High drama as Brazilian-bred Gloria de Campeao ushered in a new chapter in Thoroughbred racing by claiming the world’s richest race in a thrilling finish at Dubai’s new Meydan Racecourse.
The photo finish marks the first time in the brief history of the Dubai World Cup that the winner was not owned by either by a member of the Maktoum family or an American.
Saturday night was Gloria de Campeao’s third run at massive prize. A son of Impression, he ran eighth to Curlin in the 2008 Dubai World Cup and second to Well Armed in the 2009 Dubai World Cup but was not to be disappointed this time around and led from wire to wire.
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March 16, 2010 – 12:00 am
Photo © Trish Dunell
Damien Oliver guided New Zealand-bred Zavite to victory in New Zealand’s most prestigious Thoroughbred race, the $1M Auckland Cup. Trained by Anthony Cummings, the seven-year-old gelding upped his career earnings to $1.9M.
“I rode him back further than I expected, but I just wanted him to relax, and when we got to the 700m the other horses weren’t going nearly as well as him, so I just popped him in there,” Damien told the Waikato Times. ”He’s really hit form at the right time. He really put it together last run and the stable has held him in great form.”
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February 14, 2010 – 9:06 pm
Dick Francis 1920-2010
A fractured skull, five broken noses, six broken collar bones, countless broken ribs, 345 winners, 2,305 starts, 42 novels, and 60 million books sold – now that’s a life lived at full gallop!
From champion national hunt jockey to bestselling novelist, Richard Stanley “Dick” Francis effortlessly switched leads in his late thirties. The principles he applied with reins in hand – passion, preparation, and discipline – served him equally well with pen and paper.
Mr. Francis passed away on Valentine’s Day. Take a moment to read the fascinating story of his life courtesy of The Telegraph.
February 2, 2010 – 5:46 pm
Rumor has it that one of the world’s best known Thoroughbred owners might possibly attend the 150th running of the Melbourne Cup this November. Today at Flemington Racecourse, Victorian Racing Minister Rob Hulls refused to say whether or not the Queen had been invited to attend Australia’s most prestigious Thoroughbred contest.
“I know that the Queen is a great racing fan, and I honestly don’t know whether or not she has any plans to come here,” Hulls told reporters. Nor would he confirm if Premier John Brumby had extended an invitation to Her Majesty during their meeting at Balmoral last year.
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January 19, 2010 – 7:29 pm
Brian O’Connor of The Irish Times pours on the praise for the new book by the Master of Rosewell House, two-time Melbourne Cup winner Dermot Weld:
“Vintage Crop told the story of his famous 1993 success in the Melbourne Cup, a victory that quite literally changed the face of the racing world, and which cemented Weld’s place in the sport’s history.”
As with any Weld enterprise, the book was no fluke. Instead, as O’ Connor points out, it was a long-held dream. “His interest in literature was famously illustrated just minutes after that famous Melbourne Cup when he quoted long passages of the legendary bush poet Banjo Patterson to a startled Australian press corps.”
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January 13, 2010 – 11:41 am
At Government House in Melbourne with John in November 2009.
With the New Year comes a changing of the guard at the venerable Irish Turf Club as former Curragh chairman John McStay has succeeded Nick Wachman as Senior Steward.
Thoroughbred fans worldwide know the Turf Club as the be-all and end-all of Irish racing. It dates back to the dawn of time – 1790 to be precise – and in addition to serving as the regulatory body for horseracing in Ireland, it is responsible for flat, national hunt racing, and point to point racing in all Ireland.
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January 8, 2010 – 11:20 am
Zenyatta took to the track on Wednesday for her third workout at Hollywood Park since her decisive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and subsequent “retirement” by owners Jerry and Ann Moss. The 6-year-old worked a half-mile in 48 seconds.
Naturally, this level of activity coupled with her undisputed appeal has spurred talk of a return to racing for the great mare, but trainer John Shirreffs insists that is not the case.
“That decision is Mr. Moss’s and he hasn’t said anything other than what he said after the Breeders’ Cup,” Shirreffs says.
Read more HERE.
December 11, 2009 – 12:10 pm
The New York Racing Association has taken a zero-tolerance stance on horse slaughter. NYRA CEO Charles Hayward announced the decision on Thursday.
“We are fully committed to protecting our sport’s equine athletes,” said Hayward. “This policy sends the message that horse slaughter will not be tolerated and that those participating in this practice, either knowingly or for lack of due diligence, will not be welcome at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga.”
The new policy language is quite specific, and the punishment severe:
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December 8, 2009 – 9:53 am
We’ve all marveled at Michael Kinane’s peerless career: a breathtaking series of victories around the globe, including the Epsom Derby, the Japan Cup, the Belmont Stakes, and of course the 1993 Melbourne Cup on Vintage Crop, considered one of the greatest achievements in Thoroughbred racing history.
But when the 50-year-old Irishman announced his retirement today after a sensational season on Sea the Stars, note who he credits first:
“I leave with a huge sense of gratitude to all the great horses I have ridden, all the great trainers whose genius developed those champions, and everybody else in racing, from the stable lads to the owners, who have made me deeply thankful for my involvement in the game.”
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