Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Race-day recap
The G1 South Australian Derby was snatched up by longshot Wigmore (NZ) (Sweynesse), swiftly rewarding his new connections, OTI Racing and Phillip Stokes.
Splash Back (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) beat a sharp field featuring five individual Group 1 winners when notching up her eighth career victory in the G2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm.
Brave Monarch (Brave Smash {Jpn}) will head down a route for the G1 Stradbroke Handicap after claiming the G2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm.
Connections of Skyhook (Written Tycoon) will also eye up a tilt at the Stradbroke after his victory in the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas.
The wide run held no fear for Gold Coast Belle (So You Think {NZ}) when soaring home to claim the Listed Bendigo Guineas.
Wigmore rewards OTI’s investment in Derby demolition
Two starts ago, 3-year-old gelding Wigmore (NZ) (Sweynesse) was running fourth in the G1 New Zealand Derby, two lengths behind Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus {Ire}). In the intervening two months, he crossed the Tasman to be trained by Phillip Stokes and on Saturday, he was anointed the winner in the G1 South Australian Derby after being ignored by the punters.
Sent off a $41 shot having been seventh in the G3 SAJC Chairman’s Stakes, the gelding appreciated the leap up in distance to over 2500 metres in the Derby, and successfully reeled in Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}) to win by a head, with a half-length back to Autumn Mystery (The Autumn Sun) in third.
Wigmore was identified for private purchase by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo on behalf of Terry Henderson’s OTI Racing, and landed at Stokes’ yard three weeks after his New Zealand Derby run. Stokes bought into the horse himself, and invited some of his existing clients to take shares.
“We just brought him along slowly,” Stokes said. “He’s very clean winded. Big thanks to OTI, they’re massive supporters. We’ve won this race twice and we’ve had a few Group 1 winners now.
“They’re just natural stayers and I enjoy training them.” - Phillip Stokes
“He didn’t have a jump-out going into the Chairman’s. I’ve had a bit of luck doing it with these type of horses, like Daqiansweet Junior, who was also from New Zealand, and Amade. They can leave it on the track if you overtrain them. They’re just natural stayers and I enjoy training them.”
Phillip Stokes | Image courtesy of Phillip Stokes Racing
Teo Nugent was in the saddle for the win, which was an emotional one, being his first Group 1 since deadheating with Portland Sky in the 2021 G1 Oakleigh Plate.
“It was very special to get one for Stokes,” he said. “When I started, I reckon I was about 12 or 13 and Mum and Dad sent me over to him to do a bit of work, back in the day.
“I learned how to ride horses over in Ireland and I promised him I’d come back and be an apprentice to him, and that never worked out. But all these years later on, it’s special to team up for a Group 1.”
It was a ninth Group 1 win for Stokes, who has the feeling that Wigmore may improve again further out in distance in the future.
Teo Nugent with Wigmore (NZ) after winning the G1 South Australian Derby | Image courtesy of Racing SA
“We’re getting up there (with Group 1 wins),” he said. “They’re very important. It’s good for everyone and there’s a lot of good owners in him, which is great.
“It’s too early to work out what we do next. There is the Queensland Derby, but I’m not sure if I want to go that way. He’s done an amazing job after being up for so long. We may have a Melbourne Cup horse on our hands.”
"We may have a Melbourne Cup horse on our hands." - Phillip Stokes
Sales: Wigmore was initially a NZ$1700 weanling purchase on Gavelhouse Plus for Ralph Thoroughbreds from Hallmark, before being offered in their New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft, where he was a NZ$25,000 purchase for KT Meyers. He was subsequently a private purchase for OTI Racing.
Wigmore (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Pedigree: Wigmore is the second stakes winner for his dam Del Mondo (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), whose first foal is the G3 New Zealand Cup winner Mondorani (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}). Del Mondo’s granddam is G1 VRC Oaks and G1 One Thousand Guineas winner Arborea (Imperial Prince {Ire}), whose other descendants include Drumbeats, G3 David Coles AM Stakes winner Steel Trap (King’s Legacy), and G2 Del Mar Handicap winner Delta Form (Marscay).
Del Mondo produced a colt by Zed (NZ) in 2023 and was covered by Sword Of State in 2025.
Begg mare makes a Splash in Victory Stakes
Grahame Begg’s Splash Back (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) defeated a talented field, including five individual Group 1 winners, to claim the G2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) looked to hold the lead from Payline (Shooting To Win) as the final furlong loomed, but Splash Back found an opening on the rails to squeeze past and sprint home to beat the latter by a length and three quarters.
Last start $1 million Supernova winner Warnie (Ire) (Highland Reel {Ire}) was third, ahead of a field that also included Transatlantic (Snitzel), Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), Reserve Bank (Capitalist), and Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}).
"She was very good at the top of the straight after I thought, 'oh she has a lot of ground to make up here'," said Begg's stable representative Jack Lake. "I'm still getting my breath back as I did a lot of cheering there.
"She (Splash Back) was very good at the top of the straight after I thought, 'oh she has a lot of ground to make up here'." - Jack Lake
"She has beaten some good horses today and we always thought she was up to that class. It's not always easy to come on the road travelling but the horse was up to the test."
It was the 6-year-old mare’s eighth win in 20 starts for connections led by Ronball Syndicate. Lake commented that the victory will have her "spot on" for the G1 Tattersalls Tiara on June 27.
Splash Back winning the G2 Victory Stakes | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Sales: Arthur Hoyeau and John Foote (FBAA) purchased Splash Back for €100,000 ($163,000) at the 2021 Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale.
Pedigree: Splash Back is one of three stakes winners for her dual Group-winning dam Tamazirte (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who has also produced dual Group 3 winner Chachnak (Fr) and Listed-winning Group performer Into The Mystic (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Into The Mystic is the dam of the Dubawi (Ire)-sired stakes winners Nakheel (Fr) and Morshdi (GB).
Splash Back (Fr) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Arqana
Brave Monarch conquers Queensland Guineas
Fresh off victory in the Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes, 3-year-old gelding Brave Monarch (Brave Smash {Jpn}) extended his record to five wins in seven starts with a smashing victory in the G2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm.
As the pack fanned out in the straight, the Chris and Corey Munce trainee was sent forward by Martin Harley and he strode away from his rivals to prove uncatchable at the line. Tupakara (Trapeze Artist) had to fight her way into clean air in the final furlong and was hot on his heels, but couldn’t shorten the margin into less than a length to run second.
"Everything looked really peaceful for the first furlong and then it looked pretty hard after that and coming to the turn it was pretty rough,” said Harley, who has ridden Brave Monarch in all five of his wins.
"I was very confident, but just wanted to be there when we straightened. We had to push hard for sure as it was on. Full credit to the team for the win."
"I tell you what, at about the 1000-metre mark I was thinking, 'this isn't looking real good'." - Chris Munce
"I tell you what, at about the 1000-metre mark I was thinking, 'this isn't looking real good',” said co-trainer Chris Munce. “He got buffeted basically from the 1400-metre mark to the 400 metre, but he held his nerve and he held his ground. It’s a testament to both horse and rider.
Brave Monarch winning the G2 Queensland Guineas | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
"Martin (Harley) is always very confident and when he says something you back his judgment. He said he's going to be three pairs back and cut the corner and get out in the straight, but then he went about six or seven pairs back!”
A possible shot at the G1 Stradbroke Handicap looms on the horizon, but Munce indicated he would have to go through the G3 Fred Best Stakes and run well to earn his chance at a grand finale on June 13.
Chris Munce | Image courtesy of Munce Racing
Sales: Brave Monarch was a $20,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Hancox Bloodstock from Yulong’s draft.
Pedigree: Brave Monarch is the best of four winners for Puppet Queen (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}), a half-sister to Hong Kong Champion Stayer and Hong Kong Horse Of The Year Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who earned almost HK$47 million ($8.3 million) in the jurisdiction and over 11 million Dhs ($4.2 million) racing in the United Arab Emirates, and to G1 Australian Oaks winner Dizelle (Zabeel {NZ}), dam of G1 VRC Oaks winner Pinot (Pierro).
Puppet Queen has a weanling filly by Diatonic (Jpn) and is back in foal to the stallion this season.
Brave Monarch as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Skyhook is Stradbroke dreaming after Guineas victory
Coming out of Tempted’s (Street Boss {USA}) G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint left Skyhook (Written Tycoon) with a point to prove, and he was successful in franking that race’s form with a big win in the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas at Hawkesbury’s metropolitan meeting on Saturday.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trainee cruised to the front and kicked away from his rivals to post victory by a length and a half over Burma Star (Exceed And Excel). The victory, and the colt’s desired race programming pattern, has connections thinking about a Stradbroke tilt this winter.
"Skyhook is a well-bred colt so you have to look at Group 1 options like the Doomben 10,000 (on May 16),'' co-trainer Ryan said.
"Skyhook is a well-bred colt so you have to look at Group 1 options." - Gerald Ryan
"But I believe this horse likes his races spaced and we might look at something like the Fred Best Classic (on May 30). If he wins that race, then he gets into the Stradbroke field.''
In 11 starts, Skyhook has amassed three stakes wins, with his other victories coming in the G3 Pago Pago Stakes and the Listed Rosebud in the spring.
Skyhook winning the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sales: Skyhook was a $575,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for his trainers from the Arrowfield Stud draft, and belongs to a syndicate that includes Matthew Ennis of Stallion Match.
Pedigree: Skyhook is out of Madame Pauline (Redoute’s Choice), a winning half-sister to Anders, as well as Listed winners Ostraka (Pariah) and Caffe Florian (Snitzel) and the stakes performers Battleground (Snitzel) and Satin Love (Snitzel). Their dam Madame Andree is the only daughter of the talented but subfertile War Emblem (USA) in Australia.
Glee Lee Thoroughbreds offered Madame Pauline’s Dundeel (NZ) yearling colt at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale this year, where he was bought by Monarch Racing, Paul Moroney, and Catheryne Bruggeman for $120,000. She was covered by Castelvecchio last spring.
Connections of Skyhook after winning the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Gold Coast Belle extends streak in Bendigo Guineas
Danny O’Brien’s Gold Coast Belle (So You Think {NZ}) extended her picket fence to three in a row on Saturday with a maiden stakes win in the Listed Bendigo Guineas. The 3-year-old filly was three wide as the field turned for home, but the position proved no problem for her.
Sent forward by jockey Jordan Childs, who had ridden her to two of her previous three career victories, the filly charged to the head of the field and held on to win by nearly half a length over Bel Mezyaan (Mezyaan).
Sales: True to her name, Gold Coast Belle was a $375,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for owner John Wheeler from Coolmore Stud.
Pedigree: A great granddaughter of New Zealand Champion 2YO Filly and blue hen Ballroom Babe (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}), Gold Coast Belle is the best of three winners from three runners for her dam Perpetuum (More Than Ready {USA}), a half-sister to Maschino and Listed winner Kentucky Breeze (Pierro).
Gold Coast Belle as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Perpetuum’s dam Tahni Girl (Redoute’s Choice) was a multiple stakes winner up to Group 3 level and is a half-sister to G2 Furious Stakes winner and Group 1-performed Just Dancing (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
Perpetuum hasn’t had a live foal since producing her current 2-year-old, Any Time Now (So You Think {NZ}), a $160,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds.
