Daily News Wrap

Racing NSW shift to trialling Sleip app

Racing NSW has shifted to a trial period for the Sleip app, after questions were raised this week over the proposed mandatory rollout of the technology across NSW stables slated for July 1.

TTR reported on Thursday that trainers had raised concerns about the proposed implementation, including cost, data ownership, device access, consultation and what would happen when a horse was flagged by the app.

NSW Trainers’ Association chief executive Richard Callander told The Straight on Friday that Racing NSW appeared to have stepped back from the initial timeline and would now approach selected stables to trial the technology before reviewing the data.

“We understand the philosophy and the good technology behind it, but there’s also got to be a thorough process and work through it,” Callander said. “Now it looks like, after that first initial rushing period, they’ve come back and said, ‘right, we agree with the trainers, let’s go back, do all the seminars, then have a think about it’.”

Callander said there had been “too many questions unanswered” around the proposed rollout, with trainers particularly concerned about who would own and access the data generated by the app.

“The part that worries the trainers is who owns the data and who has access to the data?” he said. “If I read the licensing agreements correctly, it looks like the owners of the technology, Sleip, still have control over the data and we would find that unacceptable.”

Manaal to retire after Tatt’s Tiara

Trainer Michael Freedman reflected on his time with Group 1 winner Manaal (Tassort) who will retire to Emirates Park’s broodmare band after the G1 Tatt’s Tiara. She runs in Saturday’s G2 Moreton Cup. “I don't know about it being emotional, but she's been with me now since she was a yearling,” Freedman told racenet.com.au.

“She won the Gimcrack Stakes at her first start which is the first 2-year-old race of the season. And she's been able to win a Group 1 at age two and then Group races at three and four, which is pretty rare these days to see fillies and mares do that.

“So she's certainly been a great mare to me and to Emirates and it is a little sad in some respects to see them walk out the gate eventually to go off to the breeding barn but hopefully she'll leave her mark as a broodmare.” Winner of six of her 19 starts, she has earnings over $2.16 million.

Ole Kirk share headlines Inglis Digital

The catalogue for the Inglis June (Early) Digital Sale is open for bidding with a share in exciting young sire Ole Kirk as one of the highlights.

Group 3 winner La Mexicana (I Am Invincible), in foal to Too Darn Hot {GB}), is another highlight. Her first foal, 2-year-old colt Testament (Snitzel) realised $1.7 million at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale to the James Harron Colt Partnership/Tony Fung Colts/Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott partnership, while her yearling filly, also by Snitzel, sold for $700,000 at Easter this year to the combination of Guy Mulcaster and Chris Waller. She has a Snitzel weanling filly.

In total the June (Early) Sale has 311 entries – 118 racehorses (67 race fillies), 101 broodmares, 54 racehorse shares, 16 weanlings, 15 yearlings, three unraced stock, two 2YOs, a share in Ole Kirk and a breeding right in Pierata.

Waller announces staff changes

Chris Waller Racing announced on Friday that Sophie Baker will move into a newly created role called Bloodstock and Client Experience Manager.

Additionally, the Chris Waller Racing team welcome Claire Kelly as Executive Assistant to Chris Waller.

Update on Bennett

The general manager of the Queensland Jockeys' Association, Glen Prentice, has provided an update on injured jockey Kristy Bennett. “Kristy remains in a critical but stable condition in ICU at Gold Coast University hospital and the medical team have advised Irene (mother) and Bella (sister) that Kristy will remain monitored in the ICU over the next 14 days,” Prentice said.

“Irene and Bella wish to thank the incredible doctors, nurses and staff at the Gold Coast University Hospital for the amazing care Kristy is receiving and send thanks to the Australian racing community for their prayers and well wishes.

“Irene and Bella also send special thanks to Tony Gollan and his staff who have been a tower of strength for the family, as have the Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland. As Kristy remains in ICU, the hospital advises the lovely gesture of sending flowers cannot be accepted. It is not anticipated that further medical updates will be able to be provided over the next 12 to 14 days.”

Harry’s Bar set for Ramornie

Trainer Paul Murray will get a guide on 5-year-old mare Harry’s Bar (Harry Angel {Ire}) in Saturday’s Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes ahead of a tilt at the Listed Ramornie Handicap. “It is a Listed race so they are all very hard but we are going there pretty confident she will run very well,” Murray told racenet.com.au.

“This is just a run to keep her fitness up and see how she is at that level as well but the Ramornie is one of her main aims and that's about it for this prep. It's still another five or six weeks after this so she will probably go back down to Berry for a week and then back into it.”

General Salute to resume in Bob Charley

Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained General Salute (Russian Revolution) hasn't raced since his second to Group 1 winner Transatlantic (Snitzel) last October in the $1 million Five Diamonds Prelude but won a Hawkesbury barrier trial last Monday. He runs in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick. “I would have liked to have trialled him the week before but they switched the trials from the turf to the synthetic so I waited for Hawkesbury,” Ryan told racingandsports.com.au.

“But he did trial really well on Monday so he's ready to go to the races. He had a bone chip removed from a fetlock joint (and missing the autumn). But he is coming up nicely and although the 1100m is a touch short of his best distance, he's obviously very fresh and the soft track won't worry him.”

Rosa, the gelding, attempts four in succession

At Flemington on Saturday, Reece Goodwin-trained 4-year-old gelding Rosa Aotearoa (Dundeel {NZ}) will attempt to win his fourth in succession. “They think he's a she because of the name. But he is quite feminine looking,” Goodwin told racenet.com.au.

“When Dylan (Dunn) was wrapping up his training and going back to riding, he recommended the horse come to me. He'd always shown a lot of ability and was quite a hothead so Dylan thought he'd suit my set-up … he's been proven right. He's been a great little pick-up with a great record since we've had him.” He has won four of his last five starts, three of those in succession.

Blinkers for ‘funny’ Geemes

Mitch Beer and George Carpenter-trained Geemes (Grunt {NZ}) ran second in the Listed Canberra Cup two starts ago, and she’ll be set for more black type after she runs at Randwick on Saturday. “I think she is going as good as ever,” Beer told racenet.com.au.

“She is just a different horse on soft going. I think (blinkers) will improve her out of sight. She is a bit of a funny horse, you could see in the Canberra Cup that she never really got going until she got to the outside of them. In among horses, she can be a bit funny so I think the blinkers will improve her.”

Diamond to rebound for National

Trainer David Pfieffer is confident Oh Diamond Lil (So You Think {NZ}) is ready to rebound in the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm. “She hit the front and looked good for a while, but that last 100 she looked a bit weak. That was just off not gaining what we wanted to gain first-up,” Pfeiffer told racingandsports.com.au.

“That run at Scone has topped her right up. Usually, her first-up run is good, her second-up run can be a little bit plain, but she is hopefully cherry-ripe.”

Free broodmare seminar at Inglis’ Oaklands

Inglis will host a free seminar on broodmares at their Oaklands sale ground on Wednesday June 10 at 5pm. The guest speakers are Ryan Arnel, James Ferguson, Dr Kate Wilcox and David Whishaw.

Topics will include broodmare valuation, maintaining health in broodmares, and the risks around sub-fertile mares as commercial propositions.

All Too Hard filly wins Dubbo Silver Goblet

Friday’s Dubbo Silver Goblet was won by 2-year-old filly Rubelin (All Too Hard) by nearly two lengths for trainer Brett Robb and apprentice jockey Izzy Neale. She took her record to two wins from five starts.

Raced by the Whittaker family, she is the third foal and third winner for Invincible Thunder (I Am Invincible) who won twice.

Elvstroem 2YO Classic won by Mountjoy

The opening day of the Swan Hill carnival featured the VOBIS Elvstroem 2YO Classic won by Henry Dwyer-trained filly Mountjoy (Street Boss {USA}). She was having her second start, having run third on debut.

Dwyer purchased her for NZ$150,000 from Rich Hill Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. She is the first named foal of Lorne (Redoute’s Choice) who is a winning half-sister to Listed-placed Able Willie (Written Tycoon).

Juvenile winner for Trapeze Artist

Ben Hull-trained 2-year-old colt Airbourne Affair (Trapeze Artist) won on debut at Rockhampton on Friday. He was sold by Widden Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to his trainer for $12,000.

He is the second foal and second winner for She’s My Girl (So You Think {NZ}) who won twice in NSW and She’s My Girl is a daughter of Listed winner Follow The Till (General Nediym).

Tawny Port qualifies for Melbourne Cup

Tawny Port (USA) (Pioneerof The Nile {USA}) has qualified for the G1 Melbourne Cup in winning Friday’s Belmont Gold Cup. “We should seriously consider it,” trainer Miguel Clement said.

“He stays without doubt, he's run many times over two miles and won very well. It's one of the biggest world races, if you've got an opportunity to go for it and you think you have a chance, you have to go for it … he's tough as nails.”

Tawny Port ran seventh in the 2022 G1 Kentucky Derby and now has six wins from 32 starts with earnings over US$2.3 million (AU$3.2 million). Pioneerof The Nile, the late WinStar sire's first crop consisted of five graded winners and it just got better from there, with Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah a member of his second. Pioneerof the Nile, a multiple Grade 1 winner and runner-up in the 2009 GI Kentucky Derby, died unexpectedly at age 13 in 2019.

Derby form franked by Endorsement

Coolmore and Westerberg's Endorsement (Wootton Bassett) attempted to make all and hit the board behind James J Braddock (Zarak) and Pierre Bonnard (Camelot) in last month's G3 Derby Trial at Leopardstown and boosted the hopes of those G1 Derby candidates with a seven-length romp in Thursday's Listed King George V Cup back at the Foxrock venue.

“His form is solid, it was nice to see him running well and Ryan (Moore) was very happy with him,” said Aidan O'Brien. “We didn't know how far he'd stay because a mile-and-a-quarter is as far as he's gone. He could be a (G2 Queen's) Vase horse or he could be a G2 King Edward VII horse. We were thinking he might be a Vase horse, so it's possible he could be.”

Endorsement, who becomes the 87th stakes winner for his sire, is the first of four foals foal bred from an unraced Galileo full-sister to seven black-type performers headed by G1 Criterium International-winner and now Australian-based sire Johannes Vermeer, G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes victrix Elizabeth Browning and the Group 1-placed duo Wembley and Covent Garden.

Roja wins G2 Intercontinental Stakes

Using her speed from the outside gate, Roja (Karakontie {Jpn}) made the lead and never looked back in the GII Intercontinental Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Thursday afternoon. The win was the first graded victory of her career.

The final running time was 1:00.44–three-fifths of a second off the track record set by shuttle sire Cogburn (Not This Time).

“I'm tickled with both of them,” said trainer Graham Motion about Roja and stablemate, second placed Italian Soiree (Uncle Mo). “They've really both done very well. Italian Soiree, I wanted to get her back on track and I thought this was a big step, but I thought she belonged off her first race [this year].”

Dempsey wins Irish Racing Excellence Award

Aoife Dempsey, Head Girl for Ted and Katie Walsh, received the prestigious Irish Racing Excellence Award – the top accolade at the Irish Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (ITIEA) supported by Godolphin, the Irish Stable Staff Association, HRI Equuip, Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association and the Racing Post. The awards took place in the Keadeen Hotel in County Kildare on Tuesday evening.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Irish Racing Excellence Award. Racing is a true team effort, and I've been so fortunate to work for Ted and Katie, who I have learned so much from, along with the entire team in the yard. This award means so much to me, I'm still in shock, especially with the calibre of the other winners in the room,” Dempsey said.

Jockey jailed for manslaughter

Former English jockey Levi Williams has been jailed for the manslaughter of a pensioner he punched outside a pub, causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground.

Williams, 27, was sentenced to three years in prison for the manslaughter of Richard Wingrove, 71, who died in hospital 10 days after Williams punched him in Newmarket, Suffolk. Williams rode his last winner at Chelmsford in February 2023.

Goffs London announce new sponsors

Luxury residential yacht community ULYSSIA has been announced as the new joint title partner alongside Fitzwilliam Sports for the Goffs London Sale.

Initial entries for the 2026 edition will be announced in the coming days and feature international racing prospects and Royal Ascot-bound runners, with further entries to be added closer to the sale. As the curtain-raiser to the Royal Meeting, the Goffs London Sale remains the only auction in the world where buyers can purchase a horse declared to run at Royal Ascot just 24 hours later.

Goffs boss Henry Beeby said, “The Goffs London Sale occupies a unique place in the international bloodstock calendar and continues to attract an extraordinary audience from across racing, business and global sport. The combination of elite bloodstock, Royal Ascot and the setting of Kensington Palace Gardens creates an occasion unlike any other.

“The strength of trade, international participation and the quality of buyers at recent editions reflects the continued demand for the sale. We are also delighted to welcome ULYSSIA as a new joint title partner alongside Fitzwilliam Sports, who continue their support following the 2025 renewal, as well as a first-class group of supporting partners whose backing and shared vision help elevate the event year after year.”