Wednesday’s racing round-up brings the news of White Birch’s return to action…
John Joseph Murphy's stable star White Birch will have the Tattersalls Gold Cup firmly on his agenda heading into the 2025 flat turf season. The striking grey got the better of multiple Derby hero Auguste Rodin in the contest twelve months ago and will be looking to defend his crown after missing the latter part of last season through injury.
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Frankie Dettori will return to Dubai on World Cup night to partner Doug O'Neill's Raging Torrent in the Godolphin Mile next week.
Dettori, who is also in line to ride Mixto in the Dubai World Cup (Gr.1), will be bidding to give the American-based trainer Doug O'Neill a second successive victory in the contest after he landed the prize twelve months ago with Two Rivers Over.
The Italian star was on board the four-year-old when the pair claimed the Malibu Stakes (Gr.1) over 1400m at Santa Anita on Boxing Day, and O'Neill is looking forward to having him in the saddle once more.
He said: "We circled the Godolphin Mile after the Malibu.
"Having Frankie in the saddle, arguably one of the best of all time, it's a great asset. He knows him well; he's worked him and won on him, so it's definitely a big plus.
"He shipped great, his appetite has been really good, and his energy level is excellent as well according to my staff, so it's so far, so good."
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Kalpana could make her seasonal reappearance in the Middleton Stakes at York in May. The Juddmonte-owned four-year-old rounded off a progressive campaign last year with a commanding success in the British Champions Fillies And Mares Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day, leaving connections reportedly eyeing top prizes such as the Pretty Polly Stakes and Prix Vermeille further down the line.
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Vandeek, who is currently housed at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, will shuttle to Arrowfield Stud in Australia to join their breeding roster for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere season. The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained son of red-hot stallion Havana Grey won all four of his starts as a juvenile, including striking victories in both the Prix Morny at Deauville and the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. A minor setback cut his three-year-old campaign short following third-place finishes in both the Sandy Lane Stakes and July Cup at Newmarket, and he was subsequently retired to stud.
Cheveley Park Stud's managing director Chris Richardson told ANZ News: "Joint owners, KHK Racing and Cheveley Park Stud are delighted Vandeek is to be made available to breeders in the Southern Hemisphere and will be standing at Arrowfield Stud, one of Australia's leading thoroughbred stud farms."
Vandeek will stand for a fee of $22,000 (AU$) (€12,885)
