In today's Straight Shorts, an Ole Kirk filly tops Great Southern Sale, retirement likely for Kimochi, the latest on Perth's Belmont racetrack and a Takarazuka Kinen ride for Damian Lane.
Ole Kirk filly provides big return at Great Southern Sale
The popularity of Vinery Stud's leading first-season sire Ole Kirk was again on full display at the Inglis Great Southern Sale on Friday, with a third-crop filly selling for $475,000 in Melbourne.
The filly, bred by Gilgai Farm who sold her dam Rainy Daze for just $12,000 with the sale topper in utero in April last year, was bought by Cannon Hayes Stud's Dave Morrissey for Wilrace's Darren Wilson, a prolific owner in Queensland.
Ole Kirk, whose service fee has been lifted to $99,000 (inc GST) in 2025, has also had third-crop weanlings sell for $275,000 and $210,000 this year.
In other Great Southern results, a Wootton Bassett filly from Rosemont Stud sold for $350,000 to Peter Morgan and Gall Bloodstock, while Tasmania's Grenville Stud principals Graeme and Bart McCulloch continued their high-end investment at this year's weanling sales with the addition of a colt by Too Darn Hot for $335,000.
The McCullochs bought two weanlings at the recent Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast by Wootton Bassett and Zoustar for $220,000 respectively.
This year’s 327-lot Great Southern sale grossed $9.802 million at an average of $45,171 and a median of $22,000. The clearance was 78 per cent.
Kimochi suffers probable career-ending injury
Group 1 winner Kimochi’s racing career is likely to have come to a premature end after suffering a tendon injury.
Trainer Gary Portelli reported the four-year-old was found to have an issue after trackwork on the eve of Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap.
The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner’s forced scratching from the Queensland Group 1 paved the way for the Tony Gollan-trained Transatlantic to gain a start in the $3 million race.
A daughter of Brave Smash, Kimochi is a three-time stakes winner who was sold by owner Leo To to Yulong for $2.2 million at the 2024 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Turf to be replaced at problematic section of Belmont straight
Perth’s Belmont racecourse is expected to be out of action for at least another four weeks as turf experts rectify an issue with the surface at the 150m mark.
Western Australia’s metropolitan winter track has been sidelined since May 24 when the Saturday meeting was abandoned after race five due to safety concerns from jockeys.
After extensive testing, Perth Racing has elected to undertake a complete removal and replacement of the track at the problem area in the Belmont home straight.
The work, set to be conducted by Evergreen Turf Group, will take four to five days.
However, given the winter conditions, Belmont will not host racing for at least four weeks after the turf is replaced.
Testing of the problem area found a moisture imbalance in the sand layer beneath the turf, with the lower moisture content compromising the stability of the sand.
The damper section increased the likelihood of movement under the impact of a galloping horse’s hoof, Perth Racing said on Friday.
Entries open for 100th NZ National Yearling Sale
New Zealand Bloodstock has officially launched the 2026 Karaka Yearling Sale, calling for entries for the 100th edition of the country’s annual thoroughbred auction.
The revamped schedule, which will see three days of selling from January 25 with Books 1 and 2 before a day’s break with Book 3 to be conducted under the Summer Sale banner on January 29.
“The new format being launched and the fact this sale marks a huge milestone for the industry makes for a very exciting year,” NZB managing director Andrew Seabrook said.
“As usual our horses continue to excel in all of the major racing jurisdictions. Buyers know that New Zealand consistently produces elite performers from a small but outstanding foal crop, and Karaka is the place to source them.”
Entries close on July 11.
Damian Lane to ride in Japan Cox Plate qualifier
Leading Australian jockey Damian Lane will figure in the first of three international qualifying races for the Cox Plate when he rides in the Takarazuka Kinen in Japan on Sunday.
Lane will partner outsider Chuck Nate in the Grade 1 race that he won in 2019 on Lys Gracieux before continuing his association with the Japanese star in a Cox Plate triumph later that year.
The Takarazuka Kinen is run at weight-for-age over 2200m at Hanshin racecourse under the auspices of the Japan Racing Association.
Other notable winners include Deep Impact (2006) and Equinox (2023).
A subsidised invitation to contest the Cox Plate will be offered to the winner with the same incentive applied to the successful horses in the Saratoga Derby and Juddmonte International.
Perth Winter Sale catalogue online
The catalogue for the Magic Millions Perth Winter Sale, which includes weanlings, yearlings, broodmares and racehorses, has been released.
The offering includes 50 yearlings by sires such as Playing God, Splintex Maschino and Ghaiyyath at the one-day winter sale to be staged at Magic Millions’ Swan Valley complex on June 22.
Sires represented in the weanling catalogue including first crop Lightsaber foals, Gingerbread Man, Flying Artie as well as Western Australia’s premier stallion Playing God.
Special significance attached to War Machine’s Stradbroke bid
War Machine will start favourite in the Stradbroke Handicap carrying the heartfelt weight of two powerful legacies in Australasian racing.
The four-year-old has won five of his 12 starts since being purchased from New Zealand including his two outings from his new quarters with trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
Jockey Tim Clark will sport a black armband on Saturday in memory of two
pivotal figures who helped shape War Machine’s journey - the late Mike Moroney and the recently passed Michael Wallace.
Moroney, a decorated and widely respected trainer, passed away earlier this year having laid the foundation with War Machine of what is shaping up to be an elite-level career.
Tragedy struck again last weekend in Kentucky with the sudden passing of internationally renowned bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, who sourced War Machine’s dam Caserta on behalf of his brother David and late wife Maddy and parents Jim and Mary Wallace.
War Machine was bred under the banner of MDJ Bloodstock Ltd – Mary, Maddy, David and Jim – with the latter pair remaining in the ownership of the son of Harry Angel.
Upgraded and expanded Casino training facility available
Casino Racing Club has opened a new training and racing complex with a call for expressions of interest from trainers.
The facility now houses 80 new stables, two horse walkers and a 50m swimming pool.
Casino’s training infrastructure also includes a rebuilt sand track.
Located in the NSW Northern Rivers region, Casino is a three-hour drive from Brisbane.
