In today's Straight Shorts, NSW Racing Minister David Harris says he will investigate a property transaction between Racing NSW and its chair Saranne Cook, Anthony Cummings has backed away from an appeal against having his trainer's licence revoked and Magic Millions makes cyclone contingency plans.
Racing Minister to have a ‘proper look’ at $1 Bathurst property deal
NSW Racing Minister David Harris has vowed to investigate the circumstances of a reported property deal involving Racing NSW and its chair Saranne Cooke.
Minister Harris fronted parliamentary estimates on Tuesday and was asked by independent MP Mark Latham whether he was aware Cooke, then deputy chair of Racing NSW, had purchased a property in Gilmore Street, Kelso in 2021, and then on-sold it to Racing NSW in February 2022.
Latham, a fervent critic of Racing NSW, then tabled land title documents which he said revealed that Cooke had paid $985,000 for the property, before it was then moved on to Racing NSW for $1 eight months later.
The Straight is not suggesting Ms Cooke has done anything unethical or illegal.
Harris said he had no knowledge of the transfer, which occurred before he was Racing Minister. However, he did promise to examine the issue.
“With no knowledge of what's happened, I can't comment at this particular stage. We'll have a look at it, Mr Latham. As you know, whenever something's raised, we have a proper look at it,” he said.
He said that any potential conflict in a deal of that nature would warrant a declaration. He didn’t know if those declarations had been made but said he would investigate if that was the case.
“I would expect that anyone would follow the correct declaration processes and declare anything that had a potential conflict,” he said.
Anthony Cummings opts out of appeal to keep licence
Anthony Cummings has withdrawn an appeal against a Racing NSW move to revoke his training licence.
Cummings’ licence to train out of Leilani Lodge, the Randwick-based stables synonymous with his famous father Bart, was cancelled in February.
Amid financial troubles, Cummings had been issued with a show-cause notice last November as to why he should be allowed to continue training with his business Rosscarbery Holdings Pty Ltd in the hands of liquidators.
He told the Racing Appeals Tribunal on Tuesday of his decision to abandon a bid to have his licence reinstated.
Cummings’ son Ed is hoping to move into Leilani Lodge as its resident trainer.
He met with the Racing NSW Licencing Committee in February to have his permit to train upgraded to metropolitan status.
If he is unsuccessful, a 50-year Cummings association with Leilani Lodge will end with Ciaron Maher among the frontrunners to move in as he expands his NSW training interests.
Magic Millions March sale pushed back due to Cyclone Alfred
Magic Millions will delay the start of its Gold Coast March Yearling Sale to allow more time for inspections in anticipation of the havoc caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred when it sweeps across southeast Queensland.
The auction house has implemented the change to the schedule, pushing back the start of the two-day sale from 11am until 4pm on Monday, enabling vendors to showcase their horses under clearer skies.
The contracted opening session will see 120 Lots auctioned on Monday, with the remaining 260 Lots going under the hammer from 10am on Tuesday.
Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall late on Thursday, with Brisbane, the Gold Coast and NSW’s Northern Rivers region predicted to be hardest hit by the category 2 cyclone.
Severe Weather Update: Tropical Cyclone Alfred update, crossing likely for SE Qld
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) March 3, 2025
Video current: 9:00am AEST 4 March 2025
Latest forecasts and warnings: https://t.co/4W35o8iFmh or the BOM Weather app. pic.twitter.com/hIcS5i89Om
Racing Queensland is also weighing up its options given the probable abandonment of a suite of meetings over the next few days, including Saturday’s rich Jewel meeting at the Gold Coast, due to the heavy rain and destructive wind.
Two Australian Football League opening round games between Brisbane and Geelong on Thursday and Saturday’s Gold Coast and Essendon have been postponed while Touch Football Australia has already postponed The Championships event that was to be held in Coffs Harbour this week.
Yearlings catalogued at the March sale have already started arriving at the Bundall sales complex and Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch is hopeful of improved weather conditions prevailing from Saturday through until Tuesday.
“We will continue to monitor the weather and advise if there are any further changes,” Bowditch said.
“The welfare of our horses and participants are always at the forefront of our minds.”
Golden Path confirmed for Kiwi winner
New Zealand’s richest race, the NZB Kiwi has received a further boost ahead of its inaugural running this Saturday with the winner getting an invite to the $10m Golden Eagle in Sydney later in the year.
The 1500-metre slot race for horses either bred in New Zealand or sold by New Zealand Bloodstock will be staged at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a pathway through to the Golden Eagle now assured.
Racing NSW CEO Peter V'landys praised the initiative to get the new race up and running.
“It's a great initiative on their part because it's an aspirational race. It's going to get its own charisma. It's a new generational race,” V’landys said.
“It's going to attract a younger audience. So you've got investment in the racing industry in New Zealand for a long time to come. And it should generate significant publicity that normal race meetings don't. And hopefully it will really take racing in New Zealand to another level.”
V'landys said a natural connection between the two feature races meant it made sense to provide a golden ticket to the NZB Kiwi winner.
“We're very interested in having that partnership, and we'll have discussions with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Board in making it an automatic entry to the Golden Eagle for the winner,” he said.
“The last couple of times, we've had some controversy as to who gets in the Golden Eagle because it's so competitive, because it's attracted horses from around the world.
“It's attracted horses from Japan. Last year's winner was from England. So it's going to be harder and harder to get in the race, because as the race builds into this must-have race, it's $10 million, and that's a lot of money in anyone's language. So having an automatic entry to the Golden Eagle is a real bonus for the winner.”
Autumn diversion for Australian Guineas hero Feroce
Australian Guineas winner Feroce is likely to be tested at the highest level of weight-for-age racing as part of a modified autumn campaign.
Trainer Dom Sutton revealed the $2.5 million Australian Cup looms large for the three-year-old in preference to the Rosehill Guineas against his own age.
Sutton said the potential for the Rosehill Guineas to be run on a rain-affected track swayed his decision to keep Feroce in Melbourne for the Group 1 Australian Cup on March 29.
“The way the weather forecast is looking (for Sydney) we’ve sort of had to re-evaluate a bit,” Sutton told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“We’ll likely go down the Australian Cup route because we are keen to see him out to 2000 metres.”
Angel Capital switch - ‘owners have the prerogative’
General manager Vin Cox says racing superpower Yulong will continue to support Clinton McDonald despite a decision to remove high-profile purchase Angel Capital from the trainer’s stable.
Angel Capital, favourite to win the Australian Guineas before a race-morning scratching, will join champion trainer Chris Waller's team.
“I have to say Clinton McDonald handled the decision with absolute professionalism, with dignity,” Cox told SEN Track.
Yulong swooped on Angel Capital for a potential stud career after the three-year-old resumed to win the CS Hayes Stakes in February.
Tim Rowe
The colt raced seven times for McDonald, winning four races to be rated one of the most promising horses of his age in training.
Cox said owner Zhang Yuesheng still had horses in the McDonald stable and would more than likely remain involved in two Yulong-consigned Lots that McDonald bought during the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
“The relationship will remain. It’s unfortunate that he has lost I’d say his best horse in the yard,” Cox said.
“(But) these things happen in this business. The owners have the prerogative to do these things and we move on … it was a tough conversation.”
Waller trains Zhang’s world-class mare Via Sistina, winner of the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Mongolian investor targets Ghaiyyath progeny at Premier
Mongolian racehorse owner Ganbaatar Dagvadorj, whose initial Australasian thoroughbred foray was at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, has made the most of his maiden visit to the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Dagvadorj, who bought five two-year-olds at Karaka, has clearly taken a shine to the progeny of Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath at Oaklands Junction this week, purchasing a colt by Europe’s 2020 Horse of the Year for $70,000 on Monday before going to $260,000 for another colt during the Book 2 session.
The most expensive lot sold so far on Tuesday, the Shadow Hill-offered colt (Lot 702) is from the family of Group 1-placed two-year-old filly Heart Skipt A Beat who was trained by Liam Birchley.
The Ghaiyyath colts will join Dagvadorj’s Karaka quintet in training with Danny O’Brien in Victoria.
Lot 702 (Ghaiyyath x No Time Like Now) sells for $260k from the @ShadowHillVic draft to Ganbaatar Dagvadorj! Congratulations to all involved in the colt! #InglisPremier pic.twitter.com/OXuPg8I1pf
— Inglis (@inglis_sales) March 4, 2025
Sydney trainer Joe Pride was also active at the Melbourne sale on Tuesday, paying $250,000 for a colt by Yulong’s emerging shuttle sire Lucky Vega, the sire of Saturday's Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Within The Law.
The Yarran Thoroughbreds-sold Lucky Vega colt is out of a half-sister to Dynamic Syndications’ Group 1-placed sprinter I Am Me.
