The Everest target for Marhoona
Trainer Michael Freedman is setting dual Group 1 winner Marhoona (Snitzel) for the G1 The Everest this spring.
“This time around she had close to eight weeks in a paddock with the Queensland sun on her back, had a month on the treadmill and water walker up there before I brought her home and she seems to be in great order,” Freedman told racenet.com.au.
Marhoona | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She's going as well as I've ever had her going. I'm think of running her first-up in the Concorde or we might even look to kick her off in the Moir. She's a dual Group 1 winner and one of those is a Golden Slipper so there's not much point poking around in Group 2 and Group 3 mares' races carrying weight penalties.
“The owners were happy enough to race her on for this season, so I think the idea is to chase more Group 1 and big race success. There's nothing bigger than The Everest so naturally that's on the radar. She'll either peak someone's interest if her performances warrant it or she won't.
“If she didn't get a slot, they run the Sydney Stakes on the same day and that's worth $3 million.”
Autumn Boy gives Waller opportunity to overcome regret
One regret Chris Waller has is that five-time Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun didn’t race on as an older horse. He was retired at the end of the 3-year-old season with eight wins from nine starts. But his son Autumn Boy is going to give Waller a chance to overcome that regret.
“The Autumn Sun – and I think Mr Messara would agree – would have been even better at four, but his value was so high he had to be retired,” Waller told racingandsports.com.au.
Autumn Boy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He won five Group 1 races and only raced for twelve months. When I (first) saw him at the farm, I said, 'Wow. Imagine if he was in work now'. We've got that opportunity with Autumn Boy. He's racing on at four and I'm excited about that.
“There is unfinished business with what we didn't quite see with The Autumn Sun. He might have pressed Winx in a Cox Plate.
“Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself because we haven't really tested Autumn Boy, but everything we have asked him to do, he's done it well. His attitude is fantastic. You hear me talk about attitudes a lot and that's the difference with a (good) colt is their attitude.”
Williams celebrates Premiership with charity trip
Jockey Craig Williams has a 13-win lead in the Melbourne Jockey’s Premiership with one eight-race meeting to come on Wednesday. He won’t be there, as he’s off to Ukraine for the sixth time to assist with war efforts.
“It's one of the goals we set every year (premiership), we have many goals obviously, and when you're in the position, close to it,” Williams told racenet.com.au.
“You start planning around it and that's what we did … it's worked out, so Larysa (wife) and I are heading over to Ukraine now to deliver our humanitarian aid. You go from completing another goal to realising not everyone has the same life as we all have… it makes you put perspective on things but makes me be grateful.
Craig Williams | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I love my job, I can do a sport, my children grow up in a safe country, it's something I'm really grateful for. I chased one, I chased two, three, four, five but it's great (to get 10).
“You're only as good as your opposition … the last two and a bit months every time I closed my eyes I could see 10. Every time I did my workout every morning, looking up at the wall, I saw 10, I was driven by it, but I can't do it alone.
“My team is amazing, my manager, my family, all the people… it's great we have so many people driven to this, the result is not me, it's everyone. Plus the opportunities I get from trainers, owners, and the horses have to run their hearts out, it's been a fantastic season and I'm looking forward to the new season.”
Perth trainer's title still undecided
With one metro meeting left in each state, most of the trainer’s titles have been decided but Perth will go down to the wire. Grant and Alana Williams head into Wednesday on 91 metro wins for the season while Michael Grantham sits on 90.
Ciaron Maher has won his sixth consecutive Melbourne trainer’s title, with the first three of those coming in partnership with Dave Eustace. Chris Waller takes out the Sydney trainer’s title, and Tony Gollan wins the Brisbane title. Phillip Stokes will win the Adelaide trainer’s title.
Kanga awarded MRC life membership
Former chair of the Melbourne Racing Club John Kanga has been given Life Membership.
“We are simply custodians of this great club for a moment in time. Our responsibility is to respect its 150-year history, embrace its future and leave it stronger for the next generation,” he said at the club on Saturday.
John Kanga | Image courtesy of Melbourne Racing Club
“I know we all concur that the horses are our heroes and our members are our foundation. Thank you for this wonderful honour.” Kanga is credited with securing the future of Sandown Racecourse, and organising the $195 million Mt Scopus transaction, which was designed to substantially reduce the club’s debt. He also reduced food and beverage costs for guests making punters happy.
Juvenile winner for I Am Invincible
Sunday’s Sale meeting saw Lloyd Kennewell-trained 2-year-old colt Organised Crime (I Am Invincible) win on debut by three-quarters of a length. Kennewell Racing and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased him for $350,000 from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Organised Crime is a full brother to Newgate Farm’s sire King’s Gambit and their dam Sultry Feeling (Encosta De Lago) is a Group 3 winner.
Wootton Bassett filly wins on debut
At Muswellbrook on Sunday, Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained 2-year-old filly Bring Me Chocolate (Wootton Bassett {GB}) won on debut by 1.6 lengths from stablemate 2-year-old colt Bridge Too Far (Wild Ruler) who was also on debut.
Raced by Clairden Racing, Bring Me Chocolate was purchased by Colm Santry Bloodstock for $400,000 from Coolmore Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft. She is the third foal and third winner for G2 Edward Manifold Stakes winner Bring Me Roses (High Chaparral {Ire}) who also placed in the G1 Victoria Oaks, G1 Australian Guineas, and G1 Empire Rose Stakes.
At the same meeting, Brett and Georgie Cavanough-trained 2-year-old filly Write Me A Letter (Astern) made it two wins from three starts.
Proisir adds juvenile winner
Sunday’s Wodonga meeting saw the maiden win of Yulong-owned 2-year-old colt Glide (NZ) (Proisir) who saluted for trainer Dominic Sutton with a 2.25 length victory at his second start. Initially sold by Haunui Farm at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale for NZ$110,000 to Kilgravin Holdings and Bevan Smith Bloodstock, he went through Bhima Thoroughbreds’ Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft where YLP Racing paid $360,000 for him.
Glide is the second winner for Respect (NZ) (Savabeel) who is an unraced full sister to Group-placed pair of Clementina (NZ) and Live And Free.
Frosted (USA) had a double at the meeting with Frosted Miss and Frostration.
Double for Star Turn
Star Turn sired a double at the Sapphire Coast on Sunday. Theresa Bateup-trained 3-year-old filly Hussy La Vista won her maiden, and in the next on the card, her stable mate Lantau Island made it two wins for his career.
Spirit Of Boom filly wins at Toowoomba
On Saturday night, Michael Nolan-trained 2-year-old filly Kiskaboom (Spirit Of Boom) won her maiden in the last on the card. She was having her third start having placed last start. She is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Kisukano (Bel Esprit) and one of five winners for Kiss For Gran (Show A Heart).
Juvenile winners for Tassort and King’s Legacy
At Sunday’s Balaklava meeting, Tassort added a juvenile winner with Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained 2-year-old filly Azytass who won by 1.2 lengths. Her trainers bought her for $80,000 from Emirates Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
She is a half-sister to stakes-placed Amjaad (Flying Artie) out of winning mare Azyoon (Dream Ahead {USA}).
At the same meeting Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained 2-year-old filly Contrary (King’s Legacy) won her maiden. She was bought by Angas River Contractors for $50,000 from Sledmere Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft and is one of three winners for Midas Well (More Than Ready {USA}) who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Conte (Starcraft {NZ}).
Cambridge Stud awarded NZ Breeder Of The Year
Cambridge Stud was crowned the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan New Zealand Breeder of the Year for 2025/26 on Saturday night. The farm was responsible for breeding 105 individual winners during the season with five at stakes level.
“It's quite surreal, buying Cambridge Stud and this award being named after Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan,” Sir Brendan Lindsay told Loveracing.nz.
Jo and Sir Brendan Lindsay | Image courtesy of Race Images
“It's a long way away from buying my first horse, which I raced with Trevor McKee. I remember excitedly telling my father and there wasn't a huge amount of support. I think Ceolwulf was a real highlight as a breeder this season. John Foote bought the dam for €55,000 and she has gone on to leave an elite-level miler, and we sold a foal out of her for $1.1 million this year, which is just incredible.
“We love our racing and we love our breeding. It is important to thank the team, headed by Henry and Michele Plumptre, and the whole team who work on the farm. I am very privileged and very happy to have an opportunity to be involved in this industry. I put a lot into it in terms of effort and passion, like everyone else in the room tonight.”
New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Awards Horse of the Year title went to Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) while his dam Missy Moo (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) claimed Broodmare Of The Year. Ka Ying Rising’s breeders Fraser and Erin Auret's Grandmoral Lodge was recognised as the New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year.
Per Incanto (USA) won both the Centaine Award, presented to the leading sire by worldwide progeny earnings, and the Dewar Award, recognising the leading sire by progeny earnings across New Zealand and Australia. Proisir won the Grosvenor Award, presented to New Zealand's leading sire by domestic progeny earnings.
Jess Greenfield received the Mary-Lynne Ryan Young Achiever Award, while Windsor Park’s Rodney Schick was named NZTBA Personality of the Year.
Item returns to winner’s circle in Group 2
Having surrendered his unbeaten record in last month's G1 Derby, Juddmonte's homebred G2 Dante Stakes hero Item (Frankel) bettered his elders and dominated the closing stages to become the first sophomore to garner York's G2 Sky Bet York Stakes.
“It was a great performance and it's never easy with a [three-pound Group 2] penalty, but he looked to be doing it well at the end,” said Andrew Balding. “He's beaten some nice horses there, so you have to be delighted. I haven't discussed or thought about plans at the moment, but he has a lot of interesting entries and he deserves another go in a Group 1. Obviously, we went to Epsom with high hopes and it didn't happen, but he got back on track today.”
Item is the third of five foals and one of three scorers produced by G1 Natalma Stakes heroine Capla Temptress (Lope De Vega), herself out of a winning half-sister to multiple Group 3-winning and G1 Arlington Million runner-up Stotsfold (Barathea). The winner is a half-brother to Listed Prix Matchem victrix Temptable (Kingman).
Built claims G2 Vanderbilt
Made the favourite by the betting public in the G2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, Built (Hard Spun) put coal in the firebox, ran to his odds and recorded the first higher-level win of his career.
“Just what we thought he was going to get, he got,” said trainer Wayne Catalano. “The jock did a great job. He was a little antsy in the gate and he wanted to reset him because last time, he kind of bobbled away. Everything worked out today.”
Moonrise claims Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In
Last month's Listed Windsor Castle Stakes runner-up Moonrise (Churchill) went one better on her return to Ascot with a career best in Saturday's G3 Princess Margaret Japan Cup Stakes at the Berkshire venue.
“She got a nice lead into it today and she was then strong at the end as well, so we're very pleased,” said Andrew Balding after securing the first leg of an afternoon Group-race treble, a “Win and You're In” for the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
