Private Eye heads to Melbourne after Missile washout
Trainer Joe Pride had scratched Group 1 winner Private Eye (Al Maher) from Saturday’s G2 Missile Stakes before the meeting was abandoned and had intended to trial him early next week instead, but the washout raised the possibility of the race moving to mid-week which would give Private Eye another crack at it.
However, it wasn’t to be, with Racing NSW deciding not to run the race at all. “I'm disappointed and it probably means Private Eye goes to Caulfield next Saturday for the PB Lawrence (Stakes),” Pride told racenet.com.au.
Joe Pride | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“There is the option of waiting for the Winx Stakes (Randwick, August 23) but he won't run in both. I am happy for him to go to 1400m straight away as he is ready for it. If we go to Melbourne, we might keep him there for the Memsie Stakes or bring him back to Sydney for the Tramway Handicap.”
Race amendments for Randwick
Racing NSW announced that three races on Saturday’s Randwick card would be moved with the others abandoned. The moved races are:
“The $160,000 Premiers Cup Prelude 1800m will now be conducted on the Kensington race meeting scheduled for Wednesday 13 Aug 2025. Original field from today's postponed meeting to be replicated on Wednesday's program.
“The $160,000 Benchmark 88 1200m scheduled for Rosehill Saturday, 16th August 2025 will now be conducted at BM94 level with prize money of $200,000.
“The $160,000 Spring Preview Handicap 1400m scheduled for Rosehill Saturday, 16th August 2025 now to be conducted with prize money of $200,000.”
Four for Gollan at Eagle Farm
Trainer Tony Gollan enjoyed a quartet on the Eagle Farm card with 3-year-old filly Foreign Press (Invader), Free Carry (Bon Hoffa), Amur (Snitzel), and Gospel Girl (Epaulette).
Relentless Voyager’s Cup charge on hold
Ciaron Maher and Australian Bloodstock’s import Relentless Voyager (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) charge towards the two big Cups might be on hold after he pulled up after an impressive victory in the Travis Harrison Cup with soreness in his off foreleg.
The stable used this race to kick off the Caulfield Cup wining campaign for Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) last year, and had four runners in the field, with third-placed Sayedaty Sadaty (Ire) (Anodin {Ire}) headed to the G3 Archer along with the winner to aim for a ballot-free entry into the G1 Melbourne Cup.
“That was a fair bit of weight today and we think that once (Relentless Voyager) gets up in trip he should improve and his exposed form tell you that,” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said before the injury was notified.
“Today has been a very good race day for us as a lot of our good stayers have kicked off here and I'm sure he'll be one of those in time. He is right up there with our (current) better stayers.”
Three good chances at Dubbo on Sunday
Scone trainer Brett Cavanough is taking three horses to Dubbo on Sunday and rates all of them as strong chances. Mitchell Bell will ride all three, being Xerxes (American Pharoah {USA}), Haze (Toronado {Ire}), and Signatories (Star Turn).
“Xerxes has been racing well and only just got beaten the other day. He’s been very good in his races. He looks perfectly suited to run well. He raced on the speed and held on well. He should be competitive in anything he contests,” Cavanough told racingnsw.com.au.
“(Haze) is going well and is going well leading into this run. He’s part-owned by Annie McHardy and races in the same colours that Fender used to race in for us. They are a good bunch of owners, and it would be great to get a result for them.
“Signatories is also a great horse to follow. He’s only had six starts and won two of them. He has plenty of talent and looks hard to hold out.”
Time To Reign gelding wins at Newcastle
With three of the four meetings in NSW on Saturday being rained out, only Newcastle remained. The first two races on the card were won by 3-year-olds, with Bjorn Baker-trained Crown The King (Time To Reign) becoming winner number three for his second season sire with an impressive 2.6l victory.
Crown The King was first seen at the very first 2-year-old trials in NSW back in September 2024, and ran second on debut in October. Saturday’s victory was his second run at three and he took his earnings over $73,000. A $70,000 purchase by Darby Racing at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Glenbeigh Farm, he was also sold as a weanling at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale by Kingstar Farm for $50,000.
Kim Waugh-trained 3-year-old filly Balmain Darling (Territories {Ire}) won on debut by a length over 900 metres in the first on the card and she is the second foal of winning mare Mary Dawn (Northern Meteor).
Hollywoodboulevard wins at Mildura
Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained 3-year-old gelding Hollywoodboulevard (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) won at Mildura on Saturday to open the card. He was having his second start, having run seventh on debut a fortnight ago.
Purchased by Patrick Payne for NZ$70,000 from Haunui Farm at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, he becomes the third winner for unraced mare Star Walk (NZ) (Starcraft {NZ}).
Townsville Guineas won by Obligated
Obligated (Lord Of The Sky) won Saturday’s Townsville Guineas, but the 4-year-old gelding is not QTIS registered, so he isn’t in the running for the bonus voucher.
A $25,000 voucher for the Magic Millions sales is on offer to any QTIS registered horse than wins two of the four Guineas races in Rockhampton, won by Scrub Chain (Jungle Cat {Ire}), Mackay won by Astra Star (Comic Force), Townsville or Cairns. Both Scrub Chain and Astra Star are QTIS horses, so a win in Cairns will collect the voucher for their connections.
Grass Wonder dies aged 30
Grass Wonder (USA) (Silver Hawk {USA}) has died at the age of 30, Japan's Big Red Farm announced on Friday. The 1997 Japanese champion juvenile colt, the paternal grandsire of 2015 Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice (Jpn), was diagnosed with multiple organ failure on Thursday and died August 8.
A statement from the farm read, “Grass Wonder passed away today, August 8, 2025. He was undefeated from his debut, winning the Asahi Hai in record time and had a brilliant career as a racehorse, including three consecutive Grand Prix victories.
“As a stallion, he produced multiple Group 1 winners, and his son, Screen Hero, has produced a successor in Maurice. He turned 30 this year and was in good health, but his condition worsened yesterday evening. He passed away this evening (Friday). Our deepest condolences to a distinguished horse who left a significant achievement in Japanese horse racing. Rest in peace, Grass Wonder.”
Bred by Phillips Racing Partnership and John Phillips in Kentucky, the second foal out of Ameriflora (Danzig) was offered at the 1996 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Phillips's Darby Dan Farm. Grass Wonder sold for US$250,000 (AU$380,000) to Nobuo Tsunoda. Raced by the Hanzawa family, the full-brother to two-time Grade I winner Wonder Again was trained by Mitsuhiro Ogata and was undefeated en route to his championship. He added his first Arima Kinen at three, and the Takarazuka Kinen and another Arima Kinen at four. Of his nine lifetime victories, four of them were elevated to international Group 1 status in subsequent years–the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, the Arima Kinen (1998/1999) and the Takarazuka Kinen (1999).
Retired after his 5-year-old season in 2000, he began his stallion career at the Breeders Stallion Station and would later move to Big Red Farm where he would stay until being pensioned in 2021. At stud, he sired 736 winners from 1327 foals (55%). Just 15 of those were stakes winners, with the Takarazuka Kinen hero Earnestly and G1 Japan Cup hero Screen Hero his only top-level scorers. Maurice, a son of Screen Hero, who stands at Shadai Stallion Station and Arrowfield Stud in Japan and Australia, respectively, is the sire of 32 stakes winners, with 22 at group level anchored by six top-flight winners.
Danon Decile arrives in England for Juddmonte International
Danon Decile (Jpn), the winner of the 2024 Japanese Derby and this year's Dubai Sheema Classic, was out on the Newmarket gallops on Friday morning ahead of his intended run in the £1.25m Juddmonte International Stakes at York on August 20.
The 4-year-old son of Epiphaneia (Jpn)was last seen in action at Meydan, where he beat recent King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Calandagan (Gleneagles).
Trainer Shogo Yasuda said, “We did travel very well, so we're very satisfied. My training plan between the two weeks from here to York, the main thing is to take care of his mind – make him happy.”
He added of the horse's next challenge over ten furlongs, “I'm not concerned for the shorter distance. I believe he's got a lot of experience from racing. I'm not worried about the drop in distance.”
Croix Du Nord begins Arc preparations
Champion Croix Du Nord (Jpn), freshened since winning the G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), has resumed training at Ritto Training Centre in advance of a start in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October.
Trainer Takashi Saito told Net Keiba, “We have brought him back into training, working backwards from the two planned races in France. It's still hot, but from here we will make sure to get him into peak condition before heading to France.”
A winner of the G1 Hopeful Stakes during a three-for-three juvenile season, the son of Kitasan Black (Jpn) was second in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in the Sunday Racing colours before taking the Japanese Derby on June 1. His first target is the G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange at ParisLongchamp on October 14 over 2000 meters. The Arc is scheduled for Sunday, October 5.
Derby second heads to Hong Kong
Trainer Danny Shum will welcome G1 Irish Derby second Serious Contender to his stable once the Hong Kong season begins. Formerly trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, the son of Wootton Bassett has two wins on his ledger and was also second in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot in June.
Other horses bound for Hong Kong include Boniface Ho Ka Kui's Listed Burradon Stakes winner and G3 Hampton Court Stakes third Glittering Legend (Too Darn Hot) from the yard of James Fanshawe, former Ralph Beckett trainee Seraph Gabriel (Saxon Warrior), and Jack Davison's 2024 maiden winner Glenderry (Mohaather). The trio are all heading to David Eustace. The King's Falcon (Dubawi), who has a win and two placings for William Haggas will join John Size. Listed Churchill Stakes second Beckman (Beckford) from the yard of Ger Lyons, and John Joseph Murphy trainee and Gowran debut winner Maestro Mark (Tamayuz) are both also bound for Hong Kong.
