Hong Kong’s G3 Celebration Cup won by Invincible Ibis
Hellbent’s good run continued on Sunday night when Invincible Ibis won the G3 Celebration Cup at Sha Tin. Trained by Mark Newnham, he was ridden by Luke Ferraris.
TTR will provide full coverage of the meeting in the next issue.
G3 JRA Cup won by Royal Supremacy
Ciaron Maher-trained G1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Royal Supremacy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) will head to the G1 Caulfield Cup after winning Sunday’s G3 JRA Cup. “It was a beautiful ride. (Thanks to) Australian Bloodstock and WIll Bourne for finding him. He's been a work-in-progress. He gets a little better each prep. He's a Metrop winner. Robbie Dolan was more tired than the horse (in that race), because he is very aggressive,” Maher said.
“He had a great winter. Mark (Zahra) won The Q22 on him and physically he is stronger, bigger, and I think that is because each prep he gets easier on himself so he carries a bit more condition. He bowled along and looked very happy.”
He arrived in Australia in late-2024 as a dual winner and now has seven wins from 21 starts and over $2 million.
Listed Jim Moloney Stakes to Regal Ambition
Lindsay Park-trained 3-year-old filly Regal Ambition (Palace Pier {GB}) will head to the G1 MRC Thousand Guineas after winning the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes on Sunday. “It was a very impressive win. When she bungled the start, I was sitting with my brothers and we kind of said 'oh well, hopefully she hits the line nice and strong'. With the rail out 13 metres, she couldn't have been more impressive,” Ben Hayes said.
“Great ride by Michael, he didn't panic and got her rolling into it at the right time. For her to do that second-up is a huge effort.
“Exciting times and full steam ahead to the Thousand Guineas. I think the way she finished off was the most exciting part of her run. She is a horse we've had a lot of time for and she just took a while to develop. Now, she's coming into her own and she looks like she's going to be a lot of fun for The Racing League.”
The Racing League and Lindsay Park Racing paid $230,000 for her from Arrowfield Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. She is a granddaughter of Group 1 winner Alinghi (Encosta De Lago).
Listed Testa Rossa Stakes won by Regal Zeus
Omen punters who followed a royalty theme would have had a fun day at Caulfield with Regal Ambition (Palace Pier {GB}), Royal Supremacy (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) and Regal Zeus (Zoustar) all winning stakes races on the card.
Regal Zeus, trained by John McAdle, won the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes to conclude the Caulfield card. The 6-year-old gelding took his record to 12 wins and over $1.1 million in his fifth Listed victory. He was sold by Edinburgh Park Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale to Regal Bloodstock, Blue Grass (FBAA) and Redgum Racing for $150,000. He’s the second foal of Quiet Kitten (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}).
Threads might head to G1 Coolmore
The list of exciting 3-year-olds on a G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes pathway grew by one when Godolphin’s colt Threads (Snitzel) won the first at Caulfield on Sunday. “If he keeps improving, definitely. He goes to the Red Anchor, I think, next start and then maybe into a Coolmore,” trainer Ciaron Maher said.
Placed in the G3 Black Opal Stakes at two, he has now won two in succession. He is the first foal of Group 3 winner Tailleur (Shooting To Win).
New winner for Stay Inside
On Sunday, second season sire Stay Inside added winner number 14 when Allan Kehoe-trained 3-year-old colt Velocette won at Dubbo. He is the first foal of Gypsy Isle (Better Than Ready) who is a winning full sister to stakes placed Paredo, the dam of Group 2 winner Paradoxium (Extreme Choice).
The Dubbo Gold Cup was won by Bjorn Baker-trained Puntin (NZ) (Super Seth) who took his record to five wins and earnings over $400,000.
Group 1 possibilities for Haffner
Having failed to put his best foot forward on soft ground in the Curragh's G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes two weeks ago, Aidan O'Brien nominee Haffner (Justify) regained the winning habit under more obliging conditions and provided his trainer with a record-equalling eighth edition of Saturday's G2 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket.
“He's a good mover and the ground got soft at the Curragh the last day, which didn't suit him, and he's going to be a lovely middle-distance horse next year,” O'Brien commented.
“He's going to be a French Derby type horse and he'll get the Guineas trip on his ear. He will stay a mile-and-a-quarter and could even get further, so I'm delighted. He was always in control today, Ryan [Moore] gave him a beautiful uncomplicated ride and it was very simple. His form was different class and his only blip was in the [G1] National Stakes. We knew he would get the mile very easily, he's an Acomb winner and his form is so strong.”
Looking ahead the maestro added, “America is very possible next, where he will get nice ground. He would love the Breeders' Cup round a bend and the mile would be very easy for him, so we'll see what the lads want to do. America was always a possibility, but we had to come here today to make sure we knew exactly that it was and he's got back on track. I think he could start in a Guineas next year and then we will see him stepping up in trip.”
Cheap purchase Trean wins Goffs Million
Coming into Saturday's Goffs Million as one of the most accomplished on the form book as well as one of the cheapest purchases, Trean (Bayside Boy) turned water into wine in a fairytale outcome for the Red Lily Racing Syndicate.
Bought for just €20,000 (AU$32,400) at the Orby Book 1, the son of the first-season sire sensation had won a competitive maiden at the Galway Festival before finishing third in the Acomb and fourth in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes and was the 9-4 favourite as a result.
“He could be anything–Paddy's already talking about the Guineas,” syndicate representative Brian O'Riordan said. “Next year's another year and I'm sure the phone will be ringing off the hook next week!”
Noble Exhibit makes it 23 for O’Brien
Ballydoyle were very much back in business on Saturday, with their Newmarket brace preceding the win of TDN Rising Star Noble Exhibit (Frankel) in The Curragh's G2 Beresford Stakes. This was a 23rd renewal of the Derby pointer for Aidan O'Brien and Lordan believes the winner belongs among the list of luminaries to have taken this for Ballydoyle.
“It was very straightforward and he's a nice colt,” Lordan said. “He bowled away and goes a nice even gallop and can quicken. He's shown what he's been promising and is on an upward curve. He'll have no problem going a mile and a quarter.” He will be aimed at the G1 Futurity later in the year.
Grade 2 winner off to the Breeders’ Cup
Evergreen Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) went right to the lead and refused to be run down late, taking the GII City of Hope Mile with a gate-to-wire effort and stamping his plane ticket to Keeneland in the fall for the World Championships. The GII City of Hope Mile is a 'Win and You're In' Challenge Series race for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland.
“He is such a cool horse,” said winning rider Mike Smith. “He doesn't win all the time but he always runs a winning race. It's great to see him end up on this side of it because so many times he's second or third.”
Single Gaze daughter in Northern Farm sale
This year's Northern Farm Mixed Sale, which will be held over two days for the first time, is scheduled to take place on October 19 and 20 at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido.
The auction has a particularly notable flagship graduate this season, as this was the source of Lovcen (World Premiere), who was bought as a foal from the 2023 sale and has won the first two legs of the Japanese Triple Crown. On October 25, he will seek to become the ninth winner of that title, following in the footsteps of the likes of Deep Impact and Contrail, when he lines up for the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger).
Monday, October 19 will see 113 weanlings come under the hammer, including a Kitasan Black colt out of the 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet (Aclaim). Offered as Lot 31, this is the mare's second foal.
The catalogue also includes the first weanling by the Sumbe stallion and top-class miler Charyn to be offered for public sale in lot 65, a colt out of the dual Group 3-winning sprinter Armira (Muhaarar).
Fifty-five broodmares comprise day two of the sale, their pedigrees serving to underline the international aspect of the Northern Farm broodmare band. Included among the offerings are Queen's Kitten (lot 218), an 8-year-old daughter of Deep Impact and the four-time Grade I winner and Breeders' Cup heroine Stephanie's Kitten (Kitten's Joy) who is being sold in foal to Salios.
Later in the day comes the 5-year-old Singlehearted (lot 233), who is by Heart's Cry and out of the G1 ATC Vinery Stud Stakes winner Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt). Having produced her first foal, a filly by Drefong, this year, Singlehearted is now in foal to Maurice.
