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Gordon Lord Byron (Ire) (Byron {GB}) is unlikely to take up his engagement at Dundalk Friday, with a flight to Hong Kong booked for midweek. Tom Hogan is looking forward to saddling his multiple Group 1 winner in the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin Mar. 15, a seven-furlong event granted international status for the first time this year.  The trainer has taken his stable star to Ireland's only all-weather circuit on a couple of occasions to gallop as part of his preparations and the seven-year-old was given a...

Group 1 Blue Diamond S. hero Pride Of Dubai (Aus) (Street Cry) will not take part in the G1 Golden Slipper S. Mar. 21, a race for which he would have required to be supplemented.  Speaking on RSN radio Tuesday, Peter Snowden, who trains the Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum homebred in partnership with son Paul, explained, “It's not the late fee, it's more he reached his grand final on Saturday. To me it's too much to ask a horse to back up in three weeks time. To bring him back...

Hong Kong billionaire Tony Fung has purchased all four Gold Coast equine properties formerly owned by Patinack Farm, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. The deal, whose amount remains undisclosed, was confirmed Tuesday by a spokesman, who added Mr. Fung was “considering a number of options for future developments”. Mr. Fung, a racehorse owner in Queensland, is the chairman of real estate and casino group Aquis, which was recently behind the A$6 million purchase of the Canberra casino and also has plans to develop a resort and casino near Cairns....

Aggregate, average and median prices continued to grow on the second day of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, with 162 horses selling for a combined A$17,183,500 and an average of A$106,070, while the clearance rate, which had been the only downward figure on day one, received a significant boost from a buoyant 'Blue Riband session'. Overall, 79% of the 205 yearlings offered on Monday found new homes, but this figure reached 85% for the 48-lot Blue Riband session--a selection of yearlings bred and conformed to excel over middle and staying...

Able Friend (Aus) (Shamardal), the world's top-rated miler, will not travel to Dubai for the G1 Dubai Turf, nor will he venture to Australia for the G1 Doncaster Mile following a lunchtime meeting Monday between owner Dr. Cornel Li, trainer John Moore and his son George. The focus will instead be on a domestic campaign, to include the G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400 meters Mar. 15, the Chairman's Trophy going a mile Apr. 7 and the G1 Champions Mile May 3. In making that announcement, Moore also indicated that...

by Ben Massam Zayat Stables' American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), champion juvenile male of 2014, recorded his first workout of 2015 yesterday morning at Santa Anita, a three-furlong move in :36.20. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said the ease at which his trainee completed the work was impressive. "He went three-eighths and he did it in hand," Baffert commented. "He looked really good doing it."  American Pharoah earned a pair of Grade I victories in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner S. last year, but was sidelined with an injury just...

What to write about? The obvious choices include Callback, who led home a one-two for Street Sense in the GI Las Virgenes S., and Pulpit's son Lord Nelson, who used his 5lb concession to narrowly get the better of Texas Red in the GII San Vicente S.  The case for Street Sense is strengthened by his having also been represented by the likes of Sweet Reason and Ocho Ocho Ocho since his return from Japan. And, although Callback's dam Quickest once sold for no more than $40,000, that was before...

Twice in recent editions of Thoroughbred Daily News there has been mention of a foal being a three-quarter sibling to another.  On Jan. 25: “Upstart's dam is a half-sister to GSW Josh's Madelyn and produced a Majestic Warrior ¾-sister to the Holy Bull winner in 2014.”  On Jan. 19: “The (allowance) winner (Run of the River) is a ¾-sibling to Heavenly Landing, GSW, $313,115.”  These examples are why, during my lengthy tenure at a Thoroughbred magazine, I always supported that publication's style point to never use the term three-quarter.  There...

By Emma Berry  Back in 2010, La Route des Etalons took place for the first time, with around 30 Normandy stallion studs throwing open their doors to breeders over a well-planned and busy weekend.  It's fair to say that at that time, the list of French sires was lacking in star names. The old guard of Linamix (Fr), Anabaa, Highest Honor (Fr) and Co. had gone, leaving an array of stallions offering great value to breeders but without the pulling power of the likes of Galileo (Ire), Dubawi (Ire), Invincible...

YEARLING POSITIVE UNDER INVESTIGATION  A yearling sold at last month's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has returned a positive test for altrenogest, a substance currently found on Australia's list of banned steroids. The Australian Racing Board, however, is reviewing whether altrenogest, a substance found in Regu-Mate, a product used to regulate cycles and help maintain pregnancies in fillies and mares, belongs on that list. Regu-Mate is on Australia's list of banned steroids for colts, but it is reportedly used on stud farms and at yearling sales to control studish...

Four-time Group 1-winning New Zealand-based mare Silent Achiever (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) is expected to make the first start of an ambitious year, which could include the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in the G2 Apollo S. at Rosehill Feb. 14.  “She's very well,” trainer Roger James told RSN Racing and Sports Radio. “I just finalized plans yesterday with my owners and she's on the plane in about 10 days time to run first-up in the Apollo S. on the 14th.”  James noted the 6-year-old mare would progress to the G1 Chipping...

Last year's G1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) won a Newcastle barrier trial yesterday in preparation for an Australian autumn campaign that is expected to include the G1 Australian Cup Mar. 14. Traveling last about five lengths off the lead through the opening stages of the 1200 meter heat under jockey Hugh Bowman, Protectionist ranged up four-wide coming off the turn and found the wire three-quarters of a length in front with minimal urging (video).  Protectionist won the Melbourne Cup for Narola Stables and Australian Bloodstock and German trainer Andreas...