Daily News Wrap

10 min read

Fleming says goodbye to Godolphin with a stakes placing

Long time Cummings’ family employee, who currently works in Godolphin’s Melbourne stable, Reg Fleming said goodbye to the royal blue when Kin (Impending) ran second in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes on Saturday.

“When it was the final day at Saintly Place, we won the last race with our last runner at Moonee Valley with a Shamardal filly in I’d say 2014 and they (Godolphin) have been so good to me, so I thought I would do the right thing and come along and hopefully see a final win,” Fleming told racing.com.

Reg Fleming | Image courtesy of Godolphin

“But it just didn’t work out. Kin (runner-up) was unlucky, but that comes with her racing style. It’s a bit sad because this mob (Godolphin) has been really good to me. I am going to go home (Queensland) for a couple of months and do some fishing and crabbing and then come back and find out what I am going to do. As at the 31st of July, I am unemployed.”

Fleming has worked for the Cummings’ family since the 1980s. “When Bart first came over (from Adelaide) he was on Fisher Parade and then he sold it to (bookmaker) Mark Read and then he bought the joint at Leonard Crescent and he ran that right through to probably 2014.

“James is a great fellow. A terrific, respectful bloke who’s very intelligent. He’ll make a good go of it. I was here before he turned up and his time here, he’s won so many good races.”

Black type potential for Glorious Moments

Brothers Jim and Greg Lee have a potential black type horse in Randwick winning 3-year-old gelding Glorious Moments (Brutal {NZ}). “He's a lovely horse. It's taken a fair while for us to get to this point but finally he's starting to show what we've known what he has,” Lee’s racing manager and part owner of Glorious Moments, Keith Lam said.

“He did that pretty easy today. There's a couple of black-type races coming up Melbourne for him. I don't have the names of the races here but there are a couple of suitable races coming up for him. It will either be next start or maybe the one after. We'll just see how he pulls up.” He took his record to two wins from four starts.

Treble for So You Think at Randwick

Coolmore Stud stallion So You Think (NZ) sired a treble at Randwick on Saturday with a trio of 4-year-olds, being John Sargent-trained gelding Glad You Think So, David Pfieffer-trained mare Oh Diamond Lil, and Joe Pride-trained mare Investment. “I thought she could improve a bit today. I said to a few people she had a sneaky chance,” Pride said of the $51 winner.

“She was fitter, she looked really healthy and a bit of cut in the ground were all pointers to a better performance. She's always been a reasonably promising staying type of mare so it's nice to get a Saturday win with her. You'll see her at her best over 2400 metres and this was only her 18th start so I still don't think we've seen the best of her. Maybe this time next year is when she'll be at the absolute top of her game.”

Suspension mars Jones’ title position

Jockey Angela Jones rode a winner at Doomben on Saturday aboard Space Age (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) to increase her lead in the Brisbane Jockeys’ Premiership to two wins over apprentice Emily Lang, but the day was marred by a 13-day suspension which Jones will begin in the new season. “We don't want to sour what should be an exciting time for you,” said chief steward Josh Adams.

“But out of one race, we have suspended you twice and also reprimanded you.” The issue came in the first on the card aboard Boomshanka (Spirit Of Boom) who finished in fifth, 1.3l off the winner. The title will be decided at Doomben on Wednesday.

Salsa Fellow lucky in accident

A traffic accident on the way to the races at Caulfield saw Henry Dwyer-trained 3-year-old gelding Salsa Fellow (Blue Point {Ire}) scratched from the card. Social media reports are that the horse walked away with only minor cuts and bruises.

San Giovanni stays unbeaten at Kembla Grange

Michael Freedman-trained 2-year-old gelding San Giovanni (Zoustar) took his unbeaten record to two when winning at Kembla Grange on Saturday. The superbly bred gelding was purchased by his trainer and Michael Wallace Bloodstock for $550,000 from Segenhoe Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft. He is a half-brother to Listed winner High Octane (Deep Field) out of Listed winner Granny Red Shoes (Not A Single Doubt).

Three in a row for Destinys Summit

Juvenile gelding Destinys Summit (Gold Standard) won his third in succession at Doomben on Saturday for trainer Brian Gentle. He debuted in November and has won three of his eight starts and is the first foal of Destiny’s Reward (Reward For Effort).

King Of Light does it again at Belmont

Dan Morton-trained 2-year-old gelding King Of Light (Earthlight {Ire}) stayed unbeaten in winning his second start at Belmont on Saturday. One of two Southern Hemisphere winners from the first crop of Earthlight, whose other winner is Listed winner Petit Artiste, King Of Light was purchased by his trainer for $120,000 from Amelia Park’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft.

Shooting To Win double at Morphettville

Western Australia’s Oakland Park Stud resident sire Shooting To Win enjoyed a double at Morphettville on Saturday with a pair of 4-year-old geldings as Shawn Mathrick-trained Shoeless took his record to five wins and over $170,000 in the first on the card.

He was joined by Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained From The Block who won the fourth on the card, and he has three wins and over $330,000.

Australian-owned duo gallop ahead of Goodwood

After Newmarket received a proper drenching on Thursday, Goodwood hopefuls Docklands (Massaat) and Asfoora (Flying Artie) took to the soft turf of the July Course for a spin ahead of their major-race targets next week.

Partnered by Ted Durcan, the 5-year-old Docklands, hero of last month's G1 Queen Anne Stakes, looked relaxed both pre- and post-work and had an easy stretch over Newmarket's undulations, making the most of a rare chance in an otherwise dry, hot summer to gallop on grass.

“It was as much a mental exercise for him as a physical one,” said trainer Harry Eustace. “He's run three or four times now this year and with the way the weather has been until now he's just been on the Al Bahathri (all-weather gallop), but we've been delighted with him and Ted was very happy with him this morning.”

Harry Eustace | Image courtesy of Newmarket Racing Club

After watching his globe-trotter Asfoora work in partnership with Oisin Murphy, Dwyer said, “We're happy with her. We've kind of had to go backwards before we could go forwards. We gave her two weeks off because she was light and tight and we needed to get 20kg on her. As a result of that, her fitness has gone backwards but she has gone forwards in herself.

“She's had a good blow and she got away from us a little but I just think, not necessarily from the point of view of winning next week, but the 20kg will help her long term, just not in the short term.”

Dwyer is also considering further travels with Asfoora to York's G1 Nunthrope Stakes, the G1 Flying Five on Ireland's Champions Weekend, and the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye during the Arc meeting as she completes her European tour.

Goffs Orby catalogue online

The Goffs Orby Book 1 catalogue is now available online with 466 lots to be offered across the two-day sale set to commence on Monday, September 29.

Beginning a day earlier than its traditional Tuesday start, the change was made following feedback from clients who had commitments later in the week, including the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe meeting in France. All yearlings offered in both Orby Book 1 and Book 2 are eligible for prize-money of €2,000,000 (AU$3.6 million) in the 2026 Goffs Two Million Series. Included in that sequence is Europe's richest juvenile race, the Goffs Million, as well as €1,000,000 (AU$1.8 million) in €50,000 bonuses awarded to winners of designated 2-year-old races across Ireland and the UK.

Henry Beeby | Image courtesy of Goffs

“Classic glory, Royal Ascot winners, US Grade I success, Group-winning juveniles…if the performances by our graduates throughout 2025 is a measure of Orby quality, this is a catalogue that cannot be missed and that quality is testament to the wonderful support of so many leading producers,” said Goffs Group chief executive Henry Beeby.

“Following client feedback, we placed a deliberate emphasis on quality over quantity throughout the Orby inspection process, resulting in a catalogue that, while more selective in size, is even richer in depth and quality so guaranteeing buyers the impeccably high standard for which this sale is renowned. Many of Ireland's best yearlings will be on offer at Orby Book 1, while we are pleased to welcome several UK vendors, including Highclere and Barton Stud, who will bring drafts to Orby for the first time.”

Pegasus Cup ‘win and you’re in’ slots available at Goodwood

A pair of Group 1 contests to be staged during next week's Qatar Goodwood Festival will earn their winners automatic berths into races on the 2026 Pegasus World Cup Day program at Gulfstream Park on January 24.

The Visit Qatar Sussex stakes over a mile on July 30 will serve as a qualifier for the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, while the Visit Qatar Nassau Stakes going 10 panels on July 31 will earn the winner a spot in the field for the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Both races support the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup.

Resolute Racing offer half-share in Group 1 winner

A 50% interest in Group 1-winning 3-year-old Woodshauna (Wooded) will be offered next week on Goffs's new online platform, GoffsGo. The colt is being consigned by his current owners, Resolute Bloodstock, and will be sold with a 5% agent's commission. Bidding will open at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, and close at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 1.

Winner of the Listed Prix Montenica and G3 Prix Texanita earlier this season in France, Woodshauna stamped himself as a top-class sprinter when taking out the G1 Prix Jean Prat, defeating multiple Group 1 winners including The Lion In Winter (Sea the Stars) and Shadow Of Light (Lope de Vega). The colt holds an entry for the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock and is expected to line up next in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on August 10. Woodshauna was previously sold at the Goffs London Sale for £625,000 (AU$1.28 million).

Unbeaten juvenile stakes winners headline Inglis Digital USA sale

The catalogue for the 2025 Inglis Digital USA July Sale is now online, featuring a diverse selection of 49 entries, including a pair of unbeaten stakes-winning 2-year-olds. Good Civilian (Good Samaritan) won his debut on June 14 at Horseshoe Indianapolis by 11.5 lengths, then added the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes on July 5 at Prairie Meadows. Trainer Genaro Garcia consigns the Indiana-bred gelding.

Border Czar (Beau Liam) won on debut at Woodbine in a last-to-first effort June 7, then took the Listed My Dear Stakes at the same track on July 12. Owner/trainer Barbara Minshall will consign the filly.

Also included among the offerings is a group of fillies and mares deemed to be “IRT eligible,” meaning they have completed the tests and received the vaccines required to enter quarantine following the sale and travel with international shipping company IRT, making for a more seamless post-purchase process for buyers around the globe.

Daily News Wrap