Straight Shorts is a rolling news update service on the biggest stories in racing, wagering and breeding. In the latest out of Racing Victoria, Entain media executive Andy Hoad has been appointed the regulator's new EGM Media, Content & Marketing, Anthony Cummings is appealing Racing NSW's decision to revoke his training licence, while Australian-owned gambling operator Stake is leaving the UK market. In the bloodstock world, a filly by Extreme Choice has left her mark on the French sales scene.
Racing Victoria appoints Entain executive Andy Hoad to key media role
Entain media executive Andy Hoad has been appointed as Racing Victoria’s new EGM Media, Content & Marketing.
Hoad comes into the newly created role which emerged from a restructure of the Racing.com business, which has come back under Racing Victoria’s purview.
The role, which sits alongside five other EGMs, including new faces Peter Betson (Strategy and Corporate) and Janelle Helleur (People and Performance), also takes in existing RV portfolios covering marketing, customer insights, communications, industry promotion and content.
The changes announced in February saw the existing Racing.com chief executive role being made redundant, with Peter Campbell to leave RV after a handover period.
Hoad has spent the past four years with Entain as General Manager Group Content & Broadcast, spearheading the ambitious media strategy focussed on feature video for Ladbrokes as well as Neds and TAB NZ.
Before that, he worked for sports production company NEP and for Fox Sports in Australia and Sky in the UK.
He becomes the latest Entain’s executive to progress to a senior position elsewhere. Karl deKroo, Entain’s former Executive director - Stakeholder Engagement, was appointed a Brisbane Racing Club CEO in October while Ryan Stanaway, who was General Manager of Ownership and Participation, was recently appointed as Racing SA’s Chief Operating Officer.
RV chief executive Aaron Morrison had put a significant restructure of the media business front and centre when he was appointed to the role in August.
“Andy will bring a creative edge to our business, helping us to build on the critical role and tremendous efforts of our media businesses in showcasing Victorian racing," Morrison said.
“There is renewed mainstream interest in racing, and we have a tremendous opportunity to capitalise on that, tell our rich stories, celebrate the important contribution of our industry and its stakeholders, and further elevate the promotion of Victorian racing to a broader audience."
Anthony Cummings appeals licence suspension
Anthony Cummings has appealed a decision from Racing NSW to suspend his licence, after being given seven days to vacate his Randwick stables.
Cummings, the son of Hall Of Fame trainer Bart Cummings and a multiple Group 1-winning trainer himself, has struck financial trouble with his business.
He was advised this week that his licence would be revoked, having been handed a Show Cause notice over his financial issues.
He has appealed and has been granted an as yet undetermined period of grace.
“As many of you know, in recent times, I’ve had a show-cause notice serviced on me, and we’ve been dealing with that and providing information to Racing NSW. This week, they’ve come back to say that they feel they’ve made their case,” Cummings said in a voice message to stable owners on Thursday.
“They say that I’m supposed to finish training next week. Having said that, they’ve also offered an extension to the time. Exactly what that might be, I’m not sure – they haven’t come back to say – but they did offer me an extension.”
Stake bails of out of UK amid investigation
Australian-owned and Curacao-headquartered gambling outfit Stake will exit the UK market next month while their sponsorship of Everton Football Club is likely to come to an end after a ruling from the UK Gambling Commission.
TGP Europe Limited operates Stake.uk.com as part of a white label arrangement and has stated it willl be shutting down the site on March 11.
The move follows the launch of a Gambling Commission investigation into a widely viewed video, which displays a Stake-branded logo which was distributed on a social media platform and featured an adult actress outside a university in Nottingham.
It's not the first time that TGP, which operates the Stake brand in the UK, have found themselves in the commission's sights, having previously been subject to an enforcement action.
The Commission will be writing to Everton along with two other football clubs with unlicensed sponsors warning about the risks of promoting unlawful gambling websites.
It will seek assurances from the clubs they have carried out due diligence on their white-label partners and that consumers in Great Britain cannot transact with unlicensed sites.
The letter will warn that club officers may be liable to prosecution and face a fine imprisonment or both if they promote unlicensed gambling businesses that transact with consumers in Great Britain.
“Stake has made a strategic decision in mutual agreement with TGP Europe to exit white-label agreements and focus on securing local licences through our in-house platform and operations, building upon our growth in key regulated markets such as our recent expansions into Italy and Brazil,” the company said in a statement
Stake, founded in Australia by Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, has become a global powerhouse through its crypto casino and sportsbook offerings around the world,
It has increasingly looked to regulated markets in recent times, setting up licensed operations in Brazil, Peru and Colombia as well as Italy and Denmark.
Extreme Choice filly tops Arqana sale
The first European auction offering of Newgate Farm sire Extreme Choice has emerged as the highest-priced lot sold at Arqana’s February Mixed Sale.
A filly consigned by JK Thoroughbreds on behalf of Peter Anastasiou, she fetched €110,000 ($A182,000) to the winning bid of Haras d'Etreham principal Nicolas de Chambure.
Anastasiou is best known as the breeder of Cloth Of Stars, a Group 1-winning son of Sea The Stars who is a member of Darley’s stallion roster in France.
🌨️𝐹𝐸𝐵𝑅𝑈𝐴𝑅𝑌 𝑀𝐼𝑋𝐸𝐷 𝑆𝐴𝐿𝐸🌨️
— ARQANA (@InfoArqana) February 12, 2025
✨A top price of €110,000 for a daughter of Extreme Choice.
🗞️Press release: https://t.co/91OWAACNKG
📊See the results: https://t.co/jKUcGQV8sC
📸 Lot 115 - @zuzanna_lupa pic.twitter.com/ahlnfk8IQR
Impressed by Extreme Choice’s elite strike-rate with stakes runners and his versatility as the sire of a Golden Slipper and Melbourne Cup winner, Anastasiou sent the More Than Ready mare Grey Queen to Australia to be covered on northern hemisphere time.
The sale-topper boasts a deep pedigree with her third dam Daltawa a breed-shaping broodmare for the Aga Khan as the producer of Daylami and Dalakhani.
“She’s by an Australian stallion that has had limited runners but has very good statistics," de Chambure told the Arqana media arm.
"I think she’s the only Extreme Choice in Europe to go under the hammer! We like to have different bloodlines and she’ll be very easy to cross.”
BetMakers, Sportsbet extend deal
BetMakers and Sportsbet have extended their deal regarding provision of pricing and data services.
As part of the deal, Sportsbet, Australia’s biggest operator will continue to access BetMakers comprehensive suite of pricing and data solutions to drive their global racing book.
“Sportsbet and BetMakers are long-term partners and we are thrilled to extend our partnership further and continue to bring excitement to life to more than 2.2 million Australian customers,” Nathan Arundell, Chief Commercial Officer, said.
Jake Henson, CEO of BetMakers, said the deal was a significant one for the publicly listed company.
“This long-term extension highlights the strength of our relationship as well as the value our pricing and data services bring to the Sportsbet operation. We look forward to continuing to drive our offering forward with their support and collaboration.”
Table of the day: Jockeys with most rides in Australia this season
Blake Shinn is working harder than ever this season with a "have saddle, will travel" approach to riding that is bettered by only a few in Australia's riding ranks.
Shinn sits sixth on a national level for the number of rides so far this season but his application has been rewarded as he brought up a century of winners in 2024/25 at Seymour on Wednesday.
The Straight's Matt Stewart spoke to Shinn when the jockey was on his way - by train - to Seymour in a story that provides a terrific insight into what makes one of Australia's best riders tick.
Matt Stewart
Straight Talk Podcast - Inglis Classic review, crown land moves for Racing NSW, a key appointment for RV and wagering exits
Staff Writer
Shaggy Hong Kong offers pushed aside in a bid to boost sire’s profile
Unbeaten Shaggy will have his potential tested at a Sydney level after a decision to reject more than one Hong Kong offer for the two-year-old.
Shaggy ventures to Randwick after wins at Coffs Harbour and the Sunshine Coast attracted the attention of overseas buyers,
But Kooringal Stud’s Angus Lamont, who races the youngster in partnership with trainer Allan Kehoe, says Shaggy staying in Australia makes better business sense than accepting Hong Kong money.
Shaggy makes it two from two with an easy win in the first at Sunshine Coast 😤@JimmyOrman pic.twitter.com/Ct5NbvPlFs
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) January 25, 2025
“The offers keep coming for him. They're substantial, don't worry,” Lamont told The Straight.
“But at this stage there's probably more value for me in the long run for him to be racing in Australia with the ability that we think that he might have.”
Lamont stands Shaggy’s sire Sandbar, a stakes-winning son of Snitzel, at Kooringal. A timely, in-depth look into the NSW Riverina breeding operation will be published on The Straight on Friday.
