ATC plans to up stable rents by 10%
The New South Wales Trainers' Association (NSWTA) have spoken out against the Australian Turf Club (ATC)’s plans to increase rents by 10%. Newscorp reported that trainers with boxes at Randwick, Rosehill and Warwick Farm were verbally advised by ATC officials of the decision. It is yet to be ratified at board level.
“As an association we cannot and will not accept the unreasonable increase proposed,” NSWTA Chairman Richard Pegum told racenet.com.au. “If the ATC persists with the move we will have no choice but to consider stern action in response. If we are backed into a corner, we will act decisively and collectively. Owners will stand alongside their trainers. We need to ensure our position is properly heard and respected.
“At a time when cost of living continues to rise and when owners are already leaving the sport, it is troubling that the ATC would seek to impose further financial strain on those who sustain racing at its core. Trainers and owners are being asked to shoulder an additional burden precisely when stability and encouragement is needed most. It is most disappointing that the ATC CEO is yet to engage with our trainers directly to better understand the situation.”
The Everest is a great opportunity for Charm Stone
Charm Stone (I Am Invincible)’s co-trainer Mick Price is happy to engage with any slot holders wanting a Group 1-winning mare for their The Everest slot. “It hasn't been up for discussion at this point but I would certainly consider it,” Price told racenet.com.au.
Mick Price | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Why wouldn't you? What an opportunity. She's a big, strong mare in beautiful condition and enjoying a really good preparation. She'll trial on Monday week and I think she'll miss a week then trial again. She'll work at The Valley on the Monday before racing on the Friday night (in the G1 Manikato Stakes).”
Cups hopeful Deakin to resume in Memsie
Trainer Phillip Stokes doesn’t expect Deakin (Fr) (Australia {GB}) to peak when he resumes in Saturday’s G1 Memsie Stakes, as his main target is the G1 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. “For what he did in his first Australian prep, it was way beyond what we expected and we still don’t know where the bottom of him is,” Stokes told racing.com.
Deakin (Fr) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's a really exciting stayer. Does he run two miles? That's the query, we don't know. But they'll know where he's at over 2400 metres. He's had a very long foundation of work under him. He has got the miles into his legs and he's had two jump-outs going into this, one at Caulfield and one at Pakenham. This is obviously well short of (the distance) where he is going to end up. This is a pipe-opener, so to speak and we're really happy with him.”
Lady Of Camelot to miss The Everest
G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) has been sent for a spell and will miss the G1 The Everest. “Lady Of Camelot has had a lot of racing and we just felt giving her a good break is the right thing to do with her long-term,” co-trainer Gai Waterhouse told racenet.com.au.
Lady Of Camelot | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Her owner, Sir Owen (Glenn) is very keen to take Lady Of Camelot to Royal Ascot next year so she will miss the spring and concentrate on the autumn carnival before going to England.” Fourth in The Everest last season as a 3-year-old, Lady Of Camelot was four times Group 1-placed last season.
Farragher to join Maher
Jockey Adam Farragher will join the Ciaron Maher racing stable for the next year. “I leave for Australia next month and have a 12-month working visa and a job with Ciaron Maher in Sydney. Hopefully, I can work hard and take any chances I get and see how it goes as it's a good opportunity,” he told racing.com.
“I’m 25 now, which I think is the perfect age, and I feel I have enough race riding and life experience to make the move. I have no ties and it was something that if I didn’t give it a go now I’d regret it in time.
“It's definitely something I’ve had at the back of my mind since I went down to Australia with Dubai Honour a couple of years ago when we were based in Sydney. I got the feeling that racing was in a very good spot down there and wanted to come back.”
Waugh’s unbeaten filly set for Newcastle
A 900-metre dash at Newcastle on Tuesday will be the second outing for Kim Waugh-trained 3-year-old filly Balmain Darling (Territories {Ire}) who won on debut. “Balmain Darling is a promising filly,” Waugh told racingnsw.com.au.
Kim Waugh | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She showed us plenty in her trials before her first start, and she did the job well to win when hitting the line well earlier in the month. Donovan (Dillon) got the job done on her at her only start and he will stick with her. She’s shown she can handle the wet and should get a good run from the inside gate.”
BOBS closes September 1
Owners of 2-year-olds eligible for the BOBS scheme are reminded that nominations close on September 1.
Written Tycoon colt lives up to promise at Pakenham
Lindsay Park’s Hayes brothers debuted Imaginate (Written Tycoon) in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery last season, and while he ran mid-field, he did put in some other reasonable performances during his juvenile season. Fourth when resuming this season, the 3-year-old colt showed his early promise was there with a 0.75l win at Pakenham on Monday over 1200 metres.
Sold by Yulong to PR Thoroughbreds for $300,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Imaginate is the first foal of Time Is Precious (Snitzel), again highlighting the Written Tycoon-Snitzel cross. Time Is Precious is a Group 3-placed daughter of Group 1-placed Rose Of Sharon (Encosta De Lago), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Lotteria (Redoute’s Choice).
Drifting full sister wins on debut
It was a 3-year-old double for Lindsay Park at Pakenham with their filly Cheeky Contiki (Zousain) winning on debut. Passed in as a yearling, Cheeky Contiki is a full sister to Group 3 winner and 4-year-old mare Drifting, who was Zousain’s first stakes winner when she won the G3 Magic Night Stakes at two.
The pair are out of Backpacker Express (Big Brown {USA}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Downhill Racer (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Backpacker Express is in foal to Spirit Of Boom.
WA’s Champion 3-Year-Old set for Group 1
On Saturday night, Machine Gun Gracie (Maschino) was crowned West Australia’s Champion 3-Year-Old, and trainer Justine Erkelens will set for the G1 Northerly Stakes. “My aim is to get to the Northerly,” Erkelens told racingwa.com.au.
“We are still not 100 per cent sure where we are going before then. She’s a 90 rater and it’s a little bit harder to find where to go to race. She’s bred to stay but can run out a mile and 1800 metres. She’s pretty handy in that way and is quick as well, so fingers crossed. After the Northerly there is also the Perth Cup because there’s nowhere else really.”
Machine Gun Gracie debuted in February 2025 and has won four of her six starts including G2 WA Derby and G3 WA Oaks. Her earnings of $550,000 well exceed the $45,000 that her trainer along with John Chalmers Bloodstock (FBAA) spent on her at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. She was consigned by Scenic Lodge, and is the third foal and third winner for Gracie May (Written Tycoon) who won four races in Perth.
Change of plans for Book ‘Em Danno
On the day before the win in the G1 Forego Stakes by Book 'em Danno (Bucchero), trainer Derek Ryan had already made up his mind about the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint. He had no plans to go. “I'm really not that interested in the Breeders' Cup,” Ryan said on Friday.
By Sunday Ryan had softened his stance a little bit. “We'll talk about it down the road,” he said. “I am sure I will have a meeting with the partners. I'm a bit set in my ways. It's not a no and it's not a yes. It's a maybe.”
Bloom and McAleavy’s second Group winner of the day
Capping a golden mid-Sunday-afternoon hour that Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy will forever cherish, 3-year-old filly Sky Majesty (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) followed the exploits of their star juvenile Venetian Sun at Deauville with her own power play in Sunday's G3 Ballyogan Stakes at Naas.
“She is coming back to herself now,” jockey Tom Marquand said, whose only career defeats came when needing her seasonal bow behind the smart Sayidah Dariyan at Chelmsford and in the Commonwealth Cup. “She felt fantastic there today off a much better pace. They will be looking to get some Group 1 form into her and she is shaping as if that is realistic. She's really improving into the deep end of the season.”
Starspangledbanner juvenile adds Group 3
Goodwood's G3 Prestige Fillies' Stakes looked a strong contest on paper beforehand and that ultimately played out as the cream rose to the top with Ballydoyle's Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) enjoying the bragging rights on Sunday. Sent off the 5-2 second favourite for the seven-furlong race which forms part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, the Cork maiden winner tracked the pace under Wayne Lordan before accelerating impressively to get to the front a furlong out.
“She's a very professional filly, she ran over six furlongs at Fairyhouse the first day and learned plenty and then stepped up to seven furlongs and won her maiden quite well,” Lordan said. “She has pace and what you like about her is when I get down into her she gets seven quite well.”
Vale Bruce Raymond
Former Group 1-winning jockey Bruce Raymond has died. More recently racing manager for some of the biggest owners of the sport, he was 82.
The victory of Rainstorm in the 1962 Newbury Autumn Cup was a breakthrough win for Raymond, who was also successful in the July Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes, and Ayr Gold Cup. A three-time winner of the Haydock Sprint Cup, Raymond never won a Classic race, but did finish second with Blue Judge (Rainbow Quest) in the 1993 Derby. Closely associated with trainer Michael Jarvis, he also prevailed in the 1985 Prince Of Wales's Stakes with Bob Back (Roberto).
Upon his retirement from the saddle, he became assistant to Joe Mercer as racing manager for Sheikh Maktoum Al Maktoum and his associates, and the racing manager of Rabbah Bloodstock upon Mercer's retirement. Some of the leading owners he represented included Saeed Suhail, Jaber Abdullah and Saeed Manana.
