Straight Shorts is a rolling news update service on the biggest stories in racing, wagering and breeding. In stud news, last year's Australian Guineas winner Southport Tycoon will stand at Widden Victoria in 2025.
Southport Tycoon to headline Widden Victoria roster
Dual Group 1 winner Southport Tycoon will debut at Widden Victoria in 2025 at $38,500 (in GST).
The four-year-old, who won the Australian Guineas and the Manikato Stakes during a 15-start career for Ciaron Maher which yielded four wins and nearly $2.5 million in prize money, has been retired and will headline Widden’s Victorian roster.
“A stunning-looking son of Written Tycoon that we just had to add to our roster," Widden principal Antony Thompson said.
"We fought hard to secure the horse, as there was plenty of competition for the Bennett Racing-owned colt.
"He looks like the obvious stallion to take the baton from his Champion sire, Written Tycoon.
“Written Tycoon is making a name for himself as a sire of sires, and Ole Kirk is his only other dual Group I-winning son at stud. He has gotten off to a very strong start with his first runners.
“Like Ole Kirk, Southport Tycoon is also free of Danehill blood, offering a wealth of opportunity for broodmare owners.
"He comes from a top-class North American female family that has worked brilliantly in Australia to produce Group I winners Artorius and Delectation, so he is the complete package in terms of race performance, pedigree, and type.”
Trio of black-type mares confirmed for Chairman’s Sale
The three-time Group 1-placed mare Semana headlines the latest wave of new entries for the Inglis Chairman’s Sale, the first major breeding stock auction of the 2025 season.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Semana, a daughter of Winning Rupert, finished runner-up in last year’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic behind Zougotcha and was spelled following her unplaced run in last Saturday’s Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield.
Inglis also confirmed multiple Group-winning Shamexpress mare Grinzinger Belle, who is being sold as a breeding and racing prospect, and dual stakes winner She Dances will also be offered at the Chairman’s Sale in Sydney on Thursday, May 8.
Maher’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne described Semana as an “incredibly consistent mare’’ who was predominantly beaten by multiple Group 1 winners in Group 1 races.
“She was ever so close in many Group 1s, she has so much class and is such an amazing physical, which prospective buyers will see when inspecting her ahead of the Inglis Chairman’s Sale,’’ Bourne said.
“She’s got a lot of strength and was one mare that really enjoyed Ciaron’s alternative training environments which really switched her on and brought the best out of her.
“She’s a mare with the ‘X Factor’ who I have no doubt will develop into a stunning broodmare prospect for whoever is lucky enough to buy her in May.’’
Inglis last week announced that race mares Mumbai Muse (Zoustar) and Dancing Alone (I Am Invincible), as well as Enbihaar, the dam of top-class filly Too Darn Lizzie, will also go under the hammer at the Chairman’s Sale later this year.
NZ training partner pays tribute to Mike Moroney
Barely 48 hours after the sad loss of her former training partner Mike Moroney, Pam Gerard will saddle a Group 1 contender at the Melbourne track the Hall of Fame horseman called home.
Gerard’s star three-year-old Savaglee will line up as a leading chance in Saturday’s Australian Guineas at Flemington, where Moroney was based for the past two decades.
Despite his move across the Tasman, Moroney maintained a presence in his old home town of Matamata, where Gerard served as his training partner from 2016 until last season and they won 178 races together.
One of the big success stories from their time together was Roch ‘N’ Horse, who was a Listed winner and Group1 Telegraph (1200m) placegetter in New Zealand before Gerard sent her across to Moroney and she won Flemington’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Champions Sprint (1200m).
The best horse won. The cream of the crop. In the Levin Classic from @Racing_at_RACE, it is Savaglee.
— Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) January 11, 2025
Stars shine the brightest. ⭐️⭐️
Ridden by Sam Spratt and trained by Pam Gerard.
The 3 year old colt is by Savabeel (@WaikatoStud) #NZRacing #TracksidePremier pic.twitter.com/eksWM0A9R3
Gerard took sole charge of Ballymore Stables’ Matamata operation when Moroney relinquished his New Zealand licence at the end of last season amid a health battle, but the pair continued to work closely together until the 66-year-old died in his sleep on Thursday morning.
“It’s a huge loss,” Gerard told the LOVERACING.NZ News Desk. “He was a fantastic man and I was so lucky to work alongside him and have the great partnership with him that we enjoyed over the last 10 years or so. I’m going to miss him a lot.”
Star miler Ceolwulf in injury scare
Ceolwulf’s bid to add a third Group 1 win over Randwick’s famous mile course to his record will depend on a raceday veterinary inspection.
Trainer Joe Pride has notified Racing NSW stewards that the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes winner sustained an abrasion to the front of its off-hind cannon after completing trackwork on Friday morning.
Pride said the stable’s vet had assessed Ceolwulf and the four-year-old showed no signs of lameness ahead of the $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes.
But Racing NSW plans to have Ceolwulf reassessed on Saturday morning to decide if he can take his place in the weight-for-age race for which he is a $5.50 third favourite behind Via Sistina ($1.85) and Fangirl ($3.20).
Canberra unveils incentive for Black Opal meeting
Thoroughbred Park has announced a lucrative bonus that will be attached to Black Opal Stakes day.
Any trainer who can prepare five winners at the club’s premier meeting on March 9 will collect a Zeekr X urban SUV valued at $70,000.
“It’s certainly an incentive for those stables who can send a group of horses (to Canberra) and target the right races,” Canberra chief executive Darren Pearce said.
“We would love nothing more than the bonus to go off because it creates interest among other trainers and stables.”
Ten races will be run on Black Opal day.
The Black Opal Stakes is a race for two-year-olds on a potential path to the Golden Slipper and carries $200,000 in prize money.
As a Group 3 contest, the Black Opal is one of four stakes races on the card alongside the Listed Canberra Cup, the Listed National Sprint and the Listed Canberra Guineas.
An Inglis-backed Maiden race will also feature at the meeting with a $100,000 bonus available for eligible Inglis sales graduates.
