Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Listed Debutant Stakes won by Soldi
Lindsay Park Racing’s Hayes brothers made it three in a row for the yard in the Listed Debutant Stakes when their 2-year-old filly Soldi (Tassort) won on debut. Ben, Will and JD won the race last year with Torture (NZ) (Sword Of State) and in 2024 with Miss Celine (Magnus).
With Sonance (Frankel {GB}) scratched and instead heading to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale on Thursday as Lot 168, there remained six in the field.
Soldi had the work for the win. Ridden by Blake Shinn, Soldi went head to head with Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Royal Press (Alabama Express) who hugged the fence, and the pair battled it out down the straight with less than a head between them on the line. It was 1.3 lengths back to third-placed Maalefushi (Pierata), stablemate to Royal Press, who just nosed out the winner’s stablemate Act Up (Castelvecchio).
“Back-to-back wins in the race for the Punt Road Syndicate. We’ve formed a good relationship and we’re getting some nice results, especially with the 2-year-olds,” JD Hayes said.
“Back-to-back wins in the race for the Punt Road Syndicate. We’ve formed a good relationship and we’re getting some nice results.” - JD Hayes
“It was great for her to do that. We thought she’d taken nice improvement out of her trial here at Caulfield Heath here the other day. She got there by the barest of margins, but we’ll take it.”
The first two home were the first two in the market, albeit in opposite order.
“We’ll sit down with the team and work out what we’re going to do with her. We’ll have a good chat about it, but really happy to get the result today,” Hayes said.
“Whether she’s had enough before Christmas or whether we go again, it’s a decision we’ll have to make. She does look to be a real professional and there’s some serious speed there too.”
JD Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Segenhoe Stud took Soldi to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale where Lindsay Park and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock paid $310,000 for her.
Pedigree: She becomes the fifth stakes winner for Tassort, whose G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Manaal was a winner on debut in the G3 Gimcrack Stakes.
A half-sister to Listed Village Stakes winner Boston Rocks (Hellbent), whose seven wins have netted connections over $620,000, Soldi is the seventh named foal for five-time winner Spurs And Sashes (Flying Spur). Spurs And Sashes has six winners from as many to race, with 3-year-old filly Pure Design (Pierro) and a foal by Brutal (NZ) her only unraced progeny. Soldi is the only one of Spurs And Sashes’ six winners to win at two.
Spurs And Sashes is a half-sister to G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes winner and G1 Thousand Guineas-placed Sabatini (Street Cry {Ire}), G3 National Stakes winner Vivi Veloce (More Than Ready {USA}) and stakes placed Just Been Lucky (Encosta De Lago). The trio of stakes horses were produced by G3 Mannerism Stakes winner Royal Sash (Royal Academy {USA}).
Kingman’s Ziryab wins G3 Coongy Cup
Ciaron Maher-trained Ziryab (GB) (Kingman {GB}) lead all the way to win Wednesday’s G3 Coongy Cup at Caulfield. He was well rated in front by boom apprentice Jabez Johnstone and won by 0.4 lengths from Symon Wilde-trained Darkbonee (Palentino) with Michael Kent-trained Sunset Park (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) three-quarters of length back in third.
“I said to him before the race, ‘Don’t go too slow, his best asset is his sectionals’. I was a little bit worried, just around the top, that he just backed it off a little bit too much, but he did pick it up early,” Maher said.
“You can see he has a crack, the horse, and he showed that last start.
“I’m thrilled for this horse and the owners.”
Johnstone will have his first Group 1 ride on Saturday on Maher’s Kings Valley (Ire) (Territories {Ire}).
“Jabez is going well and it’s good for him to get a winner in a good race. He won The Bart Cummings for us the other day and now he’s won a Coongy. Hopefully, he can keep it rolling into a Caulfield Cup, he’s certainly got a live chance.”
The last start winner at Mornington hadn’t won since the 2025 Terang Cup and this was his first black type victory in seven career wins. He took his earnings over $570,000.
Ciaron Maher | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: The 525,000 gns (AU$1.05 million) yearling was purchased by Peter Trainor and Maher Bloodstock at the 2023 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale for 240,000 gns (AU$479,000).
Pedigree: The sixth of seven foals for Listed Meydan Al Bastakiya Stakes winner Reem (Galileo {Ire}), Ziryab is her first stakes winner among her three winners. Reem, whose last foal was born in 2021, is a half-sister to stakes placed Hamaan (Saf) (Silvano {Ger}).
This is the family of Group 1 winner and sire Rodrigo De Triano (USA).
Mister Whiskers stays unbeaten
Charlotte Littlefield has a nice 3-year-old in her stable after the gelded Mister Whiskers (St Mark’s Basilica {Fr}) took his record to two from two but it was a closely run thing. Jett Stanley gave him a bold front running ride in the mile event and with 100 metres to go, Mister Whiskers was three lengths in front and looked like he might get there fairly easily. But he began to tire and the favourite, Danny O’Brien-trained 3-year-old gelding True Rebel (Rebel Dane) was closing quickly.
Mister Whiskers held on to win by 0.15 lengths with Lindsay Park’s colt Written Empire (Written Tycoon) running third.
“There were a few question marks whether he got it on the line, but he just held on. Obviously only a small margin, but they don't have to win by far as long as they win,” Littlefield said.
“I think he's shown he's got potential this horse. All of his work's been absolutely brilliant and his trial just put the writing on the wall after his good win first up at Sale. He probably needed a set of blinkers on today, because he just wandered a bit in front.
“I think he's shown he's got potential this horse. All of his work's been absolutely brilliant and his trial just put the writing on the wall after his good win first up at Sale.” - Charlotte Littlefield
“Jett has been coming in every Tuesday doing track work for the team and he rides this horse every day, he's like a kid's pony around the stable, he's an absolute beauty.
“He's one of my favourites, I saw him at the sales, had to buy him, he's absolutely beautiful to look at and bred by Coolmore so he's ticked every box and Intel Bloodstock came on board and bought him with us.”
Charlotte Littlefield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Coolmore sold him to Hayfields Racing and Intel Bloodstock (FBAA) for $170,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Pedigree: Mister Whiskers is the third foal and third winner for unraced Casuarina Forest (Fastnet Rock), whose first two foals are dual Group 3-placed Foxy Cleopatra (American Pharoah {USA}) and G1 Victoria Derby-placed Arcora (Justify {USA}). She has a yearling colt by Justify (USA) and is due to foal to City Of Troy (USA).
Casuarina Forest is a full sister to Group 1 winner and successful sire Foxwedge, Listed Rosebud Handicap winner She’s A Fox and stakes placed Paulownia, who is the dam of G3 James HB Carr Stakes winner Lilac (Justify {USA}).
G2 Alister Clark Stakes winner Bank Maur (Maurice {Jpn}) and Listed Oxlade Stakes winner Namesake (Maurice {Jpn}) are out of Casuarina Forest’s half-sister Banksia (Redoute’s Choice).
Home Affairs bridesmaid finally wins in super maiden
Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old filly Affari (Home Affairs) has been consistent without winning, having run second in all of her past four starts. Sent out as a hot favourite, with the purple blinkers of Star Thoroughbreds added for this run, Affari was given a positive ride by James McDonald.
She duly lived up to her potential and won by 3.5 lengths from Michael Freedman-trained Rain Delay (Stay Inside) with Robert Heathcote-trained Yotei (Cosmic Force) in third.
“She’s been knocking on the door, but the blinkers, the good gate and a lovely ride from James had the desire effect today and that should stand her in good stead for her next run,” stable representative Darren Beadman said.
“She’s (Affari) been knocking on the door, but the blinkers, the good gate and a lovely ride from James had the desire effect today and that should stand her in good stead for her next run.” - Darren Beadman
McDonald felt the addition of blinkers was the key to unlocking her potential.
“She goes well, but for whatever reason she has just kept finding one better, although they were all pretty good horses to be fair. Blinkers on today worked wonders and was a masterstroke, so hopefully she can go on with it,” McDonald said.
Affari has won over $100,000 in her seven starts to date.
Darren Beadman | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Sales: Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $370,000 for her from Glenlogan Park’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Pedigree: Affari becomes the 28th winner for second season sire Home Affairs, who has five stakes winners. She is the third foal and second winner for G2 Caulfield Sprint-placed Super Too (Hinchinbrook) who has a 2-year-old colt by I Am Invincible and a colt foal by Zoustar.
Super Too is a half-sister to Champion 2YO in Singapore Super One, who won the Listed Singapore Golden Horseshoe and returned to Australia to add the G3 DC McKay Stakes before retiring to stud.
