Justify foal secured for $1 million in Japan

Japanese buyer Takeshita Koichi secured a filly by Coolmore's Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) for 80 million yen (AU$1,073,000) at the JRHA Select Foal Sale.

The sale of Lot 397 was much anticipated as the first foal from Justify to sell in Japan and the only one in the catalogue.

She is the first foal from Tapit (USA) mare Not Now Carolyn (USA), who is also a daughter of Grade 1-winning sprinter Maryfield (Can) (Elusive Quality {USA}).

Justify's first Australian foals are due to arrive this spring, while there are five mares in foal to him entered for the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Stable staff negative after COVID scare

Five stablehands in New South Wales have been placed in isolation after attending the Crossroads Hotel, which has been identified as a COVID-19 hotspot.

All have undergone COVID-19 tests, which have come back negative. It was revealed they had attended the suburban pub which has been a hotspot for 30 COVID-19 cases.

“In accordance with the protocols they immediately notified us of their attendance there and they’re currently self-isolating and there’s no known positives at Warwick Farm,” Racing NSW Chief Steward Marc Van Gestel told the Daily Telegraph.

The scare involving the stablehands was one of the main reasons Racing NSW called off Wednesday's Warwick Farm meeting, with the broader Liverpool area identified as a hotspot.

“We’ve taken advice from our biosecurity expert in terms of what we need to do in regards to self-isolation and they’ve said considering the tests are negative we don’t need to take any further action,” Van Gestel said.

“We’ve relied on those tests coming back negative. These clusters will pop up from time to time and we’ve just got to manage them and take the expert advice.”

Thursday’s Gosford and Saturday’s Randwick meeting will both proceed as planned.

Nature Strip ranked world's top sprinter

Australian star Nature Strip (Nicconi) has been confirmed as the world’s best sprinter in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.

Nature Strip received a 124 rating for his 2l win in the G1 TJ Smith S. at Randwick on April 4, which was enough to place him clear on top of the top ranking horses and equal third on the latest International Federation of Horseracing Authorities rankings with Japanese star Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).

Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) is equal second on the sprinters’ list in 120 along with Hong Kong-based Hot King Prawn (Denman).

Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who beat Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. topped the latest round of rankings on 127 ahead of triple G1 Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

RA working on international solution

Racing Australia Chairman Greg Nichols is 'confident' internationally trained horses will compete at this year's Spring Carnival.

RA has been in discussions with the Federal Government in an effort to get a special exemption for horses travelling to Australia for the spring.

"We were up in Canberra as recently as two or three weeks ago, had meetings throughout the day. Not that meetings are a gauge of success but there was no push back," Nichols told RSN.

"There's discussion going on all the time, certainly the big issue is the quarantine perspective. It may be where stake groups come out a fortnight before the horses actually arrive. It could lead to that.

"I am confident that the discussions that we've had, and certainly with the strong collaboration with Racing NSW, Racing Victoria and the VRC and so forth that we can get a positive outcome for the Melbourne and Sydney Spring Carnivals."

Tall order for comeback import

Trainer Danny O'Brien is not exactly sure what to expect from Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in his first run for nearly two years on Saturday.

The Lloyd Williams-owned Orderofthegarter's only Australian start was when he was trained by Liam Howley, and finished second in a Flemington handicap behind Furrion (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in September 2018.

"He's had a lovely long prep coming off a long break so we're treating Saturday as a bit of a learning experience, but he's been in work since the start of March so he's ready to go to the races," O'Brien told Racing.com.

His best form saw him win a stakes race in Ireland and place behind Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in a G3 Hampton Court S., but O'Brien is not sure how that relates to where he is now as a 6-year-old.

"His form is a long time ago - he hasn't raced for two years. He ran at Royal Ascot in 2017 and that's three years ago and he's only had one run since," he said.

"He had a jump-out at Moonee Valley a month ago and went nicely enough but this is where we can properly gauge him."

He resumes in a 1600 metre Open H.

Riodini heads to Waterhouse and Bott

Group 3 winner Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) has joined the Sydney stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Riodini was previously trained by Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley and was placed in the G1 Levin Classic and G2 Auckland Guineas and has now headed to Australia.

“He has certainly mixed it with the best in New Zealand and looks to be a really exciting horse to come over,” Bott said.

“He is owned by Alan Galbraith, who we have trained for previously. He is a son of Proisir who Gai trained many years ago and he now stands at Rich Hill Stud, in New Zealand.

“We are really excited to get the opportunity to train this horse because it looks to be a particularly strong crop of 3-year-olds to come out of New Zealand and we are very fortunate that Nigel Tiley has put plenty of foundation and conditioning on this horse before sending him over.

“He has arrived in fantastic shape and won’t take much work to be ready to be seen at the trials for us.

“What we have seen from that form I think he will be very competitive for us over the carnival.”

Trade brisk at OBS

With attendance at the sales grounds down dramatically, but internet bidding brisk, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s July 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale opened with a workmanlike session Tuesday in Central Florida.

“It was a solid start,” said OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski. “Obviously we had some nice horses go through the ring and sell well. It was a little slow early on in the day, but I thought it levelled out. We are dealing with strange times, that’s for sure, certainly the COVID situation is a factor. I think it will get better as we go.”

A total of 147 juveniles sold Tuesday for a gross of US$4,788,800 (AU$6.85 million). The average was US$32,577 (AU$46,600) and the median was US$13,000 (AU$18,595). Of the 360 horses catalogued for the session, 224 went through the ring and 147 sold. With 77 head reported not sold at the close of business, the buy-back rate was 34.4 per cent.

At last year’s opening session of the June sale, 204 head grossed US$6,119,500 (AU$8.75 million) for an average of US$29,998 (AU$42,908) and a median of US$17,500 (AU$25,031). With the inclusion of post-sale transactions, the buy-back rate was 22.4 per cent.

Just a few lots into the three-day sale, bloodstock agent Donato Lanni secured the session’s top-priced lot, going to US$375,000 (AU$536,400) for a daughter of Shackleford (USA) from the Coastal Equine consignment. The juvenile was one of 10 to sell for six figures on the day, matching the number from the opening session of the 2019 June sale.

Surge in COVID-19 jockey positives hit US racing

A surge in positive Coronavirus tests among American jockeys was met with a flurry of new movement-related restrictions at thoroughbred tracks from coast-to-coast in an effort to keep the pandemic from spreading further.

Since the end of June, jockeys Luis Saez, Martin Garcia, Victor Espinoza, Flavien Prat, Gerard Melancon and Eduard Rojas Fernandez have all been added to the fast-growing list of North American riders who have publicly acknowledged positive tests for COVID-19.

On Tuesday morning those reinsmen were joined by Florent Geroux, who posted on Twitter and subsequently told TDN he got a positive Coronavirus test on July 13 and is symptom-free, but now self-quarantining at home.

Los Alamitos Race Course, which raced from June 26 through July 5, was a common-denominator site among at least five of those positives, including Saez, Garcia, Espinoza and Prat, who all rode at the southern California track on July 4.

Some of those virus-positive jockeys then collectively went on to ride at Belmont Park, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Keeneland Race Course, Indiana Grand and Prairie Meadows before learning of their positive tests.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA), which is scheduled to open the Saratoga Race Course meet on Thursday, weighed in on Tuesday with the most prominent change in protocols in response to the COVID-19 uptick.

In a press release, NYRA announced that “Until further notice, Saratoga Race Course will be closed to out-of-town jockeys. In addition, any member of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travels to ride at any other racetrack will not be permitted to return to Saratoga Race Course.”

On the opposite coast, at Del Mar, most of the local jockey colony underwent newly required COVID-19 testing on Tuesday morning, according to Darrell Haire, the western regional manager of the Jockeys’ Guild.

Haire told TDN there are ongoing “heavy discussions” between jockeys and track management about additional protocol adjustments that could be put in place before the next day of racing on July 17.

Also Tuesday, updated health precautions and jockey movement restrictions were unveiled by the Maryland Jockey Club, the Ohio State Racing Commission, and Ellis Park.

Chokito begins Guineas quest

Two-year-old filly Chokito (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) will be looking to resume where she left off her before lockdown when she looks for win number three at Ascot Park on Friday.

Timaru trainers Mel and Warwick Coles have already secured two wins from her five starts, with her only unplaced run coming in the Listed Welcome S. in November.

“She ran sixth in the Welcome Stakes and she went very well,” Mel Coles said. “She went very close in her two runner-up performances as well.

“I am happy with her heading into Friday. She has come back really well, she is a great eater and does everything right.

“She has drawn barrier three, which will suit her. I am not too sure how she will handle a heavy track, but I can’t see why she won’t.”

Coles has big aspirations with Chokito this spring, culminating with a tilt at the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600 metres) at Riccarton in November.

Stablemate Button (NZ) (Ego {NZ}) will also contest the Ascot Park race.