In today's Straight Shorts, bloodstock figure joins Magic Millions, select weanlings on offer at Great Southern Sale, jockey Noel Callow banned for three months and Novara Park meets market conditions for 2025 stallion fees.
Annie O’Rourke joins Magic Millions
Magic Millions has bolstered its bloodstock team, employing young Godolphin Flying Start graduate Annie O’Rourke.
Also a graduate of the Irish National Stud Breeding Course and holding a degree in psychology from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, O’Rourke has worked with a string of bloodstock agents and trainers in Europe and the US.
Her role at Magic Millions will encompass marketing as well as acting as a bloodstock consultant.
"Annie made a great impression on us during an internship on the Gold Coast as part of her Godolphin Flying Start adventure and we look forward to adding another dimension to our wonderful team,” Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch said.
"A key focus of Annie's role will involve growing participation and investment from Europe and the Middle East regions at our sales, as well as being an integral part of the bloodstock sales team here domestically.”
Pinhookers zero in on Great Southern opportunities
Pinhookers, owners and trainers will be at Oaklands Junction for the Inglis Great Southern Sale on Friday, Australia’s last opportunity to buy a weanling at public auction in 2025.
Inglis Victorian bloodstock manager James Price says the 327-lot foal offering, which starts at 10am (AEST) will provide many opportunities for buyers, particularly pinhookers in a discerning market.
“I think people are becoming more conscious and more savvy as to when they buy weanling as to what sale that weanling may fit in terms of what yearling sale it'll get into next year,” Price told the Straight Talk podcast.
“So, I think those weanlings that people perceive as not a select sale weanling … vendors are finding it hard to move those.
“But those horses that people are identifying as a select weanling, I think those vendors have been really well paid for them.”
The last southern hemisphere weanling sale for the year, the New Zealand Bloodstock National Sale, will be held at Karaka on June 26.
Callow punished for post-race altercation
Group 1 winner Noel Callow has been banned for three months for his involvement in a jockeys’ room altercation with fellow rider Kyle Wilson-Taylor.
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) stewards on Thursday handed down its penalty to Callow, but said it would be reduced to two months if he completed an anger management course and visited a sports psychologist.
Stewards found Callow was the instigator in a physical altercation with his peer after riding in race six at Doomben on May 28. No charges were laid against Wilson-Taylor as a result of the incident.
Callow’s penalty has been backdated to May 28, with the jockey stood down at the time under the 12-day concussion protocols after being struck by Wilson-Taylor who was found to have acted in self-defence.
Fees set for Novara Park stallion roster
Novara Park owner Luigi Muollo has cut service fees for two of the stud’s four-strong stallion roster to meet market conditions.
The fee for Staphanos has been reduced from NZ$15,000 to $9,000 (all fees plus GST), while Sweynesse has been trimmed from $10,000 to $7,000.
King Of Comedy and Press Statement remain at unchanged fees of $7,000 and $6,000 respectively.
“We are mindful of the challenges facing trainers, syndicators and breeders,” Muollo said.
“The costs of production, wages, everything has increased. All of our stallions this season will have fees payable on live foaling to help breeders. We want to ensure everyone has a good chance, no matter which part of the market they operate in.
“Novara Park is always looking at offering upside and value for money to breeders. Our stallion line-up offers breeders the best bloodlines in the world, while our fees give our clients affordability.”
Maher, Waterhouse-Bott set to learn Leilani Lodge fate
The Australian Turf Club (ATC) board could make its call on who will succeed the Cummings family in occupying Randwick’s Leilani Lodge as soon as Friday.
James Cummings had been favoured to win the race for the stables, which were vacated earlier this year by his father Anthony after he had his trainer’s licence rescinded over financial troubles.
But after Cummings was officially announced as a trainer from 2026-27 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club on Wednesday, it appears that Ciaron Maher and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will be fighting it out for the right to use Leilani Lodge.
ATC directors are expected to meet on Friday to determine the outcome after calling for expressions of interest in April.
No regulatory opposition to MIXI’s PointsBet bid
Japanese company MIXI’s proposed acquisition of Australian corporate bookmaker PointsBet is one step closer after receiving regulatory approval for the potential sale to go ahead.
PointsBet informed the ASX on Thursday that MIXI Australia had received written confirmation from authorities that there would be no objection to the sale proceeding under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act.
Mixi upped its initial offer for the publicly listed PointsBet from $1.06 a share to $1.20 a share, valuing the company at $402 million.
PointsBet shareholders are set to vote on the proposed sale at a meeting on June 25.
The PointsBet share price closed at $1.20 on Thursday.
