Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Cup week has ended for 2025 and here are the standout performances in two categories, Group 1s and the rest.
Tentyris confirms supremacy in a Coolmore demolition
The standout Group 1 performance of the week came from Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}), who obliterated standard time in his G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes victory, winning by more than four lengths.
Clocking a blistering 10.28 seconds between the 400 metres and 200 metres - the fastest section of the day - he came from last but had the race wrapped up inside the final 100 metres. Tentyris is the real deal and looks set to be Australia’s best sprinter within 12 months.
His straight-line speed is extraordinary, and there is little doubt that a trip to Royal Ascot could be on the cards.
How he gets there is the interesting part. Tentyris’ ratings tend to improve deeper into a preparation. While the G1 Lightning Stakes looks like an obvious first-up target, you’d almost want him to be heading there second-up to ensure he’s close to his peak.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’d be weighted out of a G1 Newmarket Handicap, but he’ll likely carry around 54kg (give or take a kilogram), which makes it tricky if there’s a handy one down on the limit.
That said, it’s certainly not a weight that will stop him from running time - something will need to grow a leg down on the minimum. Beyond that, the G1 William Reid Stakes next year at Caulfield or the G1 TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney are obvious options.
The TJ Smith, however, has been run on Heavy going in eight of the last ten editions. Tentyris has never faced a wet track, and you wouldn’t want a bog as his final lead-up run before a potential Royal Ascot campaign.
Could the Derby winner Observer be a Doncaster hope?
Sticking to the Godolphin royal blue, Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) was the victor in the G1 Victoria Derby. He was allowed to settle about three lengths off the standard early, before quickening over the next 500 metres.
His final 200 metres was ordinary, but Mark Zahra’s ride was impeccable and won the race for him. My ratings suggest he’s an ideal Doncaster horse for the autumn, perhaps with a Rosehill Guineas lead-up.
Oaks triumph cements Strictly Business in history
On the other hand, the VRC G1 Crown Oaks rated through the roof. Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}) achieved something we have no record of in our database: she won a 1400-metre maiden and, just 13 days later, claimed a Group 1 over 2500 metres - a remarkable feat.
Thomas Carberry delivered the training performance of the carnival, and when you consider that she smashed standard time by seven lengths, ran a very respectable last 200 metres, and won by 3.5 lengths, we could well be looking at a Cups contender in 2026.
Melbourne Cup masterclass from Half Yours
Speaking of the Cups, and more specifically the G1 Melbourne Cup, it was fantastic to see an Australian-bred galloper take out our biggest race. Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) did it in style, coming off a hot tempo set by Land Legend (Fr) (Galileo {Ire}), who had run eight lengths above standard through the first section.
Half Yours clocked the fastest split for every section from the 600 metres to the winning post, producing a dominant staying display. He’s an incredibly versatile horse, a genuine Weight-For-Age galloper who can stretch out to 3200 metres like the best of them.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel) dominate the Weight-For-Age scene in 2026, perhaps alongside Aeliana (NZ) (Castlelvecchio) if she develops a little more.
Champion Stakes Day, however, is one I’ll be letting go as a guide. It was clear that some wet-track performers simply didn’t handle the slippery conditions.
Emerging fillies Panova and Sheza Alibi
The following fillies could potentially be Group 1 winners in waiting…
Panova (Trapeze Artist) won the opening race of the carnival, the G3 Carbine Club Stakes, and she was thoroughly impressive. Stepping up to a mile for the first time, she faced a brutal tempo, with the field running seven lengths above standard through the first 1000 metres.
One of the trickiest things a horse can do is go up in trip and face a hot speed. It just asks too much of them.
But not Panova - she relished the challenge, clocking the second-fastest split of the day between the 800 metres and 600 metres, and still finishing off strongly.
The G1 Surround Stakes looks like a nice early target for her, although I think a mile, and perhaps further, will suit her even better. It’s not like Chris Waller to throw a 3-year-old filly into the deep end, but if ever there was one to contest a G1 Doncaster Mile, this is it.
She progressed through her spring preparation, improving with each run, whereas some youngsters ease off and merely roll in for their final run. I suspect she has a solid constitution.
She could, however, face competition from Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who won the G3 The Vanity just 40 minutes after Panova’s performance. More of a push-button type, Sheza Alibi was held up early but raced away to beat standard time by just under 2.5 lengths, with a huge late finish suggesting she may have more to offer.
We’ll find out over the mile in Saturday’s Sandown Guineas how far Sheza Alibi can be stretched, though the Surround Stakes certainly seems within her grasp as well.
Litzdeel’s Cup Day victory hints at bigger things
Litzdeel (Dundeel {NZ}) won the 2800-metre event on Cup Day, and while her figures didn’t set the clock alight, they were solid. Watching her develop over the past 12 months suggests we could see her in bigger races next year.
I had her specked at $101 for last year’s G1 Victorian Oaks, but she never made it to the race. She’s a half-sister to 2019 Melbourne Cup hero Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) and has inherited his stamina. She was the last horse off the bridal and raced in lane three on a day when every winner, bar one, came from lane nine or wider.
Persian Spirit’s rapid rise continues on Cup Day
The final race on Cup day saw Persian Spirit (Cable Bay {Ire}) run a career peak rating, figures that suggest this 5-year-old could bag a stakes race. He’s gone from running benchmark figures in a BM70 victory back in April at Warrnambool to smashing standard time in a BM90 just over six months later.
He could be your left-field horse that wins a big race if he continues on this upward spiral.
