More than $165,000 was raised for injured track riders, Ben Saunders and Wade Clasohm, at Saturday night’s Racing Reaches Out, at Clifford Park, Toowoomba.

The evening was an emotional evening, but an enormous success, according to Toowoomba Turf Club Chairman, Kent Woodford.

“TTC is delighted to be able to assist the families of Ben and Wade with this enormous cash injection, “said Kent Woodford.

“It will really relieve some of the financial pressures on the families, it has been an emotional journey for everyone at the TTA to put the fund raiser together,” he added.

Sporting memorabilia, stud and various racing club hospitality packages went under the hammer, and were extremely popular at the event, which attracted more than 350 people to Clifford Park.

There is never likely to be any questioning of Lloyd Williams’s inclusion into the Hall of Fame, he is surely a worthy inductee, however, it is a bit of joke that so many years have passed before Archer was finally recognised.

Archer won the first two Melbourne Cups in 1861 and 1862, yet it has taken 155 years for him to be recognised, surely someone has been having a bye bye.

It is absolutely ridiculous the time that it has taken to recognise some of these recipients, there are 11 new inductees, three are living, one we are not sure of, and the remainder have all passed away.

Someone has woken up about Tommy Corrigan, he has only been dead for more than a hundred years, he is surely worth a berth.

Brian Courtney was a prominent trainer, he had much of his success at Mentone with Dhaulagiri, Small Time, My Peak and New Statesman, and a host of other good horses, he moved to Caulfield when Mentone Racecourse was closed.

Des Judd trained at Caulfield on Bond Street an all sand street, he won the Oakleigh Plate and the Newmarket Handicap with Cromwell, after the death of Theo Lewis, he went to Flemington taking over Lewis’s stables in Leonard Cresent.

Alan Bell was a very stern steward, he didn’t believe in smiling much, if a jockey was called in before Bell the advice from the other jockeys was , “walk slowly and think quickly. “  

The Hall of Fame is a great concept, it certainly has a place in racing for those that have made a significant contribution to the racing industry, it is a great honour, to be proud of and enjoy , while the dead may rest peacefully.    

Goffs set up their London Sale, four years ago, in the hope of achieving a unique date on the eve of Royal Ascot.

On that occasion it created a new concept, with the first Frankel foal ever sold at public auction, with his dam, for 1.15 million pounds.

Whilst that price was no means overshadowed by previous results, it still illustrates an exciting market is there for the champion racehorse.

Goffs announced earlier this week, with delight, by naming the first lot in the sale on June 19 with another foal by Frankel.

The filly is out of Millevini, a nine year old half sister to the St Leger winner Kingston Hill, the dam being by Hawk Wing will again be offered in a job lot, with the bonus of a foal by Kingman in utero.

The filly is consigned by Heatherwold Stud Burghclere in Berkshire, which has established a reputation for boarders being in the proximity of Lambourn, with a number of stables training on the Berkshire and Wiltshire Downs.

Goffs chief executive, Henry Beeby, was rubbing his hands, “she is a cracking filly with a strong walk, everything is in place, “he said.

“Frankel fever is a global phenomenon at the moment, we are delighted to being back to London this year following the massive interest at our first London Sale,” he added.

Tony Williams with Frankel  

Thelburg has finally struck a purple patch of form, coming from behind to win at Bendigo a fortnight ago, and then leading all the way to win from a wide gate, taking out the Recycal Handicap over 1400 metres at Caulfield on Saturday.

The chestnut gelding, by Written Tycoon, has overcome a few problems in the past, but was right on putting two wins together; proving time and patience can be a great solution in a racehorse.

His trainer, John Sadler, has been patient with the gelding, it was never going to be easy, he has worked wonders with the horse, it is a credit to the skills of a successful trainer.

Thelburg had always promised a lot, except he was a bit short on the delivery date; however, he had them off the bit at all stages of the race of Saturday, and was never going to be beaten.

That city win was surely a great relief for Sadler and owner Alan Harvey; it gets the monkey off their back, with the entire family on hand to welcome the horse’s return to scale.

The gelding has been a work in progress for his owner –breeder Alan Harvey, whose patience was being stretched to the limits.

Thelburg has proved a slow maturing horse, he has taken time for the penny to drop, he will now go for a well deserved break and come back a much stronger horse as a five year old.

He still has time on his side, there is a lot racing left, he has had just the 14 starts for five wins, that was his first win in the city and it surely won’t be his last.

His grand dam, Gossip Maid by Snippets, was a more than handy mare, when mated with Danehill Dancer she produced a filly.

The resulted foal was kicked in the head by another horse and never raced, she was named Show’em Bonne.

She was finally mated with Written Tycoon when the service fee was $3,000, he has since been advertised at $80,000, the highest service fee ever for a Victorian based sire.  

Alan Harvey, a former chairman of the Werribee Racing Club, certainly put in the hard yards for the race club, he ran a hotel with the aid of his family, plus a farm, also he was on hand each day supervising the building of the new grandstand.

Thelburg winning at Caulfield 

Barney Boy, the first crop son of Excelebration, bred by emerging global force, Sun Stud, is among the main contenders for the 2000 Guineas, to be run at Newmarket in the U K.

Hong Kong owned, Australian based, Sun Stud sprang to international prominence last year as the owner of Noble Defence, a prominent winner of the Prix Jean – Luc Lagardere, and a big purchasing power at sales in both hemispheres.

The run of success has continued into 2017, as the breeder of the impressive winner of the Greenham Stakes, now a leading fancy for the 2000 Guineas.

Sun Stud purchased Eliza Park International in 2013, and at the end of the year it purchased Alina ,an unplaced daughter of Galileo, and Group 3 winner, Cheyenne Star, for $65,000 at the Tattersalls December Breeding Stock Sale

Barney Roy is a first crop son of Excelebration and is the mare’s first foal, he was sold as a foal at Tattersalls for 30,000 guineas, and resold to Peter and Ross Doyle for 70,000 pounds sterling, as a yearling at Doncaster.

“It was exciting to see his return to racing,” said Sun Stud’s bloodstock advisor David O’Callaghan, He showed on his first start that he was above average, you hope they will come again at three, and he couldn’t have been more impressive. It looks as though the mile will be perfect for him in the Guineas.”

Saturday’s success means that a cross Channel Guineas double looks a real possibility for the stud, with National Defense, who finished second to the impressive Al Wukair on his reappearance, due to contest the French equivalent in mid – May.

“Criquette was delighted with his run first time out, “said O’Callaghan, of the son of Invincible Spirit, a 280,000 pounds Arqana yearling purchase by the stud.

“He’s taken plenty of benefit from the race and will appreciate stepping up to the mile, he has developed into a lovely horse and we’re looking forward to the French 2,000 Guineas.”

Sun Stud has retained the two year old Dark Angel, a half sister to Barney Roy, named Wisdom Mind, and in training at Chantilly with Criquette Head-Maarek.

“Wisdom Mind is in work at the moment and is going along nicely, “said O’Callaghan, “Criquette is very happy with her progress and feels she will more than likely be a back end two year old, but next month will tell us more.”

O’Callaghan said that Alina had not been covered this year and that a decision would be made on who she will be visiting ultimately, she does have a yearling filly by Kodiac, and a very good looking colt foal, Free Eagle, at foot.  

Sun Stud is also the owner of the dam of another blue chip northern hemisphere three year old, having bought Inventive, a daughter of Dixie Union, who is the dam of last year’s wide margin Del Mar Futurity winner Klimt, for $80,000 at Keeneland.

Inventive produced a filly by Tapit to southern hemisphere time last year, and returned to Kentucky this year to be mated with Medaglia D’Oro to northern hemisphere time, and is safely in foal.

Sun Stud is enjoying success at home as well as away too, with exciting young stallions as Magnus, he is proving a consistent sire, plus Fighting Sun and Fiorente, each will have progeny racing in the new season, and Palentino, a triple Group success, who will cover his first book of mares come September.

Barney Roy Guineas aspirant