Latest developments involving the Breeders’ Cup, Kentucky Derby, Cheltenham Festival and Golden Slipper feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Breeders’ Cup Classic purse boosted to $7m
USA: $1 million purse boosts have been announced for both the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Breeders’ Cup Turf at this year’s edition of North America’s two-day championship at Del Mar on November 1-2.
The BC Classic will be worth $7m – putting America’s richest race in sixth place on the list of the world’s most lucrative races, which is led by the $20m Saudi Cup. With a beefed-up prize fund of $5m, the BC Turf just misses out on the world’s Top Ten; it becomes the second-richest race in the US alongside the Kentucky Derby, also worth $5m in 2024.
At A$20m (approximately $13.2m at current exchange rates), the Everest at Randwick in Australia remains the world’s richest turf race. Europe’s richest race, the Qatar-sponsored Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, has a purse of €5m (about $5.46m). More here
Locked is off Kentucky Derby trail
USA: Leading fancy Locked is out of the Kentucky Derby with a knee injury. Third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on his most recent outing, the G1 winner has a “minor ligament injury” in his near-fore knee.
Owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners issue a statement on X (Twitter): “Sadly, the Derby dream is over, but thankfully Todd Pletcher Racing caught the issue early, and Locked will come back strong.” More here
Nysos, who leads the three-year-old division, is also reportedly out of training for a month with an unspecified “minor issue”. More here
Ryan Moore to ride star juvenile in Golden Slipper
Australia: Ryan Moore will jet to Sydney to partner Golden Slipper favourite Storm Boy for Coolmore in the the world’s richest two-year-old race at Rosehill on March 23.
Coolmore bought a 70% stake in the four-time winner, valuing him at a potential A$50m (about $33m), after the son of Justify had won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January; he has since landed a G2 event at Randwick for the Waterhouse & Bott training partnership.
James McDonald, who recently overtook Moore as world #1 jockey on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary Global Rankings, will ride Todman Stakes winner Switzerland for Coolmore in the A$5m contest. More here
South African Breeders’ Cup mission
South Africa: Leading players in South African racing are making a major effort to achieve Breeders’ Cup success with no fewer than 11 horses having been shipped to the US in the first direct export flight since 2003.
According to a report in the Sporting Post, those aboard the plane that touched down last week in New York included five-time G1 winner Princess Calla, the reigning SA Equus Horse of the Year, and Beach Bomb, already qualified for the BC Filly & Mare Turf after landing the G1 Paddock Stakes.
Headed by champion owner-breeder Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud and Team Valor’s Barry Irwin, several leading forces joined forces to charter the flight. Also on the plane were champion sprinter Isivunguvungu and champion three-year-old filly Bless My Stars; they will now indergo two months’ quarantine. More here
Cheltenham Festival: dominant Mullins hits 100
GB: The annual four-day Cheltenham Festival kicked off in testing conditions on Tuesday [March 12] – but soft ground proved no obstacle to a display of ruthless domination by Irish legend Willie Mullins, who became the first trainer ever to train 100 winners at jump racing’s Olympics.
Mullins won six races over the first two days – all of them G1 events, including Tuesday’s highlight, the Champion Hurdle, with State Man under stable jockey Paul Townend.
The century was brought up by Jasmin De Vaux in the Champion Bumper on Wednesday, where Ballyburn was the star of the show as he routed his rivals in a seven-runner Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle – a race in which Mullins saddled the first five home.
Mullins’s chances were less clear-cut (relatively speaking) on Thursday but he saddles the hot favourite in defending champ Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup on Friday. More here
Prognosis good for world rankings
Japan: The major mover on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings last week was Japanese-trained Prognosis, who gatecrashed the world Top Ten after a five-length victory in the G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo.
In slamming odds-on favourite Durezza, the Japanese St Leger winner, the six-year-old son of Deep Impact earned a 264pt boost, enough to move up to #7 (from #56) in the charts – led by Equinox for the 51st week.
Other notable movers last week included Hong Kong star California Spangle (#26 from #52, +82pt), who won the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin, plus Aussie G1 winners Cylinder (#55 from #180, +179pt) and Lady Laguna (#64 from #182, +151pt). World #5 Mr Brightside must overcome a wide draw as he defends his title in the valuable All-Star Mile at Caulfield on Saturday [March 16]. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: New York trainer Leah Gyarmati surrenders license More here
USA: Newgrange misses Dubai World Cup More here
Canada: Death of former jockey Doug Thomas, rider of more than 2,000 winners More here
Australia: Six-month ban for jockey who admits 2,000 bets More here
Hong Kong: Helios Express heads entries for 147th HK Derby More here
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