A formidable French training partnership plus Al Riffa jockey plans for the Arc, a landmark winner for ths most successful female trainer in US history and the retirement of prolific Karl Broberg feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
French superstable as Rouget and Reynier join forces
France: Jean-Claude Rouget, the all-time record holder for career victories in Europe, is to join forces with fellow G1-winning trainer Jerome Reynier (right) next year to create a French ‘superstable’.
The pair will operate from a joint licence from January 1, 2025 – but they will be without the patronage of the Aga Khan, who has removed his horses from Rouget’s yard and sent them to Francis-Henri Graffard. More here
Five-time French champion Rouget, 70, is a dual Arc-winning trainer (Sottsass 2020, Ace Impact 2023) with at both Deauville and Pau, near the Spanish border. Absent from the racecourse since May on the advice of doctors, he passed the 7,000-winner milestone in August 2022.
Speaking toJour de Galop, Reynier commented: “Together we will be stronger and it will be exciting to share that together, as we strive to obtain the best possible results.” More here
Kingsbarns retired to Spendthrift
USA: Stephen Foster winner Kingsbarns, current world #31 on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings, has been retired after exiting a recent workout with an injury.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, the four-year-old son of Uncle Mo will begin his stud career at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington in 2025. “Veterinarians examined him and discovered a strained ligament in his left front leg,” said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey.
“This will cause him to miss the races we had planned for this year, so we have made the decision to retire him to stud, as he was likely going to do so after the Breeders’ Cup anyway.” More here
Yutake Take set to ride Al Riffa in Arc
Japan: Legendary rider Yutaka Take is set to ride Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 6 at ParisLongchamp.
Having pushed top three-year-old City Of Troy in the Coral Eclipse Stakes, Al Riffa recorded a five-length victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten on Sunday [Aug 11] under Irish jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Take, though, is set to take over on the four-year-old, co-owned by Masaaki Matsushima. "I received an offer to ride in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, but it was a bit too short notice,” said 55-year-old Take, who will be having his 11th ride in the Arc.
“If everything goes smoothly, we are aiming for the Arc. There's also talk of riding him in a trial race beforehand, which I'm thrilled about.” More here
Prognosis, who is set to run in the Cox Plate, heads a strong field as he bids to complete back-to-back successes in the G2 Sapporo Kinen on Sunday [Aug 18]. Rivals are headed by Breeders’ Cup-bound Shahryar and Geoglyph. More here
Karl Broberg calls time on prolific 15-year career
USA: Karl Broberg, who led nation in races won for six consecutive years from 2014-2019, has retired from the training ranks.
According to Equibase, the 53-year-old trained 4,903 winners in a 15-year career to stand tenth on the all-time list. In 2018, Broberg became the third trainer in history to saddle 500 wins in a single season after all-time leader Steve Asmussen and Scott Lake; his personal best of 548 was achieved in 2019.
Broberg, who operates mainly at low-grade claiming level, intends to develop young horses at his farm near Delta Downs in Louisiana; he will also continue as an owner and bloodstock agent. Longtime assistant Abel Ramirez will take over the training operation. More here
2,500-winner milestone for Kathleen O’Connell
USA: Veteran trainer Kathleen O’Connell saddled the 2,500th winner of a long career when 25-1 longshot Thirty Thou Kevin won the third race at Saratoga under in-form Dylan Davis on Wednesday [Aug 14].
‘I’m a lot older now than when I started!’ – interview with record breaker Kathleen O’Connell
O’Connell, 72, is based mainly in Florida and New Jersey and hadn’t had a winner at Saratoga since 2015. She became the winningmost female trainer in US racing history in March 2023.
“It’s huge – even I have no comprehension of it,” said O’Connell, speaking to the Daily Racing Form. “My dad was a Detroit policeman for 25 years … to come from nobody that had anything to do with horses is amazing.” More here
Lisa Allpress has surgery on fractured vertebra after fall
New Zealand: Leading jockey Lisa Allpress will be on the sidelines for an indefinite period after suffering a broken vertebra following a fall at Riccarton Park last week.
The four-time NZ champ, who is closing in on 2,000 domestic winners, underwent surgery at Christchurch Hospital. “She broke a vertebra in the lower back, and rods and screws have been put in there,” reported her husband Karl Allpress.
“The operation went well, but at this stage it will be a long road to recovery. In true Lisa fashion, she is pretty tough, and she can beat the odds most of the time. She is riding winners and is trying to get to that magical 2000-win mark.”
Allpress’s place in the All-Star Jockeys at Sapporo in Japan on August 24-25 will now be taken by Hong Kong-based Karis Teetan. More here
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Virginia Derby moved to dirt and joins Kentucky trail More here
USA: Len Green honored with Marylou Whitney backstretch community award More here
GB: Title-chasing Oisin Murphy rides 100th winner More here
GB: Free Wind retired through injury More here
Japan: Star filly LIberty Island aims for Tenno Sho (Autumn) More here
New Zealand: Muscle strain for multiple G1 winner Legarto More here
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