Waller’s colts aiming to break Doncaster drought
It’s been 10 years since Chris Waller won the G1 Doncaster Mile with Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), and he hopes his two 3-year-old colts can win him his seventh victory in the race on Saturday. He saddles up Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) and Sixties (Flying Artie).
“Sixties is a very talented horse and he’s shown that in his Phar Lap win,” Waller told racingnsw.com.au.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Rachel (King) won a Group race on him in the spring, she’s obviously a natural lightweight rider and I see her as a big race rider. She’s won some big races in Australia, big races in Japan, she’s the right person for the job.”
On Autumn Boy, Waller said, “You need a strong 2000-metre horse to win a tough Randwick mile so that’s what I’m going with and he's got a pretty good weight. He’s come through (the Guineas) really well.”
Attendance up 12% for Victorian autumn
Racing Victoria will release full autumn carnival figures later in the week, but so far, attendance year-on-year in the six weeks to March 21 is up 12%. This includes the largest crowd at the G1 Blue Diamond in 20 years.
“The Festival of Racing has continued the strong momentum from the Spring Racing Carnival and Christmas holiday period in Victoria and that's no accident,” Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison told racing.com.
Aaron Morrison | Image courtesy of Racing Victoria
“Victoria is home to the most watched, wagered and attended race meetings in Australia and it's pleasing to see the sport's profile and popularity further elevated as evidenced by growing engagement metrics. Some of the country's best gallopers cemented their reputations… and we also witnessed the emergence of some seriously talented younger horses.
“Standouts included Blue Diamond Stakes winner Streisand, among a strong crop of Victorian 2-year-olds, and exciting 3-year-old filly Sheza Alibi. Both announced themselves as stars of the future… the impressive crowd on Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes Day was one of many across the Festival of Racing, with our country cups again contributing enormously to the overall success.”
Vale Henry Brewer
Racing Victoria were sad to announce the death of Steward Henry Brewer at age 64 following a battle with illness. He served as a steward in Victoria for around 40 years, beginning in April 1987 under the tutelage of Northern Chair, Terry O’Brien, during the period in which Pat Lalor was the Victorian Chairman of Stewards.
Vivy Air to take on Doncaster
Ciaron Maher-trained Vivy Air (Hellbent) will take on 3-year-old filly Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in the G1 Doncaster Handicap now that unbeaten super mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) will skip the race.
“I was going to go to the Queen Of The Turf as I thought that other horse (Autumn Glow) might go to the Donny, but now I am happy to take the 3-year-old on,” Maher told racing.com.
Vivy Air | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“She’s (Vivy Air) a seasoned older mare and it was probably one of her best runs the other day. She’s run second to Gringotts twice and Gringotts has got 58.5kgs and she’s got 51kgs. I would back her to beat him at the weight. The form she is in, it doesn’t matter if it is wet or dry.” She ran third in the G1 Coolmore Classic last start.
Storm Leopard connections pay up for Derby
The connections of last start G2 Tulloch Stakes winner Storm Leopard (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) have decided to pay the $44,000 late fee for the G1 Australian Derby on Saturday.
“Yes, we're paying up for him,” MyRacehorse managing director Ben Willis told racenet.com.au.
“He's pulled up a treat and that's what we wanted to see before making a call about Saturday. It's exciting to be there on such a big day of racing. A huge thrill for his owners.”
Observer to mimic Hitotsu
In 2022, young sire Hitotsu became the first horse since Mahogany in 1993/94 to win both the G1 Victoria Derby and G1 Australian Derby, and this year, Hitotsu’s trainer Ciaron Maher will attempt the same with Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}).
“Craig (Williams) probably went a touch slow the other day – if he had his time again I’m sure he would have gone a bit quicker,” Maher told racing.com.
Observer | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“But he rallied well and was good through the line. He’s come through his run really well. He did a piece of work early in the week but he doesn’t need to do much. I suppose getting out to that trip (2400 metres) twice is a bit of a feat but we’ve done it before.”
Streisand decision delayed until Tuesday
The decision on whether G1 Blue Diamond winner Streisand (Magnus) will run in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes or the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes will hold until Tuesday.
“Streisand is well. There’ll be a decision made tomorrow (Tuesday) on whether we go to the Sires’ Produce or whether we go to the Percy Sykes,” trainer Clinton McDonald told SEN’s Giddy Up With Gareth Hall.
“Ben Melham’s coming up to gallop her in the morning and we’ll make a call after we watch her work. I do like the Sires’ because she gets a two-kilo weight allowance off the colts and I think it’ll only be a field of six or seven, so it could be a softly-run race, whereas the Percy Sykes, she’s virtually got to carry 60 kilos – it’s a 55kg handicap base and she for her winning a Group 1, she carries a five-kilo penalty.” She was second in the G1 Golden Slipper last start.
No reason to retire Pride Of Jenni
Many racing fans forget that racehorses are bred for one purpose, to race. But not Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai)’s owner Tony Ottbre.
“She’s an incredible racehorse — she’s a mare, but she actually races like a gelding. As long as she’s doing that, we’ll be going to the races as much as we can,” he said on Giddy Up with Gareth Hall on Monday.
Pride Of Jenni | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ll know when she doesn’t want to run anymore, but at this stage, she just loves what she’s doing. Nine, 10 — the retirement age is 13. There’s a reason that figure’s been put in there obviously, but horses do enjoy racing.”
And as for her next start? “I’m not 100 per cent sure on the Queen Elizabeth at the moment — (Ciaron) likes it for her but there is the mares’ race over a mile. We’ll head to the mares’ race at this stage… only because I want a fair race and I don’t think I’m going to get one.”
Magic Time to chase the rain
Trainer Grahame Begg has sent Magic Time (Hellbent) to Sydney to chase the forecast wet weather for the autumn.
“Grahame sent her up to Sydney on Friday with a view to keeping the TJ Smith on the radar. If it had been good ground, I don’t think Grahame was too keen to run in it, but the forecast is very poor, so it comes back into the equation. At the moment, he’s prepping her up to go to that race, with Mick Dee to ride,” Begg’s racing manager, Rohan Hughes, told racing.com.
Magic Time | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“If they get the 20-25mm of rain that’s forecast… she’s a Group 1 winner on Good ground, but she’s just a different horse on wet ground, as we saw in the Champions Sprint during the spring.” She was ninth last start in the G1 William Reid Stakes.
Double for Exceedance at Clarence River
On Monday, Exceedance sired a double at NSW’s Clarence River meeting. Paul Snowden-trained 3-year-old gelding Xtreme won for the second time in his eight start career, and he’s also placed four times. Both his wins have come since Patriot Bloodstock purchased him for $20,000 via Inglis Digital in July 2025.
Fleur Henley-trained Kiss’n Dance broke his maiden at the same meeting. He was bought by S Henley via Inglis Digital for $1750 in February 2026. Exceedance also sired a winner at the Sapphire Coast on Monday with Exceed Success, who was purchased by his trainer Jamie Stewart for $6000 via Inglis Digital in November 2025, and he’s a half-brother to Group 2 winner Roots (Press Statement).
Double for Harry Angel at Sapphire Coast
Harry Angel (Ire) sired a double at Monday’s Sapphire Coast meeting. Mitchell Beer and George Carpenter-trained 3-year-old gelding Harry The Thief stayed unbeaten in winning his second start. Beer along with Heywood Bloodstock and Patriot Bloodstock purchased him for $18,000 at the Inglis May Yearling Sale from Fernrigg Farm.
Nick Olive-trained 3-year-old filly All Adore took her record to three wins from seven starts. Not offered at auction, she is out of All Too Ready (All Too Hard) who is a half-sister to Group 2-placed So You Too (So You Think {NZ}).
Double for Royal Meeting at Ararat
The only meeting in Victoria on Monday, at Ararat, saw Royal Meeting (Ire) celebrate a double. Andrew Noblet-trained Earl Of Gloucester won his maiden and he was bought by Richard and Chantelle Jolly for $120,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. He becomes the fourth winner from as many to race for She Chose Me (Foxwedge), an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winner Zipping (Danehill {USA}).
Stablemate Body Of Venus won the last on the card to take her record to four wins from 11 starts. Passed in as a yearling, she is owned by Seymour Bloodstock and is a half-sister to stakes placed Call It A Day (Domesday).
Golden Eagle target for Belle Cheval
Last start G1 Vinery Stud Stakes victrix Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) will be set for the Golden Eagle in the spring.
“Belle Cheval has already been floated down to our Cranbourne stable and she’ll spend a couple of days there just trotting out to familiarise her before she comes back into work to prepare for the spring,” trainer Mark Walker told Loveracing.nz.
Belle Cheval (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Her owners David Archer and Diane Wright like the idea of staying in Australia instead of kicking off her season back in New Zealand, mainly because those spring tracks back home are often so wet.
“At this stage her main early target will be the Golden Eagle in Sydney, which will allow plenty of time for the spell she’s earned and then have a steady build-up.”
Stablemate and G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Seize The Day (I Am Invincible) will also spell ahead of a spring campaign. “It’s a massive thrill for everyone involved to win Group 1s on the same day at Trentham and Randwick. I’ve been training for coming up 30 years and it’s a personal career highlight.”
First winner for first season sire Blackbeard
Coolmore did not have long to wait for their first Northern Hemisphere crop sire Blackbeard to get off the mark as Timur provided the landmark in Lyon-Parilly's 4 1/2-furlong (900-metre) card opener on Sunday.
Sent off at 9-1 for the Prix du Premier Pas, the Mathieu Pitart-trained son of Ninetta (New Approach) who hails from the family of Peintre Celebre showed early dash to stalk the tempo under Emilien Puillet-Roda. In front a furlong from home, the €20,000 (AU$33,600) Arqana October purchase asserted to beat Ballylinch Stud's filly Belisa Bay, a daughter of the fellow first-crop sire Bayside Boy, by 1.25 lengths.
Successive Takamatsunomiya Kinen wins for Satono Reve
Japan's 2025 Champion Sprinter Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) claimed his second consecutive G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. He set a new record time for the race, crossing the line in 1:06.30 for the 1200 metres on firm turf. The course record is 1:06.20.
“I'm glad Satono Reve was able to win the race for two consecutive years,” said pilot Christophe Lemaire. “He's a very strong horse. The pace was fast from the start, but he knows what he's supposed to do, so I just let him run in his own rhythm.
“Once we entered the stretch, he really accelerated - it felt great. It was my first time riding him, but having raced alongside him many times, I knew him well. He's an easy horse to ride, so it wasn't difficult at all.”
Since taking the 2025 edition of this race, Satono Reve ran second in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong and was another strong second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in April and June respectively. Fourth to Win Carnelian in the G1 Sprinters Stakes in September, he was a ninth when last seen in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint behind Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) in December.
Seven figure Into Mischief colt wins G3 San Carlos Stakes
Cornucopian (Into Mischief) looked like he might be something special very early in his career. While it would ultimately take five tries to garner black-type, the striking colt checked that box in style on Sunday, running off to a scorching victory in Santa Anita's G3 San Carlos Stakes.
A US$1.1 million (AU$1.6 million) Keeneland September yearling purchase, he kicked off his sophomore campaign with an impressive 5.75 length victory in a six-furlong maiden at Oaklawn in February. Fourth in that season's G1 Arkansas Derby, he concluded his 2025 campaign with a runner-up effort in a one-mile optional claimer at the Big A in April.
Set to mark his return to the races in the December 25 G1 Malibu, he flipped in the paddock and was forced to scratch. Finally making his debut at Santa Anita, he came from just off the pace and ran away to a three-length win going six furlongs on January 31.
“He's full of energy and now he looks like he's ready for something really big,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “This race really tightened him up. Now we can put him on the road and aim a little higher. I was hoping that he wouldn't have to go that fast, but he is a good horse, he's a beautiful horse. I'm just happy to have a good horse like him.”
Pedigrees don't get much better than that of Cornucopian. The 97th Graded stakes winner for his marquee sire Into Mischief, the $1.1 million Keeneland yearling is out of Magical World, the dam of three-time Grade 1 winner Guarana (Ghostzapper), Grade 3 scorer Beatbox (Pioneerof the Nile) and stakes winner and Graded stakes-placed Magic Dance (More Than Ready).
