Gelding hoping to upset the Coolmore
Jockey Michael Dee thinks Doubt Time (Doubtland), the only gelding in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, can upset the apple cart and cause a boilover. “I know my bloke is not highly fancied but he has done nothing wrong and he is going to run really well,” Dee told racenet.com.au of the Nick Ryan trained 3-year-old who was third in the G3 Blue Sapphire Stakes last start.
Doubt Time | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Nick said he hasn't missed a beat since his last run and from what I felt (on Tuesday), he is very happy with where he is at. I know he has got great ability. He is quite a casual horse but (on Tuesday) he had the blinkers on, which are a great addition for him.
“He gets back in his races and switches off. But with the blinkers on, he was able to travel and maintain the bridle. I peeled him out behind the galloping partner and he quickened up really nicely and he was great through the line. He pulled up well from his gallop, he's definitely ready to go.”
A $140,000 purchase by Sharona King and Nick Ryan Racing, Doubt Time went through Flinders Park Stud’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft.
Brave Monarch represents Queensland in Golden Eagle
Chris and Corey Munce-trained Brave Monarch (Brave Smash {Jpn}) is the only Queensland-trained horse in this Saturday’s G1 Golden Eagle. “He wasn’t beaten that far in his first Sydney start and it was a very good run,” Corey Munce told racingqueensland.com.au.
Chris and Corey Munce | Image courtesy of Racing Queensland
“His rider, Martin Harley, gave him an 11 out of 10 ride, but they were a little too sharp for him, although the winner did come from behind him. He’s stepping up in trip for the Golden Eagle and the extra distance will suit him.
“He’s not overly big, but he’s got a big heart and he tries his heart out and wears it on his sleeve. He’s ticking all the boxes and came through his Silver Eagle run in good order and is fit and well. It’s a $10 million race, so he probably needs to improve a few lengths, but he won’t let us down.”
Platinum to fly Kiwi flag in Golden Eagle
Trainer Lisa Latta will be the sole New Zealand-based trainer with a runner in the G1 Golden Eagle with Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) drawing gate two. “He has settled in well in Sydney and when it looked like we were going to make the field we thought we may as well have a crack,” Latta said.
“I am rapt to get a decent draw finally. I think a decent draw is going to be a big assist. He galloped well on Tuesday, I am really happy with him, so hopefully he can bounce back.” He ran tenth in the Listed Silver Eagle last start.
Churchill Rose ready for Wakeful
Trainer Andrew Gluyas will bring Churchill Rose (Churchill {Ire}) to Melbourne for the G2 Wakeful Stakes. “Without winning, I thought she raced well. And well enough to have a crack in a speculative style 3-year-old fillies race,” Gluyas told racenet.com.au of her last start second in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes.
“A bit of that (last start) is about the winner, perhaps being green and learning. But perhaps it's a bit about us (as well), in that when she did see him, she knuckled down for the fight. It's a good characteristic to have, what I liked about it is that the pair of them worked through the line, they both looked good after the line for awhile.
“It's gives me a bit of faith that we can run the 2000m, but the test is the class of course, against some other well-performed horses.”
Decision Maker tops Magic Millions Digital
Decision Maker (Playing God) topped Wednesday’s Magic Millions Digital Sale at $27,500 and heads to country WA for his future. “He’s been a good horse that has done his job for our stable and I believe he is heading to the North-West for the Cups season,” former trainer Neville Parnham said.
“The team at Magic Millions Digital did a great job in marketing him and because of that he made twice the reserve.”
Decision Maker | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Philippines based client Cesar Avila Jr for $11,000 bought Farcolo (Farnan) with the result pleasing former stable Gary Portelli. “Very happy with today's result,” Gary Portelli’s Assistant Trainer James Fathers said. “We've sold a few horses on Magic Millions Digital now and from our perspective it's only a positive for the industry that we now have an additional viable platform to sell stock when we need to.”
There was plenty of active bidding with both Girls On Fire (Better Than Ready) who sold for $15,000 and Seastic (Hanseatic) who sold for $14,000, attracting 36 bids each.
Liberals match Labor’s commitment in Victoria
Shadow Minister for Racing Tim McCurdy announced the Victorian Liberal and Nationals have committed $72 million over four years to the Victorian Racing Industry Fund if elected. “It’s pleasing to see the Liberal and Nationals commit $72 million over four years to the Victorian Racing Industry Fund, following the Labor Government’s commitment earlier this month,” Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison told racing.com.
“Bipartisan support for racing is vital, and it’s great to see both sides of politics backing the industry ahead of the election.”
Could it be Japan’s Cup in 2026?
Japanese raider Stinger Glass (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) is turning heads at Werribee ahead of the G1 Melbourne Cup. “We are really confident,” groom and rider Shinji Yasuda, translated by Yusuke Sai, told racing.com.
“Everything is going well, we couldn't be happier. He had a serious gallop last Thursday, and he went really great. Today he also had a good gallop on the course proper, so everything is going well. We are going to have a final gallop on Friday morning and then he'll be ready for the race.”
He has won six of his 12 starts including the G3 Diamond Stakes over 3400 metres two starts ago.
Albany numbers hold up for summer
Despite the loss of trainer Indianna Weinert to South Australia, Albany Racing Club president Alan Smith believes they have enough local horses to have strong fields for the summer Great Southern season with Sunday beginning a run of 16 meetings at Albany this season, with another three meetings scheduled at Mount Barker. “I definitely think we'll be right for horse numbers,” Smith told racingwa.com.au.
“Everyone seems to have their stables. Nearly everyone I've spoken to has got a few extras (horses) in their stables. Hopefully we'll be right back on track and we won't miss Indianna's involvement too much.”
The Bluff Knoll returns on March 14. “We've got it running again, but we won't have it as a slot race. I think there's a lot of troubles trying to get slot holders to buy the slots. It's a big commitment.”
Double for So You Think
So You Think (NZ) sired a double on Bendigo Cup day, led by the Cup winner So You Are, who is covered in the Wednesday racing feature. His other winner was Lindsay Park-trained Itsukushima who has now won two in succession, and a total of seven wins from 42 starts with earnings over $300,000. His owner Craig Dick paid $18,000 for him as a weanling via Inglis Digital.
He is the first foal of Street Cry (Ire) mare Barchetta who has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Tassort. Barchetta is a winning daughter of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Sleek Chassis (Flying Spur).
New winner for Wild Ruler
Tony Gollan-trained 3-year-old gelding Budda Bar (Wild Ruler) won his maiden at Eagle Farm on Wednesday to become his second season sire’s 27th winner. Owned by Glenlogan Park after they passed him in as a yearling, he is the second winner for Meccabah (Fr) (Makfi {GB}) who placed in Europe before winning in Brisbane.
Big cast for December’s Jockey Challenge
December 9’s Longines International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley will include Ryan Moore, James McDonald, Zac Purton as well as Joao Moreira, William Buick, Mickael Barzalona, Saffie Osborne, Dylan Browne McMonagle, Christophe Lemaire and Rachel King.
“The 2026 edition of the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship is shaping to be one of our best, featuring Ryan Moore, James McDonald, William Buick, Mickael Barzalona and our champion Zac Purton,” Andrew Harding, the Jockey Club’s executive director of racing, told scmp.com.
“To have the current top five in the Longines World’s Best Jockey rankings taking part in the IJC says everything necessary about the quality of this year’s competition.
“I’m especially pleased to welcome Saffie Osborne for the first time. She is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best up-and-coming young riders anywhere in the world, and she captured the imagination of racing fans all over the world this year with her history-making victory in the Group 1 St Leger.”
US$300,000 Cody’s Wish filly tops Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall Yearlings
The Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall Yearlings Sale, with a new name, format, and spot on the calendar, produced results largely in line with the 2025 renewal of what was then the company's Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale. For the one-session auction, 189 yearlings–separated out by region–sold for US$5,867,500 (AU$8.34 million), an increase of nearly 18% from last year when 161 yearlings sold for US$4,978,100 (AU$7 million).
The average of US$31,045 (AU$44,000) inched just ahead of the 2025 figure of US$30,920 (AU$43,900), while the median remained steady at US$20,000 (AU$28,400). With 40 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate fell from 18.3% a year ago to 17.9% this year.
“It was a very encouraging Eastern Fall Yearlings Sale today,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “Gross sales were up significantly over the 2025 levels, the average showed a modest increase, and the median was steady. More importantly, there was a high level of energy throughout the sale. I think it's encouraging in the regional marketplace–when we've seen some struggles–to have the positive momentum that was demonstrated today. I think it gives us a foundation to build upon for 2027, 2028, and beyond.”
A filly by Cody's Wish brought the auction's highest price when selling for US$300,000 (AU$427,000), with breeders Dr. Tom and Chris Bowman taking on Sean Clancy as a partner on the daughter of How My Heart Works. The mare has now had three sale-toppers at the Midlantic autumn sale.
Gun Runner’s half-brother Ottinho retires to Three Chimneys Farm
Three Chimneys homebred and this season's GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Ottinho (Quality Road) has been retired and will stand at Three Chimneys in 2027. Ottinho is a half-brother to Three Chimneys sire star Gun Runner, while his dam Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway) is a half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam.
“Ottinho is a great-looking horse who has been a star since birth and will get supported by handpicked mares,” said Three Chimneys Vice Chairman Doug Cauthen. “He won as a 2-year-old and showed he had Grade I talent at three, and he was just getting good when his career was cut short due to injury.” Ottinho will stand for US$7,500 (AU$10,600), stands and nurses.
In Our Time heads to Fasig-Tipton
John Stewart and Chelsey Stone Stewart part-owned In Our Time (Not This Time has amassed eight graded placings highlighted by a Grade I victory. As a dominant force in the turf sprint division, she has pushed her career earnings past US$1.9 million (AU$2.7 million), making her the highest-earning daughter of top sire Not This Time.
Coming off a victory in the GI Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes in her most recent start, In Our Time will take on the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for the partnership of Miller Racing and Resolute Racing. After, she'll head to Fasig-Tipton for the Night of the Stars Sale, where she will sell as Hip 203 with Elite Sales.
“The versatility of the racehorses Not This Time produces is really remarkable,” said Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “I don't know that we've got another stallion in the world that's got the range he's demonstrated so far. His impact as a broodmare sire is obviously still to be felt because he's a young stallion, but he has a great pedigree as a son of Giant's Causeway, who has been a very good broodmare sire. The potential is unlimited for daughters of Not This Time.”
Sun Goddess aiming to lift O’Brien’s Breeders’ Cup record
Outstanding juvenile Sun Goddess, many people's idea of the European banker at the 2026 Breeders' Cup, remains at the peak of her powers, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien, with the daughter of Sioux Nation seemingly showing no signs of her long season catching up with her when experiencing her first taste of the Keeneland cauldron on Tuesday morning.
For a filly who has danced every dance since her Naas debut back in May, Sun Goddess could have been forgiven had she appeared leg-weary when embarking on her first foray outside of the confines of the European quarantine facility, much like the jet-lagged travelling press attempting to keep step with the 10-strong Ballydoyle battalion. In reality, Europe's champion 2-year-old-elect was anything but.
“You saw her coming in there, she's unusual, isn't she?” asked O'Brien rhetorically after supervising the squad tasked with trying to add to his joint-record tally of 21 Breeders' Cup winners. “She prowls rather than walks. Did you see the walk on her? She's on springs.”
O'Brien's first Breeders' Cup winner came way back in 1999 when Johannesburg dented some big reputations among the home team in plundering the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park. The beaten odds-on favourite, Officer, hailed from the barn of Bob Baffert, with whom O'Brien now shares the title of winning-most trainer at the Breeders' Cup.
The success of Johannesburg was also significant for it making him a rare 2-year-old to win four Group 1s in a calendar year. It's a feat which Sun Goddess will try to emulate when she makes her ninth appearance of 2026 in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, potentially one of the races of the weekend with her fellow Group 1 winners Amusingly (No Nay Never) and Green Empress (Saxon Warrior) featuring among the opposition.
1/ST President transitions to advisory role
Aidan Butler, President of 1/ST for nearly three years and part of the organization since 2018, is moving to a new role as advisor to 1/ST Chairman Belinda Stronach. While little about the transition has been publicized by 1/ST, horseracingnation.com reported 1/ST Racing's Executive Vice-President Mike Rogers will assume some of Butler's responsibilities.
““Aidan joined the 1/ST team in 2018 during a transformative time in horseracing and notably was instrumental in working with Belinda Stronach, Dr. Dionne Benson and the entire team at Santa Anita on the implementation of industry-leading health and safety protocols for horses and riders. The stringent safety protocols and medication reforms introduced by 1/ST have resulted in nationwide reforms adopted in racing jurisdictions across the United States,” said a press statement.
“Aidan's roles at 1/ST have spanned coast-to-coast with oversight for racing, training and track operations in California and Florida, and prior to the transition of MJC racing operations to the state-led entity, also in Maryland. Beyond the track, his expertise has contributed to the innovation and diversification of our gaming, content and technology portfolios.
“Aidan's passion for this industry, love for horses and the connections he built with the horsemen and women, countless stakeholders and 1/ST employees during his tenure cannot be understated. We thank Aidan for his dedication to 1/ST.”
Rausing’s The Alborada Trust donates £10 million to cancer research
On the 25th anniversary of The Alborada Trust, the Trustees have committed £10 million (AU$18.9 million) to support cancer research this year through two groups: Cancer Research UK and Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT).
Established in 2001 by philanthropist Kirsten Rausing CBE, The Alborada Trust supports a wide range of charitable causes in the UK and internationally. The Trust's funding focuses on medical and veterinary causes, research, education, poverty relief and the alleviation of human and animal suffering, and was initially based on the racecourse earnings of the Founder's homebred World Champion filly of the same name.
“The Alborada Trust has supported important work in cancer research for many years, and we are delighted to strengthen that commitment through a new long-term partnership with Cancer Research UK,” said Rausing. “Through the CRUK-Alborada Fellowships, we are proud to support talented researchers as they pursue innovative ideas and develop their potential as leaders. By investing in exceptional talent, we are helping to build the talent and expertise needed to accelerate progress against cancer and support Cancer Research UK's mission to beat cancer.”
Maroney and Snellings join board of TRF
The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has added Elizabeth Snellings and Katharine Maroney to its Board of Directors, according to a press release from the organization on Tuesday.
Both bring valuable experience and a longstanding connection to the Thoroughbred industry, along with professional backgrounds that support TRF's mission of providing retired racehorses with dignified lifetime care.
Breeders’ Cup jockey arrested on domestic violence charges
Ricardo Santana, Jr., who had been booked on three mounts in this Saturday's Breeders' Cup races, was arrested late Monday night on charges of domestic violence, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). He was charged with strangulation in the first degree and assault in the fourth degree.
According to the Louisville Courier Journal, on Tuesday, the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation suspended Santana's license “pending the disposition of his criminal charges,” and the Breeders' Cup released the following statement via a spokesman.
“The Breeders' Cup respects the decision of the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation to suspend the license of Ricardo Santana, Jr. pending the disposition of his criminal charges. According to usual KHRG protocol, replacement riders will be identified by the connections of his contenders in the World Championships and conveyed to the Stewards. The Breeders' Cup condemns violence in all forms and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism throughout our sport, while recognizing the importance of due process.”
