In a season where new benchmarks seemed inevitable, the record-breaking Ka Ying Rising has been crowned Timeform’s Horse of the Year for 2025, reports racingnews.hkjc.com. Under the guidance of David Hayes, last year’s Hong Kong Horse of the Year added Timeform’s Champion Sprinter title to an already dazzling CV. This New Zealand-bred phenomenon has amassed HK$122.57 million and boasts a remarkable 17 wins from 19 career starts, 16 of those in succession – a sequence that matches the legendary Golden Sixty and sits just one shy of Silent Witness’ all-time Hong Kong record. According to Timeform, Ka Ying Rising produced five performances rated 130 or higher during the season, headlined by a run of five Group 1 victories and two Group 2 triumphs. His unbeaten stretch of 16 straight wins will be put to the test again in the HK$13 million Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on 25 January. David Hayes has made no secret of his admiration for the gelding’s rare blend of high cruising speed and relentless finishing power, saying, “He’s the best horse I’ve trained and he’ll be the best horse I’ve seen if he keeps going the way he is.” It was a year studded with milestones: Ka Ying Rising’s HK$3.72 million Class 1 Chief Executive’s Cup victory at Sha Tin, under regular pilot Zac Purton, earned a Timeform rating of 135, unmatched by any other Hong Kong performance in 2025. The campaign included an extraordinary international raid, with Ka Ying Rising not only conceding significant weight to his rivals in Hong Kong, but then becoming the first overseas horse to capture the world’s richest turf sprint, the $20 million The Everest at Royal Randwick in Sydney (see below). His exploits also saw him eclipse a 17-year Sha Tin track record, lowering the 1200-metre turf mark to 1:07.43 before later improving to a sensational 1:07.20 in his first 2025 triumph – the Centenary Sprint Cup, launching a sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series. By the close of his five-year-old season, Ka Ying Rising had secured the Speed Series and the HK$5 million bonus, alongside wins in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup and the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, completing an unbeaten Hong Kong campaign for 2024/25. Only a select group, comprising Mr Vitality, Grand Delight, Silent Witness, and Lucky Sweynesse, have previously achieved the Speed Series treble. Elsewhere on the Timeform honours list, Calandagan was named Champion Middle-Distance performer (133), Field Of Gold took Champion Miler (127), Minnie Hauk was recognised as Champion Filly/Mare (127), and Trawlerman was named Champion Stayer (127). Timeform, established in 1948 by Phil Bull in Halifax, England, remains a highly respected voice in international racing analytics.
Dubawi Selected for First Via Sistina Mating
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Following confirmation on Sunday by owner Yulong and trainer Chris Waller that 12‑time Group 1 star and reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) has been retired, racing.com has revealed her first mating will be to Darley Stud superstar stallion Dubai. The reasons for his selection are plentiful. One of them, no doubt, is his age – he was born in 2002 – and the reality that she may not get too many opportunities to be bred to him. A dual Cox Plate heroine and now one of the most significant racemares seen in Australia, Via Sistina’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable racing era. For those less immersed in the world of thoroughbred breeding, Dubawi’s reputation as a stallion stands tall among the international elite – a status earned through sustained brilliance both on the track and at stud. Bred in Ireland in 2002, Dubawi is by legendary Dubai Millennium out of distinguished mare Zomaradah. He wasted no time impressing, making his winning debut over 1200 metres at Goodwood in 2004, before quickly notching his first Group 1 win in the National Stakes. As a three-year-old, Dubawi added further lustre with victories in the Irish 2000 Guineas and Prix Jacques le Marois, ultimately finishing his racing days with five wins, including three at the top level, from eight starts, and with a Timeform rating of 129. His final race came with a runner-up effort to Starcraft in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Since retiring to Dalham Hall at Darley in 2006, Dubawi’s influence has only grown. Originally standing at £25,000, his service fee now commands £350,000 – a reflection of his extraordinary global impact. Over two decades, he has produced a staggering 1,390 winners from 1,843 runners, with his progeny accumulating more than $391 million in earnings. His legacy includes 316 stakes winners and 148 stakes placegetters, with a remarkable 63 at Group/Grade 1 level across Europe, America, Asia and Australia. Dubawi’s impact in the southern hemisphere is substantial. Notable Australian and New Zealand progeny include Srikandi, Secret Admirer, Tiger Tees, Shamal Wind, Happy Archer, and Willow Magic. Other homegrown talents – Ball Of Muscle, Catkins, Jungle Edge, and Arabian Gold—have added further gloss to his reputation. As a sire of sires, Dubawi’s reach is now generational. Night Of Thunder, Makfi, Poet’s Voice, Ghaiyyath, and Too Darn Hot have all made significant marks in Australia and New Zealand, with their own Group 1 winners and emerging stars, such as Broadsiding and Observer. As Via Sistina returns to the UK for her new role as a broodmare, the decision to send her to Dubawi underlines Yulong’s ambition and the ongoing quest to blend the world’s finest bloodlines. It’s a union of two global greats, each leaving an indelible mark on the modern thoroughbred with the potential to produce an exceptional foal together. Below is a collection of Via Sistina's dozen Group 1 triumphs, headed by her incomparable Cox Plate success in 2024.
Snitzel’s Industry Influence Continues in Spades
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Nearly seven months since his passing, Arrowfield Stud’s multiple champion sire Snitzel’s enduring influence continues to shape the Australian thoroughbred landscape – his legacy visible both in the sales ring and on the track. That legacy was underlined in emphatic fashion at the Gold Coast when his progressive 4YO daughter Snitzanova surged to victory in the $1 million Subzero on Magic Millions Raceday, handling her first test over 2200 metres with a powerful finishing effort. The race was not without its drama: Private Legacy and rider Jason Collett came down heavily, but both fortunately escaped without serious injury. For Snitzel, the triumph capped a remarkable week. Just a day earlier, he topped the Magic Millions Book 1 Sires’ table by aggregate, with 29 yearlings from his penultimate crop selling for a combined $19.98 million and averaging $688,966 each. His name adorned six of the sale’s fifteen lots to crack the $1 million mark, more than any other stallion and a personal best for Snitzel at Magic Millions. The $1.6 million filly from Madame Andree, knocked down to Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the Arrowfield draft, set a new high as the top-priced filly of the sale. Snitzanova’s share of the Subzero purse, meanwhile – worth $572,100 – propelled Snitzel to the top of the current Australian General Sires’ Premiership, with earnings of $12.2 million and seven stakes-winners this season. Fellow Arrowfield stallion The Autumn Sun, alongside Fastnet Rock, Zoustar, and Per Incanto, round out the upper echelon, each surpassing $10 million in prizemoney. Bred by Pacific King Pty Ltd from the Galileo mare Albanilla, Snitzanova hails from a line steeped in European class, counting champions like Alborada, Alpinista, and Albanova among her extended family. She was reared at Arrowfield and secured by Bennett Racing for $200,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions, the same sale that produced Moir Stakes winner Baraqiel. As the 2025/26 season reaches its midpoint, Snitzel’s remarkable career shows no sign of fading. Indeed, the current reigning Australian Black Type Stallion Premiership Champion (for the 2024-25 season) is currently again the leading sire on the industry’s alternative points-based (from stakes races) ladder.
Super-sire Snitzel is leading across a plethora of categories (pic: Arrowfield Stud)
Richardson/Norvall Ebullient Ahead of Saturday
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Optimism abounds at the Matamata stable of Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall after an eye-catching exhibition gallop at Te Rapa on Friday left both trainers satisfied with the progress of Lollapalooza and Fleeting Star ahead of Saturday’s Listed TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). According to NZ Racing Desk, the stablemates impressed as they breezed through 1000m in 1:01.56 on a newly upgraded soft 6 surface, closing off the final 600m in 34.98 with something in hand. Richardson felt the workout confirmed both fillies are right where they need to be ahead of their Ellerslie assignment. “It was very good work and confirmed that they’re on target for Ellerslie,” he said. “They’re both really fit, but I guess they need to be for what’s coming up.” Lollapalooza, back for her first start since running second to Well Written in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas, continued her strong summer form when again filling the runner-up spot behind Tellum in the Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. “She has put together a very good record in all the big races but she’s still learning, so she’ll be wearing vizor blinkers on Saturday,” Richardson added. Fleeting Star, meanwhile, underlined her credentials with a decisive maiden win at Ellerslie in December before sticking on gamely for third behind Tellum and Lollapalooza in the Eight Carat Classic. “We’ve always rated Fleeting Star and just lately she has really come to it. Blinkers have worked well for her and she’ll have them on again,” Richardson noted. With Opie Bosson, who rode her last start, committed to He Who Dares, star Queensland jockey Angela Jones has been engaged for the ride, having already impressed with her first Ellerslie appearance on New Year’s Day. “We’re lucky to be able to engage Angela for such a big race, and Vinnie (Colgan) will stay with Lollapalooza.” The fixed odds market is headed by unbeaten Well Written at $1.50, with Lollapalooza rated an $11 chance and Fleeting Star longer at $31. Beyond the headline act, the stable is hoping for a Karaka Millions 2YO start for State The Obvious, who sits 17th in the order of entry with $11,285 – three spots outside the 14-horse cut. “She’s a smart filly, so we’ve kept her up to the mark in the hope that she makes the cut,” Richardson said. “It won’t be the end of the world if she doesn’t, but if things were to work out in her favour we would be keen to see her run.”
Flemington Carnival Economic Benefit Surges
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
A record-breaking economic windfall has been confirmed for Victoria, with the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Carnival delivering a Gross Economic Benefit of $533 million – an all-time high and a six percent increase on the previous year’s figures. The iconic Carnival, which remains the centrepiece of Victoria’s major events calendar, has once again proven its immense value not just to the thoroughbred racing sector, but to the broader state and national economy. 2025’s Uplift was fuelled by rising attendance and engagement across the board, notably with Lexus Melbourne Cup Day alone driving $848 million in national economic activity, another six percent jump year-on-year, according to independent analysis by both IER and Quantum. In total, 71,690 visitors made their way to Victoria specifically for the event, the highest number recorded since 2017, underscoring the Carnival’s ongoing drawing power both domestically and abroad. Interstate and international participation soared to new heights. New South Wales visitors reached 40,272, the largest influx in six years and just shy of the 2019 record. New Zealand contributed 12,375 attendees, a level unseen for fifteen years, while Melbourne played host to racing fans from 37 different nations, marking the most diverse international audience since 2014. The visitor boom translated to robust economic gains in numerous sectors. Accommodation revenue topped $46.6 million from 248,500 commercial bed nights, while food and beverage takings reached $35.9 million. Fashion, grooming, and retail spending amounted to $63.4 million, driven by more than 343,000 fashion transactions in Victoria alone. Crucially, it’s estimated that 81 cents of every dollar spent by Melbourne Cup Carnival visitors benefits the wider Victorian economy, further cementing the event’s status as a statewide economic engine. Lexus Melbourne Cup Day’s influence extended far beyond Flemington, with a record 7.4 million Australians – more than a third of the adult population – engaging with the event in some way, whether by attending, watching, listening, or celebrating. In total, 11.7 million people across the country marked Melbourne Cup Day in 2025, highlighting the event’s position as both a sporting and cultural touchstone. Notably, the 18 to 29-year-old demographic showed dramatic growth for the third consecutive year, with 68,288 attending across the Carnival week – a 24.8 percent jump since 2023 and a 49.5 percent surge since 2019, reaching levels not seen since 2015. This uptick speaks to the Carnival’s evolving appeal and its continued resonance with younger audiences. VRC CEO Kylie Rogers said, “These figures confirm the Melbourne Cup Carnival's position as one of Victoria's most valuable major events. A $533 million economic impact, our highest on record, demonstrates the Carnival's vital contribution to the state's economy.” Rogers also emphasised the event’s capacity to bring people together across Australia and the globe, generating significant commercial returns while transcending racing itself. VRC Chairman Neil Wilson echoed these sentiments, calling the Carnival “one of Australia’s premier major events,” and attributing its success to strategic focus and strong government and industry support. For Racing Minister Anthony Carbines, the $533 million economic contribution “highlights the strength and global standing of Victoria’s thoroughbred sector.” Meanwhile, Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos added, “These record results highlight the Melbourne Cup's ability to attract visitors from interstate and overseas, drive tourism and showcase Victoria on the world stage.” Watch the full suite of Melbourne Carnival Group 1 events below.
MMGC Book 2 Rockets Past 2025 KPIs
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Momentum built steadily through the final day of Book Two at Magic Millions, with over $9.2 million changing hands as 179 yearlings went through the ring. The average price per lot reached $51,466 (up 13% vs 2025), the median price reached $52,500 (up 18% vs 2025) and the clearance rate topped 84 percent, capping off an intense week of trading on the Gold Coast. Combined results from Book One and Book Two showed more than $212.8 million in gross sales, with 932 lots averaging just over $228,000 apiece. It marked a robust conclusion to one of the biggest weeks on the Australasian yearling calendar. Reflecting on the session, Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch felt the single-day format for Book Two had proved a resounding success. “I thought today for Book Two was a really solid day. The one-day format worked very well,” he said. “The vendors received it well. They all had their horses in to parade on Friday and Saturday and also this morning [Sunday].” Buyers and sellers alike noted the lively energy around the complex, with new faces among the crowd and a strong sense of support for the catalogue on offer. “The vibe and the new faces on the results sheet across the day was great – a new influx of buyers and they really supported the sale,” Bowditch observed. “The numbers today were great. We've got a gross over $9.2 million and a clearance over 84 percent.” Fewer horses catalogued this year did nothing to dampen the mood, and if anything, sharpened competition and helped the format deliver a strong result. “To have 140 less horses and have a really healthy and solid day, it's turned out a good format. It was really solid and ends the sale well,” Bowditch said. The broader Magic Millions carnival earned plenty of plaudits, with Bowditch declaring it “the most incredible carnival,” highlighting the vibrant atmosphere from the Gold Raceday and Polo, to the Barrier Draw and signature raceday itself. He also paid tribute to his staff whose input was invaluable at such a large and lengthy event: “My team at Magic Millions have worked tirelessly and helped deliver the most remarkable event – I am so proud of them all.”
Ottebre Play Snares Magics Book 2 Blueblood
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Sometimes it takes patience and a touch of nerve to secure the standout lot on a major sale day, and that was precisely the approach that paid off for Cape Schanck Stud on Sunday. The well-regarded Victorian operation, managed by the Ottobre family, landed the top seller of the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale’s Book Two session with their successful bid of $270,000 for a filly by Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa. Offered as Lot 1113 by Yulong, the filly immediately drew attention thanks to both her physique and her pedigree. Not only is she by a stallion who himself was sourced from this very sale ring, but her dam is a winning full sister to Extreme Choice – a name that now resonates in the breeding world as one of Australia’s hottest sires and a fellow Blue Diamond and Moir Stakes winner. Extreme Choice’s influence was felt earlier in the week when one of his fillies from Kingstar Farm fetched $2 million in Book One. For Tony Ottobre, whose Jenni-branded runners have become a familiar sight at the top level, most notably with the dashing Pride of Jenni, securing the Tagaloa filly felt like smart business. “I was after some value,” Ottobre reflected after the purchase, “but obviously the other guys were on her as well. She’s a nice filly and I thought she was a strong enough horse to bid that high. I paid a fair price for her.” Meanwhile, local trainer Jay Bellamy also managed to strike late in the session, going to $200,000 for the full sister to last year’s Magic Millions National 2YO Classic winner Isti Star. The filly, catalogued as Lot 1077 and consigned by Yarramalong Park, is out of a Redoute’s Choice half-sister to Group 1 winner Rewaaya. Bellamy summed up the challenge succinctly: “It’s tougher for us little fellas, but we got lucky today and got one. That was our last bid, so we were lucky.”
Extreme Choice is a full-brother to the dam of the Tagaloa colt (pic: Mark Gatt)
Minervi Confident Ahead of Port Macquarie
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
There is a sense of purpose about the way preparations have come together for Newcastle trainer Mark Minervi’s team ahead of Friday’s Port Macquarie fixture, with several runners arriving at the meeting off carefully managed programs and strong recent work, reports racingnsw.com.au. The feature sprint headlines a day where opportunity presents itself more than once for a stable enjoying a productive run of form. Tickle Me Pink is set to contest the afternoon’s main event, the $65,000 Panthers Port Macquarie Queen of the North (1200m), marking a return for the Vancouver mare who has been seen only six times but already owns two wins and two placings. She resumes after a close-up third at Newcastle in August, and her trainer has been pleased with the way she has progressed through two gentle barrier trials. “She is a tough mare who loves her racing,” Mark Minervini said. “She wasn’t knocked about but is ready to go at Port Macquarie.” Eyes are also on the Provincial-Midway Championships later in the season, but Friday’s assignment is viewed as an ideal launching pad. “Luke Rolls has won on her twice and knows her well, so he’ll be riding her at Port,” Minervini revealed. In the Panthers Port Macquarie AFL Magpies Maiden Plate (1200m), unraced Graffiq Valley will step out for the first time. The Graff gelding has turned heads in his trials, flashing home from last to win his latest hit-out. “Christian Reith rode him and was very bullish about his future when he jumped off,” Minervini noted. The half-brother to Quick Tempo could be one to watch over time. Rose of Dubai, meanwhile, lines up in the Panthers Port Macquarie Sharks Rugby League Club Class 1 Handicap (1200m) after an uncharacteristic performance last start, prompting a change in routine. “We’ve taken her to the beach and that seems to have sharpened her up; she is in good order for Friday,” said Minervini. Castelle tackles the Panthers Group 3 Junior Rugby League Maiden Plate (1500m) following a much-improved effort at Taree, while Pratt brings speed and recent trial success to the Tapp Bar-Panthers Benchmark 66 Handicap (1100m). With five live chances, the stable is entitled to be bubbling with expectation.
Yarradale-Amelia Park Alliance on Point
Tuesday, 20th January 2026
Partnerships in racing often hinge on timing and trust, and the alliance between Yarradale Stud and Amelia Park is delivering in spades this season, according to tbwa.net.au. Their latest venture, a Pinatubo filly bought on Day 3 of the Gold Coast Magic Millions for $200,000, arrived with a wave of optimism – and the racing gods seemed to be smiling. Just hours after the hammer fell, her elder half-brother Hubble’s Dragon posted an impressive maiden win at Pinjarra, a result that only heightened expectations for what’s to come. Yarradale’s move into the major yearling market this year was deliberate, with owner Lyn Sayers and stud manager Davy Hanratty signaling their intent to remain active through the autumn, including at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The Pinatubo–Longduan filly first caught the Hanrattys’ attention last month in the Hunter Valley, where Segenhoe Stud was preparing her on behalf of Amelia Park. “We both fell in love with her straightaway,” Hanratty recalled. “She’s a beautiful walking filly and presented perfectly in the sale-ring.” The subsequent win by Hubble’s Dragon later that same day only reinforced their sense of timing. “Then to have Hubble’s Dragon win his maiden like a very promising horse four hours later was a bonus.” The Pinjarra meeting proved fruitful for Yarradale bloodlines beyond Hubble’s Dragon. Mistress Of War, a six-year-old mare by War Chant, also saluted for the stud in the Peter McKean Handicap over 1700 metres, continuing a strong run of results that recently included victories for Playing God progeny Parish Prince and Vatican Storm. Hanratty was quick to emphasise the importance of the collaboration with Amelia Park’s Peter Walsh. “Peter is a Group 1 breeder and he kept a share in the Pinatubo filly,” he noted. “We’re also partners in Toropa, who won her first five at Belmont and the Jungle Dawn at Ascot last month.” Toropa, a Toronado mare bred and sold by Amelia Park for $230,000 at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions, has now earned $354,000 on the track, with considerable residual value still to come for Walsh and his partners, including Brian Bradley, John Cipriani, Lyn Sayers, Dave Harris, Bill Willcox, Jeff Mouritz, Mark Wilson, and David Ryan.
The Pinatubo-Longduan filly was consigned (as agent) by Segenhoe (pic: magicmillions.com.au)
