Things to know today
| 1 |
Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria marked Asfoora’s retirement by pointing at where she came from. The Flying Artie mare was bred at Noor Elaine Farm at Euroa by Akram and Daniel El-Fahkri, offered as Lot 487 at the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, and passed in at $24,000 against a $30,000 reserve. She won 12 of her 35 starts and more than A$3.5 million, taking the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group 1 Nunthorpe and the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye for the Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer, who has since taken out a British licence. “It’s been a remarkable three years but sadly all good things must come to an end,” Dwyer said (Breednet) |
| 2 |
Tolaga Bay takes her first stakes assignment in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude over 1400 metres at Caulfield on Saturday, unbeaten in two for Te Akau’s Cranbourne stable and the New Zealand syndicator Fortuna Racing. The Alabama Express filly won on debut over 1200 metres in February and resumed over 1300 metres at Sandown a fortnight ago. Her stablemate Lara Antipova, the champion New Zealand two year old, won the Listed Michael Moroney at Flemington last Saturday, and both are pointed at the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes and then the Group 1 Thousand Guineas. “All going well she will probably go to the Edward Manifold because that is a nice lead-up race,” Mark Walker said (Breednet) |
| 3 |
System Of Play resumes over 1400 metres at Ellerslie on Saturday, one of eight Te Akau runners at the meeting. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson withdrew the Ole Kirk colt from the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy at Hastings the previous Saturday because the track was Heavy 9, and have waited a week for better ground. Ellerslie was rated Soft 6 on Friday morning, downgraded from the Soft 5 of Thursday after 17 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, with the rail out three metres (NZTR). Day One, a Wootton Bassett gelding back from injury, and the Group 2 performer Top Shelf also resume there. “It is not perfect being first-up over 1400m,” Walker said, recalling that he did the same thing with Darci Brahma (Breednet) |
| 4 |
Coniston won the 1400 metre maiden at Matamata on Wednesday by two lengths from Vodka And Caviar, the Wootton Bassett colt taking the lead on straightening under Michael McNab and running 1:25.35 on a Soft 7 for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. He had won three trials before finishing seventh on debut at Te Rapa last month. Bred by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax out of their stakes winning mare Le Gai Soleil, a half sister to the Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance, he is aimed at the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November. “He is in the Guineas and all roads lead there at this stage, it is just which path we take,” Scott said (Breednet) |
| 5 |
Whatalegacy came back from almost a year off to win an 1100 metre Benchmark 72 at Canterbury on Wednesday, the King’s Legacy gelding leading into the straight under James McDonald and running 1:03.26 on a Good 4 for Bjorn Baker. A $160,000 Inglis Premier buy from the Mill Park Stud draft, bred by Brenton and Liz Parker, he is now three wins and a second from four starts. He is a half brother to the Group 1 winner Benedetta, who made $1.9 million at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, where their dam Whatalovelyday sold for $325,000. “He got into a lovely rhythm, bowled along nicely and quickened off a good tempo,” McDonald said (Breednet) |
| 6 |
Liguria begins her spring in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes over 1200 metres at Hastings next Saturday, with the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas over 1600 metres at Riccarton in November the target. The Lance Noble trained filly, a Group 1 performer, was runner up in both her trials this preparation, the most recent at Ellerslie on Tuesday. Henry Plumptre said she has come back in good order and had a good blow after that trial, which he took as a good sign, with a bit of fitness still to come (Breednet) |
| 7 |
Hong Kong’s middle distance division is open again after Romantic Warrior’s retirement, and six of the horses in line for December’s international meeting have had their spring mapped out. Voyage Bubble, for Ricky Yiu, and Mark Newnham’s Champions Mile winner My Wish both resume in the Group 2 Sha Tin Trophy over 1600 metres on 19 October, with Newnham expecting Hugh Bowman on My Wish. The Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis and Jimmy Ting’s Little Paradise go to the Group 3 Celebration Cup over 1400 metres on 27 September, and Frankie Lor waits until the Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse over 1800 metres on 8 November with Numbers before choosing between the Cup and the Vase. “With Romantic Warrior not around, plenty more overseas horses will come to the International Races,” Lor said (Idol Horse) |
|
