The Everest slot confirmed for Ninja
Trainer Michael Freedman confirmed on Saturday that last start G2 Missile Stakes winner Ninja (Farnan) will run in the John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds slot for the G1 The Everest on October 17. “I have had my heart set on him for a few months now,” Camilleri told racingandsports.com.au.
“I've always thought he was more a sprinter rather than a mile. So, we have come full circle in a way. I bred the horse, retained a share in him and now he can run in the Fairway Thoroughbreds slot with My Racehorse.”
Ben Willis, managing director of My Racehorse, said there are 1700 part-owners in Ninja. “What The Everest has done is create conversation, innovation and has brought a new fan base into racing. When you look here on Everest Day, it is filled with a young audience and new people to the sport,” Willis said.
“There are great synergies with what we have tried to develop from about five years ago when we first launched and that is to bring a new audience into racing. To have a horse running in a $20 million race, the world's richest race on turf, is pretty special for My Racehorse. It validates what we are trying to do from a product perspective and that is to provide an opportunity to run in the best races in the world.”
G3 Chautauqua postponed till Wednesday
A sudden storm at Sandown has resulted in the last two races, including the G3 Chautauqua Stakes, being postponed until Wednesday.
So You Are wins Listed Drinkwise Cup
The late-So You Think (NZ) celebrated stakes winner number 71 when Bjorn Baker-trained So You Are won the Listed Drinkwise Cup at Randwick by 1.75 lengths for jockey Rachel King. In second was Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Fernao (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) with Ciaron Maher-trained Amplify (Microphone) in third. So You Are, a 5-year-old gelding, took his record to five wins from 25 starts with earnings over $530,000.
Passed in at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, So You Are is raced by Ramsey Pastoral. He is the third foal, and one of three winners, for Tornado Gal (Hard Spun {USA}) who is a city winning half-sister to Listed winner Skyt (Nicconi).
Listed Farnley Stakes won by Too Dardy
Justine Erkelens-trained gelding Too Dardy (Demerit) was rewarded for his consistency with his third win in a row, as he stepped up into the Listed Farnley Stakes on Saturday. It was his first black type victory and he took his record to seven wins from 24 starts and earnings over $400,000.
“He’s firing on all cylinders which is good. He had issues and we could never get a full campaign out of him but he’s sound as a bell now and he’s loving it,” Erkelens said.
He becomes the seventh stakes winner for Demerit, a son of Lonhro, and is one of two winners for unraced Rolexia (Snitzel). He becomes the 58th stakes winner for Snitzel as a broodmare sire.
Unbeaten Lord Remlap puts hand up for The Kosciuszko
The Kosciuszko is the big target for Lord Remlap (Star Turn) who made it four from four with a strong victory over 1200 metres at Randwick for trainer Scott Singleton. “I came here today worried about that barrier but thinking I had the right horse so I was just hoping for the bit of luck,” Singleton said.
“We didn't get a lot and it wasn't Mikayla (Weir)'s fault at all but just how the race panned out. He was off the track and running out but it's only his fourth start in a race so he will improve again off that. I was never panicked though because I've just got plenty of faith in him.”
Big pedigrees win on big days
Resolute Racing’s $3 million yearling, now 4-year-old mare Ernaux (I Am Invincible) made it three wins in her career when winning at Randwick for trainer Chris Waller. She is out of Group 1 winner Booker (Written Tycoon).
“Ernaux was nearly retired a few months ago but she has found some really good form in recent weeks. She has been up for a while but her improved form means she has probably earned herself another 12 months of racing,” Waller said.
“It would be unfair to test her at stakes level now given she has had a fair bit of racing this campaign. But if we give her a break soon, then we could look at getting her to stakes level next preparation.”
On the same card, Michael Freedman-trained 4-year-old gelding Decorum (Snitzel) took his record to four wins from six starts. He is a full brother to Group 1 winner and sire Switzerland and Group 3 winning juvenile, now 3-year-old colt St Gotthard.
At Sandown, Group 1 winner Speight (Hinchinbrook)’s 5-year-old gelding Behaviour (I Am Invincible) won for the fourth time in his career, and made it two wins in his past three starts for trainer Gavin Bedggood.
Manzelmann’s Raetihi wins the Birdsville Cup
Owner John Manzelmann has won the iconic Birdsville Cup for two years in a row as Saturday’s winner Raetihi (NZ) (Savabeel) joined last year’s winner The Driller (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for the Manzelmann team. John trained The Driller, but now he’s retired, his son Lachie trained Raetihi.
Having his 50th start, Raetihi took his record to eight wins and over $240,000. Originally a NZ$155,000 graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, Manzelmann purchased him for $4250 at the June 2025 Inglis Digital sale.
Saturday's G2 Concorde Stakes winner Tempted (Street Boss)'s older half-brother Rhesus (Lonhro) was a winner on the Birdsville card.
Yulong’s Lepolo stays unbeaten
Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained 3-year-old colt Lepolo (Written Tycoon) made it two from two when victorious in the first at Sandown on Saturday. The homebred for Yulong Investments is out of Puppy Love (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a full sister to G1 Tokyo Yushun winner Deep Brilliante (Jpn).
Lepolo is Puppy Love’s second winner and she is currently in foal to Tagaloa.
New winner for Wild Ruler
Second season sire Wild Ruler added his 17th winner when Bjorn Baker-trained 3-year-old gelding Flight Of Power won at Hawkesbury at his second start. Baker, along with Ridgmont and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $80,000 for him from Pepper Tree Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
He is a half-brother to stakes placed The Art Of Flying (Flying Artie) out of unraced Canary (Hard Spun {USA}) who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Yell (Anabaa {USA}).
Doubles at Eagle Farm for Zoustar and Better Than Ready
Zoustar and Better Than Ready both sired doubles at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Tony Gollan-trained 4-year-old gelding Precise Star (Zoustar) made it four wins in succession, and he is a half-brother to Group 2 winner Mokulua (Redoute’s Choice) out of Group 1 winner Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}). Stablemate Millane (Zoustar) won the last on the card to give Zoustar the double. Millane took his record to five wins.
Better Than Ready’s pair of winners came with Chris Anderson-trained Get Ready Lass who added her third career win, and Toby Edmonds-trained Fire Bomber who has three wins and three seconds from nine starts.
New winner for Splintex
Second season sire Splintex added winner number six when Trevor Andrews-trained 3-year-old gelding Rocktex won his maiden at Belmont on Saturday. His trainer paid $65,000 for him from Gervase Park Stud’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft.
Rocktext is the third winner from three to race for Aphrodite Rock (Commands) who is a winning half-sister to Listed winner Ayers Rock (Nicconi).
Barbaric adds new winner
Second season sire Barbaric celebrated a debut winner at Goondiwindi on Saturday when Pat Webster-trained 3-year-old gelding Savage Justice galloped home by 1.3 lengths. He was a $34,000 purchase by Livistona Grazing Company from Kenmore Lodge’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He becomes the sixth winner for Barbaric.
Debutant 3-year-old winners
At Kempsey on Saturday, Jake Hull-trained 3-year-old filly Valder (Red Henno) won on debut. A homebred for JJ O’Connor, she is the first winner for Joy For Us (Lonhro) who won four races.
At Mareeba, Allan Holmes-trained 3-year-old filly Sing Sing Baby (Wicked Intent) won on debut over 900 metres. She is the seventh winner for her sire and the first winner for Little Miss Sing (St Averil {USA}).
The Arc is now officially open for geldings
A France Galop proposal to open the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to geldings was approved by the European Pattern Committee (EPC) last month and was announced on Friday.
The EPC held a working meeting in Berlin, Germany on August 10, attended by member countries England, France, Ireland, and Germany, as well as associated countries, Italy, Scandinavia and Turkey. A proposal to open the Arc to geldings was one of the items on the agenda for this meeting.
After reviewing the information presented by France Galop, the voting members of the EPC approved the decision taken by the France Galop Board of Directors in June 2026 to open the race to geldings starting in 2027. This development follows careful consideration by France Galop as part of its strategy to develop and improve the popularity of its major international races. The 2027 Arc, the first officially open to geldings, will be held on October 3 at ParisLongchamp.
Repole attempting to buy Gulfstream Park
Initial reports that Mike Repole was interested in purchasing Gulfstream Park and retaining it as a racetrack gained new life this week when Repole tweeted: “I would buy Gulfstream for $300 million today and close the deal by Friday.”
When reached by the TDN to clarify his remarks and provide more information on his proposal, Repole said that in the spring of 2025, he met with Belinda Stronach, the CEO of The Stronach Group, which owns Gulfstream, and made the offer. He said he also had conversations with Keith Brackpool, who, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, was hired to explore the sale of The Stronach Group's racing division, which also includes Santa Anita.
“I made the initial offer and then told Keith Brackpool 'name your price.' He said he would, but he never got back to me when it came to the Gulfstream offer,” Repole said.
Repole said that Brackpool did ask him if he had any interest in buying the Palm Meadows training centre. “He wanted to sell me Palm Meadows and tried to tell me that it would be the perfect place to build a racetrack,” Repole said. “I told him, 'do you really think you're going to get an audience at a place like that?' I told him I had no interest.”
Tiffani Steer, the vice president of communications for The Stronach Group and 1/ST racing, did not return a message from the TDN seeking comment.
€600,000 filly tops BBAG Yearlings
The beginning of a long-term Classic plan by Graham Smith-Bernal was hatched at the BBAG Yearling Sale with the purchase of a Sea The Stars filly from breeder Gestut Ebbesloh for €600,000 (AU$969,000).
The daughter of the Group 3-winning Soldier Hollow mare Sconset is also a half-sister to G3 Schwarzgold-Rennen winner Santa Catarina (Zarak), who will bid to enhance her black-type record in Saturday's Listed Wackenhut Fillies' Cup at Baden-Baden. Sold as lot 74, she was bought for a Newsells Park Stud syndicate by Jeremy Brummitt, who outbid Suzanne Roberts. Andrew Balding has also been involved in the earlier rounds of bidding.
Brummitt said, “This is the first time I have been asked to buy a horse for Newsells Park Stud. She is for the Newsells Park Racing 2027, which is an enterprise to race horses in the hope that they can go to the top level, win a Classic, and be retired to stud at Newsells to breed the next generation of Classic winners. Nothing is more dear to my heart than trying to buy the dams of Classic winners.”
Last year's trade at BBAG had seen increases of around 16 per cent across the key sectors, and 12 months on, the figures either kept pace with or exceeded those gains, thanks in no small part to some new faces on the sale ground and a larger number of international trainers in attendance. In fact, at €9,316,000 (AU$15 million), turnover was up by nine per cent, fuelled by an increase in the clearance rate to 81 per cent, with 169 horses sold from 209 offered. At €55,124 (AU$88,900) and €55,425 (AU$89,400), the average and median were clipped only marginally by just over one per cent for each.
Half-sister to Ombudsman added to Tattersalls Digital
American Belle, a half-sister to Godolphin's four-time Group 1 hero Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder), will be offered during the Tattersalls Online September Sale on September 15-16. The 6-year-old mare, by Starspangledbanner, has won twice over seven furlongs. Ombudsman is a dual winner of the Prince Of Wales's Stakes (2025/2026), and he also put his stamp on the Juddmonte International Stakes and Dubai Turf.
The pair are out of Syndicate (Dansili), a full-sister to Group 3 winner Runnymede and the multiple stakes winner and group-placed Stipulate. Syndicate's latest offspring include the winning 3-year-old filly Synchronicity (Night Of Thunder) and the winning 2-year-old half-sister Syndicale (Ten Sovereigns). The latter holds an entry in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Sovereignty’s next run in doubt
Sovereignty (Into Mischief), the 2025 Horse of the Year, has developed an abscess in a hind foot and will miss a Saturday work, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Friday afternoon. Whether or not that will put his next race–the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on September 18 in doubt–remains to be seen. “I could not comment on that one way or another,” Mott told the TDN in the Saratoga paddock on Friday.
“We decided (Friday) morning that he was not going to work this weekend,” Mott said. “We're not trying to cover anything up. The horse has an issue with the hind foot, and we have to see if we can get it cleared up over the weekend. He will miss a work.”
Moreira flies to Canada for Group 1 ride
Joao Moreira, a multiple champion jockey in Singapore and Hong Kong, will fly into Toronto to partner with Wathnan Racing's Archivist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in next weekend's GI Woodbine Mile, the Qatar-based operation said in a release Friday.
Trained by Hamad Al-Jehani, the progressive Archivist was victorious in a one-mile turf handicap during the Dubai World Cup Carnival this past March and two starts later took out the Golden Mile during the Qatar Goodwood Festival. He achieved a career-best in his most recent trip to the races, streaking away to win the G3 Strensall Stakes by 7.5 lengths at York on August 22.
Ace Impact share added to AKTEM
Stallion shares in Ace Impact, whose first yearlings are selling now, and established stallion The Grey Gatsby have been added to the AKTEM Online Stallion Sale catalogue.
The former, who stands at Haras de Beaumont, is an undefeated winner of the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Prix du Jockey Club by Frankel's Cracksman. He has covered over 200 black-type mares or mares that have produced black-type performers during his first two seasons at stud. His progeny have made up to €220,000 (AU$355,000) at auction.
Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Irish Champion Stakes hero The Grey Gatsby is the sire of Group 3 winners Atomic Blonde, Master Gatsby and Mylady. The last-named runner was third in the G1 Preis der Diana.
Midnight Empress tops Tattersalls Digital
Midnight Empress, the winner of one of the ITM Barrier Trials in Ireland last week, topped the Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale, which concluded on Friday. The daughter of Mehmas, sold as lot 3, caught the eye of Joseph Bell, who paid 45,000gns (AU$88,800). She won her six-furlong trial at Leopardstown by 1.5 lengths for trainer Diego Dias, who consigned the juvenile.
Tattersalls Online sales manager Katherine Sheridan added, “We are delighted with the response to Tattersalls Online Barrier Trial Pop-Up Sale, with Midnight Empress delivering a pleasing result when selling for 45,000 guineas. The Barrier Trials provide an excellent opportunity to identify young horses at an early stage of their careers and we wanted to create a straightforward avenue of trade for those horses.
"This sale has demonstrated the potential for the concept to grow and we will continue to build on it in the future, with Tattersalls Online providing the most effective marketplace to connect Barrier Trial performers with an international audience of buyers.”
