Ofcourse, but it's doing the sport no good at all. Soon enough they will competing against themselves and nobody else.

They always go on about how they have the best stallions and home bred mares in the business, so why the need to buy everyone elses? None of their home breds are ever their stable stars (not for some years now), their breeding operation stinks, their training methods also stink. Hence the reason they need to buy other horses in training. Other people do all of the work, and then they take the credit.

That isn't how it should be.

Brock, you say that the extra 50% share isn't a big deal..... but it is. From now on, it will have nothing to do with the Bolger camp where the horse runs. If the Sheikh wants a clear way for another of his horses in the Guineas, this fella won't even line up. That is what i don't like. The Sheikh gets to call the shots now...... a nasty thought.

Soon we will see group 1 races with horses either all trained by godolphin or all owned by Sheikh Mohammed, and as soon as one of them wins.... he will have done enough and will be packing him off to stud.

Even Coolmore won't be able to keep up with the money they are willing to spend before long, and yet Aidan O'Brien (who doesn't even train in Britain) is able to win the British trainers title. What does that tell you?

Godolphin are MASSIVE underachievers, even though they have the most money and apparently have the best breeding operation and they buy everyone elses good horses. Anyone with half a brain and see that they cannot run a business or train racehorses.

They "said" they were going to cut down on the horses they trained, which meant they had to cut many jobs...... so far i have seen no sign of them cutting down on the horses they train. Sure, they sold a few, but they have bought more than they have sold. So all they have done is put people out of work.

Sorry for the rant, but it really upsets me that they can continue to ruin racing like they are doing and will soon do in America.

Coolmore will always be able to compete with Godolphin no matter how good the boys in blue get..

As far as training methods and business running...... they are miles clear, but as long as Godolphin have their endless amounts of money they can buy anything they like and continue to make a joke out of this "sport".

Coolmore will never be able to compete with their money.

literato to you know who....

It's becoming boring now......

So much for their cutting down on numbers excuse for making quite a few staff redundant.

It's just ruining it for so many people. I was speaking to my driving insructor this morning who used to be into racing (as a novice) but he doesn't bother anymore. Funny that this conversation arose as I was driving past one of the many Godolphin entrances in Newmarket. He said it becomes boring when they decide to buy everything that isn't already theirs.

It is true, though. They are turning many people off this sport.

They have a "brilliant" breeding operation according to them, so why don't they use it? How many top class horses that they have trained actually been home breds in the last few years? Very few is the answer.

Ed! Look! It's Giftie!

Race 3.....

He was last, poor thing.

http://www.ellerslie.co.nz/aucklandr...cing/video.cfm

Another good Hong Kong horse coming back home to NZ. :)

Oh yea!!!

Gallant will be happy... that's one of her Supreme boys. :D

(Happy early birthday).:p

His record, replays.....

http://www.hkjc.com/english/racing/R...p?HorseNo=G229

Nice that he gets to go home. :)

From South Africa Racing...

No author listed.


CAPTAIN'S LOVER AND LITTLE MISS MAGIC WILL RACE IN FRANCE

Team Valor International has finalised plans for its two Grade 1-winning South African fillies Captain's Lover and Little Miss Magic.

Both fillies will be trained to race in France this season. Little Miss Magic, best last year in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein, has been sent to Alain Royer-Dupre. The Chantilly-based trainer sent out South African-bred sprinter Tiza to win Group stakes in France in 2007.

Captain's Lover currently is on the Isle of Mauritius and due to land in France on April 2, when she will join the Chantilly yard of leading French trainer Andre Fabre, with whom Team Valor currently has a juvenile colt bred in Kentucky.

Of the acquisitions from the National Yearling Sale in South Africa, Team Valor International principal Barry Irwin said "We decided on France for a few reasons. Captain's Lover likes a cut in the ground and she figures to get that in France. She is versatile and the French program should suit her. And, of course, there is Andre Fabre. What can one say about him that has not already been said. I would expect her to be ready to race in the autumn.

"Little Miss Magic should be most effective in sprints up to seven-eighths and there is a good program for her in France. Alain Royer-Dupre has already shown what he can do with a South African runner, so he will not have to try to reinvent the wheel."

Irwin expects Little Miss Magic to be ready to race in late spring or early summer, as she has been legged up and acclimated in England by former South African trainer Neil Bruss at his new training center near Lambourn.

Both fillies race for TVI and Anant and Vanashree Singh of Durban, South Africa. The fillies were part of the first of what have since become annual partnerships formed by TVI after they are acquired at public Auction in South Africa.

Team Valor International races and maintains a select breeding operation in France, where it breeds to race and sell. It's most recent star to carry its colors in France was Sweet Stream, a Group 1 winner of the Prix Vermeille and Champion staying filly or mare in England, where last December she was sold at Tattersalls for the U. S. equivalent of more than $2.3 million.

Linngari leaves Brown, back to Sir Michael.....

http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/in...onal/?id=34925


Prince Sultan buys Argentinean star for 2009 DIRC 19 May 2008

Dubai Racing Club

Perfectly will aim to follow in the footsteps of Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil at the 2009 Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Argentine Group 1-placed winner Perfectly has been purchased on behalf of Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud al Kabeer to be aimed at major three-year-olds races in Dubai next year.

The promising two-year-old bay colt was an impressive two-length winner of his debut under the world’s leading rider Jorge Ricardo, before finishing second by a half-length in the Gran Premio Raul y Raul E. Chevallier (Arg-G1) on turf at San Isidro on April 12.

Perfectly raced for Stud Aladino and trainer Roberto Pellegata, who trained the subsequent UAE Derby winners Honour Devil and Asiatic Boy in Argentina.

In other Dubai news Light Green, in action in her native Brazil, will now continue her career in France.

Brazil’s star filly Light Green, who competed twice at this year’s Dubai International Racing Carnival including a fine fourth to Honour Devil in the UAE Derby, has joined Alain de Royer-Dupre’s stable in France.

The three-year-old daughter of Blush Rambler will resume her racing career for owner Eduardo Rocha Azevedo’s Haras Santa Camila.

'Mick Kinane (who rode her in her two UAE starts) thought that she could be competitive in graded stakes events in Europe, especially with the newly upgraded European stakes program for fillies and mares,” said Eduardo Guimaraes, racing manager for owner Haras Santa Camila.

She was a star in her native Brazil, and just a neck shy of sweeping the Sao Paulo Jockey Club's Triple Crown series for three-year-old fillies on the turf when placing second in the Group 1 Grande Premio Diana (Brazilian Oaks) on October 6.

'She came to Dubai and was a bit sick upon arrival with a cold and fever,' recalled Guimaraes.

'It took a while for her to improve and she was not seriously trained before the end of January. We were able to race her back in the Balanchine (her first UAE start) and she got her head in front with 150 meters to go and got tired, she then ran a great race against the colts in the UAE Derby.'

Racecar Rhapsody, now with Herman Brown (South Africa) is pointed to the Russian Derby...

South Central (winner of this years' Norfolk stakes at Royal Ascot) has been sold to race in Hong Kong.

*you'll have to keep an eye out for him, mmsc..... let me know of any name change if possible :)

Thanks for the news and yes... will look around and see if i can find him!

Desert Links to Brown...

http://www.sahorseracing.com/newsview.asp?id=1068

The Russian Derby, RUS-Gr.1, 2400 meters (3yo)

1.Dance Bull (USA) gr/ro. c. 2005
Owners: A. Ermolenko & K. Kuzin

Holy Bull – Dance Dance Dance, by Dance of Life

2. Kanym (IRE) ch. c. 2005
Owner: Jockey Club Racing

Rahy – Gold Sunrise, by Forty Niner

3. Embradora (RUS) ch. f. 2005
Owner: Voskhod Stud

Bor (RUS) – Eskalada (RUS), by Dotsero (USA)

4. The Riddler (IRE) b. c. 2005
Owner: Ramzan Kadyrov

Daylami – Wimple, by Kingmambo

5. Racecar Rhapsody (USA) b. c. 2005
Owner: Ramzan Kadyrov

Tale of the Cat – Reflect the Music, by A.P. Indy

6. Serebryany Bor (USA) gr/ro. c. 2005
Owner: Donskoi Stud

Broad Brush – Stormin Winnie, by Storm Cat

7. Shamsa (USA) ch. f. 2005
Owners: A. Khakhonin & S. Efros

Malibu Moon – Wendy's Daughter, by Halo

8. Monomakh (USA) b. c. 2005
Owner: Donskoi Stud

Mineshaft – Everhope, by Danzig

9. Berezutski (RUS) ch. c. 2005
Owner: M. Nasibov

Montalban (GER) – Slobodka (RUS), by Dotsero (USA)

10. Starka (RUS) b. f. 2005
Owner: Kavkaz Stud

Corvinius (GER) – Strictly Ballroom (GB), by Rambo Dancer (CAN)

11. Dalmar (USA) b. c. 2005
Owner: Ramzan Kadyrov

Lemon Drop Kid – Naughty Natisha , by Known Fact

12. Palander (USA) b. c. 2005
Owner: Volgogradski Stud

Dynaformer – Inventing Paradise, by Mr. Prospector

Monomakh wins, Racecar 4th...

From TT (no author listed)...

Racecar Rhapsody finishes fourth in Russian Derby


Racecar Rhapsody apparently maintained his American form in the Russian Derby on August 16 at the Moscow Hippodrome, finishing fourth in his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Racecar Rhapsody also finished fourth in the Delta Jackpot Stakes (G3), Lane’s End Stakes (G2), and Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G2) for trainer Ken McPeek and owners Jerry Carroll and partners.

The Tale of the Cat colt was sold privately last month, and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was the buyer, according to the South African Web site Gold Circle Pty. The 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) Russian Derby was worth $42,650, according to the Moscow Times.

McPeek and Carroll had said they were not certain who purchased Racecar Rhapsody, and the bloodstock agent who brokered the deal declined to comment.

South African-based trainer Herman Brown told Gold Circle that Racecar Rhapsody would join his barn in Dubai. Brown’s assistant, Terry Fripp, oversaw the colt in Russia, and top South African jockey Andrew Fortune had the mount.

“The dirt track there is apparently quite heavy and Andrew felt that the horse would also be better over nine or ten furlongs,” Brown said.

So is this officially the worst $1 million race of all time now?

Betatron (KY )
Miguel Mena / Thomas Amoss 10/1
2 Golden Yank (KY )
Gerard Melancon / Gary Thomas 8/1
3 Overextended (NY )
Patrick Valenzuela / Doug O'Neill 8/1
4 Z Humor (KY )
Garrett Gomez / William Mott 5/2
5 Cudjo (KY )
Curt Bourque / Mark Shuman 20/1
6 Cave's Valley (FL )
Ramon Dominguez / Michael Trombetta 6/1
7 Racecar Rhapsody (KY )
Robby Albarado / Kenneth McPeek 7/2
8 St. Joe (FL )
Rafael Bejarano / Darrin Miller 5/1
9 Turf War (KY )
Calvin Borel / Mark Casse 15/1
10 Take the Money (KY )
Shaun Bridgmohan / Steven Asmussen 30/1