Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Sydney return on cards for Giga after Lightning resumption

A seven-horse field of rivals stands between Everest champion Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) and another Group 1 in Saturday’s G1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Trainer Clayton Douglas shared with RSN on Friday that the autumn lead-up had been the 6-year-old’s smoothest preparation to date, and that he was hoping to keep the picket fence continuing from the spring, where he took out the G2 Schillaci Stakes and the G1 Champions Sprint.

"He had a big last year, and you always worry whether they're going to come back, a horse like him at six, rising seven," Douglas said. "If he hadn't performed last spring, we aren't the type of people that would keep going with him, and there's been multiple times where it's been touch and go with him, for sure, but to see him perform as he did, it showed he's still got that zest for racing.

"He was a bit wishy-washy in his first couple of runs back in Sydney (in spring 2024) and we were wondering where he was at and then he ran really well in The Everest. Then again, he didn't have the best of luck in The Goodwood and then he went up to Queensland, and it was only a fair run.”

Douglas shared that he was hopeful the gelding could race on for another one or two seasons, and was looking forward to getting off on the right foot down the straight on Saturday.

"He might not have a great first-up record, but he's had the perfect prep leading into this," Douglas said "It's going to be a good race, for sure."

Giga Kick is one of three older horses in the field, along with Baraqiel (Snitzel) and Benedetta (Hellbent), who will face off against five 3-year-olds bidding to repeat the success of Home Affairs and Coolangatta in the race.

Freedman takes confidence from Emirates Park’s fierce fillies

Autumn campaigns begin in earnest on Saturday for the royal green of Emirates Park’s silks as Slipper victress Marhoona (Snitzel) will step out as one of the 3-year-old fillies in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning, and Manaal (Tassort) returns in the G3 Triscay Stakes. Trainer Michael Freedman was happy to set Marhoona for a Group 1 first up, given she already had the top level form.

Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) was the last 3-year-old filly to win the Lightning in 2023, after winning the G1 Moir Stakes that spring, and before her, it was Regimental Gal (General Nediym) in 2004.

"I think she (Marhoona) has come back great," Freedman told racingandsports.com.au on Friday morning. "Slipper-winning fillies aren't easy to place, especially the ones that are more sprinting types.

"She is already a Group 1 winner so we want to try to line her up in races that can only potentially enhance her page, so we had a chat about it and thought we'd have a crack at the Lightning."

Enhancing the page is also important for 4-year-old Manaal, who Freedman has carefully placed where the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner can strike best and add to her record.

“She’s a multiple stakes winner, a Group 1 winner, it’s really (about) running her in races where she’s best suited and ideally where she doesn’t carry a penalty,’’ he told Racing NSW’s newsroom on Thursday. “We’ll pick our way around them and if she’s really going well, we can have a look at those good mares races in Brisbane.

“There’s a chance she may go to stud after this campaign. (Owner) Hussein Lootah is happy to have her racing at a high level at the age of four, a lot of his race at two and three and he doesn’t have a lot racing at four so he’s enjoying the ride at the moment.”

A fourth placing in the mare’s most recent trial doesn’t worry Freedman too much, who said she is well set up for her first-up assignment.

“She’s a very no fuss sort of mare,” he said. “The experiment of going around Caulfield didn’t suit her (in the spring), but her form in Sydney over the course of the last few years has been pretty good. I’m happy with how she has trialled up and she seems in good order.

“While she has to carry a bit of weight, it sets up quite nicely from the draw. It was somewhat tempting to have a look at the Expressway because she has less weight, but while it’s a small field, it is a field with a lot of depth.”

Marhoona has drawn barrier four in the field of eight for the Group 1 contest down Flemington’s straight, while Manaal will face 10 rivals from barrier five in the Triscay.

Aeliana and Autumn Glow loom large over Apollo return

If Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) runs as good as she looks, Chris Waller feels she will deliver a strong race first-up in Saturday’s G2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick.

“She's perfect," he told racingandsports.com.au on Friday. Despite contesting a G1 Cox Plate and pushing the likes of Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) and Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) to their limits in the spring, the mare’s condition had always been light to Waller’s eye, who believes she was still growing.

"She ate well through the spring, her bloods were good, but she never looked well. She looked light.”

Now much happier with her, Waller sends her to Randwick alongside stablemates Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and Lindermann (Lonhro).

"She will be very hard to beat on Saturday, as we saw first-up in the Winx (Stakes) last spring,” Waller said. “She almost beat Via (Sistina). As long as we didn't overtax her, (she will go well). That's my only fear, but there was no sign of it. We pulled up after the Cox Plate, and she was a bit unlucky there."

High class imports Wootton Verni (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Soul Of Spain (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain (Ire)), and River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) complete Waller’s six-strong Apollo offensive.

Outspan leads Slipper charge in Saturday's juvenile spread

There’s plenty of juvenile action countrywide on Saturday, with 59 runners stepping out for 45 stallions across six tracks. First season sires Portland Sky and Splintex tie for representation with four runners each - Splintex’s four are all in the R. Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic, which has attracted a full field of 14 for the $250,000 contest. There are six further first season sires with runners, including first runners for Darley shuttlers Victor Ludorum (GB) and Palace Pier (GB).

Table: Sires with two or more juvenile runners in Australia on Saturday

Saturday marks the final seven-day countdown until the 2026 G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and the third round of acceptances currently leaves 63 in contention for the first juvenile Group 1 of the season. Amongst the Listed Talindert Stakes field at Flemington are two acceptors who are aiming to claim a stakes victory en route to the grand final; Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Zambales (Pinatubo {Ire}) and Chris Waller’s Stellar Cipher (Zoustar) will lock horns ahead of final acceptances next week.

Both colts arrive with second placings on debut under their belts, hoping to repeat the historic double achieved by Star Witness in 2010.

Over at Randwick, another critical step towards the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes takes place in the $160,000 Pierro Plate, where all 12 starters are still in the field after second acceptances for the $5 million target.

Last start winner Outspan (Bivouac) looms as the obvious threat, and his trainer Michael Freedman knows the path to the grand final well; Freedman guided Stay Inside to Slipper glory in 2021 via the Pierro Plate with a fourth-placed run in the G2 Todman Stakes in the middle.

“It’s not ideal from a terrible gate," Freedman told Racing NSW on Friday, referencing the colt's wide draw from barrier 12. "But he’s four weeks between runs and I’d probably be a little reluctant to go five weeks. We still have the opportunity after Saturday to run in one of those 1200-metre colts races.

"History would show the wide gates for 2-year-olds that aren’t genuine leaders are quite tricky so we’ll have to see how we think we can find a decent spot.”

Rivals using Apollo as leg stretcher for distance tests

For two of Autumn Glow's G2 Apollo Stakes rivals, the 1400-metre season opener is just the beginning.

Joe Pride is using the race as a launchpad for a campaign that could see Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) stretch out to 2000 metres, where he could meet Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard) in some of the autumn's 10-furlong grand finals.

"This preparation, I am about once and for all establishing if he can run 2000 metres as well as what he runs a mile," Pride told RSN. "There's no doubt he runs 2000 metres, but is he as effective?”

Pride unveiled a five-start campaign for Ceolwulf to RSN on Friday that would culminate in the G1 Australian Cup and a return to the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. First up, he just expects a good showing, a late burst, and hopefully finishing "in the first four or five".

Likewise, Bjorn Baker expects to stretch Stefi Magnetica out to 2000 metres this campaign, and she will likely meet Ceolwulf again in the Queen Elizabeth if all goes well.

“It’s worth a shot, and if she never had a crack at it then you’d be left wondering when she does go to stud,” regular jockey Jason Collett told Racing NSW on Friday.

“This is the perfect time, and if it’s quite obvious that she doesn’t run it, then there are other options in the carnival. And if she does, that leads into the spring with more options there.”

Drawing wide in the Apollo will likely see Collett ride the rising 6-year-old conservatively, hoping for a late burst of speed like Ceolwulf.

Apocalyptic rematch for Savvy Hallie in Light Fingers

Trainer Brad Widdup sees the perfect opportunity in Saturday’s G2 Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick for his G2 Silver Shadow Stakes winner Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) to turn the tables on Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice), who got the better of the filly in the G2 Furious Stakes. Apocalyptic went on to win a Group 1, while Savvy Hallie was rested ahead of the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight, where she was fourth in the 1100-metre contest.

"Circumstances in The Sunlight just didn't suit her at all so out to 1200 metres, against her own sex, she should be competitive,” Widdup told RSN on Friday. “That sort of race, they ran 1:02s, it was a quick, high pressure sprint race. I think she's looking for 1200 (metres) or further possibly now.

“She's come through that really well though, she had a jump out last week, had a gallop Tuesday morning and seems to be in really good order."

Not that will be easy to defeat Apocalyptic, but Widdup is confident he has the filly in the right place to mount an effective challenge before heading to the G Surround Stakes.

"Look, Apocalyptic is very good, there's no two ways about it, and she seems to have trialled really well, but my filly has done nothing wrong,” Widdup said.

Apocalyptic’s trainer Michael Freedman is more concerned about a different rival for the Surround, where both fillies will clash with Group 1-performed Tempted (Street Boss {USA}), who won the G3 Eskimo Stakes last week.

“She’s a big strong girl, she might have come back a touch stronger through her midriff but she’s pretty much the same size and shape she was,” Freedman told Racing NSW. Earlier in the week, he had commented on the potential stoush with Tempted, where he had been cautious to lay any bold claims for the race.

“They’re animals, so I never get too far ahead of myself, and I certainly never get over-confident with any horse,” he said. “But I’m very happy with her and looking forward to getting her back to the track.”

Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Waikato Stud have announced that recently retired G1 Sistema Stakes winner Return To Conquer will be joining their roster in 2026. The son of Snitzel is the latest stallion to emerge from Te Akau Racing, having worn the same blue and orange colours as successful young sire Sword Of State, Cool Aza Beel (NZ), Xtravagant (NZ), Noverre (NZ), and Move To Strike.

A kind colt into a million dollar prospect

Bred by Philip Campbell and Mike Howard at Blue Gum Farm, Return To Conquer is the second foal out of Vaujany (Lonhro), an unraced full sister to G2 Surround Stakes winner Ghisoni, dam of Listed-winner Renosu (Exceed And Excel), as well as a half-sister to stakes-performed, six-time winning metropolitan sprinter Andermatt (Snitzel) and Aspen (Exceed And Excel), dam of G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes winner Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}).

Second dam Portillo (Red Ransom {USA}) also won the Surround and was placed in both the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes and the G1 Flight Stakes, and is a half-sister to G1 Galaxy Handicap winner Snowland (Snippets) and sire Snippetson.

Blue Gum principal Sean Dingwall shared that the son of four-time Champion Sire Snitzel was always a nice foal, but that the older he got, the more he blossomed.

“As he grew into his weanling stage, he became exceptional,” Dingwall said. “He always had a great walk and a great manner about him. He always had a very good temperament and he got better with age.”

Offered in Blue Gum’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in 2024, Return To Conquer was a popular horse on complex and Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) had to reach to $1.3 million to secure the colt.

“One of the things that everyone loved about him was he was probably as close to Snitzel as anyone had ever seen,” Dingwall said. “He was never a big horse, but he was always very Snitzel. He always had a very good eye, and was a very kind horse in general as well. That is what sold him - every time he came out to walk, he walked the same. He did everything we asked of him. He was just there to please, always.”

“From the moment I first inspected him at the Magic Millions' sale, he stood out,” said Ellis. “He was a magnificent individual - strong, athletic and beautifully balanced - with the pedigree to match.”

With a page thick with black-type and the physical to match, it isn’t hard to understand what drove more than one bidder to push past the seven-figure barrier.

Talented from the start

Entrusted to Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Return To Conquer was amongst the first batch of 2-year-olds to trial in his crop, stepping out to secure victory by a neck on August 6 in 2024. The colt would win his next two trials before debuting in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes where he was a dominant winner by two and a half lengths.

He returned the following January to remain undefeated at the trials, before adding the G3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic and the G3 Matamata Slipper - a race also won by leading first season sire Sword Of State - to his record in February.

“He was always very natural and showed us plenty of talent from day one,” said Bergerson. “He always did things very effortlessly. His temperament always held him in good stead. He was just so straightforward to train, especially as a young horse and being a colt where you may expect him to do the odd thing wrong, but he just never seemed to falter on anything we asked of him.

“The more we did with him, the better he got. He just knew what he was there for.”

Return To Conquer’s New Zealand career culminated in the G1 Sistema Stakes in March, where he took command of the race with 150 metres left to run and fended off a late challenge from Landlock (Merchant Navy) to remain unbeaten. He joins Sword Of State and Cool Aza Beel as recent winners who have gone on to success at stud, both of whom are also graduates of Te Akau.

“It was a massively exciting journey for the team here at home and especially myself,” Bergerson said. “He's always going to hold a really sort of special place in my heart - there have been many stallions to come out of Te Akau, but he is the first that I have trained. He is very special, and I am excited for New Zealand that he is coming home to stud.”

Injury prevented Return To Conquer from pursuing an Australian campaign as intended, but he signs off his career unbeaten by a single horse in a trial or on race day.

“He developed into an elite racehorse under Mark (Walker) and Sam's (Bergerson) guidance, retiring unbeaten in four starts,” said Ellis. “All four of his victories were at stakes level, including the G1 Sistema Stakes. Records like that are seldom found.”

“Just as importantly, he has a beautiful temperament and a real presence about him. We buy these well-bred colts to compete and win at the highest level and Return To Conquer did exactly that. To see him retire unbeaten and now head the renowned Waikato Stud is immensely satisfying - it gives him a tremendous platform, and it is a wonderful result for the New Zealand breeding industry.”

The right fit for New Zealand

“We’re very excited and proud to stand such a top-class racehorse with a beautiful pedigree and impeccable looks,” said Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick. “He will complement our broodmare band extremely well and to have Kia Ora Stud remain in him adds to the excitement; the Australasian industry will get every opportunity to support him at this introductory fee.

“To stand a horse bought by one of the best judges in the industry is a real privilege, and it’s a testament to the Te Akau Racing team to have him retire with an unbeaten stakes record.”

Harry and George Chittick visited Return To Conquer at the Te Akau Cranbourne base ahead of the stud’s announcement and were pleased to ratify Te Akau’s impression of him.

“Ben Gleeson showed him to us and he was really impressive, he has a good brain on him, and he’s such a dude,” said Harry. “Speaking to Jamie and Chanel (Beatson, Ohukia Lodge) he was the best they broke in that year. Everything about him is impressive - from his pedigree to his performance, temperament and physical presence.”

“He’s a beautiful horse and very precocious,” George said. “One of the things I took away was, yes, there is plenty of Snitzel in there, but there is a touch of Lonhro, too. I’d be very pleased walking out to get him from the paddock each day and bringing him to the barn or showing him to clients. We’re very excited and proud to be a part of the next stallion for Waikato Stud.”

Return To Conquer will join the likes of Savabeel, Super Seth, and Ocean Park (NZ) on Waikato Stud’s roster, where he will stand for an introductory fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST), with a life foal guarantee.

“At the end of the day, (he’s) a Group 1-winning son of Snitzel and a good specimen. To get all those things together is not easy,” said Garry Chittick. “We have a very good spread of stallions, so he fits into our mix well.”

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

In April 2024, the story broke across several news outlets that five horses from five Victorian stables had returned positive raceday swabs for Formestane and 4-Hydroxytestosterone. Since then, the number has expanded to 24 trainers across the thoroughbred and harness racing codes, but it was revealed earlier this week that Racing Victoria has conceded to a number of those trainers that they did not administer the drugs to their horses.

Formestane is a drug used overseas for treating aggressive breast cancer, but it is not approved for use in humans or animals by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), while 4-Hydroxytestosterone is an anabolic steroid, which is prohibited under the Australian Rules Of Racing. All raceday urine samples were, as is routine, analysed by Racing Analytical Services Limited.

Under the Rules, detection of the latter substance typically comes with a penalty that prohibits a horse from starting in an official trial, jump-out, or race for 12 months from the date that the sample was collected.

Racing Victoria originally laid charges against Mark and Levi Kavanagh, Amy and Ash Yargi, Symon Wilde, Julius Sandhu, and Smiley Chan for positives to the drug, with the actual infractions dating back as far as February 2023, and it was reported at the time that a tribunal date was yet to be fixed. The most high profile horse with a positive swab is multiple Group winner Sirileo Miss (Pride Of Dubai), who has since retired.

Since then, a number of other stables have been informed of positive raceday swab results for the substances, including Tom Dabernig, Matthew Brown, Lee and Shannon Hope, Lloyd Kennewell, and Patrick Payne.

On Monday, betsy.com reported that Racing Victoria and Darren Sheale, representing the original five stables with positive swabs, had reached an agreement where Racing Victoria would concede that it “will not seek to establish that the detected substances are from exogenous origin”; an admission that the stables did not administer the substances found in raceday samples.

Racing Victoria also concedes that it has no evidence that the trainers did not tell stewards the truth when questioned about the samples, and has withdrawn evidence given by RV Regulatory Veterinarian Dr Edwina Wilkes that suggests the drugs were administered.

In return, the five stables would have to plead guilty to a presentation charge, which is an admission of the drugs being actually in the urine samples. The agreement is the result of a five-day hearing before the Victorian Racing Tribunal that took place in December.

All of the trainers have maintained their innocence, and on Friday, the Australian Trainers’ Association’s President Troy Corstens has publicly thrown his support behind the trainers in their endeavours to bring the case to a close. Corstens confirmed that ATA representative Paul Maher had been present for the hearing in December.

The Tribunal will reconvene on Tuesday, February 24, to hear the trainers’ final plea and to administer penalties for the substances.