Royal Randwick

Multiple Group 1 winner Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}--Strikeline {Aus}, by Desert Sun {GB}), who is best known in the Northern Hemisphere as the winner of the 2022 G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, has been retired, trainer Chris Waller announced on Saturday. The 9-year-old gelding finished sixth in the G3 Concorde S. at Royal Randwick earlier in the day. Several of his owners, including Ron Lyons, were at the track when Waller made the announcement. "I'm announcing Nature Strip's retirement on behalf of the owners... It's only fitting...

Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club (ATC) announced on Sunday that the G1 George Main S. will be replaced by the G1 King Charles III S. at Royal Randwick starting this year. The King Charles III S. is named in honour of His Majesty The King and will be run over 1600 metres under weight-for-age conditions and carry a prize purse of A$5 million, making it the world's richest weight-for-age mile event. Last year's George Main S., won by Anamoe (Aus) (Street Boss), was worth A$1 million in 2022....

Group 1 winner Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) will likely return to Royal Ascot this year seeking to better his third-place finish behind Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. in 2022, co-owner Henry Field of Newgate Farm told TDN Aus/NZ. "As long as he's going well and he's healthy, that's definitely the plan," Field said. "He was unluckily beaten last year in the Platinum Jubilee when he was held up at a vital stage, and I think he can go back there. There's no question...

Top Hong Kong-based jockey Zac Purton will return to ride in his native Australia for the first time since the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup, Australia's News Corp. reported. The 40-year-old reinsman will pilot Group 1 winner Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) in the G1 Canterbury S., the 2-year-old King's Gambit (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) in the G2 Todman S. and possibly Communist (Aus) (Russian Revolution {Aus}) in the G1 Randwick Guineas, all at Royal Randwick on Mar. 4. "I am coming back to ride Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes...

Jockey Tom Marquand, who sustained a concussion after parting ways with his mount in Australia on Saturday, underwent shoulder surgery as a result of the incident, as well on Wednesday. Marquand was forceably removed from his mount in the A$2-million Inglis Millennium due to interference from another rider, and was originally diagnosed with just a concussion. Subsequent MRI scans revealed a dislocated sternoclavicular joint. "It has basically dislocated backwards, so I have to go for an operation today [Wednesday] to get it wired back in," Marquand said in a video...

Jockey Tom Marquand, who is riding a stint in Australia, fell off his mount due to interference in the A$2-million Inglis Millennium and sustained a concussion at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Marquand was riding trainer Annabel Neasham's Dorothy Gail (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), and was unseated by a mid-race maneuver from the Josh Parr-ridden Hellish (Aus) (Hellbent {Aus}). Parr was suspended 20 meetings for the careless riding  incident. "That was pretty horrible," Neasham, who won the race with Learning To Fly (Aus) (Justify), told SKY Thoroughbred Central. "He [Marquand] is ok,...

Yeomanstown Stud's Dark Angel sired a new top-level winner overnight, his 13th, when Top Ranked (Ire) (known as Top Rank in the Northern Hemisphere), proved inseparable with Ellsberg (Aus) (Spill The Beans {Aus}) at the finish of the A$1.5-million Epsom H. over heavy ground at Randwick on Saturday. It was a neck back to Hinged (Aus) (Worthy Cause {Aus}) in third in the 1600-metre feature. A winner of the G3 Superior Mile S. in England in 2020, the 6-year-old entire is out of the winning Countess Ferrama (GB) (Authorized {Ire}),...

Instead of contesting the Apr. 2 G1 T J Smith S. over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick, dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus})), will be freshened for a Northern Hemisphere campaign with his sights set on Royal Ascot, according to a tweet by Chris Waller Racing. A winner of the G2 Silver Slipper S. and third in the G2 Todman S. for trainer Chris Waller, Coolmore, Wynaus, Et. Al as a juvenile, the bay progressed at three to take the G1 Coolmore Stud S. on...

Coolmore has purchased a major share in Saturday's G1 Champagne S. hero King's Legacy (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}-Breakfast in Bed {Aus}, by Hussonet) and will stand the $1.4-million Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling colt at their Jerrys Plains operation upon his retirement from racing, the stud announced. A winner of the 1400-metre G1 ATC Sires Produce S. a fortnight ago, the Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia-bred also scored in the G3 Magic Millions B.J. McLachlan S. in December for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and has earned north of $400,000 in five...

With their own domestic racing programmes decimated by COVID-19, many Europeans naturally looked to Randwick's card in Sydney to get their weekend fix of high-class racing. There was further reason to focus on 'The Championships' with Newmarket-based William Haggas having a fancied runner in two of the Group 1 races, the G1 Schweppes Sydney Cup and the G1 Longines Queen Elizabeth S. Happily, his representative Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB} won the latter race, the meeting's showpiece feature. This triumph (which, of course, is likely to be the final British-trained overseas...