People | Horse Racing Free Tips

Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship Awarded to UK’s Charles Churchill

Charles Churchill, a University of Kentucky senior majoring in Equine Science and Management from Louisville, has been awarded the 2021/2022 Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship.

The scholarship was originally established at UK in 2005 but to keep in step with current industry needs, was recently modified to include a preference for diverse students to encourage inclusivity throughout the equine industry. It now resides in UK's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, which is home to the Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree program. The scholarship was made possible by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Daily Racing Form and many other contributors and is coordinated in conjunction with the Legacy Equine Academy.

“I am extremely grateful for the Joe Hirsch Legacy Academy Scholarship Fund because it has provided me with additional funds to allow me to continue my studies at the University of Kentucky,” Churchill said. “I am very new to the equine program, as I formally applied to alter my major at the top my junior year. By transferring into the program, I look forward to pursuing my interests in the executive management of racetracks. I hope to do this by utilizing UK's curriculum to develop my knowledge on various direct and indirect economic contributions of wagering and necessary protocol required for a successful racing program in respective jurisdictions.”

Since becoming an equine major, Churchill said he has joined organizations that can assist him in becoming the professional he aspires to be. He is a member of the UK Horse Racing Club, the UK Collegiate Professional Horsemen's Association and a Wildcat Wrangler, the student ambassador team within the equine major.

“Not only have these clubs provided me with a network of young professionals that I can discuss industry topics with, but it has given others the opportunity to share their unique perspective and life experiences, allowing us to formulate genuine, lifelong friendships with other students in the College of Agriculture,” Churchill said. “By completing my college career at Kentucky, I am exposed to an extremely caring group of faculty members as well as a network of likeminded students who are capable of compassion and helping their fellow members of the agriculture community.”

Churchill completed an internship with the Keeneland track maintenance team during the summer of 2021.

“The racing industry would not exist and could not function without the contributions of the Black community and people of color. We at the NTRA are committed to supporting the communities we serve. Last year, we embarked on an initiative to create greater diversity and cultural awareness at all levels of the business, including positions of power, by collaborating with Legacy Equine Academy,” said Alex Waldrop, NTRA president and chief executive officer. “Through this venture, the NTRA will help fund scholarships for students in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's Equine Programs with the intent of fostering a more inclusive Thoroughbred racing industry for generations to come. Change cannot wait, so we will work with all of our racing partners to further the goal of a more diverse, inclusive environment for all participants in our sport.”

James MacLeod, director of UK Ag Equine Programs, agreed. “There is no reason to delay efforts to address diversity and inclusivity challenges. Academic scholarships enable students to focus entirely on educational opportunities and reach their full potential. We are very grateful to the NTRA and partners for their support,” he said.

The Legacy Equine Academy, which encourages students in grades 6–12 to attend college and pursue equine, agriculture, natural resources and environmental science degrees, is the brainchild of Ronald Mack, the organization's founder and CEO.

“We are so proud and excited for Charles to receive the Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship,” Mack said. I've admired his passion for equine studies and his determination to leverage that passion by pursuing an array of professional opportunities in the horse racing industry. This scholarship contributes to accomplishing Legacy Equine Academy's goal of bridging the historical contributions of African American trailblazers in horse racing history to the modern standards and professional opportunities in the equine industry. Charles is a true 'Legacy Leader.'”

The scholarship had originally been placed into the UK College of Communication and Information because UK didn't at that time have an equine undergraduate program. The Equine Science and Management undergraduate degree was launched in 2007 and since then has become one of the fastest growing majors at the university and is now currently the largest major in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, making it a natural fit to administer the scholarship.

The post Joe Hirsch Legacy Equine Academy Scholarship Awarded to UK’s Charles Churchill appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Trainer Of Over 70 Grade 1 Winners, Alain De Royer-Dupre Bids For Fairytale Ending With Talented Ebaiyra

One of the great training careers of the modern era will officially come to an end on Dec. 31 when Alain de Royer-Dupre heads into retirement, the winner of more than 70 G1s around the world, including 19 French Classics.

The man who will be forever identified with the careers of a stellar trio in Dalakhani, Pride, and Zarkava, will send out Ebaiyra on Sunday (Dec. 12) in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m, or 1 1/2 miles).

All three of the aforementioned champions signed off with a valedictory success – Pride herself at Sha Tin in December, 2006 – and should Ebaiyra do the same then there could be no more fitting end for Royer-Dupre's own journey, 49 years after he saddled his first winner.

“We have the older Japanese horse Glory Vase who is obviously pretty good and I don't know how we measure up, but if Ebaiyra runs well it will be very satisfying,” says Royer-Dupre, who turned 77 in September. “It will put a full stop on my career and it's a great way to go out. It's possible she could be my final runner.”

For the last four decades Royer-Dupre has served as principal trainer to H H the Aga Khan and it is those famous emerald green silks that Christophe Soumillon will carry aboard Ebaiyra, who her handler hopes has rebounded from a mid-season blip and whose best form puts her right in the mix with Glory Vase, Pyledriver and Mogul among the international challengers for the HK$20 million (about US$2.57 million) LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

“She ran poorly at Deauville in August and so I preferred to ease off on her at that stage,” says Royer-Dupre. “We hoped to run in the G1 Prix de l'Opera (2000m, 1 1/4 miles) but she hadn't come back to herself by then so we waited,” he said.

“Now she seems in much better form so this is a good target for her. She is fresh and well and it is a case of how she takes the trip. She didn't eat up very well when she first arrived but she has adapted well during the week.”

Seasoned work-watchers during LONGINES HKIR week are well used to the idea that many of the French visitors do their morning tours of Sha Tin in a leisurely low gear, and Royer-Dupre's horses have never excited the clockers in the run-up to the big day.

The 4-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor has been no different this week, lobbing around the sand in a relaxed manner, just as her half-sister Edisa did in 2019 before finishing fifth in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup, six years after their dam Ebiyza was sixth in the LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Ebaiyra's work at Chantilly Racecourse last month was much smarter as she dropped two work companions on her way up the all-weather, while Royer-Dupre also gave her a blow on the revered Les Aigles turf gallop in the days before she left.

“We've had plenty of horses run well in Hong Kong on top of the two winners, they regularly run up to form,” he says. “My experience is that you work them normally before they travel and then only very lightly once they arrive. You want to give them the minimum, just to freshen them up, without looking for another proper piece of work. It's not worth trying to find out before the day.

Royer-Dupre adds: “If she can run up to the form she showed in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (G1) or even improve slightly, that would be ideal.

“She would have benefited from a prep run but she is a filly with plenty of experience, it's not like she's a young horse.

“On her French form Ebaiyra has shown herself a better horse than both her dam Ebiyza and her sister Edisa.”

Golden memories of Pride and Daryakana

Royer-Dupre's record in Hong Kong stands comparison with all comers, with two wins and seven placed efforts from his 21 runners at the LONGINES HKIR meeting.

Pride arrived in 2006 as arguably the form turf horse in the world, having split Rail Link and Deep Impact in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) before dominating her rivals 13 days later in the G1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

She also arrived back in Hong Kong with a score to settle, having failed by a neck to reel in Vengeance Of Rain in the Hong Kong Cup 12 months earlier under Soumillon.

With Christophe Lemaire in the plate most were expecting another hold up ride before unleashing her trademark turn of foot but, as Royer-Dupre recalls, the plan almost went awry.

“The mare had remained in very good shape after her runs in the Arc and the Champion Stakes,” he says. “She was a bit unlucky in the Arc and got there just too late whereas in Hong Kong it was the opposite problem and she hit the front too soon.”

Lemaire rode to beat Vengeance Of Rain once again but David Ferraris's champion was not in quite the same form and suddenly hunter became hunted, as Yutaka Take took dead aim with Admire Moon in one of the most memorable Cup finished in LONGINES HKIR history.

Royer-Dupre says: “The horse she was following didn't take her deep enough into the race and she was left out in front for Admire Moon to run at. In another few strides we'd have been beaten.

“It was a case of going from one extreme to the other which can happen. I think we were a bit lucky to win.”

There was much less pressure on Royer-Dupre and Gerald Mosse three years later when Daryakana arrived for the 2009 Vase, unbeaten in four starts and a G2 winner at Longchamp on her most recent outing.

Mosse's white gloves had Daryakana on a loose rein at the very rear of the field and, after angling his filly wide at the top of the straight, they still had 11 horses to pass at the 400 meter mark.

Royer-Dupre says: “Daryakana was very impressive. Turning into the straight she had a lot of ground to make up but Gerald Mosse knows Hong Kong very well and she finished in magnificent style.

“She was very backward and hadn't seen the track before July of that year and so the advantage was that she was very much still on the upgrade.”

Daryakana was the daughter of a French Oaks winner and went on to be a fabulous broodmare for H H Aga Khan, producing G1 winner Dariyan, himself third in the 2015 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Pride has also been represented at the meeting, with her son One Foot In Heaven filling third spot in the 2016 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase.

Ebaiyra doesn't lack for family history at Sha Tin, while preparations will have been timed to the minute by her meticulous trainer one last time.

The post Trainer Of Over 70 Grade 1 Winners, Alain De Royer-Dupre Bids For Fairytale Ending With Talented Ebaiyra appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Charlie Appleby Named British Trainer Of The Year

British trainer Charlie Appleby has been named Britain's champion trainer for 2021 with more than three weeks left of the racing season, according to Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Appleby received the award on Dec. 6 at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association Derby Awards.

Earlier this week, Appleby was named international trainer of the year.

Appleby has sent out 113 winners with time to add more before the British race season concludes on Dec.31. Seventeen out of 113 wins have been Group 1 races, his stable had a fantastic year with wins around the world.

With Appleby's 2021 season quickly coming to an end he is already planning for 2022. Six out of seven of his stable's stars will be back in training for 2022. Breeders' Cup Turf winner Yibir is looking at the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic for his next start with plans for him to run in America later in the year. Modern Games, who won the much-disputed Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, is headed for either the English or French Guineas in May.

Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary

The post Charlie Appleby Named British Trainer Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘He Deserves It So Much’: 77-Year-Old Gerald Bennett Becomes 14th Trainer To Reach 4,000-Win Milestone

During a telephone interview last week, with his 4,000th career victory on the horizon, trainer Gerald Bennett reflected on the personal side of chasing a milestone only 13 other North American conditioners have achieved.

“I was telling them about a lot of my experiences, that I've claimed a lot of horses over the years,” Bennett said in the winner's circle at Tampa Bay Downs late this afternoon, “but over the whole long run, my best claim was Mary.”

For the last 35 years, wife Mary Bennett, also a trainer, has shared the major victories and the disappointments, the unexpected scores and the heartbreaks. The landmark victory by 8-year-old Florida-bred D'craziness in today's ninth race, while notable, seemed to blend into a career that shows no signs of slowing as the 77-year-old Bennett takes aim at a seventh consecutive Oldsmar training crown.

“That is a lot of races, and a lot of dedication that went into it,” said jockey Antonio Gallardo, who rode 6-5 favorite D'craziness to a 2-length victory on the turf from Fly Fly Away for Bennett and owner Averill Racing.

“He deserves it so much. You see him working hard all the time, trailering the horses – he goes everywhere, and he's here every day. I'm just really excited to win No. 4,000 for him,” Gallardo said.

Bennett notched career victory No. 3,999 in today's second race with Little Miss Sassy, a 2-year-old Florida-bred filly owned by his Winning Stables outfit in partnership with Majestic Racing Stable. Roberto Alvarado, Jr., was the jockey. Little Miss Sassy was claimed from the race for $25,000 by trainer Jose H. Delgado for new owner Carole Star Stables.

Besides being No. 14 on the all-time training list, Bennett is 11th among active trainers.

“When you really stop and think about it for a minute, it's a big accomplishment,” Bennett said. “It's something most people haven't done. It's just hard work, keep getting up. … now, try for 5(000),” he said with an impish grin.

Bennett stressed the importance of detail and teamwork in getting to 4,000.

“You never know when the next one is going to come, and you have to work hard and see how all the horses are doing every morning. There is always something going on with one horse here or there, and if you miss it, you can lessen a horse's career,” he said.

“I just appreciate all the people who work for us, 'Carlos' (assistant trainer Juan Cacho Castro), and all of the barn help. They are all part of the team that got us here, and it's a great job by everybody getting up early and keeping their noses to the grindstone.”

The post ‘He Deserves It So Much’: 77-Year-Old Gerald Bennett Becomes 14th Trainer To Reach 4,000-Win Milestone appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post