September, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Kodiac’s Straight Answer Dominant In The Blenheim

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane are the men of the moment in Ireland at present and the combination were in clover again on Monday as TDN Rising Star Straight Answer (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) recorded an impressive success in Fairyhouse's Listed Ballyhane Blenheim S. Handling soft ground with aplomb on his debut over this six-furlong trip at The Curragh Aug. 21, Juddmonte's homebred led at every step on this good-to-firm going en route to a 5 1/2-length success from Glengarra (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) as the 2-1 favourite.

“He's a work in progress,” Shane Lyons said. “Ger and Barry [Mahon, Juddmonte's European Racing Manager] will speak to the Abdullah family and see where we go now. He'll probably be finished for this season. He's a horse that we've loved and we have to thank the Abdullah family for bringing horses like this into our yard, because this is what we get up for in the morning. He's very calm and collected and he's what a good horse needs to be. He'll keep us dreaming anyway.”

Straight Answer's dam, who was runner-up in the G3 Prix du Calvados, G3 Prix d'Aumale and G3 Prix de la Grotte, is a half to the G1 Prix Jean Romanet heroine Announce (GB) (Selkirk) and another winner of the Prix de la Grotte in Mexican Gold (Medaglia d'Oro), who was also third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches. His listed-winning third dam Choice Spirit (Danzig) is kin to the outstanding G1 2000 Guineas hero and notable sire Zafonic and his full-brother Zamindar who also made his mark at stud. Straight Thinking's yearling colt is by Oasis Dream (GB).

BALLYHANE BLENHEIM S.-Listed, €40,000, Fairyhouse, 9-20, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.40, g/f.
1–STRAIGHT ANSWER (GB), 131, c, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Straight Thinking (MGSP-Fr), by Mizzen Mast
2nd Dam: Hachita, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Choice Spirit, by Danzig
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €24,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $39,548.
2–Glengarra (Ire), 131, c, 2, Profitable (Ire)–Puzzled (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. (130,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Mrs A G Kavanagh & Michael Downey; B-Michael Downey & Roalso Ltd (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. €8,000.
3–Mise Le Meas (Ire), 126, f, 2, New Bay (GB)–Mise (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). (€37,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £36,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Syndicates Racing & Medallion Racing 2020 LLC; B-Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Johnny Murtagh. €4,000.
Margins: 5HF, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.00, 10.00, 2.75.
Also Ran: The Entertainer (Ire), Ultramarine (Ire), Eriskay (Ire), Lopes Gold (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result.

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Weatherbys ITBA NH Fillies Bonus Scheme Closes on Sept. 30

The closing date for the Weatherbys ITBA National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme is Sept. 30. Through the support of HRI and Weatherbys, the initiative, now in its eighth year, has passed the €2-million mark in bonuses paid out to winning owners. A €5,000 bonus is attached to every mares-only maiden race in Ireland: bumpers, maiden hurdles and beginners' chases. In 2018, the scheme was extended to include a number of mares only handicap hurdles for fillies that did not win their maiden in addition to supporting the Connolly's Red Mills EBF Auction Race Series, whereby if a filly wins this race she will receive an additional bonus. For more information and to apply, please visit the ITBA website.

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Consignor James Herbener Jr. Dies At Age 69

Consignor James Herbener Jr. died Sunday of an apparent heart attack at his home in Georgetown, Ky., Thoroughbred Daily News reports. He was 69.

A Virginia native, Herbener is best known in recent history as the consignor of Hot Rod Charlie, who he offered as a short yearling at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale and sold for $17,000. The Oxbow colt has gone on to become a Grade 2 winner and finish in the money in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

Herbener's death came in the middle of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he had seven horses on offer over the course of the two-week sale. The remaining horses left to sell at the auction will be managed by his daughter Heather and longtime friend John Williams.

Trainer Neil Howard Plans Transition To Assistant For Shug McGaughey

Trainer Neil Howard, a mainstay on the Kentucky Thoroughbred circuit for nearly four decades, told the Daily Racing Form he plans to disband his stable and take a role as assistant for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey.

“This is a business of change,” Howard, 72, told DRF. The last year or two, I'd been thinking of doing something like this. Shug recently presented me with this opportunity and I took it. That's the long and short of it.”

Howard is best known for his conditioning of Horse of the Year Mineshaft, as well as Preakness winner and Derby runner-up Summer Squall. Over his 42-year training career, Howard saddled 1,256 winners from 6,934 starters, including 186 stakes races (85 graded). Howard was also the private trainer for Lane's End Farm from 1983 through the late 2000s, when Farish began employing multiple trainers, including McGaughey.

Howard plans to make the transition over the next several weeks.