There have been plenty of amazing and unique circumstances which have led to that so called sliding door moment where a person suddenly finds themselves as the owner of a racehorse.

A facile winner at his career debut at Canberra over three weeks back, Aquis Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Not A Single Doubt colt Farnan will head to the Gold Coast with a favourites chance following a dominant performance in Thursday’s $200,000 Magic Millions Wyong 2yo Classic (1100m).

With a prize of $500,000 Saturday’s Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick will provide connections of the winner an early Christmas present but it will have extra meaning for those in the ownership of Encountabull.

Last seen winning the Listed ATC Sir Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick in late October, the Mark Newnham trained three year-old Diamond Thunder booked his ticket to Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast with a brilliant win in the $100,000 Magic Millions Wyong Stakes on Thursday.

A respected pedigree analysis tool for thoroughbred industry professionals for the past 15 years, G1 Goldmine has been upgraded and enhanced under new Managing Director Matthew Ennis.

Exciting three-year-old Scorpz will be tested over 2000m for the first time at Ellerslie on Sunday in preparation for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) in February.

An “extraordinarily strong’’ Premier Yearling Sale catalogue featuring siblings to the likes of Mystic Journey, Extra Brut and Oohood is now available online.

Some new names are set to be added to the points table for the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series after Saturday’s third leg, the $70,000 Group Three LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni.

Progressive Deep Field colt Scorpius posted his second win from just four starts when surging away to win as he pleased at Sandown on Wednesday.

The three year-old half-sister by Pierro to brilliant multiple Group II winning mare Mizzy opened her account in New Zealand on Wednesday with a commanding victory.

Our ‘Nicks that Click’ stories are some of the most popular on Breednet so we thought in the lead up to Magic Millions and before the majority of yearling images are uploaded we’d assess the pedigrees and see what jumps off the page as a horse we just can’t wait to see!

Following on from a hugely successful fundraising campaign throughout November, Triple Crown are now offering the chance to secure some priceless racing memorabilia, with all proceeds going towards our charity fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation.

It was an action packed juvenile maiden at Rosehill on Wednesday with race favourite Blondeau appearing set for victory before Star Witness colt Aim unleashed a sizzling burst to claim an eye-catching debut victory.

Keeneland has cataloged 1,827 horses for its 62nd January Horses of All Ages Sale, which will cover five sessions from Jan. 13-17. January Sale catalogs are available online at Keeneland.com. Print catalogs are scheduled to be delivered around Dec. 20.

Our ‘Nicks that Click’ stories are some of the most popular on Breednet so we thought in the lead up to Magic Millions and before the majority of yearling images are uploaded we’d assess the pedigrees and see what jumps off the page as a horse we just can’t wait to see!

When we uploaded this foal to our gallery this morning and released the picture to our Facebook account there was intense interest in this most striking youngster so we thought a follow up story was warranted.

Dawson Stud graduate This’ll Testya provided an early update for the 2020 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale with a breath-taking victory at Ascot on Saturday.

Our ‘Nicks that Click’ stories are some of the most popular on Breednet so we thought in the lead up to Magic Millions and before the majority of yearling images are uploaded we’d assess the pedigrees and see what jumps off the page as a horse we just can’t wait to see!

The sale of star mare Consensus (NZ) (Postponed) on gavelhouse.com has set an Australasian online auction record of $622,500 to the bid of Yulong Investments on Monday night.

The final Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association classes of the year were held at the Chatham Park Summer Classic in Sydney last weekend at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre with strong fields in all classes which were dominated by outstanding young rider Charly Robinson and her 12 year old mare Pure Obsession.

The sad loss of Yarraman Park's much loved sire Hinchinbrook was highlighted yet again at Sha Tin on Sunday when his quality sprinter Beat the Clock led home an Aussie bred first four in the Group I HK International Sprint.

New Zealand-bred gelding Gunga Din (NZ) (ShamExpress) relished a hot race tempo at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday to street his Highway Handicap rivals and pull off another training coup for veteran Canberra trainer Keith Dryden.

Wyndspelle’s (NZ) breakthrough Group One win topped off a big day at Trentham on Saturday for Haunui Farm.

Boutique South Coast based thoroughbred operation Bell View Park has a new manager with accomplished horse woman Mikayla Jeffcoat taking up the role.

Karaka 2020 will see buyers flock to New Zealand from all around the world, lured by a compelling record of graduate success.

For the fourth year in a row and the fifth time in the last six years, the HK$20 million Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) has been won by a Karaka graduate.

Outstanding Premier Yearling Sale graduate Beat The Clock claimed his third G1 success of the year in today’s Hong Kong Sprint, in a race where the first six horses over the line were Inglis graduates.

The Mitchell family are pleased to announce that Matt Scown will be returning to Yarraman Park to join the management team in 2020.

The Japanese sent a strong contingent for this year’s International Race Day at Sha Tin and they carried of three of the four Group 1 races with Win Bright (JPN) putting the stamp on a great day when he edged the valiant Magic Wand (IRE) by a short-head in the days feature, the Group 1 The Longines Hong Kong Cup.

It’s been some day for the Japanese stallion Daiwa Major (Sunday Silence) whose 2-year-old daughter Resistencia (JPN) assured her place as the champion filly in Japan with a record-breaking win in the Group 1 Hanshin Fillies Stakes shortly before his 3-year-old son Admire Mars (JPN) dominated the finish of the Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.

It’s the Joao Moreira show at Sha Tin as the ‘magic man’ added the Group 1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint to his victory in the HK Vase as the John Size-trained Beat The Clock earned his third win at the highest level.

The Japanese drew first blood on Hong Kong International Race Day filling three of the first four places in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.  

Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson admits he still hasn’t worked out whether enigmatic three-year-old Mascarpone has a sprinting or staying future ahead of him, but what he does know is that he has an exciting prospect on his hands whichever way the cards fall.

A quality catalogue had drawn the who’s who of international breeding to a Christmassy Deauville for the Breeding Stock Sale, and that winning combination resulted in a very strong set of figures. Last year’s record-breaking turnover was surpassed, with the 163 filles, mares and foals on offer grossing €22,997,000 and the clearance rate took a 4 point leap for 82%. Only the averag

Retired Touchstone Farm stallion Planet Five (USA) was represented by his first stakes-winner at Ascot on Saturday when the Anne King-trained gelding The Celt scored an overdue black-type win in the Group III A J Scahill Stakes (1400m).

Neville Parnham trained Playing God to win the Kingston Town Classic in 2010 and 2011 so it was fitting he would have the honour of training Playing God’s first Group 1 winner and it just happened to come in the 2019 edition of the final Group 1 of the year.

Lightly raced So You Think  mare Beautiful Mind scored a career best win in the Listed WATC Jungle Dawn Classic at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Winner of the Group III BRC Fred Best Classic at three, talented six year-old Nicconi gelding Niccanova recaptured top form when winning the Listed BRC Brisbane Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.

Sunshine Coast trainer David Vandyke had a good day at the office at Doomben on Saturday, winning the opening race with the debutant Red Stiletto before closing out the programme with a maiden stake success with the 4-year-old Spirit Of Boom mare Frangipani Moon in the Listed Just Now Stakes (1350m).

A perennial bridesmaid at the highest level, consistent galloper Wyndspelle finally cracked a maiden Group One triumph when he took out the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) in fine style at Trentham.

The only filly in the race, the Doug Harrison-trained Sanabreanna achieved more than her sire and dam combined when she came from the tail of the field to run down the favourite Massimo in Saturday’s Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic at Ascot.

Race favourite Riodini provided another example of his burgeoning talent when he comfortably accounted for his three-year-old rivals in the Group III Mitchell Family Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.

Lightly raced 6-year-old gelding Spurcraft hasn’t been off the board in 14 starts and his consistency paid off with a well-deserved maiden black-type success in Saturday’s Listed Bribie Handicap (1050m) at Doomben and credit jockey Les Tilly and trainer Charlotte White with their first stakes winner.

After 21 months in the wilderness, the 7-year-old Raise The Flag (GB) mare Etah James was given the chance to showcase her superior staying powers in Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m).

Just six runners went to the post the QTIS Two-Year-Old over 1200 metres at Doomben on Saturday with three by Spirit Of Boom and two by Spill The Beans but the David Vandyke-trained Sizzling filly Red Stiletto saw them all off and earn a trip to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on January 11.

There was a competitive finish to the juvenile event at Rosehill on Saturday and it produced another debut winning two year-old for champion sire I Am Invincible.

Cambridge visitor Not An Option showed he will be a force to be reckoned with in the juvenile features this season when he produced a powerful finishing burst to take out the Group II Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham.

It’s been a good day at the office for Newgate Farm’s Wandjina, who posted a quinella in the opening race at the twilight meeting at Randwick on Friday and then added another winner at Moonee Valley in the evening.

The Redoute’s Choice stallion, Burgundy, was put down at Cambridge Stud today, having contracted acute laminitis in his front feet. His condition had deteriorated over the past 72 hours and the decision was made between the major partners that he should not suffer further.

Riccarton trainers Daniel Champion and Kezia Murphy have unearthed yet another bargain buy off gavelhouse.com, with Niagara gelding Panzer running away to a dominant victory at their home track on Friday.

On Saturday night, over 125 Victorian breeders, stud staff, sponsors and supporters converged upon Inglis’ Oaklands Junction complex for the 2018/19 Victorian Breeders Awards and Christmas Party.

Leading thoroughbred nursery Waikato Stud has strengthened its relationship with the Matamata Racing Club in the creation of a fillies and mares’ race with special meaning.

An outstanding line up of prospective racetrack stars will converge on the Swan Valley early next year when the world class sales complex hosts the 2020 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.

The fourth and final session of the December Mares Sale bought the Tattersalls December Sale to a close with a KINGMAN filly heading proceedings. The final session took turnover over the four days of the Mares Sale to almost 58 million guineas, whilst the two-week long December Sale returned more than 90 million guineas. 

Best On Breeding goes international as we head to Japan for the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies at Hanshin Racecourse on Sunday, which is set to determine the 2019 Champion 2yo Filly.

Plenty of interesting two year-old trials around the country in the past week so here are all the placegetters with their breeding and sale information.

Australian breeders with foals on the ground by Galileo's champion son Churchill (IRE) will not be at all susprised by the success of the Coolmore shuttler at the recent Tattersalls Foal Sale.

The countdown is on for the highly anticipated New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance 3x Triple Crown Series. The added feature sponsored by NZB Insurance will see an inaugural three $100,000 Series bonuses for the New Zealand racing industry and a number of early nominators are already set to take centre stage.

It would be interesting to know how many Juddmonte-breds there are in Australia; whether it be tried horse sales or broodmare sales, the progeny of the Prince Khalid bin Abdullah run operation draws buyers from the Antipodes like bees to honey.

Respected industry player Bruce Slade is diversifying his involvement in the thoroughbred world, launching new venture Kestrel Thoroughbreds alongside an ongoing role with Newgate Farm.

Made a Breednet ‘One To Watch’ when she made a winning debut at Sandown on November 20, the Fastnet Rock filly Merited returned back to the scene on Wednesday to make it two from two in a benchmark 64 over 1400 metres for 3yo fillies.

A facile winner at Taree as his career debut in June, the Clare Cunningham-trained Big Parade stepped straight up to stakes company to round out his juvenile season with a second behind Kordia in a Listed race at Eagle Farm.

Triple Crown Syndications have already tasted stakes success with Epaulette’s dual Group III winner Military Zone and they have another likely type in the filly Crimlet who broke her maiden at the second time of asking in an 1100 metre maiden at Gosford on Wednesday.

If you think you have noticed Shamus Award popping up regularly in the winner’s column, you’d be right.

Recently retired Group I Zabeel Classic (2000m) winner Consensus has been put on the market, with the daughter of Postponed offered in-foal to Group One sire Iffraaj on online auction site gavelhouse.com.

The connections of talented three-year-old Catalyst have identified two major assignments for last start Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner in the new year.

Fans of the seven-season Widden Stud shuttler Belong To Me (USA) will be pleased to learn that the rising 31-year-old son of Danzig is hale and hearty at Lane’s End Farm, Kentucky.

Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will be hoping 10 is their lucky number this weekend.

The broodmare paddock is beckoning Xpression, but one final Group One tilt remains in the offing for the daughter of Showcasing.

COPLOW, dam of Group 1 1,000 Guineas winner BILLESDON BROOK, was the headline act on the second day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale which saw 22 lots sell for 500,000 guineas or more.

The powerful Kris Lees stable is not afraid to travel with a talented three year-old and this daughter of Dissident made a winning debut at Tamworth on Tuesday.

The latest round of Thoroughbred Sport Horses classes were run last weekend at the Sydney Jump Club Summer Championships at Clarendon with our feature classes sponsored by Freedman Brothers.

Newgate Farm will again offer a substantial cash incentive for buyers at all 2020 Magic Millions and Inglis Yearling Sale Series sales that purchase a horse by our exciting first crop sires Capitalist, Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and Winning Rupert.

Sunday’s A$300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) delivered a dream result for White Robe Lodge, but the iconic farm’s proprietor Brian Anderton was left lamenting the one that got away.

The Waddesdon Stud dispersal was the star attraction on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, realising more than 3 million guineas including the two top lots for the day in THISTLE BIRD and AFLAME. Trade was strong throughout the opening session with turnover topping 15 million and the average and median showing major increases on the corresponding session last year.

Four heats for juveniles on Monday morning at Rosehill delivered some interesting winners including two sired by Spirit of Boom, who posted his tenth stakes-winner last Saturday in Sugar Boom.

Queensland’s Oaklands Stud has been celebrating a pair of international feature race winners by one of the farm’s new and exciting additions.

The stocks of ‘young gun’ sire Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) continue to rise with the win by 3YO colt Scorpz in the Group III Wellington Stakes at Otaki on Friday confirming the cracking start Charm Spirit has made at stud.

Nominations for the second edition of the $5 million The All-Star Mile (1600m) opened on Monday morning, heralding the official countdown to the world’s richest mile race at Caulfield on Saturday, 14 March 2020.

A longshot winner at the popular Cromwell meeting on Sunday has Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman ready to climb further up the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership ladder despite the sale of two of their most promising three-year-olds, Savvy Lad and Chuck A Luck.

We read a lot about horses carrying a double cross of Danehill, but a stakes-winner last Saturday got us thinking about how the double up of Cambridge’s Stud’s breed shaping sire Sir Tristram (IRE) has been performing and their legendary blue hen Eight Carat (GB).

Carrying the colours of Australia’s best short course sprinter Nature Strip, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Ablaze captured Australia’s longest flat, the $300,000 Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Punters were off to a fast start on Jericho Cup day when the Archie Alexander-trained Jealice opened her winning account in the APCO Service Stations Harry Bell 3YO Maiden Plate at Warrnambool, which would have been warmly welcomed at Yarraman Park who will consign her full-brother to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale next February.

When Missile Launch reeled off six wins in seven starts as a 4-year-old few would have thought it would take him over a year and 15 starts to earn his first black-type.

The colours of astute syndicator Joe O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds were carried to victory in impressive fashion at Moonee Valley on Saturday by progressive Rubick filly Rubisaki, who was having her first run back from a good spell.

The Chittick family and the team at Waikato Stud are in mourning after the shock loss of their best mate and emerging young stallion, Sacred Falls.

The career of the Group 1 Australian Guineas and Group 1 Manikato Stakes hero Hey Doc looked to be all but over when he was sidelined for more than a year after undergoing bone chip surgery but at just his second start after his enforced holiday the 6yo son of Duporth earned a third win at the highest level in Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth.

Rothesay’s ultra-consistent son Chapter And Verse has a win in a $1 million race to his credit but the 5yo gelding was still searching for his first stakes win when he entered the barriers for Saturday’s Group III TAB George Moore Stakes (1200m) at Doomben.

The six-year-old Snitzel gelding Spending To Win earned a maiden stakes win when leading all the way in Saturday’s Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill, which would have been welcomed at Willow Park Stud, who will consign his half-sister by the Golden Slipper winner Capitalist at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.

Spirit Of Boom’s speedy daughter Sugar Boom made every post a winner in Saturday’s Listed Mode Plate (1200m) at Doomben to credit apprentice Stephanie Thornton with her first stakes winner.

An inspired rail hugging ride by Brenton Avdulla had supporters of Live And Free counting their money in the closing stages of Saturday’s Group III Iron Jack Festival Stakes at Rosehill when down the outside came Kathy O’Hara on Godolphin’s honest Lonhro gelding Ranier to spoil the party.

Promising three-year-old Two Illicit continued the winning roll of Trelawney Stud couple, Brent and Cherry Taylor when she produced a professional display to take out the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) at Ellerslie.

With nearly half the field it was no surprise to see a Chris Waller runner claim Saturday’s Listed ATC Cup (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens and it was the connections of the favoured Alward (IRL) who took home the trophy.

Last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Sentimental Miss returned to her best with a quality staying performance to take out the Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m).

A bold front-running performance paved the way for tough as teak gelding The Mitigator to capture his first black type victory when he took out the Gr.III Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Given plenty of time to find her feet by Hugh Bowman, I Am Invincible’s strapping daughter  Muntaseera came from last to round up her four rivals with a minimum of fuss in Saturday’s Sky Racing Active Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens and head to her summer hibernation as a major player in the rich two-year-old races in the autumn.

Lord Kanaloa’s champion daughter Almond Eye will not make the trip to Sha Tin for the Hong Kong Cup after spiking a temperature however Lord Kanaloa’s 2yo son Tagaloa did make it to Moonee Valley on Saturday to open his winning account in the Strath Haven Preston Plate (1000m).

There couldn’t be many graded stakes on turf that have eluded Chad Brown and he ticked off another one when Nay Lady Nay, a daughter of Coolmore’s popular No Nay Never, finished best to capture Friday’s $300,000 Grade II Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The Frankel colt out of Simple Verse was the top price on an electric day of trade at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale selling for 600,000 guineas, one of 14 lots to sell for 300,000 guineas or more.

Trade stepped up a level on the second day of the Tattersalls December Foal Sale with fifteen lots realising 100,000 guineas or more with a son of Bated Breath topping proceedings and Highland Reel and Ribchester among the top lots.