Juvenile Group 1 summary for 2025/26

Cover image courtesy of Racing Queensland

As Tron Bolt (Toronado {Ire}) won the G1 JJ Atkins Plate, the juvenile Group 1s for 2025/26 were concluded with seven races and seven individual winners, showing the breadth of the 2023 born crop in Australia and New Zealand. All seven winners were Australian bred with three trained by Chris Waller, and two by the Te Akau Racing partnership of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.

Two winners were by Snitzel with another by his son Russian Revolution, while I Am Invincible sired one of the seven winners with his son Home Affairs also on the board. To buy all seven horses would have cost $2.93 million. All seven went through a yearling sale, and two were pinhooks being sold twice.

Streisand wins the G1 Blue Diamond

Streisand (Magnus) was set for the G1 Blue Diamond by trainer Clinton McDonald using the same plan as he’d used for his first winner of the race, Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}). First seen at the early jump outs in early September where she won, she had two starts in the early spring, placing in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes and running second in the other. Back in January, she ran mid-field in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (f) before winning the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f).

Punters sent her out at $11 for the Group 1 feature and she saluted by 0.75 lengths from favourite Closer To Free (Street Boss {USA}) with Guest House (Home Affairs) in third. The scrum in the mounting yard from her large group of owners resulted in McDonald being accidentally punched in the nose. The ownership group sold her to Yulong at the end of March 2026.

One of five Group 1 winners for Flying Spur son Magnus, who died in 2023, Streisand was originally sold by Yarran Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Great Southern Sale for $22,000 to Northmore who pinhooked her through the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000 to McDonald and Shane McGrath Bloodstock.

Streisand is the second winner for Zouper Star (Zoustar) whose first foal Rich Star (Rich Enuff) won his maiden at Clarence River during the same week as the Blue Diamond. He's since won twice more. Zouper Star, a winner of two races, is a half-sister to Listed winner Best Yet To Come (Econsul) and Group 3-placed Simply Put (Charge Forward).

Melbourne form stacks up in Slipper

All the talk before the G1 Golden Slipper was that the Melbourne juveniles looked stronger than the Sydney ones. It came to bear with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt Guest House (Home Affairs) coming home strongest in a high pressure contest to win by 1.37 lengths paying $11. Second favourite at $7.50, Streisand, was second, while third went to the $41 shot gelding Music Time (All Too Hard) trained in Canberra by Gratz Vella.

Guest House became the first Group 1 winner for first season sire Home Affairs, and was quickly snapped up by Coolmore in a reported $30 million deal from the syndicate run by Roll The Dice Racing.

Home Affairs retired to Coolmore with much fanfare as a G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner and G1 Lightning Stakes winner. Much has been expected of him but to sire a Slipper winner in his first crop exceeds that expectation.

Guest House was purchased for $270,000 by Mick Price Racing and Breeding Pty Ltd, Roll The Dice Racing and Rogers Bloodstock from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Guest House is the sixth foal out of the dual-winner Flamboyant Lass (Stratum) who was also placed in the Listed Reginald Allen Handicap and the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies). Coolmore’s Tom Magnier paid $800,000 for Flamboyant Lass at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale a few months after the Golden Slipper. She is in foal to Storm Boy.

All six of her foals have raced and all of them have been winners, outside of the now G1 Golden Slipper winner, she has left Nitrous - Circuit Seven (H.K.) (Deep Field) who has been a six-time winner and Listed placed, and the six-time winner Command Approved (Spirit Of Boom).

The Slipper form flowed into the Sires’

A fast finishing fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper, Chris Waller-trained colt Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) showed his class in winning the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes two weeks later. Slipper-second Streisand was sent out as favourite, but finished only seventh and was spelled afterwards.

Campione D’Italia was highly rated by punters, installed as second favourite at $4.20, and saluted from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Miss Chanel (Tagaloa) by three-quarters of a length. The winner’s stablemate Fireball (Snitzel) was third.

Initially passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale when offered by Baramul Stud, breeder Gerry Harvey did a deal outside the ring, selling the colt to the Newgate Farm colt’s partnership for $500,000 while keeping a share in him to get the deal done.

Campione D’Italia is the first stakes winner for Medaglia Valore (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), who has produced two Group performers already in Flashing Steel (Not A Single Doubt) and Snitzel Miss (Snitzel). She is a daughter of Military Rose (General Nediym) and a half-sister to the dam of Lovatsville’s new stallion Espionage. This family traces back to the great producer Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}).

Waller duo does it again in Champagne

Chris Waller sent out the first and third horses home in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and the duo lined up again in the G1 Champagne Stakes over a mile. This time it was Fireball (Snitzel) who won by a third of a length from the Sires’ winner and $2.15 favourite Campione D’Italia. In third was stablemate Diameter (Brazen Beau), a Godolphin owned half-brother to young sire and Group 1 winner Cylinder.

Fireball was sent out by punters as an equal $6.50 second favourite with Sires’ second placed Miss Chanel, who could only manage eighth in the Champagne. With James McDonald sticking with Campione D’Italia, it was Tim Clark who rode Fireball to victory, but the results looked rather similar to the Sires’ Produce with Snitzel siring the winner and Waller training him.

Purchased by James Harron Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts for $460,000, Fireball was offered by Yarraman Park Stud at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Fireball is the second foal for Advance Party (Charge Forward) whose 3-year-old gelding has been named Eight Aces (I Am Invincible). Advance Party was a winner as a July 2-year-old, adding a second win at three. Advance Party was sold at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale in 2026 for $450,000 to Allam Bloodstock and Kestrel Thoroughbreds.

Advance Party is out of unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Luanne who is a half-sister to juvenile Listed Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner I Have No Fear (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Fireball’s third dam is the very good juvenile filly Countess Christie (Marscay) who won the G2 Magic Night Stakes, G3 Sweet Embrace Stakes, and Listed Widden Stakes at two. G1 Diamond Stakes (now Sistema Stakes)-placed O’Rachael (Northern Meteor) also features in this family.

Tron Bolt’s JJ Atkins is one for the pinhookers

The sale topper at the 2025 Inglis Ready2Race Sale when Hermitage paid $900,000 for him, Tron Bolt (Toronado {Ire}) showed his worth when winning the G1 JJ Atkins Plate. The victory gave trainer Chris Waller his third juvenile Group 1 of the season, and jockey James McDonald his second.

The colt came up to Queensland after winning two in a row in Sydney, and punters agreed that he could be something special, betting him into $1.80 favouritism. He duly delivered, despite a bad draw, an awkward start, and an unsuitable heavy track.

Just under a length away in second was Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich-trained Cormier (Maurice {Jpn}), who like the winner had no prior black type form. Third went to the winner’s stablemate Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who had been unsuccessful in the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes the start prior.

Tron Bolt was originally purchased by Hunter Lodge and Liam Ruddy for $250,000 from the Gilgai Farm draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was then re-offered by Hunter's Lodge at the 2025 Inglis Ready2Race Sale, where Hermitage Thoroughbreds paid $900,000 for him to top the sale.

Tron Bolt is the first foal out of Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince), whose eight victories include the G3 Sunshine Coast Guineas and the Listed Princess Stakes. She was purchased by Dermot Farrington on behalf of Gilgai at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale Spendthrift Dispersal for $900,000.

Baccarat Baby a three-quarter-sister to the Group 2 and Listed winner Philia (All Too Hard), who sold at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.4 million, and a half-sister to the triple Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award). This is also the extended family of the very successful stallions Flying Spur and Encosta De Lago.

New Zealand’s pair dominated by Te Akau Racing

In 2024/25, David Ellis’ Te Akau Racing won both the juvenile Group 1 races in New Zealand with Return To Conquer, who is now standing at Waikato Stud, and La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth). The story was the same in 2025/26 when they won both with Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) and Seize The Day (I Am Invincible). He sourced both from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $100,000 and $600,000 respectively.

Lara Antipova is unbeaten

Likely to be crowned New Zealand’s Champion 2YO for 2025/26, Lara Antipova was unbeaten in four starts across the season. She won on debut in early December, before winning the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes, G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and then the G1 Sistema Stakes.

In second was last start G3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic winning filly Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) with the gelding State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State) in third.

The victory gave David Ellis seven wins in the G1 Sistema Stakes, from last year with Return To Conquer to Cambridge Stud’s exciting young sire Sword Of State. Another is Newhaven Park Stud’s Cool Aza Beel (NZ) who already has sired a Group 1 winner himself. Yourdeel (Dundeel {NZ}), Summer Passage, and Heroic Valour are the others.

A $100,000 purchase in conjunction with Fortuna Racing from Vinery Stud, Lara Antipova became the third Group 1 winner for Snitzel’s son Russian Revolution whose other two Group 1 winners are G1 Randwick Guineas victor Communist and G1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Libertad.

Artistic Lass (Myboycharlie {Ire}) was a tough race mare winning five races from 1800 metres to 2200 metres including two in Sydney. She has produced four winners from five to race.

Artistic Lass is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and G1 Robert Sangster Stakes-placed Sistine Angel (Testa Rossa), Group 3 winner Sistine Demon (Excites) and stakes-placed pair of Scully (Shooting To Win) and Themoonlitegambler (Good Journey {USA}).

Seize The Day continues the Te Akau dominance

Having won the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes the previous season with La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth), and with Move To Strike the year prior to that, Te Akau Racing added another to their honour roll with Seize The Day (I Am Invincible).

The colt was having only his third start, having placed on debut and won the start prior, but punters figured he was a $2.80 shot and they were proven correct with a 4.5 length victory. In second was Sweetest Thing (Hello Youmzain {Fr}), trained by Roydon Bergerson, the father of Seize The Day’s co-trainer Sam. Speed Demon (Yes Yes Yes) was third.

Together with Move To Strike, Seize The Day became the second winner of this race in three years for Champion Sire I Am Invincible.

As well as the three winners in three years, Te Akau Racing have won this race with champions such as Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands {NZ}), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) and Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}).

Seize The Day was purchased for $600,000 by David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) for Te Akau Racing, in partnership with Kia Ora Stud, from the Yarraman Park draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Seize The Day is a full-brother to Group 3 winner California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) and a half-brother to stakes winners From Within (Not A Single Doubt) and Cruden Bay (Not A Single Doubt). He is the ninth and final winner from nine to race out of Zimaretto (Anabaa {USA}), who was bred by Yarraman Park in partnership and sadly passed away last year.