Private Eye runs for Arrow family
Former Rabbitohs and Queensland State of Origin star Jai Arrow has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and the connections of Private Eye (Al Maher) have decided to donate up to $14,000 to his family after the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup. “Like everyone in the sporting community, we have been touched by the plight Jai Arrow is facing,” Tom Walter from Proven Thoroughbreds told racenet.com.au.
Private Eye | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“It really is an awful disease and puts everything into perspective. We have been lucky enough to race a horse that has earned an incredible amount of prizemoney and feel now is the time some of it go toward a worthy cause. With Joe Pride being an ardent Bunnies fan, as well as some of the ownership group, it made sense to give back in this way.”
Different Gravy heads to Derby
Trainer Henry Dwyer thinks Different Gravy (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) can overcome his poor last start in Saturday’s G1 Queensland Derby. “With the blinkers on, he pulled his head off a bit and he got his tongue over the bit, so we thought we'd excuse that run,” Dwyer told racenet.com.au.
“He was probably going to Queensland to spell anyway, so we thought given he's up there, we might as well run him, there's no reason not to. Look, it's more of a hope job than anything else but I know he's got the ability.
Henry Dwyer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I'm just not sure he's been showing it this preparation. I don't think the 2400m or soft track will worry him, but it's whether he's going as well as he can or not. I'm not sure, but we'll find out on Saturday.”
Skyhook can overcome draw in Fred Best
Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou thinks last start G3 Hawkesbury Guineas winner Skyhook (Written Tycoon) can deal with both the wet track and wide draw in Saturday’s G3 Fred Best Classic. “It's not ideal, the gate, but the horse is going incredibly well,” Alexiou told racingandsports.com.au.
Skyhook | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“Quite a few of the main chances are drawn out with us, so that fills us with a bit of confidence that if he can follow some of them across, Josh (Parr) can get him into a nice spot and hopefully he can present like the winner at some stage. He's going well enough to win a race like that, even from an ordinary barrier.”
Parisest Magic to thrive in wet
Trainer Alexandre Lemarie thinks 2-year-old filly Parisest Magic (Prague) can improve off her debut third to win at Rosehill on Saturday. “She looks like she will love the wet which could be a very good thing for her this weekend,” Lemarie told racenet.com.au.
“I couldn't be happier with her, she has improved after her first start and switched on. We haven't seen the best of her yet and we probably won't see it this weekend because she is probably going to be better as a 3-year-old. I had the opportunity to nominate her for the JJ Atkins and she is not there yet, she is still very green.”
Unbeaten Olington Lane heads to Goulburn
Moruya-based trainer Lauren Davies will head to Goulburn on Friday with 3-year-old gelding Olington Lane (Ole Kirk) who has won two from two. “He’s proving to be a nice little horse and he’s family owned,” Davies told racingnsw.com.au.
“We picked him out from an online auction, broke him in and after his first trial we knew he still needed a bit more time so sent him for a spell. He’s still so green, still learning his craft and what to do, still very playful as well.” He was a $5500 purchase as a yearling via Inglis Digital and has earnings over $34,500 in his two wins.
Wagering up 15% for South Australian Group 1s
Racing SA reported that wagering for the Oaks/Sangster raceday was up 15% on the previous year. “When you look at the first day of the carnival, having J-Mac and (Chris) Waller here … having J-Mac win his first Group 1 here and the buzz that was around that was incredible,” Racing SA chief executive Nick Bawden said.
“The second day, you had the World Pool (betting) in action, and people from around the world betting into your races on those three races – which is fantastic.
Nick Bawden | Image courtesy of Ministry of Sports
“Goodwood day, when you've got Bruce (McAvaney) and Richo (Jason Richardson) hosting the national coverage from Morphettville, it just ticks all of those boxes in terms of relevance and performance of racing in SA on a national stage, and on Derby Day, an international stage.”
Additionally, the number of starters across the carnival was up 6%, and up 9% for their feature races. “It was basically full fields, in the Derby and Oaks, and large fields in the Goodwood and Sangster.”
Damsire double for Not A Single Doubt
With both Gosford and Gatton abandoned due to rain on Thursday, the only meeting in the nation was at Moe where Not A Single Doubt celebrated a double as a damsire.
Mark Walker-trained 3-year-old filly Lucky Single (Lucky Vega {Ire}) won her maiden at her second attempt by three-quarters of a length. She is out of Single In London (Not A Single Doubt) who had previously produced Listed winner Ripcord (Written By) who placed in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes, and two other winners. Lucky Single was sold by Phoenix Broodmare Farm at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale for $65,000 to G Gathercole.
Michael Trotter-trained Annabelle Sunshine (Impending) made it two wins in succession, and is the first foal of Miss Robbie (Not A Single Doubt). Originally sold by Collingrove Stud at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $80,000, Annabelle Sunshine was onsold via Inglis Digital in February 2024 for $5000 when she was unplaced in two starts.
Fownes back on top after double
Caspar Fownes leads the Hong Kong Trainer’s Premiership after a double on Wednesday night at Happy Valley with Audacious Pursuit (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Elegant Life (Smart Missile). He sits equal with Danny Shum on 56 wins but has more second placings. Mark Newnham is third on 53 wins. “We’re trying our best, that’s for sure,” Fownes told scmp.com.
Joao Moreira rode Fownes’ pair of winners, then made it a treble when winning on Cody Mo-trained Lucky McQueen (All Too Hard). “It’s a good feeling. I got on some nice horses today. I believed it was meant to be because they got good gates,” Moreira said.
Zac Purton won on Mark Newnham-trained Armor Golden Eagle (NZ) (Ace High) to take his career tally in Hong Kong to 1999 wins.
Vale Anne Herbert
Group 1-winning New Zealand trainer Anne Herbert has died aged 68. “We were neighbours in Cambridge, I was a little bit lost and she took me under her wing, and we have been best friends ever since,” fellow trainer Toni Croon told Loveracing.nz.
“She had unconditional love for the people around her and when you think of Anne you just think of love. Her friendship and love for me has always been huge. She has had many winners over the years, she has been very boutique but a very astute horsewoman.
“She left Cambridge and went to Awapuni, and her health deteriorated and that brought her to Christchurch to be closer to her sister, Julie Walsh. She moved down to the South Island about five years ago and she has just been doing my horses, so I have been very fortunate to have her all to myself. Her health hasn’t been the best in the last five years, so just doing one or two horses has been enough.”
Her two Group 1 winners were 2002/03 New Zealand Horse of the Year and five-time Group 1 winner Tit For Taat (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}) and 2006 G1 Railway Stakes winner Baldessarini (NZ) (Green Perfume {USA}).
Size eyes up Group 3 double
Sunday’s Sha Tin meeting features the G3 Lion Rock Trophy and G3 Sha Tin Vase, and trainer John Size runs Sky Jewellery (The Autumn Sun) in the Trophy, with Raging Blizzard (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and Stellar Express (Fr) (Zoustar) in the Vase.
“I don’t know how long Sky Jewellery’s good form is going to last – we will certainly enjoy the moments as they are coming, but you just have to hold your breath and hope that he can sustain that run of good races,” Size told scmp.com.
Gosdens pay up for French Derby with Oxagon
John and Thady Gosden have shaken up the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club by supplementing Craven Stakes winner Oxagon (Frankel) at a cost of €72,000 (AU$117,000) on Wednesday morning. Owned by owner-breeder Prince Faisal, whose Mishriff won the race for the Gosden team in 2020, Oxagon was last seen finishing sixth in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
“Winning the French Derby is always a difficult feat to do but if you aren't in the race you can't win,” said Prince Faisal's racing adviser Ted Voute.
“In fairness to John Gosden, straight after the Dewhurst, he said this is our French Derby horse. Then we went through a confusing patch at the beginning of the year when we didn't put him in. John said again after the Guineas that this is our French Derby horse even though he isn't in it.
“The horse was giving us different messages at the beginning of the year and I think that is why he wasn't in. Fair dues to Prince Faisal for supplementing him as he could still get a bad draw and it could still prove a fruitless exercise that doesn't prove much, which is the risk you run at Chantilly.”
Metformin update in America
A study done by the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California-Davis has revealed that a racehorse is likely to show a positive test result for metformin if its groom is taking the diabetes medication and urinates in the horse's stall.
After a rash of metformin positives in 2024, anecdotal information surfaced that in many of these cases their grooms handling the horses had been on the drug. Metformin is used to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
