A performance of rare authority provided the defining moment of Belmont's opening metropolitan meeting of the season as Godspeed swept aside his rivals in Saturday's Wittens Irrigation Plate over 1300m, reports tbwa.net.au. The three-year-old son of Playing God travelled with complete control before Clint Johnston-Porter allowed him to stride clear, easing him down late as he defeated Head And Shoulders by two lengths, with Western Splendour filling third. It was a striking response from the Gangemi Racing colt after an unlucky debut last month, when he covered ground and was caught late by They'reallsisters, and the manner of his breakthrough immediately strengthened plans to aim him towards the Gr2 WA Guineas over 1600m at Ascot in November. "He was massive first-up and did everything but win," Michael Gangemi said. "He tramped wide and was run down late by They'reallsisters. He could run through a brick wall so we left it to Clint today." Godspeed will now be given time away from the stable, with Gangemi keen to see him develop physically before returning for the Perth carnival. "He will go to the paddock now and will continue to grow and strengthen. I can't wait to get him back for the WA Guineas and the carnival." Bred by Mungrup's Gray Williamson, Godspeed was sold to Gangemi Racing for $170,000 at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions and carries a pedigree already rich in Western Australian significance. His sire Playing God won the 2010 Gr2 WA Guineas and stood for Williamson in the Great Southern until 2020, while his dam Cascada was purchased from Gooree Park Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale carrying subsequent Sandown Lakeside winner Warrior Smile. Godspeed is Cascada's final foal and has the opportunity to enhance a family featuring second dam Before Too Long, winner of the Gr2 MVRC Champagne Stakes, and her brother Bon Hoffa, successful in the Gr1 MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. The $500,000 WA Guineas is also on the agenda for another Williamson-bred prospect, Afireofgidgeecoals, who won April's Gr2 Karrakatta Plate for trainer Dan Morton and owner Shane Stafford after being sold through Mungrup for $180,000 at the same Perth sale. Williamson's attention is also turning towards Straight Charge, the Written By stallion preparing to serve his first book at Westbury Park for $6,600, with owner Phil Ibbotson reporting the newcomer handled three recent race-day parades and the stud's open day with considerable composure.
Playing God is the sire of Godspeed (pic: tbwa.net.au)
Kiwi Mega Maiden Series Gets Renewal Green Light
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
A further $1 million in bonuses will be available to eligible horses during the 2026/27 season after New Zealand Bloodstock confirmed the NZB Mega Maiden Series will return for a third year. The programme will comprise 40 non-Saturday maiden races staged from September through to May across New Zealand's Northern, Central Districts and Southern regions, with each event carrying a $25,000 incentive when won by a Karaka Millions-qualified horse aged three or older. Successful owners will collect $20,000 from the bonus, while the winning trainer receives $5,000. Twelve payments were triggered during the 2025/26 series, with Dorothea, Frozen Fortune, Ruby Rush, Aishiteru, Young Jackson, Bolli Belle, Panther, Chilling Out, Khando, Approaching, Princess Elsa and inaugural winner Shameless Star securing rewards across the three regions. The latter provided an early illustration of the programme's value after being deliberately aimed at an eligible Sunday maiden by Peter and Trent Didham. Racing for Exempt Bloodstock Ltd, Chelsea Connections Ltd, Brendon and Debbie Hart, Shameless Star had initially been purchased by Woburn Farm for $14,000 at the National Weanling Sale before being reoffered in Book 2 at Karaka 2024, where Exempt Bloodstock and Peter Didham Racing secured her for $55,000. Trent Didham made no secret of the stable's intentions in the lead-up to her success, saying, "It's great that the race on a Sunday is a Mega Maidens Bonus race, and we'd love to pick up that bonus for the owners." New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has now published the schedule for the coming season, with standard maiden entry and balloting conditions to remain in force. Karaka Millions eligibility will not give any horse preference when fields are assembled, although should a designated bonus race be divided, eligible runners will be placed together in one division and that race will receive priority. Horses qualified for the Karaka Millions Series are identified by the KM logo on the NZTR website, allowing owners and trainers to readily locate suitable opportunities. The initiative again links New Zealand's sales programme with racetrack competition while offering meaningful returns beyond the advertised stake, particularly for horses progressing through the maiden ranks away from Saturday metropolitan fixtures.
Racing Officials Urge Gambling Reform Caution
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
Warnings that excessive gambling restrictions could damage racing, cost livelihoods and drive punters towards illegal offshore operators were delivered to a Senate inquiry on Monday as leading industry figures urged lawmakers to base further reform on evidence and outcomes rather than emotion. Acting Racing NSW chief executive Graeme Hinton, Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison, Racing Australia representative Paul Eriksson and Thoroughbred Breeders Australia chief executive Andrew Hore-Lacy appeared before the inquiry examining the federal government's gambling reform package announced in April. The proposed measures include tighter controls on wagering advertisements, a prohibition during live sport and at sporting venues, stronger enforcement against unlawful gambling providers and enhancements to the BetStop National Self-Exclusion Register. While the legislation preserves provisions for racing-related advertising and content, industry representatives stressed those protections were essential to the sport's financial viability and to preventing further growth in the unregulated black market. Hinton described the bill as the most extensive collection of gambling reforms introduced in Australia, but cautioned against additional measures that could undermine legitimate operators without delivering meaningful benefits to people experiencing gambling harm. "What concerns us though is notwithstanding the protections afforded to racing in this bill, is that any further reduction in advertising or increased regulation could not only destroy the viability of our industry and takeaway livelihoods, it could result in increased harm," he said. Hinton questioned whether some proposed changes were being shaped by the assumption that all gambling was inherently harmful rather than by an assessment of likely consequences, advocating proportionate policies directed towards those genuinely requiring assistance. He noted racing and sports wagering accounted for about 10 per cent of Australia's total gambling expenditure and described betting as a lawful recreational activity enjoyed responsibly by millions each week. Australia's consumer safeguards were already among the strongest internationally and would be further reinforced by the legislation, he said, but compressing the regulated market through taxation and tighter controls risked creating opportunities for illegal operators. Hinton compared that danger with the tobacco excise experience, arguing that high costs and restrictive settings had encouraged consumers to migrate towards illicit markets and produced worse rather than better results. Morrison also sought to clarify the distinction between prohibited inducements and what he termed generosities offered to existing customers, including enhanced odds and money-back promotions. "They are very different – inducements are banned," he said. "Ongoing promotional offers however for existing customers such as money back specials or enhanced odds are legitimate promotional tools that enhance the product offering." Morrison said the consequences of regulatory overreach would be immediate for the hundreds of thousands of participants whose incomes depend on thoroughbred racing, pointing to a 41 per cent decline in wagering advertising in recent years and a 24 per cent fall in industry revenue across the past three. He asked that racing's existing exemption be retained as a workable and proportionate solution. The inquiry also heard confronting evidence from retired rugby league player Luke Bateman, who has spoken publicly about gambling addiction and alleged that gambling company employees had offered to obtain illicit drugs for him at events in an attempt to encourage further betting.
RV CEO Aaron Morrison (pic: idolhorse.com)
RV and Racing SA to Continue Broadcast Deal
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
Long-term broadcast certainty has been secured for South Australian racing after Racing SA and Racing Victoria agreed to extend their media rights partnership for a further four years, keeping the state's meetings on Racing.com until 2030. Under the renewed arrangement, RVL Media will continue to hold the exclusive Australian and international media rights to South Australian racing, preserving the distribution model that has operated since 2017. Meetings will remain available through Racing.com on free-to-air television via Channels 78 and 68, as well as across the network's digital services and licensed live streams carried by wagering providers. South Australian racing will also continue to feature on Sky Racing 1 and Sky Racing 2 through a separate agreement, maintaining its reach into overseas jurisdictions including New Zealand and Hong Kong. The partnership will retain its broader promotional component, with racing content shared between South Australia and Victoria to showcase local horses, participants, clubs and communities, while the dedicated Get On SA program will continue providing a platform for state-based coverage. Racing SA chief executive Nick Bawden said the agreement delivered important stability while ensuring the industry remained visible to a substantial national audience. "Since 2017, Racing.com has helped us showcase not only the quality of our racing, but also the horses, people, clubs and communities that make our South Australian industry unique," Bawden said. He added that the relationship had provided reliable, high-quality coverage throughout the year and created further opportunities to tell South Australian racing stories beyond the state's borders. Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison described the extension as beneficial to both jurisdictions, with South Australian racing now firmly established as part of Racing.com's schedule alongside the network's principal Victorian coverage. Morrison said the renewal reflected confidence in a media operation incorporating Australia's only round-the-clock free-to-air sporting channel and distributing racing content across a wide range of domestic and international platforms. He noted that the arrangement not only introduced South Australian racing to a broad national audience but also ensured Victorian racing was presented every day to viewers within South Australia. The agreement therefore preserves a familiar and extensive broadcast footprint for both states while allowing Racing SA and Racing Victoria to continue developing the profile of their respective industries through shared programming and year-round exposure.
US Initiative to Keep Triple Crown Relevant
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
A bold attempt to retain public interest in America's leading three-year-olds beyond the spring classics will begin in 2027, although the absence of the Preakness Stakes – see below – has already prompted concern over the future shape of the Triple Crown. Churchill Downs Incorporated and the New York Racing Association have joined forces to establish the six-race Thoroughbred Championship Series, offering a $5 million bonus pool and linking major contests at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park and Saratoga through a season-long points structure. The inaugural programme is scheduled to open with the Gr1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 1, followed by the Gr1 Belmont Stakes at the redeveloped Belmont Park on June 5. The Gr3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs will follow in July before the circuit moves to Saratoga for the Gr2 Jim Dandy Stakes and Gr1 Travers Stakes, culminating in a new championship race at Churchill Downs in September. Every leg is expected to carry prizemoney of at least $1 million, while the championship bonus will be distributed among the first eight horses in the final standings. Churchill Downs chief executive Bill Carstanjen described the concept as one of the most important developments in the sport for decades, arguing that modern audiences increasingly expect rivalries, rankings and storylines to develop across an entire season. NYRA president and chief executive David O'Rourke said the spacing of the races should complement contemporary training practices and provide repeated opportunities for the division's best horses to meet. "This format is built on standings, a season-long chase that develops real rivalries and brings a playoff atmosphere to racing, beginning on the first Saturday in May and continuing into the early fall," O'Rourke said. National television coverage will be shared between NBC for the Churchill Downs fixtures and FOX for the NYRA races, with further details surrounding points, eligibility, nominations, sponsorship and prize distribution still to be released. Yet the decision to omit the Preakness creates an immediate complication. Connections pursuing the substantial bonus may be reluctant to contest an additional race only two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, potentially weakening the traditional second leg of the Triple Crown. O'Rourke insisted the new series was not intended to diminish the historic trilogy and suggested the Preakness could eventually be incorporated, although Maryland officials have yet to finalise its 2027 date. Other established contests may also feel the effects, with the July placement of the Matt Winn and Jim Dandy competing against the Gr1 Haskell Stakes, while September's championship finale could draw horses away from the Gr1 Pennsylvania Derby. Series success may require three-year-olds to remain in sustained training from the opening Derby lead-ups early in the year until September, but its architects believe a connected schedule can extend the Derby's enormous reach and maintain attention on the sport's emerging stars long after the first Saturday in May.
Progressive Types Put Spark into New SA Season
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
Fresh promise and several satisfying stable results gave the new South Australian racing season an encouraging beginning at Morphettville Parks, where lightly raced performers Real Deluxe and The Cosmic One emerged among the meeting's most progressive winners. Formerly trained in Western Australia, Real Deluxe continued her revival for Murray Bridge conditioner Nicole Irwin with another decisive display, convincing the trainer that a suitable assignment over Flemington's renowned straight course should now be explored. The mare has responded strongly since crossing the Nullarbor and produced the latest evidence that her best racing may still be ahead, travelling sweetly before showing the acceleration required to put the contest beyond her rivals. Irwin will assess the Victorian programme before committing to a target, but the prospect of testing Real Deluxe in stronger company reflects the confidence generated by her South Australian performances. The Cosmic One supplied another notable result when the Travis Doudle-trained galloper registered his second victory from only three starts, maintaining the impressive beginning to a career that has been carefully managed. His latest success carried greater merit than the bare margin suggested, with the lightly raced gelding displaying composure and determination under pressure before asserting himself late. Doudle believes there is considerable development remaining in the youngster and will resist the temptation to rush him while determining the most suitable route through his next preparation. The stable completed an excellent afternoon with two winners and two third placings, providing an immediate reward for the work undertaken during the winter and underlining the depth presently available within the operation. The opening weekend was not solely about horses with ambitions beyond their current grade, however, as established gallopers and long-serving participants also contributed memorable moments across the state. Racing at Morphettville Parks was conducted on a Soft 6 surface, while the country programme continued at Roxby Downs, ensuring the first Saturday of 2026/27 offered opportunities from Adelaide to the state's far north. That mixture of metropolitan prospects, improving horses and regional competition gave the season an appropriately broad opening, with several winners capable of progressing beyond the races they claimed. Real Deluxe now appears poised for an interstate examination, while The Cosmic One's record of two victories from three appearances leaves Doudle with an appealing prospect whose limits have yet to be exposed. Their performances supplied the clearest glimpse of what may lie ahead, adding an early sense of anticipation to a South Australian campaign only just beginning.
British Racing Upended by Jockey Club Move
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
British racing’s widening governance dispute has entered a more volatile phase after the Jockey Club confirmed it will leave the Racecourse Association at the end of the year and begin forming a breakaway representative body alongside Ascot, according to racingpost.com. The decision follows an RCA review that proposed significant changes to its internal voting structure, but failed to satisfy the Jockey Club’s demand for a stronger and more direct voice in shaping the sport’s future. Under the reforms, voting power would be divided equally between the Jockey Club, Arena Racing Company, the large independent racecourses and smaller independent tracks, while responsibility for appointing two British Horseracing Authority board members would be transferred to representatives independent of the RCA’s board and executive. Jockey Club chief executive Jim Mullen said those measures did not address the central issue of how racecourses collectively exercise their influence through the RCA’s 50 per cent stake in the BHA. “This review has addressed the RCA's internal arrangements, but not the constitutional arrangements through which racecourses collectively exercise their influence over the governance of British racing,” Mullen said. “The RCA’s proposals fail to address our fundamental concern that the RCA can continue to act to stifle the necessary changes needed in the industry.” The Jockey Club, which controls 15 racecourses including Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom, Newmarket and Sandown, believes the industry requires an independent BHA board and substantial changes to the fixture list, arguing that both measures are essential to racing’s long-term health. Mullen said the organisation simply wanted its position to be heard without being diluted by competing blocs within the RCA, but had concluded that remaining inside the existing structure would not deliver that outcome. “We couldn't get it, so we decided we will go alone,” he said. “Ascot is aligned with us and hopefully there are other racecourse groups who feel the same way. If not, we completely respect that.” Work has already begun on the new body, although Mullen described its development as being at an embryonic stage, with the Jockey Club planning discussions with Ascot and other organisations sharing its view that reform must be pursued free from short-term or sectional interests. Ascot had previously announced its intention to leave the RCA, while Plumpton withdrew in 2024, increasing scrutiny on whether the association can continue to speak collectively for Britain’s racecourses. The BHA said it would consult with the racecourses and other constituent groups over future governance proposals, with incoming chair Simon Cox, who formally assumes the position on October 1, set to inherit one of the most delicate political challenges confronting the sport.
Double Japan Act for Lane and Lloyd
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
Australia will have two representatives in one of Japan’s most prestigious international riding contests when Damian Lane and Zac Lloyd compete in the World All-Star Jockeys at Sapporo later this month, reports racing.com. The points-based series, which brings together 14 leading local and overseas riders, will be staged across August 22 and 23 and continues a tradition established by the Japan Racing Association in 1987. Originally conducted at Hanshin during the first weekend of December as the World Super Jockeys Series, the event was moved to Sapporo, transferred to August and renamed in 2015. Lane’s selection reflects his enduring success in Japan, where he has become one of the most familiar and accomplished visiting riders of the modern era. The 32-year-old has only recently returned to Australia following another extended stint there and added further major-race victories to his record during the northern spring. In May, he partnered the Tetsuhide Tsuji-trained Rodeo Drive to a narrow triumph in the Gr1 NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo before guiding Feiern Kranz to victory in the Gr2 Meguro Kinen over 2500m the following month. That success also secured the horse ballot exemption for October’s Gr1 Caulfield Cup. Lane’s Japanese record stretches back to a remarkable 2019 campaign in which he won the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen aboard Lys Gracieux, the Teio Sho on Omega Perfume and the Victoria Mile with Normcore. His association with Japanese runners also produced two of that year’s biggest Australian prizes, with Lys Gracieux carrying him to victory in the Gr1 Cox Plate at The Valley before Mer De Glace landed the Gr1 Caulfield Cup. Lloyd arrives at Sapporo after strengthening his own international credentials during a productive northern hemisphere summer. The Golden Slipper-winning rider recorded seven victories from 35 mounts during a European stint, including a success at Royal Ascot, and also gained experience at South Africa’s celebrated Durban July meeting. His participation in Japan means he will miss the opening Group 1 race of the Australian season, the Winx Stakes at Randwick, but the opportunity fits squarely with his ambition to establish himself on the world stage. “It’s a great honour to be invited to go and ride in Japan. I’ve always taken an interest in Japanese racing, and I even studied Japanese at school. I knew that if I wanted to go and ride in Japan, I need to be able to speak the language,” Lloyd told Racing.com. “My goal is to be an international rider, so it’s good to be dipping my toe into all of these different jurisdictions. Hopefully I can do well in Japan.”
Zac Lloyd will join Lane in Japan (pic: magicmillions.com.au)
Hickmott Claims an Emotional Darwin Cup
Wednesday, 5th August 2026
A victory forged through patience, faith and family emotion gave Michael Hickmott his fourth Darwin Cup when Watadeel swept to a commanding success under former local Zac Spain at Fannie Bay on Monday. Sent out at $16 from barrier seven, the gelding enjoyed a favourable passage in fourth position as Wolfburn dictated a notably subdued tempo through the early stages of the 2050m feature. Spain waited until the field rounded the home turn before easing his mount into clear running, and Watadeel responded strongly, surging past dual defending champion Hadouken near the 200m before drawing away to score by two lengths. Rematch finished powerfully to claim second, with Hadouken holding third after another brave performance, while Hickmott’s more fancied runner Stormageddon could manage only seventh. The result carried particular significance for the Wellington-based trainer, whose first Darwin Cup success aboard Activation in 2009 proved instrumental in establishing his career. Activation was recently put down at the age of about 26, but Hickmott said the presence of his family, including daughter Ella, made Monday’s triumph exceptionally difficult to surpass. “Activation was big for me. We put him to rest a couple of weeks ago, 26 I think he was,” Hickmott said. “But to have my daughter here, 20 years after dad first brought me up here, and to do it with my family here (is special). A lot is going to have to happen to top that, it would have to be a Group 1 for sure.” Confidence in Watadeel had remained firm despite the Bennett Racing-owned galloper finishing eighth in the Chief Minister’s Cup after suffering what Hickmott described as a lower airway complaint. Owner Nathan Bennett had initially suggested abandoning the Cup assignment, but the trainer was convinced the problem could be treated and the horse restored to peak condition. “I said all week, this horse has been forgotten about,” Hickmott said. “Nathan said after his last run, ‘don’t worry about running him in the cup’. I said ‘no, we’ve got him right’. We knew we had to treat him and get him right.” The success also renewed a productive association with Spain, whose first ride for the stable produced victory aboard Lieder in the 2019 Alice Springs Cup. Raised in Darwin before establishing himself in Victoria, Spain has twice celebrated at Group 1 level, yet rated his hometown triumph above those achievements. “To be honest, to me it’s bigger than winning a Group 1, (being) back home,” he said. “To do it in front of the family, and for Michael, there’s no other feeling like it, I think the salute showed that.”
