Guineas still on Xtravagant's agenda
Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards are putting Xtravagant's defeat on Saturday down to unsuitable track conditions.
"We're just blaming the run on the track at this stage," Autridge said of the Gr.1 Australian Guineas-bound colt.
"The track was called a Dead 6 which is not meant to be too bad but by the middle of the day they were racing on the outside half of the track and he just couldn't get a footing or accelerate and I don't think racing off the fence suited him.
"We'll just run some tests on him over the next few days and make sure that everything's alright.
"If we're very happy with them then at this stage we'd have to consider the same plan which is a race at Te Rapa in four-weeks and if we're happy with how he runs there then he'd still be on his way to Flemington."
American Pharoah named Horse of the Year
Cult racehorse American Pharoah was awarded Eclipse Horse of the Year on Sunday evening at the 45th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony in Florida.
Securing all 261 votes, the champion two and three-year-old joins 1981 Horse of the Year John Henry as the only horses to win unanimously.
The now Coolmore America domiciled stallion won six of his seven starts in 2015, including the Belmont Stakes which made him the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown.
"I am still pinching myself that it all really happened," said owner Ahmed Zayat, who also took home the Outstanding Owner and Breeder awards. "He is a dream come true, and he uplifted the entire industry. He is a gift from God to all of us."
American Pharoah's trainer Bob Baffert picked up his fourth Outstanding Trainer award with only his jockey Victor Espinoza missing out on an award, Outstanding Rider going to national leader Javier Castellano.
Million Field takes shape
The order of entry for Sunday's Karaka Million race at Ellerslie has been confirmed with no further opportunities for contenders to collect prize money.
Manolo Blahniq heads the contenders with $52,000 in stakes while Glass Slipper sits in the final spot having won $9,650 in stakes.
The other runners guaranteed a start are: Tennessee, The Soultaker, Xiong Feng, What Choux Want, Caorunn, Showmeyamoneyhoney, Nova Swiss, Majestic Champion, Sacred Elixir, Ronda, O'Reilly Cyrus and Kingsman.
Withdrawals for the 14-horse race close at 10am on Wednesday. Tesia sits in fifteenth position but is an unlikely starter meaning Nachos would make the field should one for the top fourteen not accept.
Late entries for Thorndon Mile
Dual Group One winner Julinsky Prince and Group One performer Sports Illustrated look set to be supplemented for the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham on Saturday.
The Fraser Auret-trained Windsor Park Plate and Captain Cook Stakes winner Julinsky Prince will be ridden by Johnathon Parkes, while Opie Bosson will ride Sports Illustrated for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Awapuni hoop Darryl Bradley will ride the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Soriano, who ran second to Puccini in last year's Thorndon Mile.
Last-start Gr.1 Zabeel Classic winner Kawi heads the TAB's fixed-odds market at $2.80 ahead of Stolen Dance at $4.
Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards are putting Xtravagant's defeat on Saturday down to unsuitable track conditions.
"We're just blaming the run on the track at this stage," Autridge said of the Gr.1 Australian Guineas-bound colt.
"The track was called a Dead 6 which is not meant to be too bad but by the middle of the day they were racing on the outside half of the track and he just couldn't get a footing or accelerate and I don't think racing off the fence suited him.
"We'll just run some tests on him over the next few days and make sure that everything's alright.
"If we're very happy with them then at this stage we'd have to consider the same plan which is a race at Te Rapa in four-weeks and if we're happy with how he runs there then he'd still be on his way to Flemington."
American Pharoah named Horse of the Year
Cult racehorse American Pharoah was awarded Eclipse Horse of the Year on Sunday evening at the 45th Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony in Florida.
Securing all 261 votes, the champion two and three-year-old joins 1981 Horse of the Year John Henry as the only horses to win unanimously.
The now Coolmore America domiciled stallion won six of his seven starts in 2015, including the Belmont Stakes which made him the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown.
"I am still pinching myself that it all really happened," said owner Ahmed Zayat, who also took home the Outstanding Owner and Breeder awards. "He is a dream come true, and he uplifted the entire industry. He is a gift from God to all of us."
American Pharoah's trainer Bob Baffert picked up his fourth Outstanding Trainer award with only his jockey Victor Espinoza missing out on an award, Outstanding Rider going to national leader Javier Castellano.
Million Field takes shape
The order of entry for Sunday's Karaka Million race at Ellerslie has been confirmed with no further opportunities for contenders to collect prize money.
Manolo Blahniq heads the contenders with $52,000 in stakes while Glass Slipper sits in the final spot having won $9,650 in stakes.
The other runners guaranteed a start are: Tennessee, The Soultaker, Xiong Feng, What Choux Want, Caorunn, Showmeyamoneyhoney, Nova Swiss, Majestic Champion, Sacred Elixir, Ronda, O'Reilly Cyrus and Kingsman.
Withdrawals for the 14-horse race close at 10am on Wednesday. Tesia sits in fifteenth position but is an unlikely starter meaning Nachos would make the field should one for the top fourteen not accept.
Late entries for Thorndon Mile
Dual Group One winner Julinsky Prince and Group One performer Sports Illustrated look set to be supplemented for the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham on Saturday.
The Fraser Auret-trained Windsor Park Plate and Captain Cook Stakes winner Julinsky Prince will be ridden by Johnathon Parkes, while Opie Bosson will ride Sports Illustrated for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
Awapuni hoop Darryl Bradley will ride the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Soriano, who ran second to Puccini in last year's Thorndon Mile.
Last-start Gr.1 Zabeel Classic winner Kawi heads the TAB's fixed-odds market at $2.80 ahead of Stolen Dance at $4.