The Shorts proving to be hot race
Saturday’s G2 The Shorts looks to be a hot race with several The Everest contenders nominated including Joliestar (Zoustar) who was scratched from the G2 Sheraco Stakes on race morning this weekend. “She had an awkward draw with the rail out so we just wondered where we would end up,” trainer Chris Waller's assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth told racenet.com.au.
Joliestar | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We will go next week and it maps a little bit better into The Everest. It's going to be a very, very hot race and that's why they put up $1 million for it because it's been a big draw card for all the major players to end up there for a $1 million rather than $300,000 (in the Sheraco).”
Jedibeel to step up in Shorts to prove Everest worth
Trainer Brad Widdup’s Mulberry-owned Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) will need to prove himself in the upcoming G2 The Shorts before the G1 The Everest. Mulberry own a slot for The Everest but Jedibeel isn’t guaranteed the position. “They don’t want to take a horse to the Everest and make a gimmick of it,” Widdup told racingnsw.com.au.
“They are open to what’s around and he’s not locked in by all means. He’s got to win his way or be competing well to earn a slot. He’s a very good horse and there’s a lot of races for him down the track. Hopefully waiting and doing the right thing will pay off.”
Jedibeel (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
He missed his planned first run in the G3 Concorde Stakes with a minor hoof issue. “It’s a very hard race, I totally understand that. That’s why it was frustrating not being able to run last week. I’m not saying he would have won that race but he drew well and it looked a good race for him. This race is going to be 10 times harder, we’re under no illusions there, but we’ve got to kick him off somewhere.”
Lane’s suspension means new hoop for Treasure
Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) will need a new jockey for the G2 Feehan Stakes in a fortnight. Regular rider Damian Lane was suspended for 15 meetings for overuse of the whip on G1 Makybe Diva Stakes-second Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio), missing races from September 21 to October 3.
The four-time Group 1 winner is fully recovered from her minor bout of colic. “She had a trot and canter (Friday) and (Saturday) … she seems really bright,” trainer Matt Laurie told racenet.com.au.
Matt Laurie | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“The Feehan is a really nice race regardless, and it will give us a bit of an insight on how she handles that track (Moonee Valley).”
Luckless Skybird on track for Manikato
Trainer Mitch Freedman will press on to the G1 Manikato Stakes with Group 1-winning sprinter Skybird (Exosphere) after her luckless run in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes. “She's pulled up really good,” Freedman told racing.com.
Skybird | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We're fully focused on the Manikato at this stage. Those (Everest) slot-holders who haven't got a horse yet are probably just waiting to see how things play out. Either way, you couldn't have been more impressed with Ka Ying Rising winning on Sunday night and whatever ends up in The Everest is going to have a hard time beating him, that's for sure.”
Domeland gain a Big Dance runner
Domeland’s new trainer Nacim Dilmi won Sunday’s Bathurst Cup with 5-year-old gelding Aix En Provence (Shalaa {Ire}), gaining Big Dance entry. Aix En Provence was also Dilmi’s first winner as a trainer when he won last start.
Now the winner of five of his 20 starts with earnings over $220,000, Aix En Provence was a $160,000 purchase by Domeland from Kulani Park’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft.
Group-placed Pure Passion wins maiden
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained 3-year-old filly Pure Passion (Snitzel) won her maiden at Kilmore on Sunday by 2.5l. Placed in both the G3 Ottawa Stakes and Listed Valley Pearl Stakes at two, Pure Passion now has a win and three placings from five starts.
Sold by Silverdale Farm to KPW Bloodstock for $950,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Pure Passion is owned by Judy Wanless. She is the second foal and second winner of G2 Queen Of The South-placed Snogging (I Am Invincible) who recently foaled a Shinzo colt.
Second winner in two days for Ghaiyyath
Second season sire and former shuttle sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) added his second winner in as many days when 3-year-old gelding Victorious Spirit won at Sale on Sunday. Sold by Blue Gum Farm for $200,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, Victorious Spirit was placed in both his first two starts.
He is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Tyche Goddess (Teofilo {Ire}), out of Listed winner Cornelia Marie (Reset) who is a half-sister to Listed winner Chitabe (Perugino {USA}), and Cornelia Marie’s last foal is a 2-year-old colt by Street Boss (USA).
Debutant winner for Spirit Of Boom
At the Sunshine Coast meeting on Sunday, proven sire Spirit Of Boom enjoyed a debutant winner with Tony Gollan-trained 3-year-old filly Spirit Of Barty, who was purchased by Bartholemew & Co for $100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Kenmore Lodge. She is the third foal and first winner for Alnaas (Not A Single Doubt) who is a city winner of four races and a full sister to stakes-placed Maqsad.
At the same meeting, Mark Goodwin-trained 3-year-old gelding I’m Nelson (Dracarys) opened proceedings in the first on the card with a 1.4l win, having placed on debut at the end of August. Passed in as a yearling, I’m Nelson is the first winner for winning mare Unchained (Stratum).
Earthlight adds debutant winner
Northam’s Sunday meeting saw Grant and Alana Williams-trained 3-year-old filly Esta Mirando (Earthlight {Ire}) win on debut. Purchased by Williams Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) from Springmount’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft for $220,000 she is the third winner from Earthlight (Ire)’s first Southern Hemisphere crop.
A half-sister to Group 3 winner Miss Admiration (Sebring) and Group 3-placed Miss Skyhigh (Harry Angel {Ire}), Esta Mirando’s dam Admiring (Street Cry {Ire}) missed in 2024, and has a yearling filly by Harry Angel (Ire). Admiring is a Group 2-placed half-sister to Listed winner Empire Dancer (Second Empire {Ire}).
Group 1 next for Frankel’s Benvenuto Cellini
Christophe Soumillon was forced into switching mounts, taking up piloting duties aboard Killarney maiden winner Benvenuto Cellini (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in Saturday's G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes–formerly known as the Golden Fleece Stakes–and the rider continued on a winning roll as the son of Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) stepped forward to claim a career high in the one-mile contest. His tally earned him a spot in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar at the beginning of November.
“He's a lovely horse and a great mover by Frankel out of a very good mare,” said Aidan O'Brien. “He's been going well at home and Christophe (Soumillon) gave him a very uncomplicated ride. He's a smasher, he's got a big open stride, he's genuine and he cruises. He looks like he's going to be a lovely middle-distance horse and Christophe thinks he feels like a French Derby horse. He can go again this year, maybe in the Racing Post (G1 Futurity Trophy) or one of the French (Group 1) races (at ParisLongchamp and Saint-Cloud), and then start in one of the Derby trials next year.”
New stakes winner for St Mark’s Basilica
Coolmore and Westerberg's €1.7 million (AU$3 million) Arqana August sale topper Diamond Necklace (Ire) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}) backed up a strong performance at the Curragh last month with a first black-type triumph in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes at Leopardstown.
“I was quite confident when I saw the attitude she had going down to the start and she was really professional,” said winning jockey Christophe Soumillon.
“She was a little impatient in the stalls and didn't jump out properly. I had to change plans because she was quite far back. She responded really well when I asked her to quicken at the two-furlong pole and she did it so easy. For her second start, doing what she does is quite amazing. She's quite mature for an inexperienced filly and it will be lovely to see her on Arc Weekend (in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac).”
Diamond Necklace becomes the third black-type winner for her freshman sire and fourth for the stakes-winning Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), whose leading performers are G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), G1 MacKinnon Stakes victrix Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Prix Penelope winner Philomene (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
First Derby points for Spice Runner
Gun Runner (USA), the Three Chimneys sensation whose yearlings topped the first four days of the ongoing Keeneland September sale, showed once again why he's in such demand as 2-year-old colt Spice Runner (USA) captured the G3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The one-turn, one-mile Iroquois awards the first points of the 2025-26 season to the 2026 G1 Kentucky Derby starting gate on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Spice Runner, a member of just Gun Runner’s fifth crop to race, is his 46th black-type winner and 31st Graded winner. Spice Runner is a full brother to G1 Forego Stakes and G1 Hopeful Stakes winner Gunite (USA).
Puerto Rico smashes maiden status in style
Coolmore's Aidan O'Brien-trained G1 Phoenix Stakes fourth 2-year-old colt Puerto Rico (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was a five-race maiden heading into Saturday's G2 Betfred Champagne Stakes and made all for a breakthrough success in the seven-furlong contest at Doncaster, becoming the first to achieve the feat since Bog Trotter (USA) in 1990.
“You'd have to be very happy with him and he'll stay further, too,” commented Coolmore representative Kevin Buckley. “He'd had a couple of nice runs recently and he did it nicely today. It looked like a very decent race and Sean (Levey) gave him an exceptional ride.”
The winning trainer, speaking from Leopardstown, said, “He's coming forward and getting better. Sean gave him a lovely ride and he was the best maiden in Europe!” Puerto Rico, who becomes the 50th pattern-race winner for his sire, is the first foal bred from G2 Kilboy Estate Stakes runner-up April Showers (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), herself a full sister to black-type winners headed by multiple Group 1-winning Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and her G1 Prix Marcel Boussac-winning full sister Ballydoyle (Ire).
Taken By The Wind gains first Oaks points
Trainer Ken McPeek picked up his fifth win in the G3 Pocahontas Stakes Saturday when Taken By The Wind (USA) (Rock Your World {USA}) blew home in style to earn the first available points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
G1 Santa Anita Derby winner and Spendthrift Farm freshman sire Rock Your World (USA) has nine winners from his first crop to race including Color Comin' In (USA). First dam Up for Grabs (USA) (First Samurai {USA}) has five winners from seven to race with Incredible Revenge Stakes runner up Running Memories (USA) (Bahamian Squall {USA}) being her only other stakes horse.
