Yesterday, we looked at five stand-out moments from the 2026 Melbourne Cup carnival, and now we take a look at some of the bloodstock highlights from four fabulous days of racing.
Who says we can’t breed stayers?
In recent years, trainers have turned increasingly to the Northern Hemisphere in search of middle-distance and staying talent to take advantage of Australian prize money, with the common refrain being that Australia simply doesn’t produce those kinds of horses.
Well, David Payne might want a word with you.
Unbeaten superstar 3-year-old Proxima Dea (Tarzino {NZ}) was one of three local-bred staying talents who stood out over Cup week, where the filly arrived with the G1 Spring Champion Stakes under her belt to become a dual Group 1 winner in a powerful takedown of the G1 VRC Oaks.
Proxima Dea | Image courtesy of Image Is Everything
Payne’s ‘ugly duckling’ is a full sister to G1 Queensland Oaks winner Gypsy Goddess (NZ), and was taken back by her breeders after her original purchaser struggled to find share buyers for her. For Carolyn Vincent, Hugh Docherty, and Andy Giles, that decision has rewarded them with over $2 million in prize money and a top class stayer who is just getting started.
Now a winner of six starts from six, the filly posted a faster last 600 metres in the 2500-metre feature than the race card’s opening 1700-metre event, and was milliseconds off the time for the 1800-metre $150,000 Sigma Trophy.
The fastest finisher behind Proxima Dea was runner-up Shameful Impulse (Shamus Award), who lifted in the last two furlongs from ninth to second place, and not far behind her was De Armas (NZ) (Ardrossan), who was on the back-up from her victory in the G2 Wakeful Stakes five days before.
Where next for Payne’s superstar? It has always been a “pipe dream” for Vincent to have a runner in the G1 Melbourne Cup, but that dream may be looking a little more in reach now.
It is a dream that Stuart Ramsey achieved last week for his late father, with homebred So You Are’s (So You Think {NZ}) victory in the G3 Bendigo Cup propelling him into the 24 horses in the Cup field four days later.
Ramsey spoke before the race of having a Cup runner being the ultimate dream for his late father, and how special it felt to have a runner in the race. So You Are has won eight races, all at 1800 metres or further, and the Bendigo Cup was his fourth consecutive win of the spring, having previously taken out the Listed Tattersalls Cup at 2400 metres, the G3 Colin Stephens Trophy at 2600 metres, and the G3 St Leger at the same trip.
So You Are | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The 5-year-old fought on valiantly to finish eighth on the first Tuesday in November and was the first Australian-bred home, with Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) being the only Southern Hemisphere horse to finish better.
So You Are is no breeding fluke; his dam Tornado Gal (Hard Spun {USA}) won four out to 1800, and she is a daughter of Sky Trist (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), who won the G3 VRC Queen’s Cup over 3200 metres.
Also amongst the 3-year-old brigade was Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who underscored a red letter day for Hermitage Thoroughbreds when emerging victorious in the G1 VRC Derby. The colt has been hot on Proxima Dea’s heels in his last two starts, running fifth by a half-length behind her in the Spring Champion, and being the fourth-placed finisher in the G3 Gloaming Stakes.
The $160,000 Clarendon Stakes winner was third in the G1 JJ Atkins Plate as a juvenile, and has further blossomed this spring into a horse who can handle 2500 metres. He is emblematic of the late Wootton Bassett’s (GB) versatility as a stallion, having been bred on the same cross as Wooded (Ire), who won the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp over 1000 metres.
Stormy Marco | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The result is a dream come true for Rathmore Lodge’s Ross Hatton, who purchased Stormy Marco’s dam carrying the colt with partners and can now call himself the breeder of a Derby winner.
There could be a spot at stud for Stormy Marco in the future, where he could contribute to Australia’s staying genes, if he can continue the same path in the autumn. After all, former Derby winner Tarzino (NZ) produced this week’s Oaks victress, and recent winners Hitotsu and Observer have attracted plenty of interest since their arrivals at stud.
While it might seem quicker and easier to purchase a classy staying type overseas, given the increased competition seen at the horses in training sales again this year, maybe it would pay more to shop at home.
Frankel’s double reinforces his legacy
Juddmonte’s champion Frankel (GB) is a rare flavour to acquire in Australia, given he does not shuttle and currently stands for a fee of £350,000 (AU$680,500), but those that make it down south tend to live up to the hype.
From 150 runners in Australasia, Frankel has produced 40 black-type performers, 25 of whom are stakes winners. Sir Delius (GB) added another Group 1 placing to his record in Saturday’s G1 Champions Stakes, but it was Point Of Law (GB), rumoured to be a multimillion dollar purchase for Ciaron Maher, who stole the show when becoming his sire’s fifth Group 1 winner in the jurisdiction with the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Point Of Law (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Point Of Law is, understandably, impeccably bred - a mare who gets into Frankel’s book has to have well and truly earned her place there, and Point Of Law’s damline boasts both black-type and the presence of champion sires above his first three dams.
An entire son of another champion, he now will try to build the kind of resume that secures him a spot at stud. And with a pedigree like his, who wouldn’t want him?
But Frankel wasn’t done with one. He produced a second stakes winner for Cup week on Saturday, when Pinhole (GB) took out the G3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, his second stakes victory after claiming the G2 Herbert Power Stakes earlier this spring.
Bred by Juddmonte, he has won four starts since coming to Australia to the stable of Chris Waller, and has more than broken even on the 200,000 gns (AU$408,000) Waller paid for him at the 2025 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
Pinhole has had a productive spring, winning three of his five starts, and it has in general been a fruitful spring for Frankel with 42 runners in Australasia for eight stakes horses and four Group winners.
Pinhole (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Another exciting colt in the making, Central Europe won the G3 Callander-Presnell Stakes after a fourth placing in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, while The Euphrates (GB) won the G2 Kingston Town Stakes.
It wasn’t just Frankel’s colts and geldings on show this spring either. Amongst his stakes performers were Listed Jim Moloney Stakes-placed Platinum Pearl - who traces her damline to blue hen Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), whose granddaughter Obligate (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is responsible for popular first season shuttler Lead Artist (GB) - and Goddess Kay, second on debut in the R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner.
As such, Frankel currently sits sixth in the general sires’ list for Australia, and even removing the Melbourne Cup first prize, his other offspring have amassed over $2.5 million in just over three months of the season, which would put him with the top 30. That is what happens when you roll the dice with a champion.
Arrowfield stallions past and present shine on Cup week
Twenty six stakes races were run over four days of the Cup carnival last week, and one stallion farm stood head and shoulders above the rest for their impact on both sides of the pedigree page. Current and late Arrowfield Stud stallions produced five individual stakes winners over the carnival, and a further six stakes winners can credit an Arrowfield stallion as their damsire.
Across eight Group 1 races, four of the winners had an Arrowfield stallion on one side of the page, and five-time Champion Sire Snitzel reigned supreme as the only stallion all week to produce two top flight winners with G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner The Next Episode and G1 Empire Rose Stakes winner Lady Shenandoah, the latter bred by Arrowfield and bought by long-time clients Hermitage Thoroughbreds.
The late champion’s final crop of yearlings will be sold in 2027, with 26 (39% of the crop) catalogued for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Snitzel | Image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
The Autumn Sun’s daughter Autumn Glow delivered once again at her Flemington debut in the G1 Champions Mile, while Redoute’s Choice enjoyed the Oaks victory as the sire of Proxima Dea’s dam Invisible Coin.
Proxima Dea became Redoute's Choice 33rd individual Group 1 winner as damsire when she won the Spring Champion, and his 34th arrived just the weekend before Cup week in Sydney with G1 Golden Eagle winner Skyhook (Written Tycoon), an Arrowfield graduate conceived in the year Written Tycoon stood at Arrowfield Stud.
Dundeel (NZ) enjoyed the Listed TAB One Pool Trophy victory of Billycart, while The Autumn Sun also sired the G3 Carbine Club Stakes winner (and Arrowfield-bred) The Roaring Sun. R. Listed Inglis 2YO Banner winner Soldi (Tassort) is out of a daughter of Flying Spur, while Listed Chester Manifold Stakes winner Harry’s Yacht (Harry Angel {Ire}) is out of a daughter of Beneteau.
The Autumn Sun | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Snitzel himself was also responsible for three stakes winners as damsire, all amongst the 3-year-olds; G3 The Vanity winner Regal Ambition (Palace Pier {GB}), also an Arrowfield graduate, G3 Red Roses Stakes winner Lady Catalina (Home Affairs), and Listed The Amanda Elliot winner Ranarsson (Ole Kirk).
It is no surprise to see Snitzel currently sitting atop the general sires’ table, with The Autumn Sun not far behind in third, and fourth in the broodmare sires’ premiership. A trio of Danehill (USA) sons sit above him in the latter, with Redoute’s Choice finishing Cup week out in front by over $2 million in earnings from his grandchildren this season.
A nod has to be given to Manhattan Rain, half-brother to Redoute’s Choice who began his stud career at Arrowfield Stud before his relocation west, whose son Sabaj added a second stakes win to his record in the Listed Melbourne Cup Day Plate.
Betting on the best mares
The old refrain that a champion mare will be no good as a producer is one with little data behind it, and in the washup of Cup week, it becomes all the more apparent that getting half of your DNA from a good mare stands you in good stead.
Autumn Glow’s champion racehorse dam Via Africa (SAf) (Var {USA}) is not the only superstar with a stakes winner last week, as multiple Group winner and Group 1 performer Away Game (Snitzel) hit it out of the park with her first foal Lady Catalina in the Red Roses Stakes on Oaks day.
Group 3-winning Take Pride (Reward For Effort) rewarded Yarraman Park Stud and Morning Rise Stud with a Group 1 winner in Point Barrow (Blue Point {Ire}), victress of the G1 Champions Sprint after notching four Group 3 victories in the last 12 months.
Multiple stakes winner Humma Humma (Denman) resoundingly returned her $1 million price tag when her second foal The Next Episode sold for $2.8 million at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but now she is a Group 1 producer after the colt sent his value skyrocketing with victory in the Coolmore.
Humma Humma | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Fellow multiple stakes winner Dance Music (War Chant {USA}) made a connection with a previous Coolmore winner in 2023, resulting in Amelia’s Affair (Home Affairs) who took out the G3 Maribyrnong Plate, while Ndola (Justify {USA}) scored a second stakes win this year for his Group 3-winning dam Hear The Chant (Nicconi), also the dam of 2026 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes winner Hearcomesthestar (Zoustar).
Those with a strong pedigree around them can more than make up for not getting to live up to that on the track - Lady Shenandoah’s dam Star Pupil (Starcraft {NZ}) being one such example, and Point Of Law’s stakes-performed dam Portfolio (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) being another who has been outstripped by her progeny. In fact, all eight Group 1 winners are out of mares who either were stakes performed themselves, or who have black-type in their immediate family.
A good horse can come from anywhere, but those well-bred, well performed mares can really tip the scale.
Hybrid vigor
With three individual winning graduates of their pastures across four days of black-type, and Skyhook shining an additional light on Sydney with his Golden Eagle performance, Arrowfield Stud also emerge as the leading breeders from Cup week. In fact, they were the only breeders with one than one stakes winner all week.
Of the three, Regal Ambition is the only winner from an outside sire, being by Darley's Palace Pier (GB) who only shuttled for one season in 2022. The son of Kingman (GB) was a five-time Group 1 winner in Europe and has so far produced two stakes winners down under from his crop of 70 foals. The other is G3 TL Baillieu Handicap winner Southend.
Regal Ambition | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Fellow Darley stallion Harry Angel (Ire) was the fourth and final stallion to deliver more than one stakes winner during Cup week, with Harry's Yacht being joined by Listed Fisher Stakes winner Watchme Win, whose owners patiently nursed the gelding through injury to get him to the track.
Harry Angel is the only commercial access to his Britain and Ireland Champion Sire Dark Angel (Ire) in Australia, and given his growing record that is now sending sons to stud, he might get his permanent residency yet.
