Cox Plate

The obstacles were already considerable for three-time reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) long before connections of the 44 runners for Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting took their seats for Thursday's morning barrier draw in the Sha Tin parade ring. Already a nine-time Group 1 winner and victorious in 25 of his 29 career starts, the 8-year-old has not started since defeating Beauty Joy (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) in the G1 Champions Mile in late April, a 224-day hiatus. Only twice in his...

Kicking off the World Pool meetings, last weekend's Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington drew HK$133.4 million (approx. A$26.6 million) in wagering. The card consisted of five races from Flemington combined with four from Newmarket and one, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano, from San Isidro. Defending G1 Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip took the featured G1 Turnbull S. The combined Win pool on the five World Pool races (A$6,545,489.82) was almost nine times the combined pool on the five non-World Pool races with the Victorian tote ($743,831.06). Meanwhile, the combined Duet (Quinella...

The GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, slated for Saturday, Aug. 5 at Saratoga, will offer the winner an automatic berth into the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, the New York Racing Association, Inc. and Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) announced Wednesday. The new partnership will provide the winner of the Saratoga Derby, a 1 3/16-mile test for sophomores, a place in the starting gate for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Oct. 28 at Moonee Valley in Victoria, Australia, with winning connections afforded subsidies for transportation and accommodation. In 2021, the Joseph O'Brien-trained State...

New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), the 40-1 runner-up behind Native Trail (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the 2022 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, will be gelded and will ultimately continue his career under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Australia after being acquired by Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock following a lengthy courtship. Trained in England by Sheila Lavery for her brother John, the £65,000 Tattersalls Goresbridge breezer won his maiden at first asking in June 2021, his lone victory to date, but he has run with credit...

Carrot Farm's Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), who fell victim to a stinging late rush from Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Satuski Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) Apr. 16, got first run on that favoured foe in the long Tokyo straight and found the wire a neck to the good, dashing any hope for a Triple Crown for 2023. Heart's Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was a strong third at longshot odds, but the race was marred by the death of Carrot Farm's second betting choice Skilfing...

In a little over a decade, Henry Field has built Newgate into one of the leading stallion operations in Australia and a force to be reckoned with on the international thoroughbred playing field.    Foxwedge got the stallion arm of the operation up and running in 2012 and, since then, the roster has grown exponentially, with Capitalist and Extreme Choice some of the more recent additions to the farm.    In this week's Q&A, Field explained the key principals that helped him build Newgate into what it is today, discussed...

New Zealand-born, but Australian-based jockey James McDonald easily outdistanced Ryan Moore to be named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2022. McDonald will be honoured at a ceremony during the gala dinner for the Longines Hong Kong International Races Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races...

Connections of the Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) have bolstered their chances of winning the race that stops a nation by securing the services of local jockey Kerrin McEvoy. A three-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider, McEvoy, who has a close relationship with Deauville Legend's owner Bon Ho, will take over from regular rider Daniel Muscutt. Trainer James Ferguson has arrived in Australia early to see his former inmate and breakthrough Group 1 scorer El Bodegan (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) tackle Saturday's Cox Plate on debut for Chris...

Joseph O'Brien has revealed that State Of Rest has been retired to stud after Racing Victoria found an issue in an MRI scan that would prevent him travelling to Australia to defend his Cox Plate crown.  The four-time Group/Grade 1 hero was last seen finishing down the field in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the O'Brien team feel that the issue that presented itself in the MRI scan was to blame for that poor performance.  State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Repose {Quiet American}) shot to prominence when...

Real World (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is being prepared for a campaign in Australia later in the year after Saeed bin Suroor's 5-year-old featured among the 169 entries for the Cox Plate which takes place on Oct. 22 at Moonee Valley. Real World has chased home Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) twice over a mile this term and was set to compete over a-mile-and-a-quarter in the Eclipse before being ruled out of the Sandown showpiece late in the day. Bin Suroor is taking his time with the six-time winner...

A deal has been struck for globetrotting star State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Repose by Quiet American), who added to his truly unique record of Group 1 triumphs when battling to Prix Ganay glory at ParisLongchamp on Sunday, to stand at Rathbarry Stud once his racing days are finished. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, State Of Rest won the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational S. before beating the best of the Australians in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last season. His reappearance win at ParisLongchamp hardened his reputation as one...

Last orders are being called for the European Flat turf season. Cheltenham and Aintree have been knocking loudly on the door but there are still some important scores to settle on the level, and in Paris, where this correspondent was fortunate enough to be billeted this weekend, the major Group 1 action was conducted in a blaze of life-affirming autumnal glory that may almost sustain us until the spring. The four Group 1 races around the world on Saturday, in England, France and Australia, went to the offspring of Irish-based...