Things to know today
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Well Written returns in Saturday’s Group 1 at Ellerslie unbeaten in six for Stephen Marsh, chasing a second top flight win and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s $500,000 bonus for the first NZB Kiwi winner to take a domestic Group 1 at four. Yulong’s head of racing Danny Rolston also runs Media World, and expects the crowd elsewhere: “there will be a sentimental favourite in Alabama Lass, I think all of New Zealand will be cheering her home for Ken and the late Bev Kelso” (LOVERACING.NZ). We name key runners only and do not reproduce Racing Australia or Racing NSW field content |
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Sing Your Song broke her maiden at the third attempt in a $100,000 Super Maiden over 1400 metres at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, the Snitzel filly beating Waiheke Rose by 0.4 lengths in 1:23.22 on a Good 4 for Chris Waller and James McDonald. Attica, El Castello and Ceolwulf have all won the race and gone on to Group 1s. A $450,000 Inglis Easter yearling, she is entered for the Cox Plate, and Waller said he had hoped “she could be a Flight Stakes filly” (Breednet) |
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Veyepee made it three from four at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday, the Russian Camelot four-year-old resuming from a spell to lead and beat Cashout by 1.5 lengths over 1500 metres in 1:30.51 on a Soft 5 for Anthony and Sam Freedman and Blake Shinn. A $140,000 Inglis Premier buy, he carries a 4 x 4 x 4 triple cross of Sadler’s Wells, which is close to unheard of in Australia (Breednet) |
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Zebra Finch topped the Magic Millions Digital Sale on Wednesday at $165,000, the Godolphin-offered Exceed and Excel four-year-old going to Darby Racing after 54 bids from Australian and Hong Kong underbidders. He heads to Bjorn Baker. The sale cleared better than 77 per cent, and a ten per cent share in Private Eye sold on Monday for $22,500 (Breednet) |
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Nick Johnson is leaving the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association after three years as chief executive to take the same role at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing (ANZ Bloodstock News) |
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Perfect Chaos landed the Listed Wanganui Guineas over 1200 metres on Saturday on a Heavy 10, a maiden until that day and now a stakes winner for Stephen Marsh and Dylan Johnson, who bought her for $50,000 at Karaka in 2025. She is the 15th individual stakes winner for Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain, whose southern hemisphere stakes winners are all fillies, and she is nominated for the One Thousand Guineas (ANZ Bloodstock News) |
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Cooper Stumbles rides at Wingatui on Friday with 11 raceday rides behind him and no winner yet, on a card where the 19-year-old apprentice is one ride short of a full book. His parents part own his first mount, Sacred Mist, trained by a family relation in Terry Kennedy: “He has always been part of the family” (LOVERACING.NZ) |
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Racing at Conghua has been postponed. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has delayed the launch of racing at its purpose-built mainland course near Guangzhou, which had been set for October, after mainland government departments intervened. The Club said it had completed all necessary statutory and procedural requirements, then “very recently received a latest risk assessment from the relevant mainland departments”, and that both sides had agreed to “continue to work closely together to devise appropriate mitigation measures” (The Straight) |
| 9 |
Whip protests end on 1 October, the Racing Australia board having resolved to amend the rules so that a protest may no longer be lodged over a rider’s use of the whip. Announcing it on Wednesday, Racing Australia said determining such a protest “was largely subjective with any objective component not readily achievable”, and that removal “will not diminish any whip use deterrent effect” given the penalties stewards can impose. It follows last month’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star at Flemington, where a protest against Boomtown Boss was dismissed and his rider Daniel Moor was suspended for ten meetings and fined $3,500 (The Straight) |
| 10 |
John Symons and Sheila Laxon have left Macedon Lodge immediately, owners of horses in work being told on Wednesday morning. Sara Ryan, appointed private trainer to the Dixon family’s Macedon Racing on 17 August, becomes the sole stable at the complex. Michael Dixon said it was “a lot cleaner and a lot easier just to have the one full-time head trainer here”. Symons called the outcome disappointing: “it didn’t suit us to play second fiddle to (another) trainer at this stage”. Knight’s Choice, their 2024 Melbourne Cup winner, stays with them (The Straight) |
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