Today's Straight Shorts kicks off with news out of global wagering giant Entain that it is not expecting a quick resolution to its AUSTRAC enforcement action in Australia, while Te Akau Racing has pulled a key gear change ahead of a Kiwi Group 1.
Studs circling Canterbury Stakes contender Celestial Legend
The Canterbury Stakes will dictate the direction of dual Group 1-winning entire Celestial Legend’s autumn campaign, a preparation which could also determine which stallion roster he ends up on.
The Dundeel four-year-old’s trainer Les Bridge revealed that there were “a few irons in the fire” from studs about standing the Bon Ho-owned Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile winner of last season.
But first Bridge and Ho, who is flying into Sydney from Hong Kong on Friday afternoon ahead of the Randwick meeting on Saturday, want to see Celestial Legend return to the form he showed as a three-year-old.
“He had a condition that's just basically jarring at the joint, the back joint. That's why all his wins were on the soft tracks,” Bridge told The Straight.
“When he got on the hard tracks, he just wasn't going. We’ve changed his shoes and done a few things with him and that's the secret to him, I think, the soft ground.
“We're hoping for a bit of rain tomorrow."
Celestial Legend winning the 2024 Doncaster Mile. (Vision: YouTube)
If Celestial Legend shows a semblance of his old form, the George Ryder on March 22 and an attempt at back-to-back Doncasters is on the agenda.
Celestial Legend’s pedigree, being out of a three-quarter sister to South African Grade 1 winners Rafeef and Mustaaqueem and a grandson of champion South African mare National Colour, makes him an appealing prospect for stallion farms considering the promising starts at stud made by Dundeel’s sire sons Super Seth and Castelvecchio.
“He's a beautiful horse, a lovely horse. He's had nine runs in his life, that's all he's had, so we’re only scratching the surface with him, it’s just that things went haywire with him,” Bridge says of Celestial Legend.
Estriella, Royal Merchant added to Chairman's catalogue
Outstanding mare Estriella and Group 1 winner Royal Merchant are the latest elite entries confirmed for the Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The Ciaron Maher-trained Estriella, a daughter of champion sire I Am Invincible, has won three stakes races, the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint, the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes and the Listed Sunlight Classic.
A $750,000 Inglis Easter sale graduate, who has won $1,381,490 in prize money, four-year-old Estriella joins Group 1 Goodwood-winning stablemate Royal Merchant as the latest mares to be added to Inglis’ elite Chairman’s Sale, which is to be held at Riverside Stables in Sydney on May 8.
Both mares are in training and being offered as racing and breeding propositions.
Estriella holds on! 💪
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 19, 2024
The 4YO mare carries 59kg & fends off the flying Rey Magnerio 🔥 @cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/0pBL0U0clH
Maher’s head of bloodstock Will Bourne described Estriella as “electric’’.
“The speed Estriella possesses is extremely rare and one of her most emphatic traits,’’ Bourne said.
“The data she records within training and on the racetrack is of Group 1 standard and while she hasn’t won at the elite level yet, I have every confidence that a Group 1 win is absolutely within reach for Estriella this season or beyond.”
Entain’s AUSTRAC action expected to drag on
Wagering company Entain has said it is difficult to predict when the enforcement action being undertaken by financial regulator AUSTRAC will be resolved, but it is unlikely to be in 2025.
AUSTRAC confirmed in December it had commenced civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court relating to alleged contraventions of the Australian Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act.
Entain has refrained from making additional commentary while the enforcement action is underway. However, it dedicated a small section of its global annual report to it.
“As the Group has previously disclosed, the investigation was announced by AUSTRAC in September 2022. The investigation has now concluded, with the only outcome being the civil penalty proceedings,” it read.
“A statement of claim regarding the proceedings has not been issued as at the date of approval of the annual report and accounts and a provision has not been recognised as it is not possible to reliably estimate the quantum or timing of any fine.
“Previous penalties in AUSTRAC proceedings in the gaming sector have been material, ranging from AU$45m to AU$450(m). Therefore, it is possible that the proceedings may result in a penalty being levied which could potentially be material.”
Entain said there was a risk in drawing conclusions from previously settled cases and the level of any penalty was a matter for the Federal Court of Australia.
“It is expected that the statement of claim will be issued in mid-March and, in other cases settled with AUSTRAC, it has taken between 10 and 20 months after the issuance of the statement of claim for the proceedings to conclude,” it said.
“Another set of proceedings against another entity has been ongoing for 26 months and is still unresolved. It is therefore difficult to predict how long the proceedings against Entain Australia will last.”
Bren O’Brien
Lindsay Park 3YO Evaporate primed for NZB Kiwi
Evaporate is ready to fulfil expectations and complete a memorable New Zealand feature race double for brothers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
He has headed betting for the $3.5 million The NZB Kiwi (1500m) since he was confirmed in early January by slot holder Entain as their representative in the inaugural running of the age group event.
The three-year-old will bid to emulate older stablemate Here To Shock, who was sent across the Tasman by the Lindsay Park operation last month to romp to victory in the Group1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.
Evaporate has been successful four times from 12 appearances with his homecoming prompted by his spring form.
It's a running double for Mick Dee as Evaporate races away in the G2 Stutt Stakes 🔥@lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/8YpQPWqzNd
— Racing.com (@Racing) September 27, 2024
“He put the writing on the wall as a very progressive three-year-old in the spring, we were approached for a slot and put a big circle around this date, so hopefully the plan comes off,” JD Hayes told the Loveracing.nz news desk.
“We have done a lot of form and are respectful of the opposition, but we do feel that we’ve brought the right horse over,” Hayes said.
Evaporate was bred by Little Avondale Stud, who remain in the ownership group, and will be partnered by regular rider Michael Dee.
Key gear change for Te Akau’s stallion prospect Return To Conquer
Te Akau has chosen to play its trump card with valuable unbeaten juvenile colt Return To Conquer in Saturday’s Group 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie.
Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson have elected to put blinkers on the $1.3 million son of Snitzel whose appeal as a stallion prospect would skyrocket if he was able to win the Sistema, the first of two Group 1s run each season in New Zealand for the two-year-olds.
Return To Conquer, who is part-owned by Trilogy Racing’s Jason and Mel Stenning and Sean and Cathy Dingwall as well as Australian stud Kia Ora, has won three stakes races in a perfect start to his racing career, having landed the Matamata Slipper most recently on February 15.
“We are putting the blinkers on Saturday, we have kept them up our sleeve for the Group 1,” Bergerson said.
“His work has been super, and he is a colt that is hard to fault at home, he just keeps raising the bar.”
From a deep Godolphin and Woodlands-developed family featuring Group 2 winner Ghisoni, Snippetson and his Group 1-placed second dam Portillo, Return To Conquer was bought by Te Akau’s David Ellis from the draft of Blue Gum Farm at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, New Zealand’s other Group 1 two-year-old race for the season, will be held at Awapuni on March 29.
Breeding right in Bivouac, Port Lockroy share for sale on Inglis Digital
A breeding right in Darley’s brilliant sprinter Bivouac, the sire of Silver Slipper winner Beiwacht, and a share in Doncaster Mile hopeful Port Lockroy will be offered on the Inglis Digital (Early) March Online Sale.
A 5 percent share in the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Port Lockroy, a winner of the Group 1 Railway in Perth last November, features in the 361-lot Digital catalogue as does Dios, a Lonhro half-sister to Tentyris.
Godolphin’s Street Boss colt Tentyris was runner-up in the Blue Diamond a fortnight ago and will continue his maiden racing preparation in Saturday’s Group 2 Todman Stakes at Randwick.
As well as a breeding right in Bivouac, the sire of four first crop two-year-old winners, there are shares on offer in stallions Headwater, Sun City and Portland Sky.
In total, the March catalogue consists of 153 racehorses (62 race fillies), 100 broodmares, 53 yearlings, 36 racehorse shares, 14 weanlings and four stallion shares.
Foxtel rebuked for gambling ad breach during AFL game
A Foxtel broadcast of an AFL match involving Port Adelaide and Essendon breached gambling advertising rules, an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation has found.
In handing down its findings, ACMA said the live broadcast on April 24 failed to include an adequate responsible gambling message on a virtual banner advertising a gambling operator.
Under the subscription television code of practice, gambling advertisements, including banner ads, shown during broadcasts of live sporting events must be accompanied by a responsible gambling message.
Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said if broadcasters are airing gambling advertisements during live sport, a responsible gambling message must be aired too.
“These messages must emphasise the potential harms and risks of gambling if it is not undertaken responsibly,” Ms Lidgerwood said.
ACMA said the broadcaster acted quickly to ensure a responsible gambling tagline was added to the advertisement once it was alerted to the breach..
As a result of the ACMA’s investigation, Foxtel has agreed to further staff training on the regulatory requirements around gambling advertisements.
Foxtel will also report back to the ACMA on all the steps it is taking to ensure the gambling ads it broadcasts have sufficient responsible gambling messages.
