Saturday Summary: Cosmic Crusader sets sights on Memsie after PB Lawrence victory

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Cosmic cruises to PB Lawrence victory

He had taken almost all before him over in his home state of Western Australia, and on Saturday Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice {Jpn}) struck again on the east coast with a dominant victory in the G2 PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.

Victorious in the G1 Northerly Stakes and second in the G3 The Gold Rush at the end of 2025, the Maurice (Jpn) 6-year-old was given a big break before transferring to Andrea Leek in Victoria for his eastern campaign. He resumed in July with a cool win in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes, and it was much of the same for the Peters Investments-bred gelding in the PB Lawrence.

With Willie Pike flying in to ride the gelding, Cosmic Crusader took up a midfield position and bided his time until the field turned for home, when Pike angled him out clear to snatch the lead away from Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}). Private Eye (Al Maher) rose to challenge him, but Cosmic Crusader held him off by three quarters of a length to win.

“That was very nice,” Pike said. “Thanks very much to the connections for offering me the ride today. He was too good a ride to pass up.

“The horse was fantastic and has a lovely stride. We found a nice position behind a good, even pace. I got him into the clear and he took over from there. He was going easily and just took me for a ride.”

The win makes Cosmic Crusader only the fourth horse to complete the Bletchingly-Lawrence double, joining Super Elegant (Mister C {USA}) in 2003, Apache Cat (Lion Cavern {USA}) in 2007, and Shoot Out (High Chaparral {Ire}) in 2010.

Leek confirmed that the G1 Memsie Stakes in a fortnight’s time would be next on the gelding’s agenda.

“I was a bit worried about how far back he was in the running today, but he’s a lovely horse with a lot of ability,” she said. “I thought he’d come on from that first-up run in the Bletchingly, and hopefully he can come on a bit more from this one too.

“We’re lucky that we’ve got our hills at home, and he’ll be working around them between now and the Memsie. It’s only two weeks between runs, so he won’t need to do a lot. Hopefully he can come back for the Memsie and be as good or better than he was today.”

Breeder and owner Bob Peters was trackside to watch his star homebred pick up his 10th career victory.

“I was a bit worried when he was pulling in the run, but once Willie got him to the outside, I could see that he was on the job,” he said. “The Memsie is the obvious way to go now. He had to get through this one to get there, but he’s done it well.”

Sales: Cosmic Crusader is a homebred for Bob Peters of Peters Investments.

Pedigree: Cosmic Crusader is the first foal of G3 La Trice Classic winner Cosmic Storm (Street Sense {USA}) whose seven wins also included three at Listed level in Perth. Her 4-year-old daughter Cosmic Spirit (Charm Spirit {Ire}) has won twice, while 2-year-old colt Cosmic Icon (Maurice {Jpn}) has trialled. Cosmic Storm’s yearling full sister to Cosmic Crusader sadly died, and she is back in foal to Maurice.

Cosmic Storm is one of four stakes winners for dual Group 3 winner Stormy Nova (Metal Storm {Fr}), with the best of them being G1 Cantala Stakes winner Superstorm (Sebring) who earned over $3 million. Superstorm’s full sister Mikimoto is a Listed winner as is Cosmic Storm’s full brother Royal Command.

Shadhavar strikes in Regal Roller

Tom Dabernig’s Shadhavar (Pride Of Dubai) picked up where she left off in the autumn with a first up victory in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The 5-year-old had made her stakes breakthrough in the Listed Matrice Stakes in March and lined up as the favourite for her resumption with Craig Williams taking the reins.

Sent out the favourite, the Pride Of Dubai mare defied Persian Spirit (Cable Bay {Ire}) by a third of a length to win, with Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}) in third another length away.

"She's a very good mare and she's improving all the time," said senior owner and syndicator Joe O'Neill. "Who knows where she may finish, as it is just the start of her preparation. The Courtza Stakes is in two weeks' time, and I would like to win that.

"I think we will keep her sprinting as you can go up in distance too quickly and have a gut-buster and it is a long way to Flemington."

O’Neill praised Dabernig’s patient hand with the mare and shared that he hoped to get the mare to the Melbourne Cup Carnival by the end of her preparation.

"The Champions Sprint (as the goal)," he said. "I think she's a sprinter, and that's the thing, people tend to push horses sometime and push them out in distance.

"Keep her fresh, keep her happy, so it's very good."

Sales: Prime Thoroughbreds paid $85,000 for Shadhavar at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, where she was offered by The Chase.

Pedigree: Shadhavar is one of two winners for winning Sebring mare Cross Legend, a half-sister to Group 2-winning sire Thronum and Listed Lonhro Plate victress Cythera (I Am Invincible).

This damline traces back to the potent Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}), dam of Street Cry (Ire) and second dam of Shamardal (USA). Her other direct descendants include Territories (Ire), last spring’s G2 Matriarch Stakes winner Sunset Park (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), and G2 Hobartville Stakes winner Osipenko (Pierro).

David Jolly has bought both of Cross Legend’s last two foals through the ring, both by Russian Revolution. Cross Legend has a Hanseatic yearling filly to sell next and was covered by Move To Strike in 2025.

Attractiveness scores back to back wins at Rosehill

A strong winner on her last time out at Rosehill, 4-year-old mare Attractiveness (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) continued her winning streak at her home track in the opener on Saturday’s card, bringing her record to four wins in nine starts. With two metropolitan wins under her belt and nearly $200,000 in prize money, connections are starting to dream a little bigger.

Trainers Richard and Will Freedman installed leading apprentice Siena Grima in the saddle for the mare’s task on Saturday, and together they found a handy spot behind the leaders from the jump.

Lifting to the lead with 600 metres left to run, Attractiveness had to see off a late charge from Cuban Cigar (Churchill {Ire}) to win by a half head, with Motoscafo (Castelvecchio) in third.

“It was a tough win, but she’s had enough this preparation,” said Will Freedman. “She’s better than that. It’s good for them to win when they’re not at their best.

“I think she's probably come to the end of her preparation. When you get to that sixth run, you start thinking the end is closer than the beginning of the prep.”

Despite the spelling paddock calling for the mare now, Freedman already is beginning to put together plans for the autumn, where he sees the opportunity to step the mare up in grade.

“I’m confident that she'll end up being a stakes filly in time,” he said. “Her last performance (on August 1) really stamped that for me. Having three wins in a preparation, with two in town, it’s no easy feat. She’s heading in the right direction.

“A race like the Epona Stakes on Golden Slipper Day might be a good target, so we’ll probably work backwards from there. But she’s earned a break now.”

Sales: Richard and Will Freedman purchased Attractiveness alongside Matthew Corban’s Inspire Racing and Pinhook Bloodstock International (FBAA) for NZ$120,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: Attractiveness is the best offspring to date out of Hot in High Heels (High Chaparral {Ire}), a winning half-sister to G3 Desert Gold Stakes winner Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir). Second dam Fairygem (Viscount) was a Listed winner and a half-sister to G1 Captain Cook Stakes victress Penny Gem (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), whose descendants include dual Group 3 winner Night’s Watch (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and G3 David Coles AM Stakes winner Brave Hustler (Anders).

Hot In High Heels’ Bivouac filly passed in at Karaka this year. She was served by G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose in 2025.

Eagle Express flies high to serve Waller a quartet

Chris Waller had a stellar outing at Rosehill on Saturday when putting together a quarter of winners over the 10-race card, and 5-year-old Yulong-owned mare Eagle Express (Alabama Express) was one of the most exciting when taking out the seventh event.

Carrying a featherweight 52kg, Eagle Express was perfectly positioned in the slipstream behind Hawker Hall (Russian Revolution) until well into the home straight, at which point she found a gap and pounced to win by a third of a length over Grand Impact (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}).

Waller was quick to praise the tactics of jockey Zac Lloyd, who had given the mare an expert steer to secure her fifth career victory and over $300,000 in prize money.

"It's great for Sydney racing," he said. "The competition at the top is great and there's a few chomping away there which really strengthens our racing. Good healthy competition is what we want and we've got plenty of it at the moment."

The G3 Show County next week had initially been the jumping off point for Eagle Express’s spring preparation, but Waller had elected instead to be conservative with her and give her another confidence-boosting win before returning to stakes level.

"She's a talented mare and we just wanted to see her do that and justify another year with us," he said. "I was down at the (Yulong) farm during the week and the way it is developing and evolving, it's no surprise the powerhouse they are in the industry.

"With the stock they've purchased, they are boosting the Australian breeding economy and racing economy and we need it."

Waller’s other winners that filled out his quartet started early with Go Bloodstock’s impressive colt Steel Will (I Am Invincible) winning the second race, a Benchmark 72 that has previously been won by the likes of Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and Ninja (Farnan).

He then won the fourth event with Concordia Wind (Justify {USA}) in the Hermitage Thoroughbreds colours and sent out the Yulong colours to victory again in the ninth race with Althoff (Written Tycoon).

Lloyd rode a double on the card, also piloting Mind Ya Bizz (Heroic Valour) to win the fifth race for Brad Widdup.

Sales: Eagle Express was withdrawn from the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and retained by Yulong Investments.

Pedigree: Eagle Express is the first foal out of Crowned Eagle (Tavistock {NZ}), a half-sister to three stakes winners in G1 Champagne Stakes winner Go Indy Go (Bernadini {USA}), G3 SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Air Assault (Justify {USA}) - a race also won by Go Indy Go - and G3 DC McKay Stakes winner Essay Raider (Bernadini {USA}). This is the close family of G1 Caulfield Cup victress Southern Speed (Southern Image {USA}), who has been a stakes producer in Japan.

Simon Zahra Racing and D Romanelli purchased a full brother to Eagle Express at this year’s Premier sale. Crowned Eagle has a Written Tycoon yearling colt bound for the 2027 sales and is in foal to More Than Looks (USA).