In today's Straight Shorts, UK trainer William Haggas is unsure how the Sydney autumn will unfold for his three raiders, Zac Purton is likely to delay a riding return, a leading wagering executive comes to Tom Waterhouse's defence and another winner for Hello Youmzain.
Haggas fluid on Sydney ambitions for autumn team
UK trainer William Haggas concedes uncertainty surrounds the precise target races during the Sydney autumn for his contingent who have arrived in Australia.
Haggas has sent Dubai Honour, Desert Hero and Al Mubhir to Sydney but he says he is none the wiser about how the next month of racing will unfold for the trio.
“We’re a bit up in the air this year,” Haggis, speaking from the UK, told RadioTAB Australia.
“Usually I know what I’m doing by now … but I’ve got a few decisions to make.
“They’ll all be getting a few entries and we’ll take it from there.”
Dubai Honour, who left an indelible mark on Australia in completing a Group 1 double in the Ranvet Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2023, may have a different program this year.
“He may be looking for a 2400-metre (race) now and that is my only concern,” he said.
“And in that case we might go to the Tancred Stakes and then the Queen Elizabeth.”
William Haggas’ star duo Dubai Honour and Desert Hero coming off the track at Canterbury as they continue the build up to their Sydney Autumn Carnival targets. 👀 pic.twitter.com/VNeCXyk5wE
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 11, 2025
Haggas said he could rely on Al Mubhir as his Ranvet runner in preference to a Doncaster Mile start for the Frankel entire.
Comparing Dubai Honour and Al Mubhir, Haggas said: “They are not a million miles apart. Don’t underestimate Al Mubhir because he’s quite a nice horse.”
Desert Hero, raced by King Charles, is one of the favourites for the Sydney Cup but Haggas revealed the stayer had travelled poorly and may not be ready for a 3200m test because of the amount of condition he lost on the flight.
Purton toes the line on return from injury
Zac Purton is erring on the side of caution as he navigates a return from injury.
Hong Kong’s leading jockey has been sidelined since fracturing his big toe in a three-horse fall at Sha Tin on February 9.
He had hoped to make a comeback for the prestigious Hong Kong Derby meeting next week but specialists have advised him to allow the injury more time to heal.
Instead, Purton has shifted his focus to being fully fit to reunite with Ka Ying Rising in the Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) on March 30.
Matt Stewart
With Purton out of action, Karis Teetan rode Ka Ying Rising to victory in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup on February 23.
“If it was just up to me, I feel like I could get on a horse and ride and get on with things, but when I look at the scans and listen to what (the specialists) are telling me, I understand,” Purton told the South China Morning Post.
“The last thing I want to do is refracture it and end up back where I was. For the sake of waiting one more week, I just have to suck it up.”
Straight Talk - this week’s special guest is Cambridge Stud’s Henry Plumptre
Join Bren O’Brien and Tim Rowe as they recap a significant weekend for Cambridge Stud with chief executive Henry Plumptre.
At the heart of their discussion is Joliestar's impressive victory in the Newmarket Handicap and her future racing ambitions.
We also dive into the world of breeding and auctions with insights from Harry Bailey on the upcoming Inglis broodmare sales.
Sportsbet boss’s sympathy for Waterhouse
Sportsbet chief executive Barni Evans believes Tom Waterhouse was unfairly vilified as the public face of the expansion of sports betting marketing a decade ago.
Addressing a gambling conference in Sydney this week, Evans put a picture of Waterhouse up on screen and said the bookmaker had done nothing wrong in the widespread promotion of his Tom Waterhouse brand in 2013.
“I feel for Tom,” Evans said. “He’s been unfairly vilified because he was simply the person in front of the camera. I remember thinking at the time – and I was the marketing guy at the time – he’s done nothing wrong.”
“The government has no rules to prevent him from doing this, the broadcasting codes have no rules to prevent this from happening.
“The sporting codes have no rules. He was simply offered a marketing opportunity and his marketing team said, ‘yes thanks’.”
Bren O’Brien
Waterhouse was widely criticised for his promotion, including by then Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The bookie decided to reduce his on-air appearances and later admitted the brand had become polarising.
After his brand was acquired, Waterhouse was chief executive of William Hill Australia until 2018. He now runs a venture capital fund focused on the global gambling industry.
Stormland adds to Hello Youmzain’s Down Under tally
The winners are starting to come for Cambridge Stud’s first-season sire Hello Youmzain.
A multiple Group 1-winning son of Kodiac, Hello Youmzain notched his fourth Australasian success as a sire when Stormland made a winning debut at Randwick on Thursday.
Stormland is trained by Ciaron Maher for syndicator Darby Racing after he was a $325,000 yearling purchase from Cambridge Stud’s 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
The first crop of Hello Youmzain continues to impress as Stormland makes a winning debut for @cmaherracing
— Cambridge Stud (@CambridgeStud) March 13, 2025
A homebred out of Sienna Rose, Stormland is a graduate of our 2024 @mmsnippets draft & was purchased by @Darby_Racing & @Deburghequine for $325,000.
Congratulations to… https://t.co/Af8wleoGWG
Successful in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint as a three-year-old before returning the following season to claim the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, Hello Youzmain’s two New Zealand winners - Remala and Lucy In The Sky - carried Cambridge’s colours to victory.
Hello Youzmain is also the sire of Bendigo winner Hello Romeo.
