Te Akau trials three juveniles at Te Rapa
Tuesday’s trials at Te Rapa in New Zealand opened with trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson sending out a trio of early season 2-year-old colts over 730 metres. “They were ready and had a nice quiet educational trial. They’ll go out for a spell,” Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis told TTR.
Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Image courtesy of Te Akau Racing
“The goal is the Karaka Million and the Sistema. We don’t like running horses in the Karaka Million in their first preparation. We like to give them two quiet preparations, and that’s the reason why most of the horses we’ve won the Karaka Million with have gone on to be good older horses. Melody Belle and Avantage were both better as older mares, and horses (with this preparation) all train on.”
The trial was won by With A Vengeance (Exceed And Excel) by a neck from Kinnaird (Home Affairs) who is the first horse by his first season sire to be seen in public. In third, a length back was Honour Roll (NZ) (Savabeel).
Via Sistina headlines Cox Plate entries
The first round of entries for the 2025 G1 WS Cox Plate closed on Tuesday, and as expected last year’s dominant winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) was among them. She is one of 30 entries for trainer Chris Waller, who has nearly one third of the 108 nominations. Ciaron Maher is next with seven nominations, while Bjorn Baker and Annabel and Rob Archibald have six each.
Via Sistina (Ire) | Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Twenty-two 3-year-olds are among the nominations including G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Vinrock (I Am Invincible), G1 Champagne Stakes winner Nepotism (Brutal {NZ}), G1 JJ Atkins Plate-placed Hidden Achievement (I Am Invincible), G1 Golden Slipper-placed Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Group 2 winner Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}), Group 2 winner Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), unbeaten Listed winner Highvol (Microphone), and unbeaten Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun).
Waller leads Caulfield Cup entries
The first entries for the 2025 G1 Caulfield Cup closed on Tuesday with 146 horses entered. Chris Waller leads with 32 entries but has previously warned punters that the early favourite 4-year-old mare Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) may not run. He won the race in 2020 and 2022 with Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), and last year’s runner up Buckaroo (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) holds an entry for this year.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Last year’s winner Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) headlines the Ciaron Maher stable who come in second with 25 entries. The stables with the next most potential runners are Lindsay Park and the training partnership of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott who both have six entries. The Cup will be run on October 18.
France to open Hall Of Fame
The late Aga Khan IV, Criquette Head, Olivier Peslier and Docteur de Ballon will be inducted into the French Horse Racing Hall Of Fame on Saturday, August 16 during a ceremony at Deauville Racecourse.
Jour de Galop will host the first induction ceremony that has been inspired by major international sports disciplines. The aim of the Hall Of Fame is to celebrate the racing figures – equine and human – of the French racing industry.
Jour de Galop's Mayeul Caire said, “This project was designed to honor the great actors of Flat and jump racing who have made their mark on French soil – whether they are French or foreign. The idea is that their entry into the Hall of Fame is a 'Group 1-level' reward, a recognition both public and private, a source of pride, an indelible mark… and that each new inductee experiences a unique moment on their special day.”
Philia to target Empire Rose
Trainer David Vandyke will target the G1 Empire Rose with Group 2 winning 4-year-old mare Philia (All Too Hard). “I want to give her a fairly light spring, she was up a long time going into the winter carnival,” Vandyke told racenet.com.au.
David Vandyke | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We just hop on a plane at Brisbane Airport and she is there pretty quickly. Potentially, she will have one run and then into the Empire Rose. Sydney was certainly a consideration, but we ended up making the call to go to Melbourne.” Winner of four of her seven starts, she won the G2 The Roses.
Domeland’s Dilmi hopes to start off with a win
Trainer Nacim Dilmi will have his first runner as private trainer for Domeland with Rebel Rhapsody (Trapeze Artist) at Canterbury on Wednesday. “James (Cummings)’ first runner when he and Bart went into partnership was a winner, then when Bart passed away his first runner was a winner then his first runner at Godolphin was a winner,” Dilmi told racenet.com.au of his former boss.
Nacim Dilmi | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I spoke to James on Monday and told him I will try to do the same. Sara (Ryan) has been here for a few years now and Tuesday was actually my second day. If the horses go well on Wednesday, I can't really take much credit because Sara has done most of the work with the horses. From what I've seen the horses are in good form and everyone in the stable has been helpful.”
Double for broodmare Mightily
Mightily (Not A Single Doubt) enjoyed a winning double on Tuesday, lead by Mitchell Beer-trained 3-year-old filly Eagerly Awaits (Written Tycoon) who won at her season debut at Moruya on Tuesday. She was placed twice at two. Originally sold by Yulong for $200,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, she was purchased by Ladbrokes Racing Club and Newgate Bloodstock, and was later dispersed through this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where Kingstar Farm purchased her for $60,000 and she races under Kingstar Farm’s Matthew Sandblom’s Hollymount Stud brand.
Eagerly Await’s 4-year-old half-brother With Strength (Grunt {NZ}) won at Wodonga on Tuesday for trainer Dan McCarthy, and he was having his second start having run second on debut. Yulong sold him at the January 2024 Inglis Digital Sale for $2500 to his trainer.
Mightily is a winning half-sister to Group 1 winner and successful sire Extreme Choice and now has two winners from as many to race.
Dubious adds a winner at Rockhampton
Third season sire Dubious added a 3-year-old winner at Rockhampton on Tuesday when Rochelle Pereira-trained filly Dubble Hussle won over 1200 metres. She is the second winner for Hot Hussler (Smart Missile) who is a winning daughter of a full sister to Group 1 winner Weekend Hussler (Hussonet {USA}).
Martyn booked for Townsville Cup
Jockey Leah Martyn has been booked to ride Jeffrey Caught’s runners Third Realm (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and He’s Xceptional (Xtravagant {NZ}) in Saturday’s Townsville Cup and Cleveland Bay Handicap, which would be her biggest achievement to date, following winning the Townsville Lightning on Russian Mint (Russian Revolution) last Saturday. “For Jeffrey to put me on, that is great,” Martyn told racingqueensland.com.au.
“He asked me two weeks ago if I was willing to come up to Townsville to ride his three horses and he was happy with how I rode them and he has kept me on since then.”
Cambridge Stud’s eyes on Group 1 prize
Cambridge Stud’s private trainer Lance Noble will set several of his stable for the upcoming spring Group 1 races with Habana (Zoustar) will be aimed at the G1 Proisir Plate on September 6. “He’s got a good record at Ellerslie, he likes going right-handed and it’s not far from home,” Noble told Loveracing.nz.
“We’ll get him as fit as we can and try and see if we can maybe catch a few of the others a bit under done. Hopefully, he’ll race at Ruakaka (on Saturday week) in an open 1400 metres race and if we’re happy he’ll run in the Proisir.”
Lance Noble | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
The farm's 3-year-old filly Heloisa (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) has been showing promise. “She had two starts at two for a couple of nice thirds and she’s developed during a break, we’ve got confidence in her.
“We’re going through a rebuilding period, but we’ve got Jaarfi, Habana and Frostfair up to black-type races and we’ve got some nice younger horses coming through, you never know where the next one is coming from.”
Karaka Million 3YO target for Abbakiss
Trainer Bryce Newman will set stakes placed 3-year-old filly Abbakiss (Microphone) for the Listed Karaka Million 3YO after she returned at the trials on Tuesday. “We didn’t want to carry on into the autumn with her, we thought she’d done a very good job and were very proud of what she did in the Karaka Millions,” Newman told Loveracing.nz.
Abbakiss | Image courtesy of Race Images
“We decided to put her out, so she’s had three months off and had time to grow and mature. We got her in nice and early and have been quietly chipping away, she’s been doing everything we’ve asked and we’ve been really happy with the way she has come up.
“We’ll be quite kind to her in the spring, just the few starts, and we’ll look to possibly get back to Karaka again as a 3-year-old. Nothing is set in stone at the moment, we’re just happy that she’s gone well today and we’re looking forward to the next outing.”
Tattersalls release catalogue for October Book 1 yearlings
The hunt for the next Group 1 star is now officially on after Tattersalls released the Book 1 catalogue for the October Yearling Sale, which has produced high-class horses like Camille Pissarro, Dynamic Pricing, Royal Patronage, Al Riffa, Believing and many more in recent years.
This year alone, there have been three Group 1-winning graduates from Book 1 and 22 Group winners all told. There is no shortage of potential top-notchers in this year's sale with 30 Frankels, 11 Dubawis, 30 Wootton Bassetts and 35 horses by Sea The Stars catalogued in what appears to be a typically good Book 1 offering.
Camille Pissarro is without doubt the poster boy for this year's sale. The hammer dropped at 1.25 million gns (AU$2.7 million) on the Clara Stud-offered Wootton Bassett colt at Park Paddocks in 2023 and he has justified that price tag with a pair of Group 1 triumphs for Aidan O'Brien.
Not only did Camille Pissarro manage to win the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as a juvenile, but he also became a Classic winner at three this year with an impressive display in the Prix du Jockey Club.
Speaking about this year's catalogue, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “Every year, the bloodstock world eagerly anticipates the publication of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, keen to pore over the pedigrees of the finest yearlings Europe has to offer. Following last year's extraordinary results, demand for places at Europe's premier yearling sale has been significant, and we are delighted to present a catalogue of unparalleled depth and quality, showcasing many of the best yearlings available anywhere in the world.
Edmond Mahony | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
“Time and again, Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale produces the leading racehorses of each generation on the global stage. This enduring international influence is what draws many of the world's most prominent buyers to Park Paddocks every October.”
Starman leading the European First Season Sires
When it comes to the 2025 crop of first-season sires in Europe, there's one stallion who is now operating in truly rarefied air, fittingly so for a horse going by the name of Starman (GB).
With 16 individual winners on the board in Europe, the son of Dutch Art is currently six clear of Nando Parrado and eight clear of A'Ali, with Palace Pier, Space Blues and Supremacy then locked in a three-way tie for fourth with seven winners apiece. Lucky Vega has six, while Ubettabelieveit and Victor Ludorum each have five.
Now, it's worth pointing out that Starman still has a big job on his hands, numerically, to match the achievements of some of the other leading first-season sires of recent years.
Starman (GB) | Image courtesy of Tally-Ho Stud
By way of comparison, the likes of Havana Grey (27 in 2022), Blue Point (24 in 2023), Cotai Glory (22 in 2021), Sioux Nation (19 in 2022) had all amassed more winners by the end of Goodwood. In 2020, Mehmas had accumulated 14 winners at the same stage, despite the fact the season only started on June 1 due to the delay to racing caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mehmas ended that year with 55 individual juvenile winners, a record-breaking tally for a first-season sire in Europe. Blue Point made it to 49 three years later, while Sioux Nation eventually came out on top in his season-long scrap with Havana Grey in 2022, accumulating 44 winners to that rival's 42.
Quantity is one thing – and Starman has that in spades with 201 registered foals from his first year at Tally-Ho – but quality is quite another. It's in the latter department where he's really excelled, with his four individual Group winners putting him in that rarefied air we spoke of. For context, Frankel and Too Darn Hot are the only other European-based stallions in the last decade to come up with four Group-winning juveniles from their first crop.
TOBA announce state awards
In advance of the 40th anniversary of the TOBA National Awards, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced the State Breeders of the Year and three equine award winners on Monday. The TOBA National Awards Luncheon honouring the winning breeders will be held Friday, Sept. 5 at Godolphin, with TOBA's National Awards Dinner the next evening at Fasig-Tipton.
Dan Metzger | Image courtesy of TOBA
“It is a great honour and privilege for TOBA to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the state breeders, as well as these three amazing horses,” said TOBA president Dan Metzger. “They each achieved remarkable success in 2024 and we look forward to celebrating with them in what promises to be a memorable evening at Fasig-Tipton.” The full list of 52 winners is on their website.
Judy Hicks's Sataves (Uncle Mo), the dam of reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna), has been named National Broodmare of the Year; Like a Saltshaker (Peace and Justice) will be honoured as Claiming Crown Horse of the Year; and Zealand will be named the Rood & Riddle Sport Horse of the Year.
