Things to know today
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New Zealand has begun building a lifetime health and performance database for thoroughbreds, the New Zealand Equine Safety Initiative, conceived by Professor Wayne McIlwraith and Professor Chris Kawcak of Colorado State University and Professor Chris Rogers of Massey University. It will link breeder records of early development, training observations, veterinary histories, racing authority data and post mortem findings. “Racing has never had a system that connects what happens to a horse from its first months of life through training and racing,” McIlwraith said. Rogers put the choice of country plainly: “New Zealand is big enough to produce robust data and small enough to connect it.” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has endorsed the work (NZTR, TTR AusNZ) |
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Perth Racing cut its annual loss to $1.23 million for the year ended 31 July 2026, from $1.68 million, an improvement of $443,000. Operating revenue rose 11 per cent excluding stakes and subsidies, on course wagering turnover rose 13 per cent to $23 million, and attendance rose 16 per cent to 151,400 across 86 meetings, up from 74. Operating expenditure rose 8 per cent to $38.1 million and investment returns fell from $2 million to $1.2 million. “Profitability remains an important challenge for the club,” chief executive James Oldring said. The club has put four recommendations to the state’s independent sustainability review (The Straight) |
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Matthew Smith is hoping for rain before The Everest, where he trains Headwall. “He’s good enough to win a Group 1 over 1200, there’s no doubt about that,” Smith said of the sprinter, who took the Concorde Stakes last year and was scratched from the Group 2 Premiere Stakes after a setback before a clear blood profile let him trial again. Of the Hong Kong champion he was blunt: “On a good deck, you’d have to say he’s nearly unbeatable.” He added that the sport needs horses like him, because it keeps the dream alive (Idol Horse) |
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Three trainers from New Zealand’s Central Districts have the leading contenders for Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. Bjorn Baker, who grew up at Woodville and is the son of Murray Baker, trains Warwoven. Trent Busuttin, from Foxton and the son of Paddy Busuttin, trains Blind Raise. Chris Waller, also from Foxton, worked for Paddy Busuttin before taking over his stable and has four in the race, among them Tron Bolt. Baker and Busuttin grew up going to the trials together with their fathers. “I hope we smash his horse on Saturday,” Busuttin said (Breednet) Fields and barrier positions are Racing Australia content and are not reproduced here. |
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Lisa Latta will aim Platinum Pantheon at the Silver Eagle over 1300 metres at Royal Randwick. The four year old Hanseatic gelding, trained at Palmerston North, ran second over 1200 metres at Randwick on Saturday on his Australian return, a fourth straight placing after three in Queensland over the winter that included the Group 3 Winx Guineas and the Listed Queensland Day Stakes. “He was doing his best work late and it was exactly what we wanted fresh up,” Latta said. He will be double nominated on the day in case he misses the field (Breednet) |
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Two juvenile heats went to Magic Millions Gold Coast graduates on Tuesday. Kitty Got Claws, a Captivant filly bought for $90,000 and already nominated for the 2027 Group 1 Golden Slipper, won by a neck at Doomben for Tony Gollan. At the Gold Coast the Tiger Of Malay colt Katsuko won his heat by a length and a half for Gillian Heinrich and Ben Rodgers (TTR AusNZ) |
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Equimillion finished on Monday at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre, the fourth running of the Racing NSW competition for thoroughbreds in second careers, this year on a resurfaced Olympic arena and under a World Cup style format of one round and a second round for those who went clear. Alisa Moir won the 90 centimetre amateur showjumping on the Savabeel gelding Cigar Bar, ahead of the jockey Rachel King on Military Mission. Makaylah Fenwick won both the 1.10 metre and the 1.20 metre classes on the 14 year old Manhattan Rain gelding The Garrett (Breednet) |
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