Under a desert moon on Sunday night they will be arch enemies.

  Until then, the Australian Niconero and Tuesday Joy are looking after each other as strangers abroad in Dubai.
   Trainer David Hayes in particular is pleased to have the company of the Gai Waterhouse-trained mare for Niconero, a horse who has disappointed in previous trips abroad.
   The five-time Group One winner ran in Dubai two years ago and barely got warm.
   But his trainer decided the eight-year-old deserved another chance after beating another Waterhouse runner, Theseo in the Australian Cup.
   “I’d stamped his passport ‘never to travel’ after the last time,” Hayes said.
   “But he’s in the best form of his life and if any horse deserves another chance he does.”
   Both Niconero and Tuesday Joy will run in the Dubai Duty Free (1777m) on Sunday night’s World Cup program.
   While neither is a top fancy for the race – they are both quoted at 25-1 with English bookies - Hayes believes they could surprise some of the better credentialled runners.
     “The thing about this trip is that my horse has some company,” Hayes said.
   “The quarantine quarters over in Dubai can be very lonely for a horse if they’re on their own.
   “He fretted badly last time, and they fret they don’t eat, and if they don’t eat they lose weight and you have no chance.
   “This time he has Gai’s mare to keep him company and he’s a lot happier.”
   Favoruite for the Duty Free is the English galloper Paco Boy who has come in for sensational backing in the UK, one punter plunging 10,000 pounds in a cash bet on the Richard Hannon-trained runner.
   The American entrant Albertus Maximus continues to hold favouritism for the US$6 million World Cup (2000m) at 2-1, ahead of the Mike de Kock-trained Asiatic Boy.

   The Group 1 Dubai Duty Free is traditionally the hardest race to call on Dubai World Cup night and this year is no different.  Pundits can make a decent case for 11 horses to come up trumps, with last year’s victory for rank outsider Jay Peg at massive odds not helping the confidence of punters trying to pick the winner.
   But the form of last year’s race worked out spectacularly in subsequent Group 1 triumphs.
   Jay Peg, pictured left, who is entered for the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup in Hong Kong in April, followed up his shock victory by taking the SIA Cup at Kranji, ahead of that reliable international yardstick Balius.
“He always takes a couple of runs to get fit, so hopefully he should be spot on for the night now,” commented Herman Brown, whose stable star has run twice at the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival.
Third and fourth in the 2008 Dubai Duty Free, Archipenko and Vodka could claim to have been unlucky or unsuited to the pace of the race 12 months ago, and will go into this as worthy market principals. 
Mike De Kock’s Archipenko won last year’s Audemars Piguet QEII Cup at Sha Tin, ahead of local idol Viva Pataca and Helene Mascot, and was an unlucky, fast-finishing second in the Arlington Million after picking up a tough Group 2 at Ascot. His global heroics stand up in a number of form strands and the 1777 metres may well be his optimum trip.
     De Kock, whose star could bid to repeat his heroics at Sha Tin on April 26, commented: “He will come on a lot for his first run (when winning in February) as he was certainly not fully wound up. He is a classy performer though and we will go to the Duty Free very hopeful of a big run.”
    Champions Mile entrant Vodka’s form in the past year has also been rock solid, much better than when going into this race last year. She’s been in the frame in six high-class contests since then, winning the Tenno Sho and Yasuda Kinen.
Her prep run didn’t go to plan after a curious ride from Yutaka Take, but she travelled serenely until hitting a wall of traffic. But in terms of bringing her to a peak, this would have done just the job for trainer Katsuhiko Sumii: The mare must be seriously feared.
Neither Vodka (pictured left) or Archipenko is the highest-rated horse in the field though. That honour goes to Paco Boy, also entered for the Hong Kong meeting in the Champions Mile on April 26, after he ran out a three-length winner of the G1 Prix De La Foret at Longchamp in October.
      While a massive improver throughout his three-year-old career that victory was over 1400m, and Paco Boy has never won at any distance beyond that. Stamina worries played on trainer Richard Hannon’s mind before electing to take his chance and, therefore, his charge should be regarded with caution in a lofty market position against a crack field.
    “He’s flying and working super,” said Richard Hannon jnr, the trainer’s son and assistant.
   Balius has direct form lines just behind Jay Peg, and was an excellent second to Eagle Mountain in December’s Hong Kong Cup and again has strong claims. He is another that could also return to Sha Tin for the QEII next month.
   The narrow 2007 Hong Kong Mile runner-up Creachadoir would be in with a shout on previous form, but has it all to do since being off the track with injury since last May.
    Of the Godolphin hope, who also holds an entry for the Champions Mile, trainer Saeed Bin Suroor said: “He was injured before Royal Ascot and missed the rest of the year but has come back well and has been in good form at home.”
    Australia is represented by Niconero and Tuesday Joy, winners of five and four Group 1 races respectively, and who could both head for the QEII.
    As such those looking for an outsider to make the frame should consider the relatively unexposed Gladiatorus. A smart juvenile in Italy he was injured for 15 months before resurfacing in style at this year’s carnival with a stunning win in the Al Fahidi Fort.

*Photos courtesy of Dubai Racing Club

Albert Maximus (ex Chasethewildwind by Forty Niner)

The connections of 2007 Dubai World Cup winner Invasor look to be in pole position to repeat the celebrations two years on with America’s big hope Albertus Maximus .  
    Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum team up with the classy five-year-old, who the former believes has what it takes to win the world’s richest race, valued at US$6m.
   The son of Albert The Great won the Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream back in January, a race which has thrown up four previous winners of the Dubai World Cup.
“I wouldn’t trade places with anybody. I feel like he’s the horse to beat,” McLaughlin said.
“This is a very professional racehorse. We might get beaten, but they’ll have to run a tremendous race to beat this horse. He’s just doing fabulous.”
  
  His main rival looks to be last year’s runner-up Asiatic Boy (ARG) (Not For Sale - S S Asiatic by Polish Navy), trained by South African maestro Mike De Kock.
The six-year-old looks right on track following his comfortable win in the Group 2 Maktoum Challenge Round 3 at Nad Al Sheba earlier this month – a race which has proved the best local guide over the years, with three winners going on to Dubai World Cup glory.
    De Kock said: “He will come on for that run and there is hopefully more to come.
“His preparation has gone as well as we could have hoped and we are well on target.”
      Asiatic Boy only finished a head in front of Well Armed  in the 2000m showpiece on dirt 12 months ago.    

Well Armed (Tiz Now - Well Dressed by Notebook)

Haling from America, who have landed seven Dubai World Cups out of 13, Well Armed has been in great form on synthetic tracks in the US.
Trainer Eoin Harty said: “I’m confident my horse can compete. He’s still in top form and there’s no Curlin in there like last year. I don’t know if he’ll win, but I think he’ll run very respectably.”
The home challenge is led by Godolphin, who have an excellent record in the race with five previous winners.
Their hopes this year lie with My Indy, who has scored two from two at Nad Al Sheba this Carnival, including victory in the Group 3 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2.
Saeed bin Suroor, the Godolphin trainer, commented: “My Indy is a very tough horse who always tries his best. He has come on well from his first victory of the year and we hope he can improve further.”
The UAE is also represented by Happy Boy, who has been rejuvenated by his new trainer Mubarak Bin Shafya to finish second behind My Indy and then Asiatic Boy.
Japan’s hopes of a first Dubai World Cup lie with Casino Drive, who was a sharp second in the one-mile, Grade 1 February Stakes at Tokyo on February 22.
Breeders’ Cup-winning form is represented by the Marathon winner Muhannak, who was fifth on his UAE debut on March 5, having previously finished seventh to Doctor Dino in the Hong Kong Vase in December.
The international flavour of the race is enhanced by the French-trained Gloria De Campeao, eighth last year, and the Saudi Arabian raider but rank outsider Joe Louis.

*Photos courtesy of Dubai Racing Club

    Queensland Racing chairman Bob Bentley has announced the purchase of the Wadham Park equine training complex and a veterinary hospital at Beaudesert south of Brisbane.
  Wadham Park is - 66 hectares of flood-free land that features two grass tracks (2200m & 2000m) a 2000m synthetic track and a 1400m sand track, along with sand rolls and round yards.  The fabulous facility also has two pools (50m & 75m swimming pool); two water walkers, three  eight-horse walkers and  two 16-horse walkers.
  Bentley commented: “Wadham Park will ensure South-East Queensland has up-to-date training facilities to accommodate continued expansion of the racing industry. This new initiative will take pressure off existing facilities at the Gold Coast, Beaudesert and Deagon, which are currently overtaxed & in less than optimal condition. The contract to purchase Wadham Park follows the recent decision to approve the newly formed Brisbane Racing Club’s application to build on-course stables at Eagle Farm. The BRC’s decision on balance will be sufficient to accommodate the metropolitan training needs. It is expected that Wadham Park, when fully developed, will provide stabling & training facilities for 700 horses & will provide a huge employment boost to this area of Queensland. QR will develop a five-year plan to fully develop this facility & will provide Queensland with a training centre equivalent to what is currently enjoyed by the Victorian racing industry. In addition it is QR’s intention to establish Wadham Park as the Queensland industry’s training centre to ensure that modern, professional, scientific skills are delivered to a new generation of industry workers in addition to the accommodation of 700 horses on site. Wadham Park is ideally situated, being in close proximity to the regional high schools of Beaudesert, Boonah, Canungra & Jimboomba. These schools are already providing a comprehensive agricultural curriculum, but lack dedicated facilities to complement the students’ enthusiasm for the industry in providing future horse technicians, trackwork riders & jockeys. The securing of Wadham Park will allow the transfer of QR’s already successful training department to take advantage of this exceptional resource base.”
    Bentley anticipates the handover will take place on July 1 and it is intended to have each facility up-and-running as soon as possible.

Trainer Stephen McKee will keep New Zealand mare Culminate in Sydney for one more run following her gallant second to Typhoon Tracy in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill last weekend.
    McKee had been in two minds about running the mare again, but has confirmed her next assignment will be the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 4.
   Culminate conceded Typhoon Tracy 5kg in Saturday’s race in which she hit the front inside the 300m only to be outgunned in the run to the line in the final 100m.
    McKee was delighted with Culminate’s effort, considering his belief that she had some 2kg more than she deserved.
    Culminate now has four placings at Group 1 level to go alongside her success in the Group 1 Otaki-Maori Weight-For-Age at Otaki last month.
   She has finished in the first three in 19 of her 22 starts.
   It is expected Damien Oliver will retain the mount on Culminate in the Queen of the Turf.

 One of New Zealand’s leading thoroughbred nurseries has announced significant reductions in service fees for some off the regions best-credentialled stallions. (more…)

   Early signs indicate next month’s Audemars Piguet QEII Cup and Champions Mile will lure several of the world’s best thoroughbreds to Hong Kong’s famous Sha Tin racecourse.   Forming one of the most prestigious occasions on the international racing calendar, the international Group 1 double is set for 26 April and both races have attracted 478 entries from 23 racing authorities at the close of first nominations.
 
  Supported for the eleventh year by the master Swiss watchmakers, the HK$14m Audemars Piguet QEII Cup is the season’s springtime showcase. Over the past decade, the race has gone from strength to strength, won by an array of champions from South Africa, Japan, France, Germany and Hong Kong. 
  This season, 21 Group 1 winners from around the world stand out from 80 entries, chief among them the last two titleholders, Archipenko and Viva Pataca, and the reigning Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup and Vase heroes, Eagle Mountain and Doctor Dino respectively. 
    The first five past the post in last year’s Audemars Piguet QEII Cup are among the entries with runner-up Balius - since second in the Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup and winner of the Jebel Hatta in Dubai last week – and Packing Winner and Quijano also being primed for a return. 
  Other prominent entries include the prolific Niconero and Tuesday Joy, respective winners of five and four Group 1 races in Australia and Jay Peg, successful in both the Dubai Duty Free and the Singapore Airlines International Cup last year. 
  Collection, the favourite for the Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby on 22 March, is a new and exciting entry among the local names. 
  A restructuring of the Asian Mile Challenge bonus system and a 50 per cent cash injection to HK$12m looks set to ensure a strong field for the Champions Mile. 
  Almost 400 entries featuring 52 Group 1 stars have been received, nevertheless, last year’s winner and dual Cathay Pacific Hong Kong champion Good Ba Ba sets the standard, particularly over a course and distance at which he has recorded ten victories. 
  Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year is on course for a rematch with one of his old foes in Creachadoir, the horse he narrowly beat in the Cathay Pacific Mile of 2007 and who has not raced since winning the Lockinge Stakes (Gr.1) last May. 
    Another notable potential rival is Vodka, a resounding winner of last year’s Yasuda Kinen en route to being crowned the first female to win the JRA Horse of the Year crown in over a decade. Vodka will next start in the Dubai Duty Free. 
     Assessed the equal of Good Ba Ba in the 2008 World Thoroughbred Rankings at a rating of 124, Paco Boy, trained in Britain, is the leading European entrant; multiple Group 1 winners Light Fantastic and Racing To Win are among several possible starters from Australia and the same goes for Mike de Kock’s top class South African pairing of Kildonan and Russian Sage. 
  Supplementary entries for both races close on Tuesday, 7 April with selections announced the following day. Declarations to run are due Thursday, 23 April.

Alan Porter has a look at the Caulfield Cup winner, Master O’Reilly. (more…)

Just three starts into the campaign, Devil Moon has stamped herself as one to watch in the major events of the 2007-08 campaign. She finished-up last Autumn with a hat-trick of wins in the H. C. Nitschke Stakes, Port Adelaide Guineas and Auraria Stakes (G3), before ending her year with a third in the Australian Oaks (G1), her first attempt at 2000m. This year after a first up run over 1200m., Devil Moon has added the Let’s Elope Stakes (G3) and W. H. Stocks Stakes (G2).

Devil Moon

Devil Moon is a member of the first Southern Hemisphere crop sired by King Cugat. An extremely well-bred horse – he is by Kingmambo out of a half-sister to Seeking the Gold – King Cugat was a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed on the turf at two, and the following year matured into the leading U.S. turf middle-distance performer of his generation. At that age he won five black-type events, including the Jamaica Handicap (G2), Bowling Green Handicap (G3), Arlington Classic (G3) and Crown Royal American Turf Stakes (G3), he also took second in four grade one events. In the Northern Hemisphere, King Cugat has three stakes winners from his first two crops: the Arlington Classic Stakes (G3) winner, Kingship; Display and Charlie Barley Stakes winner Seaside Retreat; and the El Cajon Stakes winner Latin Rhythms.
   Devil Moon is out of the New Zealand-bred Classy Babe. This daughter of Masterclass, was a three time winner between 1100 and 1250m., and earned black-type with a third in the Port Adelaide Stakes. Classy Babe was half-sister to Skybeau, winner of the Rain Lover Stakes, two renewals of the Birthday Cup (G3), and also runner up in two runnings of the Adelaide Cup (G3). The grandam, Beaumont Babe – a daughter of Sky Diver – gained a graded win in the Escort Cup (G3), and is half-sister to the Irwin Stakes (G2) winner, Montrose Lass. We don’t find anything particularly outstanding in the next couple of generations of Devil Moon’s female line, but her sixth and seventh dams, Gold Flight and Francolin were major New Zealand tap-root mares. Among the notables descending from Gold Flight are Railway Handicap (G1) winners Ajasco and Silver Liner; South African grade one winners Hoeberg and Petrava; Metropolitan Handicap (G1) hero Victory Smile; and Australian Derby, VRC Oaks and Queensland Oaks victress Show Ego. Other stars descending from Francolin are Queensland Oaks winner Winnipeg; Loughanure, who took the Auckland Sires Produce Stakes; and Oakleigh Plate (G1) winner Turf Ruler and her Perth Cup winning son, Philomel.
    Devil Moon is one of three stakes winners bred on the cross of Kingmambo and mares from the male-line of The Minstrel, the others being Kingmambo’s English group winning son, Governor Brown, and English listed winner Army of Angels, a son of King’s Best. It’s no surprise that this cross works well: The Minstrel has been a good foil for Mr. Prospector in general, and Kingmambo has also done well with mares descending from The Minstrel’s three-parts-brother, Nijinsky II, this cross producing group and grade one winners Tawqeet, Russian Rhythm, Alkaased and Rule of Law.

The week Alan Porter looks that the pedigree of Apache Cat. (more…)

MISS ANDRETTI (Ihtiram – Peggie’s Bid by Marooned)  (more…)

A hugely successful 2007 Magic Millions carnival featured a thrilling climax with a three-way photo finish to the Jupiter Two-Year-Old Magic Millions Classic. The $170,000 purchase, Mimi Le Brock fought gallantly to hold off the colt Husson Lightning by a short neck, with Royal Asscher just a long neck back in third.

Mimi Le Brock

Mimi Le Brock  is a member of the second crop sired by Glenlogan Park’s Brave Warrior stallion, Show a Heart. An ace miler Show a Heart won six of 33 starts, including the Caulfield Guineas (G1), Stradbroke Handicap (G1), Toorak Handicap (G1), T. J. Smith Stakes (G1) and Doomben Slipper Stakes. He was the Champion Australian Freshman Sire of 2005-2006, with a first crop which including the stakes winning La Vie Amour. His second crop of juveniles includes not only Mimi Lebrock, but also the New Zealand filly Crossyourheart, who is currently three-for-three, including a win in the Counties Challenge Stakes.
   Mimi Lebrock is out of God Love It, a one time winner by the short-lived St. Covet. God Love It is half-sister to Lord Sreva, a Vaguely Noble son who captured the Hawthorne Budweiser Breedrs’ Cup Handicap (G3) in the U.S., and to the Irish stakes placed Generous filly, Renge. God Love It’s dam, Lyphard’s Lady, is a much-travelled daughter of Lyphard. Born in the U.S., she first raced in France, where she won once and took second in the listed Prix de Saint-Cyr, and she also won in the U.S., and took second in the Alameda County Fillies and Mares Handicap and third in the James Wiggins Handicap. After producing several foals in the U.S., she arrived in Australia in the mid 1990s.
  Miss Francesca, the dam of Lyphard’s Lady, was a well-performed daughter of Raise a Native, who won the San Clemente Stakes, and also took third’s in the Del Mar Oaks (G3) and Santa Ynez Stakes (G3). Miss Francesca never produced a stakes winner, but her Graustark daughter, Miss Cenyak, produced the California-bred stakes winner Affordable Price, dam of three stakes winners, and grandam of three others, including the Fifth Season Stakes (G3) winner Mauk Four. Affordable Price’s half-sisters Bisbee and No Extra Charge also produced minor stakes winners. Meanwhile, Miss Cenyak’s half-sister, Cescade’s Dream, was imported to Australia, where she produced the Balcrest Stakes winner Wake Me Note (by Southern Appeal) and also became grandam of Echo Maid (by Made of Gold), winner of the Northland Breeders Stakes.
   Mimi Le Brock owns a very interesting pedigree pattern. By a great-grandson of Bletchingly out of a mare by a grandson of Luskin Star, she is an extended Star Kingdom/Star Kingdom cross. The Bletchingly/Luskin Star version of this cross has previously come up with the Galaxy Stakes (G1) and Doomben Cup (G1) winner Accomplice (by a son of Bletchingly out of a mare by St. Covet’s sire, Covetous). We can note that both Biscay (sire of Bletchingly) and Kaoru Star (sire of Luskin Star) are by Star Kingdom, and have Bahram close up in the pedigree. Biscay, Bletchingly and Luskin Star also all have Fair Trial, and Luskin Star has Fair Trial’s genetic relative Tudor Minstrel.
  As far as Mimi Le Brock is concerned, the story doesn’t end there.  Here Show A Hear’s sire, Brave Warrior, is out of Nothing to Do, who in turn is by a son of Northern Dancer (Nijinsky II) out of a mare by Raise a Native. When we look at Lyphard’s Lady, the grandam of Mimi Le Brock, we see that she is also out of a mare by a son of Northern Dancer (Lyphard) out of mare by Raise a Native. So both the grandsire and the dam of Mimi Le Brock are by Star Kingdom line stallions out of mares bred on a Northern Dancer/Raise a Native cross.

This week Alan Porter looks at the pedigree of Melbourne Cup winner, Delta Blues. (more…)

Although racing in New Zealand and Australia is frequently dominated by imported sires, and shuttle stallions and their offspring, there are some sire lines which are unique to this part of the world. One of those is the branch of the Tom Fool line which comes down through Silly Season, through that horse’s imported son, Lunchtime. (more…)

This week Alan Porter looks at the pedigree of the 2006 Preakness Stakes winner, BERNARDINI (A.P. Indy – Cara Rafaela by Quiet American). (more…)

Rags To Riches, winning the Belmont Stakes.

Rags to Riches, the 2007 Belmont Stakes heroine and that year’s US champion three-year-old filly, has given birth to a filly, her first foal, at Ashford Stud in Kentucky earlier this week. Mother and daughter are doing well the farm’s general manager Dermot Ryan told the Blood-Horse magazine.
  (more…)