Only rain can stop Tentyris
Co-trainer Sam Freedman believes that only torrential rain can beat Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) in Saturday’s G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington. He will attempt to be the first horse to win the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Champions Sprint. “He should have a good race in him on Saturday. If it got to heavy, we would have a good chat about it. If it’s a Good 4 we will be fronting up. Rain would be the only deterrent,” Freedman told racing.com.
Tentyris | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s fit; he’s not going to get any fitter. He’s in good order. We’ve just trotted and cantered kept his routine simple with him. Three-year-old colts who are very fit and firing bounce out of their runs very well.”
Verona Rose wins Inglis Bracelet
The tough mare Verona Rose (Catelvechhio) picked up a valuable win in the $350,000 Inglis Bracelet at Flemington over 1600 metres on Thursday. It was the Gary Portelli-trained mare's first victory as a 4-year-old after picking up the G3 Kembla Grange Classic as a filly before running fourth in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes.
Verona Rose was given a perfect run in fourth with cover by jockey Craig Willaims, and she was presented at the right time and showed her toughness to fight off all of the late challengers.
Verona Rose is by the classy Castelvecchio who can sire a good one and on her dam’s side, it’s all European stamina with a touch of class. Verona Rose’s dam, Minamya (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), was a winner over 1900 metres and is a half-sister to Mila (Fr) (Cape Cross {Ire}), who scored over 2400 and 2500 metres, including the Listed Prix de Thiberville.
Her granddam Minatlya (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) was a winner of the G3 Prix de Royaumont and the Listed Prix Caravelle, and she is a full sister to Manighar (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), an exceptional racehorse in both France and Australia who won 10 times, including three at Group 1 level from 1600 to 3000 metres.
Godolphin announce Zardozi retirement
Godolphin’s G1 Victoria Oaks winner Zardozi (Kingman {GB}) has been retired. The 5-year-old mare won the G2 Phar Lap Stakes as an autumn 3-year-old, but hasn’t won since. As well as winning the Oaks, Zardozi was competitive in Group 1 company, racing at that level on 13 occasions after the Oaks for a further four Group 1-placings.
She retires with $2.6 million in prizemoney. A descendant of dual Group 1 winner Gossamer (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), Zardozi’s unraced dam is a daughter of G2 Doncaster Park Hill Stakes winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Maher’s three Golden Gift runners
Trainer Ciaron Maher has three runners in Saturday’s Golden Gift, and each are different types. Artemex (Exceed And Excel) is a fast learner, The Next Episode (Snitzel) is competitive, and Spicy Miss (Trapeze Artist) is a filly for the future. “(Artemex) takes everything in his stride which early in the season is very important. He’s a mature colt both physically and mentally. His attitude is his biggest asset. He only needs one experience and it’s like he knows,” assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord told racingnsw.com.au.
“The good thing about (The Next Episode) is he’s very competitive, when he’s head to head he wants to win. He’s one of those horses that will fight if he has to.” The Next Episode was a $2.8 million purchase from Widden Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
“(Spicy Miss) has plenty of size, what you see now there’s a lot more to come for her. She’s got here because she’s got talent, it’s a good prizemoney race so she deserves her chance.”
Sydney carnival to end on a high on Saturday
The ATC are thrilled with how the Sydney spring carnival has gone. “The world witnessed the Sydney spring live and on screens like never before and we are thrilled to have another strong card to officially see out the Sydney Everest Carnival,” Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering Nevesh Ramdhani told racingnsw.com.au.
Nevesh Ramdhani | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Renowned UK trainer William Haggas and star jockey Cieren Fallon combine again in the Five Diamonds on Saturday after winning last year’s Golden Eagle. We also see a capacity field in the Golden Gift which historically sees the winner and second horses earn enough prizemoney to guarantee a start in the Golden Slipper.”
Snow In May can bounce back for Hot Danish
Co-trainer Tom Charlton believes Snow In May (The Autumn Sun) can return to form in Saturday’s G2 Hot Danish Stakes. “Her run in the Silver Eagle, you can probably put a line through it when she got caught four-deep,” Charlton told racingandsports.com.au.
“Her run before that had a bit more merit and she is back to mares' company now. It's still a hard ask but on her best form she is capable of being very competitive.”
Snow In May | Image courtesy of Sportpix
ATC announce grant recipients
The Australian Turf Club Foundation announced on Thursday that they will distribute $167,832 in funds to 15 charities. The funds were raised through donations and merch sales during the Sydney carnival. “The ATC Foundation is proud to support both the racing industry and the local communities surrounding each of our racecourses,” ATC Foundation Chair Angela Belle McSweeney told racingnsw.com.au.
“On behalf of the ATC Foundation Board, our Club and our Members, I extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated or purchased merchandise to support this work. It has been an honour to serve as Chair of the ATC Foundation over the past three years and to witness the incredible generosity of the racing community. These contributions continue to make a real difference to so many lives.”
Night Of Thunder increased to €200,000
Dubawi will remain at a fee of £350,000 (AU$700,000) for the 2026 breeding season while his son Night Of Thunder, the champion sire-elect in Britain and Ireland, has had his fee raised to €200,000 (AU$354,000).
The fees released for Darley's 23 stallions in Europe include four newcomers. The treble Group 1 winner Rosallion is introduced at £40,000 (AU$80,250) at Dalham Hall Stud, where he will stand alongside his relative and fellow Group 1 winner Inisherin, whose fee is £12,500 (AU$25,000). Also new to the roster is Shadow Of Light, winner of both the G1 Middle Park and G1 Dewhurst Stakes, who is based at Kildangan Stud at €17,500 (AU$35,100), while Tribalist, whose nine stakes wins include the G1 Prix du Moulin, stands on the new stallion roster at Haras de Castillon in Normandy for €6,000 (AU$10,600).
Darley's flagbearer Dubawi, who will turn 24 in January, reached two new milestones this year, siring his 300th stakes winner and 200th Group winner. On Saturday, the Charlie Appleby-trained Notable Speech became his fourth winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Mile in five years.
Along with Night Of Thunder, Dubawi's sons on the roster also include Too Darn Hot, whose fee will rise from £90,000 to £100,000 (AU$201,000), Ghaiyyath, sire of the recent G1 Victoria Derby winner Observer, who remains at €20,000 (AU$35,300). Blue Point and Teofilo will remain at their 2025 fees of €100,000 (AU$) and €30,000 (AU$53,000), respectively. Palace Pier, who has three first-crop Group winners to his credit among seven black-type performers, also remains steady at £32,000 (AU$64,200).
Sam Bullard, Director of Stallions said, “It has been another outstanding year for our European roster and we couldn't be prouder of our new champion sire Night Of Thunder, and are, as ever, extremely grateful to the breeders, without whom such success would not be possible.
“The 2026 roster offers breeders a range of opportunities to tap into two of the best sire-lines in the world plus a superb group of both young and proven stallions, and to have three champions to retire this year in Rosallion, Shadow Of Light and Inisherin is hugely exciting.”
Journalism to stay in training at four
Journalism (Curlin) who took three Grade I races during his 3-year-old season, will not be retired to stud at Coolmore America just yet, but will instead resume training for a 2026 campaign, according to co-owner Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbreds. “We are thrilled to announce that Journalism will be returning to race next season,” said Wellman in an email.
Journalism | Image courtesy of Kentucky Derby
“Coolmore have been wonderful partners and sportsmen as it relates to arriving at this collective decision on Journalism's future and we all share in the belief that Journalism is bred, built and designed to get better with age,” he continued. “Journalism will be freshened up at Bridlewood Farm in Ocala and return to Michael McCarthy towards the beginning of 2026, at which time he will be postured for being showcased on American soil.”
Journalism won the GI Santa Anita Derby, Preakness, and Haskell Stakes in 2025.
Te Akau quartet for Saturday’s Guineas
Mark Waker and Sam Bergerson will have four chances in Saturday’s G1 NZ 1000 Guineas at Riccarton, Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}), Belle Du Monde (Zoustar), Origin Of Love (Snitzel), and Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel). “The fillies that have been down there do have a massive advantage, we’ve had a lot of luck doing it that way, but I still think the northern form and the fillies flying down are the benchmark,” Bergerson told Loveracing.nz.
“Belle Cheval is lightly raced and has to take the next step, but we do think she is very talented and the mile will suit. Origin Of Love is a stakes winner at a mile, Cool Aza Rene proved us wrong when we stretched her out in trip, and back to Riccarton and up to a mile, I think Belle Du Monde can run really well. They are an interesting quartet, but it is going to be hard to beat Stephen Marsh’s filly (Well Written).”
Last minute shopping lifts final day of Goffs Autumn Yearlings
Strong chance that Willie Browne leaves his Christmas shopping until the last minute. Why? The legendary breeze-up handler played a leading role at this week's Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale – one of the last yearling sales of the year – by spending €160,500 (AU$283,000) on four horses, which included the top lot by Sioux Nation at €88,000 (AU$156,000). The final day of the yearlings achieved a median of €7,000 (AU$12,400), ahead of the sales whole median of €6,000 (AU$10,600).
Any softening to the horses-in-training market of late bore little or no consequence to the yearling section of this sale with a strong domestic and foreign buying bench contributing to a 15% rise in turnover to €4,372,900 (AU$7.7 million). The average and median also went north, with a 15% bump to €10,053 (AU$18,600) and 20% jump to €6,000 (AU$10,600) respectively. Meanwhile, an 82% clearance rate, which was up by 5% on last year's sale, illustrates just how high the demand was for untried horses at Goffs this week.
Ten jockeys announced for Hong Kong challenge
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) remains hopeful that Ryan Moore will recover from his leg injury in time to compete in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday, December 10.
Moore is one of 10 jockeys named in the line-up and is one of five former winners, along with Zac Purton, Mickael Barzalona, Joao Moreira and Christophe Lemaire. Moore has been off the track since late August and his participation in the event is subject to his confirmation.
Andrew Harding, executive director of racing for the HKJC, said, “The Longines International Jockeys' Championship is the world's most coveted such competition and this year we have one of the strongest jockey line-ups in recent years, featuring James McDonald, Mickael Barzalona, Ryan Moore and William Buick – who currently fill top four in the Longines World's Best Jockey standings, and between them this year they have won a string of the world's leading Group 1 contests.”
Andrew Harding | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
He added, “The line-up will be boosted, of course, by the inclusion of two-time IJC champion Ryan Moore, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that he recovers sufficiently to be able to participate.”
Other participants include Hollie Doyle, who has just embarked on a two-month stint riding in Hong Kong, and the Australian-based British rider Rachel King, who has enjoyed notable success of late in Japan. The former Hong Kong-based Umberto Rispoli will represent the USA in this year's jockeys' challenge.
Magnier donates land to Tipperary GAA
Coolmore's John Magnier has donated approximately 14 acres of land to develop a new training facility for the Tipperary Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), RTE reported. The land is adjacent to the Tipperary GAA's current base. The expansion of the Tipperary GAA's Coolmore Morris Park in Thurles will allow for the creation of a new, “state-of-the-art centre of excellence”.
In a statement, Tipperary GAA CEO Murtagh Brennan said, “This investment represents a watershed moment for Gaelic games in Tipperary and underscores our long-term commitment to nurturing athletic excellence and supporting the next generation of hurlers and footballers.
“Crucially, this expansion will serve not only our elite teams but the thousands of young boys and girls who represent the future of Tipperary GAA. It will provide a safe, modern and inclusive environment for youth development, physical wellbeing, and personal growth.
“The wider Tipperary community will also benefit, with this facility acting as a hub for participation, pride and connection across our county. Tipperary GAA extends its sincere gratitude to Mr Magnier for his outstanding generosity and vision.”
54 yearlings for Tattersalls Online
A total of 54 yearlings have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Online Yearling Session on November 18-19.
The yearlings are by such sires as Acclamation, Churchill, Showcasing, Starspangledbanner, Too Darn Hot, and Zoustar. There are 11 half-brothers and sisters to group and listed performers and seven yearlings out of group and listed performing mares.
Some of the choicest lots include a Zoustar filly out of Group 3 winner Farmah (lot 10) who is also a half-sister to the listed-placed Running Queen (Kingman); and a Sottsass half-sister (lot 21) to Group 1 winners Wigmore Hall (High Chaparral) and Ocean Road (Australia).
