G2 Hot Danish won by in-form Lazzura
G1 Coolmore Classic winner Lazzura (Snitzel) made it three Group 2 wins in succession when victorious in Saturday’s G2 Hot Danish Stakes in Sydney. She will be spelled ahead of an autumn campaign. “She has been in scintillating form,” Chris Waller’s stable representative Darren Beadman said.
“She takes all the guess work out of it with her style of racing, she puts herself there. The 1400m is about as far as she wants, but she hit her sweet spot today. She had to do a bit of work last start when she won The Invitation but today it was pure grit and determination. For Ricky Senior and Junior and the Surace family, they put a lot of effort into their horses, what they are searching for and what they breed, so it is a great result.”
Lazzura took her record to nine wins from 21 starts with earnings over $3.4 million. She was a $500,000 purchase by B2B Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Arrowfield Stud.
G2 Matriarch Stakes surprise for Sun Gift
A quick back from running midfield in the Kyneton Cup on Wednesday worked a treat for Danny O’Brien-trained mare Sun Gift (NZ) (Savabeel) who won Saturday’s G2 Matriarch Stakes at Flemington.
“I always intended to back her up. I thought she could win on Wednesday, and then it just rained for the two hours before the race, it became a real tough surface. She didn't get through it at all, and effectively just had a 1400 metre gallop down the straight without getting knocked around,” O’Brien said.
“When they're rock hard fit, they've had three or four runs. The good form students will tell you that they love those horses on four, five, or three-day backups, and certainly they outperform horses off longer breaks. But it's not something you can obviously do all the time. Yeah, she'll be off to the paddock now. She's won her target race so it's happy days.”
She becomes the 160th stakes winner for Champion Sire Savabeel who died earlier this year. A homebred for Waikato Stud, she has six wins and earnings over $520,000. She’s the second foal of Sunniva (NZ) (Pour Moi {Ire}) who is an unraced half-sister to G1 VRC Derby and G1 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Group 2 winner and sire Guillotine (NZ).
G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes won by Pinhole
Chris Waller-trained Pinhole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) missed a start in the G1 Melbourne Cup but took his record to three wins from his last four starts with a win in the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington over 2600 metres. He’s won six of his 17 starts with four of those wins in Australia.
“He's a bright, bright stayer of the future. Still coming through his grades, getting some confidence. He was a good winner at Caulfield two starts ago, and then last start he had no luck at all. So he's a really promising horse, and it's all about getting him to the I guess the Cup for next year. It's a good step forward. He'll be qualified and just find the best path for him now,” Waller said.
Chris Waller Racing paid 200,000 gns (AU$403,000) for him from Juddmonte’s draft at the 2025 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale. He took his earnings over $680,000.
Listed Fisher Stakes won by Watchme Win
Andrew Gluyas-trained Watchme Win (Harry Angel {Ire}) returned to form with a win in the Listed Fisher Stakes at Flemington. He hadn’t won since this time last year but had placed several times in the interim. Watchme Win has seven wins from 27 starts and earnings over $650,000.
“He's a great horse. We love him. He's got a story, we've got to be one step ahead of him when we're working with him. But credit to our whole team, the team at home. They do a wonderful job with him to get him to this sort of standard to win a race in the carnival is very rewarding and fulfilling,” Gluyas said.
Tas Breeders appoint new Executive Officer
Tasbreeders announced the appointment of Executive Officer Janine Courtney. “We (Tasbreeders) want to make Tasmanian breeding top of mind,” Courtney said in a pres release.
The daughter of Victorian trainer Brian Courtney, Janine moved to Tasmania five years ago and has been an owner and breeder for a long time. She will improve the Tasbreeders website and social media presence, while working on advocating for the Tasmanian breeding industry.
Janine Courtney | Image supplied
Pre-Christmas 2-year-old winner for Tagaloa
G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa added a pre-Christmas juvenile winner when Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Miss Parton beat home stablemate Hard Copy (All Too Hard) by two lengths in the juvenile race at Morphettville on Saturday. Sarah Rutten-trained Dark Ice (Valentia) was third.
Raced by Yulong, Miss Parton is the second foal and second winner for Celebrity Belle (Redoute’s Choice), an unraced full sister to Group 1 winner Celebrity Queen.
Juvenile winner for Splintex
Second season sire Splintex celebrated a pre-Christmas 2-year-old winner when Simon Miller-trained 2-year-old colt Spinnex won at Ascot on Saturday. The Vardy Thoroughbreds-led syndicate purchased the colt for $70,000 from Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft.
He is the 14th winner for Splintex and the second from his second crop. He is the second winner for unraced Southern Snip (Snippetson).
Beatty keeps winning with Listed Fairetha Stakes victory
Sean and Jake Casey-trained 3-year-old colt Beatty (Gingerbread Man) is unbeaten this season, with both wins coming at Listed level after taking out Saturday’s Listed Fairetha Stakes. He also won the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes and three other races at two.
Winner of six of his seven starts with earnings over $660,000, the HW Daly homebred is out of juvenile winner Femmette (Murtajil).
Gingerbread Man had a double on the card with I Love Ya Money winning the Apprentices Cup ridden by apprentice jockey Chanel Cooper.
Proisir’s big trans-Tasman double
Brad Widdup-trained Hyperbolic (NZ) (Proisir) added to Champion New Zealand Sire Proisir’s big day when winning the Listed Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury. Proisir also sired the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Angels Halo (NZ).
Hyperbolic becomes the 28th stakes winner for Proisir. Brad Widdup Racing paid NZ$240,000 for her at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Rich Hill Stud. She is one of four winners for Piazza (NZ) (Sir Percy {GB}) who is a winning full sister to Group 2 winner Sir Andrew (NZ).
Written Tycoon double at Cranbourne
On Friday night at Cranbourne, Written Tycoon sired a double with Team Hawkes-trained 4-year-old mare Marsept and Matthew Brown-trained She’s Pretty Rich who took her record to six wins and earnings over $350,000.
Double for Wooded at Geelong
Second season sire Wooded (Ire) celebrated a double at Geelong. Matt Laurie-trained 3-year-old filly Mystic River Queen won her maiden at start number two. She is one of three winners for All Too Hard mare Queen Wu. Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained 3-year-old gelding Crank made it a double when taking his career to two wins from four starts.
At Cranbourne on Friday night, Greg Eurell-trained 3-year-old gelding Civic Square (Wooded {Ire}) won his maiden. He is the first foal of Toronado (Ire) mare Redadoo who is an unraced half-sister to Group 3 winner Rubi’s Choice (Rubick).
G3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes won by Moving Melody
Deep Field mare Moving Melody became the 46th stakes winner for her sire when victorious in the G3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday. Previously trained by Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley, she moved to Terri Rae’s South Island operation recently. “It is a special win as we have been planning to get black-type with her as she is a mare that definitely deserves it. Her owner is here on-course and I’m sure he has got a real kick out of it,” Rae said.
“We are going to take her home now and see how she comes through the race, but if she pulls up well then the Stewards’ on the last day is also in our sights as she is a good horse on a solid speed, and that is how those type of races are run.”
Owned by Kevin Sun, Moving Melody was sold by Curraghmore for NZ$90,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale. She has now won four of her 21 starts and over NZ$250,000.
Rotten Tommy thrives in wet Listed TR Sprint
Anthony Burton-trained Rotten Tommy (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) thrived in the wet conditions at Te Rapa to win the Listed TR Sprint. It was his first black type win and took his record to three wins from eight starts. He becomes the eighth stakes winner for U S Navy Flag (USA). “He has the gate speed, and you have to let him do what he wants to do, which is to run,” Burton said.
“It was a brilliant ride by Bridget (Grylls), who hasn’t been on him before, but it just turned out perfectly. It is absolutely fantastic for the stable, he has done a great job and is not the easiest to work with as he has a few quirks. Hopefully we can get him going right-handed and then we will definitely see a good horse.”
Platinum Attack defends Listed Pegasus Stakes crown
Lisa Latta-trained Platinum Attack (Santos) returned to Riccarton to defend his 2025 Listed Pegasus Stakes crown and take his career record to 10 wins from 26 starts. “He has just got better and better and he has just learned his craft,” Latta said.
“He used to do a fair bit wrong and now he just switches off. He holds a nom for the Stewards on the last day. There is not a lot around in New Zealand for the sprinters, and then we will freshen him up for the Railway.”
Glastonbury Farm sold him at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $37,000 to Lisa Latta Racing and he took his earnings over NZ$550,000.
Two Listed Metropolitan Trophy wins for Just Charlie
Last year’s Listed Metropolitan Trophy winner Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) came back again in 2026 to win the 2590 metre race again. Trained by Kevin Myers, he took his record to seven wins from 35 starts and earnings over NZ$300,000.
“He is a cool horse, he is a big pet,” stable representative Luke Myers said. “He has been placed well and his run up at Auckland (when runner-up in the Staphanos Classic, 2100m) had a lot of merit, I thought he was a little bit underdone, and he really kicked hard there.”
Iffraaj and Raven’s Pass pensioned
Iffraaj and Raven's Pass, two stalwarts of the Darley roster, have been pensioned from stud duties and will enjoy their retirements at Dalham Hall Stud and Kildangan respectively.
Iffraaj sired 14 individual Group 1 winners during his stud career, including champions Ribchester, Chrisellium and Rizeena, along with leading sire Wootton Bassett.
Meanwhile, Breeders' Cup Classic winner Raven's Pass has also been a dependable source of talented horses, siring 13% Stakes horses and 7% Stakes winners to runners. His standout performer is Japanese star Tower Of London, now sire of a Group 1 winner himself.
Sam Bullard, Director of Stallions said, “Both Iffraaj and Raven's Pass have been rock solid as a source of Stakes horses, both as sires and more recently as broodmare sires.
“The time is now right for them to retire from covering duties, but they will remain in their respective stallion yards where they will hopefully enjoy their retirement for many years to come.”
Fee reduction for shuttle sire Vandeek
Cheveley Park Stud has announced that dual Group 1 winner Vandeek will stand at a reduced fee of £12,500 (AU$24,300) in 2027, having stood his first two seasons at £15,000 (AU$29,000).
The son of Havana Grey has his first foals at the sales in the coming weeks, with nine catalogued to sell at Goffs and 36 at Tattersalls. Vandeek's half-brother, the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Gstaad (Starspangledbanner), enters stud in Ireland next season on the Coolmore roster.
He was due to shuttle to Arrowfield Stud for 2026 but injured a tendon in quarantine and missed the season.
Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show retired to stud
Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the 2025 G1 Dubai World Cup, will enter stud at Lane's End Farm for the 2027 season and stand for US$10,000 (AU$14,000) LFSN.
Best known for a scintillating run from the back of the field to win the Dubai World Cup, he defeated a talented field of international runners that day, including 2025 GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young (Jpn).
“Winning the Grade 1 Dubai World Cup on the international stage in the old gold and peacock blue was a very proud moment for Wathnan Racing. But what defined Hit Show was his toughness, consistency over the years and his soundness,” said Case Clay, U.S. Racing Manager for Wathnan Racing. “He won 12 races and over $9.5 million, including eight graded stakes. We're excited to see him pass along these important traits to his offspring.”
Hit Show is out of GII Black-Eyed Susan S. and GIII Comely S. winner and multiple graded stakes placed Actress (Tapit). Actress is a daughter of the 2009 Sovereign Award-winning 3-year-old filly Milwaukee Appeal, that year's Woodbine Oaks winner who also placed in the GI Alabama S. and GI Spinster S.
“There is no doubt that Candy Ride has been a breed shaping stallion for this industry and has left an indelible mark with multiple successful sons at stud including our own Twirling Candy,” said Lane's End President Bill Farish. “The opportunity to bring another son of Candy Ride here to Lane's End to continue that legacy is very exciting.”
Bucchero to stand in 2027 for $20,000
Bucchero (Kantharos), the sire of champion Book'em Danno and the multiple graded-stakes winning turf sprinter Queen Maxima, will stand the 2027 breeding season at a fee of US$20,000 (AU$29,000) LFSN at Ironhorse Stallions at Waldorf Farm in Valatie, New York, the operation said in a release Friday morning.
“Bucchero has answered every question we've asked of him, year after year,” said Harlan Malter, managing partner of Ironhorse Stallions. “He consistently produces open stakes horses capable of competing nationally, and winners at an extraordinary rate. Book'em Danno, Queen Maxima and Buccherino are the most visible examples, but what makes his record so compelling is the consistency throughout his entire population of runners. The question now isn't what Bucchero can accomplish. It's what New York breeders and owners can accomplish with him.”
Vale Isabelle de Tomaso
The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Isabelle de Tomaso, who passed away on Oct. 29 at the age of 96.
Mrs. de Tomaso was a tremendous supporter of the New Jersey-bred program and made a lasting impact on Thoroughbred racing in the Garden State. She bred more than 100 New Jersey-breds, including graded stakes winners Irish War Cry and Irish Strait. Isabelle de Tomaso is the daughter of Amory Haskell, for whom the Monmouth Park feature is named.
Beyond her accomplishments in Thoroughbred racing, Mrs. de Tomaso was an accomplished businesswoman and a trailblazing race car driver who regularly competed against some of the world's top male drivers. Alongside her husband, the late Alejandro de Tomaso, she established the De Tomaso Automobili S.p.A., which manufactured Formula One cars and exotic sports cars.
Her determination, competitive spirit, and contributions to the racing industry made her a remarkable figure whose legacy will endure.
