Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The G1 Caulfield Guineas is the first ‘classic’ race of the season and has a long history as a sire-making race. Last year’s winner Autumn Boy is headed to the G1 Cox Plate and is a son of 2018 winner The Autumn Sun, while The Autumn Son himself is the son of G1 Caufield Guineas winner Redoute’s Choice.
“It's very evident over a long period that it's a great race to win from a sire making perspective from Redoute’s Choice forward,” Coolmore Stud’s Colm Santry said.
“It's very evident over a long period that it's a great race to win from a sire making perspective from Redoute’s Choice forward.” - Colm Santry
There are currently 11 active stallions across Australia and New Zealand who won the G1 Caulfield Guineas with the 2023 winner Griff being the most recent to retire. He is standing his first season in 2026 at Larneuk Stud. The 2022 winner Golden Mile (Astern) initially stood at Darley but sustained an injury that resulted in him being gelded. He has seven live foals who are currently yearlings.
A ‘golden’ run occurred prior to Golden Mile with The Autumn Sun, Super Seth, Ole Kirk and Anamoe winning from 2018 to 2021. Further back in time are the Champion Sires Lonhro, Redoute’s Choice, and Vain.
“It has a very good record. Even in Redoute’s Choice year, Redoute’s beat Testa Rossa and Commands, and all three were good stallions,” Arrowfield Stud’s Jon Freyer said.
Redoute's Choice | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
What makes a Guineas winner so special?
The Caulfield Guineas, held over a mile in the early spring, is the first Classic of the Australian season.
“It’s quite early in their 3-year-old season so they're horses that have been normally had a 2-year-old career. They’ve got loads of speed, but they're also capable of stretching to a mile, which are the characteristics you're looking for in a stallion. Precocity, class, and the capability to get over a little bit of ground,” Freyer said.
Jon Freyer | Image courtesy of Caroline Searcy
“I'm not a great believer that races are stallion making races. It’s more the characteristics of the horses that run in them are stallion characteristics. Those types of horses tend to coalesce into the same races.”
The real star of the past few years has been Anamoe. The Darley stallion, whose first crop of runners are 2-year-olds, was a Group 1 winner at two, three and four, winning nine Group 1 races.
Second to In The Congo in the G1 Golden Rose, he won the G1 Caulfield Guineas before running second to State Of Rest (Ire) in the G1 Cox Plate, a race many thought he should have won on protest. He returned at four to get his revenge with the G1 Cox Plate being one of six Group 1 races he won as a 4-year-old.
Anamoe | Standing at Darley
“The winners (of the Caulfield Guineas) are the elite 3-year-olds of their year at level weights. And they've typically won a lot of races on the way through to get to be running in the Caulfield Guineas and when they win, then they're obviously the best of their generation,” Santry said.
“And they are running against a large proportion of the foal crop. There's no hiding at three. If you look at Guineas winners from all over the world, in England, Ireland, France, or a Classic miler in America, you are going to be a well credentialled sire prospect.”
The old saying that milers make the best sires might still be relevant here.
“Looking at the stallions we've had success with through All Too Hard and Ole Kirk, they've both been brilliant enough to perform early in their career and have the substance and quality to train on. It’s the fact they can perform over sprint trips, train on at three and win over a mile,” Vinery Stud’s Harry Roach said.
“The Caulfield Guineas creates a race record of a really dynamic stallion. It's class and it's not cheap speed. It's substance and that’s a testament to a good horse.”
“The Caulfield Guineas creates a race record of a really dynamic stallion. It's class and it's not cheap speed. It's substance and that’s a testament to a good horse.” - Harry Roach
Coolmore’s trio of Caulfield Guineas winners
The 2024 winner Private Life and proven sire Super Seth both now stand at Coolmore Stud, while the oldest active winner 2009 victor Starspangledbanner stands Coolmore’s Irish farm having finished shuttling in 2024.
“The race record is phenomenal with Redoute’s Choice, Lonhro, and Starspangledbanner who is on our roster as well as Super Seth and Private Life,” Santry said.
Super Seth | Standing at Coolmore Stud
“Super Seth is flying as a stallion. He sired four Group 1 winners in his first two crops.”
“Super Seth is flying as a stallion. He sired four Group 1 winners in his first two crops.” - Colm Santry
Coolmore paid a reported $70 million to acquire proven sire Super Seth from Waikato Stud and the son of Dundeel (NZ) stands his first Australian season in 2026 at a fee of $137,500 inc GST.
With his oldest crop currently 5-year-olds, Super Seth has ten stakes winners four of those at Group 1 level. La Dorada (NZ) won the G1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes as well as the R.Listed Karaka Millions 2YO; Linebacker (NZ) won the G1 Randwick Guineas and Feroce (NZ) won the G1 Australian Guineas. Maison Louis (NZ) won the G1 Queensland Derby to showcase Super Seth’s versatility.
Colm Santry | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Private Life is very popular at stud. He's a very good looking horse and when people see him, they breed to him. He’s by Written Tycoon and he's a Guineas winner like Ole Kirk, who is a good proven sire,” Santry said.
Private Life, the 2024 winner, retired in 2025 and covered 100 mares in his first season. His first foals are currently arriving. He stands for $16,500 inc GST.
“Starspangledbanner has been a phenomenal stallion worldwide.”
After shuttling for several years, Starspangledbanner returned to Ireland in 2024 and has remained there. He stood in 2026 for €60,000 (AU$96,500). He is responsible for 65 stakes winners, 12 of those at Group 1 level. His G1 Cox Plate winner State Of Rest (Ire) stands at Newgate Farm.
Vinery’s pair of Guineas winners
Proven sires Ole Kirk and All Too Hard both grace the Vinery Stud roster. Ole Kirk stands for $110,000 inc GST and All Too Hard for $27,500 inc GST.
“Ole Kirk had that 3-year-old career where we saw the best of him winning the Golden Rose and completing the Caulfield Guineas double, who was only the second horse to do that at Group 1 level, the other being The Autumn Sun. It shows you the calibre of horse required to complete that double,” Roach said.
Ole Kirk | Standing at Vinery Stud
“Ole Kirk is a great example of an elite racehorse with an elite pedigree who is becoming an elite stallion. With his first crop he got a Magic Millions winner as well as a Group 1 winner and in that crop he also has Regal Award who is the favourite for Saturday’s Toorak Handicap. With any luck, I think he’s a good chance of knocking that off.”
Regal Award, trained by Phillip and Tommy Stokes, comes into the G1 Toorak Handicap off a last start third in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
“And we were ecstatic to see a new name with his next wave of 2-year-old in Shraddha who won the Gimcrack in such fantastic style. She's a real filly for the future. I believe she's been spelled and she's got a proper autumn campaign ahead.
Regal Award | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“It's so important for new names to be continually stepping out, but to win a race of such significance on the Sydney racing calendar, really holds her in good stead.”
Ole Kirk’s oldest crop have just turned four and he’s the sire of last season’s G1 Thousand Guineas winner Ole Dancer, as well as seven other stakes winners. Shraddha is his first runner, winner and stakes winner from his third crop who are 2-year-olds.
After winning the G1 Caulfield Guineas, All Too Hard was second in the G1 Cox Plate as a 3-year-old before adding the G1 CF Orr, G1 Futurity and G1 All-Aged Stakes in the autumn.
All Too Hard | Standing at Vinery Stud
“All Too Hard is incredibly dynamic. He was good enough to win the Caulfield Guineas in addition to three further Group 1 over middle distances, but such is the mark of an elite stallion, he's also a reliable source of 2-year-old success, which defies his pattern in a way,” Roach said.
“Last season, he had a place getter in the Golden Slipper, two stakes winning 2-year-olds and seven juvenile winners for the season, which is a fair effort and shows the mark of what a dynamic sire he is. Knowing how much they train on, you’d have to think there's going to be another real top-liner for him coming out of that crop.
“That’s what makes the horse so popular with a lot of people is that he’s always got a good horse going around and it's a tag that's synonymous with him. He has fan favourites like Alligator Blood, Behemoth, Stefi Magnetica, all those household names that have a lot of respect in the industry.”
Harry Roach | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
All Too Hard’s Group 1 winners are Alligator Blood, Behemoth, Forbidden Love, Stefi Magnetica, and Wellington. All up, he has 35 stakes winners.
“His Group 1 winners were able to win at Group 1 level multiple times, which counts for a lot. They're not flash in the pan one time Group 1 winners. They were all good enough to turn up and win at Group 1 level multiple times, which is not easy to do.”
Arrowfield’s The Autumn Sun has a special place
The Autumn Sun, who stands in 2026 for $137,500 inc GST, is the meat in a Caulfield Guineas sandwich. His sire won the race, he won the race, and he’s sired last year’s winner Autumn Boy.
“The Autumn Sun is flying. Last year was a great season and he's right up there again on the sires list. He’s got some nice horses running around at the present time for him,” Freyer said.
The Autumn Sun | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
“Autumn Glow, and he’s got three in the mares race in Melbourne on Saturday and Changing Colours in the Toorak. He's got Autumn Boy going to run in Cox Plate, so he’s having a tremendous season.”
Changing Colours, trained by Lucy Yeomans, has won her last four in succession. In the G3 Ladies Day Vase at Caulfield, The Autumn Sun has Private Legacy, Sneaky Sunrise and Surfin’ Bird.
And of course, Autumn Glow is the reigning Horse Of The Year.
This year’s field for Guineas honours
Last start G1 Golden Rose winner Warwoven (Sword Of State) is the favourite for the 2026 G1 Caulfield Guineas. He’s part owned by Kia Ora Stud, whose stallions all stand at neighbouring Vinery Stud, but whether he ends up on that roster one day is yet to be determined with several reports in the media noting that many studs are chasing the Bjorn Baker-trained colt.
The only gelding in the field, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) is the second favourite.
Dundeel (NZ) could end up with his second winner of the race, after Super Seth, if Pinecliff Racing’s unbeaten colt Call Me Coach salutes on Saturday.
Call Me Coach | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Call Me Coach isrunning in the same colours as Super Seth. So, history might repeat itself there,” Freyer said.
Too Darn Hot (GB) is the only stallion with two runners, being Somethings Burnin’ and Tornado Valley. Warwoven, Call Me Coach, and Blind Raise are joined as last start winners by Diameter (Brazen Beau).
Chris Waller has four runners, Ciaron Maher has three, while Anthony and Sam Freedman have two with the two favourites coming from the aforementioned Baker and Busuttin/Young yards.
Unless Blind Raise wins, whoever comes out on top on Saturday will be highly prized as a stallion prospect. History is on their side.
Blind Raise | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
