Magic Memory May Be Facing Retirement

Magical Memory (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) may have time called on his career after re-aggravating an old injury. The 8-year-old gelding was preparing to return from a two-year layoff at last month’s Guineas meeting when he came up slightly lame just days before. A scan before the end of the month will determine his future.

“He was working so well with the likes of Khaadem, but then he was found to be slightly lame in the same leg he injured previously–three days before declaration,” said Sam Hoskins, manager of the Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds syndicate. “He had one scan at the end of last month and the leg still wasn’t quite there and he will have another one in the next fortnight. If there is any risk there at all we will retire him.”

Magical Memory’s first big-race win came in the Stewards Cup of 2015, and he went on to collect the G3 Abernant S., G2 Clipper Logistics S. and G3 Hackwood S. over the next two seasons for trainer Charlie Hills.

“We were looking forward to having fun in some of those big handicaps with him as he had been eased a few pounds by the handicapper and the signs were still there before his setback that he was enjoying it,” Hoskins said. “He doesn’t owe us anything, though, and he has been an honourable servant. We are not going to force him to race again–the leg has got to be better for him to do so.”

The post Magic Memory May Be Facing Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Guineas Winners To Meet In Sussex

Kameko (Kitten’s Joy) and Siskin (First Defence), winners respectively of the G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas and G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, are set to meet in the G1 Sussex S. on July 29. Kameko was last seen finishing fourth in the G1 Investec Derby on July 4, while Siskin comes in off his Curragh Classic win on June 12.

David Redvers, racing and bloodstock advisor to Kameko’s owner Qatar Racing, told Nick Luck’s Daily podcast that the Sussex would be used as a stepping stone to the G1 Juddmonte International on Aug. 19.

“There’s been lively in-house debate and Sheikh Fahad is keen to go with [trainer] Andrew [Balding]’s preferred option, which at the moment looks like it will be the Sussex,” Redvers said. “We need to have a meeting of the two Guineas winners to see which is the better and it looks to me like the Sussex is where we are leaning at the moment. It depends on other factors, such as weather and how the horse is, but at the moment it looks like that is where we are heading.

“Going to the Sussex gives you more time [than the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois on Aug. 16] if you wanted to go to the Juddmonte, which has been Andrew’s target all along. He bounced out of the Derby very well and will have had quite a lot of quick runs if he does go to the Juddmonte, but a bit like Roaring Lion, Kitten’s Joy seems to make them out of tough stuff.”

The post Guineas Winners To Meet In Sussex appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Ed Vaughan To Leave UK Training Ranks

Ed Vaughan, who last week sent out the Anthony Oppenheimer homebred Dame Malliot (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) to win the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s S. at his home track of Newmarket, has announced that he will relinquish his training licence at the end of the 2020 season.

The Irish-born trainer said, “I haven’t just woken up and decided to do this. It’s been on my mind for a while and now seems the right time to finish up training here in the UK. As everyone is aware, with the reductions in prize-money and the cost of running a business being so high, the economics of training in Britain are not good. I’m taking this decision now because I can see things getting worse in the next year.”

He added: “I wouldn’t rule out training elsewhere, but with 25 horses, as we have here, I just don’t see a future for doing that in the UK because I think things are going to get very tough when we are already in the situation where we have prize-money that hardly covers the cost of keeping a horse in training for a month.”

A graduate of the Irish National Stud course, Vaughan’s varied roles within the racing industry include a four-year stint in America as well as being involved in the breaking-in of Dubai Millennium when working for Darley in Ireland. Prior to training in his own right, he was assistant to dual Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Noel Chance in Lambourn, before filing the same role for the late Alec Stewart at Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket.

In recent seasons, his star performer has been the dual Group 2 winner Dame Malliot, whom he hopes to run in Group 1 company before the end of the season. Vaughan also trained G3 Winter Derby winner Robin Hoods Bay (GB) (Motivator {Ire}) for the first patron of his stable, Alan Pickering, after the trainer bought him for 9,000gns as a yearling. He has also formed a successful partnership with bloodstock agent Paul Moroney in selling horses on to race internationally.

Vaughan said: “I’ve trained horses here to continue their careers in places like Australia after putting a European-style base to their training, and they’ve gone on and done very well down there, winning several races and some of them won over $400,000. I have a good idea of the type of horse that’s required and the level and style of racing you need for various jurisdictions. We’ve also done well selling horses to Hong Kong and America.”

Reflecting on his 16 years with a training licence, including the last nine seasons at Newmarket’s historic Machell Place Stables, he added, “Alan [Pickering] has become a valued friend and I would like to express my gratitude to all my owners and to my staff for their continued support. A special mention is due to Anthony Oppenheimer: we’ve shared plenty of success together, most recently with Dame Malliot. I must also thank Colin Murfitt, who has been a wonderful landlord, owner and friend over the years.”

On Wednesday, Vaughan saddled Miss Chess (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), a half-sister to recent G1 Prix de Diane winner Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Ire}), to make an eye-catching debut when third in a Yarmouth novice race for the Phoenix Ladies Syndicate.

He added, “There have been some great days, and I feel blessed to have met some wonderful people along the way.  All these friendships I can take with me on the next stage of the journey, which will be somewhere in this industry that I love.”

 

 

 

The post Ed Vaughan To Leave UK Training Ranks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Eight Declared For Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks

Eight fillies have been declared for Saturday’s Juddmonte-sponsored G1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Aidan O’Brien is set to send out half of the the field with a team of four, all daughters of Galileo (Ire), headed by G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Ennistymon (Ire).

 

The post Eight Declared For Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights