The weekly TRC industry digest - a round-up of the international racing news from the past week.
St Mark’s Basilica’s starting fee
Europe: Current world #1 St Mark’s Basilica will stand at €65,000 for the coming breeding season, Coolmore Stud announced.
The 3-year-old son of Siyouni and the Galileo mare Cabaret won’t be at the Breeders’ Cup this weekend. He missed the Juddmonte International at York in August because of a leg injury, and, even though he won the Irish Champion Stakes a few weeks later, the decision was then made to retire him as he was still feeling the injury.
St Mark’s Basilica, a 1.3 million-guinea yearling, is a half-brother to 2000 Guineas winner Magna Grecia. Last year’s European champion juvenile, having won the G1 Dewhurst Stakes, he was unbeaten in four G1s at 3 - the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the Prix du Jockey Club, the Eclipse Stakes (beating Addeybb and Mishriff) and the Irish Champion (beating Tarnawa).
He is one of the favourites to become Cartier European Horse of the Year later this month.
Verry Elleegant Arc bid may be back on
Australia: Superstar mare Verry Elleegant could be back on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe trail following her emphatic success in the Melbourne Cup.
A tilt at Europe’s richest race in 2021 was being pushed by members of her ownership group earlier in the year after she had twice jousted with British star Addeybb over ten furlongs in Sydney.
But that idea has been put back on the table for the ten-time G1 winner for 2022 by part-owner Brae Sokolski, who said after her Melbourne Cup win, “I’d be surprised if there was a better performance over the 2,400m and beyond this entire year worldwide. If you doubted the fact that she’s world-class before Tuesday, no one in their right mind doubts that now.”
Doug O’Neill accused of medication violation
North America: A complaint has been issued against trainer Doug O'Neill by the California Horse Racing Board alleging that one of his runners was possibly given an illegal substance at Los Alamitos in July.
Investigators are said to have received information from Los Alamitos track security steward Michael Kilpack regarding seeing someone at O’Neill’s barn possibly giving an illegal substance to a horse that had been entered in a race there.
Assistant trainer Sabas Rivera told the investigators he had administered ‘Bleeder Shield’ (a respiratory bleeding preventative) and ‘Un-Lock’ (an amino acid muscle supplement that reduces lactic acid) 24 hours before a race.
A hearing has been scheduled before stewards on December 2.
Benbatl to stand in Japan
Europe: He’s won three G1s, run fifth in an Epsom Derby, second to Winx in a Cox Plate and third to Maximum Security in the inaugural Saudi Cup - winning nearly £6 million in prize money in the process - but time has finally been called on the racetrack career of the globetrotting Godolphin stalwart Benbatl.
The 7-year-old son of Dubawi is to stand as a stallion at Big Red Farm in Japan. A fee has yet to be announced.
Benbatl, who is Dubawi’s top earner, is the first foal of Selkirk mare Nahrain, who excelled on the international stage herself, with G1 wins in France and the United States.
Trainer Saeed bin Suroor said, “Benbatl was the ultimate professional in everything he did, which made him an easy horse to train. Everyone at Godolphin Stables will miss him, but he has a very good pedigree and we are looking forward to seeing how he performs in his new career.”
Efforia now Japan’s highest-ranked horse
Far East: Efforia, who had won the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) in April, produced one of the highest TRC Computer Ratings of 2021 for an individual race when he beat superstars Contrail and Gran Alegria in the $3.1 million Tenno Sho (Autumn) over ten furlongs at Tokyo racecourse on Sunday.
Only St Mark’s Basilica (best mark 130 for his win in the Eclipse Stakes in July) has higher TRC race racings than Efforia’s 128 this campaign. The victory (see video below) lifted the son of Epiphaneia to world #13 (from 98). He is the first 3-year-old to win the race since Symboli Kris S in 2002, and is currently the highest-ranked horse in Japan.
Former world #1 Contrail, who won the Japanese Triple Crown last year, had been off the track since April. He could meet Efforia again over a mile and a half in the Japan Cup on November 28.
The 5-year-old multi-G1-winning mare Gran Alegria may have found the ten-furlong trip too far.
Elsewhere in racing …
Oceania: Melbourne Cup runner-up Incentivise has been given a clean bill of health after two sets of scans. The world #14 pulled up lame after Tuesday’s race, for which he had been favourite. More here
North America: Peruvian jockey Miguel Mena, who rode more than 2,000 winners in North America, has been killed after being hit by a car in Louisville, Kentucky. More here
North America: Canadian Hall of Fame jockey ‘Hustlin’ Hugo Dittfach, winner of more than 4,000 races, has died aged 85. More here
North America: Multiple New York-bred champion Mr Buff has been retired from racing. He will head to Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Chestertown Farm in Chestertown, New York, said farm manager Gregg Falk. More here
Europe: A record-breaking renewal of the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale concluded with a second session of incredible demand that led to a 92 percent clearance rate across the two days, as well as a rise of 456 percent in turnover. More here