Melhams to benefit from McDonald suspension
With James McDonald to miss the G1 Queensland Oaks due to suspension, Ben Melham will ride Chris Waller-trained Panova (Trapeze Artist), while Jamie Melham is booked for stablemate Chispa (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 Queensland Oaks. Ryan Maloney will ride Soverato (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}). “Panova has come out of the South Australian Oaks win in good shape,” Waller told racingqueensland.com.au.
Ben Melham | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“We could have run her in the Doomben Roses, but we chose not to. Again, (because of) travel. She's travelled to Melbourne, she's travelled to Adelaide, she's travelled back to Melbourne, she's travelled back up to Sydney, she's travelled (to the Gold Coast). That's a lot of travel, so we chose not to run her again and she's well. It was a great win last start and 2200 metres should be no problem.”
Bruce to saddle first Group 1 runner
Trainer Jack Bruce will saddle his first Group 1 runner on Saturday with Highgrove Rose (King’s Legacy) in the G1 Queensland Oaks. He gained his licence four years ago. “It’s a great feeling to have a Group 1 starter so early in my career,” Bruce told racingqueensland.com.au.
Jack Bruce | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It’s especially so because I bought this filly as a yearling and put some clients into her. Her win at the Gold Coast was awesome and her run at Doomben was also very good when she was held up and put in a pocket by the eventual winner. But, once she got out, she was powerful to the line, which was a good sign going into the Oaks.”
Heddo resigns from Hawkesbury Racing Club
Hawkesbury Racing Club CEO James Heddo has announced his resignation and will finish up in mid-July 2026. He has accepted a part-time position as General Manager of Central Coast Basketball. “I have made a considered decision to return to the Central Coast and transition gradually to retirement,” Heddo told racingnsw.com.au.
James Heddo | Image courtesy of Hawkesbury Race Club
“It has been a privilege to lead Hawkesbury Race Club over the past four years and I am proud of what the team has achieved together. I wish the Club, its members, and everyone involved in racing at Hawkesbury every success into the future.”
Hawkesbury Race Club Administrator, Jo Moore added, “James has been an outstanding leader for Hawkesbury Race Club. His commitment to restoring the Club’s stability and improving its governance has made a lasting difference.
“We are a stronger and more resilient organisation because of his efforts, and on behalf of myself as Administrator of the Club, I thank him sincerely for his service.”
Ward chasing Cup ballot
Thursday’s G2 Belmont Gold Cup carries a ballot free entry into the G1 Melbourne Cup and trainer Wesley Ward is keen to see if Navy Seal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) can win his way down under. “I've never been to Australia,” Ward told racing.com.
Wesley Ward | Image courtesy of Keeneland
“I ran a horse in Australia, Cannonball, and I wasn't able to go because I had a horse beat half a thumbnail in the Florida Derby, and we were on the Derby trail. I've always wanted to go to Australia my whole life, but the Melbourne Cup is a long stretch. I'd have to talk to (racing manager) Alex Cole and the Hays (owners) and see what they'd want to do if we're successful enough to win this race.”
General Salute resumes in Bob Charley
Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained General Salute (Russian Revolution) resumes in Saturday’s Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick after a seven-month layoff. “The 1100m is probably too short for him on Saturday but we have to kick him off somewhere so we go there and all being well we will go to the (Listed) Civic Stakes over 1400m a couple of weeks later,” Ryan told racenet.com.au.
General Salute | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“We will probably only give him the two wins over winter then back off him and start getting him back for the early spring.” He won a trial 1000m at Hawkesbury on Monday morning.
Cartwright grabs Stradbroke ride
Apprentice jockey Luke Cartwright will ride Phillip Stokees-trained Regal Award (Ole Kirk) in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap in a fortnight as regular rider Lachlan Neindorf is unable to make the 49.5kg.
“He's a 1400m horse, that's his trip, and being on speed is his attribute so I can't see why he can't be a good chance in the Stradbroke,” Stokes told racenet.com.au.
Gelagotis to honour Daniher and Ablett
With both Neale Daniher and Geoff Ablett dying from motor neuron disease in the past month, the Gelagotis brothers are amping up their usual June Fight MND campaign. “The amount of photos I've seen of Moe people sharing their time with Neale has been amazing. He was an icon and people just wanted to be with him. He's inspired a nation to fight this disease like tigers,” Manny Gelagotis told racenet.com.au.
“(Ablett) taught Pete and I in primary school in Warragul then we reconnected when he came to coach Moe in 1990. He was my first senior footy coach so it's been a long friendship. He was such a good man but he just went so quick. It highlights the purpose of what we're doing to raise money to find a cure for it.”
Every runner from the Gelagotis stable in June will carry the Fight MND silks, provided by Hyland Racing, and for every winner, the stable will donate $1000 to Daniher’s charity. Racing Victoria and Southside Racing have both agreed to match the Gelagotis donations.
Racing Queensland to compensate Taylor for clerical error
An administrative mix-up in the allocated weight for Clinton Taylor-trained Smart Mission (The Mission) resulted in the horse being scratched on Sunday, but Racing Queensland have announced they will compensate the horse’s connections $1600 for the mistake. Smart Mission was listed on Racing Australia’s website with 54.5kg instead of 59.5kg. Because punters had backed him at the incorrect weight, stewards decided the fairest option for punters was to scratch the horse.
“We drove the horse for nine hours (one way to Townsville) and I couldn't start him. It was a bit frustrating but through no fault of my own,” Taylor told racenet.com.au. “It's not that straightforward – the horse has been on the float for 18 hours – it's not like you walk across the road and then start him again next week, it's just not that easy.
“I do think the ratings system needs an overhaul in Queensland. It's just someone's opinion behind a computer desk. I wish they'd have a template, then you go to a race and you really know what you're going to get before you run the race.”
Pires escapes serious injury
Tasmanian jockey David Pires was sent to hospital for observation after being thrown from Wholesome (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) when the gates opened for the last on the card at Devonport on Sunday. On Monday, tasracing.com.au stated he “was taken to hospital for observation but was released on Sunday night with back and knee soreness.”
Juvenile winner for Yes Yes Yes
At Kilmore on Monday, Yes Yes Yes sired a juvenile winner when Patrick Payne-trained Signed By A Kiss won at her third start. The 2-year-old filly is a half-sister to Listed winner The Nephew (Wordsmith). Their dam, Husson’s Kiss (Husson {Arg}), is a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Rubisaki (Rubick) who placed in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes.
Alderslade recognised in King’s Birthday Honours
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chairman Doug Alderslade has been awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours list. “It has been a bit overwhelming, but I am appreciative and humbled by it all,” Alderslade told Loveracing.nz.
“I was obviously delighted to accept, more on the part of the whole industry and the team at Ellerslie rather than seeing it as being a particular acknowledgement of my efforts because it has been a huge team effort by everybody concerned.”
I have been a member (of the Auckland Racing Club) from 1972, and I joined the board in 2003,” Alderslade said. “That was when we had a whole issue when we sold Takanini and what we were going to do with the proceeds, and basically the whole board resigned and we had new elections. Lyn Stevens was the new chair when I joined the board in 2003.
“The first decade and a half of being on the board was business as usual. I think when the issues the industry is now facing became more obvious, as a board we really started to think about what we needed to do and could do to take the industry into a new era.
“That was when the big decisions were being made about the track, the installation of the new StrathAyr, and then the selling of the hill, which was obviously a difficult decision bearing in mind the history of the hill.
“We just felt from an economic point of view, we really needed to inject some optimism into the future of the industry and that was the way we felt we could do it – by producing a first rate racing surface and being in the fortunate position as a consequence of being able to offer really good stakes for trainers and owners, and everybody concerned in the industry.”
He’s had a bit of luck racing and breeding horses too. “I met my wife to be, and her sister-in-law is Moira Murdoch, and we started racing a few horses. The first horse we raced was Solvit, who won the Cox Plate and three Group 1s, so that got us involved. We raced horses with Moira for 20-odd years.
“I am good friends with Alan Galbraith at Rich Hill, so we joined up with Alan, and we started breeding a few here and in Australia, and it snowballed from there. The first mare that we bred from, a mare called Gemscay, was the mother of Penny Gem, who won a Group 1, so I hit the jackpot with the first foal I bred.”
Te Aroha abandoned due to wind
After four races at Te Aroha’s public holiday Monday meeting, strong winds blew over the running rail and the remainder of the meeting was abandoned. “The wind has picked up throughout the day,” stipendiary steward Brady Jones told Loveracing.nz.
“A section just past the winning post, prior to the start of race five and horses being loaded, fell over. The track crew did attempt to fix that but they weren’t having much luck and as soon as they finished that another section fell over near the 100m. They went to attend to that and the section that they had just fixed fell over again, so we brought the riders back from the start, we spoke with all the riders, and the decision was made to abandon the meeting. With how strong the wind is, you couldn’t guarantee that the rail wasn’t going to fall down throughout the rest of the day, so I think it was a fairly straightforward decision unfortunately.”
The juvenile event of the day was won by Tardis (NZ) (Time Test {GB}), bred and raced by trainer Daniel Miller’s parents, John and Maree.
Naomis wins G2 Prix de Sandringham
In the aftermath of the Prix du Jockey Club, the Pantall family were enjoying their own red-letter day as their homebred Naomis (City Light) captured the G2 Prix de Sandringham.
Coming off a win in Toulouse's Listed Prix Aymeri de Mauleon over this mile trip in April, the 20-1 shot travelled strongly under Tony Piccone tracking the leaders. Swooping on the front end a furlong out, the relative of Kirsten Rausing's stars Alborada and Alpinista hit the line with three-quarters of a length to spare over Vaticana (Goken). There was another 1.75 lengths back to Royal Chapel (Kingman) in third.
Henri Pantall revealed that Naomis was having her last run in the family silks. “It's nice to win with a filly that I bred with my wife, Yvette–she is a late foal who has developed a lot in recent weeks. She has been sold and will now leave for the United States, where she should do well,” he said. Naomis, who becomes the fifth Stakes winner for her Haras d'Etreham-based sire, is out of the unraced James Wigan-bred Biting (Lope De Vega).
Birdman relative wins German Guineas
Jaber Abdullah's Timeforshowcasing (Showcasing) finished off the radar in Newmarket's G1 1000 Guineas when last seen, but rebounded in style to lead home French and Irish raiders for an international trifecta in Sunday's G2 Horn & Company 106th German 1000 Guineas at Dusseldorf.
“This is a race we have some great history with as a family and my Dad [Mark] won it twice [with Nyaleti and Main Edition] a few years ago,” beamed trainer Charlie Johnston. “We thought for a while she was the perfect filly for the race and I'm delighted she has got the job done. Jack gave her a lovely ride and I don't think I could have scripted a better trip through the race. There was a moment's worry when the second challenged her a furlong out, but she's a very tough filly and kept pulling out more.”
Timeforshowcasing, who becomes the 39th Group winner for her sire, is the sixth of seven foals and leading performer from four scorers out of a half-sister to Group 3-winning sires Elusive Pimpernel (Elusive Quality) and Palavacini (Giant's Causeway). Her dam Gloryette (Raven's Pass) is also a half-sister to the second dam of G1 Doomben Cup hero Birdman (Free Eagle).
Goliath back in form in France
Resolute Bloodstock's Goliath (Adlerflug) was unsuccessful in three starts since annexing last September's G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and rediscovered the winning habit in a hot renewal of Sunday's G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly.
“He has been a very special horse for the whole stable and I'm very happy to have him in such good condition, both mentally and physically, at his age,” said Francis Graffard. “Christophe (Soumillon) confirmed that and said his action was incredible today and like it was in Ascot when he won the King George. When the pace is like that and I can see my horse relaxed, he is a champion who can quicken very strongly.
“I will need to speak to the owners, but my idea is to go to the G2 Hardwicke [at Royal Ascot] and then the G1 King George with him. This will have been really good for him mentally to be back winning.”
Oaks possibility for unbeaten Behrayna
The Aga Khan Studs' hitherto undefeated Behrayna (Sea The Moon) accounted for Zlata (Zarak) in last month's Listed Prix de la Seine at ParisLongchamp and repeated the dose in Sunday's G3 Prix de Royaumont at Chantilly to bolster her perfect record in the 12-furlong contest.
“She's a lovely filly, we've always liked her and I have always wanted to step her up to a mile-and-a-half,” revealed Francis Graffard. “She showed me that I was right, as she can be a little bit off the bridle, and she needs plenty of time to get going. This filly has plenty of ability and is an exciting prospect. I'll need to see how she comes back from this, but we know soft ground will not be a problem.
“Either she stays in France for the (July 14 G2) Prix de Malleret (at ParisLongchamp), or I could give her plenty of time and focus on the autumn. I could maybe also have a look at the (G1) Irish Oaks with her.”
