Royal Ascot latest, Rich Strike and the A$20m Everest feature in our weekly digest of recent international racing news
Royal Ascot: Dettori and Velazquez booked for Weaver two-year-olds
USA: Frankie Dettori will partner the George Weaver-trained Crimson Advocate in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot with John Velazquez riding stablemate No Nay Mets in the Norfolk Stakes.
Both horses secured an automatic berth into any two-year-old race at the meeting, plus earned a $25,000 travel allowance, as inaugural winners of the Royal Palm Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Gulfstream Park on May 13. “As of now both horses are on schedule to run at Royal Ascot,” Weaver told the Daily Racing Form.
On the other hand, Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel’s trip to Royal Ascot has been cancelled in favour of a race closer to home. The six-year-old Brad Cox-trained mare was due to line up in the King’s Stand Stakes but will instead tackle the G1 Jaipur on the Belmont Stakes undercard on June 10.
Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike joins Bill Mott
USA: After a fallout between owner Rick Dawson and trainer Eric Reed over movie rights to the 2022 Kentucky Derby winner, Rich Strike is to join the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Reed resigned as Rich Strike’s trainer in May after Dawson took exception to a deal the trainer had agreed with a production company to make a documentary and film on him and his improbable 80-1 triumph at Churchill Downs.
Dawson told Horse Racing Nation: “Bill and have had a number of conversations over the last couple weeks and I feel very confident Richie will be in great care and oversight."
Christophe Lemaire tribute after tragic loss of Skilfing in Japanese Derby
Japan: Christophe Lemaire has spoken of the “devastating” loss of his Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) mount Skilfing, who collapsed and died of acute heart failure after crossing the line at the end of the race, describing him as “a lovely horse and will be missed by all”.
Sent off second favourite for Japan’s premier Classic on Sunday [May 28], Carrot Farm-owned Skilfing had won three of his four races going into the race. However, he trailed in last of 17 behind the winner Tastiera, another Carrot Farm runner ridden by Damien Lane, who beat the odds-on Sol Oriens by a neck to end the latter’s Triple Crown ambitions.
In an eventful contest, UAE Derby runner-up Dura Erede – who had been taken off the Kentucky Derby trail to contest the Yushun at home – lost jockey Ryusei Sakai exiting the stalls.
Everest prize-money increase to A$20m
Australia: The purse for the 2023 Everest, the world’s richest turf race, is set to rise to A$20 million ($13m/£10.4m) – thereby confirming the Sydney sprint as the second-richest race in the world, behind the $20m Saudi Cup.
The A$5m increase will be attained by slotholders’ contributions for a place in the race rising to A$700,000 ($455,000) with the fee covered with prize-money being paid out to last place, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Everest was established just six years ago when it was run for A$10m, quickly becoming Sydney’s biggest horse racing event. The minimum value of G1 races in New South Wales from August 1 will also increase to A$750,000 ($488,000) with four G1 races, the Winx, Chipping Norton, Coolmore Classic and Champagne Stakes becoming A$1m ($650,000).
HISA call emergency summit after Churchill Downs deaths hit 12
USA: Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) officials have launched an urgent review of conditions at Churchill Downs after the number of equine fatalities at the track reached 12 since the track opened for training on March 30.
As well as holding an emergency summit with local veterinary teams and commissioning an independent review of the training and racing surfaces, every fatality will be reexamined to see if there were any common factors.
Churchill Downs acknowledged the tally was “highly unusual”. The track said in a statement: “We do not accept this as suitable or tolerable and share the frustrations of the public.
“We have been rigorously working since the opening of the meet to understand what has led to this spike and have yet to find a conclusive discernable pattern as we await the findings of ongoing investigations into those injuries and fatalities.”
Elsewhere in racing …
Australia: Gai Waterhouse mourns Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente More here
USA: Former New York vet latest to be jailed in doping conspiracy More here
Chile: Lukka qualifies for Breeders’ Cup Mile by ‘Win and You’re In’ More here
USA: Ken Rudulph departs FanDuel TV after Twitter outburst More here
USA: Chicago Bears get all clear to demolish Arlington stands More here
USA: Rick Dutrow granted Kentucky licence More here
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Jockey Club unveil expanded Ta’if season More here
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