Young sire Sejardan dies
Blue Gum Farm announced on Wednesday that their young sire Sejardan had sustained “a sudden and catastrophic injury earlier today. Despite immediate veterinary intervention and round-the-clock care from an exceptional veterinary team led by Dr Angus Adkins at Avenel Equine Hospital, Sejardan was unable to be saved,” said the press release.
“The loss is felt deeply by everyone at Blue Gum Farm. We particularly acknowledge the staff who worked most closely with him every day, especially his stallion handler Justin Telfer, who formed a strong bond with him from the moment he arrived. We also extend our heartfelt sympathies to Sejardan’s ownership and shareholder group who believed in him and supported his journey from champion colt to promising young sire.
“We would also like to sincerely thank the many breeders who supported Sejardan across his first three seasons at stud. Your belief in the horse, your mares, and his future was genuinely appreciated, and will continue to honour that faith through the stock he leaves behind.”
Sejardan, a son of Sebring, won four of his 12 starts for trainer Gary Portelli. He won the G3 Breeders’ Plate on debut and added the Golden Gift at his next start. In the autumn he won the G2 Todman Stakes and trained on at three to add the G3 Red Anchor Stakes. His oldest crop are yearlings and sold up to $130,000 as weanlings.
New stakes winner for Playing God
Adam Durrant-trained 3-year-old filly Playin’It Sweet (Playing God) won the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes on Tuesday evening to become stakes winner number 24 for her sire. She will head to the G3 Champion Fillies on November 15 next. “She’s a beauty,” Durrant told tbwa.net.au on Wednesday.
“There’s not much of her but she’s lean, mean and genuine. Credit to the second-horse Talkanco. She’s a top filly and was hunting us down with an extra 3kg. It will be an interesting Champion Fillies. Take nothing away from our girl. She was on the bit early and will have to chill out get a mile. She will go down to the beach this week with my partner Nicki who does all the work with her and a big shout out to all the team at home, too.”
A homebred for Rod and Tania Cosgrove and their daughters Jasmine and Georgia, Playin’It Sweet took her earnings over $430,000 with her fifth win from eight starts. She is out of Sweet Ora (Oratorio) who is a winning half-sister to Listed winning full siblings La Famelia (Strategic) and Sixth Legion.
Kirkham Plate winner set for Slipper campaign
Hawkesbury trainer Terry Croft will run 2-year-old filly Thrill Hunter (Ole Kirk) in Saturday’s Golden Gift with the aim to earning enough prizemoney to make the G1 Golden Slipper field in the autumn. She won the Kirkham Plate on debut. “We’re hoping she can win or run a place and that would pretty well qualify her for the Slipper so that’d be a box ticked,” Croft told racingnsw.com.au.
“This is what we get out of bed for every day. We start work just before 4am, it means everything to me and the staff. We’ve had a couple of handy ones over the years, no superstars, nothing that started off like this anyway. She’s progressed and got better as time as come along.”
Wong’s cheapie has a crack at Golden Gift
Trainer Tommy Wong will debut 2-year-old colt Rapid Progress (Yes Yes Yes) in Saturday’s Golden Gift. “He was only a cheap horse we bought for China but he won his trial so we decided to race him,” Wong told racenet.com.au. Rapid Progress was bought from Bowness Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $12,500.
Rapid Progress as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Depending how he goes, he will probably stay here now. I think he was the last lot of the Magic Millions Sale. We bought a couple and he's got pretty good confirmation. He is a little more exceptional than the other young ones. He's not colty, he's an easy horse to handle.”
Melham factor for Ethereum Girl
Lindsay Park have booked Cup winning jockey Jamie Melham for Ethereum Girl (Maurice {Jpn}) in Thursday’s G1 Victoria Oaks, and are hoping for a change in fortunes after a luckless sixth in the G2 Wakeful Stakes last start.
“We're looking forward to seeing her in the Oaks. She's got a good draw. As long as she settles, she'll be hard to beat,” JD Hayes told racing.com. She is one of three fillies by Maurice (Jpn) in the Oaks, the others being Morisu Ojo and Classic Gem.
Global possibilities for Half Yours
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy were given an invitation to this year’s G1 Japan Cup after Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) won the G1 Caulfield Cup but declined as they chose the G1 Melbourne Cup instead. But now they have that under his belt, it’s time to think bigger. “He could take us on a great journey and what he's shown us this year is he loves travelling,” Tony McEvoy told racenet.com.au on Wednesday.
“The world's his oyster really, it's wherever we want to take him. Who's to say, the way this horse stayed that two miles, who's to say he couldn't run at Royal Ascot, the Ascot Gold Cup. Who's to say he can't go, if he goes to the Cox Plate maybe Japan Cup next year?”
Half Yours | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Despite the melodrama from the public over his minor self-inflicted cut to his cheek, Half Yours has pulled up well from Tuesday’s victory. “He could run next Saturday if there was a race. Each run, he's just improved every time and that win in the Melbourne Cup showed that he's a class horse and a star in the future.
“One of the great assets of elite athletes is your recovery powers, and he recovers magnificently … he's bright in the coat, bright in the eye and eaten up. His recovery through a race is incredible. First thing we want to do is get the horse to a paddock and let him rest, just reward him for what he's done for us.”
Unlucky Tres Magnifique set for Red Roses
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained 3-year-old filly Tres Magnifique (I Am Invincible) is looking for improved luck for Saturday’s G3 Red Roses Stakes. “She's an awkward horse to ride. She begins slowly and we've simply had no luck. You could make a case that if she didn't win either of her two starts, she'd be going very close,” Busuttin told racenet.com.au.
“She's drawn barrier one down the straight, but she's not going to get held up is she? If she gets a run, she'll run well. She's going great and if she gets a start and wins, it would be no surprise to anyone.”
Rawiller wins at Kyneton for mate
Jockey Nash Rawiller won at Kyneton on Wednesday aboard trainer Debra Nardino’s Dollar Shot (Shooting To Win). Nardino is a close friend of Rawiller’s wife Sarah. “I remember a little conversation over Christmas, a couple of years ago, about the horse,” Rawiller told racing.com.
“Look, it's great to see the horse go on and do what she's doing and more importantly it's great to see Debra get a deserved nice horse and I'm sure, given the opportunity, she'd be great for somebody else to put them in her stable.” Dollar Shot took her record to five wins with three of those coming in her last five starts.
Winner number 16 for Tagaloa
Second season sire Tagaloa added his 16th winner when 3-year-old filly Asiatic saluted at Kyneton for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. The Yulong owned filly was having her second start.
She is the third foal of Red Lily (Redoute’s Choice), who produced a Written Tycoon filly this spring.
Anders adds Kiwi winner
On Wednesday in New Zealand, second season sire Anders added his 17th winner for Sweet Talkin Gal won at Taranaki. Placed on debut at two, she was having her fourth start for trainer Hollie Wynyard. She was sold by Millburn Creek at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $65,000 to Paul Willetts Bloodstock.
Sierra Leone tops new trio at Coolmore
Coolmore America has assigned stud fees for its three newest additions following last weekend's Breeders' Cup Championships at Del Mar.
2025 GI Breeders' Cup Classic runner up Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) tops the list at US$75,000 (AU$116,000). “We are honoured to announce three new Eclipse Award winners as part of our 2026 stallion roster here at Ashford Stud,” said Charlie O'Connor, Director of Sales at Coolmore America. “Sierra Leone, Fierceness and Citizen Bull all arrived safely at their new home to begin their stallion careers and are available to be seen by breeders with immediate effect.”
Eclipse-winning juvenile Fierceness (City of Light) will stand for US$50,000 (AU$77,000) after a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday. Champion 2-year-old Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) who will stand for US$35,000 (AU$54,000) in his debut season off a runner-up effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Height restriction for Havana Grey to stay
Taller ladies need not apply for a date with Havana Grey in 2026 as Whitsbury Manor Stud has confirmed that the star stallion will continue to cover mares with a height restriction in place for next year.
His fee remains private while Showcasing has been dropped by £5,000 to £30,000 (AU$60,250) and newbie Elite Status introduced at £8,000 (AU$16,000). Dragon Symbol and Sergei Prokofiev will operate at that same fee.
Joe Callan, Head of Bloodstock and Sales at Whitsbury, commented, “Havana Grey will once again have his fee listed as private. This reflects the importance of carefully managing his book to mares 16.0hh or under — a strategy that proved highly effective last season, resulting in an impressive 90% fertility rate — benefitting both the stallion and our clients.
“He has enjoyed another outstanding season on the track, siring 15 individual black-type two-year-olds — more than any other stallion standing worldwide — equating to an astounding near 25% black-type 2-year-olds to runners. A truly remarkable achievement, especially considering they were conceived from his final £6,000 crop.”
Pike’s Hello Youmzain pair head to Guineas
Trainer Tony Pike will have a runner in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas and the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas and they are both by second season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr). His 3-year-old filly Cream Tart (NZ) is coming off a last start win. “This is the race we targeted and her preparation couldn’t have worked out better, I think she’s peaking at the right time,” Pike told Loveracing.nz.
Hello Youmzain (Fr) | Standing at Cambridge Stud
Happy Youmzain (NZ) heads to the colts version off a last start sixth placing. “It was a bit unfortunate from the draw, and he was dragged to the outside and got a bit lost and unbalanced, but the last 200m of his race was really good. We’ll gallop him next Tuesday morning, possibly with the application of blinkers, and if we’re happy then he’s a genuine chance to go down.”
Nathaniel heads Newsells Park roster for 2026
The four-strong 2026 roster of Newsells Park Stud stallions is led by Nathaniel at £17,500. The Classic sire stood for £20,000 (AU$40,000) in 2025.
On the back of his son Zavateri's exploits, Without Parole will stand for an increased fee of £10,000 (AU$20,000), up from £8,000 (AU$16,000) this year. Zavateri won the G2 July Stakes, G2 Vintage Stakes and the G1 National Stakes this term.
Newsells Park Stud's general manager, Julian Dollar said, “Zavateri provided us with one of the great 'David & Goliath' stories of the year, as he proved his talent, speed, and incredible gutsiness time and time again. His wins as well as those of group and stakes performers like Fiery Lucy, Genchev, Sea To Sky, etc., from only 84 foals of racing age, demonstrate what this top-class miler son of Frankel offers breeders.
“Nathaniel has established himself as one of Europe's premier middle distance sires with nine Group 1 winners and four Classic winners. He and Frankel are the only active sires to have produced the winners of the English, Irish and French Oaks, as well as the Epsom Derby. You have to be a pretty special stallion to sire horses of the calibre of Enable and Desert Crown and it is gratifying to see yearling buyers recognising that fact.”
Pat Smullen day raises over €350,000
The 2025 Pat Smullen Race Day and the Curragh to Curragh Charity Cycle has officially raised €351,631 (AU$621,000) for Cancer Trials Ireland, bringing the total funds generated since the initiative began in 2022 to over €1.2 million (AU$2.2 million).
This exceptional support has been instrumental in advancing life-saving cancer research and treatment development through Cancer Trials Ireland. Speaking at the presentation, Angela Clayton Lea, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Trials Ireland, said, “It is a very exciting time for global researchers who are studying this disease, because we are developing new drugs that can really target the most common mutations in pancreatic cancer. In the next year, Prof Grainne O'Kane – who is the Pat Smullen Chair in Pancreatic Cancer in UCD – is set to open at least two clinical trials targeting specific mutations in the tumour to help provide a precision oncology approach.”
Goffs Autumn Yearlings conclude
Peter Nolan and Noel Meade are out on their own as the leading buyers at the Autumn Yearling Sale with their €167,000 (AU$295,000) spend headed by a Coulsty colt that the trainer labelled “as nice a horse as we've seen at Goffs all week.”
The Coulsty colt is the most expensive horse to sell at Autumn Yearling Sale – which comes to a close on Wednesday – thus far. He cost €60,000 (AU$106,000) and was consigned by Rathasker Stud. All told, the County Meath-based handler has added 10 yearlings to his team for next year at Kildare Paddocks this week.
Meade said, “The nice horses are making plenty of money. We have an existing client for the Coulsty and he's probably as nice a horse as we've seen at Goffs all week. He's a gorgeous-looking horse and looks like he will make up into a 2-year-old. We've had a bit of lucky with Coulsty over the past few years so we were happy enough to take a chance on this lad.”
Of the 243 horses offered on Tuesday, 195 were sold for a turnover of €1,961,500 (AU$3.3 million). The average was €10,059 (AU$17,700) while the median was €6,000 (AU$10,600).
