In this week’s O’Brien on Monday, with Tim still on leave, Bren digs into the debate over breeze-up sales prompted by an agent’s opinion piece, reflects on an emotional night for one of Australia’s most successful jockeys, examines Maurice’s strong start to the season and issues a correction he is more than happy to make.
Darley’s first-season stallion Anamoe made an immediate mark on the juvenile scene in the first official trials at Randwick, siring two heat winners, while Bjorn Baker, Michael Freedman and the partnership of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott shared training honours with two winners apiece.
Monday’s nine juvenile heats at Randwick bring the first public evidence from a freshman crop led commercially by Anamoe, while expensive colts True North and Moneyball make their first official appearances.
Matthew Sandblom's late-season breeding experiment produced a Chantilly victory as Australian-bred filly Primetime Emmy edged the previously unbeaten Scythe in the G3 Prix Eclipse.
Darley's first-season stallion Observer will be rested from stallion duties after an early diagnosis led to surgery overnight, with no date set for his return.
RTM Racing secured the Not This Time colt out of Houtzen for Libyan partnership Tagermeen Racing during a fourth session that took Keeneland September’s four-day gross beyond US$318 million (AU$447 million).
A one-off Racing Australia measure will allow owners affected by late Foal Ownership Declarations to pay a $2500 fee to lift racing embargoes after an unsuccessful appeal, provided they meet deadlines for lodging the declaration and appeal.
Fourteen yearlings reached seven figures as the September Sale surpassed last year’s Book 2 opening gross, while a Flightline filly out of Australian-bred Oleksandra sold for US$200,000 (AU$280,000).
Hotazhell, a triple Group 1-winning son of Too Darn Hot, will have his final start at British Champions Day before joining Haras d’Etreham, with Widden preparing to offer shares to Australian breeders.
Astute Bloodstock’s Louis Le Metayer argues that modern breeze-up sales place too much emphasis on short-term speed, often at the expense of proper education and calls for a more holistic approach to preparing and evaluating young horses.
Read our newsletters today
Free access to our daily and feature newsletters, covering exclusive and premium content in racing, wagering and breeding, direct to your inbox
