Wellington Boot won by Hellenic Belle
Hellbent juvenile filly Hellenic Belle won Sunday’s Wellington Boot for trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald. She takes her record to two wins from three starts with earnings over $130,000. Won last year by Comongin (Showtime), this race counts Sin Sin Sin (Fantastic Light {USA}), the dam of Yes Yes Yes, and Group 1 winner He’s No Pie Eater (Canny Lad) among the winners.
Hellenic Belle was sold at Attunga Stud at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale for $145,000 to Triple Crown Syndications. A full sister to G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes-placed Marokopa Falls, she is one of four winners for Beside You (Ready’s Image), who won her first three starts.
The Wellington Cup was won by Bjorn Baker-trained 4-year-old mare Perfumist (NZ) (El Roca).
First Australian winner for Wooded
Swettenham Stud’s shuttle sire Wooded (Ire) sired his first Australian winner on Sunday when 2-year-old gelding Crank won on debut for Anthony and Sam Freedman. He was offered by Crossley Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Great Southern Sale where Woburn Farm bought him for $60,000. They pinhooked him at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale where the TAB Racing Club splashed NZ$200,000 for him.
Crank is the first foal of Energy Within (Toronado {Ire}) who won four races, including two at Mornington. Energy Within is a half-sister to stakes-placed pair of Kerauno (Equiano {Fr}) and Kinetic Design (Master Of Design).
Autumn Glow brave in defeat
Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun)’s undefeated run came to an end of Saturday, but she was brave in running third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
“I'm disappointed for the horse, as she gave everything in the race, but I simply got her distance range wrong,” trainer Chris Waller said on social media.
“I apologise to everyone for that — we'll accept defeat graciously and come back better. She has come through yesterday's run well, which has been pleasing to see. We will now look ahead to the spring, where Autumn Glow can shine again.
“I'll speak with the owners, map out an exciting preparation, and keep you updated. Congratulations to Sir Delius and their team on a brilliant win as well.”
Lloyd to ride Briasa in All Aged
Jockey Zac Lloyd will ride Group 1 winner Briasa (Smart Missile) in Saturday’s G1 All Aged Stakes as regular rider Tyler Schiller will be in Perth for The Quokka. Team Hawkes are praying for the sun to shine on Sydney this week.
Zac Lloyd | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He came around the corner, at the 300-metre he smoked up and I thought, ‘We’re in here, we’re home’. If you look at him at the 400-metre I thought he was going better than the winner, Joliestar, but he just didn’t let down on the wet going,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes told SEN.
“People will say, 'hang on, he’s won on the heavy and has wet track form’. The difference is, you’re racing horses when you’re on the way up and it was at Kembla Grange when he won on a wet track. We won’t be running him on a wet track again.”
Onesmoothoperator ready for Caulfield Cup chance
Bendigo trainer Tim Fitzsimmons will run Onesmoothoperator (USA) (Dialled In {USA}) in Saturday’s Listed Mornington Cup to try and grab a ballot free spot for the G1 Caulfield Cup.
“We toyed with the idea of Sydney, we just thought we'd wait a week and hopefully we get a nice dry track,” Fitzsimmons told racenet.com.au.
Onesmoothoperator (USA) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“The forecast looks pretty good, ultimately we'd love to run him in the Caulfield Cup so ‘win and you're in'. He had a tickover trial, he's done a heap of work on the track so fitness won't be a problem. He's proven he can have big gaps between runs, it's when he races at his best.” He was previously trained by UK trainer Brian Ellison and was imported permanently after his second Melbourne Cup run last spring.
Debut winner Lord Remlap set for second win
Trainer Scott Singleton thinks his debutant-winning 3-year-old gelding Lord Remlap (Star Turn) can do it again on Monday at Scone.
“He’s a real big horse and we’ve given him the time he needed and the grounding that he needed,” Singleton told racingnsw.com.au.
“He’s taking his time to get his head around it. He’s a better chaser, we don’t want to be getting to the front too soon on him but as he goes up in grade if he’s got something to drag him into a race he’ll be even better. He’ll get there on Monday in good shape.”
Bankers Choice chasing history
Bankers Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) will aim to be the second horse in history to win back-to-back Listed Mornington Cups on Saturday. He won last year for trainer Glen Thompson and this year is with the Hayes brothers.
“Bankers Choice is the one that will head to the Mornington Cup,” co-trainer Will Hayes told racingandsports.com.au.
“He's going to go for a course proper gallop on Monday to have a look around and hopefully defend his title. He ran terrifically in the Peter Young first up, he was only three lengths off them in the Easter Cup and he looks really good.
“He'll eat up 2400 metres. He's as a fit as a mallee bull, and a seasoned old gelding like him, it's right up his alley.”
Mott treble at Terang
Jockey Jamie Mott won his first Terang Cup on Sunday aboard Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Alder (Ire) (Australia {GB}) on Sunday. He rode a treble at the meeting with his other wins coming on Crank (Wooded {Ire}) and Big Rooster (Shalaa {Ire}).
“He came back in good order from an injury. I’ve ridden him in all three runs this prep and he keeps getting better,” said Mott.
“He was ready to win today and he’s had a good build up. I’d love to stay with him, he’s rock hard fit and I could see him right in the finish of a Warrnambool Cup.”
Double for Justify out west
At Sunday’s Kalgoorlie meeting Justify (USA) celebrated a double with Just Sublime and Just Famous. Peter Fernie-trained Just Sublime took her record to two wins and four placings from eight starts.
Stablemate Just Famous has won three in succession and now has five wins from 18 starts and over $100,000.
Oaks target for Bona Sforza
Saturday’s Listed-winning 3-year-old filly Bona Sforza (Written By) will head to Australia to chase firm tracks.
“She just needs a firm track. She has only had a firm track three times, when she has won and when she ran fourth in the Guineas, in what was probably one of the best stakes races of the year,” trainer Samantha Finnegan told Loveracing.nz.
Bona Sforza | Image courtesy of Race Images South
“There is an option to go to Australia in two weeks, so we will talk with the owners this week about that, but if we go to 2000 metres she will probably be going to Australia. There’s the Australasian Oaks in Adelaide, which is a Group 1 worth $1 million, and with her going so well you would probably have to have a go. It could possibly be her only run and then she can go out and get ready for a spring campaign.”
Juvenile winner for Exosphere
At Toowoomba on Saturday night, Billy Healey-trained 2-year-old filly Phere The Warrego (Exosphere) won the opening race on the card. She had been second in both her first two starts at the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.
Not offered at auction, Phere The Warrego is the third winner from three to race for River Georgia (Murtajill) who had a colt by The Odyssey in 2025. River Georgia won four times, winning her maiden at Ipswich as her second start as a 3-year-old.
Avantaggia set for Group 3 next
The $2.1 million yearling Avantaggia (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will be set for the G3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes on ANZAC Day.
“It was a good effort by Avantaggia and certainly a good ride by Sam,” co-trainer Mark Walker said of her win on Saturday.
Mark Walker | Image courtesy of Race Images
“She was positive out of the gates to take a position in third on the fence and she was really strong through the line. She has taken a while to build-up physically, but obviously she’s got a lovely pedigree and I think she’s only going to get better as a four and 5-year-old.
“It’s really good for the owners to have her win two of her first five starts. They have been very patient and she’ll now get an opportunity at black type.” She is the first foal of Group 1 winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock).
Ace return for injured Lawson-Carroll
Ace Lawson-Carroll won the Listed Inglewood Stakes on 3-year-old filly Bona Sforza (Written By) on Saturday at only his eighth ride back from near-career ending injuries. Lawson-Carroll was badly injured in a race fall at Te Rapa in July 2025 that involved fellow apprentices Hayley Hassman and Rihaan Goyaram.
“I broke my neck, I had a hip replacement and I also had surgery on my collarbone,” Lawson-Carroll told Loveracing.nz.
Ace Lawson-Carroll | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“I lost a fair bit of feeling in my foot through not being able to use it much and I was slowly trying to get movement back into my legs. I did a lot of rehab with it to try and get it mobile, which was the biggest thing.
“It is good to be back in the saddle and back in the winner’s circle, and doing it in a big race. She was my first stakes winner last year, to the day, and kicking home another one on her down there again is great.”
