Zahra looking for CF Orr redemption
Jockey Mark Zahra was first past the post in the 2023 G1 CF Orr Stakes on Gentleman Roy (So You Think {NZ})) but lost the race on protest to Jacquinot. He rides War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}) this year. “It'd be great to tick it off, I've won everywhere else in Melbourne but Sandown has a lot of history. To win a Group 1 there and come back to a big crowd and winning connections would be special for sure,” Zahra told racenet.com.au.
Mark Zahra | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It's a great track. I used to really look forward to the Sandown meeting after Cup Week, you know, a relaxed feel but a great meeting with still a lot of good horses. Hillside is a fantastic track, long run in, very fair and I think every horse gets their opportunity.”
Caulfield Cup winner set for Hong Kong
G1 Caulfield Cup winner Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) runs in Saturday’s G2 Zipping Classic ahead of a tilt at December’s Hong Kong International meeting. “Hong Kong will all be dependent on how he performs this weekend,” trainer Gavin Bedggood told racing.com.
Kingswood (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“If he regressed on what he had done so far this campaign, well, it would probably be put on the backburner. I don’t want to go over there to hope to run well, I want to go over there confident and have the horse in tip-top order. He’s tentatively booked on a flight on December 2, but it will all be performance-based on Saturday.
“A couple of those horses are coming off a two-mile run (in the Melbourne Cup), whereas we’ve had a month to recover from a mile-and-a-half run. What will be there, will be there. I just have to worry about my horse.”
J-Mac to team up with Beiwacht for CF Orr
James McDonald will have his first ride on dual Group 1 winner Beiwacht (Bivouac) in Saturday’s G1 CF Orr Stakes. “I've ridden him in trackwork a little bit but it's my first sit on him under pressure (on Saturday). I'm looking forward to it,” McDonald said.
James McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's a good horse. It's obviously going to be a strong race but he's definitely up to that. He likes that sort of (frontrunning) role so obviously he'll get there and do his thing. He's so good at Caulfield and the Orr Stakes would have been at Caulfield if it was up and going.
“He's got a new challenge here with Sandown but I'm sure he'll cope pretty well. It (1400m) is just a perfect trip where he can dictate a bit easier and get control.”
Natural filly has a Fling at Thoroughbred Club
Saturday’s $1 million G3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes will be headlined by Natural Fling (Home Affairs) despite an unplaced effort in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes last start. “She galloped this morning under Damian Lane, and he knows her very well as he’s ridden her a lot, and he was extremely happy that she’s still got plenty to offer,” co-trainer Tony McEvoy told racing.com.
Natural Fling | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The big thing for me is that she has to tick the 1200 metre box. The race down the straight (Coolmore) was a back markers’ race, so all those on-pacers didn’t figure in the end. It wasn’t a disaster. We weren’t devastated, rather a bit disappointed, but then, as it turned out, the run was actually better than it looked.”
Mazu selected for The Meteorite
Group 1 winner Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) has been selected for a slot in The Meteorite. “We are very excited to announce that Triple Crown and Mazu have joined up with the Sports Entertainment Group (SEG), plus all the Giddy Up team for the Southside Meteorite slot race,” Triple Crown’s founder and director, Chris Ward, said on SEN’s Giddy Up With Gareth Hall.
Mazu | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“He still has a lot of talent, winning The Shorts first-up and he just got pipped by Smooth Chino at Flemington down the straight there. He is a quirky character, he loves to do things his own way, he loves pulling out some pre-race antics. But once you get him out to the track, he is as happy as Larry, he absolutely loves it.”
Stradbroke goal for Vintage Vibes
Trainer Jay Bellamy will set Vintage Vibes (Zousain) for the G1 Stradbroke Handicap after the 4-year-old gelding made it three wins in succession on Saturday. He’ll head to The Gateway on December 12 aiming for a ballot free entry to the Stradbroke. “I earmarked him for The Gateway. He's produced over 1350 and 1400 metres before, and ran good time over it, so it has been the plan the whole way along,” Bellamy told racenet.com.au.
“I ran third in The Gateway a couple of years ago with Addriel, and I think Vintage Vibes is as good a horse as him, maybe a touch better. That's why I put him along similar lines and want to have a crack at the race. It's one of those races that could be really strong if those good ones that have just raced over the carnival in Sydney want to come up and try it. But if they don't, well, it's a very winnable race.”
Rerate wins on debut
Joe Cleary-trained 3-year-old filly Rerate (Snitzel) won on debut at Queanbeyan on Tuesday. Twice through the auction ring, she was unsold and is raced by Gerry Harvey. She is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi {GB}).
Frankel fee unchanged for 2027
Frankel will once again lead the Juddmonte roster for 2027 at an unchanged fee of £350,000 (AU$679,000, while newcomer Field Of Gold, the winner of last year's G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace Stakes, has been introduced at a fee of £20,000 (AU$38,800).
It will be the fourth consecutive year standing at a fee of £350,000 (AU$679,000) for Frankel who, in 2026, was ranked alongside Dubawi as the world's most expensive stallion. Of the sires whose 2027 fees have already been announced, the son of Galileo again sets the benchmark.
In 2026, Frankel added two further Classic winners in Oaks heroine Thundering On and Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini, taking his number of Northern Hemisphere Classic winners to 14, more than any other active stallion. He is also now the sire of over 200 stakes winners worldwide, including 45 individual Group 1 winners.
In completing the Irish 2,000 Guineas/St James's Palace double, Field Of Gold emulated his sire, Kingman, who will also stand for an unchanged fee of £125,000 (AU$243,000) in 2027.
Many of Kingman's stallion sons enjoyed success on the racecourse in 2026, with Calyx, Chachnak, Palace Pier and Persian King all being represented by Group 1 performers. His yearlings continued to prove popular in the sales ring, too, with an average of £283,197 (AU$549,500).
Elsewhere, Frankel's Classic-winning son, Chaldean, remains at a fee of £20,000 (AU$38,800) after registering some notable results when his first yearlings went under the hammer in 2026. He achieved a top price of €650,000 (AU$1.05 million), with 32 six-figure lots across all yearling sales, more than any other first-crop sire.
Chaldean covered over 180 mares at Banstead Manor in 2026, while Lead Artist proved similarly popular in his first season on the Juddmonte roster as he received 170 mares. The G1 Lockinge Stakes winner, who was based at Arrowfield Stud in Australia for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, will again command a fee of £12,500 (AU$24,300) in 2027.
Hotazhell French fee announced
Widden Stud’s new shuttle sire three-time Group 1 winner Hotazhell, the first son of Too Darn Hot to stand at stud in Europe, will command a fee of €15,000 (AU$24,300) when he embarks on his debut season at Haras d'Etreham in 2027.
Too Darn Hot's sons Broadsiding and Tropicus stand in Australia.
“We are absolutely delighted at the prospect of welcoming a horse of Hotazhell's calibre to Etreham for the 2027 season,” said Haras d'Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure when announcing the purchase of the six-time winner, in partnership with Antony Thompson of Widden Stud in Australia.
“His pedigree and racing record are of the very highest standard, and his conformation is impeccable. He has great presence and quality, and plenty of size and scope.”
Englishman retired for 2027 season
Multiple Grade I winner Englishman (Maxfield) has been retired from racing following a routine end of season vet exam, and will take up residence at Lane's End for the 2027 breeding season, the farm announced via press release Monday.
The decision to retire Englishman from racing was made following a routine end of season veterinary exam that revealed a flake in both ankles, which were subsequently removed. With runaway victories in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes and GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes on his resume, he made his career final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland Oct. 31 when running a valiant second to Japanese sensation T O Elvis (Volatile). He retires with a 6-4-2-0 record and US$1,134,500 (AU$1.6 million) in earnings.
“Englishman is the fastest horse I've ever worked with,” said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “When he gets into full stride, he is something to behold. I had an inkling of it when he first started training, but when he broke his maiden I knew the sky was the limit. That other worldly talent was evident in his Woody Stephens victory, and his win in the H. Allen Jerkens was special for so many reasons.”
Vauban sire Galiway’s fee reduced for 2027
Haras de Colleville's popular dual-purpose sire Galiway has had his fee reduced to €22,000 (AU$35,700) for 2027, having stood at €30,000 (AU$48,600) for the last five seasons.
His stud-mates Kendargent and Goken will both be available at €10,000 (AU$16,200). Now 23, Kendargent is entering his 18th stud season in Normandy and is at his lowest fee since 2013.
Metrics up, lots down for Keeneland book 4
The Book 4 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded with the auction's seventh session Monday, and while the average and median increased for the section, gross sales fell with an increased buy-back rate.
Through the two Book 4 sessions, 513 horses sold through the ring for a gross of US$18,486,200 (AU$26.6 million). The section's average was US$36,035 (AU$52,000) and the median was US$27,000 (AU$39,000). During the two sessions of Book 4 last year, 766 horses sold through the ring for a gross of US$22,585,400 (AU$32.6 million). The section's average last year was US$29,485 (AU$42,400) and the median was US$20,000 (AU$28,900).
“I think that what we are seeing is the market is holding its own, but it's more fragile, with the cheaper mares, in particular,” said Mark Taylor of Taylor Made Sales Agency, which is the auction's leading consignor through seven sessions and consigned the co-topper of Monday's session.
Weanlings dominated Monday's seventh session of the November sale with two Grade I-winning sons of Gun Runner–Gun Pilot and Gunite–siring the US$225,000 (AU$325,000) session co-leaders.
TDN’s Berry nominated for UK Racing Writer Of The Year
Emma Berry, chief correspondent at Thoroughbred Daily News, is among four nominees in the running to win the Alastair Down Trophy, which will be awarded to the winner of the Racing Writer of the Year category at the 2026 HWPA Derby Awards. The annual ceremony will take place at the Lancaster Hotel on Monday, December 7.
Sealiway share added to AKTEM Online
A share in the Haras de Beaumont stallion Sealiway features among the first lots catalogued for the AKTEM Online Breeding Stock Sale, which takes place on Monday, November 23.
Sealiway is the sire of 10 individual winners in Europe from his first crop of 2-year-olds, more than any other freshman stallion based in France. The share in the stallion, who won the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at two and G1 Champion Stakes at three, entitles its holder to one nomination per year.
Tattersalls Ireland charity auction
A charity auction held by Tattersalls Ireland on Monday evening raised €55,000 (AU$89,000) in support of amateur jockey Kaitlyn Ryan, who suffered a serious spinal cord injury in a gallops accident. Most of the auction items were services to National Hunt stallions.
USA Racing Book Of The Year announced
“The Racetracks of America,” a sweeping history of present and past U.S. Thoroughbred racecourses, is the 20th recipient of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons to recognize excellence in Thoroughbred racing literature published in 2025. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's Brien Bouyea and Keeneland Library's Roda Ferraro, representing the 440-page reference book's co-publishers, received the winner's US$10,000 (AU$14,300) cheque and Tipperary crystal trophy during a Nov. 4 reception held at Castleton Lyons' historic stallion barn in Lexington.
Several of the 35 turf writers and authors whose essays made up “The Racetracks of America: From the Pre-Civil War Days to the 21st Century” also were on hand, as were Keeneland Library curators who helped assemble the book's hundreds of historical photos and other memorabilia.
“The broad scope of 'The Racetracks of America' makes it a winner on that merit alone,” said historian, author and turf writer Dr. Maryjean Wall, one of four Book Award judges. “But when readers open this book, they will discover an unexpected bonus in the refined writing, the keepsake photos, and the thoughtful presentation of what collectively amounts to one of the greatest stories ever told. Horse racing has been waiting a long time for such a book.”
