Good boost for Hill with Churchill’s Choice
Only making the field thanks to a scratching, Churchill’s Choice (Churchill {Ire}) stormed home out wide in Saturday’s G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup over a mile with the field spread across the track. For a while there it looked like several horses could win, but the Nathan Doyle-trained 4-year-old mare flew past the lot to score by half a length from John Sargent-trained Palmetto (NZ) (Ghibellines). A length covered third to sixth with third going the way of Bjorn Baker-trained War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro).
“She has been a frustrating mare as she's always had the ability but hasn't won one of these stakes races,” Doyle said.
“But she's got that good win now and I'm really happy for her owner, Kevin (Hill). He has been quite crook and is in hospital in Brisbane so hopefully that picks him up.” She will head to the Listed Scone Cup next, and picked up a guaranteed spot in the Big Dance for the spring.
Churchill’s Choice had been winless since she won her first three outings as a spring 3-year-old, but had run second in the G3 Newcastle Stakes two starts ago. She becomes stakes winner 34 for her sire and has four wins with earnings over $460,000. A homebred for Kevin Hill, she is one of five winners for She’s Choice (Choisir) who has a full sister to Churchill’s Choice born in 2025.
Chidiac continues run in G3 Hawkesbury Crown
Hot off victory in the Country Championships Final, Brett and Georgia Cavanough-trained 5-year-old mare Chidiac (Better Than Ready) made it three wins in succession when taking out Saturday’s G3 Hawkesbury Crown. The victory was her first black type win, and she becomes the 17th stakes winner for her sire.
“I was absolutely bolting coming to the 600m and she really quickened up,” jockey Braith Nock said. “I thought I was in a little bit of trouble late but she showed her toughness and she runs a strong 1400 metres so she was there right to the end. She is beautiful.”
A homebred for Gerry Harvey when she was unwanted in the ring, Chidiac has now earned over $1.1 million with seven wins from 12 starts. Her dam, Bewitchment (Encosta De Lago) has produced five winners and her most recent foal is an Exceedance yearling colt.
Harry Angel adds stakes winner in Gold Rush
At Hawkesbury, Peter Snowden-trained 4-year-old gelding Zealously (Harry Angel {Ire}) become stakes winner number 22 when he won Saturday’s Listed Gold Rush over 1100 metres. Tom Charlton-trained Bev’s Nine (Shalaa {Ire}) was second 1.7 lengths away from the leader with Bjorn Baker-trained Monte Supreme (I Am Invincible) in third.
Zealously is the winner of six of his 17 starts with earnings over $680,000. Snowden Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased him for $270,000 from Widden Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He is the first foal of Duenna (Sepoy) whose next three foals are all by Trapeze Artist. Duenna is a winning half-sister to Group 3-placed Almanzora (Lonhro).
Von Hauke adds Golden Mile
Winner of the G2 Moonee Valley Crystal Mile in the spring, Cliff Browne-trained 5-year-old gelding Von Hauke (NZ) (Savabeel) added further black type to his record when winning Saturday’s Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo by the barest of margins. Jerome Hunter-trained Wonder Boy (Cosmic Force) almost got up in finishing second with Ciaron Maher-trained Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) in third.
Winner of five of his 27 starts, Von Hauke took his earnings over $800,000. His trainer purchased him from Stonehouse Thoroughbreds’ Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft for $190,000. Von Hauke is the fourth foal of winning mare Tiara (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) who has produced four winners.
New stakes winner highlights Grunt treble
Grunt (NZ) added a new stakes winner when Andrew Gluyas-trained filly Tiptop Tori won the Listed Adelaide Guineas at Morphettville on Saturday. She won by just over a length from nicely bred Amedei (Zoustar) with Yellowjacket (I Am Invincible) in third. She becomes the fifth stakes winner for Grunt who has sired two Group 1 winners in Veight and Strictly Business.
Placed in the G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes at two, Tiptop Tori won her maiden when resuming at three, followed by a last start third in the Listed HC Nitschke Stakes. With two wins from eight starts, she has earnings over $150,000.
Not offered at auction, Tiptop Tori is the third foal of Star Stopper (Hallowed Crown) who has been to Dalasan twice recently producing a yearling colt and weanling colt. Star Stopper is an unraced half-sister to Listed Dulcify Handicap winner Mickey Blue Eyes (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
Grunt had a treble at the meeting with Chris Bieg-trained Super Lad winning the Adelaide In Autumn Series Final and Shayne and Chelsea Cahill-trained Dobbinair winning the Fast Form Festival State Sprint Series Final.
Super Lad has six wins from 21 starts and earnings over $180,000. Super Lad is the last foal of stakes-placed A Wee Dram (Half Hennessey). A four-time winner of almost $160,000, Dobbinair is out of an Exceed And Excel half-sister to dual Listed winner Litter (Catbird).
Listed Port Adelaide Cup stays local
Locally bred Alainge (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) was dominant in Saturday’s Listed Port Adelaide Cup with a 2.7 length victory for Murray Bridge based trainer Garret Lynch. The 5-year-old mare took her record to eight wins from 31 starts with earnings over $270,000.
“I'm pretty happy with the way she's been going. I thought she would be a nice 1400-metre, miler type, but the further she goes, the better she goes,” said Lynch.
Purchased by her current connections via Inglis Digital in May 2025 for $5500, Alainge has had three starts since then for two wins. The Cup was her first piece of black type. Her sire now stands at Rancho San Miguel in California. Alainge is the third foal of four-time winner Tipperary Lil (Blevic) who had a Nicconi colt in 2025.
Yellow Brick seeks redemption in The Archer
Sunday’s The Archer will see jockey Tommy Berry head to Rockhampton to ride Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Yellow Brick (The Mission). “They asked James McDonald, and he was away on holidays, so he asked if I'd be interested,” Berry told racingqueensland.com.au.
“He gave him a pretty good wrap and said the horse gets in well at the weights. I know Maddy and her father, but I haven't ridden for them before, I don't believe. So, it was through James I got the ride there and decided to go up.
“Yellow Brick is definitely ready to go. His last trial was sharp and in good time, so the team has him primed for the race. They're very confident and James gave it a very good push. He really liked him.”
Justify adds double at Newcastle
On Saturday, Justify (USA) who is the most recent American Triple Crown winner, added a double at Newcastle. Richard Litt-trained 3-year-old Canjustify won her maiden, while Nathan Doyle-trained 3-year-old gelding Just Response took his record to three wins from six starts.
At Donald, Overshare had a double with Dame I Am and Over Shady. Yes Yes Yes had a double at Gregory Downs in Queensland with Yes Ma and Threefold.
Juvenile winner for Satono Aladdin
Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained 2-year-old filly Shintono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) won the Donald Classic on debut on Saturday at Donald. She was sold by Macleay Thoroughbred Stud at the Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale for $80,000 to McEvoy Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA).
Shintono is the third winner for Shining Star (Exceed And Excel) who won four races, two in Tasmania, as well as at Donald and Moe.
Saxon Warrior has German Derby favourite
Darius Racing and Michael Motschmann's hitherto undefeated Gostam (Saxon Warrior) punched his ticket to, and was installed as the new ante-post favourite for, July's G1 Deutsches Derby after a fourth straight career victory in Friday's G2 Wettstar Bavarian Classic at Munich.
Darius Racing's Holger Faust indicated a trip to Chantilly for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club is also on the agenda for Gostam. “Today was a preparation race, he was ridden hands and heels, so it was an easy win,” he told GaloppOnline. “We believe this race will have helped him progress and if you don't take the opportunity in the Prix du Jockey Club, with a horse like this, you'll never get to experience it. There was a bit of pressure today, as everyone expected him to win, and he delivered. We are very happy.”
Sunly returns in style
Juddmonte homebred Sunly (Night Of Thunder) had been on an extended sabbatical after surrendering her perfect record in last July's G2 Prix de Malleret and bounced back on seasonal return to regain the winning thread in Friday's G3 Prix Allez France at Saint-Cloud.
Sunly, one of her sire's 43 Group winners, is the fourth of seven foals and leading performer for multiple Graded-winning GI E P Taylor Stakes second Suffused (Champs Elysees), herself kin to four stakes performers headed by G1 St Leger winner Logician (Frankel).
Suffused is also a half-sister to the dam of dual GI Diana Stakes heroine Whitebeam (Caravaggio).
Stakes win for 1.1 million gns colt
One of Frankel's plethora of stars, Amo Racing's 1.1million gns (AU$2.18 million) Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase Ancient Egypt served notice that he is a genuine Derby contender in Friday's Listed Newmarket Stakes.
“He's not quite the finished article yet, he's a baby so he will mature with more time,” jockey Rowan Scott said. “He looks like he'll get further–it was a nice and even gallop and he found a bit more when one came to me.”
Ancient Egypt was bred by Yulong. Ancient Egypt's dam Atone (Oasis Dream), who was a 300,000gns (AU$595,000) purchase by BBA Ireland from the Juddmonte draft at the 2022 Tattersalls December Sale, is a full-sister to Midday whose top-level exploits included three editions of the Nassau and a Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Italian Guineas double for Dark Angel
The 2026 edition of the G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) went to Grand Son Of Dark (Dark Angel) by 3.5 lengths at San Siro in Milan. Just a few races after Grand Son Of Dark claimed the Italian 2000 Guineas, Just Call Me Angel gave their Yeomanstown Stud sire a group double on the day at San Siro in the G3 Premio Regina Elena (Italian 1000 Guineas).
The best filly in Italy last year on the back of her G2 Premio Dormello victory, Just Call Me Angel was making her 2026 bow in the Italian 1000 Guineas.
Tattersalls Online raises funds for charity
Tattersalls Online raised £4,000 (AU$7550) in aid of the DoItForBrodie Community Interest Company (C.I.C.) through the sale of Spirit Horse, the striking sculpture created by acclaimed sculptor Penny Hardy.
Offered as part of a special charitable consignment, the sculpture attracted widespread attention, reflecting the strength of the support for the cause it represents.
Following the sale, the purchaser commented, “The work of Brodie's mum is so admirable in what she has done and continues to do to raise funds for this cause. Horses bring a huge amount of joy to our lives in so many ways, and supporting this impassioned cause was very important.”
