Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Race-day Recap
The G2 Shannon Stakes went to Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained 4-year-old entire Skyhook (Written Tycoon) who stayed unbeaten this campaign.
Tough galloper Waitak (NZ) defended his G1 Howden Insurance Mile crown in New Zealand to give Champion Sire Proisir a pair of stakes winners on the card after 3-year-old colt Old Fashioned (NZ) won the G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas.
Chris Waller-trained Group 1 winner Lazzura (Snitzel) added the G2 Golden Pendant to her stellar record and took her earnings over $2 million.
The Melbourne Cup is on the agenda for G3 Colin Stephen Quality winner So You Are (So You Think {NZ}) who is trained by Bjorn Baker.
Skyhook does it again with G2 Shannon Stakes win
Favourite punters had a good day at Rosehill with Skyhook (Written Tycoon) becoming the sixth favourite to win on the ten race card. The 4-year-old entire’s victory in the G2 Shannon Stakes keeps him unbeaten for this campaign, having won the G2 Theo Marks Stakes when resuming.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy sent him to the lead after jumping well and he led the field from gate to post. Joe Pride-trained Private Eye (Al Maher) who settled in second for most of the running, held on for third as his stablemate Estadio Mestalla (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) swamped him for second.
But it was all Skyhook who kept extending his lead to win by three lengths.
“Dry tracks, wet tracks. Lead, sit back. Pretty bloody handy,” Ryan said of Skyhook’s versatility.
“Beautiful ride. I thought the topweight would probably lead and we'd take the sit, but Kerrin was more, let's put it to him and make him chase us because we're still on our way up. My query today was 1300 to 1500 second-up, but he's coped. He's done it well.”
He won’t go to the G1 Epsom in two weeks as he goes better with a longer break between runs.
“I've tested him now two weeks apart and no, he's not going to the Epsom. I'll probably freshen him up a little bit, get the freshness in his legs for the Silver Eagle. The Golden Eagle is a different kettle of fish, but it's a $10 million race, 1500 metres at Randwick. He's in form, we'll have a crack.”
Skyhook winning the G2 Shannon Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Skyhook has won six of his 15 starts and over $1.1 million. Winner of the G3 Pago Pago Stakes at two and twice a Group 3 winner at three, he’s now a dual Group 2 winner at four.
Sales: Skyhook was a $575,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for his trainers from the Arrowfield Stud draft, and belongs to a syndicate that includes Matthew Ennis of Stallion Match.
Pedigree: Skyhook is out of Madame Pauline (Redoute’s Choice), a winning half-sister to Anders, as well as Listed winners Ostraka (Pariah) and Caffe Florian (Snitzel) and the stakes performers Battleground (Snitzel) and Satin Love (Snitzel). Their dam Madame Andree is the only daughter of the talented but subfertile War Emblem (USA) in Australia.
Glee Lee Thoroughbreds offered Madame Pauline’s Dundeel (NZ) yearling colt at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale this year, where he was bought by Monarch Racing, Paul Moroney, and Catheryne Bruggeman for $120,000. She delivered a colt by Castelvecchio in August.
Waitak wonderful again in Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile
Jill Devine-owned 7-year-old gelding Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) defended his 2025 G1 Howden Insurance Mile victory in 2026 but had to work hard for his fourth career Group 1 win. Regular pilot Craig Grylls took the mount for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and jumped nicely to sit mid-field from barrier two.
The favourite Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) swept past the field from the rear with Waitak joining him with She’s A Dealer (Ace High) also in the mix. The trio fought it out down the straight and Waitak fought hard to beat Tuxedo by a short head, with She’s A Dealer a further half neck away in third.
“He is an amazing racehorse and this is a great result for team Wexford. This horse is just so honest, a lovely, big and sound horse, who we are incredibly proud of,” Scott said.
“He (Waitak) is an amazing racehorse and this is a great result for team Wexford. This horse is just so honest, a lovely, big and sound horse, who we are incredibly proud of.” - Andrew Scott
“It’s also good for Craig as I think that is his 100th winner for us. We will certainly celebrate tonight with all thanks to Waitak.”
He’d resumed with a poor effort for 11th in the G1 Proisir Stakes and hadn’t won since last spring when he took out the G1 Livamol Classic the race after winning this race last year. He will head to the Livamol Classic again.
“Last season he was just missing the start and getting on the back foot in pace-oriented races. He had been doing his best work late and the sectionals indicated that, but luck just wasn’t going his way,” Scott said.
Waitak (NZ) winning the G1 Howden Insurance Mile | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
“Today he stepped away nicely and was in striking distance which made all the difference. He is such a wonderful racehorse, keeps coming back and he is our champion.”
He’s now won nine of his 40 starts and over NZ$2 million and is one of six Group 1 winners for his sire, Proisir, who had a stakes double with Old Fashioned (NZ) winning the G3 Hawke’s Bay Guineas earlier on the card.
Sales: Bred by the late Colin Devine, and raced by his widow Jill.
Pedigree: The first foal of Repo Bay (NZ) (Shocking) who hasn’t been very fertile, with only four-time winning 5-year-old gelding Crackercol (NZ) (Proisir) and an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Staphanos (Jpn) on her record. She is in foal to Proisir.
Repo Bay won twice. Her third dam is three-time Group 1 winner Desirable (Without Fear {Fr}) who is the dam of two stakes winners, G2 WA Champion Fillies Stakes winner Entrancing (Bright Finish {USA}) and Listed winner Gilded Lily (Bletchingly).
The Invitation on cards for Lazzura after G2 Golden Pendant victory
Chris Waller-trained Lazzura (Snitzel) was tough when resuming in the G2 Sheraco Stakes when third last start and continued to show her class on Saturday with a 1.18 length victory in the G2 Golden Pendant.
Ridden by James McDonald she hit the front with 300 metres to go and stayed there despite strong closing efforts from second placed Gary Portelli-trained Verona Rose (Castelvecchio) with Lee and Cherie Curtis-trained Modella (Castelvecchio) in third.
“She's a darling. She's one of those Catkins, Red Tracer type horses. She's finding her mould and getting her confidence,” Waller said.
“She's (Lazzura) a darling. She's one of those Catkins, Red Tracer type horses. She's finding her mould and getting her confidence.” - Chris Waller
“Only a small field, but she ended up getting a lovely run. Gangsta Granny was the horse to beat and the horse to follow, so it was good to be able to track that horse. The other horse (Verona Rose) came late but she held it off well.”
Waller picked out The Invitation as her next start with a potential look at the G1 CF Orr Stakes in Melbourne at the end of the spring.
Winner of the G1 Coolmore Classic last autumn, Lazzura won on debut at two and has since collected seven career victories with six of them in black type company. She took her earnings over $2.1 million for owners B2B Thoroughbreds.
Lazzura winning the G2 Golden Pendant | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Snitzel had a double on the card with Decorum.
Sales: Lazzura was purchased by B2B Thoroughbreds for $500,000 from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Pedigree: Lazzura is out of Laguna Azzurra (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who was a winner over 1800 metres in Japan. She has left four foals to race and three have been winners, and aside from producing Lazzura, she has left the smart juvenile Portorosa (Not A Single Doubt) who has also been placed at Listed level.
Laguna Azzurra, in recent times, has 4-year-old gelding Dreaming (The Autumn Sun), and 2-year-old filly Tavolara (Snitzel), a yearling colt by Farnan, and she was served by Switzerland last spring.
Melbourne Cup target for So You Are
Bjorn Baker’s big day at Rosehill began early with victory in the G3 Colin Stephen Quality with 5-year-old gelding So You Are (So You Think {NZ}). The last start Listed winner was given 58.5kg with the rest of the field carrying 53kg, but it didn’t matter for punters who sent him out as $2.15 favourite. Rachel King took him to the front at the top of the straight and he fended off all challengers over the 2400 metres to win by a quarter of a length.
Ciaron Maher-trained Amplify (Microphone) pushed the winner all the way to run second with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Bella Montagna (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) a length back in third.
“Obviously, we want to get down to Melbourne for the Cups,” Baker said.
“The handicappers, I hope you're watching. (There's) heaps of improvement with him. You'd better give him half a kilo, or one (kilo), or something! The Caulfield Cup, he'll be flat (out) getting in that. We might look at the St Leger, that could be a good race for him here and then get him down to Melbourne.
“A little bit depends on where he is in the order and the scheme of things as well. He had a little bit of a set back last week. The race didn't work out perfectly. Great to see those Ramsey colours in front.
Previously trained by Stirling Osland, he was transferred to Baker to cut down on the long road trips from Armidale.
So You Are winning the G3 Colin Stephen Quality | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's tough. Off his first run for Bjorn, you and this horse are a match made in heaven. You'll be perfect together. They both love a bit of toughness. He's suited very well,” King said.
So You Are took his record to six wins and 12 placings from 26 starts with earnings over $670,000. He is one of 72 stakes winners for deceased sire So You Think (NZ).
Sales: Passed in as a yearling, he is raced by Ramsey Pastoral.
Pedigree: He is the third foal of Tornado Gal (Hard Spun {USA}) who died in 2023. All her four foals have raced for three winners.
Tornado Gal won four times, up to 1800 metres, and is a daughter of G3 Queen's Cup victrix Sky Trist (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) who also produced Listed Tasmania Derby winner Skyt (Nicconi). This is the family of the immortal Northern Dancer (Can) whose dam Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer (USA) is So You Are’s sixth dam.
