Rain forecast for Derby weekend
With 40-50 mm of rain predicted for Sunday and Monday, punters should be seeking out wet track form for Tuesday’s G1 Melbourne Cup. “It's probably a bit far out to tell exactly at this stage what we're going to get,” Flemington track manager Liam O'Keeffe told racenet.com.au.
“Probably it tends to take shape about five days out, but it just dances around a little bit seven days out. We'll work through to Derby Day then look through to Cup Day. At this stage, we'll probably give the track a drink tonight or tomorrow (Wednesday) to get it through to the rain on Friday.
Liam O'Keeffe | Image courtesy of Flemington Racecourse
“Then if we get enough on Friday, we won't have to irrigate before Saturday. After Saturday, we'll have another look at the weather over the couple of days following that and see what we do with the track.
“It's a great draining track. We do a lot of work during our renovation after the carnival and a lot in August. We core the track and that just opens up the profile so the heavy rain can get through it. You don't want heavy rain on the day but if you have it the day before, it does get a chance to go through the profile to provide a good surface.”
Data in Autumn Glow’s favour
Trainer Chris Waller believes Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) has the right conditions to maintain her unbeaten streak in Saturday’s Golden Eagle. “We went through the stats of the Golden Eagle, and most horses had been running over the mile that have won it,” Waller told racingandsports.com.au.
Autumn Glow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“In that regard it suits Autumn Glow coming back from the Epsom and she's done a great job.” And on James McDonald electing to stay in Sydney to ride her? “It's not ideal, and we'll miss him down at Flemington, but she's his baby and there's other support races as well.”
Keep Derby as is, says Waterhouse
Trainer Gai Waterhouse has spoken passionately about keeping the G1 Victoria Derby at 2500 metres. “It is crazy why people have to tamper with things. It is a Derby and it is a precocious staying horse that races in it. I think it is magical because it is different. Who wants every race to be 10 furlongs (2000m) or six furlongs (1200m)?” Waterhouse told racenet.com.au.
“Everyone wants … a stayer (and to have a Melbourne Cup runner) and we don't have any staying races. (The Derby) is wonderful. You know the saddest thing is we have dropped the (clause which allowed) the Derby winner backing up in the Cup.
Gai Waterhouse | Image courtesy of Victoria Racing Club
“That was magical. We had Nothin' Leica Dane and it caused so much media interest. It is the local horses that gets people to bet (on the Cup), not the overseas horses because they don't know the form.”
Nothin’ Leica Dane won the G1 Victoria Derby for Waterhouse in 1995, then backed up to run second in the G1 Melbourne Cup a few days later. He trained on, winning the G2 Hobartville Stakes in the autumn, then ran into a couple of champion 3-year-olds in the G1 Rosehill Guineas and G1 Australian Derby being Octagonal and Saintly (Sky Chase {NZ}). He also had two Group 1 placings at four and concluded his career in France before going to stud where he sired two Group 1 winners, Hot Danish and Cinque Cento.
Maher’s Derby trio led by Observer
Trainer Ciaron Maher will have three runners in Saturday’s G1 Victoria Derby led by last start winner Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}). "He was really good on Saturday (Vase victory). He was soft to the line and gave everyone a cheer but he’s come through the race really well and onwards to the big one on Saturday,” stable representative Jack Turnbull told racing.com.
“He’s doing it pretty quickly as we know hence Mark (Zahra) was soft on him late to give him every chance to come through it, and he has. The asset that Observer does have he is very clean-winded. He seems to be elite in terms of his aerobic capacity and we don’t overtrain them, so if he going to get it (2500m trip), he’ll get it there naturally off the back of Saturday.”
Ciaron Maher | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The other two are Matsuda (Maurice {Jpn}) and Amazake (Maurice {Jpn}). “Matsuda was solid in the Geelong Classic (fourth) and we are going to put some headgear on him. Went very slow in front and he just couldn’t quicken when the rest outsprinted him and so hopefully they (blinkers) do help.
“In the old Norman Robinson (Caulfield Classic), Amazake was very good. They went slow again in the race and they quickened and he stuck on quite well. His genes are CT long. As a 3-year-old they generally stretch to 25 (2500 metres) and he’s straight forward. He puts himself on speed and he’s tractable and we thought we saw enough last start to warrant him going to 2500.”
Fully Lit improving with work heading into Golden Eagle
Co-trainer Adrian Bott keeps expecting Fully Lit (Hellbent) to require a spell, but he keeps improving and runs in Saturday’s Golden Eagle. “At any stage we’ve been waiting to see signs from him to say ‘hey I’m feeling the campaign,” Bott told racingnsw.com.au.
“Remarkably it was quite the opposite, the more he raced and deeper he got into the campaign the stronger he got. He was putting on condition in work, he looked better in himself and was going about everything in a much better frame of mind. He would have been forgiven to say 'I’ve had enough' but he’s kept stepping up. He’s been proving me wrong all prep so I'm happy for him to do it again.”
Fully Lit | Image courtesy of Sportpix
The Golden Eagle will be his tenth run this campaign and he’s been up since May 2025. He ran second last start in the G1 Epsom Handicap.
Vale Steve White
On Tuesday, Racing NSW reported the death of racing photographer Steve White. “Mr White was a well-known and much liked figure around the racetracks, especially at Royal Randwick where he worked during a period for Australian Turf Club,” said a spokeperson from Racing NSW.
“Steve was battling a long-term illness and succumbed a few weeks ago in a facility near Lake Macquarie. Steve enjoyed travelling having completed the trek to Base Camp in the Himalayas. Funeral details for Mr White are not yet known.”
Five in succession for Grima
Apprentice jockey Siena Grima rode five winners in succession at Coonabarabran on Sunday aboard Paul Clisby-trained Supreme Style (Supido), Sue Grills-trained Somerton Smart (Exceedance) and Night Fighter (Smart Missile), Holly Williams-trained Enterprise Legend (Capitalist), and the Cup on Jeremy Gask-trained Who Ever Thought (Panzer Division).
“The now retired jockeys Greg Ryan and Tony Cavallo have ridden five successive winners at meetings in the central districts and western area, however, it is doubtful if an apprentice has equalled the achievement of Siena Grima,” Racing NSW reported on Tuesday.
New winner for Farnan at Hawkesbury
Second season sire Farnan enjoyed winner number 21 when 3-year-old filly Blue Eyed Brigid won for trainer Brad Widdup at Hawkesbury on Tuesday. She was having her fourth start, having been unplaced in two starts at two, and was second when resuming last start.
Owned by Mulberry and B Reith, she was purchased by her trainer for $110,000 from Mill Park Stud’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft. She is the second foal of Miracleofmiracles (More Than Ready {USA}) who had a Hellbent colt this spring. Miracleofmiracles is a city winning half-sister to Listed winners Avisto (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Celtic Tiger (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Group 3-placed Marvelouz (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}).
Winner number five for Fierce Impact
Second season sire Fierce Impact (Jpn) added winner number five when Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained 3-year-old gelding Istriano won on debut at Swan Hill on Tuesday. Owned by Seymour Bloodstock, Istrano was passed in as a yearling.
Istriano is a half-brother to stakes winning full siblings He’s Xceptional (Xtravagant {NZ}) and Xtravagant Star. The trio are three of six winners from as many to race for She’s A Danica (Sebring), a winning half-sister to Group 3-placed Into Orbit (Northern Meteor).
Double for Exceed And Excel and Godolphin
On Tuesday at Hawkesbury, Exceed And Excel sired a double for owners Godolphin. Joe Pride-trained 3-year-old filly Casserousse who was having her first start for the stable, having previously had one start at two for James Cummings.
In the last, Gary Portelli-trained 3-year-old gelding Tung Ho took his record to two wins from eight starts. He won his maiden in July as a 2-year-old for his previous trainer.
Rosallion and Inisherin join Darley UK roster
Rosallion and Inisherin, both Group 1-winning grandsons of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's blue hen Reem Three (Mark Of Esteem), will join the Darley roster at Dalham Hall Stud for the 2026 breeding season.
Trained by Richard Hannon, Rosallion retires as the winner of five of his 13 starts and over £1.6 million (AU$3.3 million) in career earnings. Beaten just once in four starts as a 2-year-old, when his victories included the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp, he returned the following year with a runner-up finish in the G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, before proving himself Europe's leading 3-year-old miler with consecutive Group 1 triumphs in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh and St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Trained by Kevin Ryan, Inisherin dropped back to six furlongs after finishing sixth in last year's 2,000 Guineas, a move which immediately paid dividends when he ran out an impressive winner of the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock. The son of Shamardal then confirmed his position among the best sprinters of his age group when following up in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. A four-time winner from 12 starts, he retires with career earnings of more than £600,000 (AU$1.2 million).
Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “Rosallion and Inisherin are hugely exciting additions to the stallion roster at Dalham Hall Stud as a champion son of our own Blue Point and a fellow champion by Shamardal – both from one of the finest female families around.
“Rosallion posted three thrilling Group 1 victories and is a gorgeous-looking horse, which I am sure breeders will agree with when they come to view him at Dalham. We are also delighted to add another top-class performer from the Shamardal line to our European roster and Inisherin offers British breeders a superb opportunity to use a champion 3-year-old sprinter.”
A stakes win for The Autumn Sun's half brother
The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained, and the Aga Khan Stud bred and raced Azimpour (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), picked up his first stakes win in the Listed Chantilly Grand Prix du Nord over 2000 metres on Monday.
The half brother to the exciting Arrowfield Stud stallion The Autumn Sun was picking up his second win from only five starts and his first at stakes level.
Azimpour is the third stakes winner among six winners from six foals to race from Azmiyna (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), who has spent time in both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere as a broodmare.
Azmiyna is a half sister to Azamour (Ire), who was a Champion horse in Europe and was a four-time Group 1 winner before he went onto become a stallion.
Vinery’s charity sale at Fasig-Tipton
Vinery Sales will offer Grade I mares Dorth Vader (Girvin), Free Like a Girl (El Deal), and Sacred Wish (Not This Time) at the Fasig-Tipton November sale with a portion of the proceeds from each sale benefitting a specific charity, it was announced via press release Monday.
Vinery Sales's Matt Bowling said the connections of the three racemares will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the respective sales each to a different charity. The selected organizations set to receive the donations have names or missions that resonate with the owners or the names of the fillies. All three horses are being offered as racing/broodmare prospects and are consigned by Vinery Sales, agent.
“Evan Ferraro from Fasig-Tipton and I worked together on the idea,” said Bowling. “All three mares have incredible connections and unique names and stories, so we thought it would be good to do something along these lines. When I pitched the ideas to the teams of each horse, they were all excited to be a part of it and give back to some awesome charities.”
Sovereignty draws well for Breeders’ Cup
Godolphin's GI Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), looking to cap an historic sophomore campaign, drew post six and was promptly installed the 6-5 favorite for Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.
“No complaints about that,” trainer Bill Mott told Brittney Eurton at the post position draw held Monday afternoon in the Del Mar paddock. “There is some speed inside and it gives him a good opportunity to see what is unfolding in the race.”
Sovereignty | Image courtesy of Kentucky Derby
Since his win in the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty has added victories in the GI Belmont Stakes, GII Jim Dandy Stakes and GI Travers Stakes, looking more dominant with each start. One of the strongest Classics in recent memory also includes last year's defending champion Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who will break from post seven and is 8-1 on the morning line, as well as last year's runner-up Fierceness (City of Light), who drew post one and is 4-1 on the morning line, and third-place finisher Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}), who drew post five and is 6-1 on the morning line.
In addition to Sovereignty, the sophomore class is also represented in the Classic by GI Preakness Stakes winner Journalism (Curlin), who drew post nine and is 10-1 on the morning line, and GI Pennsylvania Derby winner Baeza (McKinzie), who drew post two and is 15-1 on the morning line.
Looking for a three-peat in the Turf
Godolphin's Rebel Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) will look to become just the third horse to win three Breeders' Cup races when he attempts a three-peat in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on Saturday.
Rebel Romance (Ire) | Image courtesy of Dubai Racing Club
The 7-year-old gelding breaks from the rail in a field of 14 and is 5-2 on the morning line, but he will face a strong challenge from 8-5 morning-line favourite Minnie Hauk (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was a narrowly beaten second in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Oct. 5. The 3-year-old filly will break from post eight.
Starspangledbanner pair for Friday’s Breeders’ Cup juvenile fields
In the five Breeders' Cup races that make up Future Stars Friday, trainer Aidan O'Brien has a pair of morning-line favourites who both drew the outside in their respective races. Precise (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) drew post 13 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and stablemate Gstaad (GB) (Starspangledbanner) drew post 14 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
O'Brien will also saddle likely GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint favourite True Love (Ire) (No Nay Never), who drew post nine of 12. In a match-up of East meets West, Spendthrift Farm's Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) drew the outside post eight for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, while Zedan Racing Stables' Brant (Gun Runner), a US$3 million (AU$4.58 million) OBS March purchase, will break just to his inside in post seven. Both colts are undefeated.
