In today's Straight Shorts, our coverage includes the retirement of crack sprinting mare Bella Nipotina, news from the Golden Slipper draw and how day two unfolded at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Bella Nipotina bids farewell to racing, set for broodmare auction
Underestimated and unheralded for much of an extended racing career, Bella Nipotina has been retired as one of the great sprinting mares of the modern era.
In announcing that Bella Nipotina had run her last race, Ciaron Maher said the four-time Group 1-winning mare was one of the most consistent and toughest racehorses he had trained.
"She has given me some of my biggest thrills in racing and has had a wonderful career,” Maher said.
"I feel honoured to be part of her journey and the last 12 months have shown the true makings of a genuine Australian sprinter.”
Bella Nipotina will be offered for sale via public auction in May.
As a rising eight-year-old with 11 wins from 57 starts, Bella Nipotina bows out after finishing third in the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Flemington during last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival.
Two starts earlier, the daughter of Pride Of Dubai left Australia’s best sprinters without excuse when she claimed the $20 million Everest at Randwick.
Bella Nipotina banked $7.5 million for her Everest win and success in the Russell Balding Stakes at her next Sydney outing earned her another $3.6 million in prize money and bonuses.
Overall, Bella Nipotina collected $22.75 million in stakes to be second to Winx ($26.45 million) on Australia’s all-time money list.
I Am Me joins Chairman’s line-up
Multiple stakes winner I Am Me is set to be sold at May’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Inglis has confirmed that the six-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible, a winner of both the Missile Stakes and The Shorts, would be presented for sale as a racing and breeding prospect at its marquee breeding sale on May 8.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and raced by Dynamic Syndications, I Am Me has won 11 of her 27 starts and was most recently third in the Challenge Stakes at Randwick earlier this month.
She runs in the G1 Galaxy this weekend and was recently confirmed as a runner in the $5m The Quokka.
“She’s the type of horse that every owner dreams of,” Dynamic’s Adam Watt said.
“Being a $210,000 Inglis Premier yearling that has gone on to win 11 races, be five-times Group 1 performed and amassed over $4.7 million in prizemoney so far in her stellar career, she’s been an absolute dream for everyone involved with her.”
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was delighted I Am Me would be part of the Chairman’s Sale catalogue.
“I make no secret of the fact that I adore this mare, both as a race filly and as a prospective broodmare, so I have been speaking to Dean and Adam about her for what feels like years,” Hutch said.
“She has really got it all – electric speed, an outstanding physique and a pedigree that is just about tailor made for her to be an elite broodmare.”
Slipper fancies Wodeton, Tempted draw neighbouring barriers
Golden Slipper favourites Wodeton and Tempted have drawn inside barriers for the $5 million race.
Wodeton, the Coolmore-owned and Chris Waller-trained colt who has been at the top of Golden Slipper betting since making a winning debut in January, has gate two in the 16-horse field.
Godolphin filly Tempted, a daughter of Street Boss who will be ridden by last year’s Slipper-winning jockey Blake Shinn, has the rails draw.
The Waller stable has already indicated Wodeton is likely to be ridden with less urgency than when beaten as a short-priced favourite in the Todman Stakes.
“We will be riding him conservatively, but you certainly can’t whinge with a good gate,” assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“It just means you have to do no work and just bounce out and be neutral on him and let him enjoy it.”
Missed one of the most important barrier draws of the year? Watch our wrap of the 2025 TAB Golden Slipper barrier draw from Rosehill Gardens 🎥@tabcomau | @SkyRacingAU | @racing_nsw pic.twitter.com/rU73f66pft
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) March 18, 2025
As a $4.50 chance, Wodeton holds a narrow call for favouritism over Tempted ($5) who burst into Slipper reckoning with her Reisling Stakes win at Rosehill on March 8.
Pago Pago Stakes winner Skyhook occupies the third line of betting as an $8 chance after drawing gate eight.
The Slipper field includes eleven colts and five fillies.
There are seven last-start winners but only two youngsters - Rivellino and King Of Pop - will take unbeaten records into the race.
The Kris Lees-trained Rivellino is unconquered in three starts after extending his perfect record with a win over Skyhook in the Skyline Stakes.
King Of Pop made it two wins in a row with his Black Opal Stakes victory.
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night has drawn barrier 11.
Blueblood Thoroughbreds snap up ‘must-have’ Zoustar filly for $350,000
Past success with the progeny of Zoustar inspired syndicator Blueblood Thoroughbreds to dig deep to buy the “standout” horse of this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Early in the second and final session of the 2025 South Australian sale on Tuesday, the team behind Group 2-winning stallion Lightsaber, now at stud in Western Australia, paid $350,000 for the Baramul Stud-bred and sold daughter of Widden’s premier sire Zoustar.
Lindsay Park was initially listed as the co-buyer of the sale-topping filly, but it later emerged that Ciaron Maher would train the filly for Blueblood.
"She was the best horse on the ground in our opinion and we didn't want to go home without her," Blueblood’s David Mourad told Racing.com.
"We've been here for three or four days, doing our homework and looking at most of the Lots - she was the clear standout and I don't think there would be many people that disagree.
"We had to be strong, but we didn't want to go home without her.
"He (Zoustar) puts a lot of strength into them and she's got a nice, deep girth and a good, strong hind quarter, which is typical of the sire.
"We love Zoustar, we had Lightsaber by the stallion, so we've had success there and he is one of the best stallions in the country."
"She was the clear standout."
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 18, 2025
David Mourad from @BlueBloodAus was wrapt to have come away from the @mmsnippets Adelaide Yearling Sale with this Zoustar x Beauty Betty filly 🙌 pic.twitter.com/nXqNWB0nXc
Thirty-six yearlings sold for $100,000 or more over the two days, up from the 33 which reached six figures at last year’s sale, pointing to the polarising market at play all year.
Demand for the middle to lower-end horses dissipated on Tuesday, leading to a decline of $1.26 million in trade year-on-year. Turnover reached $14.118 million soon after the hammer fell when Lot 454 was sold.
The average was $49,193, while the median closed at $34,000, down 2 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
Aaron Bain, now training out of the famed Kildalton Park at Angaston, bought 15 horses across the two days, helping South Australia’s spend to $3.98 million.
Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch described the Adelaide sale as a “solid market”, but one that emphasised the bottom of the market was struggling.
“The local market spent more money and bought more horses than what it did last year, so it just shows you that this sale is such an important component to the local industry here in the ecosystem of racing in the state," Bowditch said.
“For more horses to stay here in the state and for them to buy what seemingly was a better quality horse this year, I think is fantastic.
“There is confidence in the racing industry here and, therefore, it'd be great to see the local breeders give this sale an even better go than they are (with a greater proportion of their better horses)."
Final Stats - Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale
Imperatriz gets Valley honour
Champion mare Imperatriz will be honoured with a 1000-metre race to be run on Cox Plate day that will be called the Imperatriz Sprint.
Moonee Valley Racing Club confirmed the decision ahead of the 12-month anniversary of her successful defence of the William Reid Stakes.
The existing open 1000-metre handicap staged in October’s feature meeting will be named in her honour, reflecting her status as the track record holder, having run 56.47 seconds in the 2023 Moir Stakes.
Her affinity for the tight-turning Moonee Valley track saw her win all five of her races at the suburban Melbourne racecourse. She swept the three Group 1 sprints at the track in 2023/24, her final racing season.
She was subsequently sold for $6.6 million to Yulong and is now in foal to Pierata.
Racing WA joins IFAR
Racing WA has confirmed it has joined as a member of international welfare body the International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR).
Racing WA’s Equine Welfare Strategy and the Off the Track WA (OTTWA) program are designed to support horses in their transition to life beyond racing, and Welfare Operations Manager Kay Fuller said it made sense for Racing WA to be a member of IFAR.
“Joining IFAR is an important step in furthering Racing WA’s efforts to ensure racehorses receive the best possible care beyond their racing careers,” Fuller said.
“This membership allows us to stay at the forefront of global aftercare initiatives, exchange knowledge with industry leaders across the world and highlight the progress we’ve made here in Western Australia.”
IFAR, chaired by former Racing Queensland boss and now chief executive of NZ’s Racing Integrity Board Dr Eliot Forbes, is a globally recognised organisation dedicated to promoting the welfare of thoroughbreds throughout their lives.
Catalogue released for Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale
Inglis’ catalogue for the HTBA Yearling Sale has been released.
The HTBA Sale, to be held at Riverside Stables on Sunday, April 27 - is an auction that always provides late-season opportunities to find quality and value.
Since 2018, graduates of the sale have won more than $60 million in prize money, more than two-and-a--half times their combined purchase price.
Success stories include Tintookie, a $30,000 buy for trainer Brad Widdup who has since become a Group 3 winner of $500,000 prizemoney and Rocketing By, purchased for $22,000 and is the winner of $2.8 million.
“It’s rare that so late in the season will buyers have access to quality yearlings by the likes of Snitzel, Wootton Bassett, Dundeel et cetera,” Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch said.
“It really is a huge opportunity for trainers, agents and syndicators to fill their final yearling orders of 2025 with what is effectively their last chance to buy quality at a live auction.”
This year’s catalogue contains 299 yearlings by 94 individual sires.
NZB Online Yearling Sale live on Gavelhouse Plus
NZB’s 2025 National Online Yearling Sale is now live, with the 102-lot catalogue available on Gavelhouse Plus.
For the fifth year, the digital edition to NZB’s National Yearling Sales Series is set to be conducted on the premium online platform with bidding closing on Tuesday, April 1 from 6pm (NZT).
The sale is a proven source of stakes performers including recent Group 2 winner Hitabell, Southern Warrior, Bolshoi Star and Karaka Millions 2YO runner Daylight Robbery.
Illegal betting websites keep ACMA busy
National regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has taken the number of illegal gambling websites it has blocked to 1178.
ACMA is responsible for enforcing the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 and has been blocking gambling and affiliate websites which breach these laws since 2019
It says that around 220 illegal services have pulled out of the Australian market since it started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules in 2017.
The monthly number of websites blocked has slowed in recent years, but ACMA confirmed that Crown Slots and Billy Billion were both blocked in February,
Both are run by companies registered in the Caribbean island of Curacao, a hotbed for unregulated gambling.
