Australia | Horse Racing Free Tips

Australia: A Champagne End To The Sydney Autumn Carnival

The Championships at Randwick may have come and gone, but Sydney's final two Group One races of the Autumn Carnival, the Champagne Stakes and All Aged Stakes, headline a 9-race card at Randwick this Friday night. Live-stream the card on the new Sky Racing World App or watch the broadcast live on TVG (First Post: 9:55pm ET / 6:55pm PT).

Just as The Championships bear similarities to the Breeders' Cup, there are parallels between Australia's and America's Champagne Stakes: both races were inaugurated in the 1860s and are staged late in the season for 2-year-olds at a mile, and both have produced future Classic winners and Horses of the Year. Belmont's Champagne Stakes has been won by future Triple Crown champions Count Fleet and Seattle Slew, and its winners now earn qualifying points to the following season's Kentucky Derby. Randwick's Champagne Stakes serves a dual purpose, both as a glimpse of Classic potential and as the culmination of a juvenile Triple Crown series. Six horses have swept Sydney's 2-year-old Triple Crown, but the possibility of a seventh was extinguished when last month's Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside was immediately sent for a layoff.

Despite Sires Produce winner Anamoe also being rested until next season, the second leg of the juvenile Triple Crown provides the top pair in Champagne wagering. Hilal (5-2) and Captivant (3-1) finished 2nd and 3rd in the 7-furlong Sires Produce. The other main formline is from last week's Fernhill Handicap, whose participants are the only runners to have experience going a mile. Converge (6-1) carried high weight to win the Fernhill, and is therefore advantaged under the Champagne's set weights versus those he vanquished. Converge was the first of two winners last Friday night sired by Frankel (the other, Hungry Heart, gave Frankel his first Classic victory Down Under by capturing the Australian Oaks). American racing fans looking to spice up an exotic wager might be drawn to Patton (70-1), a son of American Pharoah who will carry the famous Spendthrift silks into battle.

The Champagne will be served at 9.55 p.m. Pacific as Race 6, and followed 40 minutes later by the All Aged Stakes. Sydney's final Group One race of the season was so named because horses of all ages are eligible. However, despite a huge weight advantage under the race's weight-for-age conditions, it is a rarity to see a late-season 2-year-old take on elders. Still, this year's field does justice to the name by running the gamut from a trio of 3-year-olds to an 8-year-old! Wagering is headed by lone 4-year-old Masked Crusader (2-1), on the strength of his outstanding runner-up performance behind Nature Strip in the TJ Smith Stakes on Day One of The Championships. The Godolphin pair of Savatiano (6-1) and Cascadian (8-1) are both last-start G1 winners. Savatiano, a daughter of Street Cry, has been freshened since defeating Masked Crusader seven weeks ago; the conspicuously white-faced Cascadian cuts back a furlong from the Doncaster Mile two weeks ago. Cascadian will again be ridden by Jamie Kah, one of many female riders in high demand throughout Australia. Kah currently tops the Melbourne jockey standings.

As Sydney's Autumn Racing Carnival winds down, focus will soon shift north to my hometown of Brisbane. The aforementioned Nature Strip will be one of the star attractions during the TAB Stradbroke Carnival, which runs from mid-May through late-June. A pair of G1-winning mares are also slated to appear in Brisbane before retiring: star New Zealander Melody Belle will look to equal Black Caviar's total of 15 Group One wins prior to being offered at the National Broodmare Sale, while pizza-loving Nettoyer will try to earn another celebratory beverage after enjoying some pink champagne in the wake of last week's triumph in the Queen of the Turf Stakes.

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:55pm ET / 6:55pm PT) alongside cards from Gold Coast, Doomben and Kembla Grange. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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Aquis Reportedly Set To Split With Phoenix Thoroughbreds

by Bren O'Brien/TDNAusNZ

The Aquis Group and the Fung family have indicated they will end their Thoroughbred racing partnership with Phoenix Thoroughbreds after it was confirmed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in New South Wales and Victoria.

The Australian Financial Review has reported that Aquis had not been informed that Phoenix's prize money had been frozen in Australia's two biggest racing states and, having failed to get answers from the Dubai-based operation, will seek to end the relationship.

Aquis told the AFR that it was left in the dark by Phoenix over the move by racing authorities in Australia to prevent Phoenix from benefitting from its Thoroughbred ownership until legal investigations into the company were completed. It was only made aware of the situation by media reports last week.

“That conduct of Phoenix has failed to meet our expectations,” a spokesman for Aquis told the AFR.

“Any true co-owner should inform their partner of such action by authorities. Phoenix failed to be honest and transparent with us over the prize money freeze, which has rendered the relationship untenable.

“We have sought further clarification from Phoenix multiple times since late last week over matters of their relationship with racing regulatory bodies in Australia, but they completely failed to answer questions. The matter has been placed in the hands of our lawyers.”

The spokesman said Aquis and the Fung family planned to immediately terminate all co-ownership of racehorses with Phoenix.

Phoenix Thoroughbreds responded to Aquis' comments by saying it did not see the need to disclose the prize money freeze.

“Given the conditions placed on us by Racing NSW and Racing Victoria only affects our [Phoenix Thoroughbreds] prize money share, we regard this as an internal matter. Any money due to our partners and trainers remain unaffected, as does our ability to race,” it read.

“None of this impacts our professional relationship with Aquis or their revenue streams from racing horses in partnership with us. With this in mind, we felt there was no reason to inform them of this private situation and stand by that decision.”

A dissolution of the partnership between Aquis and the Fung family and Phoenix Thoroughbreds would have major ramifications for the Australian Thoroughbred industry, as they share ownership in a significant number of thoroughbreds, including the 19 yearlings they spent A$11.6 million on together at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.

They are also part of the ownership of G1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), along with Kia Ora Stud, where he will stand for the 2021 season. Farnan was bred by Phoenix and raced in partnership with Aquis before Kia Ora bought in ahead of his 3-year-old season.

Following the reported news of the upcoming Aquis/Phoenix partnership dissolution, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is now under pressure to examine lease agreements being used by trainers to race previously suspended horses that are still owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate, the Racing Post reported on Wednesday. The leases were approved by the BHA and several horses that used to carry the Phoenix colours or Phoenix Ladies colours have been in action this month. The BHA did indicate that they can look into specific leasing arrangements if it was warranted.

“We cannot comment on the specifics of any leasing arrangements or possible leasing arrangements,” a BHA spokesperson told Racing Post. “When a horse is leased, it must be lodged with the BHA and the BHA has the ability to investigate if it has any concerns regarding a lease.”

Phoenix Thoroughbreds founder Amer Abdulaziz has been linked to money laundering allegations made in a U.S. court in a case involving the OneCoin cryptocurrency scam, allegations that he has repeatedly denied.

The fallout from those allegations led to Phoenix Thoroughbreds being banned from racing horses in England and France late last year and Dubai this January.

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Street Boss, Frosted Shuttling To Darley Australia For 2021 Southern Hemisphere Season

Fees have been announced for the 20 Grade/Group 1-winning Darley stallions who will stand in New South Wales and Victoria for the 2021 breeding season.

Heading this year's roster is the champion sire-son duo of Exceed And Excel and his world champion sprinter son Bivouac.

Following a stellar 24 months both on the racetrack and in the sales ring, where Exceed And Excel was responsible for a career-best $2.1 million colt earning him the title of leading sire by average at this month's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Exceed And Excel headlines the roster at a fee of AUS$132,000 inc GST. His electrifying triple Group 1-winning son Bivouac will stand his first season at Kelvinside at a fee of AUS$66,000 inc GST.

Relocating to Kelvinside this season is Street Boss (AUS$55,000 inc GST), on the back of his ever-increasing demand as an elite sire of 2-year-olds. As the sire of G1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Anamoe, as well as G1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Elite Street, Street Boss is one of only four Australian stallions to sire multiple G1 winners this season.

The roster includes a new trio of shuttle stallions made up of the best European juvenile in 25 years, Pinatubo (AUS$44,000 inc GST), who joins the Kelvinside roster in New South Wales, with Northwood Park's Victorian roster receiving a major boost with the additions of the world's highest-ranked racehorse of 2020, Ghaiyyath (AUS$27,500 inc GST), and the undefeated champion 2-year-old Earthlight (AUS$22,000 inc GST).

Standing their second seasons after support from some of the smartest minds in the breeding business are three other champions: Microphone (AUS$38,500 inc GST), crowned Australia's champion 2-year-old of 2019, Too Darn Hot (AUS$44,000 inc GST), the champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old of his year, and Blue Point (AUS$44,000 inc GST), Britain's champion sprinter and the only horse ever to win three Group 1 sprints at Royal Ascot.

“It's hard to think of a farm that's retired seven champions to stud in a two-year period,” said Darley Australia's Head of Sales, Andy Makiv.

“To have these horses standing in Australia gives us the potential to embark on a golden era.”

And it isn't only the stellar additions over the past two years who provide strength and depth to the roster.

“Lonhro (AUS$66,000 inc GST) still commands enormous respect among breeders, there is also Brazen Beau (AUS$49,500 inc GST), who has just had a breakthrough with his first G1 winner, Frosted (AUS$44,000 inc GST), who has had two stakes winners and another two stakes performers from his first nine runners in Australia, and Street Boss, whose G1-winning son Anamoe might just be the best 2-year-old in the country,” Makiv said.

Complementing the roster are sons of breed-shaping sires Medaglia d'Oro, whose highest-rated son Astern (AUS$16,500 inc GST) is already the sire of a first-crop five-length stakes winner, plus Kermadec (AUS$11,000 inc GST) who, at the same point in his career as his own sire Teofilo, is profiling well ahead having already produced the dual G1-winning filly Montefilia. Kermadec moves to Northwood Park giving Victorian breeders access to a G1 sire in a jurisdiction where his progeny has sold particularly well and where he has highly promising horses in the leading stables.

First-crop weanlings by world champion sprinter Harry Angel are regularly being described by stud masters as 'the best from their mare'. The son of one of Europe's leading sires, Dark Angel, returns to New South Wales at a fee of AUS$16,500 inc GST.

“We're constantly saying that the Darley stallions win, they sell and they get you to the big days, because ultimately that's what we're seeing, that's what our clients strive to achieve, and we believe our roster will provide every breeder, at all levels, those opportunities,” said Makiv.

For a full list of fees and locations click here.

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Broome Gets It Done In The Alleged

While he had to work to land odds of 1-2 in Saturday's G3 Holden Plant Rentals Alleged S. at The Curragh, Coolmore and Masaaki Matsushima's Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) managed to collect and maintain his perfect sequence in 2021. Authoritative when taking the Listed Devoy S. over this 10-furlong trip on contrasting soft ground at Naas Mar. 28, the 2019 G3 Ballysax S. and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. winner who was also a close fourth in that year's G1 Epsom Derby is back on an even keel this term and was providing Aidan O'Brien with a third renewal in the last four runnings of a race which is becoming increasingly important to the operation. Settled fifth early, the bay was three lengths off the pace and looking in possible trouble two out but after hitting that flat spot stayed on to collar Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) near the line for a half-length success. Ryan Moore, who was completing the third part of a four-timer for the stable on the afternoon, said, “I think he did very well to win today, as it was just a little bit messy early on and I had to wait a bit. The way the ground is today and with the wind, it is hard to make up ground but he showed a great attitude. He was a very good 3-year-old and he's in a better place now–he's done nothing wrong this year.”

O'Brien is looking at a possible step back up in trip with the winner and said, “He's a lovely horse and will probably love going back up to a mile and a half. It was nice that he didn't have to make the running and Ryan was very happy with him. We can have a look at races like the [G1] Coronation Cup [at Epsom June 4] and the [G1] Tattersalls [Gold Cup at this venue May 23]. Ryan felt the pace was nice early and then dropped in the middle of the race. He had to work a bit harder than if the pace was consistent over a mile and a quarter. He's brave.”

Pedigree Notes

Broome's dam is the Listed National S.-winning and G3 Princess Margaret S. and GIII Appalachian S.-placed Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), whose dam Dust Flicker (GB) (Suave Dancer) is a full-sister to the G3 Prix de la Nonette winner Dust Dancer (GB). The latter is in turn the second dam of this stable's G1 Phoenix S.-winning sire Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), the G2 Futurity S. winner and G1 Irish Derby runner-up Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the G3 Bengough S. winner Projection (GB) who shares Acclamation as a sire with Sweepstake. Dust Flicker is also kin to the G3 Fred Darling S. scorer Bulaxie (GB) (Bustino {GB}), who herself produced the G2 Premio Lydia Tesio winner Claxon (GB) (Caerleon) with the latter responsible for Cassydora (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) who took the GIII Hillsborough S. and was runner-up in G1 Nassau S.

Cassydora's three black-type winners include the multiple group winner Ernest Hemingway (Ire) by Australia's sire Galileo (Ire) and the G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Toulifaut (Ire) by Rostropovich's sire Frankel, while the family also features last year's G1 St Leger runner-up Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}). Sweepstake also has the once-raced 3-year-old filly by Frankel named Malathaat (Ire), an as-yet unnamed 2-year-old full-brother to Broome and a yearling filly by Lope de Vega (Ire).

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
HOLDEN PLANT RENTALS ALLEGED S.-G3, €50,000, Curragh, 4-17, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:05.43, gd.
1–BROOME (IRE), 131, h, 5, by Australia (GB)
                1st Dam: Sweepstake (Ire) (SW & GSP-Eng, SW &
                                GSP-US, $114,162), by Acclamation (GB)
                2nd Dam: Dust Flicker (GB), by Suave Dancer
                3rd Dam: Galaxie Dust, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
(€120,000 RNA Ylg '17 GOFOR; 150,000gns Ylg '17 TATDEY).
O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier &
Masaaki Matsushima; B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan
O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €30,000. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr,
13-5-2-0, $455,911. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thundering Nights (Ire), 131, f, 4, Night of Thunder (Ire)–
Cape Castle (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (€17,000 RNA Wlg '17
GOFNOV; €19,000 RNA Ylg '18 TIRSEP). O-Shapoor Mistry;
B-Manjri Farm (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €10,000.
3–Up Helly Aa (Ire), 131, h, 5, Galileo (Ire)–Fiesolana (Ire), by
Aussie Rules. O/B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Willie
McCreery. €5,000.
Margins: HF, 2 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.50, 9.00, 7.00.
Also Ran: Helvic Dream (Ire), Numerian (Ire), In From The Cold (Ire), Pondus (GB), King of Comedy (Ire), Bowerman (GB). Scratched: Njord (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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