Little Paradise wins the Listed Classic Mile
Jimmy Ting-trained Little Paradise (Toronado {Ire}) has won the first leg of the Hong Kong 4-Year-Old Series, the Listed Classic Mile, on Sunday evening at Sha Tin.
He becomes the second winner of the race for Toronado (Ire) in three years after Helios Express won in 2024. The win was the first black type victory for Little Paradise, who is the 47th stakes winner for his sire.
A full Hong Kong Report will be in the next edition.
Hope still alive for Incognito
Seven-figure colt Incognito (Stay Inside) pulled up second-last in Saturday’s G3 Canonbury Stakes after making a ‘gargling noise’ suggesting a displaced soft palate. “The good news is that we've got a legitimate reason for the performance on Saturday,” bloodstock agent James Harron told racenet.com.au.
Incognito | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Tommy (Berry) does everything with the horse and knows him inside and out and told me he was super confident at the 300-metre mark and was travelling with a lap full of horse. Naturally what happened late came as a bit of a shock but what would have been worse was not having something to fix and some answers.” He will head to the G2 Silver Slipper next, before the G1 Golden Slipper.
“Michael (Freedman) will look at a tongue tie and a tongue control bit with him now and work out what's best moving forward. The silver lining is that it's happened now and we've got time to manage it rather than in a few weeks' time. He's already a Breeders' Plate winner with prizemoney in the bank so it makes it a bit easier.”
Royal Ascot goal for Charm Stone
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will target Royal Ascot with dual Group 1 winner Charm Stone (I Am Invincible). “Her owners have a desire to take her to Royal Ascot. If we can she’s got the right sort of form to go,” Kent Jnr told racing.com.
Charm Stone | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I have no doubt she’s the right sort of mare.” She won the G1 Manikato Stakes this spring, adding to her G1 Robert Sangster Stakes win last autumn. A $1.55 million dollar yearling sold by Emirates Park to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA), she has earnings over $2.5 million.
Toorak Jewel unlikely for Slipper
Trainer Paul Shailer is unlikely to ask the connections of The Debut winner Toorak Jewel (Tassort) to pay the late fee for the G1 Golden Slipper. “You will see her next in the Jewel Prelude and then she is Jewel bound – if she won both of those races she would be a good chance to go to the (G2) Percy Sykes in Sydney,” Shailer told racenet.com.au.
Toorak Jewel | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“There is just so much under the bonnet with this filly that we haven't even tapped into yet. She has sort of come from nowhere, really. She won her barrier trial by a long way and it's not like she was let off the bridle or was chased along to do it. Once we saw that trial, we knew she was good.
“Horses just don't win trials like that, it doesn't matter what the distance is, or if it's on the B grass at the Gold Coast or anywhere else, they have obviously got a lot of upside. And then she came out on debut and did what she did. The great thing with her is that she is so untapped, you just don't know what her ceiling is.”
Lindsay Park lose memorabilia in fire
Lindsay Park lost 92% of their property, including several buildings and seven horses, in the recent fire at Longwood. Trainer David Hayes has revealed that much of the family’s memorabilia was being stored in Ben Hayes’ house, which was destroyed by the blaze. “A lot of the old stuff, a lot of dad’s trophies and cups and memorabilia are all gone so it’s very sad,” Hayes told racing.com.
“There was a stack of everything from trophies to old photos and the like of horses like Dulcify and Better Loosen Up, Without Fear and Zabeel. All the memorabilia around the Derby day triumph went as well. Most of it is irreplaceable and spread over a couple of generations so it’s a sad loss, but we have to move on.”
Baraqiel’s Dubai start uncertain
Group 1 winner Baraqiel (Snitzel)’s long history with injuries is part of the reason behind co-trainer Troy Corstens taking a cautious approach to his nomination for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai.
“To be honest, we haven’t actually discussed anything after the Lightning, and that’s for real,” Corstens told racing.com.
Baraqiel | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“There are so many options. We’ve had great success with a horse like The Astrologist over there, in Dubai. If he (Baraqiel) shows he has improved down the straight, then it might be something we could have a really good look at.”
Quartet for Williams at Eagle Farm
On Saturday, apprentice jockey Jai Williams scored a quartet of victories on Satomi (The Autumn Sun), Rezone (Dundeel {NZ}), Giapponese (Admire Mars {Jpn}), and Battlefield (Deep Field). “Fast horses help and confidence helps as well,” Williams told racenet.com.au on Sunday.
“When I first came here I was like a church mouse and I was a bit nervous. But all these trainers are giving me a good go and I'm very appreciative. This has been my dream for the last two years to get here and we'll just keep doing the right things. I've got (boss) Paul Shailer in my corner who's given me a good go and he keeps telling me about those little one-percenters I need to work on.”
NSW policy on international jockeys
Racing NSW and the New South Wales Jockeys' Association (NSWJA) have implemented a new policy to prevent international jockeys from riding at country meetings.
“NSWJA would like to see the implementation of a minimum standard for all visiting license applications to assist in managing the workforce,” NSWJA CEO Tony Crisafi told racenet.com.au.
“Racing in NSW is the best in Australia and supports visiting riders to compete successfully in the metropolitan area.”
Jockeys Harrison Shaw, currently riding in Queensland, Fred Larson, and apprentice Jack Callan all fall under the policy and have had their riding licences restricted by Racing NSW.
Australian Of The Year’s horse to debut on Tuesday
Crowned the 2025 Australian Of The Year for raising over $100 million to support motor neurone disease research, AFL great Neale Daniher hopes to celebrate when his 3-year-old gelding Beast Fighter (Nicconi) debuts at Seymour for Lindsay Park. The gelding is named in honour of the disease, that Daniher dubs the beast, which he was diagnosed with.
“He's got back in both his trials and hit the line well so he's going the right way. We've just been patient and he's ticking along nicely. He looks to have good upside,” co-trainer Will Hayes told racenet.com.au.
Double for Zoustar at Sapphire Coast
Reigning Champion Sire Zoustar celebrated a double at the Sapphire Coast meeting today with Los Padres, who won for the sixth time in his career, and Zouatica who made it nine career wins. His son Zousain also had a winner at the meeting with Shezain who took her record to two wins from three starts.
Second season sire Sandbar added his seventh winner at the same meeting when Theresa Bateup-trained 3-year-old gelding Brundee Tom won his maiden.
Treble for Blue Point at Sale
Sunday’s Sale meeting included a treble for Blue Point (Ire) who won with 3-year-old filly Point Moon, who was having her second start, Ballistic Blue, and 3-year-old filly Blue Akoya who took her record to two wins from seven starts.
Blue Point also had a winner at Werribee with Niki O’Shea-trained 3-year-old gelding Discreet Point. Blue Point has 17 yearlings catalogued for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Listed Gore Guineas abandoned
Sunday’s Listed Gore Guineas will be rescheduled after the race meeting was abandoned after the running of the first on the card where one horse slipped on the turn.
Not This Time colt picks up Derby points
With racing action largely limited to the far south across the rest of the country, Nearly (Not This Time) gave the frozen East Coast something to cheer about and passed his stretch-out test with authority on Saturday, capturing the G3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and picking up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Now with 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Nearly sits officially tied for second with G3 Lecomte Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin). The leader however, Nearly's stablemate Ted Noffey (Into Mischief), was recently pulled off the Derby trail with bone bruising. Bravaro earned 10 points for his runner-up finish and now sits 15th on the leaderboard for Saffie Joseph Jr. While Project Ace added 6 points and sits 20th for Albaugh Family Stables whose On Time Girl won the earlier G3 Forward Gal.
Group 1 double for Fortune
Trainer Justin Snaith won his fourth consecutive G1 Cape Town Met on Saturday at Kenilworth when See It Again (Saf) (Twice Over {GB}) beat home stablemate Legal Counsel (Saf) (Legislate {Saf}). It was Snaith’s fifth win in the race.
It was the third Group 1 victory for See It Again, who hadn’t won since 2023 after requiring re-training for some behavioural issues. Jockey Andrew Fortune won four races on the card, including on Double Grand Slam (Saf) (Vercingetorix {Saf}) who won the G1 Majorca Stakes.
