Listed Glasshouse won by Fortunate Kiss
Twice stakes placed this campaign, Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans-trained 6-year-old mare Fortunate Kiss (Divine Prophet) broke through for her first stakes win in Saturday’s Listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Ridden by Luke Tarrant, she won by 0.37l from Melissa Kelly-trained Oughton (More Than Ready {USA}) with Craig Cousins-trained The Inflictor (Under The Louvre) a length away in third. “Off her last start, I thought she was overs today. I was quite surprised when the prices went up. She pulled up well from her last start and hasn't missed a beat the whole way here,” stable representative Ross O’Sullivan said.
“She's super and she'll probably get a mile but Lloyd and Lucy have her well tuned up for 1400. Luke rode her perfectly. Didn't really pass a horse and that was a perfect ride for a pick-up. I know Ronnie (Stewart) is a bit disappointed. He looked forward to riding her but these things happen.”
She becomes the fourth stakes winner for Divine Prophet, and was initially sold by Middlebrook Valley Lodge for $80,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale to DJ Bowman Racing, then on-sold at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $130,000 to Kennewell Racing, Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) and Ridgeport Holdings. The second foal of Kiss Me Goodbye (Savabeel) whose two, three, and 4-year-olds are all by Divine Prophet for two other winners. Kiss Me Goodbye is a winning half-sister to stakes placed Major Canny (Canny Lad) and Deep Pockets (NZ) (Lucky Owners).
Change of tactics key for Listed Winter Stakes winner
Trainer Joe Pride changed the tactics for Estadio Mestalla (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in Saturday’s Listed Winter Stakes at Rosehill and it made the difference with the imported 6-year-old gelding winning by 1.5l for jockey Dylan Gibbons, paying $61 on the tote. “He has been very disappointing at his first two runs back and I have honestly been scratching my head because he is a very genuine and very honest horse,” Pride said.
“It's not like him to be out of the money like that. I went a little bit early with the blinkers than what I normally would in a preparation but I felt like I had to do something and make a change. It was fantastic. It was good to see him out there rolling along and he looked happy and comfortable and gave a really big kick.”
A winner on debut at two over a mile in England, Estadio Mestalla came to Australia after that, where he’s done all the rest of his racing. This was his first stakes win and he’s won six of his 27 starts and over $780,000. Initially sold at Goffs Ireland for €9000 (AU$16,200) as a yearling, then at the Tattersalls Breeze-ups at two for 3000 gns (AU$6550), he was privately purchased after his debut win and imported to Australia where Chris Waller-trained him from 2022 until The Racing League purchased him for $65,000 at the Inglis Digital 2023 November Sale.
Marble Nine wins the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Final
Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained 4-year-old gelding Marble Nine (Kobayashi) won Saturday’s Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Final at Flemington by 0.5l over Godophin’s James Cummings-trained pair of Pereille (Fastnet Rock) and Inhibitions (Zoustar). It was Marble Nine’s third win in a row and his first stakes win. “It wasn't as pain-free as it was a couple of weeks ago, but it's one of his assets. He's very tough late and he's had to do so today,” co-trainer Will Larkin said.
“It was an interesting kind of race as they held up a lot more than he usually does, and I thought letting him slide is probably a bit easier for him. I thought he was sitting a bit quiet on him for a bit there and I thought they were going to get us, but he really dug deep.
“He probably wouldn't have been here if he wasn't in the form that he was. He'd probably be in the paddock by now. He's ticked off that black-type win for connections. They bred the horse and they've still got the mare there for future breeding purposes. He's ticked that off. So I think he's earned a break now. I think that's probably what we do but we never make a race call.”
He becomes the second stakes winner for Kobayashi and is from Kobayashi’s first crop. His dam, Aura Lee (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), has a 3-year-old, 2-year-old and a yearling all by Kobayashi.
Listed Beaufine Stakes won by Repossession
The most consistent horse in the field, 3-year-old gelding Repossession (Sessions) took his record to five wins from seven starts with a 0.7l victory in Saturday’s Listed Beaufine Stakes at Pinjarra for trainers Chris and Michael Gangemi. Ridden by Brad Parnham, he won from second-placed 4-year-old mare Toropa (Toronado {Ire}) with 3-year-old filly Sinful Living (Safeguard) in third.
Sessions sired a double at the meeting with 3-year-old filly Fancy Red making it two in succession earlier on the card. Repossession, who was fourth in his only other stakes in Listed company, becomes the sixth stakes winner for Sessions, a son of Lonhro. Repossession is out of four-time winner Can Time (Danetime {Ire}) whose five foals to race are all winners and she has a yearling filly by Manhattan Rain.
Repossession was sold by Bellridge Park for $62,500 to Slade Bloodstock and Gangemi Racing at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale and now has earnings over $390,000.
Double for Parr at Rosehill
After a treble at Rosehill last Saturday, jockey Josh Parr added a double this weekend at Rosehill on Kris Lees-trained Cloudland (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Joe Pride-trained Storm The Ramparts (Headwater). “When a jockey is in form and confident, things just happen and they happen without you even thinking about it. You just have ride the wave and everyone is on that rollercoaster. You've got to enjoy it when it's here,” Parr said.
“(Cloudland) is a horse that you can't bully around too much. You have to allow him to please himself and I think in that position with room, he appreciated it. We saw a really good turn of foot from him, albeit maybe 50 yards too soon, but I am glad he put enough of a gap in them to hold on late.”
Bootlegger adds juvenile winner for Too Darn Hot
Too Darn Hot (GB)’s strong season continued with the win of 2-year-old gelding Bootlegger at Gawler on Saturday. Having his second start for trainers Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray, Bootlegger won by a length for jockey Emily Finnegan.
He is the second winner for Princess Youmzain (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), a winner in Germany who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner and sire Akeed Mofeed (GB) and his full brother Group 3 winner Jordan Sport (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
New winner for Anders at Wyong
Domeland-owned 2-year-old filly Sapling (Anders) returned to the scene of her debut run to record her first career victory at Wyong on Saturday. Trained by Sara Ryan, she debuted in the R.Listed Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic, running seventh behind O’ Ole (Ole Kirk).
She becomes the sixth winner from the first crop of Anders, a son of Not A Single Doubt, and she was initially sold by Raheen Stud for $28,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale to Sledmere Stud and Cangon, who on-sold her as a yearling for $130,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Domeland. She is the fifth winner from Sop (Dodge), a half-sister to Listed winner Con’s Army (Canny Lad).
Earthlight adds winner number two
At Pinjarra on Saturday, Dan Morton-trained 2-year-old gelding King Of Light (Earthlight {Ire}) won on debut to become the second Southern Hemisphere winner for Earthlight, whose first is Listed winner Petite Artiste. He has two other stakes winners from his first Northern Hemisphere crop.
King Of Light was purchased by his trainer from Amelia Park for $120,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, and is the third winner for winning mare Queen’s Parade (NZ) (Dalghar {Fr}) who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Spirit Bird (NZ) (Savabeel) and a full sister to stakes placed First Law (NZ).
Earn To Burn wins at Sunshine Coast
Better Than Ready’s 2-year-old rig Earn To Burn won his second race in six starts at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday for trainer Jack Bruce. Purchased by his trainer for $7000 from Alexis Fraser Bloodstock’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale draft, he has now earned $107,000.
One of three winners for winning mare Malionga (Magic Albert), his sire Better Than Ready has sired 15 stakes winners.
Saturday’s other highlights
Jockey Karl Zechner rode a treble at the Gold Coast. Invader sired a pair of 3-year-old winners at Mareeba with Napolean Strike and Sowilo Siren who made it two in a row.
Treble for apprentice Okubo at Te Rapa
Japanese apprentice Yuga Okubo won Saturday’s Te Awamutu Cup on Drop Of Something (NZ) (Telperion) to headline a treble on the card from four rides. He also won on Ribkraka (NZ) (Ribchester {Ire}) and Family Folks (Snitzel) who picked up his first win since arriving in New Zealand after racing in Hong Kong.
“I was thinking we were no chance on the corner as we were back and he didn’t look like he was going that good while I thought the place to be was wider out and not on the inner,” Drop Of Something’s trainer Wayne Hillis told Loveracing.nz.
“To his credit the boy stuck to his guns and he had won on a similar path in the previous race so he knew it wasn’t that bad down there. I’ve had him (Okubo) on a few now and he is very balanced and has a lot of potential. You don’t get many 4kg claimers who are as strong as he is and I would expect he is going to be very popular over the next few months.”
Test Score wins G1 Belmont Derby
Amerman homebred Test Score (USA) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}), second to Zulu Kingdom (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) in the GI American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 3, got his own Grade I day in the sun Friday, winning Saratoga's G1 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes in convincing style. For his part, Zulu Kingdom won the G3 Manila Stakes at the Spa one race prior to Test Score's Belmont Derby win.
The Amermans won the Belmont Derby for the second consecutive year—they had Trikari (USA) (Oscar Performance {USA}) in 2024–and for the third time overall since 2017, when they captured it with Oscar Performance). “I loved where he was, but I have to be honest–I was a little worried at the top of the stretch. I thought he really wasn't going anywhere,” said winning trainer Graham Motion. “He's got a tendency to do that, this horse, but he's so tenacious, he really doesn't quit.
“He's such a cool horse. Distance isn't an issue for him,” added Motion, who also trained Trikari last year for the Amermans. Chilean-based Lookin At Lucky, a former Ashford Stud stallion who has remained year-round in Chile at Haras Don Alberto since the 2023 Southern Hemisphere season, is the sire of Test Score and 53 other graded winners. His 83 black-type winners worldwide include 2018 U.S. champion older male and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Accelerate (USA), as well as 2019 GI Kentucky Derby winner Country House (USA).
Test Score is a third-generation Amerman-bred. Both his dam and granddam won for the family operation–long-time clients of Mill Ridge Farm in Central Kentucky–with his granddam also producing Grade 1 winner Coffee Clique (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) and graded winner Admission Office (USA) (Point of Entry {USA}).
Funding for disease protection increases in Britain
The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) allocation to the new disease surveillance, veterinary science and education programme starting in 2025 is rising to £2.76 million (AU$5.7 million) (from £2.32m). The Racing Foundation and the British European Breeders' Fund (BEBF) are supporting specific projects with an additional £220,000 (AU$458,000), bringing the total funds available to £2.98 million (AU$6.2 million).
The news comes following continued support from the Racing Foundation, the TBA, the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust and the BEBF. That support is said to underline the importance that the industry places on advancing the health and welfare of the Thoroughbred. Racehorse owners and the TBA also contribute towards the provision of equine infectious disease surveillance.
Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of the Levy Board, said, “Promoting and supporting veterinary science and education is one of the statutory objectives of the HBLB. The Board's Veterinary Advisory Committee takes a careful and thorough approach in assessing which applications should be recommended for funding. This year saw a particularly high number of veterinary research applications, and the Board is pleased to have increased funding for 2025 to £2.76 million. The Board also extends its thanks to the industry partner funders, whose involvement contributes to world-class research being conducted in Britain.”
South African yearlings smash records
The 2025 Bloodstock South Africa KZN Yearling Sale broke all previous benchmarks for the auction including an aggregate that surged past the prior year's gross, the group announced Friday.
A total of 195 yearlings changed hands from the 209 catalogued (seven lots did not sell in the ring or privately later). The aggregate was R44.7 million (AU$3.8 million), over R5.6-million higher than the figure for 2024, while the average rose to a sale record of R229,359 (AU$19,900); the median improved to R180,000 (AU$15,600); and the top price came in at R1.3 million (AU$112,000) late in the day for V Squared (SAf), a Vercingetorix (SAf) filly out of Victoriana (SAf) (Jet Master {SAf}). The dam is a half-sister to multiple Listed winners Hammie's Hooker (SAf) (Trippi {USA}) and Gem King (SAf) (Master Of My Fate {SAf}). V Squared is a full-sister to Quickstepgal (SAf), who is considered one of South Africa's leading 2-year-old performers. She was purchased by Jonathan Snaith.
V Squared (SAf) | Image courtesy of Bloodstock South Africa
“One of our core objectives is to create auction platforms that reach the broadest possible base of buyers and to ensure that all vendors get their fair share of opportunities,” said Bloodstock SA CEO Michael Holmes. “We're pleased to have played our part in delivering that again this year, and we wish all our clients the best with their purchases.”
