The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
St Mark’s Basilica’s racing career is over
Europe: The highest-ranked horse in the world, St Mark's Basilica, has been retired from racing and will retire to Coolmore Stud in Ireland for the coming season.
Reflecting on the 3-year old Classic winner, trainer Aidan O’Brien said that the son of Siyouni is “possibly the best horse we have ever had in Ballydoyle”, highlighting the speed he got from his father and noting that he “relaxes and quickens and has all the determination from Galileo [his grandfather]”.
The current TRC Global Rankings clear world #1 was purchased by MV Magnier at Tattersalls October Book 1 for 1,300,000 guineas before embarking on a stellar racing career. After claiming last year’s G1 Dewhurst, he won four contests at the highest level across three countries.
Arguably his finest performance came in the G1 Eclipse Stakes, beating a strong field of older horses by 3½ lengths. And, last month he won the G1 Irish Champion Stakes, beating Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Tarnawa and Newmarket 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes scorer Poetic Flare.
“He’s the most exciting prospect we’ve retired from Ballydoyle since his late grandfather Galileo,” said Coolmore’s David O’Loughlin. “European champion 2-year-old, the highest-rated 3-year-old in the world, a 1,300,000 guineas yearling by a top sire in Siyouni, a half-brother to another brilliant horse in Magna Grecia, both out of Galileo’s Group-race-winning 2-year-old Cabaret.
“He has everything, and he’ll get terrific support from his owners’ broodmare band too.”
New Louisville gaming venue
North America: Churchill Downs Inc (CDI) has confirmed its plans to open a new historical horse racing gaming facility in 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.
CDI said the 43,000-square-foot entertainment venue, will be called Derby City Gaming Downtown.
Injured Murphy so grateful
Europe: British champion jockey Oisin Murphy took to social media to thank those involved in his short rehabilitation after he was taken to hospital after paddock incident at Salisbury.
The Irishman told his 47,700 followers, “Thanks to all the medical staff @salisburyraces + the hospital @NHSEnglandLDN, I’ve had a few stitches to my lip + face. I’ve been discharged already. Very grateful to their work and all the kind message.”
Murphy had just mounted the unraced 2-year-old colt Oasis Gift before a 7-furlong novice event when the horse started to buck and kick, taking off across the parade ring as he did so. Murphy was thrown from the saddle and crashed into a plastic fence, in Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Elsewhere In racing ..
Europe: A Galileo filly, the first foal of Scat Daddy’s G1-winning daughter Nickname, headed strong trading on the opening day at the Goffs Orby Sale. She went for €1.5 million to Coolmore’s MV Magnier. More here
North America: NYRA has described trainer Bob Baffert’s civil contempt motion as “meritless”. More here
Europe: Johnny Farrelly, who has trained from a stable in Somerset, England, since 2013, has been permanently excluded from racing by the BHA for serious breaches of safeguarding regulations. More here