The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
Crowd limit for Preakness day
North America: A limited 10,000 people will be allowed to attend the 146th running of the Preakness Stakes on May 15, which prompted Brenda Stronach, CEO and president of the Stronach Group and its 1/ST arm, which is organizing the event, to proclaim, “While fan attendance will be limited due to Covid-19 protocols, the excitement of the Preakness is not limited.”
Under normal circumstances, capacity at Pimlico Racecourse for the Preakness Stakes is around 110,000.
Last year the race was run behind closed doors and moved from May to October as the Triple Crown races were run out of order for the first time for almost a century.
This year’s Preakness meet will feature racing for a total of $3.25 million in purses. It starts on May 14, with the $250,000 George E Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes the feature race.
Midnight Bisou in foal to Curlin
North America: Hill ‘n’ Dale has revealed that Eclipse champion Midnight Bisou, the richest North American distaffer ever with earnings of nearly $7.5 million, is in foal to two-time Horse of the Year and champion sire Curlin.
“Midnight Bisou was a mare with extraordinary ability. One can only imagine the possibilities from the mating of two such greats of the breed,” said John Sikura, president of Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, where her sire, two-time Breeders' Cup winner Midnight Lute stands alongside Curlin.
Sale date for wondermare Melody Belle
Oceania: Melody Belle, whose tally of 14 G1 wins makes her joint-fourth on the world all-time list, will become the most decorated racemare to be offered at public auction when she is offered at auction on day one of New Zealand’s National Broodmare Sale on May 25.
John Galvin, of owners the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate, said, “The decision was made some time ago that 2021 would be her last racing season.”
The 6-year-old became the most successful G1 racehorse in New Zealand history when she won the Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie . “We are so proud of this achievement and it’s been rightly acknowledged,” beamed Galvin.
“Melody Belle has been an absolute life changer for her connections,” he added. “My wife Jessica has a share and is one of 34 individual owners who are spread right across New Zealand as well as one in Melbourne.”
The mare has run at the highest level every year since she was a juvenile over distances from 1100 metres to 2000 metres and on Saturday week she will get a chance to add 2400 victory to her resume in the G1 Tancred Stakes at Randwick.
Entries for the National Sale are closing now and anyone with entries should contact the bloodstock department at Magic Millions as a matter of priority. To lodge an entry online click here.
Death of Cockney Rebel
Europe: Batsford Stud in England has announced “with a very heavy heart” the death of dual Guineas winner Cockney Rebel at the age of 17.
The son of Val Royal - bred by Oak Lodge Bloodstock – won 2007 English and Irish 2000 Guineas. He was retired to stand at the National Stud the following year for an initial fee of £10,000. He moved to Haras de Saint Arnoult for 2014 before transferring to Haras du Thenney in 2016.
Two years later, he moved to Batsford Stud for the 2019 breeding season.
The Gloucestershire operation broke the news to its Twitter followers, calling him a “gentleman of a horse” and a “real cool character.
Coolmore’s pride in Wootton Bassett
Oceania: Less than 12 months after joining the ranks at Coolmore, Tom Magnier confirmed that Wootton Bassett would join the stud’s Australian roster at Jerrys Plains later this year, standing alongside the likes of fellow shuttlers Justify and American Pharoah.
Magnier said the Australian arm of the Irish operation “can’t wait to show Wootton Bassett off”. He was optimistic that Australasian mare owners will see the son of Iffraaj “for the great opportunity and great value he represents”.
Coolmore privately acquired Wootton Bassett last August from France’s Haras d’Etreham, where he was responsible for on-track stars Almanzor, Audarya and Wooded.
In 2020, he stood for €40,000, and that was more than doubled to €100,000 this year, his first at Coolmore in Ireland.
New Irish bonus scheme aims to boost breeding
Europe: Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) has launched an initiative designed to stimulate and fortify Irish Thoroughbred breeding, racing and sales.
It will award a bonus of €10,000 to owners of Irish-bred winners of 150 selected races across the Irish flat and jumps programmes, which can be redeemed at public bloodstock sales in Ireland until the end of the following year.
“The racing and bloodstock industry in Ireland has faced unprecedented and simultaneous challenges in the past year in the form of Covid-19 and Brexit, and the storm cannot be weathered by inactivity,” said Brian Kavanagh, HRI chief executive. “We believe the IRE Incentive will deliver a strong stimulus to the business, delivering significant funds from the racetrack back to the breeders via Irish-based public auctions.
“We have seen on a regular basis – most recently at Cheltenham – the quality of horses bred in Ireland and their performances on racing’s biggest stages.”
For further information, visit www.itm.ie/IRE_Incentive/
Elsewhere in racing …
North America: Shockingly and Motown Girl, both siblings to Graded stakes winners and consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, each sold for $50,000 to top Keeneland’s March Digital Sale. More here
Europe: Entain, parent company of bookmakers Ladbrokes Coral, has signed a long-term horse and greyhound racing media rights deal with Arena Racing Company. More here
Europe: Brittas House Stud’s final dispersal proved all the rage at the Tattersalls Online March Sale on Tuesday, with the listed-winning mare We Are Ninety topping the auction, selling to BBA Ireland for 75,000 guineas. More here
North America: New York-based owner-breeder Dr Thomas Murray has died at the age of 82. More here