The Breeders’ Cup Challenge, Golden Sixty and Luis Raul Rivera feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
The Punisher secures first ‘Win And You're In’ spot at 2023 Breeders’ Cup
Argentina: The Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge series for 2023 kicked off with South America’s most storied race, the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini, at San Isidro on the outskirts on Buenos Aires on Saturday [Dec 16].
The Punisher, a 22-1 shot who claimed the G1 event by three-quarters of a length from El Musical, became a fourth winner of the ‘South American Arc’ for top trainer Carlos Etchechoury. In In the process, the three-year-old duly became the first horse to qualify for next year’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita as he gained an automatic fees-paid berth in the Turf.
Etchechoury and jockey Martin Valley were completing back-to-back successes in the Pellegrini after scoring 12 months ago with Village King.
Hong Kong superstars set for for blockbuster clash
Hong Kong: The G1 Stewards’ Cup is set to be a blockbuster renewal with Hong Kong heavyweights – Golden Sixty, Romantic Warrior and California Spangle – expected to lock horns in the HK$12 million ($1.54m/£1.28m) feature on Jan 29.
The Stewards’ Cup is the first leg of the Hong Kong Triple Crown, which is open to all ages and also comprises the Hong Kong Gold Cup in February and Champions & Chater Cup in May. River Verdon was the only horse to win the series in 1994.
Jockey banned for lack of effort as son of runner-up’s trainer wins race
USA: Luis Raul Rivera, one of the leading jockeys at Mahoning Valley in Ohio, has been banned for 30 days for what was described as a “very lackluster” effort on a horse that finished second to a rival trained by the son of the runner-up’s handler.
The stewards ruling described Rivera’s effort on the Jeffrey Radosevich-trained Barefoot Beach as “not consistent with the manner he normally rides” and that it was their belief that the ride had resulted in Out My Dear, trained by Justin Radosevich, winning the race.
Radosevich Snr dismissed the decision as “bull crap”, telling the Paulick Report, that Rivera, who declined to appeal, thought he had reached the six-strike whip limit. “If anyone else had won it, nothing would have happened,” he said.
While victory gave Radosevich Jnr the first win of his career from his second starter, his father this week became the 36th trainer in North America to train 3,000 winners.
Winner demoted and jockey Blake Shinn banned in landmark whip case
Australia: Jockey Blake Shinn was at the centre of a landmark decision by stewards at Flemington when he was banned for 12 meetings and his mount My Yankee Girl, who dead-heated for first place, demoted to second after he exceeded the whip limit.
Shinn, who was also fined A$2,000 ($1,340/£1,120), used his whip 12 times, six consecutively before the 100-metre mark and 27 times in the last 300 metres, prompting a stewards’ objection who ruled the jockey’s actions had given his mount an advantage over his opponent. The limit is five strokes before the 100m mark and freely on the run to the line.
It was only the second time in Australia an objection for a whip breach has been upheld. The other occasion was in 2016 at Sunshine Coast.
Woodward Stakes and Cigar Mile among five races to lose G1 status
USA: Two of New York’s most prestigious races, the Woodward Stakes and Cigar Mile, have lost their G1 status and been downgraded to G2 due to declining quality. Also downgraded from top-level status are the Clark (Churchill Downs), Starlet (Los Alamitos) and Rodeo Drive Stakes (Santa Anita),
Churchill Downs may have been hit by the Clark dwindling status but their Stephen Foster is the only race in next year’s calendar to be promoted to G1 status – or return to G1 status, in this instance, as the race was downgraded only ahead of the 2019 edition. There will be a total of 97 G1 races staged in the US in 2023.
Marie Velon breaks own record for most wins by a female jockey
France: Marie Velon has broken her own record for the most winners ridden in France by a female jockey. Velon, who scored her first G1 success when Iresine won the Prix Royal-Oak in 2022, has ridden 86 winners during the year, passing the 84 wins she rode in 2020.
Elsewhere in racing …
USA: Breeders’ Cup winner Pizza Bianca moved to Motion for California assignment More here
Japan: Dubai Turf winner Panthalassa to target Saudi Cup More here
Japan: Sheema Classic next for HK Vase winner Win Marilyn More here
USA: Death of racetrack photographer Bob Coglianese, aged 88 More here
USA: New York announcer John Imbriale retires after 43 years More here
South Africa: Tony Peter takes out training licence following father’s sudden retirement More here
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