Listed Tattersall’s Mile won by Sun God
Chris Waller has done well with the imported progeny of Fastnet Rock, namely multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) and Group 1 winner Buckaroo (GB), and he’s unearthed another good one with Sun God (GB) who made it three wins in four starts with the Listed Tattersall’s Mile at Eagle Farm.
Winner of the Listed Luskin Star Stakes two starts ago, Sun God took his record to seven wins from 27 starts with earnings over $660,000. He won twice in the UK prior to his import.
“He's been fantastic and I think he's a horse who's going to continue to improve into his next prep. I don't exactly know where that is for him. I know this is obviously a nice sort of race to tick off on his resume, but yeah, I think he will be a spring carnival horse, and a horse that can go on with the job,” stable representative Charlie Duckworth said.
Listed WJ McKell Cup won by Glory Daze
Rosehill’s Listed WJ McKell Cup over 2000 metres was won by Ciaron Maher-trained Glory Daze (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) to be his first stakes win in a six-win career. He was ridden by Irish jockey Adam Farragher. “I didn't get too many chances back home in these sort of races. They were few and far between,” Farragher said.
It was the first stakes win for Farragher as well. “I'm really delighted. It has been a long time coming.”
Glory Daze was on the point of retirement but the stable will keep him going now he’s found form. “He's had a bit of racing and he's not getting any younger,” assistant trainer Johan Gerard-Dubord said.
“He's had his issues in the past, so when they lose form like that it's usually hard to get them back. But off the back of that, there are a few more runs left in him.”
Battle of the Bush Final won by Roll Up
Zoustar’s 6-year-old gelding Roll Up won the Battle of the Bush Final at Eagle Farm for trainer William Pugsley and jockey Luke Nolen. He took his record to nine wins from 42 starts with earnings over $230,000. “I gave him a big chance, because I had problems with him, but I fixed the problems,” Pugsley said.
On getting Nolen aboard, it all came to a few phone calls. “I rang Moody and I said, 'who will I put on the horse?' He said, 'I'll ring Nolen. Here's his manager's number and he'll ride the horse for you. He won't be able to say no.
“I rang Moody who's on holiday in Port Douglas, so good on you, big fella. I want to thank my wife and my grandkids and all that stayed home to do the horses.”
Originally a $325,000 purchase by Kelly Schweida from Highgrove Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, Schweida sold him via Inglis Digital in July 2025 for $9500. He has won twice for Pugsley with a further eight placings.
“Kelly (Schweida) had him (Roll Up) and I rang Moody when I was going to buy him and I said, 'how well do you get on with Kelly?' He said, 'real good mate'. He rang him and said, 'buy the horse, nothing wrong with him',” said Pugsley.
Churchillian claims Listed Tauranga Classic
Tony Pike-trained Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill {Ire}) claimed her third stakes win in Saturday’s Listed Tauranga Classic, taking her record to 11 wins from 27 starts and prizemoney in excess of NZ$406,000. “She has been going so well and we’ve just had to keep getting the work into her since her last run,” stable representative Ryan Stacey said.
“She is just so consistent and is holding that form. Sam (Collett) got her out of the gates well, controlled the race and she has brained them. Her record suggests that 1400m is her sweet spot and she showed that again today.”
Spring targets for Couer Volante
After winning at Caulfield on Saturday to make it back to back victories, Couer Volante (NZ) (Proisir) will be likely set for the G3 PB Lawrence Stakes in the spring. “She's already a Group 2 winner so the only way to improve her pedigree is placing in a Group 1 or winning one, or winning another Group 2,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said.
“We'll probably be considering that (PB Lawrence) but see how she pulls up. They weren't able to get her in foal so they said let's have another go and she's definitely paying her way now.”
Jockey Jackson Radley rode a treble on the card with Couer Volante, Luna Cat (Puissance De Lune) and Belle Savoir (Not A Single Doubt).
I’m Foxing aimed at stakes class next
Trainer Alex Rae will aim 3-year-old filly I’m Foxing (I Am Immortal) at stakes class next after she made it four wins in succession at Caulfield on Saturday. “We've got the Lightning Stakes in Adelaide at the end of July, but she's just done a remarkable job. We're not going to commit to anything, but off the back of today's performance, she looks like a potential spring filly,” Rae said.
“She's a fast horse. I understand that there's not many of them that can burn the candle at both ends, but she's an extreme talent and her speed is very effective this time of year and it looks like the world's her oyster.”
Juvenile quinella for Castelvecchio
At Newcastle on Saturday, Kris Lees-trained 2-year-old colt Rumdabar (Castelvecchio) bounced back from running last on debut to win over 1300 metres. Chris Waller-trained 2-year-old filly Castelique (Castelvecchio) was second at her debut to give their sire Castelvecchio the quinella.
Lees won four races on the card with Poshy’s Girl (Pierro), Agraffe Rocket (Graff), and Oakfield Neptune (Deep Field) being the other winners.
Sire doubles on Saturday
Dundeel (NZ) sired Gatton Cup winner Marenaro who took his record to six wins, then made it a double on the card with Alfa Dundee who made it three wins in succession.
Maschino sired a double at Belmont with Charino and Diamonds’n’rubies who won the Westspeed Platinum Winter Series Final to make it three career victories.
Frosted (USA) sired a double at Wodonga with Miss Himalaya and Frostration.
American Pharoah to stay in Japan
Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah (by Pioneerof the Nile) is set to stand at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan for a second breeding season in partnership with the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA), before returning to his base at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud, according to a post on the farm's website on Friday.
“American Pharoah has proven extremely popular with breeders in Japan, so we have agreed with the JBBA to extend his stay for another season,” said Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan. “He will continue to be looked after by an Ashford Stud groom until he returns to Kentucky.”
Soumillon appeal adjourned
Jockey Christophe Soumillon's appeal against the eight-day suspension handed out by the Royal Ascot stewards after his ride on Puerto Rico (Wootton Bassett) in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes has been adjourned.
An independent disciplinary panel chaired by Clement Goldstone KC and including Aidan Coleman and Grace Cheng sat on Friday and will reconvene for final submissions and deliberations on Thursday morning. The Belgian's suspension was due to run from June 30 until July 7, but will now not begin until next Friday, depending on the outcome of the appeal hearing.
Soumillon told the disciplinary panel during his evidence the accusation he was riding to benefit Gstaad was “nonsense” and that he has always been told to ride each horse on its own merits by O'Brien.
He said that after walking the course at lunchtime before the race, he believed the best racing line to be three or four horse widths off the rail. Soumillon also mentioned Puerto Rico has a history of hanging to his left and that he turned his head to assess what was happening behind him for safety reasons after he heard the clipping of heels and not to look for Gstaad. He also told the panel he had seen a group of schoolchildren on the bend earlier in the day and that he moved his horse away from the rail in order for him to keep his concentration.
Botagoz wins G3 Hopping Stakes
Taking on her elders while stepping up in trip for Friday's G3 Hoppings Fillies' Stakes at Newcastle, Nurlan Bizakov's 3-year-old filly Botagoz (Mehmas) continued her upward trajectory with a last-gasp win.
Rhe Roger Varian-trained daughter of Bocca Baciata (Big Bad Bob) needed every yard of this 10-furlong trip to overhaul last year's winner Diamond Rain (Shamardal) and prevail by a short head. There was a 3.25 length gap back to Sky Safari (Zoustar) in third.
Bocca Baciata, whose career tally included wins at Group 2 and Group 3 level in the Kilboy Estate and Dance Design and was runner-up in the G1 Pretty Polly. Responsible for the Listed scorer Foniska (Galileo), she is a half to a pair of Group 3 winners by Whipper in Kalsa and Topeka, with the latter also finishing third in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.
Stalking Horse bid for troubled Hawthorne Racecourse
In a move that could establish a minimum price for another entity to bid on keeping racing alive at the financially troubled Hawthorne Race Course, the track's owner, Carey Family Properties, LLC, has secured what is known as a “stalking horse” bid of US$90 million (AU$130 million) to potentially sell the 108-acre property to a relatively anonymous and obscure Delaware limited liability company that was just created June 22.
Hawthorne Race Course, Inc., controlled by the Carey family, has been seeking federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since Feb. 27 in an attempt to restructure between US$100 (AU$145) and US$500 million (AU$725 million) in debt.
Although the continuation of the sport at the 135-year-old Hawthorne-the last remaining Thoroughbred venue on a once-vibrant Chicago circuit-was not specifically addressed in the documentation made public via court filings, it doesn't mean that a sale couldn't still go through to another entity that wants to conduct racing and build a racino (racing and casino) there.
