Saturday summary: Aussies dominate Karaka Millions day

Cover image courtesy of Race Images

Aussies invade New Zealand sprint crown

For the second time this summer, an Australian-trained horse has won a Group 1 race at Ellerslie. Gavin Bedggood-trained Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) won the G1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day, and now Cindy Alderson has won the G1 Railway Stakes with Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain).

“What a beautiful horse,” jockey Logan Bates said. Fellow Australian raider Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) was second by three-quarters of a length, with Swendsday (NZ) (Sweynesse) in third.

“You wouldn’t think he was a 7-year-old gelding to come back like this and get better and better. Every day I ride him going this way (right-handed) and all the work that we have done with him I just grew in confidence.

“There are so many people to thank. I have got Mum and Dad here, my partner, my good mate Jake, and to do it for Cindy is just unreal.

“It was like it was meant to be, to come back to where I grew up in New Zealand. Even his (Jigsaw) mother was from New Zealand. Coming here and racing on one of the best days here and taking out one of their bigger Group 1s in the Railway is just incredible.”

Jigsaw has won four in succession including The Meteorite at his last start and the G2 Ian McEwan Stakes prior to that. All up, he has 13 career victories from 37 starts and over $2.1 million in earnings.

Sales info: Bred by Mrs LB Alderson, he is owned by C Alderson and M Price.

Pedigree notes: Jigsaw is the fourth Group 1 winner for Manhattan Rain, who is now based in Western Australia, Jigsaw is a half-brother to stakes placed Queen Adele (Adelaide {Ire}). Their dam, Demandz (NZ) (Lonhro), won three times and is a daughter of Listed winner Loaded Command (Commands).

This is the family of G1 Stradbroke Handicap winning mother and daughter Mid Summer Music (Oamaru Force) and Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard).

Zoustar reigns supreme at Caulfield

Reigning Champion Sire Zoustar showed his strength with a stakes double at Caulfield with Space Rider and Regal Zeus. Zoustar also celebrated a juvenile winner in New Zealand with Andrew Carston-trained 2-year-old filly Miss Twinkle winning at Riccarton.

MyRacehorse-owned 3-year-old colt Space Rider put himself firmly into G1 Australian Guineas calculations with victory in the G3 Manfred Stakes. The result was a quinella for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable with Job Done (Snitzel) finishing half a length behind his stablemate. Ciaron Maher-trained filly Salty Pearl (Tagaloa) was third.

Space Rider’s three victories have all come while fresh, winning on debut at two, then winning first up in the early spring. The challenge now remains to keep him on track for the Guineas, as he’s failed to place in his four other starts when not fresh. Space Rider is the 76th stakes winner for Zoustar.

“He is still a bit of a bull and he knows he's good,” stable racing manager Tom Sheahan said. He will likely head to the G3 C.S. Hayes Stakes next before the Guineas, following the same path was Price/Kent trained Grunt (NZ) who won the Hayes and Guineas in 2018.

Sales info: Space Rider was sold by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm for $500,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Mick Price, TFI, and Dermot Farrington. His yearling full sister was sold by the same farm to James Harron and Michael Freedman for $625,000 at this year’s Gold Coast sale.

Pedigree notes: A full brother to Brereton, who won the G3 Maribyrnong Plate and was a seven figure yearling, Space Rider is out of G3 WA Champion Fillies Stakes winner Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom {USA}). Fuddle Dee Duddle is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and five-times Group 1 placed Hallowell Belle (Starcraft {NZ}), and to the dam of four-time Group 1 winner Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).

Zoustar’s other stakes winner on the card was Regal Zeus who won the Listed John Dillon Stakes, having won the Listed Lord Stakes last start. Trained by John McArdle, the 5-year-old gelding took his record to 11 wins from 33 starts with earnings over $1 million.

Sales info: Regal Zeus was sold by Edinburgh Park Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $150,000 to Regal Bloodstock, Blue Grass (FBAA) and Redgum Racing.

Pedigree notes: The second foal of Grade 3-placed Quiet Kitten (USA) (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), Regal Zeus is from the family of $2.4 million earner Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock), and Group 2 winner and Aquis Farm sire Glenfiddich.

Well Written first, daylight second

Unbeaten 3-year-old filly Well Written (Written Tycoon) continued her winning march for trainer Stephen Marsh with a staggering six length victory in Saturday’s R.Listed Karaka Millions 3YO. The hot favourite powered away from the other runners under a cool ride from regular rider Matt Cartwright. Stakes placed He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel) was second while Group 1 winner La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) was third.

“Everything went well although we probably got back a length further than I wanted. I thought she paraded so well today as I was a shade of green before last start, but I was relatively relaxed today and we have just seen something pretty special,” Marsh said.

“People have asked me how good is she and I just hope she keeps improving the way she has, as it is very exciting. I always say to Matt don’t panic, have faith in yourself and the horse and if you are going well on one with this ability it will happen (winning).

“He didn’t panic and that is what I like about him. This makes me feel bloody good and this is why we do it, why we get out of bed and I just love seeing the owners and everyone so excited.

“You will now see her in the Kiwi next.” Well Written has won all her five starts, including the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas, and over NZ$1.4 million.

Sales info: Well Written was originally purchased by Foxhill Thoroughbreds as a weanling for $32,500 from the Lemrac Lodge draft at the 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale, she was then the NZ$80,000 sale-topper for Brighthill Farm at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale, purchased by Stephen Marsh Racing in partnership with Dylan Johnson Bloodstock.

Following her first two dominant performances - including her emphatic G2 Soliloquy Stakes triumph - Yulong moved to acquire a 50 percent share in the talented filly.

Pedigree notes: By champion sire Written Tycoon, Well Written is out of stakes placed mare Mozzie Monster (Sebring) and the only named foal from the mare. She is the best performed of four foals to race for Group 3 winning mare Valentine Miss (Danetime {Ire}). Mozzie Monster had a colt by Nicconi this spring.

Hedged blasts the Pakenham track

Friday night’s G2 Australia Stakes, usually run at Moonee Valley, was held at Pakenham while The Valley undergoes a complete renovation. Gavin Bedggood-trained 5-year-old gelding Hedged (Capitalist) was sent out by punters at $9.50 after failing last start in the G3 Standish Handicap. But he bounced back to form in sensational style, bolting home by two lengths in a track record time for the 1200 metres of 1:07.58.

Veight (Grunt {NZ}), who was resuming ran second, while the hot favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}) clung on for third, but pulled up with a minor hind leg injury. The race was marred by Patrick Kearney-trained Group 3 winner Cannonball (Capitalist) sustaining a fatal injury on the turn, which forced Grahame Begg-trained Maharba (Pride Of Dubai) wide. Cannonball was sadly euthanised, and Maharba pulled up a long last but passed a veterinary clearance post-race.

“When this Hedged turns up, he’s a serious horse,” stable representative Darryl Horner Jnr said post-race.

“Gavin is convinced he is a Group 1 horse … he is a bit of a head-scratcher every now and again, sometimes he doesn't turn up, but when he does … you know, like War Machine is a Group 1 winner in his own right.

“Great ride, he's a funny sort of horse. He's been good all prep, good going into every single run. This is a big thing for us, we're only a smallish sort of stable and we all dig in deep.”

Hedged, who won the Listed Christmas Stakes two starts ago, has six wins from 24 starts and earnings over $1 million.

Sales info: Yulong sold Hedged at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $140,000 to Roll The Dice Racing and Mick Price Racing. Yulong sold his yearling half-brother by Written Tycoon at this year’s Gold Coast sale to Roll The Dice Racing and Rogers Bloodstock for $330,000.

Pedigree notes: Hedged is the second foal of unraced Acing Shamrock (Fastnet Rock) who is a half-sister to South African dual Group 2 winner and G1 South African Fillies Classic-placed Nafaayes (Exceed And Excel) and Hong Kong’s G3 National Day Cup winner Stoltz (More Than Ready {USA}). The trio are out of G3 Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes winner Decelerator (USA) (Dehere {USA}).

Baker and Darby find another rising star

Trainer Bjorn Baker couldn’t split his trio of runners for Saturday’s Listed Carrington Stakes and so it proved (mostly) true when he quinellaed the race with Sandpaper (Snitzel) and Thunderlips (Zoustar). It was the second stakes win for Sandpaper since being acquired by the stable last year. Sandpaper has won seven of his 36 starts and over $800,000. He won the G3 Newcastle Stakes in March 2025.

“He was really tough in Brisbane (sixth last start). He never got any peace. They were three-wide attacking him the whole way and I thought he held his own and boxed on really well,” racing manager Luke Hilton said.

“Bjorn just gave him that bit of extra time between runs when he came back, and he looked fantastic in the yard. His work during the week was super and Nash (Rawiller) gets on with him well.” It was a treble for Rawiller on the card, who also won on Promitto (Divine Prophet) for David Atkins and Kingdom Undersiege (I Am Invincible) for Matthew Dunn.

Snitzel had a double at Randwick with Gatsby’s returning to form with a win for Joe Pride.

Sales info: Purchased by Darby Racing for $130,000 from Godolphin via Inglis Digital in September 2024.

Pedigree notes: A half-brother to G1 Victoria Derby winner Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Sandpaper is out of Lonhro mare Smooth who has an Anamoe yearling colt and a colt foal by Cylinder.

Unraced Smooth is a half-sister to Champion 2YO and top class sire Pierro and Group 2 winner Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}) who is the dam of stakes placed Atmosphere (Lonhro). This is also the family of G1 Prix d’Ispahan winner Laverock (Ire) (Octagonal {NZ}).