Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Race-day recap
High drama before and after the kick did not deter Boomtown Boss (Spirit Of Boom) his stakes breakthrough in the G3 Aurie's Star Stakes at Flemington.
Ever consistent Quintabelle (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) also broke through into black-type on home turf when taking out the G3 Winter Cup at Riccarton.
Exciting mare Sass Appeal (So You Think {NZ}) made a stylish return with an all the way win at Flemington and will have Group 1 targets this spring.
Speedy Prague filly She's No Saint is on the road to a stakes start after capturing Ruakaka's feature lead-up event on Saturday.
Bought entirely with VOBIS vouchers, emerging 3-year-old Almontego (Alabama Express) scored at the second time of asking at Flemington.
Boomtown Boss makes Group breakthrough in Aurie’s Star
A luckless Queensland carnival had trainer Tony Gollan sending Boomtown Boss (Spirit Of Boom) south in search of redemption, and the 5-year-old gelding secured just that in the G3 Aurie’s Star Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
The race shape changed dramatically in the minutes before the kick, with ante-post favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel {Ire}) declared a late scratching after bursting out of the starting gates, and even after Boomtown Boss held off Royal Insignia (Written Tycoon) by a neck to win the battle down the Flemington straight, the drama continued in the stewards’ room.
Connections of Royal Insignia lodged a protest over winning jockey Daniel Moor’s excessive whip use, and while stewards concurred on that point, they did not believe it made enough difference to the winning margin of a neck.
Gollan, who won the same race in 2011 with Temple Of Boom (Piccolo {GB}), had considered the race after the disappointing carnival for the gelding.
“I felt for a little while he’d make a nice straight horse,” he said. “His winter prep was going nowhere, everything was going wrong, and I knew this race was on the cards so we backed off him and we decided to bring him down early.
Boomtown Boss winning the G3 Aurie’s Star Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We sent him down to Ciaron (Maher) and Jack (Turnbull) with the team at Cranbourne. He’s been down there for about a month just to settle him in.
"I had a hunch it (the straight) would suit him (Boomtown Boss) and I knew half-way through the race I was pretty right." - Tony Gollan
“I had a hunch it would suit him and I knew half-way through the race I was pretty right as I could see how well he was travelling and I knew he’s got a good finish on him. He has got a motor on him, this horse.”
Gollan indicated there was a potential for the gelding to remain in Victoria a little longer to target races like the G2 Gilgai Stakes or the G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality.
Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Boomtown Boss was a $180,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Eureka Stud for his trainer and John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA).
Pedigree: Boomtown Boss is the third stakes performer, but first stakes winner, for his multiple winning dam Boomalicious (Red Dazzler). His stakes-performed siblings Tick Tock Boom and Boomtown Lass are also by Spirit Of Boom.
Boomalicious descends from the close family of G1 Toorak Handicap winner Land Of Plenty (Stratum) and G1 Ranvet Stakes winner Zavite (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). Chris Anderson Racing bought her now 2-year-old Spirit Of Boom colt for $200,000 at the Gold Coast this year and she produced a filly by the sire in 2025.
Connections of Boomtown Boss after winning the G3 Aurie’s Star Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Quintabelle delivers Winter Cup win on home turf
Riccarton local Quintabelle (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) wasted no time in the new season in making her stakes level breakthrough, taking home the G3 Winter Cup for trainer Anna Furlong.
The 6-year-old mare defied disinterest in the betting to begin winding up at the 600-metre mark and ultimately chase down perennial Cup placegetter Bradman (NZ) (Pins) and Prioress (NZ) (Proisir) to secure victory by a clean two lengths.
“Third up and with a huge drop in weight, we thought she was going to be a key player,” said Furlong after the win. The latter had given the trainer a great deal of confidence coming into the run, which saw the mare carry 53kg, down from 62kg at her previous start.
“I thought Toni (Davies) got her in a nice spot as you can’t bustle her, you need to let her relax into things. She tracked through and then came wide and really let down beautifully.
"I’m thrilled for everyone at work (in the stable) as they work so hard and I’m so appreciative and also for the owners." - Anna Furlong
“I’m thrilled for everyone at work (in the stable) as they work so hard and I’m so appreciative and also for the owners. Some (owners) are here and they will be over the moon, as it is a large group and they will be pumping.”
Apprentice Toni Davies was thrilled to secure her best win yet on the mare.
Quintabelle (NZ) after winning the G3 Winter Cup | Image courtesy of Race Images
“That’s an amazing feeling,” she said. “I was pretty happy how it turned out as she relaxed beautifully even though we got back a little bit. I was able to track something into the race and she has just kicked for home.
"I was pretty happy how it turned out as she relaxed beautifully even though we got back a little bit." - Toni Davies
“Anna had said she goes best third up and this is right up there for me as it is hard for apprentices to ride in this type of race and win them, so I can’t thank Anna enough.”
Sales: Quintabelle was a NZ$25,000 purchase from Book 2 of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Epona Park for trainer Robert Dennis, who remains in her ownership.
Pedigree: Quintabelle is the second stakes winner for La Quinta (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), whose first foal Dionysus (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) won the G3 Waikato Cup and G3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. La Quinta is an unraced half-sister to the dam of dual Group 1 winner Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award).
La Quinta produced an Almanzor (Fr) colt in 2025 before visiting Profondo, whose first 2-year-olds hit the track this spring.
Sass Appeal opens season in style
Smart mare Sass Appeal (So You Think {NZ}) picked up where she left off last campaign with a win at Flemington that promised more in store for the spring. The Danny O’Brien-trained Group 2 winner wasted no time getting to the front in the 1410-metre event and held a steady margin of three quarters of a length to win over Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}).
It was a fifth career win for the 4-year-old, who was second on debut in December before stringing four wins back to back last preparation, culminating in her G2 Kewney Stakes win.
O’Brien has already discussed his intentions to set the mare on a Group 1 path this spring. Before Saturday’s victory, he has pencilled in another BM100 race at Caulfield on August 29, before heading towards either a G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes or a G1 Toorak Handicap.
Sales: Vinery Stud sold Sass Appeal to Danny O’Brien for $120,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Sass Appeal winning at Flemington | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Pedigree: Sass Appeal is one of two stakes winners for Group 3-performed Cristal Eyes (All Too Hard), a half-sister to G3 Red Roses Stakes winner Flying Evelyn (Not A Single Doubt), out of a daughter of G1 Coolmore Classic victress Bollinger (Dehere {USA}). Her half-brother Cristal Clear (Exceedance) won the G2 Ajax Stakes a week after her Kewney win. The family also features the sires Villermont and Benicio.
Cristal Eyes produced her first foal since Sass Appeal in 2025, an Ole Kirk colt, before revisiting Exceedance.
She’s No Saint impresses in Ruakaka feature
It might not be a stakes race, but there is black-type in store for newly turned 3-year-old She’s No Saint (Prague) after a ripping three-length victory in Ruakaka’s Saturday feature, the $35,000 Northland Breeders Stakes preview event.
Sixth last season in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO and a winner just before the turn of the season, the filly exhibited an intense late burst of speed in her August 1 assignment to run down the leader and kick clear for a comfortable victory. Urchella (NZ) (Derryn) was second, with a further length back to Caesars Palace (NZ) (Proisir) in third.
Trainer Michelle Bradley had always retained faith in the filly’s abilities and will set her for the G3 Northland Breeders Stakes in a fortnight’s time.
“As I’ve said, she didn’t disgrace herself in the Karaka Millions and the goal was to get the win out of her after that, which we did,” she said. “To come here today and win like she did, it was really pleasing.
"To come here today and win like she (She's No Saint) did, it was really pleasing." - Michelle Bradley
“The Breeders has been the aim and our goal, so today’s race was the lead-up. It’s nice when you’ve got a little bit of a plan and it’s coming together.
“There’s going to be some nice horses in there, but it’s black-type, so there should be.”
Sales: A $65,000 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale purchase for Highline Thoroughbreds and Paul Moroney Bloodstock, She’s No Saint was then purchased by her trainer for NZ$55,000 at Karaka last year.
She's No Saint at Ruakaka | Image courtesy of Race Images
Pedigree: She’s No Saint is the first winner for Poetic Diva (Poet’s Voice {GB}), who is a granddaughter of European matriarch and Group 3 winner Anna Of Saxony (GB) (Ela Mana Mou {Ire}). Amongst Anna Of Saxony’s descendants are the likes of European Champion 3YO Adayar (Ire) and French Champion 2YO and sire National Defense (GB).
Poetic Diva has a filly by Royal Meeting (Ire) on the ground and visited the sire again last spring.
‘Freebie’ Almontego salutes at start two
The proof of any good system has to be in the pudding, and the victory of newly turned 3-year-old Almontego (Alabama Express) in the second race at Flemington is sterling proof of the VOBIS voucher system in action.
A promising fourth on debut at Flemington in mid July, the Gavin Bedggood-trained Almontego returned to the straight course on Saturday and was improving from sixth as the field entered the last 400 metres. With the line swiftly approaching, he worked his way to the front and held off a fast improving Santa Barbara (Snitzel) to score by a head on the line.
The gelding cost his ownership group just $25,000, but none of that money came from their own pockets, thanks to VOBIS vouchers earned in early 2025.
"A bunch of the owners won a VOBIS Sires' maiden at Werribee last year and I got them all to put their vouchers into this guy," Bedggood said. "They pretty much got a free horse."
"I got them all to put their vouchers into this guy, (Almontego). They pretty much got a free horse." - Gavin Bedggood
Bedggood hasn’t picked out a next assignment for the gelding, but given he’s a metropolitan winner at his second start, which has earned him over $94,000 already, there are a wide number of options open to him. What certainly helps with setting those target is having a good attitude.
"He's just a horse that has never really jumped out of the box and he's done what he has to do," Bedggood said. "He's a real tradesman that has taken good improvement every time he's had a jumpout."
Gavin Bedggood | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Gavin Bedggood Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) signed for Almontego at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Blue Gum Farm.
Pedigree: Almontego is the first foal out of Montefino Miss (Nicconi), an unraced daughter of G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Velocitea (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}). Velocitea is a half-sister to Listed Southland Guineas victor Weaponry (NZ) (Declaration Of War {USA}) and Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {GB}), the dam of dual Group 1 winner Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) - whose daughter Just Like Gaby (Pierata) was also a winner on the Flemington card.
Montefino Miss has a Tagaloa yearling filly, who sold for $12,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale this year, and was served by First Settler in the spring.
