The Everest slot holders chasing Autumn Glow
Owner John Messara has had several approaches from Everest slot-holders keen to lock in Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) for the Group 1 race this spring.
“Autumn Glow is going to have a good spell over winter and then we can start looking at next season,” Messara told racingandsports.com.au.
John Messara | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“There is plenty of time before we have to lock in a spring program. We will let the dust settle for now and then as we get closer to the spring I will sit down with Chris (Waller) and consider at all our options.”
Captivant’s first winner wins again
First season sire Captivant’s first winner 2-year-old gelding Vantorix won for the second time in his career at Grafton on Sunday. Trained by Jenny Graham, he won by half-a-length over 1000 metres and he is unbeaten in two starts, having won on debut in November.
His trainer purchased him for $30,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Mullaglass Stud. A half-brother to Group 3 winner Raging Force (Cosmic Force), he is one of three winners for stakes-placed Miss Loren (Stryker).
Half Yours pleases with All Aged run
G1 Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) resumed with a ninth in the G1 All Aged Stakes on Saturday, but pleased connections with the effort.
“He did all he could do against those in that ground. He needed soft ground to finish closer. He did a great job,” co-trainer Tony McEvoy told racing.com.
Half Yours | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s been going well. We’ve been very pleased with him. We expected him to run a good race and he did that.” He heads to Queensland for the Hollindale Stakes, the Doomben Cup and the Q22.
J-Mac chasing record in Adelaide
Jockey James McDonald has won 13 Group 1 races this season, and is chasing the seasonal record of 16 set by Mal Johnston in 1979/80. Next weekend, he will ride Chris Waller-trained pair of Generosity (Divine Prophet) in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes and Panova (Trapeze Artist) in the G1 Australasian Oaks.
“If there is one race that got away this autumn it was The Galaxy,” McDonald told racingandsports.com.au of his fifth on Generosity in that race.
James McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“But Generosity is in career-best for and hopefully we can make amends on Saturday. Panova is very capable on her day but she has been half a run short each and every time. But now she has basically caught up and she had that 2000-metre run where she ran a good race in the Vinery. She's had a tick-over trial (Flemington) since and is ready to peak now.”
Rey Magnerio to keep travelling
Victorian trainer Robbie Griffiths will take The Quokka-second Rey Magnerio (Magnus) to Queensland next.
“He'll go there (to Queensland) for the two weight-for-age sprints – then we'll have a rest and come back in the spring with a two-race program in Melbourne heading into the Winterbottom and the Gold Rush again,” Griffiths told racenet.com.au.
Robbie Griffiths | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He was fantastic, he really was. Kudos to the winner (Jigsaw), he keeps winning, he's a winning machine for our neighbour Cindy Alderson so good luck to her. I thought our guy was incredible in defeat and I'm very proud of him.”
Small scores after three years away
Cancer survivor and jockey Braidon Small won for the first time in three years on Sunday at Terang aboard Aaron Purcell-trained Instigator (Ger) (Nayef {USA}).
“I’d almost forgotten where to go when you ride a winner - it’s been nearly three years! It was a long-time in between drinks for me,” Small said.
“Thanks to everyone who's supported me over the last few years. I’m just delighted that I finally got a winner, I didn’t think I was ever going to ride another winner.”
Massive weekend ahead for NSW
From Friday to ANZAC Day, there will be 13 meetings in NSW, beginning with Tamworth on Friday.
“One of the most anticipated events on our city’s social calendar is Tamworth Cup Day,” Jack Penfold, GM-Tamworth Jockey Club, told racingnsw.com.au.
“The $200,000 Tamworth Cup has Big Dance eligibility to the $3 million race at Royal Randwick in November and is proudly presented by Tamworth City Toyota. And the date change of the Armidale Cup to mid-March has given local trainers a few more lead-in runs for other races on the day.
“We’re expecting a large crowd on Cup Day due to the ANZAC Day being on the Saturday with a public holiday on Monday. It’s an iconic raceday that blends country racing excitement with fashion, friends and celebrating with an electric atmosphere.”
Aristopolos to stay in Tassie for now
Trainer John Blacker has no plans to take unbeaten 2-year-old colt Aristopolos (St Mark’s Basilica {Fr}) out of Tasmania for now.
“We’ll wait and see how he pulls up from this run but the plan is to head to the Alexandra Plate and end his prep in the Sires Produce Stakes over 1400 metres next month,” Blacker told tasracing.com.au.
He’s now unbeaten in six starts. “I have had a couple of sleepless nights leading up to this race because you start to second-guess yourself and that adds to the pressure of having an exceptional horse in your care. Every now and then you get a 2-year-old in Tassie that is lengths above the rest and they keep winning and pick up good prizemoney and this horse is one of those.”
Written By juvenile wins on debut
At Wagga Wagga on Sunday, Craig Widdison-trained 2-year-old gelding Jarbardar (Written By) demolished the juvenile event with a 3.6-length victory on debut. Passed in as a yearling, Jarbardar is a full brother to G2 Silver Slipper winner Straight Charge.
Their dam, Matryoshka (I Am Invincible), has three winners from three to race, and has a yearling and weanling colt, both by Zoustar to come. Widden Stud sold her Zoustar yearling colt at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale to China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock for $1.45 million.
Matryoshka is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and sire Winning Rupert and to Group 3 winner Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon).
Toronado juvenile wins on Sunshine Coast
Bevan Laming-trained 2-year-old colt Murkado (Toronado {Ire}) won on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday at his second start, having run third on debut. Baramul Stud sold him to his trainer for $200,000 at the Magic Millions Horses-In-Training Sale.
He is the first foal of Murkowski (NZ) (Swiss Ace) who is a winning half-sister to stakes-placed Rendition (NZ) (Pierro). Murkowski is a daughter of Group 2 winner Chinchilla Rose (Lion Hunter), who is a full sister to Group 2 winner and sire Ferocity and Group 3 winner Leone Chiara, the dam of Group 1 winner and sire Star Witness and two other stakes winners. Chinchilla Rose is also a half-sister to Listed winner Chiaramonte (Redoute’s Choice).
White Abarrio wins G2 Oaklawn Handicap
We knew it was going to be a battle of the big three, and so it was late with White Abarrio (Race Day) pulling rank to claim the G2 Oaklawn Handicap over Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief).
Understandably and unsurprisingly, the seasonal debuts of both Grade 1 winner Sovereignty and Grade 1 winner Journalism (Curlin) dominated the front pages in the days leading up to this contest. For many in the editorial community, as it went for the betting public, the best horse in 2025 was the horse to beat here and the Oaklawn Handicap unwittingly became the rematch we'd all been waiting for all these long months.
As his juniors battled it out for the minors, White Abarrio had the race won, hitting the wire two lengths to the good over Sovereignty. Journalism settled for third while the rest of the field was almost eight lengths behind that trio.
The final time was 1:47.49, making it the fastest running of the Oaklawn Handicap since 1996 when Bill Mott ironically defended his crown in the race with Geri - one year after the legendary Cigar took home the honours for owner Allen E Paulson. Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey was aboard for both of those victories.
“We felt like he was going to run his best when his best may not have been good enough and it surely was,” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “Congrats to the all connections–(owners) Mark Cornett, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa. They've been patient and listened to the horse. Today we were rewarded in one of the best races in a long, long time. It really materialized, the match-up. Thanks for all my team that worked so hard with this horse.”
Alparslan takes out Guineas trial
Sent off at 9-1 for Saturday's G3 Greenham Stakes, Alparslan (Dandy Man) belied the lack of market confidence to prevail in the 2000 Guineas trial. Sent to the front by Clifford Lee, Mohamed Saeed Al Shehhi's Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes winner who was sixth in the Dewhurst stayed on strongly to deny Zavateri (Without Parole) by a length.
The winner's trainer Karl Burke is unsure whether to take the plunge at Newmarket in a fortnight. “It's a case of which Guineas to go for,” he said. “He's a high-class horse with a great mind - he's on the lazy side and is having a blow there so he'll definitely come on fitness-wise.”
“A mile is a question mark, but in the last 50 yards there he was going away from the second and third if anything,” he added. “When he ran in the Dewhurst, he didn't really like the undulations there and came back a little bit sore but that was his third quick run so it could have been that. He's a big, heavy horse, so going round a bend at Longchamp may not be his cup of tea. The Curragh will probably suit him, but he's got time to go to the English and the Irish Guineas. He is idle, so I'm sure there's another gear there, it's just the trip that's the big question mark.”
Alparslan is the first foal out of Laciredeski (Toronado), whose 2-year-old colt by Minzaal is due to sell at next month's Tattersalls Ireland Breeze Up. A daughter of the Italian Listed scorer Sciolina (Oratorio), she is a half to the triple Listed-winning G2 Gran Criterium runner-up Some Respect (Gleneagles) and the G1 Flying Five runner-up Erosandpsyche (Sepoy).
Fillies trial goes to Sukanya
According to betting forecasts, Saturday's G3 Dubai Duty Free Fred Darling Stakes was at the mercy of Shadwell's G2 Rockfel Stakes fifth Touleen (Lope De Vega), but the Owen Burrows trainee had to give best to Opulence Thoroughbreds' Rockfel ninth Sukanya (Havana Grey), who produced a late surge to register a 16-1 surprise.
The winner does not hold an entry for Newmarket's G1 1000 Guineas, but remains engaged in the Irish equivalent.
“She's a very good filly and had a very high level of class last year,” said trainer Jack Channon. “My 2-year-olds were very backwards last year and she was the obvious standout. She put in some very good performances against some very good fillies. She was an unlucky fourth behind Precise in the Prestige, then second to Diamond Necklace at Leopardstown, and was just a bit over the top in the Rockfel. I've told anyone who would listen over the last two weeks that this filly wouldn't finish outside of the first three and she's high class. She's got a devilish turn of foot and she's beaten a filly fancied for the Guineas on merit today.”
Taj Mahal gains Preakness slot
Taj Mahal (Nyquist) led them every step of the way while making his two-turn debut to romp in the Federico Tesio Stakes at Laurel Park, a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the G1 Preakness Stakes.
The 6-5 favourite cleared the field of 10 from his outside draw and it was pretty much over from there. He was well clear through fractions of 0:23.93 and 0:47.80. The advantage shrunk to about a length on the far turn, but he had another gear. The US$525,000 (AU$731,000) Keeneland September yearling opened up again and dropped the hammer in the stretch to win by 8.25 lengths.
