Saturday summary: Cosmic Force celebrates first Group winner, Rawiller dominates with Randwick quartet

Cover image courtesy of Newgate Farm

Give Me Space flies home to win G3 Vo Rogue Plate

Saturday’s G3 Vo Rogue Plate at Eagle Farm was nothing like the style of famed front runner Vo Rogue (Ivor Prince {USA}) as Barry Lockwood trained 3-year-old gelding Give Me Space (Cosmic Force) came from the very back of the field to fly home and just win the 2024 edition. Not just last on the turn, but last as most of the field were already in the straight, Give Me Space came out the widest and started to accelerate home for jockey Luke Dempsey.

With 100 metres to go, he was still 3l from the leader Jim Mason trained 3-year-old gelding Street Chase (Zoustar), and he kept flying to win by 0.17l from Street Chase with Kelly Schweida trained 3-year-old gelding Hella Fast (Hellbent) kicking through to just nab third place.

“That was some performance, nothing went right for him. I knew we would get back, but I didn't plan on being that far back. Once we straightened up and got into clean air, he was a brilliant horse who was so tough,” Dempsey said.

“I didn't know if we were too far off or not, it is great to ride a Group winner for Barry, they have been big supporters since I got here.” Dempsey rode over jumps in the UK before coming to Australia for a working holiday a year ago.

Give Me Space becomes the first stakes winner for second-season sire Cosmic Force, who has five other stakes horses so far. Give Me Space now has three wins and two placings from six starts, and was fourth on debut at two, with earnings over $270,000. Bookies slashed Give Me Space’s price for the Magic Millions Guineas from $41 to $11 after the win.

Newgate Farm sold Give Me Space at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $75,000 to Livistona Grazing Company, and he is the fourth foal and second stakes winner for Gwynethanne (NZ) (Handsome Ransom). She won seven races in New Zealand and placed in the G2 Travis S. and a couple of Listed races. Her first foal is G3 SAJC National S. winner Extra Time (Shooting To Win), while her second and third foals are also winners but she wasn’t served in 2022 or 2023. This is the family of Group 1 winner and sire Magic Of Sydney.

Tough win by Bubba’s Bay in Nudgee Stakes

One off the fence heading around the turn at Eagle Farm, Kris Lees trained 5-year-old mare Bubba’s Bay (Cable Bay {Ire}) quickly put a length on the field into the straight for jockey Andrew Mallyon, but the field was swooping and Bubba’s Bay had to keep finding under pressure to win by 0.37l from Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained 5-year-old mare Midnight In Tokyo (Kobayashi) who flew down the outside, while Matthew Hoysted trained 5-year-old mare Shalaa’s Moment (Shalaa {Ire}) tracked the winner and just missed on the line to finish third.

It was the second Listed win for Bubba’s Bay, who won the Listed Keith Noud S. in November, two starts ago, and took her record to 11 wins and eight placings from 25 starts with earnings over $630,000. A $130,000 purchase from Bowness Stud at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale by Gwenda Markwell, Bubba’s Bay is one of 11 stakes winners for Cable Bay (Ire), a son of Invincible Spirit (Ire).

Bubba’s Bay is out of unraced mare Lift All Boats (Commands) who has produced four winners from as many to race, and they are all multiple winners with Princess Lottie (Shrapnel) winning six races, Salina Dreaming (Dream Ahead {USA}) winning five, while Either Oar (Unencumbered) also won five times. Bubba’s Bay is the first stakes winner for three generations, and this is the family of G1 Golden Slipper winner and sire Catbird.

Hickmott wins the Listed Christmas Handicap with import Dubai Poet

Trainer Michael Hickmott enjoyed a stakes race win at Morphettville on Saturday when jockey Todd Pannell drove 5-year-old gelding Dubai Poet (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) through the centre of the field to win by 0.53l from Cody Reardon trained Grinzinger Prince (More Than Ready {USA}) with Travis Doudle trained Struck By (Barbados) in third.

Imported to Australia in 2023, the win was Dubai Poet’s first stakes win, and his second win in Australia. He’d previously been a winner at two over 1400 metres at his second start in England. All up, he has three wins from 22 starts with earnings over $320,000.

Purchased by Hickmott at the Inglis Digital Sale in May 2024 for $70,000 from Godolphin, Dubai Poet has had five starts for his new trainer for a win and two placings with earnings over $115,000.

He becomes the 141st stakes winner for Lope De Vega (Ire), and is the second foal of winning mare Hundi (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) who placed in the Newmarket Tattersalls Millions 2YO Fillies' S. Hundi is a half-sister to four stakes winners being G1 Irish St Leger winner Flag Of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), G3 Curragh Minstrel S. winner and G1 Phoenix S.-placed Air Chief Marshall (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and Listed winners Slip Dance (Ire) (Celtic Swing {GB}) and Misu Bond (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Transatlantic aimed at G1 Stradbroke after winning The Buffering

Trainer Tony Gollan will aim 4-year-old gelding Transatlantic (Snitzel) at the G1 Stradbroke H. after he won the Magic Millions Buffering at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Jockey Ryan Maloney sat just in behind the speed set by Rothfire (Rothesay) and then pounced to win by 1l from Robusto (Churchill {Ire}) with Cifrado (Encryption) in third and Rothfire in fourth.

“There's my Stradbroke horse. I am very proud of him, we had a bit of an ownership change and he has been gelded throughout the year, they have reaped the rewards today — he is winter carnival-bound for sure,” said Gollan.

“The rating isn't a problem now, it has probably stuffed it up a bit but it will get us into some good races in the winter and that is where he deserves to be, he is a Stradbroke horse and that is my sole purpose now.”

Transatlantic now has five wins from 13 starts with earnings over $400,000 and has won three of his last four starts, and placed in the Listed Daybreak Lover Plate at three last season. A $360,000 purchase by Gollan, Harbour Equine and John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from Segenhoe Stud, he isn’t eligible for the Magic Millions carnival.

He is the second foal and second winner for G1 Australian Oaks winner Gust Of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) whose current 3-year-old Sensational Wind (I Am Invincible) was a $1.1 million purchase by Katsumi Yoshida at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She has a yearling colt by Stay Inside and a filly foal by Dundeel (NZ).

Four for Rawiller at Randwick

Jockey Nash Rawiller’s win on 4-year-old gelding Saltcoats (NZ) (Ardrossan) at Randwick on Saturday marked a huge day for the jockey who won four races on the nine race card. His first win was on 4-year-old mare Emmadella (All Too Hard), with trainer John Thompson saying, “A super ride from a tricky draw. You were at ease within 50 metres. He had got over into a nice spot, she was travelling well, he was cuddling her the rest of the race and it was pretty painless.”

“She's a very nice mare. She's going to go through her grades. She'll end up back in stakes grade in the not too distant future.” Emmadella has won four of her 13 starts with earnings over $230,000, and ran fourth in the G3 Winx Guineas last season. A $65,000 purchase by Prime Thoroughbreds from Parsons Creek Pastoral Co at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she is the second foal and second winner for unraced Ambar (Snitzel) whose yearling colt by Hellbent is Lot 148 in Willow Park Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.

Rawiller nabbed the double with an emotional win on 4-year-old gelding Unstopabull (Russian Revolution). “Unstopabull's owners are a good bunch of owners from the local footy team (Hills Bulls rugby league club),” trainer Chris Waller said referring to the death of one of the syndicate members, Paul Griffin, after an alleged one-punch attack on Melbourne Cup Day.

“Their horse deserved this win. He's been a consistent, midweek performer who got an opportunity in Saturday class. It's the right time of year for a horse like him and he made it count today.” Unstopabull has won four of his 15 starts and over $220,000. He was a $180,000 purchase by Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster from Hidden Valley Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and is the first foal of Shoreline (I Am Invincible) who won eight races. Her 3-year-old gelding Presocratics (Written By) is placed, and she has an unraced 2-year-old colt Whack Attack (Bivouac) and a colt foal by Anamoe.

Rawiller's third win came on 5-year-old gelding High Blue Sea (Merchant Navy) with co-trainer Gerald Ryan saying, “Before the race, Nash was very confident. Nash has been riding winners for me since he was an 18-year-old apprentice so when he comes out confident like that, then you feel better about your chances.” High Blue Sea hadn’t won since January, where he’d put together three in succession over the summer of 2023/24, but he was coming off a last start third.

He now has four wins from 14 starts with earnings over $290,000 and was sold by Erinvale Thoroughbreds as a weanling for $100,000 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale to Binalong Bloodstock and was reoffered by Newgate Farm at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where George Moore Bloodstock purchased him for $220,000.

Gallery: Nash Rawiller's quartet of winners at Randwick on Saturday, images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

High Blue Sea is the first foal of winning mare Bodhi Blue (Northern Meteor) who has a yearling filly by Xtravagant (NZ) and a filly foal by Fierce Impact (Jpn). Her 4-year-old and 3-year-old are yet to win and Bodhi Blue is a half-sister to G3 Vo Rogue Plate winner Punch On (Tiger Hill {Ire}).

Rawiller’s fourth win of the day came on Listed-winning 4-year-old Saltcoats who took his record to three wins from 11 starts with earnings over $290,000. “Saltcoats has always had the ability but he's growing in confidence now. I think he is the type to keep progressing and he might get to a race like the Parramatta Cup,” said trainer Chris Waller. Winner of the Listed Auckland Futurity S. at two, Saltcoats didn’t win again until a fortnight ago, and now has two in succession.

One of five stakes winners for Ardrossan, whose 3-year-old Beau Dazzler (NZ) won again at Eagle Farm on Saturday, Saltcoats is out of winning mare Savanite (NZ) (Savabeel) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Singing Star (NZ) (Danasinga).