Daily News Wrap

Vibrant Sun to sell at Magic Millions in May

G1 Australasian Oaks winner Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) will be offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in May. “She stamped herself in terms of class. To win a Group 1 you need everything to go your way - a perfect prep. She overcame a pretty significant hurdle (to win the Oaks). The time between runs, the treatment of the fetlock - she drifted in the betting from being the early favourite and had to make all the running the whole way down the straight,” said agent Sheamus Mills.

“Unfortunately for us injury curtailed her career. We did rehab her and bring her back and she was going better than ever and ran first up at Scone with the grandstand. Unfortunately she chipped her fetlock and we wanted to do the right thing by the horse and she was straight to the paddock.

“She'd done such a tremendous job as a clean winded, lovely horse that we decided to retire her. She's a beautifully balanced, mid sized mare. She had a heap of quality. She has good length - she isn't over-sized. She got to 2000 metres, but she is built like a miler.”

Winner of three of her ten starts and over $700,000, Vibrant Sun was trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. She was sold as a yearling by Canning Downs at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2022 for $260,000 to Mills, Price, and Kent. Her dam, Vibrant Rouge (Written Tycoon) won eight races including the G3 Vamos Stakes, while also being stakes placed in Melbourne. Vibrant Rouge’s other winner Yangarra Rose (Zoustar) produced this season’s early juvenile winner Blandford Baron (Extreme Warrior).

Vale Des Pope

Blue Gum Farm have announced the passing of successful Victorian breeder Des Pope. "Des was an incredible man and leaves a legacy in racing for his family to continue on," said the farm in a statement on X. "For more than 30 years, Des was closely connected with Blue Gum Farm and was involved in many of the outstanding racehorses produced here during that time."

Pope was an early investor in the stallion Rubiton when he retired to Blue Gum Farm, and in recent years has bred the likes of multiple Group winner She Dances (Street Boss {USA}), R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner winner Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau), and G3 Bletchingly Stakes winner Bridal Waltz (Snitzel) who won the VOBIS Gold Comet last weekend.

Four more to give McDonald the Aussie record

Three more Group 1 wins will put James McDonald equal with Australian record holder Damien Oliver on 129 career Group 1 victories. He’s currently equal second with George Moore on 126. McDonald rides Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) in the G1 Randwick Guineas and Joliestar (Zoustar) in the G1 Canterbury Stakes on Saturday.

Forgive War Machine for Newmarket

Co-trainer Ben Hayes believes War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}) can bounce back in Saturday’s G1 Newmarket Handicap after a disappointment last start in the G2 Australia Stakes. “I'm very forgiving. He jarred up badly as it was a very firm track that day,” Hayes told racenet.com.au.

“When Jamie (Melham) rode him, she said he just didn't let down at all. We were very disappointed but I do think there were some genuine excuses. He trialled excellent down the straight (last Friday). I think he's back on track. He's tightened right up, his action is back to normal and I think he's a happy horse again.”

B2B pair set for Group 1 targets

B2B-owned Lazzura (Snitzel) will run in Saturday’s G1 Canterbury Stakes, while Generosity (Divine Prophet) heads to the G2 Challenge Stakes with the G1 Galaxy Handicap in mind. “She's a horse that deserves it,” Ricky Surace told racenet.com.au of Lazzura. Both are trained by Chris Waller.

“I thought it was a super run first-up. If you looked at her in the yard you'd think she was a run or two away but she'll be fit and ready to go next week.

“Following Saturday, (Generosity) will go down a path towards The Galaxy and then the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide – that seems like a nice target for her. That race there will likely be weaker than an All Aged Stakes or the TJ Smith Stakes and the goal with her is to get that valuable Group 1.”

Stradbroke for Abounding

Rob Heathcote-trained Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Abounding (Rich Enuff) will run in Saturday’s G3 Wenona Girl Quality in Sydney before being set for a winter Group 1 campaign. “It’s a bit of a hit-and-run mission and I think she’ll only have the one Sydney start,” Heathcote told racingqueensland.com.au.

“Her main aim is the Stradbroke Handicap and Tatt’s Tiara. But, I want to give her space before the Queensland winter as I want to win a Group 1 before she eventually goes to the breeding ban. She’s only five, so she could still race on until she’s seven before she retires to stud but it all depends on if she can win a Group 1.”

Giga Kick set for Challenge Stakes

Trainer Clayton Douglas avoided the G1 Canterbury Stakes with Group 1 winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) and instead heads to Saturday’s G2 Challenge Stakes. “He’s been pretty solid, last preparation he was two from two and I thought his first-up run in the Lightning was good,” Douglas told racingnsw.com.au.

“He rode a hot speed and horses around him weren’t able to finish off. He probably raced a bit fresh and free in himself and to only be beaten two lengths by Tentyris is pretty good form for Saturday.

“Programming wise he could head to an Everest if his form warrants it. We’ll look after him and try to pick out the right races for him. I wouldn’t say no to it because he does like Sydney.” Giga Kick won The Everest in 2022.

Snowden separates Galaxy-aimed sprinters

Peter Snowden-trained stable mates Beadman (Snitzel) and Raging Force (Cosmic Force) are both headed to the G1 Galaxy but Beadman will go via Saturday’s Listed Fireball Stakes while Raging Force heads to the G2 Challenge Stakes. “Beadman is no good thing to make it, he’s got to win the Fireball to have his chance to get into the race. That’s why it’s important to have a rating as high as you can,” Snowden told racingnsw.com.au.

“I asked the handicapper if (Raging Force) did happen to win what it would do to his rating going toward a Galaxy. Being a handicap you don’t know what’s going to be in the race but they go off 114 which is 58kg and if he happened to win he gets in with 52kg-53kg and that sort of weight is certainly acceptable. There’s a few reasons we decided to run in that race and that’s one of them.”

Queen Of The Turf goal for Idle Flyer

G3 Angst Stakes winner Idle Flyer (Dundeel {NZ}) hasn’t raced since a disappointing 11th placing in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes, but will run in Saturday’s G3 Wenona Girl Quality ahead of a G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes target. “She did step up and take the right progression in her work to be competitive in a Group 1 after winning (the Angst), it didn’t go to plan but she certainly showed us she’s that sort of horse,” trainer Matt Smith told racingnsw.com.au.

“I just want to see her attack the line. A lot of it depends on how they run the race as to what chance we have, and how the track’s playing. If it was 1300 metres you might think she’d probably go close but 1200 metres is a different story.”

Momentslikethese dodges Aristopolos to get the win

For the first four times in her career, Stuart Gandy-trained Momentslikethese (Tiger Of Malay) placed behind the unbeaten stakes winning juvenile colt Aristopolos (St Mark’s Basilica {Fr}). Finally freed from his presence on Wednesday night, the 2-year-old filly bolted home at Launceston to win by 3.5 lengths and register the first win of her career.

“She’s done nothing wrong, she’s just chased a really good horse. I think 1400 metres is going to be her go and she should only improve as a 3-year-old. She’s been kept in really good condition by the team,” Gandy told tasracing.com.au.

She ran second to Aristopolos in both the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes and Listed Elwick Stakes, and she becomes the second winner for her first season sire Tiger Of Malay. Sold by Willaroon Thoroughbreds to Prime Thoroughbreds for $40,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Momentslikethese took her earnings over $78,000.

The second winner from two to race for stakes placed Mintha (Redoute’s Choice) whose yearling colt by Home Affairs was sold at the recent Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $200,000 by Rushton Park to Kilgravin, Bevan Smith Bloodstock, and McKeever Bloodstock. Mintha is a half-sister to the dam of recent Group 3 winning 3-year-old Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}).

Second SH winner for St Mark’s Basilica

With Aristopolos flying the flag for St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), the Coolmore shuttler added his second Southern Hemisphere winner on Thursday with Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained 2-year-old filly St Monica won on debut in New Zealand.

Sold by Hallmark Stud to her trainers for NZ$310,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, St Monica is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Scorpz (NZ) who also placed in the G1 New Zealand Derby. He stands at Platinum Thoroughbreds in Victoria and has two winners from four runners.

Kembla Grange announce expanded carnival

The G3 Kembla Grange Classic will form a key part in a seven meeting carnival for the Illawarra Turf Club. “The Kembla Classic has become one of the premier autumn features outside Sydney, and we’re proud to build an expanded carnival around it,” Illawarra Turf Club's Chairman Mark Sleigh told racingnsw.com.au.

“From high-quality racing to community events and entertainment, this carnival showcases everything that makes Kembla Grange such a vibrant destination.” The carnival opens with a twilight meeting on Friday March 13 and runs to June 21.

Unbeaten Better Blitzem demolishes two horse field

With four scratchings from the juvenile race at Townsville on Thursday, leaving just the two runners, Georgie Holt-trained Better Blitzem (Better Than Ready) won by over seven lengths. He was carrying 61kg to the other runner’s 54kg and took his unbeaten record to four wins.

The $5000 Capricornia Yearling Sale graduate is the second foal of Belitsa (Rubick) whose dam is a half-sister to R.Listed Magic Millions Cup winner Care To Think (So You Think {NZ}).

Better Than Ready had a double on the card with Better Blitzem’s stablemate Sweet Kisses taking her record to nine wins.

Fownes extends lead in Hong Kong

Trainer Caspar Fownes enjoyed a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night extending his championship lead to 39 over nearest rivals Mark Newnham and David Hayes on 36. His winners were Super Sicario (NZ) (Tivaci) and Verbier (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}).

Verbier was ridden by Luke Ferraris, who made it a treble with wins on Symbol Of Strength (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Fivefortwo (GB) (Time Test {GB}) who is on a Derby pathway. Zac Purton also rode a treble.

Guineas quinella go head-to-head in The Kiwi

Stablemates Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) and Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) who quinellaed the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in atrocious weather in the spring head to the R.Listed The Kiwi on Saturday. “It is something you dream of getting to and we did it very early on in the season. It is exciting to have two runners in a big prestige race like the NZB Kiwi,” trainer Pam Gerard told Loveracing.nz.

“I am happy with them. They are as good as they can be considering they have had a long season. It is the first time that he (Affirmative Action) has drawn a barrier the whole time. It gives us a lot easier start and we can be where we want to be.

“Romanoff will pop in midfield somewhere and hopefully get the softest trip we can possibly get from that draw. It is a tough ask with him having 60 kilos on his back, it is a huge handicap and one that is difficult to overcome.”

Haunui Farm has five graduates in The Kiwi

Saturday’s R.Listed The Kiwi has a field of 14, and five of them are graduates of Haunui Farm being Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}), He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel), L’Aigle Noir (NZ) (Ribchester {Ire}), War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca). “The amazing thing is that it’s a different style of race, someone has to pick your horse and it’s not just up to the handicapper,” Haunui’s Mark Chitty told Loveracing.nz.

“To run a farm, you’re doing it 365 days of the year in all types of weather and circumstances, so we are very proud. We’ve got some wonderful clients who have bred some of these horses as well as ourselves, that are in the race.”

Japanese raiders to avoid Dubai

The Shadai Race Horse Company, which owns Masquerade Ball (Duramente) and Jantar Mantar (Palace Malice), has confirmed that neither horse will travel from Japan to the Dubai World Cup meeting, citing the uncertainty surrounding the conflict in Iran and across the Middle East.

According to a report on the Nikkan Sports website, the stakeholders of the racing club reached their decision “based on the ongoing uncertainty regarding the smooth transportation to Dubai and the difficulty of ensuring the safety of horses and riders due to the lack of a clear end to the conflict.”

Racing in Qatar has been postponed this week but, at the time of writing, the Dubai Racing Club, which cancelled Wednesday's trials at Meydan, was still planning to stage its meeting on Friday, while the Bahrain Turf Club's two-day King's Cup meeting has also been postponed.

Challenges for Ascot in attracting the best

In recent weeks, Forever Young has won the world's richest race for the second time, Ka Ying Rising has set a new record in winning 18 consecutive races, Romantic Warrior landed his 13th Group 1 contest, and Rebel's Romance posted his 21st career victory. They have respectively earned the equivalent of approximately £23m (AU$43.5 million), £13m (AU$24.6 million), £26m (AU$49 million) and £12m (AU$22.7 million). It would seem that there has never been a better time to own a top-class racehorse.

Ka Ying Rising looks to be about to chart a similar course to last year, which would see him launch a repeat bid on The Everest at Randwick in October. His 2025 victory in Sydney was the sole start for the 5-year-old away from his home track of Sha Tin, not counting his dazzling barrier trial in his native New Zealand some three years ago. The David Hayes-trained gelding had been top of the wish list for Ascot's Nick Smith, whose job it is to sign up overseas challengers for Royal Ascot, the King George and British Champions Day. Ka Ying Rising appearing in Berkshire this summer seems unlikely to happen this year at least.

Smith, the director of racing and public affairs at Ascot, told TDN Europe, “When you're looking in from an American, Japanese or Australian point of view about sending horses to compete in Britain, you're only talking about sending them to compete in Group 1s. And regardless of the fact that we've made some pretty positive changes across the programme, (Britain's Group 1 races) still compare unfavourably with global Group 1s.”

At Royal Ascot, which this year is worth a total of £19.4m (AU$36.7 million), two races – the Prince of Wales's Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes are run for £1m (AU$1.9 million) each while the remaining six Group 1 contests offer a prize fund of at least £700,000 (AU$1.3 million). The Qipco-sponsored British Champions Day, which is funded by stakeholders Ascot, the Jockey Club, York, Goodwood, and Great British Racing as an 'industry day', is Britain's richest race day at £4.35m (AU$8.2 million), with the Champion Stakes being worth £1.3m (AU$2.5 million) and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes run for £1.1m (AU$2 million).

“The difference now to how it was 10 years ago is unbelievable,” he says. “I used to go to Australia with the confidence of getting seven or eight entries, three or four runners. Japan has always been a bit of a struggle, but America built from nothing, and we used to get horses from Hong Kong much more regularly.

“The prestige only takes you so far. Myself and William Derby (York) and Ed Arkell (Goodwood) and indeed Sophie Able from the Jockey Club, we spend an awful lot of time talking to connections, and it's the same redounding message all the time and that's 'We'd probably love to race in the UK more than anywhere else in the world, but we can't justify it'.”

He does however say that here have been “positive noises” about Masquerade Ball, who on Tuesday was ruled out of travelling from Japan to the Dubai Sheema Classic, coming to Ascot for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The Chris Waller-trained Australian sprinter Joliestar is also likely to head to Royal Ascot.

Goffs release bonus races

Goffs has announced the first wave of nominated bonus races available for qualified horses that were sold at last year's Orby Sale. Bonuses of €50,000 (AU$82,000) will be on offer for the Orby graduates whose connections have paid a €5,000 (AU$8200) entry to the scheme.

Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “The Goffs €1,000,000 Bonus Series offers Orby buyers as many opportunities to win as possible and we look forward to seeing graduates compete for these hugely valuable prizes right from the start of the season. Of course, the Two Million Series also features Europe's Richest 2-Year-Old Race, the Goffs Million, which provides a wonderful focal point ahead of the Orby Sale with prize money to tenth place.

“The Two Million Series was created to reward buyers and maintain momentum from the sale to the racecourse, and vendors are also benefiting in the ring as increasing numbers of purchasers are “ticking the box” to qualify for the series.”