Lawson-Carroll recovering from fall injuries
Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll was one of four riders taken to Waikato Hospital after a shocking fall at Te Rapa on Saturday, alongside Ashlee Strawbridge, Rihaan Goyaram and Hayley Hassman. His fellow jockeys were cleared of any serious injury, as were all four horses, but Lawson-Carroll had surgery on Saturday night on his femur.
Ace Lawson-Carroll | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“He’s in Waikato Hospital and had an operation on his femur last night, they were a bit worried that it may be cutting off some blood circulation so they operated on that,” Shaun Clotworthy told Loveracing.nz. Lawson-Carroll is indentured to Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy.
“I believe he has to have an operation on his hip and his shoulder, so he’s got a couple more to go. We’ve spoken to him this morning and he’s pretty positive, his partner is up there with him now and Emma’s been there today, and I think we’ll go in after the races today. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the surgeons yet, but when I go in, I’ll hopefully be able to have a chat and see what sort of rehabilitation and recovery he’ll be doing. He’s a fit young man, with a positive attitude.”
Beriman calls for racing’s concussion protocols to be improved
In February 2024, concussion guidelines developed by the Australian Institute of Sport in co-operation with Sports Medicine Australia recommended that athletes have a 21-day break after an incident.
Jockey Nikita Beriman would like to see racing authorities increase their current 12-day rest period increased which exists in every state except NSW who have no measures. She sustained an injury in a fall at Ipswich in early July and has been dealing with symptoms since then, despite passing her SCAT tests.
Nikita Beriman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“If you fall from a horse at speed, you should automatically be stood down for 21 days because you don't know what the symptoms will be. People can land on their feet and get concussed, it's not all about getting knocked out," Beriman told racenet.com.au.
“Concussion works in so many different ways. When it shakes the brain, there are so many things inside the brain that control the way you speak, your sight, your vision, your balance. It only takes one to be off, especially in racing. I'm not even allowed to drive a car.”
Racing Queensland’s CEO Lachlan Murray said the procedures around concussion were under review. “The long-term health and wellbeing of our participants will always inform our decision-making. The introduction of a mandatory 12-day stand-down period was, in our belief, a necessary first step and one that demonstrated the seriousness in which we viewed concussion for our participants.”
Cox Plate targets for Maher stable stars
Ciaron Maher’s stable stars Another Wil (Street Boss {USA}) and Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) will be aimed at the G1 Cox Plate this spring. “Another Wil, long-term, the Cox Plate will be a target,” assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord told racing.com.
“Light Infantry Man the same. That would be the right race for him, a high-pressure 2000 metres. Gringotts, we’ll just see. The King Charles (is in the plans), and whether it’s then the Champions Mile or whether we go up in trip, we’ll be guided by him.”
Pinstriped ready for Memsie repeat
Trainer Enver Jusufovic won his first Group 1 when Pinstriped (Street Boss {USA}) took out this season’s G1 Memsie Stakes, and he’s setting him for a repeat in 2025. “History will show that he seems to go well in the spring at his first two runs and his form sort of tapers off a bit but I'm hoping this time in that I can get more than two decent runs,” Jusufovic told racenet.com.au.
Enver Jusufovic | Image courtesy of Enver Jusufovic Racing
“He's due to win the PB Lawrence, I think, he's run second twice. There will be good horses in the Memsie Stakes, like there always is in Group 1 races, but it's a feather in his cap that he was able to beat the two highlight horses, Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni, and the new kid on the block, Antino.”
Within The Law set for Princess series
Trainer Bjorn Baker will set rising 3-year-old filly Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) for this spring’s Princess Series. She is set to trial on Tuesday. “She is going super. We will go through the fillies series and I think she has come back a little bit bigger and stronger,” Baker told racenet.com.au.
Within The Law | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“You don't get carried away but she has the temperament and everything about her suggests maybe she can be a filly that can go on to that next level. With 2-year-olds, it's always a bit of a question mark but I have a bit of a feel about her.” Winner of the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes and two Listed races, Within The Law went through the running rail during the G1 Golden Slipper, returning to run second in the G1 Champagne Stakes.
King Of Light aimed at Guineas
Trainer Dan Morton will aim unbeaten 2-year-old gelding King Of Light (Earthlight {Ire}) at next season’s WA Guineas. “He can have a good little break now and aim up at some nice races,” Morton told racingwa.com.au.
Dan Morton | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“That’s his natural target (WA Guineas) and if you can get that far and with a 3-year-old down in the weights you probably roll the dice into the G1 Northerly Stakes. It’s rainbow sort of stuff but that’s why we’re in the game.”
He was ridden by William Pike who enjoyed a quartet of winners on Saturday with the others being 3-year-old filly Yorga Pride (Pride Of Dubai), Famous Dain (Shamus Award), and the last on the card on Simply Thinkin’ (So You Think {NZ}).
Brown returns a winner
Jockey Ethan Brown won six Group 1 races this season, and he returned from holiday on Sunday to win at Ballarat on Ciaron Maher-trained Quick Qudos (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}). “I’m getting back into the swing of things, getting the fitness back and ready for a big spring,” Brown said.
Brown won two Group 1 races on Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), two on Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) and the G1 Thousand Guineas on Another Prophet (Brazen Beau), all for the Ciaron Maher stable, and the G1 AJ Moir Stakes on Gavin Bedggood-trained Mornington Glory (Shalaa {Ire}). He was the third highest Group 1-winning jockey for the season behind James McDonald with 15 wins and Damian Lane with eight wins.
Pair of juvenile winners for Zousain
Second season sire Zousain added a pair of juvenile winners on Sunday to give him 13 winners from his second crop. The pair were headlined by debutant 2-year-old gelding Must Be Sain (Zousain) who sped to a 0.4l victory for trainer Shane Nichols at Ballarat. His trainer purchased him at the Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale for $55,000 from Grenville Stud, and he is one of 10 juvenile winners from the small 140-lot catalogue, led by stakes winners Sanniya (Stratosphere) and Zany Girl (Needs Further). Must Be Sain is the second winner for Must Be Mink (Musket).
At Muswellbrook, Tommy Wong-trained 2-year-old gelding Leading Impact (Zousain) won over 1000 metres by 1l. He was having his second start, and was sold by Widden Stud for $50,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale to Headline Bloodstock. Leading Impact is the second foal of Avno Doubt (Not A Single Doubt).
Streetfighter Vega resumes with a win
Trainer Yassy Nishitani debuted 2-year-old gelding Streetfighter Vega (Impending) in the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes back in February where he ran fourth, and he resumed at Hobart on Sunday with a victory over 1200 metres. Sold by Tarcoola Stud at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $38,000 to the Japan Giken Company, he is the second winner for Tarcoola Spirit (Stratum) who is a stakes-placed half-sister to Group 1 winner Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago).
Palentino sired a double at the meeting with Coastal Strike and Furneaux.
King George to become Britain’s richest race
On the 75th anniversary of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Ascot has announced a prizemoney boost for next year to £2 million (AU$4.1 million), which means it will become Britain's richest-ever race.
This year's race, won by Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), is already the most valuable race to be run at Ascot. Last year's King George was officially the best mile-and-a-half contest in the world in the 2024 Longines World's Top 100 Group Races.
“The roll call of winners over the last 75 years is unrivalled, and we are committed to ensuring that we continue to attract the very best horses to our midsummer highlight,” said Ascot CEO Felicity Barnard. That roll call includes such great names as Ribot (GB), Nijinsky (Can), Brigadier Gerard (GB), Grundy (Ire), Shergar (Ire), Dancing Brave (USA), Nashwan (USA), Galileo (Ire) and Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
She continued, “We are also conscious of ensuring that the race remains internationally relevant in an increasingly competitive global picture. These days, there are plenty of options for connections to run their horses worldwide and year-round, so it's vital that we find the right balance of prizemoney and prestige. By making this announcement now, we hope that connections will be able to start planning backwards from the race already.
“We are very conscious of the fact we need to continue to invest in prizemoney across the programme at all levels and we look forward to making further announcements regarding 2026 in due course.”
Godolphin’s Sovereignty reigns in Jim Dandy
Ninety-five years ago, a horse named Jim Dandy (USA) upset Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox (USA) at odds of 100-1 in the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Saturday, with the traditional Travers prep race now named in honour of that monumental beating, the team behind G1 Kentucky Derby and G1 Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) reminded everyone why their colt is the top of the class, avoiding any drama to take the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes.
Not that there was ever any doubt. With G1 Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (USA) (Curlin {USA}) 3000 miles away in California, Sovereignty was left to deal with four rivals he'd already soundly beaten before.
“I'd say it was good, it was a winning trip, a winning ride, a winning run,” said winning conditioner Bill Mott. “We hope he comes back good and hopefully he trains as well for the Travers as he did for this. It is interesting (running closer to the pace). Junior (Alvarado) said by the time he got to the first turn he was already starting to relax with him. I guess in some races it is good to be able to have a little early position, rather than come from as far back as he did in the Derby and some of his other races.”
Of his star's next expected start, Mott said, “We are trying to get ready for the Travers and that is the main objective for everybody, I think. It is a race I've never won, and I'd really like to win it before I check out (laughs). We'll give it our best go.”
US$3 million Gun Runner colt wins on debut
Brant (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}), the 2-year-old colt who was the record-setting US$3 million (AU$4.6 million) OBS March breezer, lived up to the hype for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert with a spectacular performance on debut at Del Mar Saturday. The 4-5 choice sat the trip in third through an opening quarter in 0:21.56, revved up three-deep at the top of the stretch and levelled off with powerful strides to win going away by 5.25l.
Brant's two-time winning dam Tynan, a half-sister to graded winner and G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Pappacap (Gun Runner), had a filly by Candy Ride (Arg) in 2024 and a colt by Bolt d'Oro this year.
