Vale Kevin Prendergast
The death of Kevin Prendergast, the doyen of the Irish trainers' ranks, at the age of 92 represents the end of an era. The Prendergast dynasty has been at the forefront of Irish racing for longer than pretty much anyone can remember and Kevin very much continued the family tradition of success.
For many, Kevin Prendergast was the archetypal Irish trainer, which was ironic as he was famously and accurately described by Bart Cummings as “an Australian who trains in Ireland”. Kevin's father Paddy (often known as 'Darkie') spent some time as a young man riding over jumps in Australia; and Kevin, his eldest son, was born in Melbourne in July 1932. However, Paddy soon returned home with his young family, set up as a trainer at the Curragh in 1940 and, alongside Vincent O'Brien, went on to change the face of Irish racing.
Paddy Prendergast won the first of his six Irish trainers' titles in 1950 but his most significant landmark came in 1963 when he did the unthinkable by becoming the first Irish-based trainer to head the list in Great Britain. As a young man Kevin was one of Ireland's best and most successful amateur riders, while starting to prepare for his training career. He returned to the land of his birth in 1953 to work for successful Sydney-based trainer Frank Dalton before coming home three years later to become his father's assistant, a position which he held for six years until taking out his own trainer's licence in 1963. He won over 2000 races, nine Classics and four races at Royal Ascot.
At Ascot on Friday, Angus Gold, racing manager to Shadwell, said, “It's a truly sad day. Kevin was a wonderful enthusiast and such a great character with a story for every occasion. He was obviously a good trainer but he was also an incredible horseman. His horses were always immaculately turned out and he was a great feeder.
“I was with Sheikh Hamdan for 35 years and he was already there when I arrived. They knew each other for years and had a great relationship. Sheikh Hamdan loved their relationship and I loved my mornings spent with him. I was fortunate to see him a few months ago and he knew everything that was going on. He retained such enthusiasm for life and for horses right until the end. He was a dear man – one of my heroes.”
Angus Gold | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
Kevin Prendergast would undoubtedly have revelled in the splendid results for some of his fellow Irish trainers on Ascot Heath as they in turn paid tribute to him. And there was even a winner for his old friend Awtaad (Ire), the last of the trainer's Classic winners, whose son Ethical Diamond (Ire) triumphed in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes after another, Ascending (Ire), had won Tuesday's Ascot Stakes.
Truly the doyen of Irish racing, Kevin Prendergast was among Europe's best and most successful trainers for decades. A byword for integrity, he was respected greatly for his success and at least as much so for his personal qualities. Irish racing won't be the same without him and we offer our condolences to his family and many friends.
G3 Strickland Stakes won by Admiration Express
West Australia’s G3 Strickland Stakes went to the grey mare Admiration Express (My Admiration) who sat in second for the majority of the running for jockey Lucy Fiore, then sprinted home to win easily by 1.35l to give her trainer Jason Miller his third win in this race. Grant and Alana Williams-trained Buckets Ridge (Pride Of Dubai) was second and Daniel and Ben Pearce-trained Ginger Baker (Gingerbread Man) held on for third after leading the whole way.
“Good mare. This is her grand final and when it plays out like this, she’s a little super star. Ever since her 3-year-old career, she’s always raced in listed or group races, except a few over winter. She’s done a good job and peaked today,” Miller said.
“The Northerly and the Railway are on our radar again. In the autumn, I have been thinking about taking her and Bonjoy over east.”
A $60,000 purchase by her trainer from Namerik Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Admiration Express took her record to four wins and 10 placings from 24 starts with earnings over $880,000. A Group 3 winner at her fourth start at three, the 5-year-old mare is one of three stakes winners for My Admiration.
Admiration Express | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Her dam Comme Ci (Verglas {Ire}) has also produced stakes placed pair of Fred Dag (Patronize) and Janaura (Safeguard), and she is a winning full sister to stakes placed Versarc.
Winter Challenge next for It’s A Knockout
Ciaron Maher will set It’s A Knockout (Dundeel {NZ}) for the Listed Winter Challenge in a month after the 4-year-old mare won by 4.1l at Randwick on Saturday. “We did learn a bit about her last prep,” Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“Because she is a Dundeel, we always thought stepping over a trip would suit but I think she is just a good fresh horse and she is a bit sharper than we thought she would be in time. She proved that today and it was a beautiful ride (by Braith Nock). He ended up in a great spot from a trickier barrier. He took his time and exposed her at the right time and she was dominant late.
“(The Winter Challenge) is in four weeks over 1500 metres. She has some black type already but not a stakes winner yet so it's probably the right race.”
Splash Back forms part of a treble for Prebble
Grahame Begg-trained Splash Back (Fr) (Le Havre {GB}) took her record to six wins from 12 starts at Flemington and was the middle leg of a race-race treble for jockey Tom Prebble, who also won on Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained pair of Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) and Jimmy The Bear (Jimmy Creed {USA}).
“I said to Tom pre-race, ‘look – long straight. Just be patient. Don’t go too early, don’t push the button too early,’ but he didn’t have many options there! But he showed great poise and waited his turn, she really let down really well,” Begg said.
“I don’t know if her rating will be high enough to get into the final, to be truthful. We’ll work it out; we may even back off and have a crack at some point of the spring.”
Four in a row for Taken
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained 3-year-old gelding Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) made it four in a row at Flemington on Saturday with his winning streak beginning in April. “Obviously less dominant (than last start), but he carried a lot of weight,” Kent Jnr said. Not offered at auction, he has four wins from nine starts with earnings over $310,000.
“He’s deep into a campaign, so you’re always wondering where the end is, but it’s so hard to win a race at Flemington, let alone two on the bounce. Credit to the whole team back home, they’re working really hard during winter. I thought he turned out in beautiful order, and there’s a big group of owners here to cheer him on.
“I think he’s a nice horse to keep going through his grades. We’ve all spoken about going to ten furlongs at some point in his career. We didn’t have to at this stage, but that would open some more doors. I’d say he deserves a spell at the right time; I wouldn’t be short cycling back into a deep spring campaign. He’s just got a fantastic racing style. Any horse that can roll forward in a relaxed manner, drop the bit, conserve energy and then find off the bridle – it’s a great way to win races.”
Double for All Too Hard at Randwick
Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard sired a double at Randwick on Saturday with Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old gelding Rotagilla and Joe Pride-trained Accredited.
Jockey Jason Collett rode a treble at the meeting on Callistemon (Territories {Ire}), Lulumon (Vancouver) and Hedley Grange (Exosphere).
Exceed and Excel filly wins at Kembla Grange
Godolphin’s juvenile filly Lull (Exceed And Excel) won at her second start on Saturday at Kembla Grange for trainer James Cummings. The daughter of dual Listed winner Soothing (Lonhro) has a yearling full sister named Aromatherapy.
Durrant’s juvenile filly does it again
Adam Durrant-trained 2-year-old filly Playin’it Sweet (Playing God) made it two in succession with a win at Pinjarra on Saturday. With two wins and two thirds from four starts, she has earnings over $140,000, and is the third foal for Sweet Ora (Oratorio), a winning half-sister to Listed winners La Famelia (Strategic) and Sixth Legion (Strategic).
Gold Coast juvenile winner for Dubious
Bevan Laming-trained 2-year-old gelding Certified Copy (Dubious) won his second race in succession at the Gold Coast on Saturday, coming off a last start win in Brisbane. He has two wins from four starts. Dubious, whose oldest foals are 3-year-olds, has 32 winners including three stakes placed winners led by this season’s good juvenile Don’tdoubthelady.
Certified Copy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
A $32,000 purchase from Noble Bend Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Certified Copy is the first foal of Written Image (Written Tycoon). Of note at the meeting, both Written Tycoon and Snitzel each had a winner as sire and damsire. Written Tycoon’s Backlit Beauty was a winner, while Snitzel’s Sultry Siren won as did Borogoru (Deep Field) out of Snitzel mare Miss Milanese.
Mhasahn beats older horses at Warwick
In Queensland, 2-year-old gelding Mhasahn (Lean Mean Machine) beat the older horses in a maiden event at Warwick. Trained by Toowoomba based Alyssa and Troy Sweeney, he took his record to a win and a third from eight starts.
Gordon’s quartet
Jockey Will Gordon rode four winners at Donald on Saturday including 3-year-old gelding Plenty Of Grunt (Grunt {NZ}) and nicely bred 4-year-old gelding Naval Force (Merchant Navy) who is a half-brother to Group 2 winner and sire Headwater, out of Group 1 winner River Dove (Hurricane Sky).
In Queensland, apprentice Chloe Lowe rode a treble at Roma.
Cheap purchase wins on debut in South Australia
James Tzaferis spent $5500 to acquire 3-year-old filly Kalosyni (Magna Grecia {Ire}) and her debutant victory on Saturday at Morphettville for her trainer Jessica Tzaferis earned her $27,300. “If anyone has seen this horse from when we bought her as a yearling and everything we've gone through to get her to the races, you would be a believer as well because she's done an incredible job,” James Tzaferis said.
“We bought her online for $5500 and she's had no soundness problems but mentally she's been the hardest horse I've had anything to do with and probably one of the hardest Jess has too. We didn't put any owners into her because we didn't think she would ever make it to the races but she's really turned the corner this campaign.
“So we got some owners into her about a month ago and most of them are here on track so it's a great result.” Sold by Gooree Park Stud at an Inglis Digital Sale, Kalosyni is the third foal of Extreme Measure (Smart Missile) a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Rock Sturdy (Fastnet Rock).
Dunn’s team gives Newman a boost
Apprentice jockey Jett Newman has eight rides at Murwilumbah on Sunday with six of them for her boss Matt Dunn. “I’m very grateful, (Matt Dunn) is supporting me more than I could have imagined. He puts me on all of his country runners and he’s put a lot of work into me,” Newmann told racingnsw.com.au.
“We’re not trying to move quickly and rush into anything. I’ll ride out my claim in the country. I had to do a big move but I am enjoying it, it’s been really good up at Matt’s.”
Cool Aza Rene does it again
Te Akau Racing took their season record to 20 juvenile wins when Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) won again at Riccarton on Saturday. She has won four of her five starts, with her only miss coming when fifth in the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes. “It was a really good win today, especially on quite testing ground, and a positive ride by Hayley (Hassman),” co-trainer Mark Walker told Loveracing.nz.
“She’s put together a really good record, winning four of her five starts, and she deserves a short break now. We’ll have her back in work with a view to contesting a lead-up race over 1000 metres in late August before the Canterbury Belle Stakes in September.”
Accentuate wins on debut
Windsor Park Stud owned 2-year-old filly Accentuate (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) gave the farm something to smile about on Saturday when winning on debut at Tauranga for trainer Andrew Forsman. The daughter of their resident sire won by 1.5l for apprentice jockey Rihaan Goyaram.
A half-sister to Listed Anzac Day Stakes winner Vassilator (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}), Accentuate is the last foal for unraced mare Highlights (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Patch Of Theta can win the Cup
Coming off a fast-finishing third to Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}) in the G3 Sha Tin Vase last start, Patch Of Theta (Zoustar) looks set for Sunday’s G3 Premier Cup. “He’s a very good ride to get. His last run was very good. If he can repeat that, he shouldn’t be too far away. To be honest, I’d say I wouldn’t swap the horse for anything else in the race,” jockey Andrea Atzeni told scmp.com.
“I think 1400 metres is his perfect trip because he’s not short of speed and he can travel strong. Sometimes 1200 metres looks a little bit sharp and a mile, although he’s won over it, can be a little bit far for him.”
Pray For Mir needs to overcome ratings jump
Jockey Matthew Chadwick hopes last start winner Pray For Mir (Justify {USA}) can overcome a massive ratings jump when running in Sunday’s G3 Premier Plate. “He’s very consistent and he’s shown us what he’s capable of. It’s an interesting field. He gets in with a decent weight still so I’m not too worried about (the ratings jump),” Chadwick told scmp.com.
Pray For Mir | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“There’s some more pace in the race, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out, but we’ve seen him take a sit before so we’re not too worried about that. It will just depend how much pressure there is. It’s the end of the long season so you never know how the other horses are going to be, either.”
Ethical Diamond to target Melbourne Cup
Royal Ascot winner Ethical Diamond (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) might head to the G1 Melbourne Cup as trainer Willie Mullins hatches a plan for him. “We will give him a little break and look at York – that is normally where we go from here,” Mullins said.
“The Ebor would look possible. We would love to go to Melbourne. If we can get him qualified, that would be wonderful. We might see if we can get him Group-placed. I think he would suit the race (Melbourne Cup).”
Sands Of Mali shines at Ascot
Sands Of Mali (Fr) has been in the news for less joyful reasons this year but there can be no denying his progress in the only area that matters: siring decent winners on the track. The best of them to date, his first-crop daughter Time For Sandals (Ire), stepped up to the plate and hit a sensational home run to claim the G1 Commonwealth Cup – a race denied to Sands Of Mali himself when he was second here to Eqtidaar (Ire) in 2018. By then he had already won the Gimcrack, Prix Sigy and Sandy Lane Stakes, and he was on his way to taking the Qipco British Champions Sprint later that year. A proper racehorse, he's starting to look like a proper stallion, too.
As impressive as the rise of Sands Of Mali is, no less is that of his trainer Harry Eustace, who was claiming his second Group 1 of the week – and of his nascent career – as well as a second in the Britannia Stakes to boot. To describe the trainer's pedigree is to say that he is bred in the purple: his sire- and dam-lines both boast trainers of note, and his full-brother David is already a Group 1-winning trainer in Australia who is now cutting a swathe through the Hong Kong ranks.
Anyone who knows Joe Foley, who stands Sands Of Mali at his Ballyhane Stud, will probably not be surprised to hear that he has been “sticking my oar in” and “helping” Eustace in his placing of Time For Sandals.
“We've both been saying she's a Group 1 filly,” said an excited Foley while on his way home from a wedding. What is it with people getting married in the middle of Royal Ascot week?
He continued, “I was involved in selling the filly through the Rathbride operation and loved her myself. David Appleton and Harry Eustace loved her. I remember encouraging them significantly to buy her and they were clever enough to appreciate the inbreeding in her pedigree. I am delighted that she has worked for them.”
Foley also reported that Sands Of Mali has covered his largest book of mares to date in his fifth season at stud. “He's had tremendous support from breeders this year and I would like to think he's going to cement his reputation into the future with the quality of mares he's had.”
Immigration reform is difficult
Tuesday's immigration raid at Delta Downs–which resulted in the reported apprehension of 84 undocumented individuals–reminds industry stakeholders once again of a frustrating conundrum.
On the one hand, they must navigate an environment of ramped-up immigration enforcement, and the potential that what happened at Delta Downs could happen at any other racetrack around the country. On the other, they face a long-broken system that makes sourcing legal immigrant workers a bureaucratic nightmare.
“It's insanely difficult,” said trainer Doug O'Neill, about a visa system that's necessary to properly staff the racetrack backstretch. “Though (many immigrant workers) may not have been fortunate to have a lot of schoolhouse education, they have a PhD in horse-care. It's virtually impossible to get someone out of high school or college (in the U.S.) and have them be able to learn, and have the work ethic, to do what is needed,” O'Neill said, adding how the raid at Delta Downs has unnerved horsemen and women around the country.
The H-2B visa program–which affords non-agriculture seasonal immigrant workers jobs in such industries as hospitality or with animals–has its limitations. It comes with a restrictive annual quota. The visa is typically only granted for nine months, but it can be extended for up to three years.
“When you do get lucky enough and you are able to get the one or two a year, they're here nine months, and they just start building great relationships with the rest of the crew and the horses, then they've got to go home for three months. And oftentimes, that three months turns into six months,” said O'Neill, who calls for backstretch workers to be categorized as agricultural workers.
Tap The Champagne headlines Inglis Digital USA
The 2025 Inglis Digital USA June Sale, which includes a catalogue of 29 entries, opened Friday with bidding running through Wednesday, June 25. Leading the catalogue is 4-year-old mare Tap the Champagne (USA) (Tapit {USA}), a daughter of Champagne Royale (USA), who most recently placed second in a turf maiden special weight at Churchill Downs June 18 for trainer Pavel Matejka. She is a half-sister to Grade 1 winners Majestic Harbor (USA) (Rockport Harbor {USA}) and Danza (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) who also picked up third in the GI Kentucky Derby behind California Chrome (USA) (Lucky Pulpit {USA}).
Tap the Champagne (USA) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Forbidden Apple dies aged 30
Forbidden Apple (USA) (Pleasant Colony {USA}), a Grade I winner of nearly $1.7 million, passed away June 16 due to the infirmities of old age at the age of 30 at TRF Second Chances at Lowell, where he resided since 2013.
He was remembered by the TRF Friday with the release noting that, “At Lowell, Forbidden Apple, affectionately known as “Apple,” quickly became a favourite among Second Chances Program students and staff. His gentle demeanour, playful nature, and deep love for treats and grooming brushes made him both a teacher and a companion to all who knew him.”
