Sires With Winners - Sunday February 11

The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1881 entries for the 2027 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?

Lee Callaway shared many jockeys’ rooms with Chris Johnson throughout his riding career, so it was only fitting that the Waikouaiti trainer took out the inaugural running of the Chris Johnson Three-Year-Old Sprinters Challenge (1200m) at Riccarton on Wednesday with Doing Time.

The $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) dream is well and truly alive for two big groups of owners following first-start victories by two-year-old fillies at Te Rapa and Tauherenikau last weekend.

Darley shuttler Pinatubo (IRE) will have a great chance in the $1million Group III MRC Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Saturday with 3YO filly Sequinned and overnight in France he added a new stakes-winner to his tally.

Coolmore has announced European stud fees for the 2027 breeding season, led once again by multiple Champion 2YO Sire No Nay Never at €120,000.

Gavelhouse Plus is giving breeders the chance to add a Group One performer to their broodmare band with the auction of multiple black-type placegetter Myakkabelle.

The European sister farm to Yulong, Ace Stud have announced the addition of a new stallion to their Newmarket roster with Zeus Olympios to join Shaquille and Lucky Vega, who is finishing his Australian season in the Hunter Valley after switching from Victoria.

Often considered the pinnacle of racing in Australia, the week-long Flemington carnival draws together four days of outstanding racing with South Australian bred runners playing a strong hand in this year’s results, winning on each of the four days.

There is plenty of hype surrounding promising gelding Thunder In Motion ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, and trainer Mark Forbes is hoping he can deliver in the southern Classic.

For such a contentious topic—particularly for participants in the thoroughbred industry—the wait for updated ATO guidance on whether an activity is a “business” or a “hobby” has certainly been a long one.