Modern Games, Dubai Honour and Anamoe feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Dual Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games returns at Keeneland
USA: Godolphin’s two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games will make his first start of 2023 back at Keeneland [April 14] where he will contest G1 Maker’s Mark Mile.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin horse, who ended his 2022 campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November, is making his fourth trip to North America, where he is unbeaten in all starts.
He also won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in 2021 and last year dominated the Ricoh Woodbine Mile in Canada. William Buick is booked to ride. He will also partner stablemate With The Moonlight in the Jenny Wiley.
On the same card the Steve Asmussen-trained Disarm will attempt to secure enough points to earn a start in the Kentucky Derby in the last race of the Road To The Kentucky Derby, the Stonestreet Lexington. He already has 40 points from finishing second in the Louisiana Derby with 45 pts the cut-off.
Dubai Honour to stop off in Hong Kong
Australia: Dubai Honour, who rose to #5 in the TRC Global Horse Rankings after winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randiwck in Sydney on Saturday [April 8] is set to take in the QE II Cup in Hong Kong [April 30] on his way back to Britain.
Plans for Anamoe, who was only third behind Dubai Honour, have yet to be confirmed but defeat at Randwick has not put trainer James Cummings off continuing on to Royal Ascot with Aft Cabin, who won a G2 on the same card and could contest the Platinum Jubilee.
"We didn't get the fairytale ending in the Queen Elizabeth that we would have hoped and I think I've seen my horse go better than he went on Saturday but he didn't get beaten that far,” Cummings told SEN Track.
"For the horse, in my mind, to have improvement in him freshened up for an assault on the Queen Anne, there's enough there for me to be encouraged to tackle that challenge with a nine-time Group 1-winning champ.
"For the sake of the horse and his reputation, I think that there's everything to be gained by campaigning the horse in Europe and taking them on.”
Flavien Prat picks Angel Of Empire for Kentucky Derby
USA: Flavien Prat has chosen Arkansas Derby winner Angel Of Empire, trained by Brad Cox, as his mount in the Kentucky Derby leaving the ride on Kingsbarns, who won the Louisiana Derby for Todd Pletcher, vacant.
Meanwhile Frankie Dettori is due to return to Britain next week after a successful stay in California where he rode 24 winners to finish third in the Santa Anita jockey standings. He is due to ride in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Kentucky Derby day but has not ruled out changing plans if a live mount came up at Churchill Downs.
Ethan Brown facing six months out after race fall
Australia: G1-winning jockey Ethan Brown has revealed he lost 5.5 litres of blood in the fall he suffered during the Australian Guineas at Flemington [March 4].
Among his injuries, for which he required three surgeries, the 24-yearold suffered a lacerated liver and severed artery, a damaged right kidney, a major internal bleed, and hairline fractures to three lower back vertebrae. He is unlikely to return to action for at least six months.
“I did lose a lot of blood on track – internal bleeding – that was the main concern,” Brown told RSN – Racing and Sport. “I lost five-and-a-half litres of blood, and you carry six-and-a-half or seven litres.
“When I fell it was all a bit of a blur and after that I was in and out of surgeries and in a coma for three days, I think. I was unlucky but extremely lucky at the same time.”
Blake Shinn suspended for three weeks after taking sleep medication
Australia: Blake Shinn has been handed a three-week suspension after testing positive for a sleep medication which is not allowed to be in jockeys’ systems while they are riding.
A contrite Shinn said: "I acknowledge that a medication was used to assist me in gaining appropriate rest in order to maintain my clarity to be safe when I ride. Under no circumstances was it taken to enhance performance or to place in jeopardy the high level of integrity to which I live by."
Elsewhere in racing …
Japan: Damian Lane granted short-term licence More here
Japan: Yahagi and Fukunaga unveil Contrail statue More here
New Zealand: Trainer Mark Walker breaks Jamie Richards win record More here
Canada: Jim Lawson stepping down as Woodbine CEO More here
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