Daily News Wrap

Foal amnesty deadline is Tuesday

The amnesty deadline for 2024 and 2025 born foals facing ineligibility to race ends on Tuesday, April 14, at close of business. Please check that all your data is up to date and also check in on your clients and colleagues before the amnesty cut off.

Unbeaten Southend heads to G1 Champagne

Unbeaten 2-year-old colt Southend (Palace Pier {GB}), trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, will head to Saturday’s G1 Champagne Stakes to test his two from two record at the top level.

“I have been excited about him ever since we bought him at the sales,” Ryan told racingandsports.com.au.

“He has been so straightforward, great natured, easy to get on with. And he's a lovely horse to look at. He reminds me of Lonhro. There's a photo when he won (the Baillieu) going past the post and he dead-set looks like Lonhro. Just his colour and his action and his ears.

“This horse was never going to go to the Sires' (Produce Stakes). He was always going to those two runs and if he was alright, to the Champagne. He has come out of his last win terrific. He looks well. He's enjoying life, and he's a straightforward little horse.” Southend is out of Listed Port Adelaide Guineas winner So We Are (So You Think {NZ}).

Generosity to join Joliestar on flight to Royal Ascot

Chris Waller will have two Royal Ascot runners in 2026 with Generosity (Divine Prophet) joining five-time Group 1 winner Joliestar (Zoustar).

“Dad and I had been discussing it for a little while and when we presented it to Chris (Waller) he loved the idea,” B2B Thoroughbreds’ Ricky Surace Jnr told racenet.com.au

“Looking at her and the form she is in, we believe she can be really dynamic up the straight at the 1000 metres with her racing style. She's absolutely flying so there will be no better opportunity and another positive is we know she handles the travel side of it really well having come over from WA. It's really exciting.”

King to ride Giga Kick in All Aged Stakes

Trainer Clayton Douglas has booked Rachel King to ride Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) in Saturday’s G1 All Aged Stakes.

“To be honest it was a pretty easy decision. Rachel has had a sit on him (Giga Kick) in a trial at Rosehill and she's obviously riding full of confidence at the moment,” Douglas told racenet.com.au.

“When Zac (Purton) wasn't going to be coming back for an All Aged we decided Rachel was a perfect fit. They got on really well in the trial and he's a pretty easy horse to ride.

“Fourth up at the 1400 metres in a decent sized field with a bit of tempo looks ideal for him. The barrier will be important because it would be good to map well but he's come on from the TJ and I'm really happy with him. Zac (Purton) got off in the TJ saying if the barriers were reversed the result might have changed but he got beaten by a champion mare in Joliestar and he still ran great.”

Jimmysstar needs the distance in All Aged Stakes

Part-owner Ozzie Kheir believes the step up to 1400 metres will help Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {NZ}) for Saturday’s G1 All Aged Stakes.

“I’ve been of the opinion that he is best suited at the 1400 metres and this preparation he doesn’t seem quite as sharp as he has been in the past, so I think he’s really looking for the trip now,” Kheir told racing.com.

Jimmysstar was fifth in the G1 TJ Smith over 1200 metres at his most recent start. He has won 11 of his 25 starts and over $8.4 million.

Racing NSW release 2024 Strategic Plan

On Monday, Racing NSW updated their Draft Strategic Plan 2025 to a document named Strategic Plan 2024. The finalised contents are largely unchanged from the draft plan.

Go Fund Me reinstated

After TTR published an update on the V’Landys vs TTR defamation case, the Go Fund Me was reported by an unknown person as inappropriate. This has now been reinstated.

Camilla’s Knickers to debut on Tuesday

Hawkesbury trainer Steve O’Halloran will debut 3-year-old filly Camilla’s Knickers (King’s Legacy) at home on Tuesday.

“I haven’t heard from King Charles III; I’m still waiting for the email to come through,” O’Halloran told racingnsw.com.au.

“Everyone in the syndicate suggested a name and Camilla’s Knickers came out on top. She is a big filly and, typical of the breed, needed a bit of time, so we didn’t push her to race as a 2-year-old.

“I took her to Wyong (trials) on March 5, and she was in the last of 13 heats on a messy track by the time that came around. Camilla’s Knickers went around and handled it okay to finish third. Then she trialled again at home 18 days later and ran second in a 1000-metre heat on another rain-affected track. This will be a good starting point for her, and there’s still a bit of improvement to come.”

Ka Ying Rising could race on China mainland

With the Hong Kong Jockey Club planning to launch Conghua next season with the first meeting scheduled for October 31, they announced on Monday that the G2 Jockey Club Sprint could be moved to the mainland. This would give Chinese fans a chance to see Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) at Conghua.

“It would be big news on the mainland – the world’s best horse running there,” HKJC CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges told scmp.com

“At the moment we are exploring what we can do to beef up this meeting and it is one consideration, which is currently in the exploration stage and would need approval from the international pattern committee and even quarantine arrangements for overseas horses, because we cannot exclude them.

“We would have to talk to our sponsor, so therefore there are a lot of things to consider. I think it would probably take two months to make a decision whether it’s feasible or not, but it definitely would be something interesting. We’re on track (for Conghua’s first meeting) – it’s very exciting and this would make it even more exciting.”

Derby trial won by Christmas Day

All eyes were on the returning Pierre Bonnard in Sunday's G3 PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes, but it was another of Ballydoyle's sons of Camelot who stepped forward into the Derby picture in Christmas Day. While the former showed how short of a peak he was in a lethargic seventh, last year's G3 Eyrefield Stakes winner delivered under Wayne Lordan to cause an 11-1 upset at the chief expense of another stablemate in Endorsement (Wootton Bassett).

Christmas Day, whose sire and dam sire both triumphed at Epsom, is bred to relish all of the mile-and-a-half of the Blue Riband and was showing how much he had come forward during the winter.

“He's a smart horse, very straightforward and uncomplicated,” O'Brien said. “He's been floating along there under the radar the whole time, he had a temperature when he was going to go to France last year - he travels and quickens and he'll stay a mile and a half.”

Christmas Day is the fourth foal out of Sea The Stars' smart stakes winner Beauly, whose career-best performance came when fourth in the G1 Flower Bowl as a 4-year-old. Her first was Missed The Cut (Quality Road), who was a triple Grade 3 winner at Santa Anita with two of them over a mile and a half and was also runner-up in the G2 Elkhorn Stakes at that trip.

True Love resumes at three with strong win

Defying a Group 1 penalty in Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown, Ballydoyle's G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine True Love (No Nay Never) proved that seven furlongs holds no fears entering her Classic campaign.

“She's a big, pacy mare and she travelled very easily there,” Aidan O'Brien said. “Whether she gets a mile or not we don't know, but Ryan (Moore) wanted to find out and rode her positively – we couldn't be sure until we saw her do it.”

True Love may have been impressive in this trial and may have formidable form to her name, but when it comes to the Newmarket Classic she will have to get in line behind the stable's leading Classic hopes. “She's a big cruiser and a classy filly, but where she goes will depend on Precise and Diamond Necklace,” O'Brien added. “She could go to France if she doesn't go to Newmarket.”

Based on the dam's side of her pedigree, it was little surprise that True Love was able to extend her power over further than six furlongs, which her G2 Airlie Stud Stakes-winning full sister Truly Enchanting was never asked to do. Their half-sibling Lily Pond by the stamina influence Galileo captured the G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes over nine furlongs having stayed a mile and a half well when third in the G3 Munster Oaks.

The dam Alluringly (Fastnet Rock), who was a middle-distance performer who captured the Listed Hurry Harriet Stakes and was third in the Oaks, is a granddaughter of the G3 Middleton Stakes winner All Too Beautiful (Sadler's Wells) who was second in the Epsom Classic and produced another Oaks bridesmaid in Wonder Of Wonders (Kingmambo).

Classic aims for St Mark’s Basilica colt

Emerging on top in an eventful renewal of Leopardstown's G3 Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks Stakes on Sunday, Cayton Park Stud and Susan Magnier's Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica) got the Fozzy Stack stable off to a flyer in 2026.

“He had been working well this spring and the form was in the book,” his trainer said. “We always thought he'd get a mile and although he was a bit keen there, I'm hoping it was just exuberance. He's in all the European Classics bar the Italian and I also entered him in a million-dollar race at Keeneland the same day as the English Guineas. That probably won't happen now, but I'll talk to the owners.”

In Our Time wins first Graded race

Always in the bridal party, but never the bride, it was finally her time in the Sunday feature at Keeneland. Having been the runner-up against elite company last year, In Our Time (Not This Time) put it all together in the lane and kicked home smartly to secure her career-first Graded black-type in the G2 Giant's Causeway Stakes.

Traditionally found at the head of affairs, the Not This Time mare hit the board seven times from eight starts last year with her seasonal highlight reel including a runner-up effort two back at Del Mar in the G1 Matriarch Stakes. Ahead of her that day was Segesta (Ghostzapper), who won the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes last Saturday in a dead heat over this very course.

“Absolutely (worth the wait to get her first stakes win at Keeneland),” said owner John Stewart of Resolute Racing.

“It's a dream come true for us, to win here. We think Keeneland is the best place to race horses in the world, and Lord knows we spend enough money here (at the sales), so I'm really glad we got it done today. We're excited with the Breeders' Cup being here this year. We'll look forward to seeing her there as long as she stays healthy.”