Ryan and Alexiou win third Goulburn Cup
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable won their third Goulburn Cup in the past six years on Sunday with this year's victor being Just Party (Justify {USA}) who qualified for the Big Dance.
“I think that is three (wins in the Goulburn Cup) of the last six years so it's a great achievement for the stable,” Alexiou said.
“I'm still not sold on him at a mile but obviously it is still a good carrot to chase but we'll just let the dust settle because I want to win another race with him first.” Just Party has two wins from 21 starts and earnings over $630,000. His trainers paid $110,000 for him from Coolmore Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.
The Group 2-placed 5-year-old gelding is a half-brother to Group 3-placed Petition (Foxwedge). They are out of Group 1 winner The Party Stand (NZ) (Thorn Park).
At the same meeting, 3-year-old gelding Daylite (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) won his maiden for trainer Scott Collings by 4.25 lengths.
Kingswood to kick off Caulfield Cup campaign
On Saturday, Gavin Bedggood will kick off the G1 Caulfield Cup campaign for Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes.
“He's flying, going as good as I've had him going. He could've gone to the races anywhere the last two weeks, he's more than ready to go to the races, I just hope we get decent ground,” Bedggood told racenet.com.au.
“He's never been sounder and his work at home has never been better. Both of his trials have been great, so I think the horse is going really well. His first up run will determine where we go after that.
“We could either go to the Naturalism (Stakes) or the 1800 metres (Underwood Stakes) at Caulfield. His first up run, if it indicates he's good enough to go down the weight-for-age path (Underwood) that's where we'll go, if not we'll go the handicap route. Ideally, you'd love to see him in a Caulfield Cup fourth up if he's going well enough.”
El Castello to return to form
Trainer John Thompson believes 5-year-old gelding El Castello (Castelvecchio) can return to the same form that saw him win the G1 Spring Champion Stakes as a 3-year-old.
“I think he is actually a very similar horse to Clear Proof in that he was left a colt for too long and just wasn't giving everything that he had,” Thompson said.
El Castello | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Along with a number of other issues that he had but he has started to come back into his own and his trials tell me he's in for a good preparation. He will run in the Tramway Stakes here in two weeks. Obviously it's been a race that I've had some success in over the years and hopefully this bloke can add his name to the honour roll.”
Station One named Country Victoria HOTY
The Country Racing Victoria (CRV) Awards were held in Melbourne on Saturday night and Liam Howley-trained Station One (Toronado {Ire}), who won four country cups, was crowned Country Horse Of The Year. He won the Gunbower, Traralgon, Burrumbeet and Stony Creek Cups.
“What a ride,” Howley told racing.com.
“I think he’s run in 22 country cups. From the Woodford Cup at Warrnambool in the west, to Gunbower and Stony Creek on the other side. We’ve covered plenty of the state and there’s been plenty of good times. It’s been an amazing run.”
The Moe Racing Club won the Country Club Of The Year. “To receive this award is something we’re extremely proud of. It’s a credit to an amazing team of staff, committee members and volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes, along with our members, sponsors and community who support us every step of the way,” Mike Vanderfeen, Moe Racing Club Chairman said.
“We would also like to thank Country Racing Victoria and Racing Victoria for the support they have provided. We will enjoy this moment, but we will also use it as motivation to keep raising the bar for country racing and our community.”
The Ararat Racing Club won the Community Club of the Year. The Yarra Valley Christmas Party Race Day was named the Kelly Sports Country Event of the Year. The ISLA Vodka Country Community Club Event of the Year was awarded to the Gunbower Gold Cup.
Andrew Dale wins own race
Trainer Andrew Dale won the race named in his honour on Sunday at Wangaratta, the Andrew Dale - WTC Trainer Of The Year Maiden over 1000 metres with 3-year-old gelding Cha Ching King (Prague) who was having his second start. Dale purchased him for $5000 from Blake Ryan Racing’s Inglis Ready2Race Sale draft.
Cha Ching King is the first foal of unraced mare Love Aloft (Spirit Of Boom) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Mimi Lebrock (Show A Heart) who is the dam of Queensland sire Barbaric. Group 3-winning pair Heavenly Thought (So You Think {NZ}) and Shoko (Sebring) are also half-siblings to Love Aloft.
Spirit Of Boom sires treble at Kilcoy
On Sunday, deceased Queensland sire Spirit Of Boom sired a treble at Kilcoy. Robert Heathcote-trained 3-year-old filly Chat Mignon won her maiden on debut by 3.7 lengths. Her trainer and Paul Willetts bought her for $35,000 from Murrulla Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Tony Gollan-trained Esprit Du Jour won the Diggers Cup to take her record to three wins, and Alyssa and Troy Sweeney-trained Final Voyage won for the second time in her career.
Pierro and Bondi share honours at Kalgoorlie
On Sunday, both Pierro and Bondi sired doubles at Kalgoorlie. Pierro won with Trevor Tasker-trained More Likely who has now won three in succession and six in total; and with Helen Harding-trained The Jester’s Son who took his record to seven wins.
Bondi sired Peter Fernie-trained Twist Of Gold who celebrated her fifth career victory and Helen Harding-trained Simply Royalty who took her record to two wins from six starts.
Ebor-second Hopewell Rock likely for Cup
Newmarket trainer George Boughey-prepared Ebor Handicap-second placed Hopewell Rock (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) might head to the G1 Melbourne Cup despite missing the ballot-free entry by a head.
“I think he’s more than justified going there now. He was a horse who has always promised a lot and now he’s starting to deliver,” Boughey said after the race on Sunday morning, Australian-time.
“The Melbourne Cup has been the plan for a while; he’s a very straightforward and honest horse who clearly stays the trip well. He loves a big field, so I think he’s absolutely tailormade for it.”
Resolute Racing’s Giant Sequoia wins Futurity
Resolute Racing, Coolmore and Westerberg's Giant Sequoia (Frankel) made a breakthrough tackling seven furlongs at the Curragh in June and returned over the same strip at the Co. Kildare venue to continue Aidan O'Brien's utter domination of Saturday's G2 Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes with a record-extending 19th renewal.
“We are very proud of him,” said Resolute Racing's John Stewart. “From the moment he was born, our farm manager Noel Murphy said, 'This horse will win the English Derby,' and now it looks like he has taken a step in that direction. It's a testament to the hard work of our farm team and the best trainer in the world.”
Giant Sequoia, who becomes his sire's 125th Group winner, is the third of four foals and lone scorer out of the Listed-winning G1 Oaks, G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Pretty Polly placegetter Pink Dogwood (Camelot).
Saxon Warrior filly wins Debutante Stakes
Joseph O'Brien can do no wrong this year and the irresistible momentum continued to The Curragh on Saturday with a one-two in the G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes led by The Thoroughbred Racing Corporation's Green Empress (Saxon Warrior).
“Her form has worked out very well and Dylan gave her a lovely ride,” the winning trainer said. “I'm really delighted for Prince Faisal to be able to be here. To win the Debutante is very special for us and for him. She had a bit of a setback after her last run, so we thought that fitness-wise she probably would need the race today. She'll probably come back here for the Moyglare.”
Grade 1 winner And One More Time adds Ballston Spa
Live Oak Plantation's And One More Time (Omaha Beach) both out-finished her rivals and overcame a stewards' inquiry to win the G2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga Saturday. A Grade 1 winner at two, clung to her lead despite drifting in the stretch, with both European invader Sunlit Uplands (Ire) (Sands of Mali {Fr}) and Segesta (Ghostzapper) appearing the most impacted and triggering a stewards' inquiry.
After deliberating for several minutes, the stewards disallowed both the claim and the inquiry and allowed the result to stand.
“This [win] means a lot to Mrs [Charlotte] Weber [owner of Live Oak Plantation] and if it means a lot to Mrs Weber, it means a lot to me,” said winning trainer Mark Casse. “She's been part of my family for over 50 years. She was there [at the winner's circle] and she was like, 'Please don't take this away from me!'”
Sorrento Sky gets Win and You’re In
A 'Win and You're In’ Challenge Series race for the G1 Prevagen Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, the G2 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday went to Sorrento Sky (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), who punched his ticket to Keeneland for late October.
“I thought we were in a little trouble in the first quarter just being so far back,” said trainer Phil D'Amato. “There was a lot of speed in there and Umberto [Rispoli] was able to cut the turn and pull out. He got a beautiful trip today and that was the difference. Umberto always believed in this horse. This was the way he always envisioned him running and it worked out.”
Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner up Imagination to stud
Imagination (Into Mischief), a three-time Graded winner and runner-up in the 2025 G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint, will enter stud at Mountain View Farm in Gansevoort, New York for the 2027 breeding season. His introductory stud fee will be announced at a later date.
He is expected to run in the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship followed by the Breeders' Cup Sprint before relocating to Mountain View Farm. He will stand as the property of a syndicate managed by Mountain View Farm. “Imagination is the kind of horse who could easily stand at a leading farm in Kentucky,” said David Cannizzo of Mountain View Farm.
“He has everything breeders look for: an exceptional pedigree, tremendous ability, versatility, durability and elite performances against some of the best horses in the world. Bringing a horse of this calibre to Mountain View Farm gives New York breeders access to a truly national-level stallion while allowing them to take advantage of one of the strongest and most rewarding breeding incentive programs in the country. We believe he has the pedigree, race record and commercial appeal to make an important impact on the New York breeding industry.”
