Tag: Top News Europe

Sands Of Mali to Remain at Ballyhane Stud

It has been confirmed that Sands Of Mali (Fr) will remain at Ballyhane Stud, where he has stood since his retirement in 2021. This is contrary to a statement released on Tuesday by Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park.

The Group 1-winning sprinter has his first runners this season. His former stud-mates at Ballyhane, Asymmetric (Ire) and Space Traveller (GB), have moved to Micheal Orlandi's Starfield Stud in Co Westmeath.

A statement released by Ballyhane Stud on Friday morning cited “a breakdown in the business relationship between Clipper principal Steve Parkin and Ballyhane Stud owner Joe Foley.”

It read, “It was agreed that stallions wholly owned by the Clipper operation would not stand at the Carlow farm in the future and, as a consequence, Asymmetric and Space Traveller moved to Starfield stud near Mullingar on Wednesday.”

The G2 Richmond S. winner Asymmetric recently commenced covering his first book of mares, while Space Traveller (GB), who won the Clipper-sponsored G2 Boomerang S. at Leopardstown, is in his second season at stud.

“We both thought this was the best way forward and I wish the team at Starfield all the best with the two horses,” said Joe Foley.

“As Sands of Mali is a partnership horse, he will remain at Ballyhane where his book has been increasing significantly due to highly encouraging reports of his first crop of two-year-olds.”

He added, “It has been a great adventure helping Steve and his family build his racing and breeding operation into what it has become today and I'm proud of the top horses that I've sourced for them over the years. I wish them all the best into the future, especially on the racetrack this year where the Clipper and Bronte teams have an exciting string of horses preparing for the season ahead.”

Parkin's homebred Group 1 winner Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is currently second-favourite in the betting for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas, while her stable-mate at Karl Burke's Spigot Lodge, Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {GB}), shortened significantly in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas market following his 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy wide-margin win at Southwell on Wednesday. Bred by Linden Bloodstock, he was bought for Parkin by Foley as a foal. 

 

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Former Steinhoff International Chief Executive Markus Jooste Dies At 63

Former Steinhoff International Chief Executive Markus Jooste has died at the age of 63, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Jooste, who was at one point heavily involved on the worldwide racing scene through his Mayfair Speculators, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the FT reported.

He was fined R475 million (£19,937,078/€23,234,382/$25,229,382) for accounting fraud–due on or before Apr. 19–by South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) on Wednesday, Reuters reported. The regulator found that Jooste had published “false or misleading financial statements” following an investigation into the matter. Jooste was also ordered to pay R10 million to reimburse the FSCA for their expenses incurred during their investigation into Steinhoff.

Originally, Jooste resigned from his Steinoff role in December of 2017, following an investigation by the retail holding company into accounting irregularities. The company lost the majority of its value following his departure. However, in 2023 Steinhoff did start a debt restructuring plan to avoid bankruptcy, among other initiatives.

The post Former Steinhoff International Chief Executive Markus Jooste Dies At 63 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Favourites Have It All To Do Following HK Derby Draw

If Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is to add Sunday's HK$26-million (£2.63 million/US$3.33 million) BMW Hong Kong Derby to his victories in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup, he will have to do so from gate 13 in a field of 14 4-year-olds in the 2000-metre domestic centrepiece Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse.

The 102-rater is one of three in the race for four-time Derby-winning conditioner John Size, who will also send out Classic Cup third Ensued (Lemon Drop Kid) with Ryan Moore from barrier 12 and the longshot Simple Hedge (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) from the six with Antoine Hamelin at the controls.

“I'll have to have a look at the race, see what the jocks think and try and work it out,” the Aussie ex-pat commented. “They haven't done me any favours yet.

Size also provided an update on Helios Express, who has overcome a bacterial infection in a hoof.

“The horse (Helios Express) is fine, he galloped [Thursday] morning and he looks good.”

With a win, Helios Express would join Rapper Dragon (Aus) (Street Boss) and Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) as horses to sweep the 4-year-old Classics.

Galaxy Express (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) will attempt to emulate Size's most recent Derby winner Ping Hai Star (NZ) (Nom de Jeu {NZ}) in stepping up from 1400 metres to the 2000 metres of the Derby. Prepared by the outstanding leading young trainer Pierre Ng, Galaxy Express will carry Blake Shinn, who will need to chart a course from the widest alley.

Those drawn in the double digits would take some heart in the barrier draw statistics. Not only did Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) prevail 12 months ago from the 14 hole, but since the turn of the century, the Derby winner has left from gates 10 and higher on no fewer than 10 occasions. Fay Fay (NZ) and Ambitious Dragon (NZ) also overcame the widest barrier.

The top choices in the market have also generally performed well in the Derby, as only Voyage Bubble (45-1) and Vital King (NZ) (10-1, 2007) have returned double-digit mutuels.

The Derby goes as race seven on a 10-race program with a scheduled post time of 4.15 local time (4:15am ET, 9:15 British time). Click here for the HKJC race form. The Hong Kong Derby cheat sheet will appear in Saturday's TDN Europe.

 

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Derby Winner North Light Dies At 23

Derby winner North Light (Ire) (Danehill) was euthanized on Mar. 20 due to complications from laminitis, The Stronach Group announced on Thursday. The 23-year-old stallion had been pensioned since 2020 and will be laid to rest at Adena South in Ocala Florida.

Bred and raced by Ballymacoll Stud and trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the son of G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Sought Out (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) won one of two starts at two, and added the G2 Dante S. and G1 Derby in succession during the spring of 2004. A half-brother to multiple group winner Cover Up (Ire) (Machiavellian), he then found only Grey Swallow (Ire) (Daylami {Ire}) too good in the G1 Irish Derby and ended his season with a fifth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. At four, he was second in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S., and ended his career with a mark of 7-3-3-0 and $1,989,577 in earnings.

Upon retirement, a majority interest in North Light was purchased by Frank Stronach, who stood the bay at his Adena Springs in Kentucky beginning in 2006. Moved to Adena North in Canada for his fifth season in 2010, he was leased to Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud in England for one season in 2014. Repatriated to Canada beginning in 2015, he was pensioned in October of 2019 and lived out the rest of his days at Adena South.

 

Among his nine worldwide stakes winners were G1 St Leger hero Arctic Cosmos, who also was placed in three other group races, GII Del Mar H. hero Celtic New Year, Grade III winners Chips All In and Go Forth North, and Brazilian Group 2 winner Gol Tricolor (Brz). His daughters have produced five stakes winners, three of them Grade/Group 1 scorers–triple top-level winner War Like Goddess (English Channel), G1 Coolmore Classic heroine Lighthouse (Mizzen Mast), and Olympic Jolteon (Brz) (Elmustanser {GB}).

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