Saturday summary: Tempted and Observer set Group 1 targets after winning returns

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Observer pounces first-up in Autumn Stakes

Godolphin had a surplus of 3-year-old stars in the spring, but Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) stands out as particularly special for the operation as their first Derby winner after his victory in the G1 Victoria Derby. He opened his autumn account on Saturday right where he left off with a bullish victory in the G2 Autumn Stakes.

Sent off understandably the favourite, the colt stalked the lead before leaping to the front in the home straight and fending off a late charge from Planet Red (Admire Mars {Jpn}), who came hurtling forward from the rear of the field to run second by a length and a quarter.

Godolphin and trainer Ciaron Maher enjoyed an interstate Group double for the Blue Army 3-year-olds, with Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) delivering a flash first up result in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Randwick an hour later.

Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull shared that the colt had matured a lot since his spring exploits, and thus it was an easy decision to take off the Norton Bit in favour of more regular racing gear.

"(For Observer) to begin like he did and then for Ethan (Brown) just to go with him and be in that position and travel so kind, it was good to see from our end,” Turnbull said. "Then to respond and quicken, first-up off a Derby prep, and so lightly raced, it was exciting.

"He'll be second-up in the Australian Guineas in three weeks, which is his early grand final, and if we were to be successful then we could go through a few different options."

Jockey Ethan Brown shared that the colt could be a little dour in his work, so it was pleasing to find him responsive over the sprint trip to kick off his campaign.

“The beauty of it is that he was fresh enough to hold a spot over 1400 (metres), so going up in trip, he'll dour out,” he said. “Now that he can hold a spot, (it) makes it easier for connections, horse, and jockey.”

Sales: Observer is a homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree: Observer is the second stakes winner for Smooth (Lonhro), a full sister to Pierro. His older brother Sandpaper (Snitzel) won the Listed Carrington Stakes a fortnight ago.

Also a half-sister to G2 Wakeful Stakes winner Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}) and a full to the dam of G2 Caulfield Sprint winner Estriella (I Am Invincible), Smooth has colts by Anamoe and Cylinder to come for her, and was served by Too Darn Hot (GB) at the beginning of December.

Tempted sends autumn omen in ice cold Eskimo Prince

It would not be a difficult statement to make that Tempted was unlucky to not win a Group 1 in the spring, but her autumnal return in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes suggests that she is keen to set that right this preparation. The 3-year-old daughter of Street Boss (USA) was on her best behaviour to resume in the Group 3 event at Randwick, and she jumped well to secure a midfield spot.

Early leaders Watson (Capitalist) and Dusty Bay (Sandbar) set a blistering pace, but were no match for the filly when Chad Schofield gave her a light push in the home straight. She sailed past them - with Napoleonic (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in hot pursuit - to look entirely untroubled when winning by a length and a quarter. Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) mustered late speed to finish third, almost three lengths behind the filly.

It completed an interstate Godolphin Group double for Maher, and a treble of Group races for the operation, with the third courtesy of Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) in the G3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes back at Caulfield.

"We've got a pretty special horse with her," Maher's New South Wales assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. “When they run second in an Everest (to Ka Ying Rising) as a spring 3-year-old, you know they're something quite different.

“She's come back really well, she returned from her spell looking magnificent. Last preparation, it took a couple of runs to get her looking right in the coat, but this time in from the first day, she just couldn't have looked any better. Everything has gone so smoothly. Physically she's matured, she's about 15 kilos heavier than last preparation so she's stronger in that regard.

"Because she does everything so easy, it's hard to know her ceiling. I'm sure she's come back better but how much better it's hard to tell. We'll find out."

Next stop for the flash filly is the G1 Surround Stakes in three weeks’ time.

"Obviously, she would have been better placed next week against the fillies (in the Light Fingers), but the three-week gap works out better for her," Gerard-Dubord said. "The two-week gap in the spring between the Run To The Rose and the Golden Rose just took a bit out of her. But we've got no concern about the 1400 metres. She relaxes and has a great turn of foot."

Sales: Tempted is a homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree: Tempted is the second stakes winner for G2 Magic Night Stakes victress Calliope (Exceed And Excel), alongside multiple Group winner Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Descended from G1 VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me {USA}), her close family include fellow Godolphin stakes winners Bacchanalia (Exceed And Excel), Aquitaine (Exceed And Excel), and Zethus (Exceed And Excel).

Calliope delivered an Anamoe filly in 2025, and subsequently returned to the nine-time Group 1 winner.

Oak Hill scores stakes breakthrough in Rubiton

The older Kiwi horses were in fine form on both sides of the Tasman on Saturday, and 5-year-old Oak Hill (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) continued the theme at Caulfield when making his black-type breakthrough in the G2 Rubiton Stakes.

The Lindsay Park-trained gelding has taken a while to bloom, having been tried in stakes company for much of the last 12 months, but he put it all together on Saturday under the steerage of Damien Lane to deny Don’t Hope So (So You Think {NZ}) by a neck, with over a length gap to the favourite Hedged (Capitalist) in third.

"We are definitely happy to put January behind us and that was a terrific effort," co-trainer JD Hayes said. "I thought he put the writing on the wall last start with his return run. We've taken all the gear off his head and he's just starting to really learn his craft.

"He's a late learner and a horse that we inherited from the late, great, Mike Moroney and he is getting better each preparation.”

The G1 Oakleigh Plate could be next on the gelding’s agenda after racking up his eighth career win in 19 starts and collecting over $700,000 in prizemoney for connections including Rupert Legh, whose colours Oak Hill races in.

Lane agreed with the target, saying, "he'd handle it well. He's got that experience now in short course racing - hustle and bustle - and now that he's more mature in the mind, that'll help him and it'll set up well."

Sales: Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables outlaid NZ$180,000 to secure Oak Hill from Little Avondale Stud’s draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: A descendant of the great mare Twyla (Danehill {USA}) - who had another stakes-winning descendant on the same card with Tom Kitten - Oak Hill is a half-brother to G1 Captain Cook Stakes winner Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), who was a winner in the spring in the $200,000 So You Think Stakes.

His dam Isstoora (High Chaparral {Ire}) is out of Twyla’s G3 SAJC Breeders’ Stakes-winning daughter Murjana (Giant’s Causeway {USA}), and was covered by Per Incanto (USA) again in the spring. Saturday’s victory marks a 36th stakes winner for the stallion.

First Five claims back to back Group 1s in BCD Sprint

Just a month ago, trainer David Greene posted his first Group 1 victory when First Five (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) nabbed the best win of his career in the G1 Telegraph Stakes, and he didn’t have to wait long for the in form gelding to strike again at the top level in Saturday’s G1 BCD Sprint at Te Rapa.

Australian raiders Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) dominated the early stages of the 1400-metre event, and the 5-year-old son of Almanzor (Fr) settled in behind the latter to wait patiently for the home straight. Jockey Wiremu Pinn pulled the trigger once straightening and the gelding dutifully roared past the early leaders to win by a length and three quarters over the fast-finishing Sterling Express (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}).

“I was shocked to see the TAB had opened him up at $13,” Pinn said. “He is just an absolute machine and I thought he played with them today.

“It panned out perfectly I had myself mapped to be outside Here To Shock, but there was a little more speed than I thought. They ran at a genuine pace, which was good, we were in a good rhythm, never spent a penny and he has blown them away.

“He is very special, I think he can win a Group One at 1200 metres and 2000 metres. He has got a very bright future.”

“There is a huge crowd for him here today and what a win, he just dominated them,” Greene said. “He brained a really good field and that’s how good he is, he is a really top-class horse. His work on Tuesday was unreal, he just gets better and better, it is amazing.”

Greene now sets the gelding’s sights on the G1 Otaki Maori WFA Classic over a mile in a fortnight’s time, saying, “I guess we will run up at Ellerslie in a couple of weeks and give him a go over a mile. There is not really much else left for him unless he is crossing the ditch, which is a difficult thing to do at this late stage of the prep. There is no reason why that isn’t something he can do in the spring.”

Sales: First Five is a homebred for Gerald Shand, and is owned in partnership with his granddaughter Jenna McLeod and family.

Pedigree: An eight-time winner from 20 starts, First Five is the best of two winners for six-time winner Payette (Volksraad {GB}) and is a third generation homebred for Shand. His younger brother Rambling On (NZ) is a dual winner from seven starts and ran second in the NZ$350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Classic earlier in the card.

Opie clocks in 100 Group 1s as Legarto denies Kingswood in Herbie Dyke

It was aboard Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in the G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes that jockey Opie Bosson became just the second Kiwi jockey, and second based in New Zealand, to secure a century of Group 1 wins - a fitting act to happen on Legends Day at Te Rapa on Saturday. The hoop had retired with 99 to his credit and returned to the saddle six months ago with renewed vigour.

“It is just huge,” Bosson said. “It has taken a lot of hard work out at Te Akau Stud with David Ellis. A lot of people have been involved, Stephen Autridge has been like my rock the whole way through, and I am pleased to have finally got it.”

It was a fourth top flight victory for Ken and Bev Kelso’s Legarto, who hadn’t recorded a win in 12 months before Saturday’s exploits took her career total to 11. The 6-year-old mare loomed up strongly in the home straight to snatch victory away from trans-Tasman raider Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}), who had been the victor when they last clashed in the G1 Zabeel Classic at the end of December.

It was an emotional victory for Ken Kelso, whose wife and training partner Bev was unable to be trackside due to an ongoing illness, leaving Kelso to celebrate their 15th Group 1 win on his own.

“When she loomed up, I thought she would be hard to beat,” Kelso said of Legarto’s brave run. “Everyone had written her off, but she is an Australian Group 1 winner and you can’t take that away from her.

“It’s a great satisfaction. She has had a few setbacks, she did a tendon and had a lot of time off, and she had a foot problem this time with her heel. She hasn’t been running bad races, but she still has been running thirds and fourths. She was back on a good deck today at Te Rapa, which she loves, so she was always a chance.”

Kelso signalled that the G1 Bonecrusher Stakes was likely next on the agenda for the mare, despite her dislike of the track.

“We will just take a deep breath today and savour the moment,” he said.

Sales: Ancroft Stud bought Legarto for just NZ$90,000 from Book 2 of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Highline Thoroughbreds.

Pedigree: Legarto is one of three winners out of city-winning Geordie Girl (NZ) (Towkay) who have double digit race records, alongside 11-time winning sister Emanon (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) and 10-time winner Locally Sauced (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).

Geordie Girl is a full sister to dual Listed winner Rapid Kay (NZ) (Towkay) and a half to dual Listed-winning Kekova (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}). She was covered by Proisir in 2025.