Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Two former winners head-to-head in Memsie
The G1 Memsie Stakes for 2026 is an embarrassment of riches with last year’s winner Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) taking on the 2023 victor Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars). Of the 12 runners, only three are not already Group 1 winners and two of those are Group 1-placed.
Chris Waller has five horses nominated for the race and, like the rest of us, is excited for the arrival of spring.
“We’re coming into the biggest time of the year and setting the scene with some good racing, whether it be the Memsie this week or the Winx last week, it’s what people want to see,” Waller told racing.com.
“We’re coming into the biggest time of the year and setting the scene with some good racing,... it’s what people want to see.” - Chris Waller
“It’s great for racing – it’s not very good for the trainers, in terms of sleeping the night before. It’s an important race. We think these lead-up races are just as important as their grand finals. They’ve got to be well-prepared to come through it well. If you’re underdone, the horses struggle to recover. The horses should all be pretty forward. There’s good horses racing.”
His five runners are Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}), recently crowned Champion 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), Beiwacht (Bivouac), Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) and Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock).
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“Angel Capital has had the benefit of a run in Sydney, so he goes into the Memsie second-up, and 1400 metres if a good distance for him and he runs well at Caulfield,” Waller explained.
“Birdman found good form in the autumn down here (in Melbourne) and then carried that right through to Queensland where he won the Doomben Cup. He resumes ahead of a good preparation, we hope.
“Buckaroo had come back really well. He won a jump out at Flemington last week, just to give him some bragging rights, and he’s come through that well.
“Autumn Boy is a promising colt, a Caulfield Guineas winner, he’s come back in good shape.
Gallery: Chris Waller's five runners for G1 Memsie Stakes 2026
“Beiwacht had a minor temperature last weekend and his blood profile was back to normal yesterday, so the vets allowed us to gallop him on Tuesday. He galloped well, and provided he comes through the work well, he will come down on Wednesday night.”
Racing fans are keen to see ten-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) resume, but none more so than jockey Craig Williams who has such a great association with the Lindsay Park trained galloper.
“He’s won 10 Group 1s, he’s the best miler in Australia on his day, so he’s a force of nature when he’s in the zone. I’m looking forward to seeing how he competes on Saturday. He’s healthy, he’s well, he feels like he wants to be there and that’s the most important thing,” Williams said.
The favourite is Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {NZ}).
Mr Brightside (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Slipper winner is back in the house
G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House (Home Affairs) makes his much anticipated seasonal debut in Saturday’s G3 San Domenico Stakes. He reunites with jockey Zac Lloyd who was second in the two-day World All-Star Jockey Challenge in Japan last weekend.
“Riding in Japan was a massive goal of mine. I've been watching their horses compete all over the world, their racing is unbelievable and I've always wanted to ride there,” the 23-year-old jockey told racingandsports.com.au.
“So, to get the opportunity at such a young age and be invited for the weekend, it obviously was not the best timing with the carnival in Sydney kicking off (Winx Stakes last Saturday), but it was something I couldn't pass up on. I'm very happy I went because I had a really good time, met a lot of good people, competed very well and met some great jockeys.”
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The 2025 Slipper winner Mahroona (Snitzel) was effective at three last season, winning the Listed Heritage Stakes on resuming and adding the G1 Galaxy Handicap in the autumn. The year before's Slipper was won by Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) who was third in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes in her first start at three. She added three more Group 1 placings after that before an interaction with a sting-ray during beach training ended her career.
Whether Guest House trains on is yet to be seen, but he’s bred that way with his sire and grandsire both getting better at three and older.
“He's come back very well. He's mentally improved and taken that necessary step forward. Physically he didn't really have to improve much, he's a cracking colt, he didn't need to get any bigger than he really was,” Lloyd said.
Zac Lloyd | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was good to see him in his last trial, he jumped and held a forward spot and, as I said, mentally he's matured (because) you can ask him a message out the gates and he's not going to over-race as he tended to do in his first couple of runs as a 2-year-old.
“He's obviously a super colt and I'm very excited to have him back. He's only going to improve with each run and obviously the goal is to be a 100 percent by the Golden Rose.”
“He's (Guest House) obviously a super colt and I'm very excited to have him back.” - Zac Lloyd
Five of the eight horse field are already group winners. Hawkes Racing have made the bold move to debut Wild Atlantic (Exceedance) in the race.
Southend’s big chance in the G3 Up & Coming
The G3 Up & Coming Stakes has a massive honour board with newly crowned Horse Of The Year Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) victorious in 2024, while the year prior Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) won it on his way towards the G1 Spring Champion Stakes. He runs in Saturday’s hot G1 Memsie Stakes field.
This year’s field of ten is headed by two stakes winners being Listed winner and G1 Champagne Stakes-placed colt Diameter (Brazen Beau), and G3 TL Baillieu Stakes winner Southend (Palace Pier {GB}).
Southend has drawn wide for trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, which gives jockey Dylan Gibbons an interesting set of strategic options.
Southend | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“That's probably the only disappointing thing. If he could have drawn a decent barrier, he would have had the option to race a bit handier. Just that start is a bit tricky. We'll probably have to take our medicine, balance up, and he'll be finding the line well,” Alexiou told racingandsports.com.au.
“We're still feeling our way with him in regards to what his best distance is going to be. It was an end of 'prep' run (in the Champagne Stakes). He was up in trip, three weeks between runs and in a pretty strong race.
“He'll run on Saturday and then go to the Ming Dynasty, then we'll work out if we go to a Golden Rose or a Caulfield Guineas, or a Dulcify (Stakes) and on to a Spring Champion Stakes. We'll know a lot more after Saturday, and a lot more after the Ming Dynasty.”
Sterling Alexiou | Image courtesy of RA Racing
From the only Southern Hemisphere crop of Palace Pier (GB), who is a five-time Group 1 winning son of Kingman (GB), Southend won his first two starts at two.
Melbourne’s 3-year-olds look sharp
The G3 HDF McNeil Stakes at Caulfield has gathered together a strong field of ten 3-year-olds led by New Zealand Group 1-winning juvenile Seize The Day (I Am Invincible) who resumes here for Mark Walker and Te Akau Racing.
Listed winners Unit Five (Supido) and Rich On Bubbles (Capitalist) also headline the field, but the favourite is debut winning colt American Eagle (Too Darn Hot {GB}) from the Anthony and Sam Freedman yard. Drawn one, he’ll be ridden by Mark Zahra.
“He's got improvement in him, he's probably 85 per cent there. But nice soft gate (barrier one), he'll track the speed somewhere and run well,” Sam Freedman told racenet.com.au.
American Eagle as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He's a really nice horse. I don't know whether he's a six furlong horse or a miler yet, we'll probably learn that Saturday and plot a path. He's either going on a (Caulfield) Guineas path or Coolmore (Stud Stakes) path, but you've got to be putting your hand up in a race like Saturday (first).
“They'll only get stronger as we get deeper into the spring.”
“They'll only get stronger as we get deeper into the spring.” - Sam Freedman
Recent Group 1 winners Veight (Grunt {NZ}), Jacquinot and Super Seth stand on the winner’s board for this race.
Bedggood’s Heatherlie team gathers for spring
Known as the G1 Caulfield Cup kick-off race, the 1700 metre Listed Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield has a full field of sixteen runners and one on the ballot to give punters plenty to consider. With the field dominated by Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher who each have four runners a-piece, it is Gavin Bedggood who has two strong contenders to represent the smaller stables.
“I remember Dean Lester telling me, eight or nine years ago, the Heatherlie was a race that is won by the horse that's come through winter, fit, and puts itself up on speed,” Bedggood told racingandsports.com.au.
Gavin Bedggood | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
He has Just Folk (Magnus) in this position, having had five runs over winter placing in his last three in succession.
“I would think that is his sort of race to be winning. It's the Caulfield Cup kick-off point for a lot of horses, and hopefully, he can be Johnny on the spot.”
And speaking of a Caulfield Cup, Bedggood’s big hope Group 1 winner Kingswood (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) resumes here with the Cup front of mind.
“He's flying and going as well as I've had him go. His first-up run will determine where we go after that.
Kingswood (GB) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“He could go to the Naturalism or the Underwood. His first-up run will determine whether we can go down that weight-for-age path, or the handicap route, and ideally, you would love to see him in the Caulfield Cup fourth-up if he's going well enough.”
The 2023 Heatherlie was won by Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who went on to run fourth in the G1 Underwood Stakes, third in the G1 Turnbull Stakes and second in the G1 Melbourne Cup that spring.
