A three-month Sydney placement will give New Zealand's champion apprentice Amber Riddell an opportunity to test herself in one of racing's most demanding jurisdictions while deciding whether Australia could become a more permanent base. The 24-year-old has joined the Bjorn Baker stable on loan and arrives with both a premiership title and an unusual depth of racing heritage behind her. Her connection with the Baker family extends well beyond convenience: father Jonathan Riddell was apprenticed to Bjorn Baker's father, Murray, while mother Trina, herself a former jockey and trainer, also worked for the Bakers in New Zealand. Riddell therefore enters the stable with longstanding family ties, but she is under no illusions about the scale of the professional challenge ahead. Speaking to racingnsw.com.au, she said the initial intention was to settle into Sydney racing gradually before attempting to capitalise upon her 3kg metropolitan claim, with a longer stay possible if the experience proves successful. Her arrival follows a breakthrough season in New Zealand in which she rode 80 winners, finished third in the national jockeys' premiership and secured the apprentices' title after an extraordinary workload of 831 rides, more than any other rider in the country. Her first stakes victory also arrived during the campaign aboard Better Shared in the Gore Guineas. The pathway into racing was not entirely conventional despite her family background. Riddell first completed a Sports Science degree before committing fully to an apprenticeship with Kevin Myers, reasoning that the qualification would provide both practical knowledge around fitness and nutrition and an alternative career should riding not work out. Amateur race appearances began in 2022 while she was still studying, but once university was completed the pursuit of a professional riding career accelerated quickly. She is not entirely unfamiliar with Australian conditions, having represented New Zealand in the national apprentice series at Eagle Farm in April, when she also spent time riding trackwork for Kelly Schweida and Tony Gollan. A close second aboard the Ciaron Maher-trained Berezka provided further encouragement and strengthened her desire to return. Leaving New Zealand while riding strongly — she had already accumulated nine winners early in the new season — required sacrificing established opportunities, but Riddell believes exposure to Sydney's deeper riding ranks will improve her craft. With Baker providing an established metropolitan platform and the apprentice allowance creating an obvious point of attraction for owners and trainers, the coming months amount to considerably more than an educational visit. They are an audition for the next phase of a career already progressing with impressive speed.
Star kiwi apprentice Amber Riddell (pic: Racing Queensland)
Peters Investments Reaping Maurice Rewards
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
A productive association with Japanese shuttler Maurice continues to strengthen for Bob and Sandra Peters, whose familiar cerise and white colours are being carried by an increasingly influential group of his progeny in Western Australia. The latest evidence arrived at Belmont when Streamlined resumed with an authoritative two-length victory over 1400m, providing another timely advertisement for the Arrowfield Stud stallion only days before fellow Peters homebred Cosmic Crusader tackled the G1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. Streamlined's performance contained considerably more merit than the bare margin suggests. Caught three wide without cover under William Pike, the four-year-old nevertheless relaxed sufficiently before accelerating away from La Excellence and Acta Non Verba, convincing his rider that there should be further progression available as he works through the grades. According to tbwa.net.au, the result formed the second leg of another successful afternoon for the Peters-Pike-Michael Grantham combination, following Treasured Legacy's breakthrough maiden victory earlier on the programme. Streamlined is bred on a particularly attractive Peters Investments foundation, being by Maurice from the Al Maher mare Silverstream, herself a four-time black-type winner whose finest success came in the G2 Lee-Steere Stakes over 1400m in 2017. The family continues to be developed extensively around Maurice: Silverstream's unraced three-year-old daughter Silverlake, also by the Japanese stallion, recently finished runner-up to stablemate Arcadia Park in a Lark Hill barrier trial, while the mare has a yearling Maurice filly and a current filly foal by Pride Of Dubai. Cosmic Crusader provides the more advanced demonstration of what the mating can produce, having progressed sufficiently to start favourite for the Underwood over 1800m and thereby giving Peters Investments representation at the highest level with another homebred son of Maurice. The Belmont double was initiated by Treasured Legacy, a three-year-old daughter of Ole Kirk and the Dundeel mare Prized Miss, who had been beaten as favourite on debut at Bunbury but overcame traffic problems second-up to break through over 1200m. Pike was held up after straightening before finding a narrow opening approaching the final 150m, where the filly showed enough determination to force her way through despite contact with Cachaca and Unimando. Prized Miss herself won on debut at Bunbury and belongs to the family of G3 Baillieu Handicap winner Irukandji, while her younger stock includes another Ole Kirk filly. Yet the most intriguing thread is the sustained investment in Maurice blood, with Streamlined's latest display suggesting the Peters breeding programme may have uncovered another progressive runner capable of following a path towards far stronger company.
USA's Belmont Reinvented for a New Era
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
More than three years after racing disappeared from one of America's most historic venues, Belmont Park has reopened following a US$555 million transformation designed not simply to rebuild a racecourse but to reconsider how the sport presents itself to a changing audience. The huge old grandstand, synonymous with the sweeping scale of Belmont for generations, has been replaced by a substantially smaller five-storey structure as the New York Racing Association consolidates downstate racing at one modern complex following the closure of Aqueduct. A US$455 million state loan combined with US$100 million from NYRA funded the redevelopment, which has produced rebuilt racing surfaces, expanded public spaces, a larger paddock and facilities intended to operate beyond traditional raceday use. Reporting from opening weekend, theguardian.com framed the redevelopment as a major experiment in whether American racing can trade sheer physical scale for a more flexible, destination-driven model. The new grandstand occupies approximately 300,000 square feet compared with roughly 1.25 million square feet previously, while permanent indoor capacity has been greatly reduced. Larger crowds can nevertheless be accommodated for major occasions through temporary seating and use of the infield, with around 50,000 spectators possible for the Belmont Stakes. The racing infrastructure has also been fundamentally reworked. Alongside the dirt course and two turf tracks sits a new one-mile Tapeta surface intended to facilitate winter racing and allow the former Belmont-Aqueduct calendar to operate from a single location. The first meeting back carried appropriate international theatre, with Japanese superstar Forever Young winning the US$1 million G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup by 3.25 lengths before a sold-out crowd of around 6,000, pushing his earnings beyond US$32 million and providing an immediate showcase for the rebuilt venue. The broader challenge extends far beyond one spectacular afternoon. American racing now competes with casinos, lotteries, mobile wagering and sports betting for both attention and gambling expenditure, while dozens of tracks have closed since the turn of the century. Belmont's answer is to become part sporting venue, part entertainment precinct and part premium hospitality destination, supported by neighbouring UBS Arena and surrounding retail development. The 2026 fall meeting comprises 46 days and 72 stakes worth US$17.7 million, before the Belmont Stakes returns in 2027 and the Breeders' Cup is staged in New York for the first time since 2005. Whether the sleek new Belmont can retain racing's traditional followers while attracting younger patrons remains its defining test, but after 121 years of history the famous Long Island venue has begun perhaps its most ambitious reinvention yet.
Rouget Granted Prized Arc Farewell
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
An unexpected judicial reprieve has created the possibility of a poignant final chapter to Jean-Claude Rouget's extraordinary 48-year training career, with Arrow Eagle now able to represent the French master in the Gr1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on October 4. Rouget's training operation had been scheduled to be wound up before Europe's most celebrated middle-distance contest, but the Commercial Tribunal in Pau has delayed its deliberations until October 6, two days after the Arc, effectively granting the 73-year-old one final opportunity to add another major prize to a record already containing more than 7,000 victories. The timing could hardly be more evocative. As reported by racingpost.com, Arrow Eagle is a half-brother to Rouget's unbeaten 2023 Arc winner Ace Impact and acquitted himself with considerable credit in the race last year, outrunning odds of 105-1 to finish sixth behind Daryz. He subsequently established his own Group 1 credentials by winning the Prix Royal-Oak over an extended 3000m, although bookmakers again regard him as a substantial outsider for the Arc. Rouget's career has encompassed two victories in the Arc, 14 French Classics, successes at Royal Ascot, two Champion Stakes, a Coral-Eclipse and an Irish Champion Stakes, transforming a provincial operation into one of European racing's enduring powerhouses. Recent seasons have been more difficult, with ill health and a significant reduction in stable numbers contributing to the decision to bring the career to an end, while the emotional impact upon both Rouget and his long-serving staff has been increasingly evident. A recent Toulouse victory by Erala left Rouget and jockey Jean-Bernard Eyquem visibly moved, reflecting the approaching conclusion of relationships built across decades. Arrow Eagle's regular partner Cristian Demuro will not be available for the Arc after committing to Japanese-trained Admire Terra, leaving Eyquem and Ioritz Mendizabal among the logical possibilities for the ride. Both have longstanding associations with Rouget and have previously partnered Arrow Eagle, adding another layer of familiarity should either receive the call. Trainer Patrick Olave Valdivieso had been prepared to take over responsibility for Arrow Eagle during the final approach to Longchamp had Rouget's operation been closed as originally expected, but the tribunal's delay has rendered that contingency unnecessary. There is, of course, no guarantee racing will supply the romantic conclusion such a career invites. Yet simply having Arrow Eagle walk into the Longchamp paddock carrying Rouget's name ensures one of France's greatest modern training careers can conclude on a stage commensurate with everything that preceded it.
Blind Raise On Guineas Path
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
Few three-year-olds have advanced their spring credentials quite as efficiently as the New Zealand-bred Blind Raise, whose emphatic Caulfield Guineas Prelude success has confirmed a direct route into next month’s G1 Caulfield Guineas at the same circuit. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding has now won four of his five starts and, importantly for connections contemplating much bigger assignments, continues to demonstrate the tactical versatility to make his own luck near the speed. Speaking to racingnews.co.nz, Busuttin confirmed that the intention had always been to reach the Caulfield Guineas third-up, with Blind Raise’s ability to settle prominently regarded as a significant asset. His spring began with victory in the Listed McKenzie Stakes over 1200m at Sandown before he stepped up again in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, where the performance carried additional merit because of the work required to secure his position early. Busuttin noted the gelding had to exert himself climbing from the 1600m start towards the 1400m before eventually getting across, yet he was still able to put the race away without being subjected to a hard ride late. Pedigree offers further encouragement as the distances increase. Blind Raise is by Rich Hill Stud’s Ace High, winner of the G1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m and G1 VRC Derby over 2500m, while his granddam is the outstanding Seachange, a seven-time Group 1 winner and dual New Zealand Horse of the Year whose brilliance was principally displayed between 1200m and 1600m. That blend of stamina and high-class speed has Busuttin optimistic the gelding possesses rather more versatility than his sire may sometimes be credited with. Bred by The Oaks Stud, Blind Raise was secured by Busuttin Young Racing for NZ$70,000 from the Book 1 draft at Karaka in 2025 and has already earned A$440,475, making him a striking advertisement for finding quality without entering the upper reaches of the yearling market. The G1 Cox Plate at Flemington on October 24 remains among his nominations, although connections are treating that as a possibility rather than an immediate commitment. A strong Caulfield Guineas performance will determine whether that ambitious second target becomes reality, but for now the immediate objective is clear: arrive at Caulfield on October 10 with a lightly raced, progressive three-year-old whose record says he has earned his place among the serious Guineas contenders.
Connections Announce Leica Lucy Retirement
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
One of New Zealand’s most accomplished fillies of recent seasons has run her last race, with connections calling time on Leica Lucy’s career after an unsuccessful attempt to overcome a fetlock problem that compromised her return to competition. Bred by Peter and Heather Crofskey, the daughter of Derryn developed rapidly under New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson, winning six of seven starts during a remarkable three-year-old campaign that culminated in the Gr1 New Zealand Oaks over 2400m. Along the way she assembled an imposing sequence through the G3 Eulogy Stakes, G3 Desert Gold Stakes, G2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic and G2 Lowland Stakes, establishing herself as the dominant staying filly of her generation. A share was subsequently sold to prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir and, following her New Zealand Oaks triumph, Leica Lucy joined Chris Waller in Sydney. As detailed by racing.com, she immediately showed she belonged at the highest level in Australia, finishing fourth in the Gr1 Australian Oaks before returning the following spring to place in the G1 Toorak Handicap and finish runner-up to Pride Of Jenni in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes. Those performances hinted that an Australian Group 1 breakthrough remained within reach, but four unplaced autumn runs were followed by surgery to remove bone chips from a fetlock. Two recent trials failed to provide the response connections had hoped for, with Heather Crofskey observing that the mare was not striding freely and concluding that the operation had not solved the underlying problem. Retirement was therefore chosen rather than asking Leica Lucy to race below the standard she had established. Kheir and his fellow shareholders will retain her for breeding, while the Crofskeys have sold their remaining interest to the ownership group. Home Affairs has already been mentioned as a possible first mating. Leica Lucy retires as a daughter of the Sir Percy mare Dynamite Lucy, herself from a family that includes Gr2 performer Endowment and stakes performer Airlie House, leaving the mare with both an elite racing record and considerable residual broodmare value. For the Crofskeys, however, the significance is more personal than commercial. The New Zealand Oaks remains the defining memory of a campaign in which their homebred filly repeatedly displayed toughness, tractability and a powerful finishing effort, providing them with an experience they had never expected when she first entered Patterson’s stable. Her Australian Group 1 victory may have remained unrealised, but a New Zealand Oaks crown and repeated elite-level performances ensure Leica Lucy leaves racing with her reputation firmly established.
Gr1 Leica Lucy will head the the breeding barn (pic: Race Images Peter Rubery)
Done Warns Betting Shops Could Vanish
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
Britain’s betting-shop landscape could disappear altogether before the end of the decade according to Betfred founder Fred Done, who has issued a stark warning that further increases in gambling taxation may render traditional high-street bookmaking commercially unsustainable. With the UK government reportedly considering a rise in machine games duty from 20 per cent to 40 per cent, Done believes another significant tax increase would accelerate an already pronounced contraction across the retail betting sector and ultimately remove betting shops from British high streets by 2030. His concerns carry immediate practical implications for Betfred, which is already in the process of closing 132 shops following tax changes announced in last year’s budget. According to racingpost.com, Done has calculated that doubling machine games duty to 40 per cent could force the company to close a further 495 branches, with 2,575 jobs lost and approximately £67 million in tax revenue removed from government receipts. He rejects suggestions that bookmakers are exaggerating the potential consequences of further taxation, arguing that the combination of higher duties, salaries and operating costs will make an increasing proportion of the retail estate economically unviable. Done’s broader concern is that the disappearance of licensed betting shops would not eliminate gambling demand but instead encourage some customers to migrate towards unregulated black-market operators, where consumer safeguards, taxation and racing’s Levy contributions would be absent. That outcome would carry obvious ramifications for British racing, which continues to derive significant revenue from regulated betting activity. Betfred’s commercial relationship with the sport is substantial, including sponsorship of all five British Classics, although Done revealed that the uncertainty surrounding future taxation has meant an extension of that arrangement has yet to be agreed. His warning follows similar concerns from Entain chief executive Stella David, whose company owns Ladbrokes and Coral. David has estimated that a doubling of machine games duty could add around £100 million annually to the cost of operating Entain’s betting-shop estate. Modelling commissioned by the Betting & Gaming Council from EY has suggested a 40 per cent duty rate could contribute to as many as 1,470 shop closures and 15,900 job losses across the industry, while potentially producing a net reduction of approximately £120 million in Treasury revenue. Whether those projections ultimately prove accurate will depend on the final tax settings and operators’ responses, but the direction of travel is already clear: Britain’s once-ubiquitous betting-shop network is shrinking, and Done believes a further fiscal squeeze could turn gradual decline into wholesale disappearance within four years.
My Gladiola Bound For Manikato Stakes
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
A breakthrough at racing’s highest level has encouraged connections of My Gladiola to press ahead rather than retreat, with the G1 Manikato Stakes now providing the next important step in a campaign that could ultimately carry the talented sprinter all the way to Royal Ascot. Trainer John McArdle has earmarked Sunday’s 1200m feature for the mare following her G1 Moir Stakes victory at Sandown earlier this month, a success that delivered both McArdle and regular rider Jamie Mott a particularly satisfying elite-level triumph together. My Gladiola had repeatedly advertised Group 1 ability before finally securing the prize, including gallant placings against high-class opposition, and her Moir performance vindicated the faith McArdle and her ownership group had maintained throughout a demanding programme. The latest report from punters.com.au confirms that the Manikato is now the immediate assignment, while Royal Ascot in 2027 remains a genuine longer-term objective rather than merely an attractive possibility. McArdle had already indicated after the Moir that the filly would have several further starts during the spring, followed by a deliberately light Australian autumn before travelling to England if all proceeded as planned. My Gladiola’s G1 success was achieved over 1000m on the Sandown Hillside course when she found the shortest route home and defeated Cavalry Girl and Natural Fling, providing Mott with an emotional victory aboard a horse with whom he has developed a strong association. The jockey had partnered her in 12 of her first 13 starts and described the success as particularly meaningful because of his long-standing relationship with McArdle, who has remained one of his strongest supporters. The Manikato’s rise to 1200m presents a different examination but one her connections have long believed is within her compass, and it offers another opportunity to strengthen a résumé already transformed by the Moir. Royal Ascot is still many months away and will depend upon My Gladiola progressing through the remainder of her Australian programme in suitable order, but the intention is unmistakable. Rather than treating the Moir as the summit, McArdle is using it as the platform from which to explore how far his stable star can travel, both competitively and geographically. A successful Manikato appearance would deepen the case for that international adventure and potentially send one of Australia’s emerging sprint mares towards England with genuine top-level credentials rather than merely ambition.
Beautifully credentialled mare My Gladiola (pic: inglis.com.au)
Correct Choice Back On Track
Tuesday, 22nd September 2026
A disappointing resumption was quickly consigned to history at Belmont when Correct Choice rediscovered his best form to claim the $100,000 TABtouch Stakes over 1600m and raise the possibility of a step into stakes company later in the Perth carnival. Michael Grantham had been left searching for answers after the six-year-old failed to make an impact when sixth behind Too Dardy in the Farnley Stakes over 1400m a fortnight earlier, but punters were prepared to forgive that performance, backing the son of So You Think from $12 into $7.50. Their judgement proved well founded. With Joey Azzopardi reunited with the gelding for the first time in more than two years, Correct Choice travelled substantially more comfortably than he had first-up and was kept within striking distance of outsider Royal Law while Azzopardi waited for an opportunity to move away from the rail. Reporting for thewest.com.au, Hayden King detailed how the rider angled into clear running approaching the home turn before Correct Choice surged to the front near the 200m, setting up a rematch with the in-form Too Dardy. This time the circumstances were markedly different. Too Dardy was burdened with 60kg and met Correct Choice five kilograms worse than in their Farnley Stakes clash, and although he fought strongly through the final stages, Correct Choice retained a short-neck advantage at the line. Liam Peters, representing owners Bob and Sandra Peters, said the performance was much closer to what the stable had anticipated first-up, particularly in the manner in which the gelding travelled through the middle stages rather than coming off the bridle prematurely. The victory has reopened options that appeared less obvious after the Farnley, including a possible elevation to Listed company if he continues to progress. Connections are also interested in eventually stretching him towards 2000m during the carnival, despite much of his earlier racing having been conducted between 1200m and 1400m. Azzopardi was similarly encouraged, believing Correct Choice should continue to improve as distances increase after receiving an economical run and responding strongly once clear. The gelding had previously given the jockey two rides during his maiden three-year-old season, producing a ninth and a third, making Saturday’s success a far more rewarding reunion. Earlier on the card apprentice Jefferson Tsang marked his first Saturday metropolitan programme with victories aboard Dawn Dancer and Let’s Talk, but the feature belonged to Correct Choice, whose immediate rehabilitation suggested the Farnley Stakes may prove an aberration rather than a true reflection of where his preparation is headed.
