Establishment Board members announced
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) announced on Wednesday that current NZTR Chair Paul Humphries and NZTR Director Dean Lawrence have been appointed as its representatives on the newly formed racing industry Establishment Board. “Dean and I understand the importance of this work and the responsibility we have to represent the interests of thoroughbred racing while contributing constructively to a stronger future for the wider racing industry,” Humphries said in a press release.
“We will bring a thoroughbred perspective to the Board, informed by the needs of our participants, clubs, owners, breeders, punters and communities.” The Board, independently chaired by Dean McKenzie, brings together representatives from NZTR, Harness Racing New Zealand and TAB NZ.
Diameter hopes to add Up & Coming to good family
Well-bred Listed winner Diameter (Brazen Beau), a half-brother to Group 1 winner and young sire Cylinder, resumes in Saturday’s G3 Up & Coming Stakes at Rosehill. He placed in the G1 Champagne Stakes at his final start at two. “He's Group 1 placed over a mile, and a winner over a mile, but he's by Brazen Beau so I think he'll find some speed and be competitive first-up,” Waller told racingandsports.com.au.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of the Image Is Everything
Stablemate Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) will be kept for the G2 Run To The Rose. “I just feel if we run him too many times, he's not going to get to his grand finals as well as he could if we space his runs. He goes third-up into the Golden Rose, and then he can either go up in distance to a Caulfield Guineas or back in distance to races like the Everest and the Coolmore sprint.”
Pride Of Jenni aiming for Feehan hat-trick
Evergreen mare Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) galloped on Tuesday ahead of a planned attempt to win her third successive G2 Feehan Stakes. “I couldn't be happier. She relaxed but once she settled into (the work) she was keen to get on with it, it's always a good sign she's on track. It's amazing, she feels as good as ever … all systems go,” jockey Declan Bates told racenet.com.au after the gallop.
Pride Of Jenni | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Trainer Ciaron Maher was pleased too. “We wanted to have a decent hitout. Dec said she really wanted to come up under him at the 1200m and he had to really hold her together to get to the 600m … great signs, the endeavour, will and want to work. She's not a spring chicken anymore but she actually feels the same as any other prep, so I'm rapt to have her back and going, and full of enthusiasm.
“Feehan will be the kick-off and hopefully she can tackle another Empire Rose.”
TABCorp profits up and revenue stable
Tabcorp released their 2025/26 annual report on Wednesday, announcing revenue had increased 0.8 per cent to $2.64 billion compared to 2024/25, but EBITDA rose 10.3 per cent to $431.7 million. “Midway through our turnaround journey, we’re executing on the plan, continuing to exercise cost and capital discipline and the Company is delivering earnings growth,” Gillon McLachlan said.
“The new retail commercial model has been implemented, the National Tote will launch soon, TAB LIVE and our new Next-Gen terminals are being rolled out in pubs and clubs in approved States, and we’ve renewed key domestic and global media rights partnerships.
“The first two stages of our transformation were to get fit and operationalise our game plan. We’ve done that and we’re ready to enter the growth phase of our transformation.” Racing was responsible for 78% of their total wagering turnover but has fallen from 85% three years ago.
Deakin hoping for Caulfield Cup qualifier
Phillip and Tommy Stokes-trained Deakin (Fr) (Australia {GB}) will run in Saturday’s Listed Heatherlie Stakes to kick off his spring campaign. He won a ballot free entry into last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup but was ruled out by the Racing Victoria vets. “He's only had the one run since the Caulfield Cup, it was a tick-over run in Adelaide, and we tipped him out again,” Phillip Stokes told racenet.com.au.
Deakin (Fr) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's come back, I feel, bigger and stronger and we're hoping he can go better this time around. I remember Lloyd Williams would always get those stayers that ran in the Melbourne Cup and run them in that mile race and tip them out again.
“He's on track for the Heatherlie and is on a Caulfield Cup path. (The Naturalism Stakes) is a proven formula so we'll do that.” The G3 Naturalism Stakes carries a ballot free entry to the G1 Caulfield Cup.
ATC and Western Sydney clubs pair up for charity
The Australian Turf Club will grant four general admission tickets for Saturday’s feature day at Rosehill Gardens for members of local clubs and RSLs. The meeting will also raise funds for the charity Little Wings which transports children from remote areas across NSW to Westmead Hospital for repeat treatment.
“We are delighted to again join with the ATC for our 36th consecutive year for a hugely popular raceday which will raise funds and awareness for Little Wings and a range of other charities,” Clubs NSW Western Metropolitan Region President Bill Treloar said.
“We have always believed clubs are very much part of our community and as such should participate in helping not-for-profit and sporting charities within the region.”
Xtreme no longer a lost cause
Trainer Paul Snowden almost gave up on Xtreme (Exceedance) after he arrived in the stable with bad manners following clients Patriot Bloodstock buying him on Inglis Digital for $10,000. He runs as Rosehill on Saturday. “He was dirty on the world the horse, he wasn’t an easy horse to work with,” Snowden told racingnsw.com.au.
Paul Snowden | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“I nearly threw the towel in myself. I’ve been very candid about my opinion of him early on with the owners and I just changed something in his work and it just flicked him. He’s been really good ever since, he worked great on Tuesday morning. He’ll quicken for you really quickly but you’ve got to do it at the right time. We’re coming back in grade and obviously going up in weight a bit but it’s a very winnable race for this type of horse.”
Houston moves to Queensland
Apprentice jockey Ryan Houston will move to Queensland for more opportunities and will be with the Annabel and Rob Archibald stable there. “It's really hard in the spring carnival for me in Victoria, I probably wouldn't get a whole lot of opportunities,” Houston told racenet.com.au.
“I have still got a lot of my (riding) claim and it seemed like a good opportunity in Queensland and I can get more rides. I've only spent a little bit of time in Queensland before – on the Gold Coast. But I might enjoy it more than Victoria. I might actually get to see what the sun looks like.”
Salamanca Six victorious on debut
Dom Sutton-trained 3-year-old Salamanca Six (So You Think {NZ}) proved himself to be a promising gelding when victorious on debut at Bendigo on debut in a three-horse field. Sutton Racing and Byron Rogers paid $275,000 for him from Segenhoe Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Salamanca Six is the second winner for Appian Way (Exceed And Excel) who is a Sydney winning daughter of Group 3 winner Avenue (Anabaa {USA}) who is in turn a full sister to Group 1 winner Virage De Fortune.
At the same meeting, Shane Nichols and Hayden Black-trained 3-year-old gelding Tiger Fox (Tiger Of Malay) won his maiden to become his second season sire’s 10th winner.
Pair of 3-year-olds salute at Doomben
Two 3-year-olds celebrated a mid-week city victory at Doomben on Wednesday. Chris and Corey Munce-trained filly Compel (Spirit Of Boom) won on debut by 1.5 lengths. Group One Thoroughbreds and Munce Racing paid $50,000 for her from Eureka Stud’s Magic Millions March Yearling Sale draft. She is the tenth winner from as many to race for Iltizaam (Exceed And Excel), a half-sister to Group 3 winner Sharnee Rose (Nadeem).
Barry Lockwood and Emma-Jane Vincent-trained 3-year-old gelding Red Point (Blue Point {Ire}) won his maiden at start number two. Owned by NJB Anderson, he is the first foal of Shimmer And Shine (Snitzel), an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Cadmus (Street Cry {Ire}).
Dirty Work’s Raw Umber makes it two
Simon Miller-trained 3-year-old gelding Raw Umber (Dirty Work) made it two wins in succession when victorious at Belmont on Wednesday. Ridden by William Pike, the $2.05 favourite scored by a length.
Mogumber Park sold him at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale for $45,000 to Jason Beer. He is the only foal for Rapture Miss (Smart Missile) whose four wins include the Country Classic in Sydney. She is a half-sister to Listed winner Transact (Dundeel {NZ}).
Tappan Street retired to Winstar Farm
GI Florida Derby winner Tappan Street (Into Mischief–Virginia Key, by Distorted Humor) has been retired and will enter stud at WinStar, the farm announced Tuesday with a stud fee for the 2027 breeding season to be announced at a later date.
“Tappan Street is an elite son of Into Mischief from an outstanding family,” said Liam O'Rourke, WinStar Farm's director of bloodstock services. “He stamped himself among the leaders of his generation with a dominant win in the Florida Derby. The Florida Derby is a very important race to the Stud Book and a great measure of talent. We can't wait to show him to breeders, and I'm confident they will see why he commanded seven-figures as a yearling.”
Blue Point colt tops day 1 of Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale
The decision to back the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale for the first time couldn't have worked out much better for Chasemore Farm after a Blue Point colt that was bred by Oliver McMurray led the way on Tuesday at £250,000 (AU$475,000) to Rabbah Bloodstock.
That sale represented a full circle moment for her breeder who, at this sale in 2019, sourced the dam, Happy Romance (Dandy Man), for just £25,000 (AU$47,500) through Peter and Ross Doyle. What Happy Romance has done for the full-time builder in the intervening period is nothing short of awe-inspiring and the dream continued with the first foal out of the Al Quoz Sprint runner-up making such a pretty penny on day one of what was a not-so-straightforward opening skirmish to the domestic yearling sale season at Doncaster.
“Happy Romance was the first filly we had in training and the first filly we actually bought,” McMurray recalled shortly after the celebrations ensued. “She did so well that we thought we'd give breeding a crack. It was our first filly, she won £700,000 in prize-money, so we thought we'd have a punt on breeding. This is the first offspring and it's gone pretty well so far. We had a couple of offers for Happy Romance but, because we only paid £25,000 for her, we were still in the green and felt it was worth having a punt breeding from her. I was hoping for £100,000 to £150,000, so we're over the moon with that result.”
Although the Blue Point colt was a full £60,000 (AU$113,000) greater than the opening day sale-topper 12 months ago, the rest of the key figures went the other way – the 81% clearance rate was down by 7%, the £43,906 (AU$83,300) average was down by 2% and the £32,000 (AU$61,000) median dipped 4.5%. Meanwhile, the day’s gross of £7,859,000 (AU$14.9 million) was also down marginally.
The sale continues tomorrow.
Romantic Warrior’s future uncertain
The world’s richest racehorse Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) faces an uncertain racing future after Hong Kong Jockey Club veterinarians discovered changes to one of his joints. “The Club’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Services has provided advice on Romantic Warrior that the Club wishes to share with his many fans,” the statement said.
Romantic Warrior (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“Consistent with the Club’s world-class procedures for the care of our racehorses, Romantic Warrior has undergone detailed physical examinations, including the use of state-of-the-art imaging equipment at our veterinary hospital.
“This proactive screening has revealed a change in one of the horse’s joints that requires further detailed assessment by the veterinary team. More information will be provided in due course.”
Rouget announces his retirement
France's former champion trainer Jean-Claude Rouget has announced that he is to cease operations at the end of September, according to a report published in Paris Turf. Rouget, 73, has reportedly informed his staff that his company will be placed in liquidation if no takeover bid is received before September 25.
France's most prolific trainer started out in Pau in the south-west of France in 1978 and for some years also ran a hugely successful satellite stable in his native Normandy. He has been crowned champion in France five times, initially topping the table in 2009, the year he won the Prix du Jockey Club for the first time with Le Havre. Further championships followed in 2016, 2020, 2022, and most recently in 2023, the year of his brilliant, unbeaten Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact.
In May 2024 it was announced that Rouget was to take a break from training after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Later that summer came news of a potential training partnership with Jerome Reynier from the start of the following year, but this idea never came to fruition and by the autumn Rouget had shut down the Deauville wing of his training empire.
Gunite colt tops Texas yearling sale at US$140,000
A Texas-bred colt by Gunite topped the Texas Thoroughbred Association's (TTA) single-session Summer Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park's Mary Ruyle Thoroughbred Sales Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Susan Montanye signed the US$140,000 (AU$195,000) ticket on behalf of her client Ken Reimer after a recent endorsement from Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
During the auction, which included mainly Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana-bred yearlings, 108 grossed US$1,920,100 (AU$2.6 million) for an average of US$17,616 (AU$24,500), a median of US$10,000 (AU$13,900) and 32 were listed as not sold. The gross decreased from a year ago when 183 yearlings sold for just over $2.92 million (AU$4 million).
“We want to thank everyone who braved some record temperatures and came out to support the sale,” said Foster Bridewell, director of horse sales for the TTA. “The consignors did a great job presenting the horses considering the conditions and we were pleased to have a Gunite in Texas as the sales topper who showed himself so well.”
HISA report decline in equine fatalities
Racetracks operating under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority reported 1.01 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts during the second quarter (Apr. 1-June 30), according to a metrics report released by HISA Tuesday. The rate represents a 9.8% decrease from the cumulative second-quarter rate of 1.12 fatalities per 1,000 starts recorded since 2023 and an 18.5% year-over-year reduction. Of the racing-related fatalities recorded this quarter, 90.25% were attributable to musculoskeletal causes and 9.75% to sudden death.
Three falls result in abandoned meeting
Racing at Bellewstown was abandoned on Tuesday after the first two races on the card each saw heavy falls, with Irish champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle said to be facing “a number of weeks” on the sidelines after his mount, Mosel, came down in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden which kicked off proceedings.
Mosel was beginning to mount a challenge when she fell approaching the final furlong, with a delay then following as Browne McMonagle was initially tended to on the track, before ground staff began their remedial work in an attempt to make the surface fit for racing.
However, the second race on the card, division one of the Ploughman Bar & Grill Handicap, then saw two further fallers after the one-mile event eventually got underway 30 minutes later than scheduled. The riders of both horses involved in that incident, Ben Coen and Adam Caffrey, were quickly on their feet.
Officials subsequently took the decision to abandon the rest of the meeting, with a statement from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) on X reading, “Having reviewed the footage and considered the observations, as well as the remedial work carried out following Race 1, the Raceday Stewards, in the interest of safety for both horse and rider, made the decision to abandon the remainder of the card under the provisions of Rule 10.”
Murphy gets 900 visitors to National Racehorse Week Open Day
Jumps trainer Olly Murphy opened his stable to an unlimited visitors for National Racehorse Week and 900 people came to see the 150 horses in work. “I said to Gabi Whitfield, who has been organising this event for the last few years, 'If I'm doing it again this time I want to have the biggest number'. We don't get the chance to show off our facilities very often to people who aren't as privileged to see these things as owners are, so we opened it up to an unlimited number and this is brilliant,” Murphy said.
“I think it's really important for the industry to be doing this. We get great press as a sport but we also get a bit of average press as well, and there's a lot of people who have come in here today from inner cities who have never been lucky enough to visit a racing yard and see the love, care and attention these horses receive. It's a fantastic turnout and hopefully it gives everyone a great insight into what goes on.
“The most important thing this week is to show the wider public how well these horses are looked after. They get their bellies scratched, three meals a day, live in a big fluffy bed and get loved by a lot of people. It's a great day and a great thing racing has done in the last few years.”
