The Straight Daily News – Hong Kong buyers key on the Gold Coast | The importance of a breeze | SEN to scoop up WA TAB radio rights
Magic Millions leans on Asian buyers
Magic Millions boss Barry Bowditch is optimistic that increased international activity at the Horses In Training Sale can offset any downturn in participation from domestic buyers.
Australian trainers and syndicators are said to be conscious of the fact that the 2026 yearling sales are around the corner and are likely to be conservative in their approach to this year’s two-year-old sales, which starts on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
While trainers such as Lindsay Park’s Hayes brothers, John McArdle, Tony Gollan, Chris Munce, Paul Shailer, and others have been inspecting horses, it will be overseas buyers that vendors are likely to rely on to sell a number of the horses in the 214-lot catalogue.
Hong Kong key to Horses in Training Sale
Shooting the breeze
In the past five years, potential buyers have gained insight into the racetrack abilities of future Group 1 stars such as Antino, Warmonger, Lucky Sweynesse, Gringotts, Ceolwulf and Feroce, courtesy of their breeze-ups ahead of their sale as early two-year-olds.
The appeal of breeze-up sales is that you can get that understanding of seeing the horse in action ahead of it going through the ring, with the added metric of the final 200 metres being timed and recorded for analysis.
But none of the six Group 1 winners mentioned above were in the top 50 per cent of horses when it came to breeze-up times in their respective sales.
With the Australasian two-year-old sales season about to begin, new analysis has revealed that the most successful graduates are rarely horses who post the quickest time in the pre-sale breeze-ups.
Why faster times aren’t a guide to better buys at two-year-old sales
WA’s TABradio next on SEN’s expansion playlist
SEN is tightening its grip on Australia’s racing radio assets as it finalises an acquisition play for Western Australia’s TABradio.
Just months after it secured Victoria’s RSN in a $3 million deal from the Victorian racing industry, SEN’s parent company Sports Entertainment Group Limited has stretched its footprint to acquire the audio broadcasting assets of Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA).
The sale, expected to be completed in November, will see SEN integrate TABradio into its national network, with SEN planning to showcase WA’s thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing to a broader national audience.
SEN’s radio hold grows
Godolphin rules Tattersalls opening with A$7.9 million Sea The Stars colt
Godolphin dominated trade on the first day of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, spending close to A$20 million, including a purchase of the most expensive yearling in the world this year.
Sheikh Mohammed, who rarely misses the sale, spent 9.3 million guineas on 10 yearlings for Godolphin, including three of the five seven-figure lots.
Lot 90, a Sea The Stars colt from Longview Stud that sold for 3.7 million guineas (A$7.9 million), was the most expensive yearling sold globally this year. He is out of the Dubawi mare Crystal Zvezda, a Listed winner. He sparked a fierce bidding duel between Godolphin and Kia Joorabchian’s Amo Racing.
Yulong snaps up shares in Enriched via Inglis Digital
Yulong affiliate Walnut Farm has purchased three separate shares in Group 2 winner Enriched for a combined $440,000 in the Inglis Digital October (Early) Sale, valuing the entire at $2.2 million.
The offering – one 10 per cent and two 5 per cent parcels – was among the most anticipated Lots headlined by the 10 per cent share at $215,000, with the smaller interests fetching $115,000 and $110,000.
By I Am Invincible out of Miss Atom Bomb, a half-sister to Winx, Enriched combines elite pedigree with proven performance.
Already a winner of the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint, the Michael Freedman-trained entire is building toward a stallion career with strong commercial appeal.
“It’s great to have the support of Mr Zhang and the Yulong team,” Freedman said.
“Funny enough, they sent me a new horse only last week, and now they’ve come along and bought these shares today. Enriched has the pedigree and the performance, and hopefully, we can set him up for a future at stud.”
Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said the purchase was made with long-term plans in mind.
“Ultimately, the goal is to see Enriched on the Yulong stallion roster down the track, but there are plenty of options for him either way,” Fairgray said.
“His pedigree and record are there for everyone to see, and with Michael training, we’re excited to see where he can go.”
Enriched joins a growing list of Inglis Digital graduates to go on to Group 1 success, including Baraqiel, Light Infantry Man, Private Harry, Benedetta, Port Lockroy and, most recently, Charm Stone.
The second-top lot of the sale was the Newgate Farm-offered colt Tuscany (Zoustar), purchased by Red Bloodstock for $210,000.
Bet Right in wrong
A corporate bookmaker ignored its responsible gambling obligations during a dispute with a customer, the Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission (NTRWC) has found.
NT-licensed Bet Right was fined $13,430 despite initially raising concerns about the client’s wagering activity.
A complaint was lodged with the regulator in 2022, 12 months after Bet Right emailed the customer, promising a follow-up telephone call that did not eventuate.
Sky Racing vision now available to betr customers
Betr is the latest online bookmaker to secure a deal to provide racing vision supplied from Tabcorp-owned Sky Racing.
From Wednesday, the Sky Racing 1 and Sky Racing 2 channels will be streamed on the Betr wagering platform.
The integration will cover all three codes of racing – thoroughbred, harness and greyhounds.
Betr customers can now watch Australian and New Zealand racing live on the bookmaker’s website as well as iOS and Android apps.
Matthew Tripp and Andrew Menz, key members of the betr executive team, pioneered the use of Sky Racing live streaming to betting apps in 2018 when they struck a deal during their time at CrownBet
That deal continued through several acquisitions and buyouts, and in 2023, it was renewed under the Flutter banner, with Sportsbet signing an extended contract to show Sky Racing Vision until 2036.
According to a Tabcorp statement in 2023, that agreement includes a link to Sportsbet’s turnover.
Betr has grown its market share since launch to over five per cent through an initial marketing campaign in 2022, folowed by a mergers and acquisitions involving BlueBet and TopSport.
Get your job in front of thousands of racing and wagering industry professionals
Prominent sports and media figure Alexi Baker joins betr board
Betr has appointed two new directors onto its board, with experienced sports and media executive Alexi Baker among those to join.
Baker, who was chief customer and digital officer at the National Rugby League and managing director of commercial at Nine Entertainment, is also a director at Rugby Australia and Healthy Bones Australia.
She joins betr as a non-executive director, will be part of the audit and risk committee and will stand for election at the company’s 2025 annual general meeting.
She fills the role left vacant by Tim Hughes, who resigned as a director on Tuesday.
“The board sincerely thanks Mr Hughes for his valuable contribution and service to the Company and wishes him well in his future endeavours,” a statement said.
Also joining the board as an executive director is betr’s chief executive officer Andrew Menz.
Menz has been the CEO of betr since its founding in 2022 and has worked extensively across the wagering industry.
Australian Second Season Sires Table
Source: Arion.co.nz
