SCT Syndications purchases Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock
Stephen Everett and Tash Blakley’s SCT Syndications have purchased Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock (ATB). “We sold our breeding farms last year and were continuing to run ATB with a few horses. We had a couple of approaches from different people wanting to buy the business, and for one reason or another, they didn’t get done. This one came out of the blue and happened pretty quickly,” ATB’s Darren Dance told racing.com.
Darren Dance | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We’re still working closely with Stephen and Tash at SCT. I’ve known Stephen for 30 years and we bred a horse together called True Courser and he won the 2006 Hobart Cup and the 2005 Bendigo Cup.
“It just looked a good fit for me. You want the business to carry on and with people with the same values we had. They’ll do a good job.
“Since we’ve sold the farm, we’ve done a bit of travel and it’s just been a little bit difficult to run the business remotely when you’re away travelling. And given we want to spend most of the next two years travelling, it didn’t seem fair to the owners and trainers for us to continue to operate ATB being absent. When all the travel is done, if we miss it and want to get back into it, we can always buy a few shares and race horses down the track.”
Asfoora to resume on Saturday
Champion European Sprinter Asfoora (Flying Artie) will resume in the G3 Palace House Stakes at England’s Newmarket track on Saturday. “She’s moving great and it’s wonderful that she’s back,” jockey Oisin Murphy told racing.com.
“She’s going to need her first start this year; typical Australian style, I think Henry is targeting the big five-furlong Group 1 at Ascot that she won in 2024 and she’ll have probably two prep runs leading into that.
Asfoora | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’d be really surprised if she won on her first start this time around, but I hope she’ll be more than good enough through the season. You never know but I think at her best, she’s probably the best sprinter around.”
Trainer Henry Dwyer was also cautious. “It’s five furlongs, which is good, but it’s a very stiff five furlongs,” Dwyer said.
“That last furlong that’s on the Rowley Mile there, that’s probably as steep as you’ll see, much steeper than at Ascot, it’s probably more like a six-furlong race, which she’s never really coped with at the best of times. The one thing in her favour is it’s going to be dry; they’ve had no rain there for the last three months.”
Lady Of Camelot resumes on Saturday
After nearly a year off, G1 Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) will resume in Saturday’s G2 Victory Stakes. “She will head up to Queensland this week and everything is done for her now,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told racingandsports.com.au.
“Saturday is the main day to see where she is at under race day conditions and pressure. I know she has had a while off, but I want to see her winning. She needs to be. If not winning then going close and a run where you think, that was as good as a win. It needs to be a winning run.
Lady Of Camelot | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“All being well, she'll have another run up there in the (Doomben) 10,000, and if she's going overseas, she will be overseas after that. If the decision is to keep her here off that first-up run, there are plenty of nice options during the Brisbane carnival where she will be well placed in so many races.”
Tenenbaum set for Clarendon
Trainer Brad Widdup is setting last start winning 2-year-old colt Tenenbaum (Snitzel) for Saturday’s Clarendon Stakes at Hawkesbury. “He won well the other day at Wyong. I did have him ready to go in the Skyline but he got a temperature and that put us on the back foot but he got over it quickly,” Widdup told racingnsw.com.au.
Brad Widdup | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I didn't want to chase the big races after a setback, that's the reason we went to Wyong. He was very good there. This race has always been on the agenda since then, I just had to rethink where we go and what we were going to do and this race was the race to have a crack at. Brisbane is definitely on the radar, but let’s get through Saturday first.”
Chidiac to step up to Group 3
Last start Country Championship victrix Chidiac (Better Than Ready) will run in Saturday’s G3 Hawkesbury Crown for trainers Brett and Georgie Cavanough. “The Country Championships was against country horses, and that scares me when you have to step up against all comers from the biggest stables around the land,” Brett Cavanough told racenet.com.au.
“I had a bit of a query about her past 1200m when the pressure is applied at this level, but Mitchell (Bell) trialled her at Muswellbrook for me the other day and he said all she wanted to do in the trial was relax. He dropped her out to last in the trial and she just travelled so I'm heading to Hawkesbury with some optimism.
“She's going to Hawkesbury a mare in very, very good order and I doubt we'd find a better time to test her out than now. And if she does run the trip out then the Dark Jewel comes into play and there's even the Tatts Tiara towards the end of June. If she doesn't, we freshen up and look for 1200m races. The Gai Waterhouse would be suitable at Ipswich.”
Perth Racing extend media deal
Perth Racing has signed a deal with Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) from May 1 to grow youth audiences across WA racing. “Off the back of a record Quokka day and strong spring carnival performance, this partnership with SEN allows us to build sustained momentum and deepen engagement with sporting audiences across the state,” Perth Racing chief executive James Oldring said.
Craig Hutchison, chief executive and managing director of Sports Entertainment Network, added, “We are delighted to partner with Perth Racing and support its strategy to drive engagement, entertainment and attendance across its two city venues.
“Perth Racing is respected right around Australia and plays such a vital role in the sport and tourism culture of Western Australia, with a customer-first mindset across its racing and entertainment experiences. We are excited to partner across SEN WA, SENTurf, SENTrack and the SEN app to showcase this to our highly engaged audiences.”
Eleven extra lots confirmed for Chairman’s
A total of 11 supplementary entries have been confirmed for next week’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, taking the final catalogue to 115 lots. G2 Reisling Stakes winner Chayan (I Am Invincible) stands out among them, as do two mares in foal to Extreme Choice being Hazlebrook (Hinchinbrook) and Sizzlefly (Sizzling).
“Chairman’s has a higher percentage of the commercially appealing mares that will go to market in 2026 than ever before,” Inglis Bloodstock Sales Manager Harry Bailey said.
Harry Bailey | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The addition of Chayan to the catalogue is particularly significant because you just never see the best 2-year-olds being sold at this stage of their career, and having two more mares in foal to Extreme Choice is also a huge opportunity for buyers to be able to access a stallion such as him.
“Next Thursday night is going to be a lot of fun, there will be plenty of action both in and out of the sales ring and we can’t wait for what is hands down the most enjoyable sale anywhere in the world.”
Racing WA funds community garden
The Racing WA Community Fund has granted $5000 for a community garden in the Kimberley town of Ardyaloon. The Kimberley region is home to Broome Turf Club, Kununurra Race Club and the West Kimberley Turf Club in Derby. “Community led projects like the Ardyaloon garden demonstrate how targeted support can deliver real, lasting benefits,” Racing and Wagering Western Australia CEO Ian Edwards said.
Ian Edwards | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“Through the Racing WA Community Fund, we’re proud to back initiatives that strengthen connection, sustainability and wellbeing in the communities connected to where we race.”
Carpenter believes Ka Ying Rising could hit 130
HKJC head of racing product and co-chairman of the WBRR committee Greg Carpenter believes Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) could be given a rating as high as 130 for his G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize victory on the World Thoroughbred Rankings. “I saw Black Caviar, but I think Ka Ying Rising’s level of achievement is now unparalleled,” Carpenter told scmp.com.
Ka Ying Rising (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“The next round of the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings interim list will be on May 14. To this point, he is the highest-rated horse in the world on 128. One thing I will guarantee you is he will be higher than that number after his win in the [Sprint Cup] and also again after winning the Chairman’s Sprint Prize.
“I will be personally disappointed if we don’t see a figure that’s starting with 13 when we put the interim figures out in May.”
Trainer David Hayes told the club that Ka Ying Rising will now spell ahead of a campaign for G1 The Everest defence.
Geneva heads to Derby
Last start Group 3 winner Geneva (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) will head to Adelaide for the G1 South Australian Derby. It will be the first time trainer Kylie Hoskin has campaigned a horse in Australia. “It's really exciting to be contesting a Group 1 in Australia,” Hoskin told Loveracing.nz.
“You always hope you're going to have one good enough to get over here, so it's very exciting. The travel has been a bit of a nightmare as the plane we were originally scheduled to fly to Melbourne on had an engine issue and was delayed.
“The plan was to fly over here and then head up to Aaron Bain’s at the old Lindsay Park at Angaston. He was going to have us for the week, but we missed our interstate truck. So we're currently at Ballarat at Henry Dwyer's and everyone's been super helpful. He is heading to Adelaide on Thursday night because that is the last interstate truck, so we've had to pivot a bit.”
Gstaad back in the 2000 Guineas
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Gstaad has been supplemented back into the Betfred 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket at a cost of £30,000 (AU$56,500). Along with Albert Einstein, he had been incorrectly scratched from the race earlier this month due to an administration error.
Gstaad | Image courtesy of Coolmore
While Albert Einstein remains an absentee, Gstaad is one of four Ballydoyle contenders in contention at Monday's confirmation stage, with dual Group 1 winner Puerto Rico, Causeway and Flushing Meadows also on the list of 20 colts still in the mix.
On his Guineas squad, O'Brien said, “The current thinking was Puerto Rico would go there and Gstaad might go to the French (Guineas), but that's not 100 per cent sure. We'll see how they are the next couple of days and then decide. It's very possible the two could go, we'll see.”
USA sales companies fund aftercare
Keeneland Association, Fasig-Tipton Company Inc., Ocala Breeders' Sales Company Inc. and a group of leading North American stallion farms announced a significant expansion of their financial commitment to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in a press release Monday morning.
Beginning with the 2026 Fasig-Tipton July Sale, the three sales companies will double their contribution to the TAA, allocating 0.1% of each sale's gross proceeds. Participation in the program will also become mandatory for both buyers and consignors at every sale, with each contributing 0.1% of their respective transactions.
Based on 2025 sales figures and assuming comparable performance, the enhanced commitment from the sales companies is projected to generate more than US$4.4 million (AU$6.1 million) annually.
In addition, leading stallion farms across North America have committed to a new funding model in support of the TAA. Under this structure, stallions covering more than 50 mares annually will contribute an amount equal to 50% of their advertised stud fee, while those covering 50 or fewer mares will contribute 25%. All contributions are calculated on a per-stallion basis.
Based on 2025 advertised fees from participating farms, the initiative is projected to generate US$2.2 million (AU$3 million) annually.
Vale Brian Daniel Burns
Owner-Breeder Brian Daniel Burns has passed at the age of 78 following a brief battle with cancer.
Larger than life with an entrepreneurial spirit, Burns launched his own company in 1980, underwriting disability insurance for athletes. The high-profile company worked with major sports leagues like the NFL and the MLB and their players. He eventually sold the company in 2007.
Burns's first foray into the horse racing game was an instant and spectacular success. At the March 1991 Ocala Breeders' Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training, Burns bought a colt for a song and called him after his father.
The Name's Jimmy won the 1992 GIII Will Rogers Handicap and GII American Derby, in the process minting a long and successful relationship with the sport for his owner, who went under the Mount Joy Stables moniker. At his side through most of that run was Crestwood Farm, where Burns boarded his mares for decades.
Tattersalls Ireland to sponsor Norwegian Guineas
Tattersalls Ireland has been announced as the new sponsor of the Norwegian 2,000 Guineas, which will take place on one of the most important days in Norwegian racing at Øvrevoll Galoppbane on Thursday, July 2.
This initiative builds on the long-standing support of Tattersalls, which has sponsored the 1,000 Guineas at the same meeting for many years. In 2026, the races will be titled the Tattersalls 1,000 Guineas and the Tattersalls Ireland 2,000 Guineas.
Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland, said, “We are delighted to extend our support to the Norwegian Guineas meeting and to further develop our relationships with owners, trainers and breeders. We look forward to visiting Oslo in July and, before that, welcoming our Norwegian clients to the breeze-up sale at the end of May.”
Marianne Elk of Norsk Gallop added, “We have had a long-standing partnership with Tattersalls for more than 20 years. We are delighted to welcome Tattersalls Ireland on board for the first time this year. We look forward to making this a truly memorable day and hope it will inspire Norwegian clients to travel to auctions to buy new horses.”
