Scone Abandons Standalone Saturday Meeting | 2 | Thursday, March 18, 2021

FOCUS ASIA SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX EVERY WEEK ANZBLOODSTOCKNEWS.COM/ASIA Thursday, March 18, 2021 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here IT'S IN THE BLOOD: PERSAN - PAGE 17 HONG KONG NEWS | MOREIRA MADE TO WAIT FOR 100TH WIN - PAGE 13 Scone abandons Read Tomorrow's Issue For Maiden Of The Week What's on standalone Race meetings: Albury (NSW), Newcastle (NSW), Pakenham (VIC), Terang (VIC), Kilcoy (QLD), Pinjarra (WA), Ashburton Saturday meeting (NZ) Risk of last-minute Covid restrictions too great for club International meetings: Turffontein (RSA), Chelmsford (UK) to commit to second day of Cup carnival Sales: gavelhouse.com Thoroughbred 22 March Auctionuse Thoroughbred 08 March Auction (NZ) MORNING BRIEFING Osamu makes $340,000 in Inglis Digital auction Con Te Partiro (Sam Clipperton, centre, red cap & sleeves) winning the 2019 Dark Jewel SPORTPIX Osamu (Exceed And Excel) became the most expensive colt or gelding ever sold run at Rosehill this year after the Australian Turf on Inglis Digital when the March (Early) BY TIM ROWE | @ANZ_NEWS Club agreed to take on the card which features Online Sale grossed a whopping $4.4 million. cone would have been irresponsible six stakes races. Offered by Aquis Farm as part of a 34-strong if it pressed ahead with its standalone Alastair Pulford, the Scone Race Club racehorse reduction, Osamu was purchased Saturday meeting in May with the chair, yesterday strongly indicated it was by his incumbent trainer Annabel Neasham, risk of Covid-19 crowd restrictions the organisation’s intention to reclaim the in conjunction with Brian Maguire, for Shanging a cloud over its head, the race club’s coveted standalone metropolitan slot in 2022 $340,000. Neasham – who also purchased the chair says. after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus second top lot of the sale Maui Girl (Lope De Racing NSW on Tuesday confirmed that the pandemic. Vega) for $240,000 – said Osamu was a horse May 15 Dark Jewel Classic meeting, the second The club floated the move with Racing NSW she simply didn’t want to lose from her of the two-day Scone Cup carnival, would be in early February. Continued on page 2>> stable. Morning Briefing on page 8>> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Scone abandons standalone Saturday meeting | 2 | Thursday, March 18, 2021 << Continued from page 1 “Even with the lessening, but ever present threat of Covid, it would have been financially irresponsible for us to try and hold the meeting without the big functions and the crowds and the full support of sponsors.” Pulford told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday. “We couldn’t expect the sponsors to come on board without the big function and the big day that it normally is. “We approached Racing NSW with that conundrum and they readily agreed with us and said the smartest play was to have the meeting in Sydney this year.” The May carnival, a significant tourism driver for the Hunter region, was also traditionally used as a lead-in to the HTBA Scone Yearling Sale held at White Park on the Sunday but Inglis this year will hold the rebranded sale at its Riverside Stables complex in Sydney, in what will Scone Racecourse SCONE RACE CLUB almost certainly be a permanent fixture. The financial impost incurred to put up temporary infrastructure to Despite the loss of the Saturday meeting, Pulford revealed interest in cater for a large crowd was a major factor behind the Scone committee’s Scone Cup day was already up on previous years. decision to abandon its Saturday meeting this year. “The bookings for the Cup are sensational. They are through the roof “We have a massive big tent and it is a huge amount of infrastructure at this stage, people want to get out there,” he said. that is hired for the day and it costs an enormous amount of money,” “It is well above previous years and that is probably a reflection of the Pulford continued. fact they haven’t had anywhere to go for a little while and they certainly “It is not permanent infrastructure, so for us to do that would have missed out last year. been completely financially irresponsible and the committee decided it “The bookings for the major functions are pretty much sold out now, wasn’t prepared to put the club at that risk.” which we’re delighted with, and let’s hope nothing untowards happens NSW provincial courses Hawkesbury and Gosford also stage the week before the event. That’s a worst-case scenario.” standalone Saturday meetings in April and May but, like Scone, they were Questioned about the club’s books, Pulford said: “The club is and moved to Sydney’s metropolitan race tracks last year due to no crowds always has been in a very strong financial position thanks to the careful being allowed on course. management of our CEO (Heath Courtney), who has been there for quite Scone first held a standalone Saturday meeting in 2011. a while now, but we’re not prone to taking unnecessary risks.” “The Scone Cup meeting will go ahead (on May 14) and, while it hasn’t Pulford also reiterated the club’s plan to return to a two-day carnival been approved yet, we’re hoping that the Inglis 3YO Guineas and the Dark next year. Jewel will be run on the Friday but the Darley Scone Cup remains the “It is a very important couple of days for the region and showcasing the main race,” he said. thoroughbred in the region. It’s the culmination of the Scone Horse Festival, “It will still be a significant program with very good prize-money which is a big drawcard for the town and the region in general,” he said. but Racing NSW and the ATC came on board and the club is very “We hope to have the major partners on board this year and Darley grateful for their support and their assistance. has committed again to being the naming rights sponsor of the Scone Cup. “It was the rational, smart thing to do with the small threat of Covid, “We are yet to firm up the support of everyone else (for this year) but but a threat nonetheless.” they seem to be making the right noises.” Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Perfect PERFORMANCE Longines World’s Best Racehorse for 2020 Cartier Horse Of The Year for 2020 Four G1 wins beating Enable, Magical, Stradivarius Perfect BREEDING The highest-rated son of Dubawi from a G1-winning Galileo mare. The same cross as Night Of Thunder Standing at Perfect NORTHWOOD PARK, SALES HORSE VICTORIA A €1.1 million foal at Goffs GHAIYYATH Dubawi - Nightime (Galileo) Morning Briefing -Sponsored by Woodside Park Stud Thursday, March 18, 2021 HISTORY IS BEING WRITTEN MORNING BRIEFING by Racing NSW vets. Connections paid the Kerrin McEvoy carrying just 51 kilograms. AUSTRALIA late entry fee to run Rocket Tiger earlier this Wild Ruler’s rise has been somewhat similar Three for Winning Rupert week. to Russian Revolution – both colts won the Keith (2 c ex Tweet by Magic Albert), who won Roman Consul (Gr 2, 1200m) in the spring his first start at Canberra yesterday, became his William Reid likely and tackled the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, Newgate Farm-based first season sire Winning for Libertini 1200m), Wild Ruler running third and Russian Rupert’s (Written Tycoon) third first crop Anthony Cummings is leaning towards letting Revolution fourth. “He’s a speed horse, it’s juvenile winner. The Bjorn Baker-trained Keith, Libertini (I Am Invincible) take her chance in a Group 1 and the bonus you get from the who was purchased for $90,000 by his trainer tomorrow night’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, weight scale is a big advantage,’’ Snowden and agent Jim Clarke at last year’s Inglis Classic 1200m) with underfoot conditions expected said. “It’s not a gimme but it gives you a Sale from Attunga Stud, won the Rob Potter to be in her favour. The four-year-old also has chance to win a Group 1 race. He’s always had Racing Plate (1000m) against older horses by the option of lining up in The Galaxy (Gr 1, good ability but seemed a bit light. Now he is two lengths over Sifu (The Brothers War) and 1100m) at Rosehill the following afternoon fully mature he looks amazing, he’s about 45 Grand Lusitano (Benfica) who was another but the wet weather in Sydney means the kilograms heavier than last preparation and one and three-quarter lengths away in third. Moonee Valley contest has emerged as all of that has gone into muscle. Admittedly His dam, Tweet, who is owned by Matthew her most likely destination. "The weather he’s meeting the best field that he’s met but Sandblom’s Kingstar Farm, has a Hellbent (I forecast in Sydney is probably a little kinder the Coolmore was a good field too and he Am Invincible) colt at foot and was covered than it has been but nevertheless it does look wasn’t beaten that far and he’s definitely by Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) last like being a wet track Saturday," Cummings come on. He’s a lot more relaxed and his work November. Keith was initially a $35,000 Magic told RSN927. “She worked Melbourne way is a lot stronger than last prep and to my eye Millions National Weanling Sale purchase by around this morning and she has done that a he has improved out of sight.” Attunga Stud in 2019.

Load more