In today's Straight Shorts, Western Australia racing set to expand broadcast horizons, Bella Nipotina's baby brother on the board, 118 weanlings for Karaka, Newgate stallions shine in Randwick juvenile races.
WA deal ushers in new broadcasting era for RV-backed Racing.com
A multi-year deal has been confirmed between Racing Victoria and Racing WA to have West Australian thoroughbred racing broadcast on Racing.com.
Racing.com coverage of WA race meetings across its suite of channels will start next Wednesday with the Northam fixture.
The broadcaster will integrate Racing WA’s telecast of WA racing, including on-course hosts, pre and post-race analysis, into its existing content of premium Victorian racing, as well as South Australia, Hong Kong and feature international meetings.
The new partnership will also see WA racing feature on Racing.com’s growing digital platforms alongside the lead Victorian product with analysis and tips for WA race meetings and major news stories.
The announcement comes a fortnight after RV and the Seven Network announced a long-term extension and deepening of their broadcast partnership which will see Racing.com continue as Australia’s only 24/7 free-to-air sporting channel for another five years from 1 July 2025.
“Racing.com plays a pivotal role showcasing Victorian thoroughbred racing nationally and our partnerships with other states helps to build audience and engagement through our breadth of content,” Racing Victoria’s executive general manager of media, content and marketing, Andy Hoad, said.
“We’re delighted to welcome WA thoroughbred racing onto Racing.com and we expect it to be embraced by punters nationwide, who can now continue to enjoy quality live racing once the action has finished on the east coast.”
Bella’s bro breaks duck in wet
Quello Dorato, the half-brother to Everest champion Bella Nipotina, broke his maiden at an abbreviated Sale meeting on Wednesday.
The four-year-old by Trapeze Artist was having his fourth start for Danny O’Brien, who purchased him from Michael Christian’s Longwood Thoroughbred Farm at the 2022 Easter Yearling Sale.
He is the penultimate foal out of Bella Orfana, who foaled a sister to him in 2023, but died last year, six months before Bella Nipotina’s memorable Everest success, one of her four Group 1 wins.
Quello Dorato, half-brother to Bella Nipotina, delivers a well-earned maiden win in tricky conditions at Sale 💪@DOBrienRacing @lil_spaino96 pic.twitter.com/DhUvbgJhpl
— Racing.com (@Racing) June 25, 2025
Christian paid $4.2 million to buy out his partners in Bella Nipotina at last month’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Christian also stayed in the ownership of Quello Dorato, who comfortably won over 1429 metres on a deteriorating track by two lengths from race favourite Flowerdale, who is a three-quarter brother to Group 1 winner Masked Crusader.
The Sale meeting was called off after the third race due to poor visibility in the wet conditions.
Foals by promising young NZ sires on show at Karaka
Buyers will gain their first exposure to the progeny of Group 1-winning stallion Profondo and a selection of promising second-crop sires at Thursday’s New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale.
The 118-Lot weanling sale at Karaka, which precedes and an afternoon standardbred foal offering, will feature weanlings by Windsor Park’s Spring Champion Stakes winner Profondo, and Waikato Stud’s Noverre and Cambridge Stud’s Sword Of State.
The latter pair’s first yearlings were well received by the market earlier this year.
All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for New Zealand Bloodstock’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series.
The thoroughbred weanling sale starts at 10am (NZST).
Double delight for Newgate with Randwick 2YO successes
Newgate sires came to the fore to give the Hunter Valley nursery a juvenile double at Randwick on Wednesday.
Tassort filly Wollzeile and Cosmic Force youngster Raging Force brought stakes-class form to the midweek meeting and duly delivered for their respective stables.
The Kris Lees-trained Wollzeile, placed in the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone in May, came from back in the field to score a 2-1/4 length win over 1100m.
In contrast, Raging Force, who contested the Group 3 ATC Breeders’ Plate at the start of the season, made it two victories from as many starts this campaign with an all-the-way win over the same distance.
Wollzeile was a $180,000 Magic Millions purchase from the 2024 Emirates Park.
The Peter Snowden-trained Raging Force cost $150,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for prominent syndicator Darby Racing.
Slipper winner’s brother Hong Kong bound
Last-start Sydney Saturday placegetter Secure, a Snitzel brother to Golden Slipper winner Estijaab, will do his future racing in Hong Kong.
The three-year-old gelding, a $1.4 million yearling, was sold on Inglis Digital on Wednesday to Hong Kong’s CY Wong for $500,000, the sale’s highest-priced Lot.
Secure, who was trained by Chris Waller for Tony Fung Investments and Kia Ora Stud, will be trained in Hong Kong by Manfred Man for the gelding’s new owner.
The gelding out of Response has won twice from six starts and was runner-up over 1300m at Randwick at the weekend.
The Waller-trained Chandler, an unraced three-year-old colt by I Am Invincible who was also owned by Kia Ora and TFI, was the second highest-priced lot sold on Inglis Digital after being bought by Hong Kong’s So Bloodstock for $305,000.
Waller-trained Firestorm holds narrow betting call in Tiara
Tattersall’s Tiara favourites Firestorm and Floozie have met with contrasting barrier draws for the fillies and mares Group 1 race.
Firestorm has drawn out in stall 19 in the $700,000 weight-for-age contest at Eagle Farm on Saturday which closes out Group 1 racing for 2024/2025.
Nevertheless, Firestorm holds a slender call for favouritism over Floozie as trainer Chris Waller attempts to extend his record haul of Group 1 wins to 20 for the season.
Her jockey James McDonald is in search of his 16th elite-level victory on Australian soil.
Floozie, the in-form mare from the stable of leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan, has drawn barrier nine.
Waller has four runners out of the 22 acceptors but it is the Peter Snowden-trained Tashi who is rated the best chance to upset the two favourites from gate 12.
Racing Queensland unveils NAIDOC Week celebrations
The Queensland racing industry will celebrate NAIDOC Week with a trio of showcase races as part of its commitment to strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC Week branding will feature on the handler’s bibs, strappers bibs, saddle cloths, harness helmet covers, harness colours and winners’ presentation rugs at all three of the races.
The winner of each race will also be presented with an RQ NAIDOC Week Trophy.
In addition, the Wajji Wahlu Aboriginal Dance Troop will perform at each of the NAIDOC Week events.
NAIDOC week will be held from July 6 to July 13.
