Autumn Glow spring plans still uncertain
Group 1 winner Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) will return to pre-training in June in preparation for the spring, but her long term plans are unknown.
“I have had a discussion with Chris (Waller, trainer) and the plan is to get her ready for the Winx Stakes,” John Messara told racingandsports.com.au.
Autumn Glow | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“This race will be the fork in the road for her – we will see how she goes and then decide if we set her for a sprint campaign into The Everest or go the more traditional path to the King Charles III Stakes over the mile.
“Autumn Glow has put on more than 50kg since she last raced. She's always been a big, strong mare, but she is even bigger now and her coat looks magnificent.”
Racing NSW to purchase Crown Lodge
Racing NSW and Godolphin are supposedly in the final stages of a deal over Crown Lodge, reported racenet.com.au on Sunday night. The 125-box facility has been empty since Godolphin made the decision at the start of this season to send their horses out to multiple trainers, ending their long solo-trainer model.
It is speculated that Racing NSW will put the facility out to lease, with many of the super-stable trainer’s names being rumoured as keen to take on the rental.
New winner for Wild Ruler
At Toowoomba’s Saturday night meeting, first season sire Wild Ruler added his sixth individual winner when 2-year-old filly Pinkish Hue won on debut for trainer Jake Capewell. It capped a big day for the sire who celebrated his second stakes winner at Scone with Listed Woodlands Stakes victrix Queen Regent.
Pinkish Hue was sold by Tamac Stud Farm for $1000 at the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale to C Brown. She is the second winner, from two to race, for Cavalry Gold (Charge Forward) who won six races.
Williams booked for Splash Back in Stradbroke
Trainer Grahame Begg has booked different jockeys for Splash Back (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire})’s next two starts.
“Craig Williams is booked to ride her in the Stradbroke with Jordan Childs riding her in the Kingsford Smith,” Begg told racingandsports.com.au.
Grahame Begg | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He already had that engagement to ride her, and the handicapper has told me she will get 52 or 52-½ kilos in the Straddie, which is too light for Jordie. I wanted to try and get a marquee jockey. I tried Zac Lloyd, but he's going over to Royal Ascot, and then Craig was next cab off the rank.
“You want a marquee jockey that can ride light in these races.”
Trainer Steve Richards in ICU
Former jockey and Flemington-based trained Steve Richards sustained a head injury in a trackwork fall on Friday and is in ICU at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“We are beside his bed hoping, waiting for him to awake with lots of prayers,” his cousin Lisa Dillon told TTR.
“Steven worked for likes of Bart Cummings also a jockey but retired due to weight and height. He took on foreman for Terry Millard Kilmore for many years. Steven decided move to Melbourne where he has had boxes at Flemington racetrack and lives locally within walking distance.” His last winner was 3-year-old gelding Punic War (NZ) (Magna Grecia {Ire}).
Double for Snippetson
Snippetson, who died in 2023, had a double at Kalgoorlie on Sunday with a pair of 3-year-old from his penultimate crop. Call Me Frosty won his maiden for trainer Peter Fernie, and stablemate Door Buster took his record to two wins from five starts.
Juvenile winner for Hanseatic
At Devonport on Sunday, trainer Leanne Gaffney quinellaed the juvenile race with debutant 2-year-old filly Buzzoffski (Hanseatic) victorious over the gelded Valley Star (Widden Valley). Buzzoffski was bought by Gaffney for $22,000 from Armidale Stud’s Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale draft.
Buzzoffski is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Deroche (Needs Further) with both out of stakes-placed Buzzing Along (Tough Speed).
At the same meeting, Highland Reel (Ire) had a double with Occasional Glimpse and Thin Red Line.
Asfoora heads to G2 Temple Stakes next
Trainer Henry Dwyer believes Asfoora (Flying Artie) will still lack a bit of fitness in next Saturday’s G2 Temple Stakes at Haydock.
“She’ll probably take another run to get to her peak, but still I’d like to see her semi-competitive and see her finish in the first three or four at Haydock and that will have us in pretty good spirits heading into Ascot I’d say,” Dwyer told racing.com.
Henry Dwyer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She’s been brought up slowly to peak in mid-June, so she’s not there yet, but she’ll be so much better for this run. I’ll fly over on Monday night and stay for the week, so I’m really excited to get there (at Haydock) as I’ll have another runner on the day in Synners Kid.
“He ran well at Ascot about 10 days ago and he’s aiming at the 2000-metre race the Golden Gate Stakes on the final day (of Royal Ascot).”
OTI’s Docklands returns to Royal Ascot
Jockey Mark Zahra will fly to England to ride OTI-owned Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. He won the race last year.
“I was talking to (OTI director) Terry Henderson and they might have a few other rides,” Zahra told racenet.com.au.
Docklands (GB) | Image courtesy of Ascot Racecourse
“A bit more than one race, fly in, I might try and hang around a bit more this year.” They won the race together last year.
“When I took the ride I was heading to Europe anyway. I always wanted to ride Royal Ascot… (Docklands) was 20-1 and the closer the race got, the more form I did and I thought I'm actually a real smokey chance here.
“To win a Group 1 (there), on one of the biggest race days in the world, and one of the better races at the carnival, it was massive, a great thrill.”
Song Of The Clyde downs favourite
With Albert Einstein (Wootton Bassett) returning to sprinting in Saturday's Listed Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury, the expected fireworks display was postponed for now by the outsider Song Of The Clyde (Sergei Prokofiev) in a genuine upset.
A journeyed 2-year-old in 2025 with a win in York's Harry's Half Million his chief piece of form, the winner did have a major plus in his profile in that he hails from the Clive Cox stable which churns out top performers in this category year upon year with unerring proficiency.
“It was a very warm renewal. He became very streetwise last year in those sales races, as you have to be hardy in them. I was a little bit worried that he was quite fresh before the race today, but clearly he was full of exuberance and wellbeing,” said Cox.
Bring The Smoke wins Maryland Stakes
The same trainer-jockey combination Whit Beckman and Tyler Gaffalione teaming up with G1 Preakness-fourth Ocelli enjoyed a victory earlier in the day when Bring the Smoke (Preservationist) got up just in time to take the G3 Maryland Sprint Stakes at Laurel.
The most lightly-raced 4-year-old with only three prior starts under his belt, Bring the Smoke, getting blinkers off this time, was given a 7-1 chance while stepping into black-type company for the first time in his career.
Bring the Smoke is the third Graded stakes winner for Preservationist, who was put down after complications from colic surgery in Korea last summer.
