Sabaj set for Australian Cup
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr were straight back to work after winning Saturday’s G1 Golden Slipper with Guest House (Home Affairs). They will set stablemate 4-year-old gelding Sabaj (Manhattan Rain) for this weekend’s G1 Australian Cup. “He's a big clean-winded horse,” Price told racenet.com.au.
Mick Price | Image courtesy of Price Kent Racing
“We're working him for 2000 metres … he doesn't take the power of work but he'll show up. He's got to be good enough on the day. It's a competitive race but we're keen to try him over 2000 metres. If (Pride Of) Jenni turns up (at her best) she's unbeatable.” He was fourth in the G1 All-Star Mile at his last start.
Yulong’s Ohope Wins heads to Vinery
Chris Waller likes the way his latest Kiwi import has settled in ahead of her first Aussie outing in the G1 Vinery Stakes. Yulong-owned 3-year-old filly Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) is coming off a G1 New Zealand Oaks victory in mid-February. “She has settled in really well,” Waller told racing.com.
Ohope Wins (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“Andrew (Scott) and Lance (O’Sullivan) have done a fantastic job with her, and they have been great to deal with since we have taken her over. She has had a pretty straightforward fortnight. She is very professional, she has settled in really well, she is in the same barn as Autumn Glow.
“We haven’t fussed over her, we have just treated her as a normal horse. We have seen some good things, she has had a couple of quiet gallops and she had a trial. James (McDonald) was aboard in the trial, and he was very impressed with her.
“She will run in the Vinery this Saturday over 2000 metres, it is a pretty good field. She has certainly got something about her.”
Sheza Alibi to jump out at Pakenham on Tuesday
Jockey Jamie Melham will ride 3-year-old filly Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) at the jump outs at Pakenham on Tuesday morning. “We thought it's (jumpout) a nice opportunity for Jamie to have a sit on her before the Doncaster,” co-trainer Katherine Coleman told racenet.com.au.
Sheza Alibi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She's super, she got off the float returning from Sydney, had a roll and bounced up like she's ready for round two, had her ears pricked. She's been very, very bright ever since that run, really, hasn't missed a beat. We're very pleased with her.” She won the G1 Randwick Guineas at her last start.
Slipper underdog thrilled with third
Canberra trainer Gratz Vella almost didn’t pay up the late entry fee for the G1 Golden Slipper with G3 Black Opal Stakes winning gelding Music Time (All Too Hard), but he showed up and ran third to Guest House (Home Affairs) and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes victrix Streisand (Magnus). “With 200m to go I thought we were going to win,” Vella told racenet.com.au.
“He's just gone super and I'm so proud of him. Every time he steps out he just goes up another level and he did that today … What a horse he is.” The $425,000 third prizemoney more than paid for the $150,000 entry fee, and the 2-year-old took his earnings over $600,000.
Vinery Stud sold him at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $45,000 to Vella Lodge.
Williams to utilise psychologist ahead of return
Gold Coast apprentice jockey Jai Williams will spend time with a sports psychologist this week as he prepares to return to the saddle after a fall in early February left him sidelined with concussion and a punctured lung. “I've got an appointment on Tuesday, the day before I start race riding,” Williams told racenet.com.au.
“It's just to talk and get things off my chest and see if I can get a little routine going. They don't hurt and they're free with Racing Queensland so I may as well use them. It's more about goal-setting and just keeping my eye on the prize.”
While off the scene, he’s watched his rival apprentices take away his lead in the metro premiership which is now led by Jace McMurray. “That beat me up a little bit, but that gives me a goal, to get past him. I was in a bit of a dark place. I was just self-isolating but I'm back out and doing little walks every day. Before I was sleeping a lot and just being a miserable prick.
“I'm going to a recovery centre and doing ice therapy and saunas and just seeing people now. I feel so much better just within myself.”
Listed Grandstand Cup won by Bonjoy
Last start Listed Bunbury Stakes winner Bonjoy (Maschino) made it two Listed races in succession when successful in Saturday night’s Listed Grandstand Cup at Ascot. The 6-year-old mare is trained by Jason Miller and took her record to 13 wins from 26 starts with earnings over $700,000.
Her trainer bought her from Alwyn Park Stud’s 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft for $60,000. She is the first foal of Snitzel mare Amity Belle, who has a unraced 3-year-old full brother to Bonjoy named Red Man Digger and a yearling colt who is also by Maschino. Amity Belle is a half-sister to Listed winner Dendee (Denman).
Double for Brutal at Goulburn
On Sunday, Brutal sired a double at Goulburn opening the card with Luke Pepper-trained 4-year-old mare Brutal Belle who won a maiden event by over four lengths. A $25,000 purchase at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Amarina Farm, she is one of three winners for Pasadera (Redoute’s Choice). Pasadera is an unraced half-sister to Group 2 winner Marching (Commands) and Listed winner Gait (Anabaa {USA}).
Later on the card, Matthew Kelley-trained 4-year-old mare Brutal Eyes took her record to four wins from 13 starts. Originally a $130,000 yearling, Brutal Eyes was on-sold via Inglis Digital in May 2025 for $18,000 and all her victories have come since then.
New winner for Bivouac
Bivouac added a new winner on Sunday at Orange when 3-year-old filly The Biv won for trainer Brad Widdup. She was having her third career start. She was sold by Highgrove Stud for $12,500 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Nick Cusick.
Bivouac, who has four stakes winners, now has 38 winners. The Biv is one of three winners for Marli (So You Think {NZ}) who is an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Khan (Exceed And Excel).
Ton for Te Akau again
Te Akau Racing have won 100 races in New Zealand this season with the ton coming with Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) on Saturday. “It’s a special milestone that we’ve managed to achieve for quite a few years in a row now,” David Ellis told Loveracing.nz on Sunday.
“I remember Mark Walker set a new benchmark for wins when he trained 108 in the 2009/10 season, eclipsing the previous 17-year-old record, which was a very proud moment for Te Akau and we’ve kept it going.
“Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) and I are very proud on every level. We’re proud of the horses we’ve bought and syndicated, the horses we train for other owners and breeders that support Te Akau, and all our wonderful staff here at the farm and the stables in Matamata, Riccarton, and Melbourne.
“These people give everything they’ve got to the racing industry and looking after the horses.”
Fahey announces partnership with son
Richard Fahey will soon be joined by his son Peter on his training licence. The elder Fahey began training in 1993. The duo will continue to train out of Musley Bank.
Fahey, who trained the 2025 G1 British Champions Sprint Stakes winner Powerful Glory (Cotai Glory), told www.sportinglife.com: “Peter has been working closely behind the scenes at Musley Bank for the past 10 years and now is the right time to get his name on the licence.
“This step is a natural progression for the yard and reflects the role he has been playing within the business for some time. He will be an asset, two heads are better than one. We see this as an exciting step forward – maintaining continuity while also looking ahead and strengthening the operation for the future.
“Robin O'Ryan and Eireann Cagney will also continue in their roles as assistants, so not too much is changing. I'm not retiring, far from it, but we are looking to the future and at some stage Peter will take over.”
Louisiana Derby goes to Emerging Market
And you thought a March Madness-esque upset would be limited to basketball. A proverbial 16 seed nearly took down the favourite in the Louisiana Region when maiden winner Emerging Market (Candy Ride {Arg}), the narrow 2-1 favourite, had to gut out a win over 21-1 longshot Pavlovian (Pavel) to win Saturday's G2 Louisiana Derby by a head.
“In his first race he showed a lot of professionalism,” jockey Flavien Prat said. “I was a little worried about the nine hole, but we worked out a good trip. He fought hard. It was a good run, very professional. Honestly, when I turned for home I thought I would win easily, but Pavlovian gave us a good challenge.”
With 100 points earned Saturday, Emerging Market now sits second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby behind Fulleffort. Pavlovian slots into third with 70 points and Golden Tempo jumps to sixth with 60 points.
American hopes for Dubai gallop in Meydan
With the Dubai World Cup meeting now less than a week away, a quartet of American-based gallopers took to the Meydan main track Saturday morning to post their final major preparations.
Defending G1 Dubai World Cup champion Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) is one of two in the main event for Wathan Racing (and one of an impressive six runners across the evening) and the 6-year-old tuned up for the 2000-meter feature Saturday, covering a half-mile in :48 2/5, per trainer Brad Cox.
In other World Cup night-related news, a trio of would-be Saudi raiders for owner Sheikh Abdullah Homoud Almalek Alsabah will not be making the trip after word came down that the Dubai Air Wing–which had previously brought horses from America, Japan and Europe into the Emirate–would be cancelling the March 22 flight on advice from the local Ministry of Defence.
The three runners were Al Haram (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}, G2 UAE Derby); Mhally (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev, G2 Godolphin Mile), previously winner of the G3 King's Cup; and Muqtahem (Ire) (Soldier's Call {GB}, G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen), who placed in the last two runnings of the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint.
Englishman half-sister added to Fasig-Tipton March
Fee, a half-sister to undefeated Englishman (Maxfield), has been supplemented to Fasig-Tipton's March Digital Sale, the online platform said in a press release early on Saturday morning.
“Fee is an exciting addition to the sale off of Englishman's monster performance on Thursday,” said Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales Leif Aaron. “Do not miss the many high-profile entries that we've received in the last week and are catalogued near the end of the sale. The last ten hips are loaded with six-figure horses coming off impressive wins, as well as broodmare prospects from live families with potential major updates on the horizon.”
