Jockey fight at Doomben
Jockeys Kyle Wilson-Taylor and Noel Callow were involved in a physical altercation at Doomben on Wednesday. “I can confirm that a stewards' inquiry has been opened into a physical altercation between two riders at the Doomben race meeting today,” Kim Kelly, Deputy Commissioner for the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, told racenet.com.au.
“A considerable body of evidence has been taken and the matter was adjourned to a date to be fixed to allow a rider who was taken from the course for medical treatment to give evidence.”
ATC Chair McGuaran threatens prizemoney cuts
Australian Turf Club Chair Peter McGuaran has threatened that the club will have to cut prizemoney going forward after the failed attempt to sell Rosehill racecourse. “What I know is that the ATC contributes about $70 million out of $240 million prizemoney. We will have to look at that $70 million and we will have discussions with Racing NSW,” McGuaran told RSN Racing Pulse.
Peter McGuaran | Image courtesy of Australian Turf Club
“We are facing declining attendances, as is every race club in Australia, if not around the world. Racing lives from carnival to carnival and in between its crickets and we have to feed the beast. We have to support the trainers, the owners, the jockeys, the farriers, the vets, every day of the week and it's simply not feasible eventually.
“Racing is a business, it has to look to the future to look at risks and opportunities. The proposal gave us a chance to reinvigorate racing and navigate risk.”
Odinson tops Inglis Digital at 160k
Listed Inglis Nursery winner Odinson (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has topped the latest Inglis Digital Sale, selling for $160,000 to a Hong Kong buyer. “Watching the bidding unfold online was amazing. He was sort of sitting around that $80,000 mark until five minutes to go and then the bids just kept coming thick and fast for him, I never thought he’d get to $160,000 so it’s a great outcome,” vendor Ciaron Maher said.
The May (Late) Sale grossed $4,725,050 with 258 horses sold at an average of $10,180.
Guthmann-Chester eyeing first Group 1 win
Jockey Jag Guthmann-Chester is hoping Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) can provide him with his first Group 1 win in Saturday’s G1 Queensland Derby. “Where I was 12 to 18 months ago, I wasn’t sure if I would ever be given these opportunities in town or to be riding in Group races,” Guthmann-Chester told racingqueensland.com.au.
Jag Guthmann-Chester | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“(Fitness) is very important, at the races you need to be fit and sharp, not just physically but mentally, as well. When you are a little heavier and you are cutting weight, it can take a toll on you. The fitter you are the better you perform and your recovery is better after each race. With what I do, it helps keep me sharp with decision making and doing my boxing, it is really good for my mental state, it keeps you sharp.
“I am just very pleased that Tony and Maddy have showed their loyalty to me, they have wanted to stick with me and keep me on,” Guthmann-Chester said about Beau Dazzler’s trainers Tony and Maddy Sears. “They have given me these opportunities through carnival time in these bigger races. To have a Group 1 ride, it is pretty special. You never know what is around the corner and what door will open for you.”
Tough Derby draw for Deep Focus
Trainer Paul Shailer is rueing a wide draw for Deep Focus (Deep Field) in Saturday’s G1 Queensland Derby. “The barrier is what it is, but ideally we would have drawn towards the inside somewhere and we would have just landed in the first half of the field or midfield getting a cosy run,” Shailer told racenet.com.au of the 3-year-old colt who was second last start in the G3 Rough Habit Plate.
Paul Shailer | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“But now we are going to be a bit dictated to, where we end up, and I'm tipping it's going to be back in the field. Then we will probably have to get into a three-wide line, it's not ideal and it has certainly impacted our chances.
“Our whole preparation has been built around this race and we have been teaching him how to relax and stretch out and get home. The barrier does hurt, if we drew inside of seven I would have thought we would have been a really genuine chance of winning. Now, we just need things to go our way.”
Racing Victoria release 2025/26 season dates
The New Years Day meeting at Flemington will be replaced with a twilight meeting on New Year’s Eve and this is just one of a few changes to next season’s Victorian schedule released by Racing Victoria on Wednesday. RV have 530 race meetings programmed, made up of 106 metropolitan, 374 country, 17 country non-TAB and 33 picnic meetings.
“The release of the 2025-26 Race Dates follows our recent announcement around changes to programming across the 2025 Spring Racing Carnival which included the move of three Group 1 races at Caulfield,” RV CEO Aaron Morrison said.
Aaron Morrison | Image courtesy of Racing Victoria
“With up to three tracks offline for an extended period following their spring features, we've had to make a spread of changes to the schedule across both metropolitan and country meetings next season. We have a great network of tracks and customer facilities to accommodate these transfers, whilst we continue to invest in upgrades for the long-term benefit of the sport.
“Our goal is always to maximise returns to the industry and the 2025-26 race dates are structured to best achieve that in the knowledge that we'll have up to three tracks offline for a large portion of it.
“We are continuing to consult with stakeholders on the prizemoney schedule for next season and beyond that the active horse population. This includes discussions on an appropriate reallocation of prizemoney from those meetings removed from the schedule.”
Stone bruise for Rothfire
Rothfire (Rothesay) is unlikely to run in Saturday’s G1 Kingsford-Smith Stakes with a suspected stone bruise. “It is an issue with his near fore hoof and is most probably a stone bruise,” trainer Rob Heathcote told racenet.com.au.
“He is currently receiving treatment from vets and the farrier. But he is unlikely to recover in time to take his place in the Group 1 on Saturday.” The injury prone galloper nearly won the G1 Doomben 10,000 last start.
Green Hi Barbie has Group 1 aims
Trainer Tony Gollan wants to see a bit more maturity from expensive filly Hi Barbie (I Am Invincible) in Saturday’s G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes if she is to press on to the G1 JJ Atkins Plate. “This run on Saturday will tell us whether we go to the JJ Atkins, or give her a break and bring her back for the summer,” Gollan told racenet.com.au.
Hi Barbie | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“The penny hasn't quite dropped yet, that's been evident really in every run. There have been different aspects of each run where you can see she's a young and immature filly. When the penny drops, she will be a really nice horse. She is still a work in progress, she is working out her style and her pattern.”
Injured jockey update: Tyler Schiller
Jockey Tyler Schiller had a fall prior to race 1 at Canterbury on Wednesday and will miss the next six weeks with a minor compression fracture to his T-8 vertebrae. He was bucked off by Gary Portelli-trained 2-year-old filly Rockabye Roxy (Written By) as they headed out of the mounting yard.
Around the nation: Wednesday’s highlights
With five meetings around the nation on Wednesday, trainer Terry Croft won the first at Canterbury with 2-year-old filly Gilette (Exceedance) who’d placed second in both her first two starts. A $16,000 graduate from Vinery Stud’s Inglis HTBA Sale, she is the third winner from as many to race for stakes placed Beyond The Dream (Dream Ahead {USA}).
At Seymour, Phillip Stokes-trained 2-year-old gelding Ground Control (Dirty Work) won on debut to become the fourth winner for his first season sire. He was sold by Riversdale to his trainer for $85,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Tony Gollan-trained a treble at Doomben, while at Pinjarra, jockey Clint Johnston-Porter won four races on the mammoth 12-race card. Debutant 2-year-old gelding Flying Frankie (Flying Artie) won at Pinjarra, and he was a bargain $1000 purchase by Emily Quartermaine from Alwyn Park Stud’s Magic Millions Perth Winter Yearling Sale.
Ears Back seeking black type
Trainer John Blackadder will run Ears Back (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}) at Wanganui on Saturday in the Listed AGC Training Stakes over a mile. “She was quite unlucky last start,” Blackadder told Loveracing.nz.
Ears Back (NZ) | Image courtesy of Monica Toretto
“She was travelling pretty well and then hit a real heavy spot on the turn. Mereana (Hudson, jockey) said she lost 2l and she would have been right in it if she hadn’t struck that. She has been working really well. I am happy with her ahead of Saturday.”
Kyprios retired
Champion stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has been retired from racing following the recurrence of an old injury, Coolmore announced on Tuesday.
“Due to an aggravation of an old ringbone lesion we have decided to take no chances with Kyprios and although he is currently sound and doing well the decision has been made to retire him from racing,” read a statement posted to X by Coolmore (@coolmorestud).
Having won the 2022 and 2024 editions of the Gold Cup in a career which brought him eight Group 1 victories, Kyprios had been the overwhelming favourite to defend his crown at Royal Ascot this year before news of his retirement was announced.
“He's been an unbelievable horse really,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien, who saddled the son of Galileo to win 17 of his 21 starts and over £2.6 million in total prize-money.
In Clover dies aged 23
In Clover (GB), the dam of four Group 1 winners for her owner-breeder George Strawbridge, has died at the age of 23.
The outstanding producer, herself the winner of the G3 Prix de Flore, was a daughter of Inchinor (GB) and the Bellypha (GB) mare Bellarida (Fr). Strawbridge bought her dam from the Wertheimer brothers in 1997 and they would later buy back into the family when purchasing In Clover's daughter Incahoots (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) as a 3-year-old.
Strawbridge will not have regretted his original outlay, for In Clover alone has been responsible for the top-level winners Friendly Soul (GB) (Kingman {GB}), Call The Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}), With You (GB) (Dansili {GB}), and We Are (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), as well as the Listed winners In Crowd (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Incahoots. The latter is now the dam of G1 Prix de la Foret winner Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
Tom Goff oversees George Strawbridge's European breeding stock and said of In Clover, “She passed away quickly last Saturday at Barton Stud under the excellent supervision of Rossdales' Ollie Pynn.
Windsor Castle Stakes to be run over longer trip
The Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot will be run over six furlongs from 2026, as well as being restricted to 2-year-olds whose sire won a race over at least seven furlongs (1400m) at the age of two, or at least a mile at the age of three and upwards.
The changes were announced on Tuesday by the British Horseracing Authority's Flat Pattern Committee (FPC) and follow the Group 1 upgrades announced in February by the European Pattern Committee (EPC), with the aim of safeguarding the production, retention and racing of quality horses with stamina in European Flat racing.
The Windsor Castle, which currently takes place on the Wednesday of Royal Ascot, has been run over five furlongs since being awarded Listed status in 2004. Ruth Quinn, director of international racing and development at the BHA, said, “Whilst a change such as this in isolation will not materially alter the landscape, it is hoped that such a move, in tandem with further tactical adjustments, will continue to focus minds and add greater encouragement for breeders and buyers to look beyond the more obviously precocious type.
“The Windsor Castle is a very popular race for owners seeking to have a runner at the Royal Meeting; changing the requirements for runners in this fashion from 2026 should create further incentive for breeders, buyers and owners to consider investing in middle-distance bloodlines. We are grateful for the careful consideration given to this matter by the Flat Pattern Committee, and to the valuable support of Ascot Racecourse.”
