In today's Straight Shorts, a legend of US racing retires from training, 23 nominations for last Australian Group 1 race in 2024/25, Chris Parnham keen on Belmont Guineas chances, Rosehill partnership fined over positive swab.

D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas has stepped away from training to mark the end of a decorated era in US racing. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

D. Wayne Lukas hospitalised, won’t return to training

US trainer D. Wayne Lukas has announced his retirement amid a serious health issue.

A statement released by Churchill Downs on behalf of the legendary horseman’s family revealed Lukas has been hospitalised, battling a severe infection that has worsened his condition.

The 89-year-old has reportedly declined an aggressive treatment plan in favor of returning home to be with his family.

Horses trained by Lukas have been transferred to his assistant Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl.

“Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched,” Nicholl said.

“Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I'll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn't about filling his shoes–no one can–it's about honoring everything that he's built.”

Lukas is one of America’s most decorated trainers with 15 Triple Crown victories and a record-equalling 20 in the Breeders’ Cup.

He won the Kentucky Derby four times since 1988 and his most recent victory in the Triple Crown came last year with Seize the Grey in the Preakness Stakes.

Floozie, Firestorm share Tiara favouritism

Floozie, one of the finds of the Brisbane winter carnival, shares the top line of betting to extend her winning sequence to Group 1 level in the $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara.

Unbeaten since joining leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan, Floozie will be chasing her fifth straight win at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

She is a joint favourite ahead of acceptances with the Chris Waller-trained Firestorm in a contest that marks the end of Group 1 racing for the 2024/25 Australian season.

Floozie, a daughter of Zoustar from the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Catchy, relegated Firestorm into a minor placing with a last-start Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm on June 14.

The Brisbane Racing Club received 23 nominations for the Tiara, won last year by subsequent Everest winner Bella Nipotina.

Missile an Elite chance in Belmont Guineas

Chris Parnham is counting on a good barrier to help Elite Missile break through in stakes company for the first time when the Perth jockey rides the talented gelding in Saturday's Belmont Guineas.

One of Western Australia's leading riders, Parnham partnered the Stephen Miller-trained Elite Missile into second in the Raconteur Stakes over 1400m at Bunbury on June 14 at his fifth run back from a spell.

“I’m obviously real keen on his chances,” Parnham told Tabradio.

“He was a great run the other day in Bunbury. We drew the widest gate and had to get back to last.

“He does always finish off strong, but if we can draw a little bit better and not have to give them such a big start. The way he was finishing off, you would say the 1600m is going to probably suit him better.”

With Belmont racecourse still out of action due to a problem with the turf at the 150m mark, Saturday’s meeting will be held at Pinjarra.

Ryan and Alexiou fined over Sanctified positive swab

Sydney trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have been fined and their promising two-year-old Sanctified has been stripped of his debut city placing.

Racing NSW stewards imposed a $6000 fine on the Rosehill trainers after Sanctified returned a positive swab to dimethyl sulphoxide in a post-race test after the Super Seth juvenile ran third at Rosehill on January 18.

An inquiry was unable to establish conclusively how the substance was found in the urine sample.

Ryan and Alexiou pleaded guilty, co-operated with the stewards' investigation and Sanctified, who subsequently ran fifth in the Inglis Millennium and third in the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra, was disqualified from the race, which was won by Wodeton.

Sanctified, who was spelled after his unplaced run on a heavy track in the Baillieu on April 1, is back in work.

Basketball betting bill a forerunner to HKJC licence

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s bid to operate as a wagering provider on basketball is a step closer.

A bill outlining plans to regulate basketball betting has been published.

If passed, the proposed law would amend the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108) and its subsidiary legislation to establish a legal structure for basketball betting. 

The legislation allows the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to issue licences for basketball betting operations, apply conditions to these licences, and extend the remit of the Betting and Lotteries Commission to include oversight of basketball-related activity.

Under the bill, basketball betting would be taxed at 50 per cent of net stake in a rate that replicates the one applied to football bets. 

The HKJC is expected to be the sole licensee, operating under conditions similar to those governing its horse racing and football wagering activities.

The bill is scheduled for its first reading on July 2.

Taplin off the mark at Tauranga

The Taplin name has been absent from New Zealand racebooks over the past couple of years, but that all changed on Saturday at Tauranga when emerging apprentice Jack Taplin rode his first winner aboard Pacifico. 

Indentured to Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh, Taplin had ridden Group 1 winner Mercurial and Group 1 performer Harlech on his opening day at the races at Te Rapa and then came close to breaking through during the week at Cambridge, with a runner-up result aboard Billy Lincoln. 

Prepared by Andrew Forsman, Pacifico was Taplin’s sole ride at the Tauranga meeting, starting second-favourite behind Monday Melody in the Michael Montgomery Memorial (1600m). 

“It was awesome and pretty extraordinary to have Dad (Ian) over here, he came over last week for my first ride and he thought, ‘bugger it, I’ll stay’, because I had Billy Lincoln on Wednesday, who we thought would go really close,” Taplin said.

“After that, he decided to just stay on again for Saturday, and he was over the moon with excitement.”

The 21-year-old was born and raised in Southland, with his mother Kerry Taplin training thoroughbreds for over 20 years, accumulating 177 wins domestically, 60 of those in partnership with Ian.  

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