Expensive yearlings lead Blue Diamond nominations
There have been 1348 nominations for the 2027 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes which closed on Monday. Among them is 2026’s most expensive yearling Ecuador (Extreme Choice) who cost Tom Magnier $3 million from Lime Country Thoroughbreds’ Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.
“The strength of the nominations for the 2027 Blue Diamond is exceptional, and to have 93 of the 100 highest-priced yearlings sold across Australasia this year among the entries demonstrates the standing of the race,” MRC CEO Tanya Fullarton told racing.com.
“The Blue Diamond has a proud history of identifying outstanding horses at the very beginning of their careers, and the depth of this year’s nominations gives us every reason to believe we could see another exceptional crop emerge at Caulfield next February.”
Clinton McDonald, who won the race last year with Streisand (Magnus) has 24 nominations including the $1.8 million unnamed Extreme Choice filly who is a half-sister to Compelling Truth (I Am Invincible). “We paid a lot of money for her. She looks a real likely type, a very 2-year-old sort of horse – big, strong hindquarter with a good girth,” McDonald said.
“I think the most important thing is they’ve got to be there for you, you don’t have to train them. You just keep them happy, feed them well, look after them, and the horses do it on their own. With the 2-year-olds, I think it’s just education and keeping them happy. Don’t over-train them and keep it pretty simple.”
The biggest stables in the land lead the nominations with Chris Waller nominating 133 horses while Ciaron Maher has 111 nominations. Home Affairs leads the stallions with 72 2-year-olds entered.
Guest House to resume on Saturday
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will give G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House (Home Affairs) his first run for the season in Saturday’s G3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill. “He's a bigger, stronger horse – he was 567 kilos when he won the Slipper and Saturday morning he was 582,” Price told racingandsports.com.au.
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“So, he's 15 kilos heavier than when he was as a 2-year-old, which is fine. But that's a big horse. I don't want them any bigger. He's a big centre-half-forward, that's what he is. He's an athletic horse, a good-tempered horse and a lovely colt and I'm looking forward to him running very well.
“He might be a bit vulnerable first-up over 1100, but I didn't want him running in the Golden Rose second-up. He's got to run in these colt-making races that will help his (stud) career. That's what he's got to do and that's what we're doing.” He will head to the G2 Run To The Rose then the G1 Golden Rose.
Tom Kitten to need the run in Memsie
Co-trainer Sam Freedman thinks Group 1 winner Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) will need the run in Saturday’s G1 Memsie and expects him to finish around fourth.
“He’s trialled up nicely a couple of times. Hot race, big field, I think the big field will suit him, good tempo for a first-up run for him,” Freedman told racing.com.
Tom Kitten | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I think he’ll improve, but we probably felt he’d improve first up last prep when he obviously was an excellent winner at Caulfield over the 1400 metres, so he’s probably got to elevate off that this time round, but he’s come back in great order. He’s sound, moving great, and he’s had a faultless prep.
“I would think he can finish off, run fourth, fifth or sixth something like that. Wouldn’t shock if he can feature right there in the finish. I think a big field and a really solid tempo will play in his favour, and soft ground won’t be an issue for him as well. It might be a couple of other sort of race fit, hard and on speed gallopers that might have his measure, but he’ll be closing off very well.”
Bellatrix Star retired, heads to Inglis Digital
Fortuna Racing announced on Monday that their star mare Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) had been retired. She will be offered for sale at the Inglis Digital Sale closing on September 9. The winner of five of her 13 starts, including the G2 Schillaci Stakes and G2 Eclipse Stakes, she retires with earnings over $1 million.
“Bellatrix Star has been a wonderful performer for her large ownership group delivering winning performances in New Zealand as a 2-year-old, performing brilliantly in Melbourne in the spring of her 3-year-old season and it seemed as if she had a glittering career in front of her,” Fortuna Racing Director John Galvin said.
She sustained neck fractures in a stable accident following her second behind Switzerland in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and it was thought she wouldn’t race again. She returned to the races a year later, but another injury saw her off the track for another eight months before she returned to form with a second placing in the G3 John Monash Stakes.
“Full marks to trainer Mark Walker and his team at Cranbourne, no stone was left unturned as she was rehabilitated from her neck injury and while it is a great shame that we will no longer see her grace the race track, she will now get an opportunity to grace the breeding barn.”
One of four winners for Alana’s Party (Exceed And Excel) who is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Petition (Foxwedge) and this weekend’s Goulburn Cup victor Just Party (Justify {USA}) who placed in the G2 Callander-Presnell Stakes as a 3-year-old and ran third in the Listed Fernhill Stakes at two behind Group 1 winners Broadsiding and El Castello (Castelvecchio).
John Leek Jnr banned for three years
Trainer John Leek Jnr has been given a three-year disqualification at a Victorian Racing Tribunal hearing on Monday. He was found guilty of stomach tubing a horse in the back of a horse float near Terang in western Victoria on July 24, 2025.
“He created a web of various different excuses or, we say, lies,” Racing Victoria’s barrister Amara Hughes said.
John Leek Jnr | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Leek Jnr's barrister Matthew Stirling called for a shorter penalty, saying this length would be career ending and also requested that Leek Jnr be allowed to live on the same property as trainer wife Andrea Leek and son Mitchell who is also a licenced trainer. Disqualified persons are not allowed contact with racing participants or earn any money from racing-related activities during their time out of the sport.
The VRT didn’t make a decision on his living situation, leaving that to the Racing Victoria board.
Morgan returns to training at Tamworth
After a year away from training, Cody Morgan has leased 12 boxes at Tamworth.
“I want to make it sustainable for the rest of my adult life so if I stay around 12 or 14 it’s a number I can manage,” Morgan told racingnsw.com.au.
“It was the break I needed. I can’t go and have 50 in work again, it doesn’t suit me, and with a smaller team it’s more enjoyable for the long haul. When I gave it away I thought I’d have a couple of years off and I had 12 months off and I miss it that much. I’ve been back at the track since last week and I love being back around my mates.”
Vale Billy Farrow
Racing NSW was saddened to hear of the passing of former jockey and Scone-based trainer William (Billy) Farrow, aged 83. He won 105 races before weight ruled him out and he became Pat Murray’s foreman. After that, he worked for Stan and Millie Fox’s Nebo Lodge stable as foreman under Jack Denham, remaining in the role after Robert Sangster and Bob Lapointe bought Nebo Lodge and Brian Mayfield-Smith was appointed trainer.
When Nebo Lodge closed, he took out his licence in Scone and his biggest win was the 1993 G1 William Reid Stakes with Spanish Mix (Esperanto {USA}).
Martinovich given Spirit Of Racing Award
At WA racing’s annual awards and Hall of Fame induction event in Perth on Saturday night, Ted Martinovich was awarded the Spirit Of Racing Award.
“I’m very honoured and very humbled to think that I could be entitled to this award,” Martinovich told racingwa.com.au.
“I was always interested in horses and there were a lot of stables around Fremantle. I started mucking around there a bit and that was the beginning. Opportunities are a funny thing. The first racehorse I trained came about because jockey Merv Posner asked if I wanted to lease one from him, and it went from there.
“I've had some great associations with owners and have made lifelong friends. A lot of them I'm still mates with now. You get further down the track, meet new people, make new friends and always stick together.”
Manzelmann sweeps Cairns day
Trainer Lachie Manzelmann won all three features at Cairns on Saturday. He won the Lightning Handicap with Cochrane (Spirit Of Boom), the Belle Of The Daintree with Miss Moneypenny (Spirit Of Boom) and the Cairns Amateur Cup with The Digger (See The Stars {Ire}). The Digger was having his 101st start to claim his 11th career victory.
He’s a son of Group 1 winner Shamal Wind (Dubawi {Ire}) whose last foal Levar (I Am Invincible) also won on Saturday at Gympie for trainer Kim Afford. All of Shamal Wind’s five foals to race are winners.
“I wasn’t worried when he got back in the field as they get every chance to run on in Cairns,” Manzelmann told racingqueensland.com.au on Monday. “He’s a 10-year-old now, but he doesn’t know that and he’s been getting around the stable like a young buck.” He will back him up into Saturday’s Cairns Cup.
Pakenham 3-year-old winners
A pair of 3-year-olds greeted the judge for the first times in their careers at Pakenham on Monday. John Sadler-trained filly Tag The Bride (Tagaloa) won her maiden at start number four, with a couple of placings already under her belt. He purchased her from Longwood Thoroughbred Farm’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft for $40,000.
Lindsay Park-trained Sweet Kanzai (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) won on debut over 1000 metres. She was bought by Lindsay Park and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for NZ$80,000 from Cambridge Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft. She is the second foal and second winner for Kanzai (NZ) (Savabeel), a full sister to Listed winner Synchronize (NZ).
REC Equine celebrate 75 years
The veterinary clinic founded by Dr Percy Sykes in Sydney in 1951 as P.E. Sykes & Partners, and now named REC Equine, celebrates 75 years this week. In 1988, they rebranded as Randwick Equine Centre and built a facility adjacent to the William Inglis & Sons sales complex in Randwick. In 2021, the Horsley Park hospital and the REC Specialist Equine Centre opened.
“As we celebrate our 75th anniversary we remember REC Equine Specialists began with the vision of one extraordinary veterinarian – Dr Percy Sykes,” REC Equine said on their social media.
“A veterinarian whose influence on Australian racing is still felt today. After arriving in Australia in 1951, Percy established P.E. Sykes & Partners and helped transform equine veterinary care through pioneering innovations including blood testing, endoscopy, ultrasonography and arthroscopy. Known as the trusted vet and close confidant of racing icon TJ Smith, Percy worked with some of Australia's most famous racehorses. His passion for advancing horse health laid the foundation for everything we do today. Decades on, we're proud to continue the legacy he started.”
Beamish hopes to build on good record
Trainer Liam Beamish has sent out eight starters for four wins in his short training career and has two of his three horse stable entered for Wednesday’s Devonport meeting being City Wok (Ilovethiscity) and The Real Man (Deep Field).
“I know this strike rate won’t last forever, but it’s been a great start. I’ll probably look to add a few more to keep things ticking over when some of them head for a spell,” Beamish told tasracing.com.au.
“City Wok was a bit of hard work to get to the races the first time around, but we’ve had no issues since then. I galloped him the Friday after the abandoned meeting once the track was reopened, and he’s in good order. The 1350 metres should suit him more than 1150 metres did first-up.
“The Real Man has carried big weights before, but not quite as much as he’ll have on Wednesday. He’s not showing any signs of slowing down; he was bucking his head off a couple of days after his last win.”
Collett joins parents in unique club
Jockey Sam Collett won her 1000th race in New Zealand on Sunday aboard Rippanall (NZ) (Derryn), and she joins the select group of jockeys to make this achievement including her father, Jim Collett, and mother, Trudy Thornton.
“It is nice to have it acknowledged here in New Zealand. I rode my 1000th winner at Rockhampton a couple of years ago now, and it is nice to join Mum and Dad to have done that domestically now too,” Collett told Loveracing.nz.
“When I get to another 1000 that will be a fairly big achievement. I am not sure I will get there, but we will give it a try. I have been fortunate to ride in Japan and Saudi (Arabia), Macau, Inner Mongolia and Australia.”
