Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Time for the fillies to take Flight!
Seven 3-year-old fillies will have a crack at their very own Group 1 without interference from the colts on Saturday with the G1 Flight Stakes over the Randwick mile, and Chris Waller has two intriguing candidates for the crown with two very different backstories.
Striking Alibi (Hanseatic) began her career in Western Australia, before attracting the eye of B2B Thoroughbreds and being brought west. In two starts in Sydney stakes racing, she has pulled off head-turning placings in the G2 Furious Stakes and G2 Tea Rose Stakes behind Bangkok Hottie (Too Darn Hot {GB}), and the punting public certainly believe she is the one to beat.
Striking Alibi | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“She’s relaxing much better than she did in the first part of her preparation, and stepping up to the mile, that’s going to be important for her,’’ Waller’s assistant Charlie Duckworth told the Racing NSW news desk. “She’s got the horse that pipped her last time to contend with, but we have a soft draw and we’re looking forward to a mile.
“James (McDonald) came in and galloped her (on Tuesday), and he couldn’t be any more complimentary.”
“Her work on Tuesday was great - and I mean great,” McDonald emphasised in his Friday morning column on racenet.com. “She just keeps improving and what I like the most about her is her ability to sprint off any tempo. It's a small field and it's going to be tactical where a few surprises could be dished up but I'm really warming to her third up at the mile.
"Her (Striking Alibi) work on Tuesday was great - and I mean great." - James McDonald
“She's ready to rip - I'll get it right on Saturday.”
Duckworth also said that stablemate De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan), winner of the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes and fourth in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO, is one to keep in the back pocket. The filly finished mid field at Warwick Farm for her Australian debut last week, but Duckworth emphasised that the run was more about education than winning.
De Armas (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“It was more a case of getting her to switch off and relax and do things right in that first-up Australian run,’’ he said. “She relaxed beautifully and hit the line. It’s a tough ask (to go straight to Group 1 company), but it’s a field of seven, a lot can happen, you’ve got a perfect draw to get a nice soft run and have a crack at them.
“If there are question marks whether the others will stay, she will be right there.”
The duo will have to contest with Bangkok Hottie, bidding to sweep up a third leg of the Princess Series and Global Goal (Pinatubo {Ire}), who has been looming in the shadows as the third placegetter in two of those events to date. Can she find another length or two over the mile?
Premiere to prove important Everest audition
Only four slots have been confirmed for this year’s exciting renewal of the G1 The Everest, and the G2 Premiere Stakes on Saturday will serve to give a few a crucial audition for the $20 million event.
Ninja (Farnan) has already secured his Everest slot, so trainer Michael Freedman is considering bypassing the Group 2 event to instead give the gelding a first look at returning champion Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) in a barrier trial next week instead.
"I'm going to have a good think about it and make a decision in the morning,'' Freedman told RSN on Friday.
Ninja | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
"The wide barrier is obviously not ideal and I have entered him for the barrier trial on Tuesday. There might be some merit in waiting for the trial.''
The G2 The Shorts hadn’t played out in Ninja’s favour, but Freedman found plenty of merit in the run as an Everest leadup.
“He ran home in very similar sectionals to Joliestar and Headwall,'' he said. "It was disappointing the way the race panned out but I certainly wasn't disappointed with the horse's effort. Under the circumstances he ran about as well as he could.''
"He (Ninja) ran home in very similar sectionals to Joliestar and Headwall... I certainly wasn't disappointed with the horse's effort." - Michael Freedman
Stablemate and dual Group 1 winner Marhoona (Snitzel) will also potentially chase an Everest slot in the Premiere.
Michael Freedman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"She's in great order,'' Freedman said. "I'm happy to run her in the Premiere, although she has also drawn a slightly 'sticky' barrier (10). I think she will front up on October 17 either in The Everest or the Sydney Stakes.''
Marhoona will, however, have to contend with Tempted (Street Boss {USA}), winner of the G2 Concorde Stakes at their last meeting - also beating Everest slot holder Headwall (Dream Ahead {USA}) in the race.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare is another likely starter for the Everest, hoping to go one better than her second-placed finish in 2025, and Maher’s Sydney assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord expects another strong showing in the Premiere.
Tempted | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"It's not often you go to the races very confident everything should work out well, but she's one of those horses,” he told RSN on Friday. “That's how good we think she is. She hasn't missed a beat. Everything we've seen of her - what she can do at home, the fact she's got the ability to relax in a race and be so pushbutton – it gives you a lot of confidence."
"It's not often you go to the races very confident everything should work out well, but she's (Tempted) one of those horses." - Johann Gerard-Dubord
A half-brother to three-time Everest runner Private Eye (Al Maher), King’s Secret (Shalaa {Ire}) has been putting his hand up to be one of Sydney’s handiest young talents on the sprinting scene, and trainer Joe Pride sends him to the Premiere confident in the knowledge he has earned his spot in the race.
“The idea was to take him to Melbourne when I started the prep thinking we might need to get out of Sydney because they'd be too good for him," Pride said. "The two runs (he has had in Sydney) have given me a little bit of confidence they're not too good for him, and he's made a pretty big leap from where he was last preparation.
"After the two runs, you'd say he's among that top group of sprinters now."
King's Secret | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
The G2 Sydney Stakes on the Everest undercard is the gelding’s next target, but is there the chance for an upgrade? After all, Pride sees King’s Secret as almost an identical horse to his older brother.
"Those little (Matryoshka) dolls that are exactly the same and fit inside one another - he's like the littlest one and Private Eye is the biggest one," he said. "There's about five sizes in between, but they're identical."
With eight spots still to play for, the Premiere will be well worth the watch on Saturday.
Can a Danehill dash pay off for Buggsy and Big Sky?
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are playing the long game for the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes later this month, and a step in that plan involves sending promising colts Buggsy (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Big Sky (Bivouac) to the G2 Danehill Stakes on Saturday at Flemington.
Buggsy had been scratched from a Caulfield start last weekend, and while he draws a similarly poor barrier for his Danehill effort, Price said that it mattered less on the Flemington track.
Buggsy | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
"I thought there was too much speed in the (Caulfield) race," Price said. "Although it wasn't a black-type race, form-wise it looked like a black-type race. I thought from the barrier he drew, with the weight he got, it was too difficult a job.
"Flemington will be difficult as well, but down the straight, barriers won't count."
Buggsy and Big Sky both come through the G3 Poseidon Stakes with the results pleasing their trainers - they finished in fourth and third respectively.
Big Sky | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"I thought it was a good run first-up for a long time (off), so we were happy with that,” said Price of Big Sky’s performance. The colt hadn’t been seen in eight months since winning the G3 Chairman’s Stakes back in January. "He needs to keep improving, but I think he will. He'll be a lot better for it."
"He (Big Sky) needs to keep improving, but I think he will." - Mick Price
Mbube (Rubick) finished ahead of the pair in the Group 3 contest, and will meet them once again in the Danehill, where Lloyd Kennewell will be banking on some straight track experience to prevail. In the three weeks since the Poseidon, he has given the colt a jump-out down the straight, aiming for fitness and exposure over a sharp result.
"He just poked around, just for fitness and to give him another look," Kennewell told RSN on Thursday. "It was good for the mind, body and soul. He did enough. He ran last, but on his sectional data, he was still running crazy sectionals.
Mbube as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
"I'm glad he wasn't upfront. They were going very quick in that trial."
Two exciting fillies - both by Coolmore winners - in last start G1 Moir Stakes third Natural Fling (Home Affairs) and Over Excited (Zoustar) round out the field, while the Danehill also heralds the highly anticipated return of Queensland carnival star The Next Episode (Snitzel).
Turnbull exciting Cups launchpad for Maher entire
Ciaron Maher will engage a valuable entire in the G1 Turnbull Stakes on Saturday at Flemington, looking to launch his spring into the stratosphere en route to securing an appetising spot at stud in the future.
Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) returns to defend his crown with a view to adding international races to his resume, Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) and Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) hunt for a path to the G1 Caulfield Cup, and for Aga Khan Studs-bred Zahrann (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), it’s a Cups double that Maher has on the cards.
Sir Delius (GB) | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
"That was the path we had set out for him," Maher said. The 5-year-old won the G3 Naturalism Stakes last time out over the same trip.
"He was only second up (in the Naturalism), he's a colt, and if he can go to the Turnbull and run well, and win, even better. He's a Night Of Thunder colt, so if he was able to win at Flemington, it would be ideal."
"He's (Zahrann) a Night Of Thunder colt, so if he was able to win at Flemington, it would be ideal." - Ciaron Maher
Zahrann is one of five runners for the Maher stable, who will also engage perennial star Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}), Middle Earth (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}), Saint George (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}), and Kings Valley (Ire) (Territories {Ire}).
"Saint George was super the other day (when second in the Naturalism), Kings Valley was super also," Maher said. "Kings Valley has improvement to come, looks wise, and ability wise, and I think he can.
"George, with three kilos more, was, facts and figures wise, as good, or better."
Ciaron Maher | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Patience to pay off for Skybird’s Gilgai appearance
Injury, circumstance, and watching the weather are amongst the reasons that Skybird (Exosphere) has not returned to Flemington since her G1 Lightning Handicap win in 2025, but trainer Mitch Freedman feels he has made the right call in waiting another week to start the mare in the G2 Gilgai Stakes, instead of facing off with Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in last week’s G1 Manikato Stakes.
The 6-year-old arrives at the Group 2 event second-up, having kicked off her spring in the G1 Moir Stakes where she was beaten a fraction over three lengths in sixth, and has been allotted the minimum weight of 55kg, despite technically having one of the highest ratings in the 14-horse field.
Skybird | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"She's going to get in there with a nice weight on Saturday and we like the set-up of going back to Flemington with her,” Freedman told RSN during the week. “We're looking forward to getting her back there. The 1200 is probably at the upper end of her preferred trip, but if she gets the right sort of run, she'll run it out strongly."
"She's (Skybird) going to get in there with a nice weight on Saturday and we like the set-up of going back to Flemington with her." - Mitch Freedman
Freedman sent Skybird for a 850-metre jump-out at Ararat last week to tide her over, and found her winning heat pleasing.
"She was getting a bit gross on me at home and I couldn't do too much more with her, so we just wanted to give her a stimulating piece of work and a trip away from home and it seems to have done the job," he said.
Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) lumps the 60kg top weight in the contest, while G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality winner Losesomewinmore (All Too Hard) is the only last start in the field.
One Pool launches for Epsom and Turnbull day
The much talked about One Pool - combining the previously separate pari mutuel betting pools of NSW TAB, SuperTAB, and UniTAB - kicked off on Friday, with G1 Epsom Handicap and G1 Turnbull Stakes day serving as its first big test this weekend. The aim of the move has been to provide fairer odds and a bigger reward for punters across the country by combining previously separate betting pools, and it is something that TABcorp boss Gillon McLachlan is excited to share.
“It’s an important milestone for racing and it’s important for our customers,” he said. “Tote betting has been in long term decline and the creation of a National Tote is about making it appealing again. A strong Tote is good for racing."
"It’s an important milestone for racing and it’s important for our customers... A strong Tote is good for racing." - Gillon McLachlan
McLachlan acknowledged that change is difficult and that there is much work still to be done to ensure One Pool gets off on the right note with punters.
“The job starts now in turning the page and beginning the work on exciting product development and making One Pool all it can be,” he said. “It’s been a complicated journey involving a lot of stakeholder management, regulatory approvals and technology changes. I want to thank the State bodies for leaning in and making it a reality.
Gillon McLachlan | Image courtesy of Tab Corp
“You will see deeper pools and greater price stability, more competitive pricing and bigger jackpots in the exotics."
McLachlan’s long-term goal is to expand the National Tote’s reach to increase returns to punters even further.
“I hope ultimately the National Tote is part of an International Tote,” he said. “If you want to have a bet on Australian racing, you can be in any country in the world betting into our pools."
