Few could have imagined that a fractured neck would be anything but career-ending. Yet, after a year-long absence and a journey marked by careful hope and medical surprise, Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) is poised to resume her career in Saturday's Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. The once-brilliant filly, now a four-year-old, was sidelined in early January following a freak training accident at Cranbourne, where she reared and fell exiting the pool. Coming off a high – having placed second in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring – her prognosis was bleak. Connections braced for retirement and a switch to broodmare duties. But a precautionary x-ray, taken when she was quietly resuming paddock work, revealed something unexpected: the injury had healed. Ben Gleeson, assistant to trainer Mark Walker, recalled the uncertainty around her condition. "It was just in a tricky enough position that all sorts of things could come about from it," he said. "We weren't sure if she was ever going to be able to be ridden again let alone get back to doing everything she is doing currently." What followed was a long, patient rehabilitation, guided by level-headed realism. "We were going to retire her when she was out cantering in the paddock and we just thought we'd take a precautionary x-ray and it basically showed it had all healed, much to our surprise," Gleeson added. As Saturday approaches, optimism is cautiously returning. "Provided she has a smooth week at home, this weekend is exciting, although we're just trying to keep a lid on it at the moment," Gleeson said. The trial last Thursday offered enough promise to warrant rolling the dice. "She ran through the line… and that gave us enough inclination that she's got plenty of zest for racing," he explained. "It's going to be a tough ask… she carries a big weight first-up for over 12 months." Leading jockey Mark Zahra takes the ride, and connections are hopeful his calm hands will mesh well with the mare's fire. "She's renowned for being a bit keen and a bit fierce," Gleeson said. "She's had a few riders but I'm sure Mark Zahra will suit. He's obviously a man in form and he's got great hands." Bellatrix Star has won five of her 11 starts, highlighted by a spring hat-trick last year in the Cap d'Antibes Stakes, Champagne Stakes, and Schillaci Stakes, all before that Coolmore placing. Her return alone is a triumph. Anything more would be a remarkable second act.
Bellatrix Star is ready to resume her career (pic: Mark Gatt)
D-Day Arrives for British Thoroughbred Sector
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
Months of lobbying, a headline-grabbing day of relocated fixtures in London, and even the intervention of a former prime minister have brought Britain's second-largest spectator sport to a pivotal moment, as racing waits to learn whether its united opposition to a proposed tax rise on bets has been heard. According to theguardian.com's analysis, for all the action scheduled at Wetherby, Market Rasen and Southwell on Wednesday, the defining contest will unfold at Westminster when Rachel Reeves delivers a budget that could reshape the sport's financial future. What is certain is that gambling taxes will change, because the hole in the public finances demands it, and an industry generating a Gross Gambling Yield of £15.6bn in 2023-24 presents an obvious target. Racing's anxiety centres on how any increase is distributed between General Betting Duty on operators' sportsbook profits and the levies charged on fixed-margin gaming products such as casino games and slot machines, both in betting shops and across the expanding online sector. At present, GBD stands at 15% of operators' gross profits, while the online gaming sector pays 21% via Remote Gaming Duty. The sport's Axe The Racing Tax campaign is rooted in the fear that this 6% gap might close. Research commissioned by the British Horseracing Authority indicated that harmonising both rates at 21% could remove £66m in annual income from racing, with a five-year hit of £330m and thousands of jobs lost almost immediately. Much of the campaign emphasised racing's economic importance in rural communities and the risk of stripping tens of millions from an ecosystem supporting 85,000 jobs. Others argued that high-frequency gaming products, associated with significantly greater social harm and offering little local economic value, should bear the brunt of any rise. Paul Johnson of the National Trainers' Federation publicly backed the Social Market Foundation's call for Remote Gaming Duty to climb as high as 50%. The debate shifted dramatically when Gordon Brown entered the fray in July, endorsing an Institute for Public Policy Research proposal for gaming duty to rise to 50% and betting duty to 25%, paired with safeguards for racing. His intervention redirected momentum away from harmonisation and toward a sharper rise in gaming levies. A reportedly well-sourced report later suggested the government may spare horseracing bets entirely, with only a modest increase applied to online sports wagering. Such an outcome would exceed expectations from when campaigning began in April and has fuelled rising optimism among industry leaders, one of whom suggested racing was "about 1-4 ($1.25) to get the right result". It would also signal the fading of a two-decade gaming boom unleashed by the 2005 Gambling Act, which enabled £100-a-spin roulette terminals and failed to anticipate online expansion. With resistance from lobbyists intensifying again, the long-forecast reckoning for gaming's dominance now appears difficult to avoid.
Defending HKIR Champions Could Well Execute
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
With just weeks to go before the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR), Sunday’s pivotal lead-up meeting has sharpened the likelihood of a rare sweep by defending champions across all four Group 1 features on December 14. That prospect, once considered improbable, now feels entirely plausible after two local stars returned with authority. Ka Ying Rising picked up where he left off, making a statement (see below) in the Group 2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m), while Romantic Warrior defied a lengthy layoff to impose himself in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup (2000m). Both wins were emphatic enough to suggest they’re well placed to defend their titles – Ka Ying Rising in the Sprint and Romantic Warrior in what would be an extraordinary fourth Hong Kong Cup. Confirmation of the final HKIR fields on Wednesday will shed more light, but even without knowing which international raiders are inbound, the locals’ standing remains robust. Ka Ying Rising is long odds-on to repeat in the Sprint, while Romantic Warrior, already a three-time Cup winner, appears to be peaking again at precisely the right time. The Mile, by contrast, has lost a layer of intrigue. Japanese quinella Jantar Mantar and Gaia Force from the Group 1 Mile Championship have declined invitations, and local favourite My Wish produced an underwhelming run in finishing fourth in the Jockey Club Mile. One horse who did improve was Voyage Bubble, finishing second behind Romantic Warrior in the Cup and now giving trainer Ricky Yiu Poon-fai a tactical headache: step back in trip to defend last year’s Mile crown, or test the waters again at 2000m against a rival he’s yet to conquer. “He did his best and he was beaten by a world-class horse. We have options,” said Yiu. “That’s why I entered two races – the Mile and the Cup at 2,000m.” Meanwhile, Mark Newnham remains bullish about My Wish’s chances, noting the gelding would strip fitter after a five-week gap. “I think he’ll be better in December with the three-week gap,” he said. Raider presence will be felt most in the Hong Kong Vase (2400m), where defending champion Giavellotto could be joined by a strong international field. But the loudest applause may yet be reserved for the duo now ranked equal seventh in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. “Ka Ying Rising is better even than he was before,” said Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “I have never seen a more impressive sprinter in the world.” Romantic Warrior, too, continues to defy the margins of greatness.
Ka Ying Rising Stalks HK Picket Fence Record
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
Meanwhile, a relentless streak that now stands at 15 straight wins has placed Hong Kong’s reigning sprint king on the cusp of equalling the most famous winning run in the city’s racing history. With only two more victories required to match Silent Witness’s iconic 17-race unbeaten streak, racingnews.hkjc.com reports Ka Ying Rising has well and truly stepped into legendary territory. Returning to Sha Tin on Sunday after his Everest heroics, the Shamexpress gelding showed no signs of fatigue, dishing out a ruthless performance in the HK$5.35 million Group 2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m). Sent out under 128lb, he dominated from start to finish, stopping the clock at 1m 07.33s – just 0.13s outside his own course record – despite being throttled down by Zac Purton over the final strides. The final margin of two-and-three-quarter lengths over Fast Network was flattering to the runner-up, while Helios Express was a further length-and-three-quarters adrift in third. The win elevated Ka Ying Rising into third on the list of consecutive victories by a Hong Kong-trained galloper, behind only Golden Sixty (16) and the legendary Silent Witness (17). With the HK$28 million Group 1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint looming on 14 December, a shot at immortality is now within touching distance. “He just looks better all the time. He’s mentally getting better,” Purton said. “It was good to see him win like that today without having to go to the bottom of him. I’ve never seen him look so good.” He also noted that Beauty Waves, who led mid-race, wasn’t going fast enough to suit his mount’s rhythm: “That’s the beauty with this horse – the faster they go, the better he is.” Trainer David Hayes agreed the display was exceptional. “To the eye, I thought it was probably one of his best wins. That was as easy as I’ve seen him do it,” he said, adding that the gelding carried a career-high 1,158lb – he’s muscled up even more – and returned looking stronger than ever. “He’ll be set for The Everest next year again, but the big focus now is the international race in three weeks. That’s his short-term grand final.” Ka Ying Rising has already claimed Everest glory, is the world’s leading sprinter, and now stalks a place in Hong Kong’s pantheon of greats. The chase is on.
Fresh Insights as Racing SA Opens the Doors
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
A soft glow across the Gawler and Barossa Jockey Club greeted the opening morning of South Australia’s first National Thoroughbred Week, setting the tone for a program built on access, education, and genuine connection with the horses and people who keep the industry moving. According to racingsa.com.au, the early gathering joined Clare Lindop, Group 1-winning jockey and Racing SA Industry Development and Training Officer, for a tour that unfolded through the tempo of a working racing morning. Trackwork under the rising sun, hearty breakfasts in hand, and a walk-through of the pool, treadmill, and stable areas gave visitors a front-row view of the routines that shape equine athletes. Interactions with riders, trainers, and stable staff rounded out an introduction steeped in authenticity. Attention then turned to Cornerstone Stud, where the gates opened to reveal the Angaston property at its most vibrant. Horses of every age and stage moved through their day: foals shadowing their mothers, yearlings learning the rhythms of handling, racehorses unwinding during a spell, and retirees enjoying calmer chapters of their lives. Guests wandered past historic yards and tree-lined paddocks as staff explained the traditions and philosophies anchoring the stud’s long service to the thoroughbred breed. The experience highlighted the depth of care and continuity required to nurture future generations. Later in the week, the itinerary shifted to Aaron Bain Racing, where the morning began with freshly brewed coffee and a sweeping introduction to Angaston Park. The storied grounds, known for producing numerous Group 1 performers, offered guests a rare look at young horses practising their first jump-outs across the historic grass track. Tour groups continued through the facility’s fibre track, pool, walker, and barns, meeting the team responsible for guiding the stable’s thoroughbreds. Stories of horses who once called the property home added context to its reputation for shaping high-class talent. The afternoon unfolded at Hazel Hill Thoroughbreds, bringing a quieter, more personal lens to the week. Visitors joined the feed run, chatted with staff, and moved paddock to paddock meeting horses at different life stages, from unraced youngsters to seasoned competitors and comfortable retirees. Stable helpers Quinn and Shadow, the property’s two enormous Great Danes, made enthusiastic introductions of their own. A relaxed tasting of Paulmara wines with the Tzaferis Racing team capped the visit with local culinary flavour. Morphettville hosted the final stop on Sportsbet Finals Day, where wet weather failed to dampen curiosity or enthusiasm. Guests stepped behind usual race-day boundaries, speaking with stewards, vets, track staff, and jockeys about the many moving parts that must align for a meeting to run smoothly. Watching horses arrive, settle, parade, and load into the gates brought a new appreciation for the precision of race preparation. A meeting with retired racehorses serving as Clerks of the Course offered a fitting reminder of the sport’s full-circle pathways. The closing experience left visitors with a richer understanding of the people, processes, and horses that define South Australian racing.
Racing SA celebrates National Thoroughbred Week (pic: A Ray Media)
New Connections Zipping Along to Possible Profit
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
A timely opportunity has emerged for connections hoping to recoup their investment quickly, with Saturday's $750,000 Zipping Classic at Caulfield looming as an unexpected spring launching pad. The race sits squarely in the sights of Post Impressionist's new ownership group, who secured the seven-year-old for $225,000 in an Inglis Digital sale after Lloyd Williams and Jamie Packer opted not to press on with a Melbourne Cup campaign. The gelding's relocation from Anthony and Sam Freedman to Simon Ryan's Warrnambool base happened only days before discussions around the Zipping Classic intensified. Ryan was more than satisfied with what arrived in his stable, noting that the son of Teofilo had previously claimed the Gr3 Manion Cup on Australian debut for William Haggas in March last year. While his subsequent form for the Freedmans yielded unplaced efforts, Ryan felt the horse's wellbeing was immediately evident. "He's only been here a few days but he's settled in well and he obviously came to us in really good condition from some top trainers," he said. Time spent poring over recent replays strengthened Ryan's view that the horse's record didn't tell the whole story. He saw legitimate excuses in the Herbert Power Stakes and Moonee Valley Gold Cup, while the gruelling conditions of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Flemington were hardly conducive to a turnaround. With the Zipping Classic often attracting modest field sizes, Ryan and owner Shane Morrissy have kept the nomination in play while they consider just how aggressive to be so early in the horse's new campaign. mThe Pakenham Cup next month had originally been marked as the safer launching point, but the trainer is now more open to adjusting plans if the right scenario presents itself. "Originally we were going to wait for the Pakenham Cup to give him a run but he's in really good order and he's been racing well at a good level," Ryan said. The acceptances for the Zipping Classic will likely provide the decisive push. "If they come up a bit light, then it will be up to Shane whether he has a roll around there or not. We're probably leaning towards giving him a start. It can throw up a small field in some years and it will be up for consideration right down to the wire on Wednesday morning." Nineteen horses are currently nominated for the race, headed by dual Group 1 winner Light Infantry Man with a rating of 111. He sits marginally ahead of Alalcance from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott yard. The Ciaron Maher operation dominates the entry list numerically, also putting forward Berkshire Breeze, Earl Of Tyrone, Interpretation, Smokin' Romans and Strawberry Rock. Early all-in markets have Light Infantry Man marked at $3.50, with the Grahame Begg-trained She's a Hustler next at $4.50.
Pike and Rey Can Upstage Winterbottom Favs
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
The build-up to Saturday’s $1.5 million Winterbottom Stakes has crystallised into a two-way showdown, with just 11 runners declared and two names dominating both form and market sentiment, reports thewest.com.au. That narrow focus hasn’t dulled anticipation – if anything, the fierce rivalry between Overpass and Jokers Grin has taken centre stage, with punters now leaning heavily toward the local favourite. Jokers Grin has firmed into $2.60, displacing dual titleholder Overpass ($2.90) at the head of betting, while Luana Miss and Rey Magnerio ($9 each) sit next in line. The latter will be ridden by William Pike, who recently steered home the Railway Stakes winner and has opted for a new partner this weekend after abandoning Oscar’s Fortune ($21). “Poor Oscar’s, he’s done nothing wrong; he’s been very good,” Pike conceded to SEN. “But I wasn’t sure we’d be able to beat Jokers Grin, so I was looking for another option to see if I could have another blow.” Pike’s faith in the Robbie Griffiths-trained Rey Magnerio (see below) stems from the gelding’s proven consistency across different states. “Rey Magnerio has been well travelled. He’s run good races in just about every race he’s been in,” Pike said. “I think he’s the next best horse I could get on that can beat Jokers Grin.” The move comes after Rey Magnerio’s eye-catching third on Oaks Day, where Jye McNeil was hampered by traffic in the home straight. With another Group 1 tilt in view, Pike’s preparation is already underway. “I’ve already watched Rey Magnerio’s replays and it’ll start from this afternoon (Monday) onwards,” he said. “I’ll get a bit more serious and have a look at a few of my opponents and see what I think they might do.” He added that final tactics would depend on the barrier draw and race-day variables. “Maybe the track isn’t playing the way you thought it would, or the easterly breeze is up – you might need to adjust.” Outside the big two, several contenders could cause an upset. Benedetta, priced at $15, already owns a Group 1 title and brings proven class to the line-up. Libertad, meanwhile, is a longer shot at $34 but not without credentials. Albany galloper Rope Them In ($11) adds intrigue after splitting subsequent Railway and Carbine Club winners Watch Me Rock and Cosmic Crusader in the Asian Beau last start. While Overpass aims to make history with a third Winterbottom crown, the focus has undeniably shifted to Jokers Grin, whose rise through the ranks and home-track advantage give him the aura of a genuine threat. With just a compact field to navigate and several form lines converging, the stage is set for a contest that may hinge as much on tactics and timing as it does on raw ability.
Snowden Zealously Watching Sydney Weather
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
Hopes are high that this weekend's forecast holds steady, with Peter Snowden eyeing much-improved track conditions for his in-form sprinter Zealously in Saturday’s Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens. According to racenet.com.au, the promising son of Harry Angel had been set to run in last weekend’s The Warra (1200m) at Kembla Grange before persistent rain pushed the surface into the heavy range, forcing a late withdrawal. While disappointed to miss the opportunity to stretch out to 1200m for the first time, Snowden said Rosehill was always Plan B, and the Starlight offered a more suitable scenario. “I was disappointed to miss last week but he just doesn’t want anything worse than a soft five,” he said. “When the track was downgraded (to a heavy 8) it really forced our hand because he’s just not the same horse on that ground. I chose to save him for Rosehill this week and at the 1100m and with a better weather forecast it looks like a nice race for him.” Zealously, a winner of five from 13, appears to have returned this prep with added strength and maturity, a shift Snowden has seen translate directly to raceday results. “The horse is going better than he ever has, he’s a pretty handy horse,” he said. “His form has been solid right through his career, but I feel he’s matured, and the results are showing that.” Snowden pointed to the Warwick Farm win in track-record time and the Caulfield run – where the gelding was awkward around the bend yet still finished strongly – as markers of his upward curve. “He’s going great and it’s unfortunate we copped that rain as I thought the race last Saturday was another suitable target for him.” Despite not testing 1200m just yet, Snowden is confident Saturday’s trip is right in the gelding’s wheelhouse. “In saying that I’m not worried about him stepping out at 1100m at Rosehill,” he said. “He’s a quick horse that needs good ground. There’s a few races kicking around for him.” Although Zealously is eligible for the Magic Millions in January, a Gold Coast appearance appears unlikely. “He’s a Magic Millions horse, there’s a race on the Gold Coast a week out from the big day for horses that are owned in syndicates of 20 or more worth $1 million over 1100m,” Snowden explained. “But he’s got 18 owners; can you believe it? I think the Magic Millions is off the table now.”
Tattersalls December Yearlings Eclipse KPIs
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
New benchmarks were set at the 2025 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, with turnover, average, and median figures all reaching record levels. The auction also produced the highest-priced colt in the sale’s history, contributing to a clearance rate of 85% and an impressive haul of 17 six-figure lots. Topping the results was a Frankel half-brother to Group-winning sprinter Dramatised, sold for 425,000 guineas to agent Alex Elliott. The April-foaled colt was consigned by Hazelwood Bloodstock and is out of Katie’s Diamond, herself a Listed winner and now proven as a broodmare through the exploits of Dramatised – winner of the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot at two, and the Group 2 Temple Stakes at three. “He is for a partnership,” Elliott confirmed. “He looks a fast Frankel and I am pleased to get him. He obviously should have been in Book 1, but he got a foot abscess and that needed time to grow out.” Elliott said the family had long appealed. “It is a fast family and I remember the mare racing for Karl Burke, she has produced a good one in Dramatised. I didn’t think that I would get him, the December Sale has produced good horses and hopefully he will be one who can add his name to the roll of honour.” Katie’s Diamond will return to the ring next week, catalogued as Lot 1742 in the Sceptre Sessions, carrying a Frankel full sibling to the colt sold on Tuesday. Sea The Stars continued his stellar 2025 with strong demand for his progeny at the December Sale. The Castlebridge Consignment’s filly out of My Timing fetched 260,000 guineas, with Anthony Stroud of Stroud Coleman Bloodstock signing the ticket. “Sea The Stars speaks for himself, and this is a very nice filly,” Stroud said. “The mare has been bred to Sea The Stars a number of times and all the runners she’s produced have been highly rated. The stallion’s fee has gone up to €300,000 next year, so this represents reasonable value. He’s undoubtedly a very good stallion.” Bred by Sunderland Holding, the May-born filly is out of Street Cry mare My Timing, herself out of Winter Hill Stakes winner Lay Time, and a granddaughter of Oaks heroine and Champion Older Mare Time Charter. Fillies featured prominently on the leaderboard, claiming four of the top five prices. Among them was a Lope de Vega daughter secured for 235,000 guineas by agent Tina Rau, who outlasted both Anthony Stroud and Mags O’Toole. Bred by Gestüt Etzean, the filly is a half-sister to Group 3-winning juvenile Sea Bay, Champion 2YO Colt in Germany, Listed winner Samoa, and the three-year-old Starlight Lips, who was beaten just three-quarters of a length in this year’s German Oaks. Their dam Strawberry is also closely related to Group winners Sirius and San Salvador.
The Frankel-Katie's Diamond colt established a new benchmark (pic: tattersalls.com)
Captivant Puts a Big Smile on Kia Ora’s Face
Wednesday, 26th November 2025
Early signs suggest a strong future for Capitalist’s sire-son Captivantat stud, with his juvenile son Vantorix putting in a commanding performance on debut at Taree. The two-year-old gelding proved too sharp and too professional for older rivals in the National Thoroughbred Week Maiden Plate (1005m), scoring by 2.5 lengths in a display that never looked in doubt. Prepared by Jenny Graham, Vantorix had turned heads at the trials and carried that same strut of confidence on race day. His composure and acceleration set him apart, particularly given the age gap to most of the field. “Beating the older horses the way he did as an early two-year-old, and then just easing down to the line, was very impressive,” Graham said. “He’s a very smart horse, and whatever we do next will be about looking after him.” The trainer also credited the emerging influence of Captivant’s progeny, noting that they seem to inherit their sire’s mental edge. “Captivant’s progeny are sharp and switched on and Vantorix has that natural professionalism you love to see in a young horse,” she added. Bred by Dr Richard McClenahan, Vantorix is the fifth foal from Miss Loren, herself a Listed placegetter, and is a half-brother to Gr3 San Domenico Stakes winner Raging Force. Initially sold at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, he was later secured by Graham from the Mullaglass Stud draft at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. The win moves Captivant into equal-second on the Australian First Season Sires list by winners, a promising start for a stallion who showed elite juvenile form himself. Captivant won the Gr1 Champagne Stakes in near-record time at two, and ran Anamoe to a narrow margin in a record-breaking Gr1 Caulfield Guineas at three. A grandson of growing sire-of-sires influence Written Tycoon, and part of a proven Group 1 family featuring Crown Prosecutor and River Dove, Captivant stands at Kia Ora Stallions for $19,800 (inc GST). He will be represented by yearlings at both Magic Millions Gold Coast and Inglis Classic.
2YO Gr1 winner Captivant has made a promising start at stud (pic: Steve Hart)
