Daily News Wrap

Jimmysstar has to overcome barrier for another All Aged Stakes

Last year’s G1 All Aged Stakes winner Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {NZ}) has drawn 12 for this year’s version. “It’s going to take a good ride on my behalf,” jockey Ethan Brown told racingnsw.com.au.

“But if there’s one positive he shouldn’t be getting poleaxed out of the gates from out there. He’s a horse you can’t change too much with, he is going to need some luck from his draw but we’ll work out a game plan and I’ll execute as best I can.

“You can’t overthink it, hopefully the track is playing into our hands because he has drawn that awkward gate and if they are coming down the outside it’s only going to help him.”

Jedibeel loves traffic for The Quokka

Jockey Tyler Schiller thinks the best tactic in The Quokka for Brad Widdup-trained Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) is to weave through traffic. “He's got a really sharp turn of foot but he's just got to use it at the right time. Early on in his career he probably used to think about it for a little bit and he would sprint for a little bit, hit the 200 metre mark and then float,” Schiller told racenet.com.au.

“But now I think he's just got a short sprint but his Galaxy run showed he can sustain it for a bit if he is ducking and weaving. If he has a clear run down the outside he's only got a 200 metre sprint but if he doesn't have a lot of room, he's probably got a bit longer. He definitely loves ducking and weaving so I've just got to produce him at the right time because if you give him too much air too soon he doesn't seem to finish off, which is funny.

“There's a few Group 1 winners (in the field) whereas the last few years it's only been Overpass. You've got Jigsaw and Caballus coming off Group 1 wins and my horse isn't a Group 1 winner, but he's challenged at that level for a bit. He's been in The Galaxy for two years now and I think he's got a lot of potential to be a good horse.”

Jockey key to Headley Grange

Trainer Joe Pride hopes jockey Adam Hyeronimus is the key to winning the G1 All Aged Stakes with Headley Grange (Exosphere). “Adam is back on, and Adam seems to get on really well with him and it's the pre-race antics that cost him. Hopefully Adam can make a fair difference for us on Saturday,” Pride told racingandsports.com.au.

“He is capable at his best. In the weight-for-age Canterbury Stakes over 1300 metres he ran a terrific race first-up and it's a similar set-up here. It's around that trip and weight-for-age, so I think he can be competitive. But I want to see him do the little things right.”

Olympian on a Derby pathway

Trainers Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich will set Olympian (The Autumn Sun) for the G1 Queensland Derby after he runs in Saturday’s G3 Frank Packer Plate. “I thought it was an excellent run, overall he had the third fastest last 200m of the day,” Messara told racingnsw.com.au of his last start fourth in the G3 Carbine Club Stakes.

“Sheza Alibi and The Next Episode and then him so I thought that was a pretty good effort. He was held up coming up the inside and I think if he wasn’t held up he goes very close to winning. It was a really nice lead up run to this, 2000m won’t be a hassle for him, and I expect him to run very well.”

Former shuttle sire Frosted dies aged 14

Godolphin homebred and Darley stallion Frosted (Tapit) was euthanised on Wednesday, April 15 after an acute episode of laminitis, according to a release from the stallion station. The fastest-ever GI Metropolitan Handicap winner was 14. He will be buried at his long-time home, Jonabell Farm near Lexington.

“Our team is deeply saddened by Frosted's passing, but it was our only option given the dire circumstances,” said Godolphin's Dan Pride. “Frosted was an exceptional and exciting racehorse and accomplished sire. In addition, he was also a huge fan favourite for thousands of visitors over the years here at Jonabell.”

Trained for Godolphin by Kiaran McLaughlin, Frosted's 123 Beyer Speed Figure in the 2016 Met Mile remains the highest recorded at a mile. He set a new stakes record of 1:32.73 in the race, running away with the victory by 14.25 lengths. Frosted also captured the GI Whitney Stakes, the GI Wood Memorial Stakes, and retired with a record of 19-6-6-2 and earnings of US$3,972,800 (AU$5.5 million) prior to the 2017 breeding season.

With his seventh crop of 2-year-olds to the races this year, Frosted has 14 career graded winners and 38 black-type winners. He shuttled to Australia between 2017 and 2022, and sired Group 2 winners Arctic Glamour and Bustling as his best. His Group 3 winner and G1 Golden Slipper-placed son Ingratiating stands at Oakland Park in WA where his first crop are weanlings. Ingratiating also placed in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and G1 Manikato Stakes.

The Wheelbarrow heads to Queensland Derby

Bryan Guy retired as a trainer four years ago but has a share in promising 3-year-old gelding The Wheelbarrow (Yes Yes Yes) who runs in Saturday’s Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes as a step towards the G1 Queensland Derby. “His other owners and I all play golf together and we thought 1200 metres would be too short for him last time and we didn’t expect him to win,” Guy told racingqueensland.com.au.

“I bought three yearlings at the sales that year including two for my Hong Kong clients I buy horses for and The Wheelbarrow. His mother is called Stargazing and he was named after the group of stars that look like a wheelbarrow.” In corporate slang, a wheelbarrow is a person who stops as soon as you stop pushing, but Kelly Schweida-trained The Wheelbarrow doesn’t appear to have that problem with four wins from eight starts including his last three in succession.

“He could end up a Derby horse as he looks like he’ll get over ground. If he races well in the Queensland Guineas, he’ll probably head to the Rough Habit then the Queensland Derby. I missed training for the first six months but mainly because the alarm clock in my head was still going off. But, after a while it got better and I don’t miss training at all now.”

Exit hunting black type in Adelaide

Ciaron Maher-trained 3-year-old filly Exit (Bivouac) will run in Saturday’s Listed H C Nitschke Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. “Hopefully we can get a Black Type victory and that's why we're going,” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull told racingandsports.com.au.

“There was a horse in Sydney that was undefeated (Plaintiff) and obviously the one to beat, and it was drawn outside us, but we've decided on Adelaide given it's a more realistic chance in terms of winning.

“She was an expensive yearling and if we can get black type on her page with victory as a 3-year-old, it would be huge for her.” Exit cost the stable $675,000 from Mill Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, and she’s the second winner for Secretly Discreet (Lonhro), a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot {GB}).

Treble for Written Tycoon at Wyong

Yulong’s Written Tycoon dominated the card at Wyong on Thursday with three winners. Team Hawkes-trained 3-year-old filly Champere won her maiden, as did Clarry Conners-trained 4-year-old mare Mrs Maree.

Mrs Maree’s stablemate 3-year-old filly Kiss Goodnight took her record to two wins from nine starts. Both Conners-trained horses are out of Snitzel mares. Mrs Maree, a $500,000 yearling, is one of three winners, all by Written Tycoon, for Listed-placed city winner Exceeds.

Kiss Goodnight, out of Evening Slippers, was a $250,000 purchase and she is a half-sister to stakes placed Manolo Bling (Grunt {NZ}). Evening Slippers is a city winning full sister to sire Showtime and Group 1 winner Sweet Idea, as well as a half-sister to Listed winner Rush (Charge Forward).

Mull Of Kintyre wins on debut

Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained 2-year-old filly Mull Of Kintyre (I Am Invincible) won on debut at Echuca on Thursday. Sold by Yarraman Park Stud, she hit the sales ring at $420,000 to the bid of Moody Racing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Mull Of Kintyre is the fourth winner from as many to race for Luskintyre Lass (Snitzel) who won three times and placed in the G3 Aspiration Handicap behind Group 1 winner Nettoyer (Sebring).

Treble for Shum tightens Hong Kong premiership

A treble at Happy Valley for Danny Shum has lifted him into third on the Hong Kong Trainer’s Premiership with 45 winners, three behind joint leaders Mark Newnham and Caspar Fownes. “Hopefully I can keep going, it’s been a good period. I don’t have that many good Sha Tin horses so it will be hard [to win the title], but I will try my best,” Shum told scmp.com.

He won with Harmony Galaxy (Brz) (Courtier {USA}), Fantastic Fun (Justify {USA}) and Always My Folks (Capitalist).

Ed Crisford to replace Costa in Dubai

Britain's longest-standing training partnership is coming to an end following the news that Ed Crisford is set to succeed Michael Costa as head trainer at His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai.

Currently based at Gainsborough Stables in Newmarket, Crisford has shared the licence with his father, Simon, since May 2020 when the British Horseracing Authority first started accepting training partnerships. In the near-six years since, the Crisfords have sent out over 400 winners in Britain, with notable victories including that of Vandeek in the G1 Middle Park Stakes in 2023.

Announcing the end of the partnership, a statement attributed to the Crisfords on social media read, “Ed Crisford is set to become a licence holder in his own right in Dubai later this year after accepting a position as private trainer to Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“Simon and Ed Crisford formed the first licensed training partnership in Britain in May 2020 and have enjoyed significant success with 83 stakes winners, including Group 1 winners in Britain, France and the United States.

“Ed Crisford will leave Newmarket in August to begin his new role in the UAE. Simon Crisford will continue training at Gainsborough Thoroughbreds while also operating a satellite yard during the Dubai World Cup Carnival.”

Cole to appeal 12-month disqualification

New Zealand trainer Cody Cole will appeal a 12-month suspension. He was found guilty of failing to supply a urine sample when asked by Racing Integrity Board (RIB) officials during a morning track session at his home track on July 24 last year. “I have worked really hard to get where I am and I think it is ridiculous to be outed for so long,” Cole told nzherald.co.nz on Thursday.

“I was at the track that morning and was asked to give a sample but had to take some horses home to the stable and was going to go back. But I had a horse go through a fence and I had to go help it and by the time I was going to go back, they (the testing officials) were gone.

“I didn’t hear from the RIB for a week and when I did go present a sample it came back negative. I can understand being charged with failing to provide a sample, even with what I think were mitigating circumstances, but to have my livelihood taken away from me for a year is beyond belief.” For now, the 80 horses under his care have been transferred to his father Tony’s name and Cody is banned from the stables and racecourses.

Charity sale for Windsor Park Stud next week

Windsor Park Stud will offer 12 lots for their annual charity Rugby, Racing and Beer Sale on Thursday April 23 at Riccarton Park in Christchurch. “It's a concept I came up with five or six years ago,” Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick told Loveracing.nz.

“We all love rugby, we love our racing and we love our beer. It's just a great day to have a good lunch together, sell some horses and support the South Island. It’s been running for four years now with 40 horses catalogued and 40 horses sold.

“We've had horses like Proved come out of the sale, who is a Group 3 winner with six wins to her name for Enver Jusufovic in Melbourne, along with Collect Your Cash who is a stakes winner and a multiple winner for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in Sydney.

“It's also a good fundraiser, so a percentage of the sale proceeds will go to the Horse Ambulance and to St John, two very important charities.”

Royal Ascot options for Damysus

Wathnan Racing's Derby also-ran Damysus (Frankel) was last seen bagging Newmarket's G3 Darley Stakes, going nine furlongs in October, and returned over the same course and distance to rout his five rivals under a penalty in Wednesday's G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

“He's not a big horse, but he's more powerful now and when James [Doyle] asked him to go the acceleration was instant,” said John Gosden.

“I wouldn't be frightened at looking at a [G1] Prix d'Ispahan, a race like that would not be out of the question at all. That would lead into [Royal] Ascot where you could be looking at the [G1] Prince of Wales's Stakes. He might wind up running against Ombudsman if they both get to the Prince of Wales's and I would not be surprised to see Damysus in that race. I wouldn't want to be running them against each other really unless it was Royal Ascot.”

Osarus and Arqana team up for La Teste Yearlings

Osarus and Arqana have partnered on the La Teste Yearling Sale on September 8-9. This collaboration between the two sales agencies aims to give new momentum to the sale, benefitting French yearling breeders and vendors.

Osarus, under the direction of Emmanuel Viaud, will remain the organiser of the La Teste sale. Arqana will contribute the following: providing payment guarantees to vendors, as is the case for its own sales, leveraging its commercial strength to promote the catalogue to buyers, and bringing its resources and expertise in event organisation.

Emmanuel Viaud, CEO of Osarus, said, “It's a real pleasure to announce this partnership with Arqana for our La Teste Yearling Sale. This sale has existed for 19 years, and I would like to thank all our vendors for their trust over that time, especially over the past six years. I am very pleased to be able to offer this solution to breeders for a sale that we know appeals to both vendors and buyers for its professional yet relaxed atmosphere.

“The setting of the Arcachon Basin, combined with the beautiful La Teste Racecourse, has always allowed us to attract a wide range of buyers – trainers, pinhookers, and French and international owners. There is no doubt that this new partnership with Arqana will enable us to relaunch this sale in the best possible way, one that is dear to many professionals.”

Azleet dents reputations with Nell Gwynn win

Causing a 50-1 upset in Wednesday's G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket, Azleet (Tasleet) dented some reputations and cast doubt on some 1,000 Guineas aspirations in the time-honoured trial.

This was the winner's first time beyond six furlongs and trainer Stuart Williams is keen to go further for the big one with the Dullingham Park Stud homebred. “We came here today to find out about her stamina and while she was probably a little bit fresh, she has come home strong,” he said. “We are keen to have a go at the 1,000 Guineas now. She is a high-class filly that has won her Group 3 now, so why not have a go?”

“To be here on these days like this is great, as we don't get the chance to train these horses very often,” he added. “To have won that is good enough and to win at our home track is brilliant. We have been practising in the stalls at home with this filly, as she has been rearing up. We ponied her down to try and kept her quiet. It is a special time for me to potentially have a Group 1 runner at Newmarket.”

Azleet is currently the last known foal out of the sprint handicapper Azure Mist (Bahamian Bounty), a half to the dam of the multiple Group-placed Italian sprinter Madda's Force (Blu Air Force) from a Gerald Leigh family.

Keeneland April Sale catalogue online

The catalogue for the 2026 Keeneland April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale, to be held the evening of April 24 following the final day of racing at the Keeneland Spring Meet, is now available online.

“The April Sale really captures the momentum of spring racing at its peak,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Because it's held on closing day of the Spring Meet, which concludes just days before the Kentucky Derby, it capitalizes on a moment when the energy and the audience are at their apex at Keeneland. That setting helps create a dynamic live auction atmosphere for people looking for race-ready horses.”

Backside showcases American grooms

The show “BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing” begins at the breakfast table as a quiet middle-aged Hispanic man is slowly eating his breakfast. Then the camera pans to his clock. It reads 1:56. The message is clear: even at this hour, this is a man who has to be somewhere. He must be dedicated to his job, no matter how difficult it may be.

That message resonates throughout the documentary, which debuted Monday and is part of PBS's Infinite Lens Series. For the next hour or so, the viewer is introduced to a number of workers on the backstretch at Churchill Downs and follows them through their daily routines. Each one is different. Each one is the same. They work hard, work virtually every day, they don't complain, and they want to do their job well. And every one of them makes up a vital, though underexposed, part of the industry.

“To me, they just aren't horses,” one groom says. “They are my coworkers.”

That's what makes “BACKSIDE” go and makes this a documentary that is welcoming in that it is non-judgmental. It never tries to portray the backstretch worker as a victim or a group that is exploited. Rather, it just tells their story, tells what they do. The viewer is sure to get it: that without these workers, the sport would grind to a halt.

“It is beautiful out here too, huh, homie,” he says to a co-worker.

The backstretch is a city unto itself and it is a city that is dominated by Latinos and their culture. That may be why the project piqued the interest of filmmakers, Mexican immigrant Raul O. Paz-Pastrana, Puerto Rican anthropologist Patricia Alvarez Astacio, and Colombia-American Gabriella Garcia-Pardo.

Fasig-Tipton 2YO Sale catalogue released

The catalogue for the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training, to be held at the Maryland State Fairgounds in Timonium, Maryland, Monday and Tuesday, May 18 and 19 and featuring 593 juveniles, is now available

“Our consignors have shown tremendous support for Midlantic May this year, resulting in an outstanding catalogue,” said Paget Bennett, Midlantic Director of Sales. “Growth in both numbers and sire power makes this one of our strongest editions to date.”