Baaeed, Flightline and Epicenter feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Baaeed named European Horse of the Year
GB: Baaeed was named Cartier Horse of the Year at the 32nd Cartier Racing Awards at a ceremony in London on Wednesday [Nov 9].
The brilliant son of Sea The Stars became the first horse owned by Shadwell to receive the award following an outstanding season that yielded G1 wins in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Qatar Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International.
Trained by William Haggas, Baaeed beat Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista, four-time G1-winning stayer Kyprios and Highfield Princess, who captured three G1 sprints in 2022, to the top prize.
The award was confirmed after Shadwell announced Baaeed would stand as a stallion at Nunnery Stud in Newmarket for a fee of £80,000 ($91,000).
Flightline stud fee set at $200,000
USA: Flightline, the world’s #1 racehorse on the TRC Global Rankings, will stand at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky for a fee of $200,000.
The four-year-old son of Tapit, who retired undefeated after winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, will begin his new career as the highest priced US stallion since Triple Crown winner American Pharoah entered stud for the same fee in 2015.
Coolmore pay $7m for Gamine in Fasig-Tipton spending spree
USA: Coolmore secured some significant additions to its breeding stock when shelling out $17.9 million for four star lots at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale [Nov 6].
As well as paying $7m for top lot Gamine, winner of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Coolmore also bought Campanelle for $5m, Bellafina ($4m) and Donna Veloce ($1.9m).
The following day at Keeneland another top quality mare went through the ring as MIdnight Bisou, who is in-foal to Tapit, was knocked down to Katsumi Yoshida for $5.5m.
Epicenter undergoes surgery after Breeders’ Cup injury
USA: Epicenter, who was pulled up with an injury during the Breeders’ Cup Classic, has undergone surgery to have two screws inserted in his right leg. He will head to stud once he has fully recovered.
The meeting’s other casualty Domestic Spending is also recovering well and could soon be released from hospital after fracturing his pelvis during the Breeders’ Cup Mile, according to trainer Chad Brown.
Colin Keane crowned champion jockey for fourth time
Ireland: Colin Keane has been crowned Irish champion jockey for the third successive season and for the fourth time in all. Dylan Browne McMonagle was champion apprentice for the second time, while Aidan O'Brien and Sue Magnier claimed the champion trainer and champion owner titles.
Moroney’s Ballymore Stables buy G1 winner Alenquer
Australia: Alenquer, winner of the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May, has been acquired by Ballymore Stables and will continue his career in Australia with trainer Mike Moroney. He is the latest member of William Haggas's 2022 string to find a new home in Australia and will follow Soulcombe, who is the new favourite for the 2023 Melbourne Cup after making a winning debut for Chris Waller in the G3 Queen’s Cup [Nov 5].
ERA chooses Weatherbys to build new platform
UAE: The Emirates Racing Authority has appointed Britain's racing services provider Weatherbys to develop a new digital racing platform.
Weatherbys plans to harness artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to produce a platform designed to combat inaccuracies, enhance customer experience, implement a modern financial accounting and payments system and accelerate innovation for Thoroughbred and Arabian Racing.
Elsewhere in racing …
Australia: Waterhouse could take Alligator Blood to Royal Ascot in 2023 More here
Hong Kong: Hugh Bowman granted three-month licence in Hong Kong More here
France: Pierre-Charles Boudot has licence withdrawn indefinitely More here
Australia: Share in Verry Elleegant to be offered for sale More here
Australia: Queensland Racing boss quits to take up job with Arena in UK More here
Japan: 2021 Horse of the year Efforia targeting Arima Kinen More here
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