Cover image courtesy of Annabel Neasham Racing
The partnership of Annabel and Rob Archibald ended the 2024/25 season with 236 wins in Australia, posting a 14.9% strike rate that set their stable above the top two most winning stables in the country. Rob Archibald joined The Thoroughbred Report to preview the spring, with runners aiming for black-type on both coasts and even in Hong Kong.
Annabel and Rob Archibald | Image courtesy of Annabel Neasham Racing
Older horses
Sunshine In Paris, 6-year-old mare (Invader x Zenaida (NZ) {Zabeel {NZ}})
“Sadly, she's been retired. She was an amazing horse for the stable, and we were very lucky to have the time with her in the stable that we did. Fortunately, although she's picked up a little injury, she'll be fine to be a broodmare. She’s been amazing for the stable and we’re very thankful to John and Debbie Camilleri to have the time with her that we have had.”
Sunshine In Paris | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Port Lockroy, 5-year-old horse (Better Than Ready x Freezethemillions {Freeze})
“He potentially kicks off a week on Saturday in the G2 Tramway Stakes, and he'll likely head back over to Perth for the G1 Railway Stakes towards the end of the year. He could potentially end up in an Epsom or something like that as well.”
Port Lockroy | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Libertad, 5-year-old horse (Russian Revolution x Electric Charge {Charge Forward})
“He’s probably three weeks off from a trial. He was obviously excellent in the G2 Victory Stakes last preparation. He had a little break after a couple of strong runs in some of those better races, and then we'll just see how he comes back, and we'll plot a path for him after we see him at the trials.”
Libertad | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Fawkner Park (Ire), 7-year-old gelding (Zoffany (Ire) x Za’Hara (Ire) {Raven’s Pass {USA}})
“His plan is to get over to Hong Kong at the end of the racing year for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Champions Day.”
Fawkner Park (Ire) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
My Oberon (Ire), 9-year-old gelding (Dubawi (Ire) x My Titania (Ire) {Sea The Stars {Ire}})
“He will look to kick off in the Tramway as well, and we’ll see how he comes back. He’ll aim at the 7 Stakes, which could potentially lead into the G1 King Charles III Stakes. He’s getting on a bit, so we will just have to see how he comes back.”
My Oberon (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
West Of Africa, 6-year-old gelding (Not A Single Doubt x Serena Bay {Sebring})
“He’s in good order. He will have just one more trial next week and then potentially head to a race like the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle on September 19. Then we will go from there.”
West Of Africa | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Bois D’Argent (GB), 9-year-old gelding (Toronado (Ire) x Madonna Lily (Ire) {Daylami {Ire}})
“He’s one of the horses that will head over to Perth later in the year. His main target will be the G1 Northerly Stakes, and he might find a couple of nice races leading into that.”
Bois D’Argent (GB) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
4-year-olds
Bosustow, 4-year-old horse (Blue Point (Ire) x Bumbasina (Ire) {Canford Cliffs {Ire}})
“He was a Magic Millions and Gold Coast Guineas winner last season and ran fifth in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap, and he's going really well. He’ll trial soon and then his main target will be the Golden Eagle, so we’ll pick a path to that.”
Bosustow | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Depth Of Character, 4-year-old gelding (Deep Field x Caricature (NZ) {Power {GB}})
“We’re hopeful he can get into the G1 Epsom Handicap with a nice light weight, but he may have to win a race along the way.”
Depth Of Character | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Lilac, 4-year-old mare (Justify (USA) x Paulownia {Fastnet Rock})
“She’s in good order, she’s not far off getting underway. She trials next Tuesday, and then could potentially kick off in the Listed Chautauqua Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 6. She'll find herself in a lot of those stakes races throughout the spring. She’s a well credentialled 4-year-old filly who has been racing against some of the best fillies in her age group, so hopefully she can go on with it this season.
“It’s a nice family, we certainly have a big opinion of her, and hopefully, if she can just improve a fraction, she might even get herself into some better races later on in spring.”
Lilac | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
3-year-olds
Hiller, 3-year-old colt (Zoustar x Pretty In Pink {Sebring})
“He’s going well. He ran the other day at Flemington where he was narrowly second, and he seems to have come on nicely from it. He had a little freshen up, and at this stage, we are probably leaning towards giving him a jump-out at Flemington next Friday. He goes back to the races on September 13 where his next target is the Listed Exford Plate. Who knows where he will get to - in a perfect world, he gives himself a chance at a G1 Caulfield Guineas, but he's going to have to keep improving.”
Tupakara, 3-year-old filly (Trapeze Artist x Catchulata {Charge Forward})
“She's in really good order, her two trials have been really good. She will likely kick off in the G2 Furious Stakes at this stage, and then we will see where she gets to. She’s good enough for the Princess Series, so the Furious is her starting point.”
Tupakara | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Kujenga, 3-year-old filly (King’s Legacy x Jenga {All Too Hard})
“Similarly, it looks like she will also kick off in the Furious Stakes. She trialled yesterday at Hawkesbury, and we’re happy with her. I think she'll get out over a little bit further this preparation. She ran well up in Brisbane at the end of her last preparation, where she was third in the Listed Tattersalls Stakes, so she’s got a bit of black-type, and she seems to have come back a little bit bigger and stronger. We’ll just see how we go, but the Furious will be a starting off point and she might progress to some of the better races later in the spring.”
Kujenga | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Duke Atreides, 3-year-old colt (Written Tycoon x Chateau Cheval {High Chaparral {Ire}})
“He won a nice maiden three weeks ago and he’s in for the G3 HDF McNeil Stakes this Saturday. He’s improving with every run, and the McNeil will be a good sort of benchmark as to where he's at. He's got some stronger targets later on in the spring, but Saturday will tell us more.”
Duke Atreides | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
2-year-olds
Unnamed, 2-year-old colt (Home Affairs x Paulownia {Fastnet Rock}})
Purchased by Archibald & Neasham Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for $180,000 from Coolmore Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“He’s a colt that we bought from Coolmore at Easter. He’s very natural and quite forward. We’ve been very happy with him.”
Lot 102 - Home Affairs x Paulownia | Image courtesy of Inglis
Unnamed, 2-year-old colt (Too Darn Hot (GB) x Negotiate {Red Ransom {USA}})
Purchased by Archibald & Neasham Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for $480,000 from Arrowfield Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
“We bought him off of Arrowfield at Easter. He’s had a jump-out and we've been very impressed with what we've seen from him so far.”
Lot 81 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Negotiate | Image courtesy of Inglis
Unnamed, 2-year-old filly (I Am Invincible x Joy At Last {More Than Ready {USA}})
Purchased by Archibald & Neasham Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for $260,000 from Yarraman Park Stud at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
“We bought her in Melbourne and we really like her, she’s going quite well so far.”
Lot 228 - I Am Invincible x Joy at Last | Image courtesy of Inglis
Unnamed, 2-year-old colt (Extreme Warrior x Thurlow {Sebring})
Purchased by Troy Redden for $25,000 from Widden Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“He’s by Extreme Warrior, and he also seems quite forward going.”
Lot 1032 - Extreme Warrior x Thurlow | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Another Soiree, 2-year-old filly (Russian Revolution x Hot Summer Night {Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}})
Purchased by Archibald & Neasham Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for $180,000 from Alma Vale Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“She’s coming along nicely. It’s quite early days, but these are the ones in the most forward group of 2-year-olds that we’ve been pretty happy with so far.”
