The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Breeders’ Cup great Goldikova dies at 16
Europe: 14-time G1 winner Goldikova has died at the age of 16, it was confirmed by Pierre-Yves Bureau, manager of the Wertheimer stable in France, which campaigned the outstanding racemare for five seasons across the globe.
Trained by Freddy Head at Chantilly, she became the first horse to win the same Breeders’ Cup race three times when landing the Mile in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and the daughter of Anabaa was voted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Head called her a “one of a kind”, adding that she had “quite a special character” coupled with “an enormous will to do the job” on the track. “I am very sad. She was a very important part of my life,” said the Frenchman.
Alongside the Breeders’ Cup Miles, veteran jockey Olivier Pesslier, who partnered Goldikova in every one of her 27 career starts, remembered her blistering turn of foot in wins in the 2009 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the 2010 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot – which made the Frenchman feel like a “Formula One or a Moto GP guy”. “For a moment I was [seven-times Moto GP world champion] Valentino Rossi when I rode her,” he said.
Injury ends Mucho Gusto’s track career
North America: Mucho Gusto, winner of last year’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Dirt Invitational, has been retired because of a soft-tissue injury. The news comes just days after the shock announcement that another U.S. star, 2020 Belmont and Travers winner Tiz The Law, has also been retired.
The Bob Baffert-trained Mucho Gusto last raced on December 26, when he was fourth in a G2 at Santa Anita, his first run since finishing fourth in the $20 million Saudi Cup in February.
The 5-year-old had been among the highest-profile names in the invitation list just released by The Stronach Group for this year’s Pegasus on January 23 at Gulfstream Park..
The 16 invitees also include stablemate Charlatan, winner of the G1 Malibu on the same card at Santa Anita on December 26, 2019 Travers Stakes winner Code Of Honor and last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile hero Knicks Go.
The invitation list has also been issued for the $1 million G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf will on the same card.
Death of Cheveley Park’s David Thompson
Europe: British racing is mourning the passing of Cheveley Park Stud joint-owner David Thompson, who died of renal failure at the age of 84 last week.
Along with wife Patricia, Thompson, co-founder of Hillsdown Holdings, one of the UK’s largest food businesses, purchased Newmarket’s oldest stud farm in 1975 and the pair have enjoyed huge success both on and off the track.
The Thompsons were recognised for their philanthropic work last year when each were awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.
Cheveley Park’s managing director Chris Richardson said, “David Thompson was a very generous, meticulous, sometimes unpredictable man, who always had a certain charm.
“He inspired everyone with his insatiable enthusiasm for business which, thankfully, included a love of racing and breeding, alongside his wife, Patricia and their family. He had tremendous foresight and would often ask a question, knowing full well the answer.”
Cheveley Park Stud is renowned for its hugely successful band of broodmares and iconic stallion Pivotal, as well as for owning a host of G1 winners on the track, including Russian Rhythm, Queen’s Trust and Persuasive.
Jonathan Sheppard retires from U.S. racing
North America: Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard has announced his retirement from American horse racing, ending a career that has spanned 56 years Stateside. The record 26-time U.S. champion steeplechase trainer will, however, continue to train a small stable this winter in Ireland, where he hopes to register his first winner in Europe.
The 80-year-old, born in Hertfordshire, Southern England, had been based in the U.S. since 1961 and was the first trainer to win the American steeplechase Triple Crown - with Flatterer, who chased home See You Then in the 1987 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
He is the National Steeplechase Association’s all-time leading trainer with 1,242 wins and purse earnings of $24,902,442. The 15-time Eclipse Award winner, behind only D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, also had the distinction of winning a race at Saratoga Racecourse every year for 47 straight years through 2015. He has had considerable success on the flat, where his G1 victories include two at the Breeders’ Cup.
“People undoubtedly will ask why I am retiring now,” Sheppard said. “There’s no one single reason, and the reasons combined to say that now was the time to step back from American racing. I always wanted to go out on top, and the past year’s championships checked that box.
“I had a flare-up of my Lyme Disease last year that kept me away from the horses and the races. It’s in remission now, but in fairness to my owners, I didn’t want to have another Lyme episode interfere with their horses’ careers.”
Azeri’s new job at Northern Farm
Asia: Northern Farm in Japan has confirmed that 2002 U.S. Horse of the Year Azeri has been pensioned off as a broodmare and will become a ‘lead horse’ at the farm, where she is put out among recently weaned foals to help them during their transition.
According to the video below, produced by the, the multiple Graded stakes producer is “strong and tough, teaching the weanlings social skills”.
Bred and owned by Allen Paulson, the daughter of Jade Hunter’s career highlights included winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and a host of other big races. She is the second-highest female money-earner in North America with $4,079,820 and was added to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010. She received the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 2002, as well as being named Outstanding Older Female Horse for 2002, 2003 and 2004.
As a broodmare, Azeri produced her first three foals for the Allen E Paulson Living Trust, whose colours she ran in, which included G1-placed, G2 winner Wine Princess, and G2-placed winner Arienza. For Northern Farm, Azeri produced G2-placed winners Leukerbad and Shirvanshah, along with four other winners.
New Japanese involvement in IFHA conference
Asia: The Japan Racing Association (JRA) has become the official partner of the 55th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, which is organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and has customarily been held at the beginning of October since 1967.
“We are pleased to have the JRA become our partner for the Federation’s signature conference,” said IFHA Chairman Louis Romanet. “Our conference, which traditionally is held in Paris, was virtual in 2020 due to Covid-19, but we are hopeful that it will be able to return to its traditional format this year.”
The partnership will contribute to the further development of international racing and international cooperation. Additionally, as part of the partnership, the JRA will promote Japanese racing on the IFHA’s website and social media channels.
Masayuki Goto, president of the JRA, said: “By becoming a partner of the historical IFHA conference, JRA hopes to contribute to the further development of international horseracing.”
Elsewhere in racing …
North America: The New York Racing Association has announced that its total handle on the 157 race days at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga meets in 2020 was $1.8 billion. More here
Europe: Racing will continue in Britain – behind closed gates - despite strict new lockdowns announced in England and Scotland in response to a surge in Covid-19 cases. More here
North America: U.S.-based jockey C J McMahon has been charged with murder in relation to an alleged drive-by shooting in Louisiana. More here
North America: Multiple G3 winner Mr Money will stand at Journeyman Stallions in Ocala for the 2021 breeding season. More here
Europe: Finalists have been announced for 2021 Godolphin Stud & Stable Staff Awards. More here
North America: Oaklawn plans to conduct its 2021 live meet with limited spectators. The 57-day season runs January 22 through May 1. More here