Queen Of Dragons joins Magic Millions Broodmare Sale
On Thursday, Magic Millions announced five supplementary entries to the National Broodmare Sale. The highlight is G3 Magic Millions Mile nominated Queen Of Dragons (Pierro). “It's been a real privilege to be involved with Queen Of Dragons from the very beginning,” Trilogy Racing's Racing and Bloodstock Manager Colum McCulloch told magicmillions.com.au.
“Her winning performance in the G3 Kembla Grange Classic was a standout, stamping her A-grade talent in a key lead-up to the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes, where she finished a close-up fourth behind Orchestral, Tutta La Vita and VRC Oaks winner Zardozi, with less than 1.5l separating her from the placings. For Jason and Melanie Stenning and Sean and Cathy Dingwall, it's a very special moment to offer a mare of her calibre at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.”
Queen Of Dragons | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The 4-year-old mare has won $320,000 from her two wins and 21 starts and was a $330,000 purchase by Trilogy from Marquee Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft. She is a full sister to Group 2 winner Paris D’Or, and her dam Entrancing (Exceed And Excel) is a city-winning half-sister to Group 3-placed Miss West Coast (Safeguard).
The other supplementary entries are stakes placed Avone (Spirit of Boom), stakes placed Ballroom Bella (Russian Revolution), Giliana (Capitalist) and Bella Voce (Fastnet Rock).
Bois d’Argent an honourary Queenslander
He may be European born, but G1 Doomben Cup winner Bois D’Argent (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) is an honourary Queenslander in the eyes of his owners. “We think of ourselves as Queenslanders, we are a bit like Bois D'Argent – we were not born here but we have become part of the furniture here in Queensland,” syndicator Grant Morgan told racingqueensland.com.au.
“We are very proud to have the majority of our horses in Queensland – it is our home – and we are proud to play a good part in the winter carnival each year. Our owners are spread out across Australia, but they are predominantly in Queensland. There will be a big lot of them at Doomben on Saturday, just as there was last year.”
Annabel and Rob Archibald's Brisbane-based assistant trainer Todd Pollard thinks Bois d’Argent is a good chance for the double. “Grant and his team have been fantastic and we have been lucky to have Bois D'Argent who has really gone on it with since he has been here. He has been a really nice horse for the stable.
“It would mean a great deal for us to win the race again as this year’s edition is much harder than 2024. He is going to have to go up to another level, but he does not know how to run a bad race this guy, he tries his heart out and I am sure he will do the same this year.”
Racing NSW's new Chairman of Stewards
On Thursday, Racing NSW announced the appointment of Tom Moxon as Chairman of Stewards, effective from 1 June 2025. “Tom is a highly respected figure within the industry and has demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout his tenure with Racing NSW,” said Racing NSW Chief Executive, Peter V’landys AM.
“His appointment ensures continuity and strong oversight in maintaining the high level of integrity that Racing NSW prides itself on, being the benchmark in world racing.” Moxon has previously served under past Chairmen of Stewards Ray Murrihy, Marc Van Gestel and Steve Railton serving as his Deputy Chairman of Stewards since November 2022.
Current Chairman of Stewards Steve Railton will remain at Racing NSW moving into a mentorship role. “Steve Railton is a Group 1 human being and has provided diligent and conscientious service to the racing industry throughout his distinguished career,” said V’landys AM.
“Steve has made a significant contribution to Racing NSW during his tenure as Chairman of Stewards, and we are delighted that he will remain involved in a key mentorship role to continue to provide his experience to the broader integrity team.”
Financially Famous ready for National
Trainer Louise White is excited to run 2-year-old filly Financially Famous (Toronado {Ire}) in Friday night’s $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic. “She's only a little horse but she has a lot of attitude,” White told racenet.com.au.
Financially Famous (light blue cap) | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“Everything she's done from the get-go, she's taken that extra step. She's always given us a good feeling. That first-up win (at Eagle Farm) wasn't a massive surprise. You can look at the odds and everything but she was nominated for the Percy Sykes Stakes, she was paid up for that.”
Jennilala arrives well in Queensland
Trainer Gavin Bedggood is pleased with Jennilala (Shalaa {Ire}) ahead of Saturday’s G3 Magic Millions Mile at Doomben. “She's continued to eat well, she's travelled in great order,” Bedggood told racing.com.
“It was a longer journey than what I'd anticipated, but she hasn't missed a beat since arriving. She went back to Tony (Ottbre)'s farm for a quiet week there and we've sort of had her back the last three weeks and been able to tighten to the screws.
Gavin Bedggod | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“She also knocked her head coming out of the barriers (last start) and needed to get a couple of staples above her eye. She wasn't beaten far, but I think she's better than what her run was. Without having a good look yet, there didn't look to be a lot of speed on paper, so she probably lands in that first-four position in running. We've added a set of winkers to her gear this week, but in an ideal world you'd love to see something roll along and she can just sort of get a camp on one.”
Reminder of RV drought package
Racing Victoria's drought relief package applications close soon. “Successful drought relief support package applicants will receive a one time payment of $500 per Stud Book registered thoroughbred (up to a maximum of $10,000 per individual recipient) for the provision of feed for pasture fed thoroughbreds,” said the press release.
“I hope the drought relief support package can go some way to assist those with pasture fed thoroughbreds who are facing challenges as a result of the dry conditions, and allow them some additional time to plan and consider their options, such as rehoming,” RV General Manager, Equine Welfare, Melissa Ware said.
“I encourage those in the 12 eligible Local Government Areas to apply for the drought relief support package. Our equine welfare team will be on hand to discuss with the applicant their individual circumstances to understand their requirements and answer any questions people may have about the support on offer.
“For those not eligible and seeking emergency assistance, we encourage them to still reach out to us as we may be able to assist through our other safety net programs.”
The package is available to successful applicant who live in one of the 12 eligible LGAs and applications must be submitted before June 30.
First Australian winner for Admire Mars
Juvenile gelding Planet Red (Admire Mars {Jpn}) won on debut at Pakenham’s night meeting on Thursday night to become the first Southern Hemisphere winner for his first season sire. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr), he won by 0.75l for jockey Beau Mertens. Admire Mars (Jpn) has sired Group 1 winner Embroidery (Jpn) in his first Northern Hemisphere crop as well as Listed winner Namura Clara (Jpn).
Sold by Kenmore Lodge for $100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to pinhooker Ohukia Lodge, who on-sold him at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale to his trainers for NZ$260,000.
Planet Red is the third foal and first winner for Lucky Helmet (Helmet) whose first two foals are placed. Lucky Helmet is a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Flying Mascot (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Listed winner Koala Bear (Exceed And Excel).
Around the nation: Thursday’s highlights
Racing fans enjoyed five meetings on Thursday. In WA, at Pinjarra, jockey Brad Parnham rode a treble on Kermelia (Kermadec {NZ}), Grand Reserve (Maschino), and 3-year-old filly Kimberley Rose (Hellbent).
Rain shouldn’t affect Randwick’s Saturday meeting
With 70 mm forecast for the week leading in Saturday’s Randwick meeting, course manager Michael Wood thinks the track will be able to be use on Saturday. “The water is moving off the track as well as it ever has,” Wood told racenet.com.au.
“We are on the back of a track renovation after the autumn carnival which helps and there is no surface water on the track. Saturday's meeting is in no doubt at this stage. I'm not too worried about rain during the week so if the forecast is right and we don't get any rain on Saturday, then we will have no problem going ahead with the Randwick meeting.”
Espana to debut on Saturday
Trainers Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans will debut juvenile filly Espana (Capitalist) at Sandown on Saturday. “We've got a bit of an opinion of her, hence why she's in Saturday's race with a few other 2-year-old races around. We are aware she's a first starter and there's some nice handy horses in the race,” Yeomans told racing.com.
Espana as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We're happy with her and if she brings her trackwork and jumpout form to the races, she will be right up there. She's an impressive type and as she's a chestnut filly by Capitalist, she has an opinion of herself, so we took her to Julien Welsh to help her with her barrier manners. She's on her best behaviour now. We're very aware how tough it is but it's too good an opportunity for her if she can run top three and make her valuable.” Raced by her breeder Newgate Farm, Espana is a full sister to Group 3-placed Latizia.
German Derby winner to make Aussie debut
Ciaron Maher will unveil 2022 G1 Deutsches Derby winner and now 6-year-old entire Sammarco (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) on Saturday. “Ciaron has done it plenty of times with those types of horses going back three, four, five years,” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull told racenet.com.au.
“He's an interesting horse, (99 rating) is reasonable, it's going to be interesting how that German form ties in. We've had some of our riders on him and Ethan (Brown) had a sit on him recently and said he gave him a feel, that's what you want to hear. He's definitely one of those staying horses that could do anything, especially this time of year … you know he's got the stamina, he's just got to get the first half right.” Sammarco was passed in at the 2023 Arqana Arc De Triomphe Sale of horses in training.
Jack Turnbull
“Our plan is to pick through winter, he'll probably go through the Banjo Paterson Series and then all being well you're at the doorstep of spring (race) fit. He will be regulation four to five weeks every run, emulating that European style … he's not young, he's seasoned and we can't reinvent the wheel running every two weeks.” He won four of his first five starts including two Group 1 races in Germany, and later added a Listed win in Italy.
Own The Morning events
Racing Queensland are hosting two ‘Own the Morning’ events at the upcoming Magic Millions National Sale. One will be held on Friday May 23 at 10am on the sale ground, hosted by trainer Maddy Sears and Magic Millions Bloodstock Consultant Georgia Everingham. The other will be Tuesday May 27 ahead of the broodmare sale and will hosted by Star Thoroughbreds' Denise Martin.
McColm moves north
Murwillumbah trainer David McColm is moving to the Gold Coast in July to help give his son Archie a good start as a jockey. “I’ve got 10 horses in work at Murwillumbah and I’ve been here for 30 years,” McColm told racingqueensland.com.au.
“But, from July, I’ll be training at the Gold Coast which means Far Too Easy won’t be eligible for The Kosciuszko as it’s a race for NSW-trained horses only. There’s a few reasons for the move but primarily it’s for Archie. Archie is just starting up his apprenticeship and I think it’s best for him to be in an area which is more expansive. The Gold Coast is going well and in around five years it will be the epicentre for racing.”
Far Too Easy (All Too Hard) is being aimed at the G1 Stradbroke and runs in Saturday’s G3 BRC Sprint. “He doesn’t have to win (on Saturday) but so long as he performs well, he’ll go to the Stradbroke next. If he doesn’t then we’ll probably look at the Eye Liner at Ipswich and the Glasshouse at the Sunshine Coast. I’m praying for a bit of rain as he loves the wet but the forecast doesn’t look promising.”
The Boss Lady to take on West Star
The Boss Lady (Street Boss {USA}) has been one of WA’s better sprinters this season, and the 4-year-old mare takes on boom 3-year-old West Star (Playing God) in Saturday’s Listed Belmont Sprint. “It’s a good field, but West Star was pretty dominant the other day,” trainer Michael Lane told racingwa.com.au.
The Boss Lady | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“I had never seen the horse before, but he’s a cracking type. He’s the one to beat, I suppose. It’s a pretty honest field, but we get the barrier in our favour. Hopefully we can be in front of them. I’m happy with her leading into the race. She’ll be thereabouts on Saturday.”
Rooke heads to Australia
English jockey George Rooke has been enjoying riding in New Zealand and his successes there have led to an offer to ride Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained She’s A Dealer (Ace High) at Randwick on Saturday ahead of a tilt at the G1 Queensland Oaks. “This is my first time riding in Australia, so it’s a big ask and I have been trusted, so hopefully we can deliver and it’s a good day. I will walk it (Randwick track) tomorrow (Friday) and see what it’s like,” Rooke told Loveracing.nz.
“She won at Ellerslie on a Soft 5, and she won quite impressively. It will be very Soft ground (on Saturday) and we have got a good draw, so it gives me options, and going further will suit. Everything is in plan for her to run a good race.
She's A Dealer | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“I have been here (in New Zealand) seven months now and it has been very good to me, I love it. I am getting a lot more opportunities and I am riding better horses. I am really looking forward to Saturday. This will be my third country I have ridden in – England, New Zealand and Australia.”
Voyage Bubble relaxed ahead of Champions & Chater Cup
Trainer Ricky Yiu thinks Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) can handle the 2400 metres of the G1 Champions & Chater Cup. “The closer to the race and the more I look at this horse, I think he can absolutely handle the trip,” Yiu told scmp.com.
“Compared to last year or when he won the Derby over 2000 metres, he’s so relaxed now. We’re only talking about 400 metres more in a small field with a jockey who knows him well. He’s going really well. He’ll be a really good chance.”
Richards fined for not reporting lameness
Trainer Jamie Richards was fined HK$100,000 (AU$19,800) by Hong Kong stewards for not reporting that Celestial Colours (Zoustar) “sustained an injury to its right fore leg when it competed in batch one of the Conghua barrier trials on May 13.” The horse has been retired. “In determining penalty, the stewards took into consideration his clean record in approximately 13 years of training racehorses, the nature and circumstances of the breach and that Mr Richards had, prior to May 13, been providing the appropriate veterinary care to the horse,” said Jockey Club chief steward Marc van Gestel in a statement.
Double for Yip at Happy Valley
Trainer Dennis Yip enjoyed a double at Happy Valley, while David Hayes scored a winner to cut his gap in the Trainer’s Championship down to five from leader John Size. Yip won with Thriving Brothers (Ire) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) and Lean Master (GB) (Havana Gray {GB}). “It was a nice win and (Lean Master) is a nice horse, but this race the rating is 43 to 54, so it’s not strong,” Yip told scmp.com.
“But I think my horse is very honest at the 1000 metres and 1200 metres at Happy Valley because the shorter straight is better for him.”
France Galop cuts prizemoney by €20 million annually
France Galop has announced a “major recovery plan” in a bid to shore up the country's racing industry in the face of falling turnover from the PMU. From July 1, prize-money will be reduced by €10.5 million (AU$18.4 million) for the remainder of 2025 – representing a drop of 3.6 per cent. From 2026, there will be savings of €20.3 million (AU$35.6 million) on prize-money, a drop of 6.9 per cent. Group 1 races will however remain unaffected.
France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine presented the changes to his committee and board on May 20. A statement released by France Galop pointed to the cuts also being made on the management and administrative side, amounting to a further €20 million (AU$35 million), following a year-on-year drop of 4 per cent in betting turnover.
The statement read, “The economic effort will be gradual and shared between the parent company and all stakeholders, both professional and institutional. On the one hand, France Galop will evolve its operational model and costs. On the other hand, the level of incentives will be adjusted. The sum of these actions — both recovery and management — will enable the sector to return to balance by 2029.
“This plan is imperative, at a time when the PMU's trajectory has been on a downward trend for several months and when the new actions undertaken by the betting operator (particularly in the sports sector) will not bear immediate fruit.”
Shes Perfect appeal unsuccessful
Connections of Shes Perfect (Ire) (Sioux Nation {USA}) have been unsuccessful in their appeal to have the result of last week's Poule d'Essai des Pouliches overturned, meaning that Francis Graffard's Zarigana (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) remains the winner.
The Charlie Fellowes-trained Shes Perfect passed the post first at ParisLongchamp, a nose ahead of hot favourite Zarigana, but the placings were reversed after the pair came close together over a furlong out, with the French officials deciding the interference was enough to have affected the result.
Zarigana's jockey Mickael Barzalona also dropped his whip in the closing stages and then proceeded to slap his mount on the neck as a form of encouragement, raising concerns from Fellowes and Shes Perfect's owners, the Basher Watts Syndicate. However, after hearing the appeal on Tuesday, France Galop confirmed no change to the Classic result on Wednesday.
“I didn't really know what to expect, I think it was a really difficult decision to make,” Fellowes said. “You only have to look at the comments on social media, it really was 50-50. Some thought it was incredibly harsh and some thought it was a fair outcome.
“That was probably a fair reflection on the incident, the front-on camera looks awful but from the camera behind and overhead it looks as if she's done very little. It was a very, very hard case and I'm sure it wasn't a decision that was taken lightly.
“Obviously I'm absolutely gutted, it's a very big deal for my yard. I've got 40 horses in and to win a Classic, a Group 1, is huge for us and to have it taken away under these circumstances is difficult.”
Goffs release inaugural breeze up catalogue
The catalogue for the inaugural Goffs Classic Breeze-Up Sale, which features progeny of stallions like Sea The Stars (Ire), Night Of Thunder (Ire), Havana Grey (GB) and more, has been released.
A select offering of 62 juveniles will go under the hammer at Kildare Paddocks on Saturday, June 28 during Ireland's premier Classic weekend, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. The breeze itself is set to take place at Naas racecourse on Monday, June 23.
Speaking about the release of the catalogue, Goffs chief Henry Beeby said, “Goffs Classic Breeze-Up was positioned from the outset as a premium sale for quality, later maturing 2-year-olds and we are proud to present a catalogue that we believe fulfils this ambition with a sire profile that would be the envy of any breeze-up sale in Europe.”
