Via Sistina crowned NSW Horse Of The Year
In a ceremony held on Thursday night at Randwick, Chris Waller-trained Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) was crowned 2024/25 NSW Horse Of The Year, and the Yulong-owned mare also took out the Middle Distance category.
Debbie Kepitis was awarded the inaugural recipient of the NSWROA Industry Recognition Award. “Debbie is one of the most recognisable faces in Australian racing and her passion for the industry is evident to anyone who has the pleasure of meeting her,” NSWROA President Tony Mitevski said. “She is best known as a part-owner of the legendary Winx who generously shared her journey from Warwick Farm Maiden to a 25-time Group 1 winner with the public, but Debbie’s contribution goes far beyond that.”
Via Sistina | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Champion 2-year-old went to Marhoona (Snitzel), Champion 3-year-old to Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel), Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) was crowned Champion Sprinter, Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) won Champion Miler, and Arapaho (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won Champion Stayer. King’s Secret (Shalaa {Ire}) was the BOBS Horse Of The Year, while Front Page (Magnus) won Country Champion Horse and Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) won Provincial Champion Horse.
Chris Waller won both the trainer’s awards, the Bart Cummings Medal for the 14th time and won his 15th successive T J Smith Award for Leading Sydney Trainer. James McDonald was the George Moore Award winner for leading Sydney jockey and Braith Nock won Champion Apprentice in Sydney, the Theo Green Award. Caryl Williamson Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year was Bjorn Baker, and Leonard Todd of Ciaron Maher Racing won Strapper of the Year.
Vale Naturale
Gilgai Farm announced on Friday that Naturale (Bel Esprit), the dam of Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk, had died. “It's obviously just an amazing family, not only to produce probably the best sprinter we've ever seen in our lives in Black Caviar, but then All Too Hard and Ole Kirk,” Vinery Stud acting general manager Adam White told thestraight.com.au.
“It's a family that just continues to produce a horse at the very highest level, and Rick, obviously, knows the family extremely well, he manages the family extremely well and they get the results because of it.”
Naturale | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Naturale, an unraced full sister to unbeaten Champion racemare Black Caviar, is the dam of Group 1 winner and emerging sire Ole Kirk and Group 3 winner Gimme Par (Not A Single Doubt) who are her only two runners to date. Her 4-year-old colt Christiansen (Written Tycoon) and 3-year-old filly Float On (Written Tycoon) are both unraced, and she has missed that last few seasons.
Former head of Entain charged in Turkey
Kenny Alexander, the owner of the great hurdler Honeysuckle and former head of the parent company of Ladbrokes, is one of 11 people charged as part of an investigation into the provision of gambling services in Turkey.
Alexander, the former chief executive of the then GVC Holdings, now known as Entain, was charged with conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to bribe between 2011 and 2018, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). His silks have been a familiar sight on the biggest stages in National Hunt racing, most notably with Honeysuckle, who won consecutive editions of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 and 2022.
Richard Las, director of HMRC's fraud investigation service, said, “This has been a complex and international investigation. These are serious charges that relate to conspiracy to defraud, bribery, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax and perverting the course of justice among others.”
Entain said in a statement, “The company has not been charged and none of the individuals charged are currently employed by the company or its group.”
Is It Me the odd one out in Memsie
There is only one non-Group 1 winner in Saturday’s G1 Memsie Stakes and it’s Warrnambool trainer Daniel Bowman’s somewhat ironically named Is It Me (Iffraaj {GB}). “It's about which race is going to give him the better platform into the Rupert Clarke (Stakes),” Bowman told racenet.com.au.
Is It Me | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was a matter of whether it was the smaller field with the better horses or against the lesser horses in the bigger field. It's about having the run three weeks out from the Rupert Clarke for him.”
Inexperience a factor for Tyreek
Jockey Dylan Gibbons has only one concern about Tyreek (Snitzel) in Saturday’s G3 Up & Coming Stakes. The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained 3-year-old is the least experienced horse in the field having won on debut last start. “I thought he did a good job his first start. He obviously won well and did a few things wrong but the form stacks up,” Gibbons told racenet.com.au.
Tyreek | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“It's obviously a big step up and in time I think he definitely has that class. If there is a slight concern it's whether it will come up too quick for him but the way he won and the way his work suggested, he will be fine. I am going there expecting him to run well.”
Southside Racing announce Ladbrokes deal
Southside Racing announced on Friday that they have extended their sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes for five more years. “Ladbrokes has been an incredible supporter of racing at Cranbourne and we're thrilled to now extend this partnership across both of our venues under the Southside banner,” Southside Racing CEO Neil Bainbridge told racing.com.
“This agreement strengthens our ability to deliver innovative race-day experiences, attract new audiences and create fresh opportunities to engage racing fans in Melbourne's thriving southeast.”
Cockram Stakes for $1 horse
Trainer Debra Nardino paid just $1 for Dollar Shot (Shooting To Win), previously known as Jenni The Shooter, from previous owner Tony Ottbre, and now the 4-year-old mare will shoot her shot at black type in Saturday’s G3 Cockram Stakes. “I've got nothing to lose, I'm going to throw the dice,” Nardino told racing.com.
“She's in form, I'm not saying she's going to win, but I wouldn't put her in if I didn't think she was going to be competitive. I'd have a heart attack (if she won), I'd be on the ground! He (Ottobre) had always sold them on, but I think I was the first person he ever gave a horse to for a dollar … I couldn't thank him enough.”
Dollar Shot as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“She paid for a house for me off a few cheeky punts, engagement, you name it,” Debra’s son Jak Nardino said. “I can't thank her enough and obviously Mum's the one who trains her. Without Mum and the horse, I wouldn't have the life I have now, which is pretty surreal.”
Kembla could be a royal day for broodmare
The broodmare Royal Hootenanny (Hidden Dragon) has two runners at Kembla Grange on Saturday, both trained by Terry Croft, 3-year-old gelding Royal Corporal (Graff) and 5-year-old gelding Royal Bombadier (Sooboog) who is a winner and is coming off a last-start second. “His brother Royal Bombadier has won over 900m and is placed up to 1200m but he is a different sort of horse to him and Royal Commodore,” Croft told racingnsw.com.au of the 3-year-old Royal Corporal.
“He is a different build of horse and is a bit more relaxed than them so I think he will get over further than them. I think he will relish the 1400 metres and even a mile. It is going to take him a bit of racing to switch on properly. I expect him to run well though. It looks like a nice race for him that we’ve picked out.”
Proven sires enjoy 3-year-old winners on Friday
At Gosford on Friday, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 3-year-old filly Wangi Wangi (Exceed And Excel) won on debut, and she was a $500,000 purchase by her trainers with Kestrel Thoroughbreds from Fernrigg Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. She is the first foal of Tragic (Reset) a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Calliope (Exceed And Excel) and Group 3 winner Zethus (Exceed And Excel).
Brad Widdup-trained 3-year-old filly Bianca Mia (Too Darn Hot {GB}) also won on debut at Gosford, and she is a homebred for owner G Rapisarda, out of Listed winner Bianca Jewel (Lion Heart {USA}) who is a half-sister Listed winner Kiss Me Katy (Mull Of Kintyre {USA}). So You Think (NZ) enjoyed a double at Gosford with Divine Vicky and Bartolf.
Pakenham’s night meeting on Friday was opened with the victory of Lindsay Park-trained 3-year-old gelding Bama Slama (Alabama Express) who was having his third start. Sold by Yulong for $85,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Bama Slama was purchased by Flying Start Syndications and Pinhook Bloodstock. Also at Pakenham, Greg Eurell-trained 3-year-old gelding Magick Media (Rubick) got off the mark at his second start.
Dirty Work adds winner number five
Second season sire Dirty Work added his fifth winner on Friday when Danny Bougoure-trained 3-year-old filly Voodoo Lass won at Ipswich. Placed at two, Voodoo Lass has three placings and Friday’s win from six starts. Purchased by her trainer for $46,000 from Alexia Fraser Bloodstock at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she is the third winner from three to race for Spirit of Soul (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Dirty Work sired R.Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic winner Do I Feel Lucky last season.
Eagle Farm to celebrate 160 years on Saturday
Queensland’s Eagle Farm track will celebrate 160 years on Saturday, with racing there beginning in 1865. “Since its first meeting in 1865, Eagle Farm has hosted royal visits, pioneering flights, wartime history and some of the greatest champions of the turf,” Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Karl deKroo told racenet.com.au.
“This is more than a race day on Saturday, it's a chance to connect with Eagle Farm's incredible story. From horse and carriage rides to vintage cars, fashion displays and a walkable timeline, fans can step back in time while enjoying some great winter racing. Eagle Farm is part of Queensland's cultural fabric.
Karl deKroo | Image courtesy of Brisbane Racing Club
“It's fitting that on our 160th anniversary, every general admission ticket helps preserve that legacy, with proceeds going to the Thoroughbred Racing History Association.” The Thoroughbred Racing History Association run the Queensland Racing Museum located in the heritage-listed Old Tote building at Eagle Farm.
King Island season cancelled
With not enough trainers registering their interest for the upcoming King Island racing season in January, even with a $500 travel subsidy, the season will not proceed. “Not enough trainers were able to commit with the number of horses required for a race meeting – a minimum of five races a day with a minimum field of five horses per race,” KIRC president Audrey Hamer told tasracing.com.au.
“We want to thank those trainers who were still keen to go ahead, but unfortunately the risk was too great. The KIRC was not prepared to rely on last minute offers of owners/trainers sending horses to King Island just before the season started. The numbers would still only have been the bare minimum and would not have allowed for any horses being unable to race due to injury.”
Tally-Ho Stud dominates Goffs UK Yearling Sale
Tally-Ho Stud put in a dominant display at this year's Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale by selling 24 yearlings for a combined £1,743,000 (AU$3.5 million), which included the £150,000 (AU$309,000) day two session-topping colt by Mehmas, who went the way of Jason Kelly on behalf of Bond Thoroughbreds just minutes before the final whistle was blown on Thursday.
The Premier Yearling Sale catalogue was down 77 horses on last year, which obviously played a huge part in the turnover dropping by 5% to £14,297,000 (AU$29.5 million). However, the clearance rate remained stronger than ever with a 3% bump to 86%, while the average climbed by 9% to £43,194 (AU$89,200) and the median by 17% to £35,000 (AU$72,300).
Thules to continue until March 2026
Thurles Racecourse, which had been due to close this month after owners the Molony family decided to retire from racing, will continue operating until at least March of 2026. There was a productive meeting between the Molony family and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) on Thursday. The only privately owned racecourse in Ireland, Thurles had 11 scheduled fixtures for the 2025/2026 season.
A joint-statement from HRI and the Molony family read, “Following a positive meeting this afternoon between Horse Racing Ireland and the Molony family, Thurles Race Company will facilitate the continuation of horse racing at Thurles Racecourse until March 2026, with operational responsibility of the racecourse passing to Horse Racing Ireland.
“Today's agreement, made possible in conjunction with the Association of Irish Racecourses, the IHRB, and the support of the wider industry, will see Thurles Racecourse fulfil its 11 fixtures through to March 2026, resuming as scheduled on Thursday, October 9. Keeping Thurles operational until March of next year affords all interested parties time to consider a longer-term plan for the racecourse.”
Speightstown colt tops Canada sale at $400,000
Offered midway during the single-session CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale at Woodbine Race Track on August 27, a colt by the late and influential Speightstown was hammered down for C$400,000 (AU$445,000) to easily rate as the dearest lot on offer during the auction. Three other youngsters realized final bids in the six figures.
Final Score wins G3 With Anticipation Stakes
Not 24 hours removed from a victory from Time to Dream in Wednesday's P. G. Johnson Stakes, 2-year-old colt Final Score (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) gave his can-do-no-wrong sire, owner Repole Stable and trainer Todd Pletcher a sweep of the meet-ending juvenile turf stakes with a pillar-to-post success in Thursday's GIII With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga.
“We were coming off a race where we went pretty slow on the front end, so we didn't want to send him, but if it was there for the taking that was 'Plan A',” explained Pletcher, now a record seven-time winner of the With Anticipation. “We felt like we would be close. We weren't positive we'd be on the lead. We felt like we'd play off the break and see how fast the fractions were and it worked out pretty nicely.
“He's a super-hot stallion. They seem to do everything: sprint, route, turf, dirt. He's a phenomenal stallion. He does a little bit of everything. We were fortunate to have success with Up to the Mark early on and we became fans of him early on and fortunate to have ones like these two we ran [Wednesday] and today.”
All 11 yearlings now safely rehomed
After Tracy Sheffield, the executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association, posted on Facebook late Wednesday that a buyer at this week's annual TTA yearling sale named David O'Dwyer, who is a suspected kill pen purchaser, bought 11 horses at the Lone Star Park auction, in a Thursday message on X Highlander Training Center in Sulphur Springs, Texas reported that all of the yearlings were safe and bought by responsible parties.
Highlander's post said, “From communication we have had this morning with both the Texas Thoroughbred Association and the Bowie Livestock Sale Barn, it is our understanding that all 11 yearlings purchased by a BLSB representative at the TTA Yearling Sale have been purchased now by responsible horse owners who will provide good homes for the horses. All of us at Highlander Training Center want to thank all of the people throughout the country who have stepped forward to offer to help in this situation.”
