Racing Minister rejects calls to expand Hazzard review
The New South Wales Minister for Racing David Harris has dismissed the requests of a parliamentary petition to expand the scope of the Hazzard review to examine the funding model for the state’s racing.
The ePetition garnered 782 signatures from Thoroughbred industry participants and was submitted in May by shadow Racing Minister Dave Layzell on behalf of the Racing Reform Group.
It had called for the review to consider the industry’s funding models, particularly for greater transparency from Racing New South Wales on wagering revenue and where each club’s revenue is coming from.
RRG met with independent reviewer, the Hon Brad Hazzard, as part of the review’s consultation process and submitted a 40-page written document to Hazzard.
The minister’s decision means that the Hazzard review remains on track to be delivered to government at the end of June.
Reserve Bank set for Inglis Bull Ring
G1 Goodwood Handicap winning 4-year-old entire Reserve Bank (Capitalist) will be the first horse to be offered via Inglis Digital’s Bull Ring on June 17 and 18. The Bull Ring is a private auction platform and is invitation only for participants.
“The opportunity to offer Reserve Bank through the Inglis Bull Ring is hugely exciting,” Inglis Digital Business Manager Nick Melmeth said.
“He is a Group 1 winner, a very good-looking horse that is both well related and well bred. Reserve Bank is a commercial opportunity to be explored by a range of stud masters and investors – it certainly doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see how he could be a good investment for the right buyer.”
The son of Capitalist was a winner on debut at two, following that up with another victory before running second in the G2 Danehill Stakes at his third start. At three, he won three stakes races in succession culminating in the G1 Goodwood Handicap.
“He made a big impression early doors, winning his first two starts by big margins before being beaten a nostril in the stallion-making Danehill Stakes at Group 2 level,” co-trainer Michael Kent Jr told inglis.com.au.
“He really came into his own as a 3-year-old sprinter winning three on end in the autumn; the Listed Redelva, the G2 Tobin Bronze by a widening margin and then won a very strong edition of the G1 Goodwood Handicap, coming from last to win by 1.5 lengths. He was set to jump as third favourite in the G1 Galaxy before having a barrier incident and had to be scratched.
“We then set him for the Queensland Winter Carnival this year where he got a very heavy track first up and then drew extremely wide in the Doomben 10,000 and had to go back to last which also didn’t suit him.” Reserve Bank was a $410,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale graduate, and his dam Our Songbird (Fastnet Rock) has also produced Group 3-placed 3-year-old gelding Ornithology (Too Darn Hot {GB}).
Our Songbird won in Sydney and is a half-sister to Listed winners Debonairly (Snitzel) and Corsaire (Anabaa {USA}).
Gollan keen for first Stradbroke
Champion Queensland trainer Tony Gollan thinks Group 1 winner Transatlantic (Snitzel) can win him his first G1 Stradbroke Handicap. “You’re born with the desire to win this race - if you love horse racing, and you're a Queensland trainer, or a Queensland lad, this is the race you were born to want to win,” Gollan told racingqueensland.com.au.
Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It'll always be that way - even if I win it Saturday, it'll be the same again for next year. It's in our DNA up here, it's something we want to do - It's our biggest and best race, and if you don't want to get up and about for this race and start planning for it a way out out you're probably in the wrong game.
“So I can't wait for Saturday - I'm really happy with my preparation into it. It's been 12 months in the making, so we're well and truly on song, and hopefully we can get the job done.
“It's always a good race, the market shows that and I don't know if the barrier draw will change that market substantially either. Interesting race tempo wise is a bit tricky to see what sort of speed we've actually got in this race. It doesn't look to be breakneck on paper but we know Stradbrokes are very rarely run slow. We'll be talking about it all up until jump time on Saturday, but I'm really happy with my bloke.”
Sepals the smokey for Stradbroke
Trainer Cliff Brown believes punters have overlooked Sepals (Calyx {GB}) for Saturday’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap. “Going into the Kingsford Smith, his trial was as good as I’d seen him trial, and his gallop leading into the race itself was tremendous,” Brown told racing.com.
Sepals | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Unfortunately, he was posted really wide. And he hadn’t had a run for nine weeks, so it compounded everything. To be out five and six wide the whole way with no cover, he over-raced a little bit, being a bit fresh, and Lachie (Neindorf) switched him off that last 100m after a tough run.
“You didn’t come away thinking, ‘Gosh, that was an incredible performance’, but there were significant reasons why (he didn’t perform). You’ve got to be careful you don’t make too many excuses, but by the same token, I just don’t think we got a guide as to how he’s really going.”
Kickup Rocky set for JJ Atkins
Jockey Daniel Moor will ride Desleigh Forster-trained Kickup Rocky (Better Than Ready) in Saturday’s G1 JJ Atkins Plate. Moor moved from Victoria to Queensland for the lifestyle. “I was a bit spoilt by riding in Asia where they only raced once or twice a week,” Moor told racingandsports.com.au.
“When Singapore closed, I wanted to be more of a family man, father and husband. In Victoria, it's seven days a week, whereas it's not as full on here and the lifestyle is better. The support I've had has been fantastic, but I always knew my work ethic would help me a lot. To win a Group 1 here would be a dream come true.
“It was an excellent run in the Sires. I went into the race thinking he'd be hitting the line hard, but the barrier was the problem and I would have preferred to have drawn better. He's still learning his craft and is going to be an even better 3-year-old.”
Larneuk Stud announce fees
G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Griff will stand his first season at Larneuk Stud in 2026 at an introductory fee of $7,700 including GST. The son of Trapeze Artist won four of his 15 starts and over $2.1 million. He is the second foal of Chateau Griffo (Sebring) who ran third in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (f) on debut.
Griff | Standing at Larneuk Stud
Japanese Group I winner Lauda Sion (Jpn) will stand his third season at an unchanged fee of $11,000 including GST. He covered 31 mares in his first season, then 50 in his second season off the back of his first foals. The tough grandson of Deep Impact (Jpn) won five races over four seasons of racing. He’s from the American family of G1 Belmont Futurity Stakes winner Cuvee (USA) (Carson City {USA}).
Proven sires Wandjina and Impending remain at $6,600 including GST for 2026. Wandjina is the sire of seven stakes winners, led by Hong Kong’s top quality galloper Galaxy Spirit whose nine wins include four at group level. Impending has five crops of racing age and is the sire of four stakes winners.
Sydney’s turn to host Queen Elizabeth II Cup
The Listed Queen Elizabeth II Cup over 2400 metres moves between states on rotation and this year will be held at Rosehill. “Queen Elizabeth II was a massive racing fan and supporter of our sport and her history is also intertwined with the Australian Turf Club,” Australian Turf Club CEO Steve McMahon said.
“Her Majesty attended the races in Sydney on several visits to Australia and owned and raced her own horses on our tracks. We are delighted to be able to recognise her lasting links and popularity with racing and the wider community.”
So You Are avoiding Jenni
Trainer Stirling Osland did contemplate taking So You Are (So You Think {NZ}) to Queensland for the Q22, but the presence of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) has him sticking closer to home to run in the Listed Queen Elizabeth II Cup. “We had those couple of Group 3s picked out and were looking at options into his next start at Caloundra so coming back to this race looked a better option than going to the Q22 and taking on those horses,” Osland told racingnsw.com.au.
So You Are | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“It made sense to look back here at home and target something here before we head north again. He’s going well and I don’t think he’s put in a bad run.
“We have a half-sister to him so the more he can do the better off we are further down the line with a horse like her. He’s only just starting to come into his own now as a 4-year-old, I think he’s going to be better over the next couple of years. I think he looks pretty well placed there and it’s a nice race for us.”
Double for Alabama Express
At Sale on Wednesday, Alabama Express celebrated a double thanks to Enver Jusufovic-trained Lots Of Time who took his record to two wins from six starts.
Lindsay Park-trained 3-year-old gelding Harbour Town took his record to two wins from three starts. He was sold by Vinery Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $240,000 to Ballymore Stables, Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catherynne Bruggeman.
NZB open entries for yearling sale
New Zealand Bloodstock have opened entries for their 2027 National Yearling Sale which will be held at Karaka beginning on Sunday January 24, 2027. “It was an incredible week all around celebrating the 100th National Yearling Sale, and a fitting end to the campaign seeing such strong results across the board,” NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said.
“With the first century of selling now behind us, we are entering the next chapter with renewed confidence in our sale format, our horses and the unmatched Karaka experience that so many enjoy each year.
“The buying bench in 2026 was the strongest it has ever been, with Australian spend up 12%, Hong Kong and China active, and New Zealand trainers from every region participating.
“Book 2 and the new Karaka Summer Sale were particularly well-supported, and we look forward to building on those results and collating another world-class catalogue with the best of the New Zealand yearling crop.” Entries close July 13.
Mind Your Biscuits dies in Japan
Triple Group 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) has died at the age of 13 in Japan at Shadai Farm.
According to a Tuesday report by Japanese media site ZBAT, the horse “had been behaving normally and in good health, but his condition suddenly worsened after breeding in the afternoon of that day, and he passed away.”
“I'm shocked that he suddenly passed away,” Yoshida Teruya, the representative of Shadai Farm, told ZBAT. “He was only 13-years-old and still young, and he was producing good offspring, so it's truly regrettable.”
Bred in New York by Jumping Jack Racing LLC, Mind Your Biscuits raced from the ages of two until five, earning more than US$4,279,000 (AU$6.1 million) across 25 starts. His major wins include the GI Malibu Stakes and not one but two victories in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen in 2017 and 2018.
Upon his retirement from racing in 2018, he was sold to Shadai Farm where he has stood ever since, producing the likes of 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic runner up Derma Sotogake. He was named Japan's leading freshman sire in 2022.
Emotional debut for The Harv
Trainer Michael O'Callaghan has opened up about the emotion surrounding the Goodwood success of The Harv (Ten Sovereigns), named in honour of his late friend and business partner John Fleming, who helped source the Royal Ascot-bound juvenile merely hours before his untimely death back in April.
The Harv was heavily-punted into 5-6 favouritism before making a winning debut in a six-furlong novice on Sunday. That performance convinced his trainer that the colt was up to running in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, for which he is a general 33-1 chance.
Bought on behalf of his owner Eleanora Kennedy at the Goffs Breeze-Up Sale at Doncaster for £260,000 (AU$496,000), The Harv carries huge sentiment given he was selected by Fleming, affectionately known as Harvey by his friends, just hours before he was knocked down and killed by a bus at Dublin Airport when making his way home from that sale.
“It was a very special moment. The word that is coming to mind the most over the past few days is surreal. Harvey was such a unique man and had an impact on so many lives. Trying to digest what happened to him, then finding my own feet, putting one foot in front of the other and all the while keeping the show on the road and making him proud, it's been a strange time,” O’Callaghan said.
“We loved each other like brothers but at times like father and son. I know for a fact that I wouldn't be training if he wasn't in my corner as a mentor and a supporter. It's something I have thought quite a lot about since his passing. I'm 37 now and I didn't come from a horseracing background so I didn't work as an assistant to anyone and had to make my own mistakes through a lot of pig-headedness, a lot of arrogance and a lot of everything else.
“I had to knock those edges off myself and get to a stage where I am just about ready to really kick on. Between setting up our new yard to attracting the right owners, I very much feel that what happened with the Harv is a turning point in my life and career. It's very much about doing the absolute best that I can as a trainer but also as a man and as a person. It would be a good way to honour him, but not just to honour him because I don't want the pressure of that. But it has certainly put things into perspective. This is not a dress rehearsal. We only get one go at life.”
Green Sense headlines Goffs London Sale
Last year's G2 Prix Robert Papin winner Green Sense features among 16 initial entries for the Goffs London Sale, held in association with ULYSSIA and Fitzwilliam Sports, which will take place at Kensington Palace Gardens on the eve of Royal Ascot (Monday, June 15).
Starman filly Green Sense, who also finished third in the G1 Phoenix Stakes as a 2-year-old, holds a choice of engagements at Royal Ascot. The Joseph O'Brien trainee is entered in the G1 Coronation Stakes and also has the option of the G3 Jersey Stakes.
“The London Sale has established itself as one of the most unique auctions anywhere in the world and these entries once again underline its international appeal. To offer horses with Royal Ascot aspirations alongside proven Group performers and progressive international prospects creates a catalogue unlike any other,” Henry Beeby, Goffs Group chief executive, said.
“The quality and diversity of entries is particularly pleasing, with strong representation from Britain, Ireland and Germany and a number of exciting young horses whose best days may still lie ahead. We will take entries up to the day of sale and so would welcome any enquiries, although, as ever, we have worked to maintain a very high quality which has resulted in a truly select catalogue.”
Mawhoob tops Tatts Online Sale
All 30 lots offered in Tuesday's Tattersalls Online Emirates Racing Authority Jebel Ali Online Sale sold for an aggregate of AED2,420,300 (AU$940,000), led by Mawhoob (War Of Will), who was purchased for AED320,000 AU$125,000) by Sayed Hashish.
The third auction hosted by Tattersalls Online on behalf of the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA), the catalogue featured a draft consigned exclusively by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Jebel Ali Stables in Dubai. Over 90 registered bidders from 10 countries competed throughout the auction, resulting in a 100% clearance rate.
Tattersalls Online sales manager Katherine Sheridan said, “The Emirates Racing Authority Jebel Ali Online Sale produced another excellent set of results, with all 30 lots changing hands and competitive bidding evident throughout the auction.
“Achieving a 100 per cent clearance rate is a strong endorsement of both the quality of the horses offered, as well as the reach and efficiency of the Tattersalls Online platform.
“We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Jebel Ali Stables and the Emirates Racing Authority for their support and look forward to building on the success of this partnership in the future.”
