Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
It’s early days for the 2024 foal crop with only six juvenile races held to date in Australia, and a further two in New Zealand. Saturday will see five more races for the 2-year-olds across Australia and New Zealand.
Just like fans of any sport love to keep an eye on the junior ranks, trying to pick which human teenager might make it big, racing fans and pedigree enthusiasts eagerly await these races to see which youngster are showing precocity and ability at this early stage.
It’s not just the potential for future stars, but any prizemoney earned now helps qualify these juveniles for the bigger races later in the year like the G1 Golden Slipper, R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and R.Listed Karaka Million 2YO.
So far we’ve seen Flying Houdini (Trapeze Artist) win the G3 Breeders’ Plate, Shraddha (Ole Kirk) win the G3 Gimcrack Stakes, Musandam (Snitzel) successful in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes and Soldi (Tassort) win the Listed Debutant Stakes.
Albirex (Universal Ruler) and Venus Invicta (Capitalist) are the other two Aussie juvenile winners this season. In New Zealand, Zanardi (NZ) (Spirit Of Boom) and Coronada (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) have won the only two juvenile events held to date.
The Kirkham Plate in Sydney
The Kirkham Plate for 2-year-olds in Sydney doesn’t have black type status but it is a good kick off point for many careers. Won in 2025 by Thrill Hunter (Ole Kirk) and in 2024 by Comedy (Snitzel), the 2023 version was won by Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) who won the Golden Gift at his next start. Third in the G3 Todman Stakes, he has since won four in succession in Singapore and was second in the Listed Perak Charity Cup last start.
In 2022, Barber (Exceed And Excel) was victorious before adding the Golden Gift and G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g). He added the Listed Takeover Target Stakes as an older horse.
This year, ten juveniles are set to face the starter after there were three scratchings from the initial field of 13. All are on debut except the colt Chasing Archer (Hitotsu) who was fifth on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate. Chasing Archer is the only runner by a first season sire remaining in the field.
Chasing Archer as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The 2021 winner Ojai (Exceed And Excel)'s half-sister Rosarito (Bivouac) runs for Godolphin, trained by Ciaron Maher. They are both out of Group 3-placed Matilija (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}).
“We’re not overly worried about (the draw), 1000m and one turn, we’ve had a lot of luck being three wide with 2-year-olds,’’ assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“It’s about getting out and having her where she’s happy, if she’s a bit wide it might suit her because she has that big action and will need to build into the race.”
Chris Waller-trained Tour De Force (I Am Invincible) steps out from barrier one for Nash Rawiller. He is the most expensive horse in the field having cost China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and partners $1.35 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from Cressfield’s draft. He is the third and final foal for dual Group 1 winner Pippie (Written Tycoon) who died a couple of months after his birth.
Tour De Force will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of his two older siblings who both won on debut. Samudra (Snitzel) won on debut as a May 2-year-old, while Empress K (I Am Invincible) was exported to Japan where she was a winner at her only start in January this year.
The other two expensive horses in the field are $650,000 yearling filly Exo Velocity (Zoustar), and $550,000 yearling colt Macho (Ole Kirk).
Tour De Force as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Across the country
The torrential rain in Brisbane has seen Doomben’s Saturday meeting moved to Eagle Farm, and a field of six 2-year-olds line up in the first on the card with all six on debut. Donna Stanbridge saddles up the filly Dip With The Hip (Tassort) who her boss, Mishani Enterprises' Mike Crooks, bought at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $100,000.
“She’s having her first start, but she ran second in a barrier trial behind Kelly Schweida’s Venus Invicta, which won well at Eagle Farm on debut. She’s coming along nicely and she likes to race forward,” Stanbridge told racingqueensland.com.au.
Dip With The Hip as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The race also features the first runner for ill-fated first season sire Sejardan, being Gary Portelli-trained colt Sejata who has trialled twice in Sydney.
Over in Perth at Ascot, last start winning colt Albirex lines up in the first on the card with seven rivals, including three who finished behind him last time out. Trained by Darren McAuliffe, Albirex doesn’t have a pedigree that screams early juvenile with his four-time winning dam Niigata (Reset) not debuting until December of her 3-year-old season. His sire Universal Ruler won twice at two including the Listed Perth Stakes and went on two more Listed races at three and the G3 Belmont Sprint as an older horse.
New Zealand’s pair of races
The first runner for first season sire Jacquinot is one of the interesting horses in the juvenile race at Ellerslie on Saturday. The filly Queen Jacqui was a trial winner heading into this for trainer Lance Noble and will jump from barrier four. Cambridge Stud paid NZ$150,000 for her at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and she is the first foal of Seduction Queen (Kermadec {NZ}), a winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Snippets Land (Snippetson).
Two horses in the seven race field have race day experience, with both placing behind Zanardi on debut. On that occasion, Aquila Veloce (Capitalist) was second and Don Guiseppe (NZ) (Ardrossan) was third.
Aquila Veloce as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Aquila Veloce is one of two runners for G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, with the other being trial winner Princess Grazi.
At Riccarton, 11 2-year-olds face the starter in race three. First season sire Profondo will be represented by Krystal Williams-trained gelding Pyronic (NZ) who was second at the trials in his only other outing.
Last start winner Coronada returns to the races here and the gelding who was second on that day, Super Accord (NZ) (Super Seth) is also in the field. Two of the unplaced runners in that race go around again here, being Van Maison (NZ) (Vanbrugh) and Little Weapon (NZ) (Sword Of State) who were fourth and fifth on debut respectively.
