Cox Plate Star El Segundo Returns In Cranbourne Trial
Multiple Gr1-winning 7YO gelding El Segundo (Pins-Palos Verdes, by Oak Ridge) began his long-awaited comeback from injury in a trial over 1000m at Cranbourne in Victoria yesterday. El Segundo is due to make his racetrack return in the Gr3 Carlyon Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on January 23, but trainer Colin Little told The Melbourne Age newspaper: "That's 17 days away & we will just have to wait & see if he's ready. He might be a bit soft, so we will play it by ear. I know he loves the Valley, but we will just have to see how forward he is in the next few weeks." El Segundo (a NZ$140,000 yearling at the 2003 Premier Sale at Karaka) won 2007's unofficial Australian weight-for-age championship, the Gr1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley & overall boasts 12 wins (also including the Gr1 Orr Stakes over 1400m, Gr1 Underwood Stakes over 1800m, Gr1 Yalumba Stakes over 2000m, Gr2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m, Gr2 Carlyon Stakes over 1200m, Gr2 Memsie Stakes over 1400m & Listed JRA Cup over 2040m) & 7 placings (including 2006's Gr1 Cox Plate over 2040m, plus the Gr1 Futurity Stakes over 1600m, Gr1 Yalumba Stakes over 2000m & Listed Aurie's Star Handicap over 1200m) from 26 starts for $3,791,875 earnings.
(Jan 6)
Aust 2YO Champ Sebring Returns In Friday Trial
Meanwhile last season's Australian champion 2YO Sebring (More Than Ready-Purespeed, by Flying Spur) will make his return to the racetrack (after injury ruled him out of all spring racing) in a barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Friday. Sebring (a $130,000 yearling consigned by Corumbene Stud at the 2007 January Sale on the Gold Coast) notched 5 successive victories in his juvenile season (including the Gr1 Golden Slipper over 1200m at Rosehill, Gr1 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes over 1400m at Randwick, Listed Breeders Plate over 1100m at Randwick & Listed Canonbury Stakes over 1000m at Randwick) plus a last-start runner-up (beaten by a short-head) in the Gr1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick for $2,537,060 earnings. Sebring is due to join Widden Stud's stallion roster at the conclusion of his 3YO season.
(Jan 6)
Gr3-Winning Filly Stripper Retired
Sydney trainer David Payne confirmed Gr3-winning 3YO filly Stripper (Danehill Dancer-Miss Charmer, by Zabeel) has been retired after being diagnosed with an on-going respiratory problem. Stripper (a $115,000 purchase by James Bester Bloodstock at the 2006 Select Weanling Sale) recorded 2 wins (including the Gr3 Sweet Embrace Stakes over 1200m at Randwick) & 3 placings (including the Gr2 Golden Rose Stakes over 1400m at Rosehill & Listed Widden Stakes over 1000m at Randwick) from 7 starts for $338,150 earnings.
(Jan 6)
South Aust Breeder Jim O'Connor Dies Aged 80
Leading South Australian breeder Jim O'Connor has died aged 80 after a lengthy illness. In the 1960's O'Connor (also a prominent bookmaker) established Miluna Stud at One Tree Hill, where English stayer & foundation sire Red Rumour (by Hail To Reason) finished Australia's 3rd-top 1st-season sire with his initial crop of 2YOs. O'Connor's subsequent sire successes included Exalt & Twig Moss. O'Connor was also a founder of the Australian Breeders Co-Operative Society (which conducted the South Australian sales for several years), as well as a committee member of both the South Australian Breeders Association & South Australian Jockey Club. For his services to racing & breeding, O'Connor was awarded the Order Of Australia & also made a life member of the Breeders' Association.
(Jan 6)
Vic Jockey Ben Smith 6-Months Ban For Facial Attack
Racing Victoria stewards yesterday suspended jockey Ben Smith for 6 months following an attack on fellow rider Nick Mehmet (who suffered a broken nose & cracked teeth) at Hanging Rock on New Year's Day. Smith pleaded guilty to a misconduct charge for "hitting Mehmet in the face with his forearm/elbow" outside the jockeys' room.
(Jan 6)
Vic Jocks Sam Hyland & Dale Smith Also Banned After Clash
Meanwhile Racing Victoria stewards also suspended jockeys Sam Hyland (for 5 weeks) & Dale Smith (for 4 weeks) after both were charged with misconduct following a clash at Mornington races on New Year's Day in which they were found to have "verbally abused & pushed each other in the chest area".
(Jan 6)
Racing Vic Extends Deadline For Directions Paper Feedback
Racing Victoria announced that "in response to concerns expressed by some country clubs & a number of industry participants that a deadline of Friday February 6 for feedback to the recently released Directions Paper was unreasonable", a new deadline of Friday February 27 has been set. As a result of this change, the date for the release of the final infrastructure paper "is expected to be deferred to mid-May".
(Jan 6)
NZ Gr1 Star Princess Coup Retired
In New Zealand, prominent Christchurch owner Ray Coupland's multiple Gr1-winning Australian-bred 5YO mare Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago-Stoneyfell Road, by Sovereign Red) has been retired "due to on-going joint problems," reported stuff.co.nz. Princess Coup (a $260,000 yearling at the 2005 Winter Sale on the Gold Coast) was named the 2006-07 season's Filly-Of-The-Year & Champion 3YO, followed by the 2007-08 season's dual NZ Champion Middle Distance galloper & Champion Stayer. Overall she recorded 12 wins (including the NZ Gr1 Kelt Capital Stakes over 2040m twice, NZ Gr1 Stoney Bridge Stakes over 1600m, Australian Gr2 St George Stakes over 1800m, Gr1 NZ Oaks over 2400m, NZ Gr3 Lowland Stakes over 2100m, Gr3 NZ Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes over 1600m, NZ Listed Slade Farm Canterbury Stakes over 1600m & NZ Listed Ray Coupland Stakes over 1400m) & 10 placings (including the NZ Gr1 Stoney Bridge Stakes over 1600m, Australian Gr1 The BMW over 2400m, Australian Gr1 Ranvet Stakes over 1900m, Gr1 Australian Cup over 2000m, Australian Gr1 Caulfield Cup over 2400m, Australian Gr1 Mackinnon Stakes over 2000m, NZ Gr2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Classic over 2000m, Gr1 NZ 2000 Guineas over 1600m, Gr1 NZ Bloodstock 1000 Guineas over 1600m & NZ Gr2 Eight Carat Classic over 1600m) from 33 starts for A$2,858,339 earnings.
(Jan 6)
NZ Shuttler Elusive City 1st-Season Champ In Europe
In Europe, Gr1-winning NZ Haunui Farm shuttler & 2002 French Champion 2YO Elusive City (Elusive Quality-Star Of Paris, by Dayjur) was officially crowned Champion 1st-Season Sire: a 1st for any stallion with New Zealand ownership. Elusive City (who stands the northern hemisphere breeding season at the Irish National Stud) was the only northern 1st-season sire to produce 2 Group-winning 2YOs (Gr3 & Goffs Million-winner Soul City, plus Gr3-winner & Gr1-performer Elusive Wave) & ended the season with 19 individual winners (also including stakes-performers Connie Mac, Nashmiah, Able Master & The Legal Blonde). Haunui general manager Mark Chitty declared: "It's a remarkable achievement! To have 6 stakes-performers from his 1st Northern Hemisphere crop was outstanding & when you consider his service fee level & possibly the quality of mare he received in the Northern Hemisphere in comparison to some of his counterparts, his results are even more remarkable. It's a great result for Haunui & our partners in Elusive City: Fairdale Stud & Trelawney Stud." In addition Elusive City notched 4 1st-crop southern hemisphere winners in the initial 4 days of January (Blaze King & True Intelligence scored in Hong Kong, while Elusive Memories & Metropolitan scored in NZ) & Chittick noted: "Obviously these results are very timely with the yearling sales just around the corner. As types, the Elusive City's have made an impression on buyers as yearlings, with multiple 6-figure yearlings from his initial 2 crops so far. He's had 6 winners from 11 starters in Australia so far this season, with 2 unbeaten horses in Ahdashim & Marne & he now has 2 from 2 in Hong Kong; so that bodes well for our 2 largest export markets." Elusive City has 27 yearlings catalogued for the upcoming Karaka Sales (including 7 offered by Haunui Farm).
(Jan 6)
Darley Sire Librettist Moves To Logis In France
Also in Europe, announced multiple G1-winning 7YO Librettist (Danzig-Mysterial, by Alleged) is relocating from the Dalham Hall in the UK (where he covered 222 mares in his initial 2 seasons at stud) to France's Haras du Logis for the 2009 breeding season at a €7,000 (A$13,600) fee. On the track for Godolphin, Librettist (a half-brother to Gr1-winning Darley shuttler Dubai Destination & from the family of Vinery shuttler Red Ransom) won 7 of his initial 8 starts, including 2006's French Gr1 Prix Du Moulin (1600m) at Longchamp, French Gr1 Prix Jacques Le Marois (1600m) at Deauville, French Gr3 Prix Messidor (1600m) at Deauville & UK Listed Midsummer Stakes (8 furlongs) at Windsor; he retired with 7 wins from 10 starts for US$798,347 earnings.
(Jan 6)
Linngari Joins Aga Khan Roster At Bonneval In France
Also in France, the Aga Khan Studs announced dual Gr1-winning 7YO Linngari (Indian Ridge-Lidakiya, by Kahyasi) has been retired to join the stallion roster at Haras de Bonneval in Normandy at a €5,000 (A$9,750) service fee. Irish-bred Linngari (who contested Gr1 events in 7 different countries) won 11 of 29 starts, including victories in the German Gr1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis Bayerishes Zuchtrennen (2000m) at Munich, Italian Gr1 Premio Vittorio Di Capua (1600m) at San Siro, UAE Gr2 Al Fahidi Fort (1600m) at Nad Al Sheba twice, German Gr2 Goldene Peitsche (1200m) at Baden-Baden, UAE Gr3 Al Rashidiya (1800m) at Nad Al Sheba & UK Listed Superior Mile (8 furlongs) at Haydock. Linngari also notched placings in the French Gr1 Prix De La Foret (1400m) at Longchamp, UAE Gr1 Dubai Duty Free (1777m) at Nad Al Sheba, UK Gr1 Champion Stakes (10 furlongs) at Newmarket, Turkish Gr2 Topkapi Trophy (1600m) at Veliefendi & his final start in December's Hong Kong Gr1 International Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin.
(Jan 6)
Aust-Bred Red Ransom Son Wins In US
In the US, Australian-bred 5YO entire (classed as a 6YO after January 1 in North America) Red Arrow (Red Ransom-Lady Jakeo, by Last Tycoon) flashed home from last in running to score over 6.5 furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in California for trainer John Sadler (in a US$49,600 allowance race for 4YOs & up). Red Arrow (a $225,000 yearling consigned by at the 2005 Easter sale in Sydney) had 10 starts in Australia for 1 win & 4 placings (including both 2008's Listed Sir John Monash Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield in July & his final southern hemisphere start in August's Gr3 Bletchingly Stakes over 1200m at Caulfield) for $49,730. Red Arrow was subsequently treated with Lasix when finishing 3rd in his US debut at Hollywood Park on November 30 & this was his 2nd US start; overall he now has 2 wins & 5 placings from 12 starts for US$79,632 earnings.
(Jan 6)
US Sire Kandaly Moves To All-Star Thoroughbreds
US Gr3-winning 18-year-old stallion Kandaly (Alydsar-Kanduit, by Rugged Man) will stand the 2009 breeding season at All-Star Thoroughbreds in Louisiana, reported bloodhorse.com. Kandaly (whose top runner in 2008 was Gr2 Fleur de Lis Handicap runner-up Initforthekandy) won the 1994 Gr2 Louisiana Derby & placed in both the Gr2 Pennsylvania Derby & Gr3 Round Table Stakes.
(Jan 6)
B&R's Galloping Horse Never Sleeps
Breeding&Racing's Instant Archive continues to provide the only search engine you'll need to stay abreast of all the latest breeding news. Just click your mouse inside the Archive Search Box (immediately below the Galloping Horse on the right-hand side of this page) & type in either one or several key words. It's the most extensive at-your-fingertips database in the breeding & racing industry; it's free; & it's there for you to search to your heart's content.
(Jan 6)
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