Group 1 racing dominated by Waller and McDonald
Chris Waller won 22 of the 76 Group 1 races in Australia in 2025/26 with jockey James McDonald breaking the previous seasonal record to take home 17 of them and all 17 were for Waller.
James McDonald and Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Australia’s 76 Group 1 races were the pinnacle of the approximately 19,000 races that will be run for the season (one for every 250 races). For contest, America has the most Group 1 races of any nation with 108 and they have one Group 1 race for every 272 races on their calendar.
The 76 Group 1 races were won by 61 different horses with Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) and Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) all scoring three each.
Snitzel was the leading sire with six individual Group 1 winners. The 61 Group 1 winners were sired by 49 different stallions. Street Boss (USA) sired four winners of five Group 1 races, while The Autumn Sun sired two winners of five Group 1 races.
Seafall to lead Hayes to Winter Championship
Lindsay Park-trained Seafall (The Autumn Sun) will run in Saturday’s Listed Winter Championship at Flemington.
“You always like to have runners at Flemington and it has been a good meeting for us over the years,” Ben Hayes told racingandsports.com.au.
Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I think we've going to have a good team there and hopefully we can get a winner or two. Seafall is thriving, she's a mare in form and when mares are in form they just keep going. She's a lovely, sound horse and I think it's a great opportunity for a mare like her to go for black type. If she draws a barrier and gets the right run she can go very close.”
Listed South West Cup won by Pearce brothers
Dan and Ben Pearce-trained 7-year-old gelding Let’s Galahvant (Galah) came off a last start Group 3 second to win Sunday night’s Listed South West Cup at Bunbury. It was his fifth stakes win and took his record to 13 wins from 53 starts and earnings over $1 million.
The only stakes winner for Galah, a son of Redoute’s Choice, Let’s Galahvant was purchased by Pearce Racing for $10,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale from Rangeview Stud. He is one of four winners for Secret Crush (So Secret) who is a half-sister to Listed-winning full siblings Shock Value and Keyton Grace (Key Business).
Trio of Aussies to ride in Durban July
Three Australian jockeys will ride in South Africa’s biggest race, the G1 Durban July, this weekend. Chad Schofield, Mark du Plessis, Zac Lloyd are all set to compete for the honour.
“I got offered a number of rides but I’m very happy to be on King Pelles, which is one of the best horses in South Africa,” Schofield told betsy.com.au.
“His form is over longer trips, but they have kept him fresh to be right for the 2200 metres. I grew up there, and it’s the biggest race in Africa. I have always wanted to win it. I know Zac is the same because neither of our dads were able to win it, so it would give us bragging rights on them if one of us can win on Saturday.”
Du Plessis rides I Salute You (Saf) (Soqrat) whose sire is a Group 1-winning son of Epaulette, and Lloyd will ride Regulation (Saf) (Legislate {Saf}). Schofield's mount is Group 3 winner King Pelles (Saf) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) in the top weight.
Stockdale disqualified over falsified documents
Jockey Brandon Stockdale has been disqualified by the Victorian Racing stewards until April 29, 2027, over admitting he falsified signatures on official licensing documents.
In 2017, he was fined $800 for punching a horse while an apprentice jockey. In 2019, he was given a six-month suspension over providing misleading evidence to stewards after he was seen on CCTV footage stealing from a Cranbourne property.
Vale James Martin Macfadyen
Gosford Race Club life member Mr James Martin Macfadyen has died. He served on the Board from 2008 to 2020 and was Vice Chair from 2010 to 2017.
“He provided thoughtful leadership, sound judgement and an unwavering commitment to the future of the Club,” said a Racing NSW release.
“In recognition of his outstanding service and dedication, Jim was awarded Life Membership of Gosford Race Club. Above all, Jim will be remembered as a gentleman of humility, kindness and integrity.”
Macfadyen was voted Gosford City Citizen of the Year in 2015 due to his work as a Justice Of The Peace and as Councillor, Deputy Mayor and Mayor of Gosford City Council.
Albury incidents lead to abandonment
Jockeys Blaike McDougall and apprentice Cassidy Hill were dislodged during and after race three at Albury, respectively. Hill was uninjured, while McDougall sustained a shoulder injury and was taken to hospital.
The race meeting was abandoned after race four with persistent rain causing visibility issues.
“Senior riders voiced concerns surrounding visibility and deterioration of the track following race 3 whereby the track was inspected by Racing NSW Stewards and jockeys following that event with riders satisfied to run one more race,” said a Racing NSW release.
“Following the running of race 4 and further persistent rainfall a delegation of senior riders voiced concerns to Stewards again surrounding visibility and the track deteriorating with the final three races being called off.”
Cape Cod wins maiden
At Scone on Monday, beautifully bred 3-year-old filly Cape Cod (I Am Invincible) won her maiden at the second time of asking, having been second on debut. Trained by Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich, the daughter of Group 1 winner Shoals (Fastnet Rock) bolted home by 2.8 lengths. Cape Cod is a full sister to Group 3 winner Isthmus, and is raced by Arrowfield Stud and Pinecliff Racing. This is the Redoute’s Choice family.
Juvenile winner for All Too Hard
Brett and Georgie Cavanough-trained 2-year-old gelding Suasion (All Too Hard) won on debut at Scone on Monday. Owned by Encompass Bloodstock, he is the second foal of Gentle Persuasion (More Than Ready {USA}), and his 3-year-old full brother Embrace Aberdeen has won twice in Hong Kong this season.
Century of Graded winners for Into Mischief
We knew he was fast, and he more than justified the betting public's faith in his Graded stakes debut. Juddmonte's Deep Flame (Into Mischief) could not be caught in the lane, striding home under little pressure to claim his first black-type victory in the G3 Maxfield Stakes on closing day at Churchill Downs.
“It's been a great year, and I'm really happy to finish the meet with a nice horse like this one,” said Irad Ortiz Jr., the leading rider at Churchill's Spring Meet in 2026. “I love being here in Kentucky and riding horses like him. He did everything professionally today and impressed me once again.”
Deep Flame is the first black-type runner for his dam, a half-sister to a small army of stakes winners and stakes producers, and is also the 100th Graded stakes winner for his sire, Into Mischief.
Purview to head to Breeders’ Cup
While he didn't dazzle on Sunday as he had last time he was at The Curragh, Juddmonte's Breeders' Cup Turf-bound Purview (Kingman) was still too strong for his rivals in the G3 Dubai Duty Free International Stakes on the Derby undercard.
“I was delighted for the horse and for the owners. Juddmonte have been great supporters of mine and I appreciate the family's support,” trainer Dermot Weld said. “He's a very talented colt and he's beginning to fill into the promise that I always thought he would. I think there is a long year ahead of him still and we'll look at different options.
“I've always been thinking that at the end of this year he would come to his peak, so today was only a step along the way. The Irish Champion Stakes is obviously a definite target for him, seeing that he won today. Colin and I were fortunate enough a couple of years ago to win the Breeders Cup Turf and I think he could be a horse for that race. Colin rode him right up on the pace so he's a horse that will handle Keeneland very well.”
Group 2 for Pearled Majesty
Criquette Head and Mauricio Delcher Sanchez's G3 Prix Noailles victor Pearled Majesty (Persian King), who was beaten just five lengths when ninth in last month's G1 Prix du Jockey Club, bounced back in style with a pillar-to-post triumph in Sunday's G2 Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud.
Mauricio Delcher Sanchez said, “The (G1) Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is an option. Christophe thinks he's very comfortable at 10 furlongs, but I believe he can also do well over longer distances. He has a very big stride and doesn't tire when galloping like that. We were confident beforehand, even though it was no easy task facing a trio of Fabre horses. Seeing him striding out freely in front reassured me.”
Change at the top of Dansk Galop
After more than 30 years as chairman of Dansk Galop, Denmark's racing authority, Nick Elsass has stepped down from his post, with Jørgen Damsbo Andersen elected as his successor during a recent board meeting.
It was also confirmed that Jens D Lauritzen will serve as Dansk Galop's vice-chairman.
Speaking on behalf of the board and members of Dansk Galop, Andersen thanked Elsass for his “tireless” support of equestrian sports and said that he left a “lasting mark” on racing.
Andersen, whose career in the pharmaceutical industry has included work at home and abroad, joined Dansk Galop's board in 2024.
Elsass, meanwhile, served as chairman of Elsass Fonden, a foundation that seeks to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy and their families, until 2025. He has been involved in numerous other equestrian organisations alongside his post at Dansk Galop, not least Denmark's royal stables and the Danish trotting and thoroughbred racing union.
A Ridder (Knight) of the Dannebrog, Elsass remains chairman of Hesteafgiftsfonden and a vice-president of the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations. He also sits on the board of the European Horse Network, having previously led York Stutteri, a stud not far from Copenhagen, for years, before handing day-to-day responsibility to his son, Alexander.
