The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week
Dubai news: Authority and Alenquer on course for Sheema Classic
UAE: Potential major players for the Dubai Sheema Classic on the World Cup support card announced themselves on two continents on Saturday [Feb 26].
Japan Cup runner-up Authority is vying for favouritism for the $6m event at Meydan on March 26 after his solid victory over Kaspar in the G3 Neom Turf Cup in Riyadh, where the five-year-old was the first of four Japanese-trained winners on the Saudi Cup undercard. All of them were ridden by five-time JRA champion jockey Christophe Lemaire.
Also set for Dubai is the William Haggas-trained Alenquer, who broke the track record for 1m2f on his Polytrack debut in the Betway Winter Derby. Runner-up, two-and-a-half lengths behind, was last year’s Dubai Turf winner Lord North, who heads back to Meydan to defend his title.
On the other hand, Mishriff will bypass the Sheema Classic title after coming last as he attempted to defend his crown in the Saudi Cup, while shock winner Emblem Road now appears unlikely to run in the Dubai World Cup, contrary to post-race comments following the $20m event. Saudi Cup runner-up Country Grammer will contest the Meydan highlight, where world #1 Life Is Good is the ante-post favourite.
Dubai World Cup betting (Coral): 11-10 Life Is Good, 9-4 Hot Rod Charlie, 8 Country Grammer, Midnight Bourbon, 12 Happy Saver, Mandaloun, 14 Chuwa Wizard, 16 bar.
One-eyed gelding crashes into Kentucky Derby reckoning
USA: An unlikely name gatecrashed the Kentucky Derby last weekend when one-eyed gelding Un Ojo recorded a 75-1 upset victory in the $1m Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Ricky Courville, Un Ojo lost his left eye on a tree branch as a yearling; he’ll likely run next in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.
Meanwhile, there is another slew of serious Derby preps this weekend, headed by the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, which is set to feature leading Kentucky contenders Emmanuel and Simplification. Mo Donegal, though, misses out after spiking a fever.
Heavy fines for HK trainers under COVID protocols
Hong Kong: Leading trainers Frankie Lor and Dennis Yip have been fined HK$600,000 ($76,000) each for breaching a ban on mixing with people from other households.
They both pleaded guilty to acting in a manner prejudicial to the proper conduct of racing for flouting Hong Kong Jockey Club’s COVID-19 protocols which are in force to protect the racing bubble and enable the sport to continue.
Lor, who sits in second place in the trainers’ championship, was found to have held at least two gatherings at his Sha Tin apartment with people who were not household members. One of his guests subsequently tested positive for COVID-19.
Former champion trainer Yip was found to have met someone from another household in a restaurant where the pair socialised without the use of masks.
11th Group 1 win for Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant
Australia: Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant recorded the 11th G1 success of her career on Saturday [Feb 26] at Randwick when she held off She’s Ideel to win a heavy-ground Chipping Norton Stakes for the second time. The six-year-old also finished second in 2020.
“She’s a real piece of work, she fights like a tiger,” said trainer Chris Waller. “I thought the second horse might have had us at the 100-metre mark but that’s when the Verry Elleegant qualities pop in and she lifts to another level and that’s just her. There are no other words for it, but she is freakish.”
Next up is the Ranvet Stakes before another crack at the Queen Elizabeth, A$4m highlight of the Sydney Championships in which she has twice finished second to Addeybb.
Guineas entries revealed
GB: Native Trail and Coroebus, first and second favourite for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas, are among six Charlie Appleby-trained colts engaged in the first Classic of the Flat campaign.
The Godolphin trainer’s Breeders’ Cup winner Modern Games is also among the 56 nominations for the Newmarket contest on April 31. Aidan O’Brien has entered nine, including Luxembourg and Point Lonsdale.
Cheveley Park Stud’s Inspiral, from the stable of John & Thady Gosden, heads 51 entries for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas (May 1).
Full list of entries for 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Beholder, Tepin, Graham Motion and Doug O’Neill among 11 names on Hall of Fame nomination list for 2022. More here
Germany: Italian jockey Alberto Sanna has been appointed stable jockey to two-time German champion trainer Henk Grewe. More here
GB: Cieren Fallon will take over as first jockey for Qatar Racing until Oisin Murphy has completed his 14-month ban. More here
USA: Former trainer William ‘Buff’ Bradley has joined the Keeneland sales team in the role of associate of sales development. More here