In today's Straight Shorts, Ole Kirk continues to churn out the winners, dates announced for Asian Racing Conference in Saudi Arabia, top sprinter Giga Kick off to Adelaide and Godolphin wins UK breeze-up bidding war.

Giga Kick
Giga Kick will have a two-start return campaign focused on Group 1 races in Adelaide and Brisbane. (Photo: Bronwen Healy. The Image is Everything - Bronwen Healy Photography)

Ole Kirk extends lead with winner number nine

Vinery’s dual Group 1-winning sire Ole Kirk has strengthened his grip on a coveted first-season sires’ title after Aerodrome’s debut victory at Warwick Farm.

Trained by Michael Freedman, the well-backed gelding ($5.50 to $3.90) became the ninth individual two-year-old winner by Ole Kirk from 16 runners this season.

Ole Kirk, the sire of Magic Millions 2YO Classic-winning filly O’ Ole and two other stakes winners, extended his lead over Wootton Bassett by prize money and also has a one-win advantage over Farnan who is the sire of eight individual juvenile winners to date.

Aerodrome, who was bred by Ole Kirk’s breeder Rick Jamieson, was sold by Gilgai Farm for $190,000 to Nine9Park at last year’s Inglis Easter sale.

Newhaven Park’s first-season stallion Cool Aza Beel also sired a metropolitan winner on Wednesday after Cool Archie broke through for his maiden victory at Doomben.

Cool Archie, stakes-placed in the Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes last campaign, resumed with a comfortable win at Doomben over 1200m for trainers Corey and Chris Munce and owner Max Whitby. 

North Bloodstock’s Mick Malone selected Cool Archie for Whitby at the Magic Millions sale in 2024, paying $100,000 for the colt from Newhaven Park.

Saudi dates set for Asian Racing Conference

Saudi Arabia will host next year’s Asian Racing Conference (ARC), the 41st time the event will be staged.

To run from February 9 to 14 and in conjunction with the Saudi Cup meetings in Riyadh, it will be just the second time the bi-yearly Asian Racing Conference will be staged in the Middle East.

The United Arab Emirates held the conference, which brings together racing administrators and participants whose jurisdictions are affiliated with the Asian Racing Federation, back in 2007.

The 40th ARC was last year held in Sapporo, Japan, while Melbourne hosted the 39th conference in 2023 after the 2022 edition was postponed due to the pandemic.

“If Japan is where the Asian Racing Conference was given life, then the Arabian Peninsula is where the roots of the modern-day racehorse were established, hundreds of years ago through the foundation sires,” The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia’s chairman His Highness Prince Bandar Bin Khaled Alfaisal said at the 2024 ARC.

“This deep connection to the sport of horseracing is part of our national identity, with the legacy of the horse, its place in our history and its role in our future, is deeply embedded in Saudi culture and heritage.”

Giga Kick on Goodwood path

The Everest-winning sprinter Giga Kick will make his racetrack return in next month’s Goodwood at Morphettville.

The now five-year-old has not raced since finishing seventh in the Champions Sprint at Flemington in the spring.

He will have a two-start campaign focused on Group 1 races in Adelaide and Brisbane.

"We made a decision today, spoke to Jonathan and it's too tempting with the minimum weight, so rather than go to the Doomben 10,000, he's going to go to The Goodwood," Rod Douglas, racing manager for Jonathan Munz's Pinecliff Racing, told Racing.com.

It's likely that Giga Kick will then progress to the Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on May 31 before he spells in Queensland ahead of the spring.

Giga Kick won a 1000-metre jump out at Balnarring on Wednesday morning, defeating last-start Sydney winner Austmarr.

Godolphin snaps up record-breaking colt at Craven Sale

A record price was achieved on day one of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale in the UK after Godolphin pounced on a two-year-old by Acclamation, paying 1.4 million guineas (A$3.072 million).

Anthony Stroud, who was acting on behalf of Godolphin, saw off the challenge of fellow agent Alex Elliott, the representative of the big-spending Amo Racing principal Kia Joorabchian.

The price eclipsed that of the 1.15 million guineas price for a War Front colt sold in 2014 who remarkably was also prepared by Willie Browne’s Mocklershill operation as was the son of Acclamation. 

The colt is out of Exceed And Excel mare Blue Willow.

“I did not think we’d have to get to that, I definitely did not. He did a very good breeze and a very good gallop out and is a lovely horse,” Stroud said.

“It just shows how vibrant the breeze-up sale is, there were so many people on him – not just two, I think there were four or five. It just shows the appetite to buy horses at this sale.”

Amo Racing didn’t miss out altogether, however, with Elliott signing for a 750,000 guineas (A$1.646 million) colt by Coolmore’s first season sire St Mark’s Basilica who has also been shuttling to Australia.

Olympic recognition for Santa Anita

Santa Anita, one of the most renowned racetracks in the United States, will host the equestrian program at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Santa Anita also hosted the equestrian disciplines when the event was last in Los Angeles, in 1984, but a reprisal of that role was a surprise after the Los Angeles City Council voted in March to approve the sprawling Galway Downs equestrian facility, nearly 100 miles south of LA,

The announcement about Santa Anita came as part of a broader unveiling on Tuesday of different venues.

“The 2028 Olympics will be held July 14-30, at a time when Santa Anita Park is traditionally closed for racing and training,” said Nate Newby, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Santa Anita.

“Our goal as we work with the LA28 team over the coming months and years is to minimize any potential disruption to racing operations while maximizing exposure for Santa Anita Park.”

BetMakers’ South African foray

Australian company BetMakers has entered into an agreement with South African-based Hollywoodbets for the delivery of fixed odds solution, content, and data services.

Under the agreement, BetMakers will also supply Hollywoodbets with official data services from a variety of rights holders, as well as providing access to its RaceLab service.

“We believe that BetMakers’ RaceOdds solution will take the Hollywoodbets Racing product to even greater heights,” Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets said.

“The solution allows us to offer over 335,000 races a year to our customers and ensures we have content consistently available across the three codes. This collaboration helps us provide an unparalleled experience to our valued customers.”

Lucas Hopkins, Head of Commercial at BetMakers, said it was another step on the publicly listed outfit’s global plans.

“As our global reach expands, it’s important to have high-quality partners showcasing our products to the world and this is a definite case in point,” he said.

Latest episode of The Debate with Bren O’Brien and Gareth Hall

Catch up via a podcast on the latest industry news with The Straight founder Bren O’Brien and Giddy Up’s Gareth Hall in their popular SEN Track segment, The Debate.

In this week’s episode, Bren and Gareth were joined by Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga.

At the heart of today’s discussion was the MRC’s changes to its Group 1 roster, including the reasons behind the decision to return the Thousand Guineas to a timeslot during the Caulfield Cup carnival.

Other topics included Sandown’s future when it comes to catering for major races while they also put forward their views about who reigns as Australia’s favourite racehorse.

Click below to listen.

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