Mark Newnham to Hong Kong
Sydney trainer Mark Newnham who has boxes at Randwick and Warwick Farm, has been announced as the latest trainer to be granted a licence to train in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Licensing Committee meeting held on February 3, 2023, resolved to grant Mark Newham a trainer’s license for the 2023/24 racing season.
Mark Newnham
Newnham has been involved with several Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainers, including Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse. Working with some of the best horses those trainers produced, including Beau Zam (NZ), Pierro, Sky Chase (NZ), and Melbourne Cup winners Kingston Rule (USA) and Fiorente (Ire).
Newnham took out his training license in 2016 and has been a familiar figure in the ultra-competitive Sydney championship’s top 10 with his stable producing standout performers Shadow Hero (Pierro), Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile), and Nakeeta Jane (So You Think {NZ}), among nearly 400 career-wins, including over 40 at black-type level.
American Pharoah double at Kembla Grange
The Champion US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA), a son of Pioneerof The Nile (USA), sired a double at Kembla Grange, including Friday’s feature winner of the G3 Kembla Grange Classic.
In the fifth race of the day, American Pharoah’s 4-year-old daughter Auspicious Cloud brought win three for trainer John Thompson, winning the Assett Professional Services Kembla Grange Stayers Cup BM68 H. by 0.50l
Auspicious Cloud was a $160,000 purchase by Zhongli Racing at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when consigned by Edinglassie Stud.
The mare’s win was followed by an electric performance by the 3-year-old filly in Pavitra in the G3 Kembla Grange Classic over 1600 metres, the daughter of American Pharoah brought up her maiden stakes victory.
Brave Smash juvenile winner at Pakenham
Aquis Farm’s promising first-season sire Brave Smash (Jpn) posted his fourth individual winner when his 2-year-old son Brave Mead saluted the judge at Pakenham on Thursday evening.
Brave Smash (Jpn) | Standing at Aquis Farm
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt was having his second career start in the 1200-metre maiden. With John Allen aboard, Brave Mead gave his rivals a galloping lesson coming away to win by 4.5l.
Brave Mead was a $90,000 purchase by Ciaron Maher Racing when offered by Lustre Lodge in the 2021 Inglis July (Early) Online Sale.
Kissonallforcheeks withdrawn from the autumn
Trainer Daniel Morton released a statement regarding his talented daughter of Written Tycoon, Kissonallforcheeks.
Morton has advised that the 5-year-old mare will be withdrawn from all engagements this autumn, which was set to include $4 million The Quokka at Ascot on April 15. Kissonallforcheeks was due to represent her trainer Daniel Morton who holds a slot for the rich event. Kissonallforcheeks has been diagnosed with a throat infection requiring medical treatment and rest.
It is indicated that provided she recovers adequately; the mare will be seen during the spring in Melbourne and Perth’s “The Pinnacles” Racing carnival.
John Leek Jnr to face charges
Racing Victoria stewards advised on Friday that John Leek Jnr will face two charges after his galloper Fengarada (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) returned a positive swab of the anti-inflammatory phenylbutazone.
Leek Jnr was charged under AR 240, covering prohibited substances; following confirmation, the positive to phenylbutazone was confirmed by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory.
The second charge under AR 104 concerning the keeping of treatment records will be heard by the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.
John Leek Jnr | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Racing Victoria stewards on Friday said the urine sample taken from Fengarada at Swan Hill on September 9 last year occurred before the scheduled race time as the meeting had been abandoned due to inclement weather.
Leek Jnr was disappointed to be charged as he was adamant Fengarada had not been treated with a prohibited substance in the days leading up to the race, he told Racing.com.
Jason Holder eyes Adelaide Cup win
South Australian jockey and trainer Jason Holder and Leon Macdonald will combine in the G2 Adelaide Cup on Monday.
Holder will ride the Macdonald-trained Wheels (NZ), a daughter of Shocking, an emerging stayer from New Zealand that joined the Macdonald and Gluyas stable late last year.
Holder hopes to give the trainer, who has supplied more than 300 of Holder's 2000-odd career wins, a maiden success in the G2 Adelaide Cup over 3200 metres.
“To win it for Leon Macdonald especially would be great.
“I've always wanted to win a Group 1 for Leon, so to win an Adelaide Cup would be just as special,” Holder told Racing.com.
“He was my master as an apprentice, and I'm still riding for him now. We came close to that Group 1 win with Dalasan in the G1 South Australian Derby a few years ago.”
Wheels has won her last two starts over 2000 metres at Morphettville and 2500 metres at Murray Bridge and has drawn barrier four.
“I'm pleased with barrier four; I can ride her where she's comfortable. I'm looking forward to riding her.”
Another winner for Russian Revolution
Newgate’s young sire sensation Russian Revolution's hot start to the season continued on Friday at Ipswich when Russian Alliance scored a second career victory in the QTIS 2-year-old Class 1 Plate.
Russian Revolution | Standing at Newgate Farm
The filly, trained by Kevin Kemp, beat her rivals by 2l. She was a $65,000 yearling purchase by Paul Reedy from the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2 when offered by Noble Bend Farm.
This season Russian Revolution has had 25 2-year-old runners for eight individual winners and 11 wins overall.
Forsman hoping stars align home and away
Andrew Forsman will be hoping gifted 2-year-old Ethereal Star (Snitzel) can deliver a winning top-flight lead on Saturday for her older stablemate Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh).
The daughter of Snitzel will represent Forsman in the G1 Sistema S. over 1200 metres at Pukekohe.
In Australia, the 4-year-old Vanbrugh mare Mustang Valley will take her place in the G1 Coolmore Classic over 1500 metres at Rosehill.
Ethereal Star has impressed and pleasantly surprised connections this season with her debut second, followed by victory in the Listed Challenge S. over 1100 metres and a runner-up performance in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO Classic over 1200 metres.
“Right through, we didn't necessarily think she would do what she has; I always thought she might make a nice autumn 2-year-old and set her up to pack in the spring as a 3-year-old,” Forsman said.
“What she has done is down to natural ability, and we've nursed her along as best as we can.
“She trialled well the other day, and now it's up to her, and hopefully, she's got one more good run in her,” Forsman added.
Ethereal Star tuned up for the weekend at the recent Avondale trials, where she finished second in an 800-metre heat.
Batting for the away team is Mustang Valley, and Forsman said he thought long and hard about her participation in the G1 Coolmore Classic before confirming a start from a wide alley on a likely Good four surface.
“She'll go back from the draw (11), but there looks to be a bit of speed in the race.
“She's going to need some luck, and if she gets a drag into it at the right time, then I'm sure she'll be competitive.”
The G1 Livamol Classic winner gave a solid but luckless last-start account of herself when third in the G2 Guy Walter S. at Royal Randwick and has done exceptionally well since.
New Zealanders prominent in world rankings
Friday saw the release of the latest Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings.
Following the first three months of racing in 2023, New Zealand-sourced gelding Golden Sixty, a son of Medaglia D'Oro (USA), sits atop the rankings with a rating of 125 after his victory over Romantic Warrior (Ire) in the G1 Stewards' Cup before repeating the dose in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup.
Golden Sixty was sold through Sam Beatson's Riversley Park for NZ$300,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
Golden Sixty | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
New Zealand bred 4-year-old Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) has been a revelation in Hong Kong, winning nine of his 13 starts for Manfred Man, and has been awarded a rating of 119.
Meaning the Luigi Muollo-bred Lucky Sweynesse holds equal 10th best racehorse in the world alongside Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) and Country Grammer (USA).
The Mark Walker-trained Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) was undefeated in her three starts in New Zealand this year before her narrow defeat in the G1 Canterbury S. in Sydney last weekend.
She received a rating of 117, ranking her as the 18th best racehorse in the world alongside New Zealand breds I Wish I Win (NZ) and Mo'unga (NZ), both sons of Waikato's eight-time Champion Sire Savabeel.
Camino Rocoso ready for Cup challenge
Co-trainers John and Karen Parsons will send their son of Shocking, Camino Rocoso (NZ), to Sunday’s AON Insurance Brokers and AB Lime Wyndham Cup over 2000 metres at Gore.
The 9-year-old's Cup haul sits at eight, with his latest addition being the Greymouth Cup (2000 metres) in January.
Co-trainers John and Karen Parsons were pleased with Camino Rocoso’s fourth-place finish in the Banks Peninsula Cup over 1800 metres at Riccarton last month and have decided to make the 14-hour round trip to Gore for Sunday’s assignment.
“He went alright last start, and he’d have to be going well to go all that way down there,” Co-trainer Karen Parsons said.
“They tell me Humbucker is the horse to beat, but I am happy with my horse.”
Camino Rocoso has been allotted 60.5kg with jockey Jason Laking aboard.
“He is carrying a bit of weight. He is always up at the top weight; he never gets any relief.”
The Parsons haven’t made any set plans with their evergreen galloper and will wait to see how he comes through his weekend run before eyeing his next challenge.
“We will just take each day as it comes,” Parsons said.
Pink Lloyd honoured in Canada
The Ontario Jockey Club S. will now be known as the Pink Lloyd S., in recognition of one of Canada’s greatest all-time sprinters.
The first edition of the Pink Lloyd S., an Ontario-sired stake, is set for June 4.
For 4-year-olds and upward over 6f, the Woodbine Tapeta carries a CAD$100,000 (AU$109,600) purse.
Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Robert Tiller campaigned the champion son of Old Forester (USA) throughout an outstanding career.
Pink Lloyd (Can) was awarded 2017 Canadian Horse of The Year, eight Sovereign Awards, 29 wins, 26 at the stakes level, and US$1,900,600 (AU$2.88 million) in earnings.
