Straight Shorts - Monday May 5 - Jockeys in league of their own, Oaks winner stays put, breakthrough for shuttle stallions and Empire retires

In today's Straight Shorts, 12 of the world's leading jockeys to form their own league, Australasian Oaks winner Benagil to remain with Glen Thompson and Yulong adds a son of Zoustar to their roster.

Elite jockeys to form global racing league

Twelve of the world’s best jockeys will form a global racing league in 2026, competing against each other at famous racecourses around the world.

The concept, revealed in several media publications on Monday, will feature James McDonald, the most dominant rider in Australia, competing against the likes of Joao Moreira, Zac Purton, Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and William Buick.

The jockeys will have their own team branding and have equity in their team and act as team principal for their franchise.

The plan is to compete across up to 10 events, with a view to creating a racing product which has more appeal to a young audience, as well as to existing fans.

The concept is the brainchild of former Godolphin chief executive John Ferguson and former Entain executive Lachlan Fitt.

Other jockeys to be involved in the series are Christophe Lemaire, Mickael Barzalona, Yutaka Take, Irad Ortiz Jr, Flavien Prat and Vincent Ho.

It is reported there will be a prize pool of $US15 million in the first year with up to $US5million to go to the winning jockey who comes out on top in a point scoring system.

Oaks winner to stay with Thompson

Glen Thompson’s newly opened Flemington stable has received a boost, with confirmation that his last-start Group 1 Australasian Oaks-winning filly Benagil will remain in his care.

As Thompson contemplates a Queensland campaign for the three-year-old daughter of Manhattan Rain, the filly’s owner and breeder Philip Campbell committed to keeping the filly in training at Flemington.

Thompson had officially trained in partnership with the late Mike Moroney since the start of the current racing season until the Melbourne Cup-winning horseman’s death in February.

Lindsay Park took over Ballymore Stables’ operation at Chicquita Lodge from May 1, with Thompson electing to open his own stable at Flemington.

"I don't think it mattered how she went (on Saturday), but there wasn't an official decision before the race," Thompson said of Benagil to Racing.com.

"He (Campbell) rang on Monday and said that she'll definitely be staying with me, which is great.

“You need a flagship horse like her to get your name out there. Hopefully it (Group 1 win) is career changing."

Milestone stakes win for Hello Youmzain

Hello Youmzain’s first southern hemisphere-bred stakes winner cwill be aimed at more black type races in the spring.

The Tony Pike-trained filly won the Listed Champagne Stakes over 1200m on Saturday, albeit on Riccarton’s synthetic track after the meeting was transferred from the turf.

Bred and raced by Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who stand the stallion at their Cambridge Stud, Lucy In The Sky won her first start in February before finishing sixth in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie.

It was then that Pike targeted the South Island stakes race.

“There were five races at that distance and she was almost a second faster than the open handicap, the quickest of the day, so her time backs up the performance,” Cambridge Stud head of sales and nominations Scott Calder said.

“It was an unfortunate situation with the weather, but for the stallion it was a great result and a well-deserved stakes win for the filly.

“I think she’s a pretty talented horse and Tony Pike’s view is that November at Riccarton for the (Thousand) Guineas is the longer-term aim.”

Hello Youmzain will stand for a fee of NZ$30,000 in 2025.

Windsor Park Stud’s Circus Maximus also celebrated his first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner when Towering Vision won Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes at Te Rapa.

No spring for Growing Empire as Zoustar colt is retired to stud

Growing Empire will not race on as a four-year-old, with Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong electing to retire the Group 3-winning colt to stud.

Nabbed on the line by stablemate Southport Tycoon against older horses in the Manikato Stakes in the spring, the Zoustar colt was also placed in Group 1 The Everest and the Coolmore Stud Stakes, demonstrating himself to be one of the best sprinters of his generation.

The Ciaron Maher-trained rising four-year-old, who will stand for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST), won four of his 11 starts and banked more than $3 million in prizemoney during his short career at two and three.

“Growing Empire is a gorgeous, athletic colt with the kind of looks breeders love to see in the ring. On the track, he showed blistering speed and precocity, winning stakes races in his spring three-year-old season, and he mixed it with the best sprinters in the country. Importantly, he has the competitive attitude and toughness we prize in our stallions,” Yulong’s chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said.

“Being by Zoustar out of a fast Snitzel mare (Miles Of Krishnan), his pedigree is pure speed on speed. He’s a perfect fit for Yulong’s roster, and we believe breeders will be as excited about him as we are, especially once they lay eyes on him." 

He joins the Yulong roster, which now numbers 1o, with Growing Empire standing alongside the likes of Alabama Express, Pierata and Written Tycoon.

$100,000 pot for Off-The-Track Cup

Prize money for the 2026 Queensland Off-The-Track Cup final has been boosted, with riders competing for $100,000 in the showjumping competition.

Qualifying competitions will be staged interstate and in Queensland, including at the Peachester Lodge Festival of Showjumping on June 22, leading into next year’s final on January 11.

The Off-The-Track Cup, conducted in partnership with Racing Queensland, will be a feature event on the Magic Millions Polo and Showjumping on the Gold Coast on Sunday, January 11, next year.

“The Queensland Off-The-Track Cup prizemoney pool increase to $100,000 takes the overall showjumping prizemoney pool awarded at the Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo & Showjumping to a remarkable $1.56 million – the largest prizemoney pool in Australia,” Magic Millions’ Katie Page-Harvey said.

“Magic Millions is grateful for the ongoing support of Racing Queensland and Queensland Off-The-Track to ensure we continue to expand the profile of the retrained thoroughbred racehorse and increase prizemoney incentives for the QOTT Cup.”

Other qualifying events for the Cup will be confirmed later this year.

Stawell meeting transferred

Horsham will host a Victorian race meeting on May 19 that was initially scheduled for Stawell.

The Stawell Cup meeting was abandoned on Easter Sunday before a race was run due to unsuitable track conditions discovered on the day of the meeting.

The meeting coincided with the Stawell Gift athletics carnival where teenage sprinting sensation Gout Gout was the star attraction.

Racing Victoria on Monday said officials had elected to bring forward the end of the racing season at Stawell to allow the track additional time to recover.

Barrier trials scheduled for Stawell on May 21 have been transferred to Horsham while a venue for the June 19-scheduled trials have yet to be decided.

RV also said industry consultation is underway regarding improved processes to avoid similar circumstances which led to the Stawell Cup abandonment occurring in the future.