Living Legends celebrate the horses’ birthday
A party at Living Legends on Friday celebrated the annual Horse’s Birthday. Living Legends is home to the oldest living G1 Melbourne Cup winner Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) who turned 31 on Friday.
Return To Conquer to resume in Vain Stakes
Te Akau Racing’s Group 1 winning juvenile colt Return To Conquer (Snitzel) will resume in the G3 Vain Stakes on August 16, and be aimed at the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. “He's four from four and every one of those races has been a stakes race, culminating in a Group 1,” assistant trainer Ben Gleeson told racenet.com.au.
“He comes over here with a big reputation.” Their other Group 1 winner La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) could resume in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes. “Still up in the air what we do with her. Fillies have a really good record in that (Moir) race, get in with 50kg and she's a tough filly.”
Newgate announce first foal for Ozzmosis
The first foal for G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis has arrived at Alma Vale Thoroughbreds. “He’s an absolute cracker! We couldn’t be happier,” Verna Metcalfe said.
“He’s a strong, good-sized, bay colt. He’s everything we were hoping for. Alma Vale and our clients supported Ozzmosis heavily in 2024 and off the back of this result, we’re filled with confidence about what’s to come.”
Ozzmosis x Cool Change (NZ) colt | Image supplied
Ozzmosis’ trainer Bjorn Baker also commented: “I was delighted to hear the news of Ozzmosis’ first foal. He was the most naturally talented horse I’ve ever trained, and I genuinely can’t wait to start training a full barn of his progeny. If they inherit even a fraction of his brilliance, we’re in for something special.”
Darley announce first foal for Cylinder
Darley Australia announced the first foal for Group 1 winner Cylinder. The filly was born at Glenelg Park. Cylinder was a dual Group 2 winner at two and won the G1 Newmarket Handicap at three.
Lindsay Park chasing Metro title
A day after winning the Victorian Trainers’ Premiership, the Lindsay Park trio of Ben, JD and Will Hayes have set a goal of winning the 2025/26 Melbourne Trainers’ Premiership. “Since being in partnership – JD and I, and then Will, JD and I – every year we have had really nice improvement and last year, we were very annoyed we didn't get 200,” Ben Hayes told racenet.com.au. They trained 240 winners in Victoria, with 69 in Melbourne, in 2024/25.
“It's a great effort by the whole team behind us, who are working really hard. We get really good support from our owners and we've got a great team (horses) behind us now. Will, JD and I are just proud (of the results) and hopefully, we've got a big task ahead of us next year to try and beat what we've set this year.
“It's definitely been our best year to date … to be leading Victorian trainer for all wins is a good effort, hopefully, we'll be a little bit more competitive next year with metro, that's our aim.”
Freedman team plans farm extension
Father and son training partnership of Richard and Will Freedman will split responsibilities for this season, with Richard moving to a farm in the lower Hunter Valley and Will running the Rosehill stable. “We trained over 50 winners in the season that is concluding,” Richard Freedman told racenet.com.au.
“We've only got 40 boxes and I've always had the rule of thumb that if you're training a winner per box, you're going all right. We've outperformed that and with the horses we've had in those boxes, I think it's been a terrific effort.
Will and Richard Freedman | Image courtesy of Freedman Training
“Will has been the driving force of the stable throughout the season that has just ended. He's the one making the day-to-day decisions. He writes the work list, I used to write the work list but he does now. I'm the consigliere. I get consulted on decision, I get my input and doing all the work away from the stable on the farm. As a father I'm pretty happy with the way he's going.
“We're at Broke, the next town to Pokolbin. We're surrounded by wineries. Right now we spell and pre-train at the farm but next year, we're looking to train a few horses off the property as well. As we speak, we are putting in an 1800 metre track at the farm. The grass track will be 25 metres wide. We're looking forward to adding the farm as a training base because we think that will help us up the results again.”
Seven-figure Cash leads Hickmott team
Trainer Michael Hickmott has been patient with 4-year-old entire Cash (Snitzel) who won on debut in November 2024 as a spring 3-year-old and hasn’t raced since. “He’s a really good horse,” Hickmott told racingsa.com.au.
“He had a minor setback after that really good maiden win, and there has been quite a bit of form coming out of that.” The colt was purchased by Hickmott and Douglas Whyte Bloodstock for $1.1 million from Arrowfield Stud’s 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft and is the first live foal of Super Cash (Written Tycoon) who won three Group 2 races including the G2 Rubiton Stakes twice.
Team Williams to continue their winning ways
Grant and Alana Williams will begin their defence of their 2024/25 Western Australia Trainers’ and Perth Trainers’ Premierships with a strong team on Saturday at Pinjarra, selecting last start winner Terratif (Awesome Rock) as their top choice. “She’s probably my best for tomorrow (Saturday),” Grant Williams told racingwa.com.au.
Terratif | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“The wet track is not going to bother her; she had the same sort of conditions at Bunbury. She has been known to go really good first up in the past and not run good second up, but I think that’s been on harder tracks. Now that she has the conditions to suit, I think you will see her put a few together.”
Newcastle Racing Club to honour Thompson
Australia’s most winning jockey Robert Thompson, who won 4447 races, will be at Newcastle Racing Club on Saturday to open the newly renovated Robert Thompson Jockeys Rooms. Thompson rode six winners from six rides at Newcastle on one day in 1990, and recently received an Order Of Australia Medal in the Queens Birthday Honours.
Farnan double at Kembla Grange
Farnan kicked off his first 3-year-olds in style with a winning double at Kembla Grange on Friday. Michael Freedman-trained gelding Ninja won the third on the card by a massive 11.3 lengths, while Peter Snowden-trained gelding Johnny won on debut in the sixth on the card by a more modest 1.3 lengths.
Snowden Racing purchased Johnny from Kia Ora Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $150,000, while Ninja was sourced from Segenhoe Stud’s draft at the same sale for $360,000 and purchased by MyRacehorse and partners.
Bivouac filly breaks through at Cranbourne
Friday’s Cranbourne meeting saw two brand new 3-year-olds join the winner’s circle lead by Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly Expulsion (Bivouac) and becomes the seventh winner for her second season sire. The Godolphin owned filly is out of Banish (Lonhro) and was placed at two.
Tony Noonan-trained 3-year-old filly Brilliant Horizon (Impending) won on debut at the same meeting for a Laurel Oak Bloodstock led partnership. A half-sister to two stakes placed winners in Dazzling Lucy (Star Witness) and Shadows Of Love (Dissident), Brilliant Horizon is out of Sky Dazzle (Written Tycoon).
Yes Yes Yes filly wins on debut at Coffs Harbour
On her first day as a 3-year-old Mrs Goldberg (Yes Yes Yes) won on debut at Coffs Harbour for trainer Matthew Dunn. She was purchased by Dunn, Neil Jenkinson (FBAA) and Viva Racing for $30,000 from Widden Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft. She is the second foal of Making Whoopee (High Chaparral {Ire}) who was a winner in Sydney from only four starts.
Video: Watch race replay of Mrs Goldberg, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Pair of 3-year-olds win at Gatton
Adam Campton-trained 3-year-old filly Elronte (Spirit Of Boom) won at Gatton on Friday by 1.5l and was having her second start. Purchased by Campton Racing from Kenmore Lodge’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $170,000, Elronte is the second foal of unraced mare Temptress (Sebring).
Later on the card, 3-year-old Ready And Mabel (Exceedance) took her record to two wins from five starts, having been a winner at her second start as a juvenile. Trained by Nicholas Beck, she is out of Peggy Selene (Rubick) who is a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Brutality (Shamus Award) and Group 3 winner General Salute (Russian Revolution).
Strong finish for the juveniles
With three months to go in the 2024/25 season, TTR reported that only 10% of the 2022 foal crop had raced. At season's end, this had lifted to 2359 runners, or 18% of the foal crop which is in line with how the 2021 foal crop performed in 2023/24, and a slight fall on the 21% achieved in 2021/22 by the 2019 foal crop.
Anderson appointed Randwick track manager
David Anderson has been appointed to the position of Royal Randwick Racecourse Manager. “Leading the tracks teams at Royal Randwick is one of the most coveted roles in Australian racing and we are delighted to welcome David to the ATC,” Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering Nevesh Ramdhani told racingnsw.com.au.
“David’s depth of knowledge and experience coupled with a great dedication and passion for the racing industry is a rare and valuable asset. David has an established record in mentoring and developing staff who have progressed to more senior roles which will also greatly benefit our tracks teams.
David Anderson | Image courtesy of Australian Turf Club
“We welcome and look forward to David continuing the outstanding work of Michael Wood following his recent promotion to General Manager of ATC Racecourses. Michael has made significant improvements to the racing and training surfaces at Royal Randwick and will continue to work closely with David.”
Vance steps into training partnership
Former jockey Maija Vance has joined her partner Josh King in a training partnership. Vance sustained spinal injuries in a fall in 2018 and was given a low chance of walking again, but after 18 months of rehabilitation she hiked to the top of Mount Maunganui in a fundraising effort for the CatWalk Trust. “I didn’t want to (train) and then I met Josh, and we started to work together,” Vance told Loveracing.nz.
“He had quite a lot of success in Queensland, he was private trainer for one of the big studs there. Josh started training over here and I started helping him, and it has gone from there. He said ‘you might as well put your name down as the trainer as well’. It’s not something that I planned on doing, it just happened.”
Maija Vance | Image courtesy of Maija Vance
The training partnership’s second runner will be at Ruakaka on Saturday with Bad Education (Bel Esprit). Vance, who has 1 million followers on Tiktok, is the daughter of trainers Bob and Jenny Vance. “Mum and Dad are just such amazing horse people and I have spent most of my life around them and their stable. I have learnt so much from them and they just prioritise the horse and keep the horse happy and healthy.”
Callow’s racist rant under review
Jockey Noel Callow is being investigated by Queensland Racing Integrity Commission officials after a video surfaced of him being racist to an Indigenous man. “A video was recently brought to the attention of the Commission. It is presently the subject of an investigation,” a QRIC spokesperson told racenet.com.au.
Callow has recently returned to riding after a two-month suspension for a physical altercation with another rider in the jockeys' room at Doomben on May 28.
Stakes target for Love The Sort
Trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray have the G3 Breeders’ Stakes in mind for 3-year-old filly Love The Sort (Tassort) who resumes this weekend. “I don’t think she’ll stay, I think she’s too fast and that being the case another race that looks on the agenda, providing she performs well, is the Northland Breeders’ Stakes in two weeks,” Ritchie told Loveracing.nz.
Love The Sort | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She’ll go back up for that if she proves she’s worthy of a spot by either winning on Saturday or going very, very close. She’s very, very fast and going into that (debut win) on the poly without a trial it was a comfortable place for her to go, but she didn’t jump that quickly. She mustered very well to get over to the fence with a light weight and always had the race under control.”
Vale Les Nichols
Journalist Les Nichols died last week on the Gold Coast at age 86, the New Zealand Racing news desk reported on Friday. “Lex was a wonderful friend to Alan and me over many years,” former jockey Linda Jones told Loveracing.nz.
“He wasn’t afraid to put his money where his mouth was, not just with all the horses he owned but with his support of lady riders from day one, and I’ll always be grateful for the part he played in my career. He was a very generous person too, always ready to help anyone who might be going through hard times, and he did so without expecting anything in return. He was just a good guy.”
Raging Torrent retired to Lane’s End Farm
Multiple Grade 1 winner Raging Torrent (USA) (Maximus Mischief {USA}) has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career at Lane's End Farm, the nursery announced Thursday.
“We've had a history of success with Malibu winners standing at Lane's End with the likes of City of Light, Twirling Candy, and The Factor, which played a big role in bringing Raging Torrent here,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish. “His ability to stretch his front-running speed to a mile and win a prestigious race like the Met, in addition to his international success, makes him an exciting prospect for breeders.”
Raging Torrent was third in the 2023 GIII Best Pal Stakes as a 2-year-old, and he won last year's GI Malibu Stakes and GII Pat O'Brien Stakes as a 3-year-old. He traveled to Dubai to take his 2025 debut in the G2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan for new owners Yuesheng Zhang and Craig Dado, and he returned stateside to win the GI Metropolitan Handicap in his final start in June.
Everett Dobson: "racing has never been safer"
Everett Dobson has been on the job as the Chair of The Jockey Club for only a matter of days, but there's no doubt that he has his finger on the pulse. Making his first keynote speech at the Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing on Thursday in Saratoga Springs, Dobson spoke of the many positive trends he sees with the sport, but he wasn't afraid to delve into the negative issues that still plague racing.
“Racing has never been safer for our horses and jockeys,” Dobson said. “The Jockey Club will continue to strongly support HISA, and we need look no further than the news we all read this week from Thistledown, where concerns about safety prompted HISA to decisively step in.”
When The Jockey Club first started keeping track of equine fatalities in 2009 through its Equine Injury Database, the number was 2.0 deaths per 1000 starters. In 2024, the number was 1.11, a decline of 44.5%.
Everett Dobson | Image courtesy of The Jockey Club
Dobson also focused on two troubling trends, the decline in handle in 2023 and 2024, and the declining foal crop. “It is perhaps the most concerning trend that affects the growth of our sport today,” he said. “If we are serious about growing this sport, reversing the decline in foal crops is essential.”
The Round Table concluded with Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, Environmental Science Advisor, New York Yankees, and Glen Kozak Executive Vice President, Operations and Capital Projects, New York Racing Association, providing data on how climate change has led to a troubling increase in the number of race days canceled each year. The average number of cancellations rose from 68.5 per year between 2015 and 2018 to 85.5 per year from 2021 to 2024. The highest year on record was 2023, with 103 cancellations.
Smarty Jones leads 2025 USA Hall Of Fame inductees
Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality), winner of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness Stakes, leads a class of seven who will be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga on Friday morning.
The champion 3-year-old of 2004, the lone selection in the contemporary category, joins racehorses Decathlon, Hermis and trainer George H. Conway, who were chosen by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee; and Edward L. Bowen, Arthur Hancock, III, and Richard Ten Broeck, who were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee.
Grade 1 winner Preservationist dies in Korea
Grade I winner Preservationist (USA) (Arch {USA}) died in Korea on July 19, according to Korea Racing Authority records. The news was first reported in the U.S. by Paulick Report.
Racing for Centennial Farms and trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Preservationist won the 2019 GI Woodward Stakes and GII Suburban Stakes. He hit the board in nine of 11 starts, with six wins and earnings over US$1 million (AU$1.55 million).
He began his stud career at Airdrie Stud and sired 2024 GIII Peter Pan Stakes winner Antiquarian, who has gone on to finish second in this year's GII Suburban Stakes and GIII Blame Stakes. The 12-year-old Preservationist relocated to Korea last December.
“We were blind sided by it,” Airdrie's Bret Jones said of news of the stallion's death. “I didn't know it until Don Little [from Centennial] reached out, having just read an article. I reached out to the agent who did the deal and she said the horse was doing fabulously in Korea, he had bred 80 mares or so. He colicked and had to go in for surgery and tragically did not make it. We are very sorry for Don and the Centennial team and Jimmy Jerkens. He was a horse who had a lot of people that loved him. A very sad day for everyone who loved a very special horse.”
