In today's Straight Shorts, Mark Zahra will ride the OTI Racing-owned Docklands at Royal Ascot, Firestorm out of Stradbroke Handicap, Cool Aza Beel continues momentum and a Tulloch Lodge youngster wins on debut.
Royal appointment for Mark Zahra
Mark Zahra has secured a Royal Ascot with confirmation he will partner OTI Racing’s Docklands on opening day.
Docklands will contest the first race across the five-day meeting when he runs in the Queen Anne Stakes.
Trained by Harry Eustace, Docklands ran in last year’s Cox Plate and finished fifth to Via Sistina.
Docklands was runner-up in last year’s Queen Anne and a return trip to Melbourne is on the cards should maintain a similar standard of northern hemisphere form.
Zahra will head to the UK after having three rides at Eagle Farm on Saturday, including Torque To Be Sure in the Group 1 JJ Atkins.
Firestorm out of Stradbroke, Waller stablemate gains a start
One Chris Waller-trained horse will replace another in the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap after the scratching of talented mare Firestorm.
Waller has elected to run Firestorm in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes with James McDonald to ride.
Firestorm’s defection paves the way for stablemate and first emergency Coleman to gain a Stradbroke start.
Coleman, who showed a glimpse of his best form with a placing at Listed level at Eagle Farm last Saturday, has 50kg in the Stradbroke but is a $51 chance from a wide barrier.
In-form War Machine dominates Stradbroke betting as a $3.10 favourite with Godolphin comeback sprinter-miler Golden Mile on the second line of betting as a $9 chance.
Kwok Chimes in for Digital mare in foal to Wootton Bassett
Exciting young Group 1-winning sire Profondo or his Windsor Park roster mate Shamexpress, the sire of Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, are possible matings for Wind Chimes, the highest-priced lot of the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Hong Kong owner-breeder Ben Kwok, a client of New Zealand's Windsor Park, paid $305,000 for Wind Chimes, a Mastercraftsman mare who is in foal to Coolmore shuttler Wootton Bassett.
“Something like Profondo, Shamexpress, I have a good relationship with the Windsor Park team so we will work out which is the best stallion for her moving forward once she has given us a lovely Wootton Bassett foal soon," Kwok said.
“Wootton Bassett is going so well and is coming back to Australia for a large (service) fee so we wanted to get in early and buy a mare in foal to him like Wind Chimes so it is perfect."
Perth Group 3-winning mare Keshi Boom, a daughter of Spirit Of Boom, also sold on Wednesday for $290,000 to Matt Scown Bloodstock on behalf of Yarraman Park. The four-year-old will head to stud later this year and won't race again.
Cool Aza Beel winners continue to flow
Newhaven Park stallion Cool Aza Beel has sired his fifth winner with Kahlua Girl scoring at Doomben.
Ahead of Cool Aza Beel’s son Cool Archie’s Group 1 JJ Atkins bid at Eagle Farm on Saturday, Kahlua Girl rallied for a narrow win under Michael Rodd.
Kahlua Girl was placed at her first three starts for trainer Paul Shailer before finishing midfield in the Group 3 Ken Russell Classic on a heavy track at the Gold Coast.
Kahlua Girl wins the opener at Doomben for @RacingShailer! pic.twitter.com/NTxMb8ceTo
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 11, 2025
A $40,000 Magic Millions purchase from Newhaven Park, she is the third winner from four foals to race from the Flying Spur mare Down The Hatch.
Cool Aza Beel, a son of champion New Zealand sire Savabeel, will stand for $16,500 (incl GST) in the 2025 breeding season.
Successful debut for Tulloch Lodge 2YO Duke Of Arrakis
Duke Of Arrakis, a half-brother to Golden Gift winner Shangri La Express, has made a flying start to his racing career for a high-powered syndicate.
The Written Tycoon youngster came between runners with a late finish to win at Randwick.
“I don't think we'll push too far into the winter campaign, but I just want to do enough to just get him a bit seasoned because I think there are some big races for him there in the spring,” co-trainer Adrian Bott said.
⚜️ Yulong-bred & -sold 2YO #WrittenTycoon colt Duke Of Arrakis (ex Sent From Above) shows us how it's done on debut for @GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott 💪
— Yulong Investments (@YulongInvest) June 11, 2025
He was an @inglis_sales Classic graduate. Congrats to all connections!#aworldofopportunity pic.twitter.com/cLWlLRnX2G
Duke Of Arrakis cost $360,000 as an Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate from the Yulong draft.
Yulong has stayed in the colt, sharing ownership with Cunningham Thoroughbreds, along with former Inglis managing director Reg Inglis.
Scone stables for rent
A 26-box stable complex is available for lease adjacent to the Scone Race Club.
Racing NSW is calling for expressions of interest from trainers to be based out of the coveted Hunter Valley precinct with immediate effect.
As well as 26 boxes, the stable also has a horse walker and 10 day yards, with it to be leased at a per box, per week rate and it cannot be used for pre-training purposes.
Expressions of interest with Racing NSW close on Friday.
NZB bonus series for maidens to return in 2025/26
A race schedule has been released for the NZB Mega Maiden Series across 2025/26 following a successful introduction to the New Zealand calendar.
In 2024/25, a $1 million boost in bonuses was added to the lucrative Karaka Millions Series via the scheme.
The NZB Mega Maiden Series is comprised of 40 non-Saturday Maiden races to be run from September 2025 through to May 2026, split across the three regions in New Zealand.
A $25,000 bonus is struck if a Karaka Millions eligible horse, three years or older, wins one of the designated races.
Winning connections will receive $20,000 and the successful trainer $5000.
Last season, bonuses were struck across Northern, Central Districts and Southern regions.
Taxes, fees to hit US punters
Flutter has introduced a 50-cent transaction fee per bet for users of its Fanduel platform in the US state of Illinois, passing on a tariff set by the State Legislature.
As regulation and taxation increases in the United States, something Australian operators are well experienced in, Flutter CEO Peter Jackson said there is little option but to pass on the costs.
“It is important to recognise that there is an optimal level for gaming tax rates that enables operators to provide the best experience for customers, maximise market growth and maximise revenue for states over time,” he said.
“We are disappointed that the Illinois Transaction Fee will disproportionately impact lower wagering recreational customers while also punishing those operators who have invested the most to grow the online regulated market in the state.”
Jackson also raised the prospect that the state fee would likely motivate some Illinois-based customers to bet with unregulated operators.
“These operators do not contribute tax revenue to the state, will not collect the newly announced transaction fee and do not offer the same levels of customer protection that regulated operators provide,” he said.
Tabcorp shares hit post-Rytenskild high
Shares in wagering behemoth Tabcorp have hit their highest point since the shock departure of previous CEO Adam Rytsenkild in March last year.
After Rytenskild’s departure, the circumstances of which are the subject of an unfair dismissal claim, Tabcorp’s share price on the ASX dropped from 80 cents to 72 cents.
While it briefly rebounded the following week, it then plummeted to as low as 38 cents by the time Gillon McLachlan assumed the CEO role in August.
It has been a steady rebuild since then, with McLachlan’s recent retail strategy seemingly winning the support of the market.
From a share value of 57 cents in early May, the share price has grown and hit a 2025 high of 74.5 cents by the close on Wednesday.
