Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Raceday recap:
Group-winning Prague filly Pembrey burst back on the scene with an arrogant win in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick, and now seeks to dominate the Darley Princess Series.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr's Buggsy (Harry Angel {Ire}) has earned a shot at black-type after defeating a strong field in the fifth event at Sandown.
Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Judas Tree (Blue Point {Ire}) led home a quinella for both his sire and owner-breeder Godolphin when winning the opening race at Sandown.
Listed Oaklands Stakes victress Pretty Baby (Barbados) continued her flying form at Morphettville, winning her third consecutive race when taking out the opener on the card.
Pembrey makes arrogant return in Silver Shadow
In a run aptly described as “arrogant” by all commentating on it, G3 Magic Night Stakes winner Pembrey (Prague) burst back onto the scene with a domineering victory in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes to kick off the 2026 Darley Princess Series.
Reunited with James McDonald, who guided the Tony Gollan-trained filly to her Magic Night win in the autumn, Pembrey was sent straight to the front, muscling past the race-fit Krasina (Russian Revolution), and simply refused to be caught.
Despite the best efforts of Bangkok Hottie (Too Darn Hot {GB}) to valiantly give chase, Pembrey ate up the ground to score victory by two and a half lengths. Global Goal (Pinatubo {Ire}) was a further length back in third.
"Give her a slot (in the Everest),'' McDonald said. "She was exceptional. She showed great sustained speed, and to be able to quicken off that, that's impressive.''
"Give her (Pembrey) a slot (in the Everest)." - James McDonald
"She has given us a really good feel at home, but as all of us trainers know when they show that good 2-year-old form, they come back at three with all these expectations, you want to see them do it on raceday,'' Gollan said.
"It was great to have James booked on her two or three weeks ago, which was a big help to me, and she has had a faultless preparation. I think when we get her out to 1400 metres, she will be just as effective.
"I want to follow the Princess Series as long as her form holds up and she keeps on improving on what we have seen today.''
Pembrey winning the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The G2 Furious Stakes is next in the series on September 5, followed by the G2 Tea Rose Stakes on September 19, and concluding with the G1 Flight Stakes on October 3. The only fillies to win all four races in history have been Angst (Kala Dancer {GB}) in 1999 and Samantha Miss (Redoute's Choice) in 2008.
"I haven't really thought about the Everest to be honest,'' Golland said. "But I would think about anything with her.
"I will let the dust settle on this and my plan has been the Princess Series as I have been keen to get her to 1400 metres. But anything is an option, although would I want a 3-year-old filly to take on the good horse from Hong Kong (Ka Ying Rising)? Probably not.
"My plan has been the Princess Series as I have been keen to get her (Pembrey) to 1400 metres." - Tony Gollan
"But the (owners) Kia Ora team will have their opinion and we will look at all the facts and figures. I do know she is very talented.''
Sales: Passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Pembrey has been retained to race by breeder Kia Ora Stud.
Pedigree: Pembrey is out of G2 Edward Manifold Stakes winner Se Sauver (Bel Esprit), who has produced nine runners to race for nine winners, including the four-time winner and Listed-placed Amplify (Microphone). Pembrey is her last foal. Pembrey’s half-sister Escape Artist (Exceed And Excel) produced a filly by Starlust (GB) - second in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Friday night - at the start of the month.
Connections of Pembrey after winning the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everythin
Se Sauver is a half-sister to Matt Laurie’s G1 South Australian Derby winner Escado (Casino Prince), and descends from multiple Group winner Truly Bound (USA) (In Reality {USA}), one of five stakes winners from five-time stakes-winning mare Natashka (USA) (Dedicate {USA}). Four of that number performed at Group 1 level, headed by G1 Joe McGrath Memorial Stakes winner and sire Gregorian (USA).
Buggsy too strong in Chef’s Hat Handicap
It was a good day for Craig Williams at Sandown on Saturday, with the champion hoop reeling off a four-timer - including the G3 Carlyon Stakes with Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) - and amongst the group was guiding the progressive 3-year-old Buggsy (Harry Angel {Ire}) home for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
Facing a strong field for a 3-year-old handicap - including the likes of G3 Breeders’ Plate victor Incognito (Stay Inside), R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner winner Calamari Ring (Street Boss {USA}), and progressive Jacaranda (Home Affairs) - the colt proved too tough in the $150,000 Chef’s Hat Handicap, beating the latter filly out by a head. Calamari Ring was third.
The gritty run against a field of that calibre was enough to make Price consider stepping the colt up a level this spring.
"Obviously he's been stakes-placed when he was on the way down and now you've got all these nice races in front of him and he is a colt," he said, referring to the colt’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes third in April behind Gin Twist (Home Affairs).
"Now you've got all these nice races in front of him (Buggsy) and he is a colt." - Mick Price
"You've got to go that way - Poseidon, Danehill, Coolmore. I'm not saying he's going to be good enough, because we are on a soft track and it's off-stakes form, but that's the way he's got to go."
Buggsy will have to contend to G1 Golden Slipper Stakes-winning stablemate Guest House (Home Affairs) if he continues on that path, but with two wins under his belt and a stakes placing suggesting more to come, there is plenty to keep his trainers interested. Williams was also aboard the colt for his debut win and said that the colt still has some maturing to do before he is the finished product.
"He's still thinking about other things, but when he turns into a racehorse, it's great," Williams said. "He's got nice ability and he's got very good determination."
"He's (Buggsy) still thinking about other things, but when he turns into a racehorse, it's great." - Craig Williams
Sales: Flying Start Syndications and Pinhook Bloodstock (FBAA) bought Buggsy as a yearling for $80,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, then he was sold to his trainers for $300,000 at the following Inglis Ready2Race Sale, where he was offered by Hannover Lodge.
Buggsy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Pedigree: Buggsy is one of two winners for Miss Severina (Foxwedge), a winning half-sister to dual Group winner Brave Song (Your Song). Miss Severina’s dam is a half to dual Group winner Brave Prince (Kenmare {Fr}), from a family that has produced G2 Magic Night Stakes victress Media (Gilded Time {USA}), G1 JJ Atkins Plate winner Cool Archie, and G2 Western Australian Derby winner Sentimental Legend (Brutal {NZ}).
Dan Bougoure Racing bought a Star Turn half-sister to Buggsy at the Gold Coast this year for $40,000, and Miss Severina has a Better Than Ready yearling colt to come.
Judas Tree leads home Blue Point quinella at Sandown
Tony and Calvin McEvoy may have an interesting player in the spring after 3-year-old Godolphin-owned gelding Judas Tree (Blue Point {Ire}) took out the $150,000 first race on the Sandown card on Saturday, with another son of Blue Point (Ire) in fellow Blue Army galloper Milsons Point hot on his heels for second.
Sharp out of the gates, Judas Tree found a comfortable spot up front while Milsons Point crept along the rail and mounted his challenge upon straightening. Not to be outdone, Judas Tree found another gear to surge home in front by three quarters of a length, with Commit (Profiteer) making a strong play for third in the 1400-metre event.
It was a second victory in three starts for Judas Tree, who won on debut in July at Ballarat, and then backed up that performance with a second to American Eagle (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in his first appearance at Sandown.
Trained by Ciaron Maher, Milsons Point was a pre-Christmas juvenile winner in December before running second in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (colts & geldings) won by Alibaba (Alabama Express). The sire of 109 individual winners in Australia to date, Blue Point’s last Southern Hemisphere-bred foal crop are yearlings this year.
Sales: Judas Tree is a homebred for Godolphin.
Pedigree: The second foal of G3 James HB Carr Stakes winner Laburnum (Denman), Judas Tree shares his third dam with Horse Of The Year Anamoe, as well as sixtime Group 1 winner Grand Armee (Hennessy {USA}) and G1 Diamond Stakes and Champion New Zealand 2YO winner Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}).
Laburnum delivered a Harry Angel (Ire) colt in 2025 and was not served that season.
Pretty Baby makes it three at Morphettville
Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle-trained Pretty Baby (Barbados) hit her straps two starts ago when speeding home to win the Listed Oaklands Stakes, becoming the first stakes winner in three years for her South Australian sire, and she hasn’t looked back. Striking again at Morphettville on Saturday, the grey filly made it three consecutive wins.
Staying paired with apprentice jockey Caitlin Tootle, the filly was last out of the gates and had to settle near the back of the field for most of the trip while Azytass (Tassort) put a big margin on the field.
In the home straight, however, Pretty Baby came down strongly out wide to snatch victory away from Dustee (Exceedance) by a length and three quarters.
Sales: Pretty Baby is a homebred for her owners, the McKinnons, who also bred her dam Louisiana (Southern Image {USA}).
Pedigree: The McKinnons purchased Louisiana’s dam Atwell (Flying Spur) in 2008 for $7000 from Dorrington Farm, and managed to secure part of one of Rob Crabtree’s most prolific families. Atwell is a daughter of multiple Listed winner Lady Knockout (Serheed {USA}), making her a half-sister to Listed-winning Missy Cummings (Magnus), dam of G1 Canterbury Stakes winner Mizzy (Zoustar) and multiple Group victress She’s Got Pizzazz (Zoustar).
Bred every other year with her offspring retained to race, Louisiana currently has a yearling filly by Cool Aza Beel (NZ) still to come.
