The Straight Daily News – Randwick’s new track manager | Asfoora midfield at Goodwood | Final 2024/25 sire tables
ATC announces new Randwick track manager
The Australian Turf Club has appointed highly experienced track curator David Anderson to the position of Randwick racecourse manager.
Anderson will join the ATC from the Illawarra Turf Club, where he was the Kembla Grange racecourse manager.
He brings more than 40 years of racing experience to the new role.
“David’s depth of knowledge and experience coupled with a great dedication and passion for the racing industry is a rare and valuable asset,” the ATC’s head of racing and wagering Nevesh Ramdhani said.
“David has an established record in mentoring and developing staff who have progressed to more senior roles which will also greatly benefit our tracks teams.”
Anderson will replace Michael Wood, who has been promoted to the position of general manager of the ATC’s races at Randwick, Rosehill, Canterbury and Warwick Farm.
“This is a very prestigious and challenging role that does not come around often so it is it an honour to have been appointed,” Anderson said.
“My aim will be to settle in quickly as the spring carnival is nearly upon us and having good industry stakeholder relationships across the board will be among the first priorities.’’
Anderson begins the new role on September 1.
Asfoora midfield in King George
Australian raider Asfoora finished seventh in the Group 2 King George at Glorious Goodwood.
Trainer Henry Dwyer made a raceday decision to keep his star mare in the race despite the soft ground after heavy rain earlier in the week.
She started third favourite in the race but found herself back and off the pace early on. Jockey Oisin Murphy got her back to the inside rail and while she made strong ground over the final two furlongs, she never loomed as a winning chance.
The race was won by JM Jungle, ridden Jason Hart for trainers Sean Quinn, ahead of She’s Quality and Time For Sandals.
Asfoora will now head to the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
We caught up with Dwyer this week to talk about how Asfoora has changed his career.
Unintended consequences – How Henry Dwyer has parlayed Asfoora’s overseas success into stable momentum at home
Shooting To Win moves to Yarradale
Shooting To Win, the Group 1-producing son of Northern Meteor, will relocate for 2025, having been purchased by Yarradale Stud.
The 2014 Caulfield Guineas winner has been at Neville Duncan’s Oakland Park Stud since 2022, having previously stood at Darley.
He has made a promising start to his time in WA, finishing third on the WA sires table behind Playing God and Maschino with 71 winners of 130 races for prizemoney in excess of $5.2 million.
Yarradale owner Lyn Sayers and stud manager Davy Hanratty clinched the deal this week with Neville Duncan.
“We’re delighted to stand Shooting To Win and Oakland Park has kept faith with multiple rights to him,” Hanratty said.
“He’s a good looking bull with a stallion’s pedigree and he’s also a proven Group 1 sire in Western Australia with Dom To Shoot in the Northerly Stakes. He turns 14 today so time is on his side, too. War Chant (USA) arrived from Kentucky at the same age and he served 12 books here.”
Shooting To Win is a full brother to Deep Field, who was pensioned from duties at Newgate but is the reigning champion sire of Hong Kong.
Among Shooting To Win’s 12 stakes winners are Group 1 winners Mascarpone and Dom To Shoot. He’s also one of only three stallions standing in WA this season to have sired multiple Group 1 winners alongside Playing God and Manhattan Rain.
“The other positive is that it opens a new door for our clients at a more central location closer to Perth,” Hanratty added. “And we’ve already had some success with Shooting To Win having bred his mares Platinum Shot and Wubin Gold.”
Shooting To Win will stand for a $5,500 service fee alongside Gingerbread Man, who also stands for $5,500.
National study unveiled for retired racehorses
Racing Australia will launch a landmark national research initiative to assess demand for retired thoroughbreds and provide a strategy to support their second careers and long-term rehoming.
The national regulator says the initiative reflects the racing industry’s commitment to whole-of-life care for thoroughbreds, ensuring horses are supported well beyond their time on the track.
Backed by funding from AgriFutures Australia, the research will explore the existing landscape and future opportunities for rehoming retired thoroughbreds, drawing on insights from across the equestrian, recreational, agricultural, and therapeutic sectors.
Key objectives of the project include:
• assessing current and projected demand for retired thoroughbreds across Australia
• identifying key industries, disciplines, and communities that engage with ex-racehorses
• analysing the supply-demand balance and potential barriers to successful rehoming
• engaging with stakeholders nationwide to inform evidence-based solutions
• leading to the development of a National Thoroughbred Aftercare Demand Strategy.
The project will be led by Dr Natasha Hamilton from the Equine Genetics Research Centre.
“This research represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the post-racing landscape for thoroughbreds,” Dr Hamilton said.
“By taking a holistic view of demand, we can better align industry efforts, resources, and retraining initiatives to improve outcomes for retired thoroughbreds across the country.”
Ozzmosis’ first foal welcomed at Alma Vale
The turn of the racing season has also seen the arrival of the first foal by Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Ozzmosis.
Newgate has confirmed that the bay colt out of Cool Change was foaled overnight on Thursday at Alma Vale Thoroughbreds in the Hunter Valley.
“He’s an absolute cracker! We couldn’t be happier,” Verna Metcalfe, General Manager at Alma Vale Thoroughbreds, said.
“He’s a strong, good-sized, bay colt. He’s everything we were hoping for. Alma Vale and our clients supported Ozzmosis heavily in 2024 and off the back of this result, we’re filled with confidence about what’s to come.”
The colt’s arrival came the same day his grandsire, Zoustar was crowned Australia’s champion sire.
Ozzmosis covered 192 mares in his first season and Bjorn Baker, the man who trained him during a racing career that included a signature win in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, was rapt to hear of the arrival of the first of his progeny.
“I was delighted to hear the news of Ozzmosis’ first foal. He was the most naturally talented horse I’ve ever trained, and I genuinely can’t wait to start training a full barn of his progeny. If they inherit even a fraction of his brilliance, we’re in for something special,” Baker said.
Kembla double for Farnan
Having been the leading first-season sire by winners in 2024/25, Kia Ora’s Farnan has begun the 2025/26 campaign with similar gusto, registering a Kembla Grange double on the first day of the season.
The MyRacehorse owned Ninja, a gelding trained by Michael Freedman, broke his maiden at his second start, prevailing over 1300 metres against three rivals on a heavy track as a $1.30 favourite.
His dam, Impulsive is a daughter influential mare Procrastinate, who descendants include Group 1 winners Laisserfaire and Personal and sires Time Thief, Foreplay and Sejardan.
Later on the same card another son of Farnan, Johnny, trained by Peter Snowden, debuted with a comfortable win over 1000 metres.
Also starting in the red, in his case at $1.60, Johnny was too classy for his four rivals in a field decimated by scratchings.
A $150,000 Magic Million purchase for his trainer, he is the first foal of Zoustar mare Amuri, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Thurlow and Three Kings.
Farnan now has 16 winners from 46 runners from his first crop. he stands for $77,000 at Kia in 2025.
Other stallions to have double on Friday were Zoustar, Choisir, Xtravagant and Zoustar.
Straight Talk Podcast – Henry Dwyer, crowning champions and a look ahead to the new season
Successive Coffs Cups for Time Quest
Time Quest has claimed back-to-back Coffs Harbour Cups, having not won a race in the intervening 12-month period.
The Matthew Smith-trained import ended a 364-day spell without a racetrack victory, seeing off favourite It’s a Knockout in a stirring home straight dual.
Time Quest and Damien Thornton came widest in the straight and laid down a challenge to It’s A Knockout and Ashley Morgan. The favourite looked set for victory inside the final 50 metres, but Time Quest, who started at $8, wouldn’t be denied, getting his nose in front with the final stride.
That pair were nearly eight lengths ahead of third placed Sizzling Gal.
The son of Time Test booked his spot in The Big Dance in the spring with fifth racetrack victory, taking his prize money to over $326,000.
Irish racecourse closes with immediate effect
Thurles racecourse, Ireland’s only privately owned racecourse, has closed its doors with immediate effect.
Riona Molony confirmed the family’s decision to retire from racing at the Tipperary track, a cornerstone of National Hunt Racing in Ireland.
It first staged racing in 1732, while the Molony family have controlled the track for over 100 years.
“It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles Racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today. We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support,” Riona Moloney said.
“Horse racing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators.”
Molony cited “ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business” as a major factor.
Flutter ups FanDuel ownership to 100 per cent
Global wagering giant Flutter has secured 100 per cent of American market leader FanDuel.
Flutter, the parent company of Australia’s biggest corporate bookmaker, Sportsbet, owned 95 per cent of FanDuel with the remaining five per cent held by Boyd Gaming.
In a deal finalised this week, it bought Boyd out in a US$1.755 billion transaction, which values FanDuel at over $31 billion.
The first major stake of FanDuel cost Paddy Power/Betfair, now Flutter, just US$158m in May 2018.
Flutter has also extended its strategic partnership with Boyd until 2038 as part of the overall deal, while an option remains open for Fox Sports to secure 18.6% of equity interest in FanDuel before December 2030.
Final Australian General Sires Table
Final Australian Broodmare Sires Table
Introducing The Good Oil – Melbourne Form Previews, Price Assessments and Mounting Yard Mail
Final Australian First Season Sires Table
Final Australian Second Season Sires Table
Final Australian 2YO Sires Table
Final Australian 3YO Sires Table
Source: Arion.co.nz
