Toronado withdrawn from covering in 2025
Swettenham Stud announced on Sunday evening that Toronado (Ire) would not cover any mares in 2025 as he recovers from an infection. “Toronado has played a huge role in the history of Swettenham Stud, as well as the Victorian industry, and we really see him as part of our family,” said Adam Sangster in a press release.
Toronado (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud
“His health and wellbeing come first to everyone at the farm so this was a straightforward decision. We are very grateful to the understanding shown by all the breeders who had mares booked to him. While it is unlikely that he will cover again this season, we are confident that as a 15-year-old, he has many promising years ahead of him.”
Ka Ying Rising wins his season opener with ease
Hong Kong’s racing season opened with heavy rain and thunder thanks to the approaching Tropical Storm Tapah, but fans were not deterred from the chance to see last season’s Horse Of The Year Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) resuming.
And they didn’t have to worry as he made short work in winning the Chief Executive's Cup for the second time.
TTR will do a full review of Hong Kong’s opening meeting in the next edition.
G3 Korea Sprint won by Self Improvement
Hong Kong trained Self Improvement (Deep Field) travelled the Seoul for Sunday’s G3 Korea Sprint and won by a length for trainer Manfred Man.
The other Hong Kong trained horse to run in Seoul, Francis Lui-trained Chancheng Glory (USA) (Mor Spirit {USA}), was second in the G3 Korea Cup.
Milnes wins John Letts Medal
Jockey Rochelle Milnes was awarded the John Letts Medal at the South Australia Racing Awards & Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Milnes also won all three apprentice jockey awards, the Leon Macdonald Award for SA Apprentice of the Year, the Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year and the Caitlin Forrest SA Provincial Apprentice of the Year.
Last year's John Letts Medal winner, Jake Toeroek, won Provincial Jockey of the Year, Sairyn Fawke was awarded Country Jockey of the Year while young gun Brooke King secured the Country Apprentice Title.
South Australia’s Champion Racehorse of the Year was awarded to Andrew Gluyas-trained Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah {USA}).
Phillip Stokes won the Metropolitan Trainer of the Year Award, and Garret Lynch claimed his first CS Hayes Award for the most wins across all races in the state while also adding the Country Trainer of the Year Award for a second year running. Comeback trainer Stephen Theodore won the SA Provincial Trainer of the Year Title.
One more week for Another Wil
Trainer Ciaron Maher will give Another Wil (Street Boss {USA}) another week before he runs in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, rather than the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes on Saturday as originally planned. He ran sixth in the G1 Memsie when resuming. “We'll give him that extra week - that's probably the main thing - to bring him on a little more and another run at the 1400 will only be to his benefit,” Maher told racing.com.
Another Wil | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Prep has gone reasonably smoothly. He's slightly bigger and I expected him to need the run but was surprised where he finished (sixth, beaten six lengths). Hopefully it's just fitness but it was a bit of a worry as he had his head on his side a bit.”
Esha sore after G1 AJ Moir eighth
Previously unbeaten 3-year-old filly Esha (Extreme Choice) has pulled up sore after finishing eighth in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes. “She copped a prat on the home corner," Shane Nichols, who prepares Esha in partnership with Hayden Black, told racenet.com.au.
“It was obviously a very hectic speed but once she copped a little bit of a bump, she lost her action. She's pulled up with what is hopefully not a significant issue. She's still run creditably in a Group 1.”
Hong Kong on the cards for Fawkner Park
Co-trainer Annabel Archibald is contemplating a trip to Hong Kong’s December meeting with Fawkner Park (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). “Obviously he was trialling there against Everest horses, so they were a bit sharp for him in the trial but he’s coming up super. He’ll have another trial over 1200m in a few weeks,” Archibald told racing.com.
Annabel Archibald | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He doesn’t go Melbourne direction, so at this stage he’ll go Hill Stakes, maybe the Craven Plate, and then we’ve got Hong Kong in the back of our mind, potentially. So we’ve got him in a bit later with that view in mind.”
Turn of luck for Robbins
Five months ago, jockeys Sarah Robbins and Brendon Newport lost everything they owned in a motorhome fire, but Robbins luck turned on Saturday with a treble at the famous Birdsville meeting. “I'm pretty sure that was my first treble, you've got to get lucky sometimes,” Robbins told racenet.com.au.
“I have had a bit of a rough time, there was the fire when we lost all our (riding) gear and other stuff, and then my pony died last week. It's not been the best time, but it's been nice to see things have come good in Birdsville for me. I've been lucky to have been put on by some good trainers and be riding some fast horses.
“The racing industry has been great for us, after the fire they got us the essential gear we needed to get us going again. We lived in the mobile home for about four months when we were in Alice Springs for racing, but now (Chinchilla trainer and owner) Rodney Hay has lent us a vehicle.”
Stakes placed Tagaloa gelding breaks through in New Zealand
Lance Robinson-trained 3-year-old gelding Alottago (Tagaloa) became the eighth winner for his second season sire when winning his first outing this season on Sunday at South Canterbury. He was twice stakes placed in three starts at two.
Sold by Yulong for $8000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Alottago was bought by Taui Johnson Bloodstock and put through Apex Bloodstock’s draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale where his trainer purchased him for NZ$20,000. He is the first foal of Little Lotte (Redoute’s Choice) who is a half-sister to Listed winner City Of Song (Bel Esprit).
Written Tycoon’s pricey filly wins on debut
Half the card at Bendigo on Sunday was won by early spring 3-year-olds with proven sire Written Tycoon’s filly Leongatha opening the card with a win on debut for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr). The $650,000 purchase by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) from Yulong’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft is the second foal and second winner for Group 3 winner Kooweerup (More Than Ready {USA}).
Coincidentally, Kooweerup was purchased by Yulong as a yearling from Vinery Stud for $650,000 and missed to Pierata in 2024.
Speedily bred Poker wins at Bendigo
Memories of speedy mare Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt) were invoked at Bendigo on Sunday when her 3-year-old colt Poker (Spirit Of Boom) won on debut for Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr). A half-brother to Listed winner Eawase (Sebring) and Group 3-placed Sensical (Zoustar), and a full brother to stakes placed Bezique, Poker was purchased by Mick Price Racing for $280,000 from Strawberry Hill’s dispersal sale.
Karuta Queen was unbeaten in her first four starts, including the R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and went on to add two more black type races as an older mare.
Debutant Romantic Encounter adds winner for Ghaiyyath
Former shuttler and second season sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) added winner number five in the Southern Hemisphere when Lindsay Park-trained Romantic Encounter (NZ) won on debut at Bendigo. Purchased by Lindsay Park and PR Thoroughbreds for NZ$425,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale from Phoenix Park, he was initially sold by Wentwood Grange at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to trainer Fraser Auret for NZ$60,000.
He is the first foal of Romantic Whisper (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) who won three races in Sydney and Hawkesbury.
New winner for Russian Camelot
Widden Stud’s second season sire Russian Camelot (Ire) added winner number three when Danny O'Brien-trained 3-year-old colt Crown Of Russia was a winner at Bendigo at his second raceday appearance.
Initially sold at the August 2023 Inglis Digital Sale by Goodwood Farm for $25,000 to Little River Bloodstock, Crown Of Russia was purchased by O’Brien for $50,000 from Widden Stud’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft. He is the last foal of unraced Triple Tiara (Beautiful Crown {USA}) who has produced three winners.
Sunday’s country 3-year-old winners
Sunday’s Bairnsdale meeting saw victories by John Salanitri-trained 3-year-old gelding Somebody Told Me (Tassort) who was on debut and Lindsay Park-trained 3-year-old filly Affirmative Smile (All Too Hard) who was having her fourth start.
In Queensland, at Kilcoy, Alyssa and Troy Sweeney-trained 3-year-old gelding Mhasahn (Lean Mean Machine) made it two in succession, a vast improvement on his previous seven starts. Rob Wellington-trained 3-year-old gelding Drumconda (Alymerton) became the fourth winner for his sire when victorious at Gundagai on Sunday. He was having his third start.
Over in WA, at Kalgoorlie, 3-year-old gelding Ripper Rupert (Winning Rupert) broke through for his first win at his fifth start. He placed on debut at two.
Keeneland September Yearlings begins on Monday
With outs taken into consideration, a group of 303 elite yearlings is currently scheduled to go through the Keeneland sales ring Monday and Tuesday as part of Book 1. It will be no surprise to learn 29 of them–nearly a whooping 10% of Book 1–are by six-time leading sire Into Mischief, who secured his 26th and 27th Grade I winners last weekend at Saratoga and is poised to add another title this year. The upwardly trending Not This Time matches Into Mischief with 29 lots, as does the much-anticipated first-crop yearling sire Flightline, but no other stallion has more.
Shisospicy adds Group 2, heads to Breeders’ Cup
Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy (Mitole) faced a couple of niggling questions entering Saturday's GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Already accomplished over sharper turf sprint trips, how would she handle the extended 6 1/2-furlong distance of the US$2-million (AU$3 million) contest, one, and two, what sort of lingering hangover might there be from an overseas trip to face the boys in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, when she dropped away tamely to finish in the latter third of that 21-strong field?
Well, it took fewer than 75 second for the fleet-footed gray filly to answer those questions, and the end result was a dominating victory to get her on track for the rest of her sophomore season. All being equal, Shisospicy will make her next appearance at Del Mar on the first Saturday in November in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Stakes win for unbeaten Night Of Thunder colt
Following an impressive debut win at Newbury last month, 2-year-old colt Bow Echo (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) denied chief rival Publish (Kingman) to double his tally in Saturday's Listed Ascendant Stakes at Haydock. Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's George Boughey-trained 5-6 favourite readily asserted under Billy Loughnane for a length success.
Boughey thinks there is a lot more to come. “He's a lovely horse who has shown plenty of ability at home, but he's possibly still quite raw,” he said. “He probably didn't learn too much on his debut at Newbury and he's only had once piece of work since.”
“Billy was of the opinion that he really wanted something to give him a lead for longer at Newbury and it was similar today,” he added. “It looked like Publish was coming to win the race, but our horse was waiting for him and outbattled him in the end. We see him as very much a horse for next year. Maybe we could step him up in class again this year, but I'd be quite happy to wait and run him in a Guineas trial next spring. He has plenty of pace, he's a Guineas horse and that's what we'll be training him for.”
New Grade 3 winner for Justify
Riding a three-race win streak, Stellify (USA) (Justify {USA}) went to the front a few jumps into the GIII Light & Wonder Ladies Marathon Invitational at Kentucky Downs and held the advantage all the way to an easy score.
Stellify, a US$140,000 (AU$212,500) Keeneland September yearling purchase, becomes the 27th lifetime graded/group winner for Coolmore stallion Justify. The elegantly-bred filly is one out of two winners for Savvy Star, a sister to Grade I winner Bluegrass Cat (Storm Cat), in addition to Graded winners Lord of the Game (Storm Cat) and Dramedy (Distorted Humor).
