Queensland carnival breaks wagering record
The 2026 Queensland Winter Carnival broke their wagering record with an 11% increase on last year to hit turnover of $411.8 million. The previous wagering record was in 2023. Attendance was up 8.6% on last year. “This year's Queensland winter carnival is now officially one for the record books,” Racing Queensland acting chief executive Lachlan Murray told racenet.com.au.
“With record wagering results across the 11 feature meetings – highlighted by three of our time-honoured Group 1s exceeding $10m in domestic turnover for the first time – it goes to show the widespread impact this carnival has nationwide.
“Rothfire's historic win in the Doomben 10,000 will long live in the memories, six years after his first Group 1 as a 2-year-old. We saw Pride Of Jenni grace the turf of the Gold Coast and a local victory in the Stradbroke thanks to Spicy Martini. It was also great to welcome home one of the world's best hoops in Zac Purton, before Taylor Marshall claimed an emotional first Group 1 win in the saddle. Not to mention trainer Chris Waller's record-breaking 200th Group 1 victory – these are the kinds of moments that shape the success of the winter carnival.
“I'd like to acknowledge the hard work of all those at the coalface of our industry from our participants and owners, wagering and media partners, and of course the five clubs who put on the show.”
New winner for St Mark’s Basilica
First season sire St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) added a new winner when Simon Miller-trained 2-year-old filly Gentle Touch won the opening race at Belmont on Wednesday. She was having her second start, having run fourth on debut.
Simon Miller Racing purchased her for $80,000 from Millburn Creek’s Magic Millions National Weanling Sale draft. She is the third winner from three to race for Soft Kiss (USA) (Bernardini {USA}).
Aclaim adds new winner
Aclaim (Ire) added his third winner from his only Australian crop when Pat Webster-trained 2-year-old gelding Laurels won on debut at Ipswich on Wednesday. Hopetoun Farm sold him on Inglis Digital as a yearling in July 2025 for $7500.
A half-brother to stakes placed 3-year-old filly Cuddles For Kimmy (Spirit Of Boom), Laurels is the last foal and fourth winner for Cuddles For Naara (General Nediym), a stakes placed half-sister to Listed winner Noesis (Exceed And Excel).
NSW to host Australian Horse Of The Year
The NSW Racehorse Owners Association will host a joint ceremony for the Australian Horse Of The Year Awards and the NSW Racing’s Night of Champions on Thursday August 27 at Randwick. “On behalf of Racing Australia, we are delighted to be sharing the stage with Racing’s Night of Champions. All eleven national award categories, including the Australian Racehorse of the Year, are shaping up to be very hotly contested with voting well underway,” said Racing Australia CEO Paul Eriksson.
“Racing’s Night of Champions will showcase the highest achievers in our sport on one stage, making it a truly unique occasion for the Australian racing industry,” said NSWROA President Tony Mitevski.
Telstra outage causes Magic Millions delay
Magic Millions announced on Wednesday that their current digital auction would be extended by a day due to complications caused by Wednesday morning’s Telstra outage.
G2 Karakatta Plate-placed Earthstorm (Calyx {GB}) headlines the latest Magic Millions Digital Sale, which features 87 lots. Earthstorm has three other stakes placings on her record and she’s from the family of Champion Sire Fastnet Rock and young WA sire Lightsaber.
Newman begins three months at Tulloch
Apprentice jockey Jett Newman is on a three-month loan to Tulloch Lodge’s trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. “She’s riding lots of winners at the Gold Coast and the provincials in Queensland and we’ve purposely held her back from riding too much in the city to hold her claim for when she gets down there,” trainer Matt Dunn told racingnsw.com.au.
“It was always in the plan for her to go down and we were trying to work out the right place, the right stable for her to go to. I spoke to Adrian a few weeks ago and I think it’s the right place for her and she’ll hold her own for sure. She’s ready to go now and she’ll do a good job.”
Fireball aimed at Golden Rose
Bloodstock agent James Harron says that Group 1 winner Fireball (Snitzel) will be aimed at the G1 Golden Rose this spring, while fellow stakes winning colt Incognito (Stay Inside) will stick to a sprinting pathway. “Fireball has had a lovely spell and looks terrific,” Harron told racingandsports.com.au.
Fireball | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“He's been back in with Chris for a few weeks now and the stable is really pleased with how much he has furnished and developed. We will get him to the trials and see where we are at but the Golden Rose has been earmarked as the race that is really going to suit him. He ran a bottler in the Sires and then won the Champagne Stakes so we know he can get out to 1600m.
“We feel like we learned a lot about Incognito last preparation. We had high hopes with that horse and were disappointed. But he has shown us he is really a short-course type of horse. He travels extremely well in his races but then has a short, sharp sprint. If he is impressing Michael, we could target a race like the Moir Stakes over 1000m. It's an ambitious plan so he has to shoot the lights out in his trials.”
Dabernig fined $10,000
Trainer Tom Dabernig has been fined $10,000 over a 2024 positive test to testosterone found in Ashford Street (Moshe) pre-race sample before the G2 Millennium Sprint. “The tribunal is very concerned with the presence of testosterone in the urine sample at such a level,” VRT chairman Magistrate Peter Reardon said. Ashford Street had 53 ug/L, more than twice the limit of 20 ug/L.
Tom Dabernig | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Its presence is a serious breach of the Rules of Racing … presence of testosterone, which constitutes an aggravating factor, does distinguish it from previous Formestane cases.” Ashford Street was formally disqualified from the race, in which he was last. He won the Listed Christmas Stakes at his next start, but sadly died of colic last year.
Rumdabar set to win again
Trainer Kris Lees thinks 2-year-old colt Rumdabar (Castelvecchio) can bounce off his last start win to perform well at Randwick on Saturday. “He got a lovely ride at Newcastle to be fair but reacted well and it was a good win,” Lees told racingnsw.com.au.
“I think he’s a nice horse, he’ll be better next preparation like most 2-year-olds, but off that win he deserves his chance in better company.”
Double for Flying Artie
At Canterbury on Wednesday, Flying Artie celebrated a double with Richard and Will Freedman-trained Let’s Fly who took her record to four wins and over $270,000 with a 1.8 length victory.
Lucy Longmire-trained Oh Arthur won the opening race on the card, and he’s owned by former trainer Tim Martin and partners. “He's quick but everything else he's a work in progress for Lucy and Tim,” jockey Adrian Layt said.
“He's nowhere near the bottom yet he had a good blow so there's fitness and upside there. Tim and Lucy are great horse people so they'll get him to come around.” Oh Arthur was having his second start, almost a year after his first start.
Juvenile winner for Bivouac
Leading second season sire Bivouac added a juvenile winner when Gordon Richards & Damien Moyle-trained 2-year-old colt Shivouac bolted home by 4.78 lengths at Morphettville on Wednesday. He was on debut.
Sold by Armidale Stud to Gordon Richards Racing for $30,000 at the Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale, Shivouac is the second foal and second winner for winning mare Made Me Shiver (Uncle Mo {USA}).
Trapeze Artist adds 2-year-old winner
At Canberra on Wednesday, Matthew Kelley-trained 2-year-old colt Flywire (Trapeze Artist) won his maiden against the older horses. His trainer bought him for $40,000 from Burke Bloodstock’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft.
Flywire is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Buddies (So You Think {NZ}), Listed winner Relentless (Hallowed Crown) and G1 Australian Derby-placed Glad You Think So (So You Think {NZ}). Their dam, Gladwell (Anabaa {USA}) was Group 3-placed.
BHA warns ff 'severe financial implications' after affordability checks confirmed
The British Horseracing Authority is “hugely disappointed” the Gambling Commission has confirmed Financial Risk Assessments will be implemented, warning that racing faces “severe financial implications”.
In recent months the commission has been gathering and reviewing a wide range of factors such as data, stakeholder feedback and the outcomes of pilot schemes before making a final decision on the implementation of what are known widely in racing circles as affordability checks.
In a strongly worded statement reacting to the news, the BHA's chief executive Brant Dunshea branded the decision “one of self-harm on an immense scale”.
He said, “We are hugely disappointed that the Gambling Commission will implement affordability checks which will have severe financial implications for British racing and the UK economy and subject racing bettors to unwarranted levels of intrusion.
“Over a number of years, and through several consultations, British racing has engaged in a spirit of huge goodwill to honestly advise the Government about the potential impact this policy would have on our sport and its fanbase.
“These concerns were shared by the betting industry, politicians, campaigners and policy makers, who warned of devastating unintended consequences on two major industries that are worth billions of pounds to the UK economy and employ more than 200,000 people across Britain. We understand these checks have been proven by the Gambling Commission's own pilot to not be 'fully frictionless' as originally promised by successive Government ministers.
“Rather than protecting consumers, these checks will have the opposite effect: driving more customers to the illegal market – which puts them at much greater risk of gambling-related harm – and starving the Treasury of much needed tax revenue.
“Objective evidence from across the globe makes clear that this decision is one of self-harm on an immense scale that will have damaging economic and societal implications.”
The first stage of the implementation will see see the checks carried out by the largest operators when a £5,000 (AU$9630) net deposit in a rolling 24-hour period is met.
Once fully implemented, the assessments will be applied to customers aged 25 years or older with net deposits exceeding £1,000 (AU$1930) in a rolling 24-hour period or £3,000 (AU$5780) over a rolling 90-day period. For under 25 these thresholds will be reduced to £750 (AU$1445) in a rolling 24 hours or £2,000 (AU$3850) in a rolling 90 days.
Lane’s End to stand Englishman
Upon the conclusion of his racing career, GI Woody Stephens winner Englishman (Maxfield–In It for the Gold, by Speightstown) will retire to Lane's End, the farm announced on Tuesday. Englishman is expected to continue racing into 2027.
“I am thrilled to add Englishman to our roster of future stallions,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish. “He has impressed us since his stunning debut and we have been watching him closely ever since. He combines brilliant speed with exceptional good looks and is by the very promising young Darley stallion, Maxfield.”
Campaigned by Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stables LLC, Englishman most recently won Saratoga's seven-furlong Woody Stephens by 5.75 lengths. Earning a 115 Beyer Speed Figure, he stopped the clock at 1:20.40, equalling the track record for 7 furlongs set in 1978.
Bayern dies in South Korea
Bayern (Offlee Wild–Alittlebitearly, by Thunder Gulch), winner of the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, died on Sunday after complications following emergency hernia surgery, according to a tweet from Great Hill Farm, which had stood the 15-year-old stallion in South Korea since 2022.
“We fought alongside him day and night, exhausting every possible medical intervention and providing intensive care in a desperate struggle to save his life,” the tweet read. “Heartbreakingly, his condition did not improve and we were ultimately left with no choice but to make the agonizing decision to euthanize him.”
In addition to the Breeders' Cup Classic, Bayern won the 2014 GI Haskell Invitational Stakes, GII Pennsylvania Derby and GII Woody Stephens Stakes. He was third in the GI Arkansas Derby and in the 2015 GI Awesome Again Stakes. On the board in 10 of 15 starts, he won six times and earned US$4,454,930 (AU$6.3 million) for owner Kaleem Shah and trainer Bob Baffert.
Bayern is the sire of Canadian champion female sprinter Hazelbrook and Korean champion sprinter and miler Raon the Fighter (Kor), as well as Grade I winner Speed Boat Beach and graded winner Leggs Galore.
Fasig-Tipton and Dubai Racing Club partnership announced
Fasig-Tipton and Dubai Racing Club have formed an international partnership. The aim is it strengthen international collaboration and create new opportunities for owners, trainers and breeders across the global racing industry.
The strategic partnership will see Fasig-Tipton establish an enhanced presence throughout the 2026-27 Dubai Racing Carnival at Meydan Racecourse, while both organizations collaborate to promote greater international participation, facilitate the movement of elite bloodstock between key racing jurisdictions, and further strengthen the global Thoroughbred ecosystem.
H.E. Ali Al Ali, CEO and Board Member of Dubai Racing Club, said, “This partnership creates a stronger bridge between two of the world's most important racing markets. It provides our owners and trainers with greater visibility of North America's finest bloodstock, while giving Fasig-Tipton graduates an even clearer pathway to compete on one of the sport's biggest international stages through the Dubai Racing Carnival and Dubai World Cup.”
Repole scores stakes win in Italy
The blue-and-orange silks of Mike Repole were carried by Easy Pisa (Blue Point) to a first Italian victory in May, and Niente Scuse (Churchill) handed the operation its first Italian black-type win in the Listed Premio Giuseppe de Montel at Milan on Tuesday evening.
Bred by Ballyphilip Stud in Ireland, the son of Dubai Sunset (Pivotal) sold for 75,000gns (AU$152,000) to Repole Stable during Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last autumn. The third foal and third winner for his placed dam, Niente Scuse is a half-brother to Our Cody (Kodi Bear), who was second at listed level in Britain. Saturday's French Derby-winning G1 Eclipse Stakes hero Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) is under the third dam, as is Coolmore stallion Camelot.
Arqana v2 Yearlings Online
The catalogue for the Arqana v.2 Yearling Sale, featuring a Dark Angel filly from the family of Immortal Verse (Pivotal) is now online. The sale will take place Wednesday, August 19, beginning at 11 a.m. Featuring 166 colts and fillies selected for their maturity and precocity, the catalogue follows the Arqana August Yearling Sale on August 15-17.
Set to sell as lot 475, the filly is out of German Group 3-placed Chaussons Roses (New Approach). Multiple Group 1 winner Immortal Verse is under the third dam, and she has already foaled Classic winner Henri Matisse (Wootton Bassett), and Tenebrism (Caravaggio), both multiple Group 1 scorers.
