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Sykes To Step Down From BHA Role

David Sykes will step down from his role as the British Horseracing Authority’s Director of Equine Health and Welfare before the end of the year. He will return to his native Australia for family reasons.

Since joining the BHA in 2017, Sykes has been involved in the development of the Horse Welfare Board; the handling of the 2019 equine flu outbreak; the publication of a detailed review of safety and welfare at the Cheltenham Festival; the implementation of 30-day foal notifications and changes to the ways in which retired racehorses are notified and traced; greater alignment and coordination of industry bodies on welfare policies; led discussions globally on the use of substances like bisphosphonates and altrenogest; and the introduction of more efficient and comprehensive anti-doping testing policies.

Nick Rust, chief executive officer of the BHA, said, “David has made a fantastic contribution to British racing over the last three years. His track record speaks for itself in achieving so much in a relatively short period of time and he will be greatly missed. We are grateful that David will continue to stay on for the time being while we carry out the difficult task of looking for his successor.”

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TDN Rising Star Highest Ground Back With a Bang

The Niarchos Family’s homebred Highest Ground (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who bounded to TDN Rising Stardom after enduring a bloopers moment at the break in his Sept. 23 debut over seven furlongs at Leicester, faced fellow ‘TDN Rising Star’ and Listed Newmarket S. third Waldkonig (GB) (Kingman {GB}) upped to an extended 10 furlongs for his seasonal return in Wednesday’s Racecourse Live Streams On Racing TV Novice S. at Haydock. The homebred bay, from a family featuring GI Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up and MGSW sire King of Happiness (Spinning World), maintained his perfect record with an impressive 2 1/2-length success. Starting as the 13-8 second favourite and vocal in the preliminaries, Highest Ground did not repeat his debut mishap and was away on terms this time, stalking the leading duo in a patient third initially. Improving into second before halfway, he joined the pacesetting Waldkonig with three furlongs remaining and stayed on strongly under mainly whipless coaxing inside the final quarter mile to win going away from that rival at the line.

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Oppenheimer Looking To Complete Classic Collection

The Oppenheimer Family’s Hascombe and Valiant Studs has bred the winners of each of the British Classics bar one, and next Saturday it has an opportunity to complete the collection with Frankly Darling (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the G1 Investec Oaks.

Kicking things off in 1982 was On The House (Fr) (Be My Guest), who was campaigned by Anthony Oppenheimer’s father Sir Philip Oppenheimer and won the G1 1000 Guineas. The family also bred the G1 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand (GB) and G1 St Leger winner Harbour Law (GB), who campaigned for other connections, and in 2015 homebred Golden Horn (GB) won the G1 Investec Derby.

“I would absolutely love to win the Oaks–it’s the only British Classic we haven’t bred the winner of and it’s one of my big ambitions,” said Oppenheimer. “It won’t be easy, of course, but let’s hope this filly can do it.”

Frankly Darling, who is two-for-two this season and won the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Royal Ascot last week, is currently second choice behind Aidan O’Brien’s 1000 Guineas winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

“It was fantastic to watch [at Royal Ascot],” Oppenheimer said. “We thought she was useful, but to see her win the way she did was very nice. In these times that we’re in, to have a big winner like that was really good.

“I think that [the Oaks] is the intention at the moment, as long as the ground is suitable. We’ll see what the opposition is like nearer the time–there’ll be only one Hascombe horse and there might be 10 or more from Coolmore, which will be interesting.”

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Freshman Sire Buratino Off the Mark at Hamilton

Darley stallion Buratino (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), who operates out of Kildangan Stud at a fee of €5,000 (on Oct. 1 special live foal terms), registered an overdue first winner when Hambleton Racing 38’s Tinochio (Ire) landed the spoils going five furlongs in Wednesday’s British Stallion Studs EBF Novice S. at Hamilton. The MG1SP G2 Coventry S. victor had so nearly cut through on Tuesday, but Michael Mulvany trainee The Blue Panther (Ire) was denied in the final stride of a Navan maiden heat.

2nd-Hamilton, £6,400, Nov, 6-24, 2yo, 5f 7yT, :58.76, g/s.
TINOCHIO (IRE) (c, 2, Buratino {Ire}–Endless Peace {Ire}, by Russian Revival), who finished just under a length off the winner when a promising fourth in his June 10 debut tackling Pontefract’s one-turn five furlongs last time, was sharply into stride and raced in a close-up second through halfway in this straight dash. Last off the bridle when easing to the fore soon after passing the quarter-mile marker, the 2-1 favourite was shaken up approaching the final furlong and lengthened clear under mild coaxing in the closing stages to score by an impressive three lengths from Burning Cash (Ire) (Strath Burn {GB}). The April-foaled chestnut becomes the sixth winner from as many runners produced by a half-sister to five black-type performers headed by G3 Sandown Sprint victor and G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Hoh Mike (Ire) (Intikhab). He is half to a yearling filly by The Last Lion (Ire) and hails from a family featuring four-time G1 Irish St Leger hero Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}) and fellow G1 Irish St Leger-winning sire M-Lolshan (Ire) (Levmoss {GB}). Sales history: €20,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; £35,000 Ylg ’19 GOUKPR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, £4,448.
O-Hambleton Racing Ltd XXXVIII; B-John Malone (IRE); T-Kevin Ryan.

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