Saturday Summary: My Gladiola's Moir on a big day for mares

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Sponsored video

Lead Artist new to Arrowfield in 2026

The Group 1 that nearly wasn’t

Trainer John McArdle nearly scratched My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) from the G1 AJ Moir Stakes but took a punt on the track improving. Being run at Sandown while Moonee Valley is being renovated, this year’s Moir would naturally have different tactics to usual.

“Thank God I second guessed myself a little bit. We were thinking about scratching and thankfully they put it up as a (soft) seven. If it had been an (heavy) eight we may not have been here. Things went her way today. The wind and the sun dried the track out a bit and Jamie (Mott) gave her a great ride. Getting a good barrier we didn't have to go as far back as we normally do and she's got the job done,” McArdle said.

With a furlong to go, it looked like Tom Dabernig-trained Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) had the race all sewn up with a length over the field. But My Gladiola came off her heels and began to challenge her. The two 4-year-old mares battled it out to the line with My Gladiola winning by a third of a length. The favourite, 3-year-old filly Natural Fling (Home Affairs) ran third for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy yard.

“She has run against the best her entire career. We ran second to Tentyris a couple of times, It was incredible times and she was deserving of this. I didn't think it was going to be today. I did before the rains came. All the team at home have done a great job with her,” McArdle said.

My Gladiola becomes Group 1 winner number 20 for Champion Sire I Am Invincible, who has 127 stakes winners in total. Second in both the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Lightning Stakes last season, both times to Tentyris, My Gladiola took her record to three wins and six placings from 13 starts with earnings over $1.5 million.

Sales: Redgum Racing paid $550,000 for My Gladiola from Kia Ora Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.

Pedigree: The seventh foal, and fifth winner, for G2 Challenge Stakes winner Villa Verde (Not A Single Doubt), My Gladiola has an unraced 3-year-old half-sister Bella Lavita (Pierro) and a yearling half-brother by Ole Kirk. Villa Verde is empty having missed to Home Affairs in 2025.

Villa Verde was a speedy mare herself, ranked the top filly on the Australian 3-Year-Old Sprint Classification of 2013/14 and placed in the G1 Galaxy Handicap as well as a fourth placing in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Robert Sangster Stakes.

She’s a half-sister to Group 3-placed Miss Sharapova (NZ) (Ustinov), the dam of Group 2 winner and sire Doubtland and his Listed winning full sister Pretty Fast (Not A Single Doubt). R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic victor Unit Five (Supido) also features in this family.

Well Written stays unbeaten in tough effort

All eyes were on the wonderful unbeaten 4-year-old mare Well Written (Written Tycoon) heading into the G1 Proisir Plate at Ellerslie. She hadn’t raced since winning the NZ$4 million R.Listed The Kiwi last season, but she didn’t disappoint under a strong ride from Matt Cartwright who had her perfectly situated during the run.

Stablemate Media World (Written Tycoon) set the pace in front with Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) close behind. For a brief moment it looked like Alabama Express would ruin the party, but also might give an emotional send off to co-trainer Bev Kelso who died last week. It was not to be, as Well Written put on the afterburners and cruised past for a 1.8 length victory over Alabama Lass with Media World sticking on for third.

“I hide my nerves well, but … for these horses to take on these older horses (is a big ask). Alabama Lass kicked and I thought I was going to be (finishing) second. Alabama Lass, a great mare – she doesn't go down without a fight. The amount of things that go through your mind, but when she really let down, it was awesome to see,” Marsh said.

“I was proud of our other colts there, they've run first, third (Media World) and fouth (Tardelli), they've all gone so creditable. She was amazing, she's ended up winning well.

“Full credit to a really good team. I'm just so happy – just a good support team of staff, owners and well wishers – it's why we do this. She looks very special, doesn't she?

“Seven-from-seven, she's now come up against the best weight-for-age horses we've got, and she's won well. Every year, it’s never easy for 4-year-old mares to take on these horses and she's done it. So she's special, she's first-up, and she's got a couple of big assignments ahead of her and I hope we're right on track."

Those assignments are in Australia, so fans will get to see how she measures up across the ditch very soon.

"We have a month until the Epsom, so we will leave her here until pretty late and go over there near the race date, then onto the Golden Eagle. We will get her home first though and make sure she is 100 percent.”

The win was the second at the elite level for Well Written following last term’s G1 NZ 1000 Guineas, and her seven-from-seven record includes earnings over NZ$2.8 million. She is one of 18 Group 1 winners for Written Tycoon, who has 82 stakes winners in total.

Sales: Well Written was originally purchased by Foxhill Thoroughbreds as a weanling for $32,500 from the Lemrac Lodge draft at the 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale, she was then the NZ$80,000 sale-topper for Brighthill Farm at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale, purchased by Stephen Marsh Racing in partnership with Dylan Johnson Bloodstock.

Following her first two dominant performances - including her emphatic G2 Soliloquy Stakes triumph - Yulong moved to acquire a 50 percent share in the talented filly.

Pedigree: By champion sire Written Tycoon, Well Written is the first foal of stakes placed mare Mozzie Monster (Sebring). Mozzie Monster’s unraced 3-year-old colt has been named Mr Barlow (Shamus Award) and she has a yearling colt by Nicconi. She missed to Written Tycoon and is empty for this season.

Mozzie Monster is the best performed of four foals to race for Group 3 winning mare Valentine Miss (Danetime {Ire}).

Tempted returns in the G2 Concorde Stakes

One of last season’s better 3-year-olds, Group 1 winner Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) demonstrated her class when resuming in Saturday’s G2 Concorde Stakes over 1000 metres at Randwick. Ridden quietly by Chad Schofield, she flew home down the centre of the track to swoop past everyone and win by almost half-a-length.

Matthew Smith-trained Headwall (Dream Ahead {USA}) was desperately unlucky, being caught in traffic and getting out late to chase hard for second place, with Peter Snowden-trained Beadman (Snitzel) over a length back in third.

“She's even better than she was. She has furnished a bit and she just keeps improving. The Godolphin team manage her very well and we're thrilled to be able to train a horse like that,” trainer Ciaron Maher said.

“She had shown us at home that she had come back in equally as good, if not better, condition. All her work has been super and Chad gave her a pretty good ride. I said to him when he got on, 'she'll give you a pretty good feel up the rise today'. She actually got there a bit soon. She sprinted that quick the race was over and she was half idling off. Absolutely thrilled with my team. They have managed her well.

“She was a bit edgy a couple of 'preps' ago, but she is developing all the time and certainly getting better.”

He is keen to take on the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) in the G1 The Everest, a race she ran second to him in last year.

“I've seen the big Ka Ying (Rising). He's getting better as well, so we need to. But thrilled and looking forward to what lies ahead. You'd like to be bridling up on his backside, that's for sure. All we can do is manage our horse and I'm rapt with the way she has come back.

“The Premiere (next). It's the path we have used the last three years successfully, so she will be the same, I think. It will suit her.”

Tempted took her record to eight wins from 13 starts and over $6.4 million.

Sales: Tempted is a homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree: Tempted is the second stakes winner for G2 Magic Night Stakes victress Calliope (Exceed And Excel), alongside multiple Group winner Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Calliope’s 3-year-old colt Zambales (Pinatubo {Ire}) was second in the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes last season.

Descended from G1 VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me {USA}), her close family include fellow Godolphin stakes winners Bacchanalia (Exceed And Excel), Aquitaine (Exceed And Excel), and Zethus (Exceed And Excel).

Calliope delivered an Anamoe filly in 2025 and slipped to him for this season’s result.

Headley Grange and Soothsayer contest the Tramway Stakes

It could have gone either way on the line with Joe Pride-trained Headley Grange (Exosphere) and Michael Freedman-trained Soothsayer (Divine Prophet) going head to head all the way down the straight in the G2 Tramway Stakes. For most of the last 50 metres, it looked like Soothsayer would get there, but Headley Grange was tough and wouldn’t lie down, putting his nose in front when it mattered.

Over 2.5 lengths back in third was the winner’s stablemate Attica (Lonhro), who will head to the G1 Epsom next, and the favourite, Matthew Smith-trained Idle Flyer (Dundeel {NZ}) was fourth.

“This horse is a winner, he just finds a way to get it done. About 100m out I had a bit of faith he was going to find a way to get there because he doesn't really run 'seconds', if he gets close enough he finds a way to win,” Pride said of the Adam Hyeronimus-ridden winner.

“I am extremely happy with him, he has returned in great shape. I haven't made up my mind with Headley Grange but I would like to get him to the Alan Brown Stakes. We have a lot of options with him.”

Winner of the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup over the winter, Headley Grange took his record to 13 wins from 30 starts and over $2.6 million.

Sales: Headley Grange was sold as a tried horse in November 2023 via Inglis Digital to HDB Thoroughbreds for $120,000.

Pedigree: Headley Grange is the second foal of Hard Go Jo (Hard Spun {USA}), who died in 2024, and who has three winners from four to race. Her final foal is 3-year-old filly Ironblood Empress (Churchill {Ire}) who ran fourth in both her first two starts as a July juvenile last season.

Hard Go Jo won three races, but you have to go back five generations to find the next stakes winner in the family, being dual Group 1 winner Sound Horizon (NZ) (Sound Reason {Can}). Hard Go Jo’s third dam Oaks Day (Twig Moss {Fr}) placed in the G1 Victoria Oaks.

It’s a double for Lindermann and Lonhro

Before Saturday, only two horses this century have gone back to back in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes. In 2013 and 2014, Hawkspur (Purrealist) did it and before that Lonhro achieved it in 2002 and 2003.

Make that three.

Lindermann (Lonhro) emulated his sire in winning the G2 Chelmsford Stakes in successive years, adding 2026 to his 2025 win. Jockey Nash Rawiller sent Lindermann to the front and stayed there, forcing the rest of the field to give chase. Stablemate Fangirl (Sebring) tried hard and almost nabbed second place, albeit over two lengths in arrears, but a fast finishing Joe Pride-trained Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) grabbed her on the line for second placed honours.

“He is in the prime of his life really. He's just been hanging there waiting for a few of those Fangirl's to retire! I think it's been widely publicised that he had a bit of an operation while he was off and I think that today will give him a lot more confidence. He enjoyed that – it was just a nice working gallop for him. He's got that good cruising speed and he kicks off that and only bloody champions run him down – a few times!” Rawiller said.

Linderman, winner of the G1 Rosehill Guineas in 2023, took his record to nine wins from 41 starts and over $5.3 million.

Sales: A homebred for Woppitt Bloodstock.

Pedigree: The 7-year-old gelding is the second foal of Self Esteem (Stratum) whose first four foals are all winners. Her current 3-year-old colt Iommi (Written By) placed on debut at two. She has a 2-year-old filly by Pierro and recently foaled a filly by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) this spring.

Self Esteem, a stakes placed winner of two who ran fourth in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes, is from the family of Group 1 winners Assertive Lad (Canny Lad), Assertive Lass (Canny Lad) and Reset (Zabeel {NZ}).