Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
A decade since Winx
This year’s G1 Queensland Oaks marks a decade since one of the greats began her Group 1 journey in this race. Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) won the 2015 G1 Queensland Oaks, her first Group 1 victory in a stunning career that would net 25 Group 1 wins, and 37 race wins in total.
Of the nine winners since then, two mares stand out. Duais (Shamus Award), the 2021 winner who added the G1 Tancred Stakes and G1 Australian Cup afterwards, and Youngstar (High Chaparral {Ire}), who won in 2018. She went to stud in Japan where her first foal is 4-year-old entire Eri King (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), winner of the G2 Hanshin Kobe Shimbun Hai and Group 1-placed in the G1 Kyoto Kikuka Sho.
Ethereal (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Another super mare from the past is Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) who went on to win the G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Melbourne Cup the next spring at four. Now aged 28, she lives in retirement on New Zealand’s Pencarrow Stud.
“She’s in good health and looks extremely good for her age,” Leon Casey, stud manager at Pencarrow Stud, told racing.com.
“She’s (Ethereal) in good health and looks extremely good for her age.” - Leon Casey
“She lives a very good life; she’s rugged and fed and just relaxing in happy retirement. She’s got a mate with her who is about the same vintage and they’ve been together in that paddock for quite a few years now. She also has a lot of her family around her.
“It’s quite remarkable, she hasn’t had any major health challenges throughout her life. Her health really couldn’t be better than it is, considering her age.”
Leon Casey | Image courtesy of Pencarrow Stud
Who stands clear this year?
In 2026, the G1 Queensland Oaks has attracted a full field of 18 runners plus another five runners on the ballot. The top 18 represent 17 different stallions with only Savabeel having two runners being Chispa (NZ) and Solid Gold (NZ).
There are four last start winners in the field, Panova (Trapeze Artist), Fireball Miss (Bivouac), Fringes (NZ) (Niagara) and Norty Forty (Prince Fawaz).
Trainer Chris Waller has Panova and Chispa, as well as Soverato (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}).
Panova | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Panova was a Group 1 winner last start, she’s has had a trial in Sydney since. She’s done lots of travelling and worked well at the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning. Ben Melham with a good draw, hard to beat,” Waller said on his weekly youtube preview.
“Soverato was strong through the line last start in The Roses, 2200 metres she’ll love. Chispa has unfortunately drawn wide, but she’s a good filly. Her run was awesome the other day.”
At the other end of the training spectrum is Toowoomba trainer Kevin Kemp whose Norty Forty makes the field with two wins in her last two starts, while stablemate Pink Vixen (Brave Smash {Jpn}) is third on the ballot.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I can’t be happier with the fillies,” said Kemp, a former taxi driver. “Coming into the race you've got to have your horses spot on and they're going really good and I'm just hoping they race like that, as well.”
Norty Forty is currently $101 on the tote and will be ridden by country jockey Kenji Yoshida.
“He is here riding work every day. I know the so-called better jockeys obviously deserve a lot of the better rides, of course. But, it's nice to be able to, when the owners say give the boy that's been winning on her a chance down there. It is lovely, so good.”
Norty Forty | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Stradbroke dreams on the line in Moreton Cup
The G2 Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm carries a ballot free entry into the G1 Stradbroke Handicap with four runners in the field holding nominations for the Stradbroke.
Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained Zou Sensation (Zoustar), Craig Cousins-trained The Inflictor (Under The Louvre), Pat Webster-trained Esjay (Rothesay), and Tony Gollan-trained Boomtown Babe (Spirit Of Boom) are the four. Boomtown Babe was sixth in the G3 BTC Sprint last start.
“Boomtown Boss obviously was quite unlucky the other day at Doomben,” Gollan said. Boomtown Boss has drawn six and will be ridden by Tommy Berry.
Boomtown Boss | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“He worked lovely. In the Moreton Cup, he is coming back in trip to 1200 metres, to his favourite track here at Eagle Farm.”
Stablemate Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready) will have the services of Ryan Maloney from barrier 12.
“Hidden Wealth has been racing in handicap races with bad alleys and big weights. He will get back to the set weights and penalties on Saturday in the Moreton Cup. Hidden Wealth worked lovely on Tuesday morning.
“Both horses are normal, sharp workers and in good shape.”
Hidden Wealth | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Show A Heart Stakes for the juveniles
Saturday’s Listed Show A Heart Stakes at Eagle Farm is named in honour of Group 1 winner Show A Heart, who won Group 1 races at two, three, and four, and went on to stallion success. This record wasn’t achieved again until Anamoe came on the scene a couple of seasons ago.
Won last year by Kelly Schweida-trained Sunrays (Hellbent), this year’s field of 13 runners includes seven winners.
The favourite is Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Shintoro (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) who won on debut at Donald, then ran second in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes last start to I Am Dirty (I Am Invincible).
The only other horse with pre-existing black type in the field is also most expensive horse in the field. Michael Freedman-trained filly Mystical (Exceed And Excel) comes here off a last start third. She was a $475,000 purchase by James Harron Bloodstock and Michael Freedman Racing from Vinery Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Mystical as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Second in the R.Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic back in December, Mystical is the third foal of unraced Rainbow Falls (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Kurt Goldman-trained West Coast (St Mark’s Basilica {Fr}) comes into the race as a winner on debut last time out. Last start winner Voynichese (Pinatubo {Ire}) trained by Nick Olive, and Matt Kropp-trained Steventown (Aclaim {Ire}) are the only three by first season sires.
Pride keen for a second Bob Charley
The Australian Turf Club will celebrate long term members on Saturday at Randwick for the running of the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes. The race is named in honour of Charley who is a former Chairman of the Australian Jockey Club, inaugural Chairman of the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board and inaugural Chairman of the Australian Racing Board.
Joe Pride won the race last year with In Flight (Flying Artie) who was nominated again, but she will head to Queensland for the G2 Moreton Cup seeking better ground.
This leaves Pride with a trio of runners in his attempt to win the race for the second successive year. He runs Dragonstone (Mikki Isle {Jpn}), Accredited (All Too Hard) and The Black Cloud (Shamus Award). Accredited is resuming, having not raced since a last start third in January. He has trialled twice since.
Accredited | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“Accredited has come back really well, I like the way he is moving. I am very happy with him. He is drawn out a little bit but I am thinking it might not be a massive disadvantage on the day, particularly at the sprint trips at Randwick,” Pride told racenet.com.au.
“There is plenty of speed there and he can sit just off the main speed, and I think he will be very strong.
“Dragonstone is a tough horse. He is drawn out and will enjoy a bit of juice in the track. He is going well, trialled up well and I would think he will run well with improvement to come.” He won this race in 2022 when trained by Mark Newnham, transferring to Pride in 2023 when Newnham moved to Hong Kong. He last won in May 2025.
Dragonstone | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“I aimed up at some pretty hard races in the autumn there (with The Black Cloud). She didn't have much luck last start, Nash ended up coming out wide where he probably didn't need to. She will run well, she goes good.”
