The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Enable to visit Kingman as Juddmonte reveals mating plans
Europe: A week on from the passing of owner Prince Khalid Abdullah, Juddmonte Farms has unveiled mating plans for its exceptional broodmare band, which has been bolstered by 11-time G1 winner and dual Arc heroine Enable.
The great racemare will visit Juddmonte sensation Kingman, now world-ranked 11 in the TRC standings, while her dam, Concentric, will revisit her sire, Nathaniel, at Newsells Park Stud in England. Some of the other mares are being are being sent down the road from Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud to Dalham Hall at Newmarket to visit Darley supersire Dubawi and new recruit Pinatubo, although the vast majority will be covered by Juddmonte’s own stallions.
Frankel – who last year became the fastest European stallion ever to reach 40 Group winners - will receive a book of 24 Juddmonte mares, including multiple G1 winner Ventura (already dam of G3 winner Fount, by Frankel), G1 winner Emulous and Bird Flown, the dam of last year's Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin.
As well as Enable, Kingman, who was responsible for last-season’s top milers Palace Pier and Persian King, has a date with Frankel's dam, Kind. The son of Invincible Spirit will also cover G1 winners Capla Temptress, Passage of Time and Romantica.
To see the full distribution of Juddmonte’s mares click here.
Dubai target for Triple Crown hero Contrail
Asia: Trainer Yoshito Yahagi has outlined a 2021 campaign for Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail that could start in the Dubai Turf at the end of March but does not include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which many had expected him to build his season around.
“I think his best is 1,800m-2,000m, no matter how far he goes,” Yahagi said in an interview with Nikkan Sports. “I really want to use the Dubai Turf.”
The son of Deep Impact briefly topped the TRC Global Horse Rankings when he became the first horse since Orfevre in 2011 to complete the Japanese Triple Crown. He lost his only race in the Japan Cup, which was won by Almond Eye, who then deposed Contrail as world #1.
Aside from the Meydan raid, Yahagi said that the colt’s 4-year-old spring targets would be the Osaka Hai and Takarazuka Kinen. “in [the] autumn, I would like to try three things if possible - Tenno Sho, Japan Cup, Arima Kinen.”
He added, “Japanese horseracing fans have a special feeling for the Arima.”
Royal Ascot plan wins Her Majesty’s approval
Europe: Queen Elizabeth II has approved the extension of Royal Ascot to seven races each day, beginning with this year’s meeting on June 15-19.
Sir Francis Brooke, her Representative at Ascot, was “delighted to be able to make this change permanent”, but he noted that the order of races in 2021 will be based on 2019, not last year’s, which had to take into account the late running of the Newmarket and Epsom Classics because of the delayed start to the season.
“A positive that we drew from Royal Ascot 2020 was that the additional races presented more opportunities to participate and that this had been widely welcomed by owners, trainers, breeders and jockeys,” said Brooke.
As such, new races the Copper Horse Stakes, the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes and the Golden Gates Stakes, as well as the reinstated Buckingham Palace Stakes, have all been retained from last year’s enlarged programme in 2020. The ‘Silver’ versions of the Royal Hunt Cup and the Wokingham Stakes have not been retained and there will not be eight races on Saturday as there were in 2020.
The Queen has also approved the naming of the Kensington Palace Stakes, a new handicap to be run over the old mile course for older fillies and mares rated 0-105.
Click here for details.
Magic Millions yearling sale breaks Southern Hemisphere record
Oceania: Records were “smashed at [the] greatest ever” Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale after seven days of selling at the Queensland venue.
Two yearlings - colts by Iffraaj and Deep Field - topped the market at AU$310,000, with the Book 2 and 3 sales helping push the gross to over AU$211 million, which is the highest-grossing yearling sale in Southern Hemisphere history, beating last year’s record of AU$187.5 million.
“Over the last week, we have witnessed something very special,” said Barry Bowditch, Magic Millions MD. “From the first lot on Tuesday until the final lot, it’s been truly remarkable. The thirst for quality was intense. We worked hard in getting the best possible buying bench to the sale and to be involved remotely, and they have responded in spirited style.
“From the time entries were received and our team conducted inspections across Australasia, we knew we had been able to assemble an outstanding line-up of yearlings. The vendors brought their best and the buyers recognised this clearly.”
To view the results of the yearling sale or make an offer on a passed-in lot, click here. To view the results of the Gold Coast Summer Racehorse Sale, click here.
Elsewhere in racing …
Asia: French jockey Antoine Hamelin banished a 51-ride losing streak in the best possible way with an incredible 456,013-1 five-timer at Sha Tin. More here
North America: The supplemental catalogue to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 Winter Mixed Sale is now online. More here
Europe: The Irish Horse Racing Board has suspended the license of Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Charles Byrne for six months over an acepromazine positive. More here
Europe: The first foal for triple G1 hero Advertise has been born at the Cumanis' Fittocks Stud. More here
Europe: Tattersalls will stage a February sale as a ‘Live Virtual Sale’. More here
Europe: Jette Nygaard-Andersen is the new chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral owner Entain. More here