He was checked twice in the straight before missing by 0.2l. “I would really like to go straight into the Millions with him, we will have to see what is dropping out and what isn't,” Dunn told racenet.com.au.
Torque To Be Sure as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We got $45,000 for running second on Friday night, there is the option to run him the week before (in the Gold Nugget) if we feel like we need to. He didn't really surprise us with the result, we knew he could gallop, but it did surprise as to how well he responded to what went wrong in the race, the horse inside him crashed into him twice.
“He recovered well, gathered himself up and still put in like he did. I dare say we will be running on the Saturday before the Millions, if we can get him inside then we will probably keep him at home.”
Vale Don Goodwin
New Zealand breeder Don Goodwin has died. Winner of the NZTBA Small Breeder of The Year Award in 2021 and 2022, he bred Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}).
No retirement decision on Vow And Declare
Despite running last in the Listed Pakenham Cup with jockey Craig Williams telling stewards he eased him down as he was worried about his action, Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) has not been retired. “As the managing owner I can state categorically that no decision has been made about Vow And Declare's future,” managing owner Geoff Corrigan told racenet.com.au.
Vow And Declare | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He vetted okay and this will be his final season. Danny O'Brien expected him to run top three yesterday. We owners have no desire to push him. When he retires, a proper announcement will be made and an opportunity for a visit to Flemington for a farewell will be organised. He will go to an equestrian career post-racing and will then be retired to Danny's Barwon Heads property.”
Vow And Declare, a 9-year-old gelding, has won six of his 50 starts and over $7.7 million. His best win came in the 2019 G1 Melbourne Cup, and since then he has won the 2022 G2 Zipping Classic and this June’s G3 Tattersall’s Cup.
Stewards yet to decide on Global Harmony
Racing Victoria stewards are yet to make a decision on the racing future of Global Harmony (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) who stayed in the barriers on Saturday at Pakenham. The Hayes brothers of Lindsay Park have asked the stewards for another chance. “We'd love to go back to the trials and see and you can determine how many times,” JD Hayes told racenet.com.au.
Will Hayes added, “He's quite relaxed behind the barriers. He's just a smart animal, has got a clock in his head and doesn't jump past 12pm.” Global Harmony has done this twice in Hong Kong prior to being sent back to Australia.
Around The Nation: Sunday’s highlights
Sunday racegoers had the choice of seven different meetings. At Sale, nicely bred 3-year-old gelding The Viking (Written Tycoon) won on debut for Lindsay Park. Withdrawn as a yearling, The Viking is a full brother to Group 3 winner Maximillius, out of Group 2 winner Scandiva (Fastnet Rock), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Magnus, Group 2 winner Wilander (Exceed And Excel), Listed winner Arctic Flight (Flying Spur) and unraced Helsinge (Desert Sun {GB}), the dam of unbeaten Champion Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) and Group 1 winner and sire All Too Hard.
At the Sunshine Coast, 3-year-old filly Belle Affair (Love Conquers All) won on debut.
Christmas Eve at Wagga promises a fun day out
Wagga stages one of its biggest meetings of the year on Tuesday with the 31st running of the Wagga Ted Ryder Cup over 1600 metres. “Ted Ryder Cup Day is a special Christmas Eve meeting with fantastic racing, entertainment and giveaways on the day,” Murrumbidgee Turf Club’s CEO, Jason Ferrario told racingnsw.com.au.
Jason Ferrario
“MTC increased prizemoney for the Ted Ryder Cup from $36,000 believing the profile of the race is worthy of such a prizemoney upgrade but importantly, the winner receives a ‘Golden Ticket’ into the Wagga Gold Cup in May. The victor will be exempt from ballot in the 2025 Wagga Cup.
“Ted Ryder Cup Day is one of our favourite racedays of the year as it not only honours a legend of racing in the Riverina but being on Christmas Eve, everyone is in a fantastic mood.”
Ted Ryder was the long-time Sports Editor at the Wagga Daily Advertiser Newspaper and was also the racecaller at Wagga for more than three decades, calling more than 30 Wagga Gold Cups.
Lock makes it 400
A winning double with Pick Of The Litter (Vadamos {Fr}) and Our Time (Time Test {GB}) at Te Rapa on Saturday gave trainer Peter Lock 400 wins in New Zealand. “There’s a lot of hard work involved, I have great staff and you’ve got to have nice horses coming through,” Lock told Loveracing.nz.
“We moved a few of the older horses on last year and brought a lot of young ones in, which is always a rebuilding phase. We’ve got some lovely young horses around us at the moment that we haven’t tried yet, I’m really looking forward to them.
“My daughter does all of the social media and she’s extremely good at it, she heads away a lot to Australia for the yearling sales so it does die off a wee bit over that time, but when she is here, she does a great job. We use Prism a lot, it’s an Australian company that we’ve joined to communicate with the owners. All of my clients really love it, the videos and audio are great.”
French prizemoney to stay similar in 2025
The 2025 France Galop budget has been formally adopted by the organisation's council, which met at ParisLongchamp on Dec. 17. France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine said that the organisation will maintain 2024 prize-money levels.
However, he also said that a full audit of the PMU, of which France Galop is a shareholder, would commence in the first quarter of 2025. The PMU's gambling turnover for the past year has decreased by just under €100 million (AU$), leading to a loss of €18 million (AU$) in contributions to racing and trotting.
De Saint-Seine said in a statement on Dec. 17, “The Board of Directors of France Galop has approved the 2025 budget, which reflects a proactive vision with a major investment: the maintenance of incentives at the 2024 level. We have also chosen to continue the implementation of the “Ambition 2030” plan, which aims to ensure visibility and economic sustainability for the sector and for France Galop's employees.”
Guillaume de Saint-Seine
Earlier in the autumn, French racing avoided a proposed tax on horse racing betting that was part of the Social Security Finance Bill put forth by the French parliament. That language was later removed from that bill.
“For the record, at the beginning of October, we were told that the tax on betting would increase from 80 to 100 million euros,” Saint-Seine's statement continued. “We have created a crisis unit with the FNCH, the Trot and the PMU which has met twice a day. We have also mobilised parliamentarians Woerth, Morin, Courtial, Vogel and elected representatives of the cities hosting racecourses. The work of explaining the unique nature of the financing of the racehorse breeding sector has been heard by the Government and more broadly by the State services, mainly in Bercy. The united mobilization of socio-professionals has been a success–but at a high cost in terms of revenue for the sector. Contacts will be maintained with the public authorities until the vote on the budget in 2025.”
Practical Joke filly adds 10 points on Road To Oaks
After winning Saturday's Letellier Memorial S. with first-time starter Simply Joking (USA) (Practical Joke {USA}), trainer Whit Beckman struck again with another daughter of Practical Joke (USA) in the Untapable S. at Fair Grounds.
Scratched out of that six-furlong affair on the undercard in favour of the two-turn Untapable, it was Her Laugh (USA) (Practical Joke {USA}) who got the job done for Beckman in front-running fashion at odds of 9-2, good for 10 points on the Road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Her Laugh becomes the 43rd S. winner for Practical Joke.
Major Dude passes seven figures on way to Pegasus
Traffic trouble proved to be no problem for Major Dude (USA) (Bolt d'Oro {USA}), who muscled his way to the lead and went on to becoming racing's newest millionaire in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park. “We've been pointing for this [race] to hopefully set him up for the (GI) Pegasus Turf. That's what we were hoping for,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “I think he ran well enough to give that a try.”
Hailing from the female line of the venerable champion older mare Personal Ensign (USA) (Private Account {USA}), Major Dude is the most accomplished runner for his dam, Mary Rita (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}). Major Dude took his record to seven wins from 18 starts with earnings just over US$1 million (AU$1.6 million).
