Bellatrix Star begins in Monash
Saturday’s G3 Monash Stakes will be the first run for Group 2 winner Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) for this campaign. “We've had a lot of problems with her and she's been off the scene for a long time,” trainer Mark Walker told racingandsports.com.au.
Bellatrix Star | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She had an accident coming home from the swimming pool, she fractured her neck when a loose horse ran past and she reared up and fell over. We got her over that, then she had her first start back and she chipped a fetlock and had to go for fetlock surgery.
“That's just racing, you take the good with the bad. She's still very lightly-raced, so if she ran well on Saturday, hopefully we get things back on track.”
Hard Kick to kick off Coolmore campaign
Lindsay Park trained Hark Kick (All Too Hard) will run in mid-July as he heads towards the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes this spring. “We're going to look at a 1000-metre option for 2-year-olds down the straight on the 18th of July,” Will Hayes, who trains in partnership with brother Ben and JD, told racingandsports.com.au.
Hard Kick | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We're very happy and glad that we erred on the side of caution by not exposing him to the back-up into the (Blue) Diamond, because it's been the best thing for him going forward. I can't fault him in the way he's built up, he looks a better version of himself and I think his trial spoke for itself.”
He won a trial last Friday over 800 metres on Werribee. “His trial suggests that he's right where we need him to be.”
No decision on Asfoora yet
Trainer Henry Dwyer told racing.com that no decision has been made on retirement for Asfoora (Flying Artie) after she ran last in Saturday’s G3 Coral Charge at Sandown in the UK.
Asfoora | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’re just going to give ourselves the next couple of weeks, because she’s booked to go into quarantine on July 31, so she can’t really come home any earlier, anyway. The race that she can run in is that same day, so we’ve got four weeks up our sleeve,” Dwyer told racing.com
“I want to give her a week off in the paddock and reassess after that. It gives her a chance to have a week off and us a chance to consider the realities of everything, then make a more educated decision after we’ve seen her for a week.
“There’s nothing wrong with her, she’s pulled up super. She looked after herself. She lurched at the gates to start with and then she was on the back foot when they opened, and she bunny hopped out and missed it by a couple of lengths.
“At that track at Sandown, she was completely out of contention from the word go. (Jockey) Oisin (Murphy) never really knocked her around and she pulled up like she never really had a run, really.
“Given there’s nothing wrong with her, I’m inclined to give her one last hurrah at Goodwood and then she can come home and go to stud, but we’ll make that decision after we’ve given it a week of thought.”
A Boy Named Susie on Cox Plate path
After running second in Saturday’s G1 Coral Eclipse Stakes in England, Donnacha O'Brien-trained A Boy Named Susie (Starspangledbanner) could be set for the G1 Cox Plate. “One of our big aims is the Cox Plate, so we're thinking of working back from that. We'll have a look at the program and see what makes sense,” O'Brien told racing.com.
“He’s been showing up every time and bumping heads with very good horses – he’s a very good horse himself.” O’Brien’s father Aidan won the G1 Cox Plate with Adelaide (Ire) while his brother Joseph won with State Of Rest (Ire) who is also a son of Starspangledbanner.
Six more weeks for Jones
Injured jockey Angela Jones hopes to be back at trackwork in six weeks. She broke her collarbone in May, and required surgery. “I've got another doctor's appointment in six weeks, but it's probably on track,” Jones told racenet.com.au.
Angela Jones | Image courtesy of Racing QLD
“They said at the start, before my surgery, that it was going to be a three-month recovery, and it's looking like that. I'm maybe another six weeks away. I don't know what exact date I'll actually be back but it'll be over a month before I can start trackwork.”
The reigning Brisbane Jockey’s Championship winner currently sits third on the table for this season but will not add to her tally of 54 metro wins.
Racing NSW introduce new stewards
Racing NSW announced that Baxter Beasley, Evie Norris and Marcus Vilo have completed their steward training. “They’re perfect examples of the types of young people who will be the next generation of stewards,” Steve Railton told racingnsw.com.au.
“It shows what can be achieved if you are passionate and dedicated to forging a career in Stewarding.
“For a young person undertaking a Stewards traineeship there are definitely sacrifices to be made, such as working on weekends, however if you commit to the profession and work hard, then the opportunities are boundless.”
Beasley is the son of Group 1 winning jockey, now trainer, Danny Beasley and will be based in the Southern Districts. Norris will be based in Sydney and Vilo in Canberra.
Webb likely to retire from saddle
The need for a hip replacement will likely see jockey Olivia Webb retire from the saddle. “I had surgery to repair the labral tear, the bone spur and the cam lesion (bony overgrowth) on my hip and they've pretty much said that it's just a wait and see,” Webb told racenet.com.au.
“But if I go back to riding, I'll be looking at an early hip replacement. I'll see the doctor again next month. I had a fall in January (at Dalby) that just started a huge problem. I came back riding in March and then it just all went downhill from there.
“It hasn't really hit me yet but when I have the chat with the doctor next month it'll probably be pretty hard to hear. He'll scan it again to see how it's healing and then give me his prognosis but I'll definitely be looking at a hip replacement before I'm 30, without even continuing to ride.
“I've been in the racing industry since 2017, so it's kind of hard to step away from that when you haven't really done much else. I'm going to go back and study and do my nursing. That's the only thing I've really planned so far.”
Field Of Gold retired to Juddmonte
Field Of Gold (Kingman), who proved himself Europe's leading 3-year-miler of 2025 with consecutive Group 1 wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, has been retired from racing and will stand at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud in 2027.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Field Of Gold was a dual winner as a 2-year-old, notably when emulating his sire, Kingman, with victory in the G3 Solario Stakes at Sandown, before he returned the following year with a three-and-a-half-length success in the G3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket. A near miss in the 2,000 Guineas was then followed by the two standout performances of his career at the Curragh and Royal Ascot, with his victory in the St James's Palace, by three and a half lengths from Henri Matisse, confirming his standing as the leading miler of his generation.
Though below his best in two subsequent starts in 2025, hopes had been high that Field Of Gold might be able to rediscover his best form after he kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish in the G2 bet365 Mile at Sandown. However, it has now been confirmed that he will not be ready to return to top-level racing in 2026, having suffered from a bacterial lung infection which forced him to miss the G1 Lockinge Stakes and G1 Queen Anne Stakes. He retires as the winner of five of his 11 starts and just shy of £1 million (AU$1.9 million) in career earnings.
John Gosden said, “Field Of Gold combined speed, looks and class in bountiful measure. He possessed incredible acceleration and a superb action which he demonstrated in the St James's Palace Stakes. A very powerful and well-balanced colt with a great temperament.”
Bred by Bobby and Honora Donworth of Roundhill Stud, Field Of Gold entered the Juddmonte fold after being purchased for €530,000 (AU$874,000) at the Goffs November Foal Sale. He is one of three winners from as many runners out of the winning Shamardal mare Princess de Lune, with the others including the Listed Rosemary Stakes heroine Zanbaq (Oasis Dream). Princess de Lune, in turn, is a full-sister to the dual Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed sire Puissance De Lune, as well as the G2 Middleton Stakes scorer Queen Power.
Hong Kong’s team for Shergar Cup
Emerging stars Jerry Chau and Luke Ferraris have been selected alongside Vincent Ho to represent Team Hong Kong at the 25th Shergar Cup, which takes place at Ascot on Saturday, August 8 and will be run under the World Pool banner for the first time. The six-race card will join the global commingling pool's fixture list, which is powered by over 20 international wagering partners.
Ho, Chau and Ferraris will vie against a host of champion jockeys representing Great Britain and Ireland, Europe and the Rest of the World in the annual team competition.
Riders will carry their team's silks in races, with points awarded to the first five horses past the winning post: 15 for first, 10 for second, seven for third, five for fourth and three for fifth. The team with the most points at the end of the competition wins, while the Silver Saddle – secured by the Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman in 2025 – goes to the jockey who accumulates the most points.
Andrew Harding, Executive Director, Racing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club is thrilled to be represented with Team Hong Kong at the 25th running of the Shergar Cup. Joining captain Vincent Ho is the talented duo of Jerry Chau, who graduated from our own Apprentice Jockeys' School, and Luke Ferraris, a global rising star who has had a long association with Hong Kong racing.
“The introduction of Team Hong Kong reflects Hong Kong's world-class racing, with the jockeys' roster in Hong Kong representing the most competitive anywhere on the planet. It is also incredibly exciting to see this year's Shergar Cup run as part of the World Pool, which is a natural development of our commitment to the continued globalisation of horse racing and the development of premier racing events around the world.”
Nick Smith, Director of Racing and Public Affairs, Ascot Racecourse, added, “Today's announcement marks probably the most important milestone in the 25-year history of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup.
“To partner with The Hong Kong Jockey Club takes the competition to a new level on the world stage. The Hong Kong Jockey Club have unveiled their team, to carry their club colours, against the best jockeys from around the world and I am sure they will perform with distinction.
“We at Ascot are delighted to be staging the first World Pool event outside Group 1 parameters. This completes the portfolio of World Pool feature days at Ascot, which already includes Royal Ascot, King George Day and QIPCO British Champions Day.
“Having launched this global phenomenon with HKJC at Royal Ascot in 2019, this is a proud moment for us. I'd particularly like to thank Dubai Duty Free, our longstanding event sponsors, for their support, which has enabled us to build the competition's global appeal and popularity over the years.”
Flightline colt sets record on debut
Tetsuhide Kunimoto's Shonan Galleon (Jpn) (Flightline) was all the rage as the 3-10 chalk facing four other rivals while making his career debut in an 1800 metre newcomers' contest on the turf Sunday at Hakodate. He lived right up to his advance billing, taking command at will before edging effortlessly away while stopping the timer in 1:47.6 over a track rated good-to-firm and establishing a new 2-year-old course record in the process.
A ¥210 million (AU$1.9 million) purchase as a foal at the 2024 Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale, he won by 2.5 lengths and the final time shaved 0.5 seconds off the previous 2-year-old record established last July.
“He has the makings of a star. I want to take good care of him,” said Sameshima, as quoted by Netkeiba on X. The February 13 foal is the first produce for his dam, Tan Gritona (Arg) (Full Mast) Argentina's champion 2-year-old filly of 2022, with Group 1 successes on both dirt and turf.
