Racing Around the World

By Harley Walden

EASTER SALE OVERVIEW

A world class collection of the finest yearlings has been unveiled, with the pedigrees of 580 royally-bred and conformed atheletes catalogued for the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on 5, 6 and 7 April.

Mark Webster, managing director for Inglis said, “Years of meticulous planning and hard work by breeders and vendors will culminate in what promises to be an amazing week in Sydney in April.”

“We are excited to offer 580 elite thoroughbreds from the best families across the globe, and to again play host to our clients from around Australia and all parts of the world,” he said.

Appealing to the passions of all thoroughbred enthusiasts, the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April is neatly positioned during the week of the Championships at Royal Randwick, where prizemoney totaling $20 million will be offered over the two exceptional days of racing, including 8 Group 1 races.

Twelve months on from Criterion’s victory in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes his half-brother will be offered at the Easter Sale, along with siblings to Able Friend, Winx, Lanken Rupee, Dissident, Fawkner, Press Statement, Sacred Star and Luger – all ranked among the 2015 World’s Best Racehores.

Boosting the international flavor are five yearlings by Europe’s undefeated champion Frankel and one by Shamardal, the proven sire of World Champion Sprinter and Inglis Easter graduate Able Friend.

Strawberry Hill Stud, Three Bridges Thoroughbreds and Cressfield will offer progeny by Frankel, while Widden Stud will consign one each by Frankel and Shamardal.

The Australian sales season has started well as expected, noting the lure of the weak Australian dollar which provides opportunities for international investors but also provides incentive for domestic investors to buy from home rather than importing from overseas, where they will a premium when factoring in currency exchange rates.

This is one sale around the globe in 2016 that serious racing investors and enthusiast don’t want to miss.

RACING STATES SIDE

Horse racing in the United States is an industry which has certainly had its peaks and troughs and is scattered across the country.

It can be traced back to the mid-1600s which is not surprising given the English colonial heritage of many of the areas in the USA.

Also predictably it is States such as New York and New Jersey where racing took a foothold early as these were much closer geographically to the United Kingdom.

Some of the major racetracks in the US are well known around the world, Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Santa Anita are several main ones on the West Coast in California while back East Pimlico, Aqueduct, Monmouth Park and Belmont Park are significant players.

More centrally located courses include Arlington Park in Illinois and Churchill Downs in Kentucky.

Thoroughbred racing hasn’t got the broader appeal in America that it has in mainstream media and culture like it does in countries like Australia, New Zealand, in Asia like Hong Kong and Singapore and in the entire British Isles plus on the European continent.

Gambling restrictions and laws are all sanctioned and regulated by each individual State and this plays a large part in a diverse view of the sport, as compared to comprehensive marketing and advertising campaigns which are far different in jurisdictions like say Australia.

Another reason there are some areas which affect the US racing scene is the use of drugs while in competition.

While there is an attempt to move away from the use of medication like Lasix, it has caused divisions within the industry there.

The most famous race in America, and is known around the world, is the Kentucky Derby.

Held as the first leg of the US Triple Crown for three year olds, it is run over ten furlongs on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky.

Run on the dirt, it was first contested in 1875 and is known as the “Run For The Roses” with the garland draped over the winner’s neck.

It has also been coined “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” by the US media and is raced in front of crowds well into the six figure range.

One hundred and sixty five thousand turned up in 2012.

The second leg of the Triple Crown is the Preakness over one mile and three sixteenths (1900m) at Pimlico while the final leg is at Belmont Park in New York and is the Belmont Stakes.

This is a tough one being a mile and a half.

The Triple Crown itself has only been completed on twelve occasions with the most recent being American Pharaoh in 2015.

However the most celebrated of them all is Secretariat.

He set records in these events that are staggering. He would also go on to a distinguished stud career.

He was that much of an influence during his time that even sired a Melbourne Cup winner when Bart Cummings trained Kingston Rule scored in 1990.

The other major racing carnival in the United States is the Breeder’s Cup.

This is a Championship Series which has been transferred around the US each year since its inception in 1984.

There are specific races for various ages, distances and sex and some are run on dirt while others are on the turf.

Some of the legends of American racing have dominated the Breeder’s Cup.

Mike Smith and Jerry Bailey have dominated the jockey ranks while D Wayne Lukas has an amazing 19 winners.

Some highlights include French mare Goldikova managing to win the Mile three times in a row while Zenyatta was looking to be retired undefeated after 20 runs but came from literally a mile away to get beaten a nose in the Breeder’s Cup Classic in 2010.

Another grand figure in US racing history is Robert J (Bobby) Frankel. He trained over 3600 winners and had scores of Grade 1 triumphs.

Of course, he was also afforded another great legacy with the naming of a Galileo colt in his honour who would be trained by by the late Sir Henry Cecil and forever stand in greatness as the almighty Frankel.

US participants have also had good success overseas with several wins at major meetings such as the Dubai World Cup, including the inaugural winner Cigar and in 2013 the race was won by a Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom who had been purchased by Australian interests with John Messara from Arrowfield Stud a significant owner.

A GOLDEN OLDIE

While our memories fade over time, the ink in the record books doesn’t and thank goodness for that.

Here is one remarkable champion thoroughbred racehorse, a term we do not use loosely.

We will illustrate his greatness by just telling you a simple fact about the WS Cox Plate – but first a little more about Chatham, the horse.

Chatham was born at Ki Ora Stud, Scone, in the Hunter region of New South Wales in 1928, and was owned by a Mr. EA Blair.

Chatham found himself at the 1930 Sydney yearling sales where he was sold for a little over 600 guineas to trainer Ike Foulsham.

His record shows that he had 45 starts for 23½ wins, 6½ seconds and ran one third on the one occasion.

His prizemoney in the early 1930s amounted to £18,095.

You will realise at the end of his achievements that on today’s scale, he would have been a multimillionaire many times over.

When look back at the record of multiple winners of the Cox Plate, there is one standout, Kingston Town, who won the race on three occasions, in 1980, 1981 and 1982.

We concede that he would have to be the World Champion as far Cox Plates go, but look at what Chatham achieved in the three Cox Plates he contested.

In those three Cox Plates, he ran second in 1931, won in 1932 and won again in1934.

Two out of three isn’t bad, just one short of Kingston Town.

Unfortunately for Chatham in 1931, he ran second to a horse that was regarded as The Best. Yes. Yes, he ran 2½ lengths behind the mighty Phar Lap.

If there were no Phar Laps around in 1931 to contest the race with Chatham, we would be talking about him in exactly the same breath as Kingston Town.