13 for Too Darn Hot
Blue Point – In breaking his maiden over five furlongs at Navan on Thursday, the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Francis Meynell (2 c ex Dame Hester by Diktat) handed Darley’s first-season sire Blue Point (Shamardal) his 31st individual first-crop winner. Represented by 79 starters in the northern hemisphere, Blue Point is standing his fourth season at Darley’s... Read More
What about 2040 metres?
Aided by a great ride by Craig Williams, tough-as-teak Mr Brightside (Bullbars) played his part by defying his class rivals in Saturday’s Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m). Easy to spot after the event, the ratings listed Mr Brightside, I Wish I Win (Savabeel) and Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) each rated at 116. The next... Read More
‘Wonderful positivity’ as NZB releases Ready to Run catalogue
Graduate success and a buoyant domestic industry raises confidence as auction house reveals 383-lot line-up New Zealand Bloodstock yesterday released its catalogue for their Ready to Run Sale carrying the confidence that the auction, already widely regarded as the leading southern hemisphere sale of its kind, is in a position of ever-growing strength. The two-day... Read More
Ongoing quality proves anything but elusive
After a successful Saturday where his son won the Memsie Stakes and his half-brother won the Tramway Stakes, By The Numbers looks at Bullbars and his own influential sire Elusive Quality. When Darley ramped-up its investment in Australia in 2003, standing ten stallions on its newly acquired Hunter Valley property, Kelvinside, topping the roster was... Read More
Arrowfield look to Everest slot holders for Concorde winner Remarque
Leading Hunter stud to seek alternative parties having already snapped up Mazu for $20 million race at Randwick Arrowfield Stud appears likely to strike a deal with a rival slot holder to ensure their sprinter Remarque (Snitzel) takes his place in the $20 million The Everest (1200m), a race looking firmly on his horizon after... Read More
Champion sprinter Nature Strip retired
Having run down the field in yesterday’s Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Randwick, legendary sprinter Nature Strip (Nicconi) has been retired by his trainer Chris Waller and connections. Waller announced the news shortly after the running of the Group 3 sprint, convening a spontaneous press conference to confirm the decision. Standing alongside Nature Strip’s... Read More