Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Bluebloods taking their winter shots
There is no Group 1 racing in Australia this weekend, but there are several close relations to Group 1 winners stepping out in the hopes of adding to their records. Down at Flemington, I’mateez (Capitalist), a half-brother to Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), will be bidding to take his winning record to three for trainer Alex Rae.
Rae admitted the 3-year-old is “not that well put together”, which has been holding him back from showing his best, but he is hopeful the gelding can step up to the task in the fourth race on the card, running 1100 metres down the straight.
Alex Rae | Image courtesy of Alex Rae Racing
“He's got his issues, but we've ironed them out at the moment,” he told RSN on Friday. “The straight is going to keep him nice and balanced, and he seems to be going really well. We took him down to Sale last week for a bit of a blowout and he's ready to run, so at least we'll see where he fits in the mix and whether he's up to metropolitan standard at this time of the year.
“He was a $200,000 yearling and probably a three-quarter-of-a-million-dollar horse if he didn't have his ailments. We've had to manage him, and the owners have been patient, but the talent is there.”
"He (I'mateez) was a $200,000 yearling and probably a three-quarter-of-a-million-dollar horse if he didn't have his ailments." - Alex Rae
On the second race on the card, the 2000-metre Kevin Cox Handicap, John Symons and Sheila Laxon will test out Nihancan (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), a full brother to G1 VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound (NZ), can stay the distance. Dam Arapaho Miss (NZ) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) also won the VRC Oaks and has produced three stakes winners to date.
I'mateez as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The aim is to get to the 2500-metre Mahogany Challenge Series Final on July 4.
“Hopefully we will pick up some points on the weekend to get to that race, as that's what we've got him set for,” Symons told RSN on Thursday. “I thought he ran really well the other day. He was jammed up behind other horses for quite a while and when he got some clean air, his last 100 (metres) was really good. But the draw (barrier 16) makes it tricky.”
"Hopefully we will pick up some points on the weekend to get to that race (the Mahogany Challenge Series Final)." - John Symons
What Symons does take heart from is the fact that the colt beat G1 VRC Derby third Deal Done Fast (Dundeel {NZ}) when winning at Seymour two starts ago.
At Randwick, Aaron Bullock will be back on board the Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich-trained Chains Of Love (I Am Invincible), a daughter of G1 One Thousand Guineas victress Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}). The filly takes a crack at the 1200-metre $120,000 TAB Highway in search of win number three.
Aaron Bullock | Image courtesy of Scone Race Club
“She’s only getting stronger, she’s a monster,” Bullock told the Racing NSW news desk on Thursday. “She’s built like a stallion. When they put themselves up in the first few and quicken off it, it’s always a good attribute no matter what distance you’re over.”
"She’s (Chains Of Love) only getting stronger, she’s a monster. She’s built like a stallion." - Aaron Bullock
Bullock and the Messara-Gavranich team are circling the filly as their potential 2026 $2 million Kosciuszko star, having won last year’s race with the impeccably bred Clear Thinking (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). But first, she has to overcome drawing wide.
“She’s not one of those horses you can be fighting too much, and when I rolled forward on her at Scone, you saw she’s got that high cruising speed, but she can quicken off it,” said Bullock, with the confidence the filly could overcome the barrier. “Not many horses have got that attribute. She gets them off the chain, but she can lengthen and she definitely has more wins in her that’s for sure.”
Juvenile watch characterised by sire spread
While the juvenile sires’ championship is now sewn up for Snitzel, there’s still over a month of racing left before the end of the season, and plenty of opportunities for sires to add to their juvenile records. There will be 60 stallions represented by 80 juveniles running on Australian tracks on Saturday.
All of the most represented stallions, with three runners, have a representative at the Gold Coast track, which plays host to two QTIS races - and in fact is where Lean Mean Machine has all three of his runners.
| Hello Youmzain | 3 | Flemington, Gold Coast, Toowoomba |
| Lean Mean Machine | 3 | Gold Coast |
| Maurice | 3 | Flemington, Gold Coast |
| Trapeze Artist | 3 | Kembla Grange, Gold Coast, Toowoomba |
Table: Sires with the most individual juvenile runners in Australia on Saturday
Seven first season sires have offspring on the track on Saturday. Home Affairs leads the way in the championship by prize money and winners, with his individual Australian winners crossing the double figure threshold on Thursday with the success of Cosmo Girl at Gosford. He has two representatives fighting it out at Kembla Grange to be winner number 11; stakes-placed Internal Affairs looks to knock off his maiden win, while Home Missile is on debut.
| Home Affairs | 2 | Kembla Grange |
| Tiger Of Malay | 2 | Toowoomba, Belmont |
| Stay Inside | 1 | Kembla Grange |
| Sword Of State | 1 | Kembla Grange |
| Jonker | 1 | Gold Coast |
| Profiteer | 1 | Gold Coast |
| Wild Ruler | 1 | Gold Coast |
Table: First season sires with runners in Australia on Saturday
Tiger Of Malay is the other first season sire sending out two runners, providing him the opportunity to improve upon his record of five winners. Royal Diamond will take a crack at breaking her maiden at Toowoomba, while Gold Chantilly will debut at Belmont.
Wild Ruler will have a chance to draw level with Home Affairs on winners at the Gold Coast, where Inch By Inch steps out for the first time.
Whinchat will be civil in Civic Stakes
Trainer David Pfieffer is hoping to avoid another clash with Phearson (Exosphere) for his stable mainstay Whinchat (Russian Revolution) in the Listed Civic Stakes on Saturday at Randwick. The pair of veteran sprinters battled it out at the front in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes at the Scone Cup carnival in early May, which ultimately led to both finishing towards the back of the field, so Pfieffer has his fingers crossed for no further scratchings from their potential rematch.
Whinchat is safely into the field, but Phearson is the fifth emergency. At the time of writing, only Bosustow (Blue Point {Ire}) has come out of the main field.
Whinchat | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“He’s (Whinchat) in sensational order, I reckon he’s going to run a hell of a race,’’ Pfieffer told the Racing NSW news desk on Friday. “But it’s all going to come down to the dynamics of how the race is run. I’m hoping there’s limited scratchings, I don’t want Phearson to get involved again.”
"He’s (Whinchat) in sensational order, I reckon he’s going to run a hell of a race." - David Pfieffer
Whinchat has also drawn out wide, as has his other main threat, Cook Jakey (Pierro), and Pfieffer is wary about letting it become another contest of speed. Cool Jakey arrives off of a win in Benchmark grade where he sat on speed and was at the head of the field for the last 400 metres.
“If horses like Cool Jakey and Phearson want to get up there and go toe to toe with Whinchat up front, we’re all losing, aren’t we,” Pfieffer said.
'Casual' import looking to impress in Civic debut
In the same race, Ciaron Maher will unveil Group 3-winning import Zabiari (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) for the first time. Assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord expects the entire to put on a good show at his first public outing.
“He’s very laidback, a casual kind of horse, he’s been with us for a long time and we’ve taken our time with him,” he told the Racing NSW news desk. “He gives you the feeling there’s always a bit more there than what he’s showing you. On his French form, he is good enough to win a race like that, but I’m not sure what to expect.
"He (Zabiari) gives you the feeling there’s always a bit more there than what he’s showing you." - Johann Gerard-Dubord
“We have a good gate and a strong jockey (Nash Rawiller) on board. I wouldn’t be shocked if he happened to win but I could see him running a good race and taking improvement (from it).”
Zabiari (GB) | Image courtesy of Coolmore Stud
The G1 Epsom Handicap and the G1 Doncaster Handicap could be on the agenda for the 5-year-old in the future, who could be attempting to book a seat at stud in the future. Astute Bloodstock (FBAA) secured the Aga Khan-bred for €450,000 (AU$735,000) at last year’s Arqana Saint-Cloud Vente de l'Arc.
“I’d say he might go further than a mile (in future),” Gerad-Duborb said. “But it’s not as if 1400m will be too sharp for him, he has some speed, especially on a big track like Randwick.”
Xidaki resumes with eyes on Eyeliner
Peter Snowden’s G3 Winx Guineas winner Xidaki (Zoustar) hasn’t been seen since January, so it will be a low-key return to racing at Randwick on Saturday, but Snowden is hopeful the gelding can put his hoof up for a trip north in two weeks time. Xidaki ran in the Listed Eyeliner Stakes on this weekend last year, but Snowden has circled the Listed Glasshouse Handicap for him as his step up instead.
“He's a very consistent horse but just the last few preps have been just below that he normally does,” Snowden told RSN as the reason for the 5-year-old’s extended break. He has had two low-key trials in preparation for his raceday return, and was most recently third by three quarters of a length to Mr Chaplin (GB) (Without Parole {GB}), who was a winner first up a fortnight ago.
Xidaki | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“So, I thought a good long spell might just bring back to his straps. I've been happy with his two trials, but it does take a while to get them up to peak fitness after a long break.”
"I've been happy with his (Xidaki's) two trials, but it does take a while to get them up to peak fitness after a long break." - Peter Snowden
Xidaki steps out in the eighth race on the Randwick card and will face a full field of 15 on his resumption.
“Unfortunately, he has drawn a really bad gate (15),” Snowden said. “But I just want him to show us that eagerness and keenness that he had.”
The race is also the next step on the comeback campaign for Bustling (Frosted {USA}), a one-time Everest favourite who has faced extended time on the sidelines ahead of his recent campaign. He was most recently second in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes to Hearcomesthestar (Zoustar).
Peter Snowden | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Munce confident to crack another Ipswich Cup
Trainer Chris Munce has claimed the Listed Ipswich Cup both in the saddle - in 1994 on Oompala (NZ) (Kampala {GB}) - and as a trainer - in 2022 with Smart Meteor (Smart Missile) - and he reckons he has another strong chance to capture the cup in 2026 with Kaluakoi (Zoustar).
“Winning the Ipswich Cup has been a big thrill on both occasions, as a jockey and then as a trainer,” Munce told racenet.com on Friday. “This day is Ipswich's Stradbroke day. They have always got huge crowds there. It is always well supported by the local community but there is good racing there as well.”
Kaluakoi | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The 4-year-old Kaluakoi has six wins to his name already from just 24 starts. Four of those wins have come since being transferred to Queensland, and two have been in his last four starts - which has Munce and son Corey, his co-trainer, confident that the cup was within reach.
"We think races like this and the Caloundra Cup and the Grafton Cup are well within his (Kaluakoi's) reach." - Chris Munce
“This is a race that we have always sort of had in mind," Munce said. “We think races like this and the Caloundra Cup and the Grafton Cup are well within his reach. His form has been really good, even his run the other day was terrific.”
Kaluakoi notched up win number six two starts ago at Doomben, then wasn’t beaten far in a run at Eagle Farm when handed barrier 13. He has drawn better for Saturday’s assignment, where he will jump from barrier three.
“He gets in well at the weights, with no weight on his back,” Munce said. “I think from a good barrier draw, he is certainly a very good hope in the race.”
Chris Munce | Image courtesy of Inglis
