Blue Gum’s Smith takes top honour at Stud and Stable Staff Awards

Wendy Smith has been named as this year’s Thoroughbred Excellence Award winner, the highest honour bestowed at the annual Stud And Stable Staff Awards, supported by Godolphin, in a ceremony held virtually last night. Smith, Blue Gum Farm’s yearling manager, joins David Merrick, Joe Agresta, Jeremy Rogers, Jenny Watson and Mark Newnham as a winner... Read More

Stradivarius aims for three in a row

The three-year-olds and the stayers take centre stage on day three at Royal Ascot.  Four of the seven races are to be contested by the three-year-olds, of which three are handicaps, while Stradivarius will look to become just the third horse in history to win three Gold Cups in a row.   Golden Gates Handicap... Read More

Group 3 victory for son of Atlantic Jewel

Russian Emperor (Galileo), the third foal produced by four-time Group 1 winner Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock), added even more black type to an already outstanding pedigree when winning the Hampton Court Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 2f) at Royal Ascot yesterday. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Russian Emperor settled at the tail of the field outside his... Read More

Royal Ascot Wrap – Day 2

42 for Dubawi The impressive performance by Lord North (4 g ex Najoum by Giant’s Causeway) in landing yesterday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 2f) provided Darley sire Dubawi (Dubai Millennium) with his 42nd individual Group 1 winner. Among Dubawi’s haul of elite-level winners is Caulfield Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Benbatl, the... Read More

Gooree Park principal Cojuangco dies at 85

Stud manager Baddock pays tribute to the Filipino businessman who devoted four decades to Australian racing and breeding Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr, an Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee who developed Mudgee’s Gooree Park into one of the leading operations in the country, died on Tuesday aged 85, it was announced yesterday.  His death was... Read More

Third time lucky for Battaash in King’s Stand

Runner-up in the last two editions of the race, Battaash (Dark Angel) finally landed a well-deserved victory in the King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) at Royal Ascot yesterday, the fourth elite-level win of his career. Battaash had finished second to Blue Point (Shamardal) in the race in 2018 and 2019 but with the entire... Read More