Stakes winner 38 for Dundeel
Saturday’s Listed Weetwood Handicap at Toowoomba was won by 5-year-old gelding Tavs (Dundeel {NZ}) who becomes stakes winner number 38 for his sire. Trained by Mark Currie, Tavs bolted home by four and a half lengths under Champion Brisbane Jockey Angela Jones.
Tony Gollan-trained Nettuno (I Am Invincible) was second and Jeff Dunn-trained Sha Of Gomer (Shalaa {Ire}) was third.
A winner on debut at two, Tavs took his record to seven wins from 27 starts with earnings over $375,000. He is the third foal of Quattro Foglie (Beneteau) who has a 2-year-old and a yearling both by Dundeel's son Castelvecchio.
Currie also won the Toowoomba Guineas with 3-year-old gelding Cryptolini (Encryption) who took his unbeaten streak to two.
G2 Hawkes Bay Guineas won by Magic Carpet
Stephen Marsh-trained 3-year-old colt Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) came into the G2 Hawkes Bay Guineas with two thirds in his first two starts, but none of that mattered as he broke his maiden in style by three quarters of a length. “He is going in the right direction and has plenty to come and go on,” Marsh said.
“He will probably come back for the Sarten and then down to the 2000 Guineas. I think he will be very competitive as he is loving life and he is a laid-back horse, although he started to get a little naughty today. He is as good a style of colt as you would see and I think he is much better on top of the ground.”
Bred by Jenna McLeod, her brother Brian and her parents Philip and Jackie Rogers, Marsh and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock purchased him for NZ$320,000 from Carlaw Park’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. He is the second winner for From Eden (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who is a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner The Fuzz (NZ) (Danasinga).
So You Think (NZ)’s 3-year-old filly Transcend made it two in succession at the same meeting.
Cool Aza Beel adds 3-year-old winner
One of four 3-year-olds to greet the judge at Kembla Grange on Saturday, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stakes placed gelding Cobra Club (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) won by three lengths.
He becomes winner number seven for second season sire Cool Aza Beel (NZ) whose best so far is Group 1 winning juvenile Cool Archie. A $70,000 purchase by Darby Racing from Newhaven Park’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft, Cobra Club took his earnings over $144,000.
The other 3-year-old winners at the meeting were Southern Prince (Trapeze Artist), Gladstone Grande (Royal Meeting {Ire}) and Master Of The Air (Dundeel {NZ}) who made it two wins in succession.
Zousain gelding wins on debut at Morphettville
Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained 3-year-old Virtual Illusion (Zousain) gelding made his debut at Morphettville on Saturday and won by just shy of three quarters of a length. Sold by Riverstone Lodge at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, he was bought by his trainers for $20,000.
His dam unraced Chimerique (Choisir) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me {USA}).
Heeza Phoenix makes it two from two
At Belmont, Mitchell Pateman-trained 3-year-old colt Heeza Phoenix (Grunt {NZ}) stayed unbeaten when winning his second start by two and three quarter lengths. “He’s a proper colt, back on top of the ground today I was a lot more confident than I was first up,” Pateman said.
“He’s got a really great cruising speed and he’s got a great kick. I can’t wait to see him at Ascot over a mile.” He will have a short spell and be set for stakes company next.
Pierata mare Gold Medallist stays unbeaten
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained 4-year-old mare Gold Medallist (Pierata) took her unbeaten streak to four with victory at Sandown on Saturday. It was her first city win. Sold by Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale for $12,000, she has proven to be a bargain for Blueblood Thoroughbreds with earnings over $105,000.
Saturday’s country 3-year-old winners
Richard Litt took 3-year-old filly Nabha (Tassort) to Canberra for her first outing and she delivered with a half-length win on debut. A bargain $3250 purchase at the May 2025 Inglis Digital Sale, Nabha is the third foal and third winner for Nahab (Snitzel).
John Kilroy-trained 3-year-old filly Very Good (Shalaa {Ire}) lived up to her name, staying unbeaten in her second start at Atherton on Saturday. She won on debut at Mareeba at the start of the month.
Adam Briskey-trained 3-year-old gelding Penseur Positif (Duporth) won at Mackay. At Taroom, Ron Macrae-trained 3-year-old gelding Krumac (Better Than Ready) bolted home to win by nearly 8 lengths.
Twin Hills Race Club in Queensland celebrated 100 years this weekend, and 3-year-old gelding Quarry Man (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) won for trainer Glenda Bell.
Australian sires feature at Riccarton
Three 3-year-olds won at New Zealand’s Riccarton meeting on Saturday and all were by Australian based stallions. R.Listed Karaka Millions 2YO-placed 3-year-old filly Miss Ziggy (Brazen Beau) stepped back in class after running fifth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes last start to win her maiden.
Te Akau Racing’s 3-year-old filly Origin Of Love (Snitzel) won at her second start. She was bought from Arrowfield Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $440,000 by David Ellis.
Twice stakes placed at two, 3-year-old gelding Alottago (Tagaloa) made it two wins in a row in the Guineas Trial. “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and the Guineas, but this win today has given us the confidence to carry on along that path for now,” trainer Lance Robinson told Loveracing.nz.
At the same meeting, juvenile gelding Out Of The Blue (NZ) (Tivaci) won on debut for Te Akau Racing.
Fall at Riccarton; all horses uninjured
Five horses escaped injury in a nasty fall in the North Canterbury Cup. Jockeys Brandon May, Jack Taplin, Bridget Grylls were all taken to hospital with suspected pelvis, wrist and shoulder injuries respectively. Yogesh Atchamah has a minor concussion and Brett Murray was uninjured.
The last two races on the card were abandoned.
Jockey Kylie Williams won the race on Riveria Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion {Ire}) to take her career tally to 1000. “it’s a little bit hard to know what to feel right now as we are just so thrilled for Kylie and the horse, but you never want to see what happened and all we want to know is that everyone is okay,” trainer Brooke Kincaid said.
Hong Kong jockeys escape injury in car accident
Jockeys Vincent Ho and Matthew Poon were uninjured in a car accident on the way back from Conghua racecourse on Friday. The driver was hospitalised but later released.
Group 1 targets for unbeaten Zeus Olympios
Coming into Friday's G2 Joel Stakes a colt on the rise, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's 3-year-old colt Zeus Olympios (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) emerged from the mile feature with unbeaten record intact and reputation firmly enhanced.
“I'd say we've definitely got a Group 1 horse,” trainer Karl Burke said. “I'd say Rosallion will be off to the covering sheds next year and hopefully this fella can take his place. He's a beautiful horse and I knew he'd strengthened and gone forward from Haydock. Interestingly he wasn't heavier, but to my eye physically he looked stronger and he's obviously a horse with a big future.”
Redmonstown Stud for sale
Legendary trainer and breeder Jim Bolger has confirmed he has put his famous Redmondstown Stud on the market as part of a consolidating of his assets. Bolger sourced the County Wexford farm back in 1990 and, under his expert management, seven Classic winners and 18 Group 1 winners have been reared there in that time.
Some of the more famous graduates include Teofilo, Dawn Approach, Trading Leather and Poetic Flare and Bolger says anyone that is serious about breeding a top-class racehorse should consider the 84-acre farm that has a guide price of €975,000 (AU$1.7 million).
“I am consolidating,” Bolger confirmed. “I have a farm in Rathvilly (in County Carlow) so I will be reducing the number of mares that I keep. They will all be looked after in Rathvilly so I won't be needing the land in Wexford (Redmondstown) anymore.”
Along with Redmondstown being put on the market, Bolger will offer over 40 yearlings under his granddaughter Clare Manning's Boherguy Stud at the Goffs Autumn Yearling Sale. “I will leave all of that to Clare,” Bolger explained of the selling off of his young stock. “I am going to train fewer horses next year.”
Grade 2-winning colt headlines Inglis Digital USA
Damon's Mound (Girvin), a Grade II winner offered as a racing or stallion prospect, leads 64 offerings in the catalogue for the 2025 Inglis Digital USA October (Early) Sale which went online Friday morning.
“We're coming to the end of the yearling season and everyone is looking towards the breeding shed and 2026,” said Inglis Digital USA CEO Kyle Wilson. “I think we've got some really exciting prospects for breeders and pinhookers who have a little extra cash in their pockets. Racehorses are always in season and we've got some very nice ones on offer. Our team is here to help, so please reach out to any of us for anything.”
Upset in G2 Beldame Stakes
Friday's GII Beldame Stakes, scratched down to just four horses with the morning diversion of Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor) to Sunday's GIII Delaware Handicap, still had plenty of drama as 9-2 shot Gun Song (Gun Runner) sprung the upset on heavily-favoured Randomized (Nyquist) to break a winless streak that dated back over a year.
Mark Hennig's 4-year-old filly has been plenty game and plenty consistent facing the best of her division the past two years, even running reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) to the wire just a neck behind in last year's GI Cotillion at Parx.
