A remarkable rise from bargain-priced yearling to the highest echelon of Queensland racing has earned Stradbroke Handicap heroine Spicy Martini the title of Queensland Horse of the Year for the 2025-26 season, reports racenet.com.au. Trained on the Gold Coast by Toby Edmonds, the daughter of Justify defeated fellow finalists Rothfire, Transatlantic and Yellow Brick for the major honour at Sunday night’s Queensland Thoroughbred Awards, while also collecting the 4YO and Older Horse of the Year title. Bought for only $8000 through Inglis Digital as a yearling, Spicy Martini has transformed that modest investment into almost $2.7 million in earnings from just 12 starts, winning six races and establishing herself among the country’s leading sprinting mares. Her defining performance came in June’s $3 million Gr1 Stradbroke Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm, where Taylor Marshall secured his first victory at racing’s highest level when guiding the mare to a 1.1-length success over Sepals, with Von Hauke completing the placings. Carrying 51.5kg on a Heavy 9 surface, Spicy Martini enjoyed an economical run before producing her acceleration from the 300m, giving Edmonds his second Stradbroke success following Tyzone in 2020. The achievement was particularly significant for Marshall, whose late father John won the 1999 Melbourne Cup aboard Rogan Josh, and his Stradbroke ride was recognised with the Darby McCarthy Performance of the Year award. Spicy Martini had already advertised her winter credentials by finishing runner-up to Rothfire in the Gr1 Doomben 10,000, while her earlier record included the Gr3 Fred Best Classic and Listed victories in the Ascot Handicap, Mick Dittman Plate and Mode Stakes. Rothfire was also honoured on the night, receiving the QTIS Horse of the Year title after his extraordinary $61 Doomben 10,000 victory. Tony Gollan continued his domination of the Queensland training ranks by receiving the Jim Atkins Trainer of the Year award for a 13th successive season after preparing 213 statewide winners, including 147 metropolitan victories. His promising filly Pembrey was named 2YO Horse of the Year following her Gr3 Magic Night Stakes success and subsequent Gr2 Silver Shadow Stakes victory, while Kelly Schweida’s Grafterburners collected the 3YO award after stringing together four consecutive wins culminating in the $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO Plate. Ben Thompson was crowned George Moore Jockey of the Year and Jace McMurray received the Ken Russell Apprentice title, while Planet Ruler, Jim Byrne, Basil Nolan and Jack Booth were inducted into the Queensland Hall of Fame.
NEWInternationals Tighten Melbourne Cup Squeeze
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Competition for places in the 2026 Melbourne Cup could become the fiercest for several seasons as an unusually deep international contingent, spearheaded by Joseph O’Brien, threatens to raise the qualification threshold for Flemington’s 24-horse field. Nominations for the November 3 feature close on Tuesday, with Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup weights to be released on September 17, and Racing Victoria officials are already contemplating a scenario in which horses carrying around 52kg may struggle to secure a start, reports punters.com.au. The strength of the overseas challenge was evident when 32 international horses representing Britain, Ireland, France and Japan appeared among Caulfield Cup nominations, but O’Brien’s potential representation is particularly striking. The two-time Melbourne Cup-winning Irish trainer has around a dozen spring candidates and could conceivably saddle six or more runners in the Cup, an extraordinary concentration even in an era increasingly accustomed to strong European participation. O’Brien, successful with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020, has already qualified a powerful group led by last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Goodie Two Shoes, together with Sons And Lovers, Trustyourinstinct and the rapidly progressive Defiantly. The latter secured automatic entry when producing a dominant front-running performance in the Gr2 Prix Kergorlay over 3000m at Deauville, defeating Santorini Star by 5.5 lengths and becoming the first horse to earn a Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket through the historic French staying race. Australian-owned Epsom Derby placegetter James J Braddock is also expected among O’Brien’s travelling contingent, while Small Fry and Royal Ascot winner Kizlyar are other prospective visitors. Four O’Brien runners are scheduled to arrive on the first shipment to pursue Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup lead-ups, with Goodie Two Shoes, Sons And Lovers, Trustyourinstinct and Defiantly among those earmarked for the second shipment in mid-October. Starford and Omni Man remain possible Caulfield Cup runners, although Omni Man may need to improve his ranking and has the Geelong Cup and Moonee Valley Gold Cup available as alternative qualification routes. The potential squeeze represents a significant change from last year’s Cup, when Half Yours won carrying 53kg and runner-up Goodie Two Shoes had only 51.5kg, while three of the first five finishers carried less than 52kg. Racing Victoria head of racing Paul Bloodworth believes the qualifying level could return towards the pre-Covid era, when approximately 52.5kg to 53kg was often required to make the final field. That prospect makes the coming weeks particularly important for local stayers sitting near the lower reaches of the order of entry. With O’Brien’s squad supplemented by further European, Japanese and French contenders and several horses already holding ballot exemptions, performances in traditional qualifying races may again determine whether locally trained runners secure their place or are pushed outside the final 24 by one of the strongest international assaults assembled in recent years.
NEWCosmic Crusader Options for Peters and Leek
Weekend, 31st August 2026
According to racing.com, a decision between two major September assignments will shape Cosmic Crusader’s next step towards the Cox Plate after the Gr1 winner produced an eye-catching performance from an uncompromising position in Saturday’s Gr1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Breeder-owner Bob Peters is considering either the Gr1 Makybe Diva Stakes over 1600m at Flemington on September 12 or the Gr1 Underwood Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield seven days later, with the six-year-old having emerged from his Memsie campaign opener in encouraging order. Now prepared by Andrea Leek, Cosmic Crusader finished third behind Beiwacht and Mr Brightside after conceding the winner a substantial start before making steady ground through the straight, eventually crossing the line 3.35 lengths from Beiwacht. Drawn barrier 11 of 12, William Pike elected to take the Maurice gelding back to last rather than become trapped wide, but his task became more difficult when he was inconvenienced by Angel Capital near the 600m. Beiwacht was already establishing a decisive break as the field straightened, leaving Cosmic Crusader with too much territory to recover, although the strength of his work to the line reinforced the view that longer distances will be increasingly suitable as his preparation develops. Peters indicated no immediate preference between the two upcoming targets, saying he would assess the horse before deciding which pathway to follow. The alternatives present distinctly different tests. A Makybe Diva Stakes appearance would likely place Cosmic Crusader against highly regarded mare Sheza Alibi, who is currently prominent in early markets, while the Underwood would immediately extend him to the 1800m distance over which he recorded his breakthrough Gr1 success in the Northerly Stakes at Ascot last December. Markets currently have Cosmic Crusader around $8 for the Makybe Diva, where Sheza Alibi is a dominant $1.70 favourite, while he occupies the second line of betting at approximately $4.50 for the Underwood behind Aeliana at $3.50. The latter distance has obvious appeal given Cosmic Crusader’s established credentials at 1800m and the broader aim of preparing him for the Gr1 Cox Plate, which this year will be run over 2040m at Flemington on October 24. He is currently rated around a $15 chance for that race. Cosmic Crusader transferred to Leek following his Western Australian campaign under Michael Grantham, for whom he won the Northerly Stakes, and Saturday’s performance suggested his interstate move has done nothing to diminish his capacity at weight-for-age level. Rather than the bare third placing, it was the circumstances of the Memsie that provided encouragement: a wide draw, a rearward settling position, interference before the turn and a winner who was already beyond reach entering the straight. With additional distance now looming, Peters has the luxury of choosing between two suitable Gr1 stepping stones as Cosmic Crusader continues towards his principal spring objective.
The are several options for Cosmic Crusader (pic: Mark Gatt)
NEWRacing Mourns Leading Trainer Bev Kelso
Weekend, 31st August 2026
New Zealand racing has lost one of its most respected horsewomen following the death of Group 1-winning trainer Bev Kelso at the age of 80 after a period of illness. Together with husband Ken, Kelso formed one of the country’s most enduring and successful training partnerships, their deliberately small Matamata stable producing a remarkable procession of elite performers over almost five decades. NZ Racing Desk reveals Bev’s involvement with horses began well before racing, having been an accomplished showjumper who competed in both New Zealand and Australia, and it was through equestrian sport that she met Ken. She later began pre-training thoroughbreds and secured her trainer’s licence in 1977 after being encouraged to take charge of a horse that had struggled elsewhere, promptly training it to win at only its second start for her. Ken joined her in partnership the following year and the couple established themselves at Matamata, where their emphasis on horsemanship, close observation and a hands-on approach became hallmarks of an operation that rarely carried large numbers. That philosophy yielded an exceptional roll of honour headed by Gr1 winners Xanadu, Bounding, Love Dance, Perfect Fit, Envoy, Levante and Legarto, with the latter pair elevating the Kelsos to still greater prominence. Levante won four Gr1 races for Philip and Catherine Brown’s Ancroft Stud interests, while Legarto developed into a five-time Gr1 winner, memorably becoming the first New Zealand-trained winner of the Australian Guineas at Flemington in 2023 before closing her racing career this year with victories in the Gr1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and Gr1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes. She was subsequently sold to Yulong Investments for $2.8 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Brown, who had known the Kelsos since his teenage years, described Bev as an outstanding horsewoman and said the couple operated as a complete team, with meticulous attention to detail underpinning their success. Even as illness increasingly restricted Bev’s physical involvement, she continued to advise Ken, while he would telephone her immediately after important victories she had watched from home. One of the final acknowledgements of their partnership came after Legarto was named Horse of the Year at the Matamata Racing Awards, when Brown ensured the trophy was taken to Bev in hospital. Bev Kelso’s funeral will be held at Matamata racecourse on September 14, fittingly bringing the racing community together at a venue synonymous with a lifetime devoted to horses.
Arrowfield Celebrates Major Awards Haul
Weekend, 31st August 2026
A remarkable season for Arrowfield Stud and its stallions was formally recognised at Royal Randwick when four sires associated with the Hunter Valley operation were responsible for eight of the 19 national and state honours presented for 2025-26. Central to the celebrations was Autumn Glow, the outstanding daughter of The Autumn Sun who was crowned both Australian Horse of the Year and NSW Horse of the Year following a four-year-old campaign in which she won seven of eight starts. Her season included Gr1 victories in the George Ryder Stakes, Verry Elleegant Stakes and Epsom Handicap as well as the $10 million Golden Eagle, and she has already carried that form into her five-year-old season with victory in the Gr1 Winx Stakes. Autumn Glow becomes the third Australian Horse of the Year by an Arrowfield stallion after Weekend Hussler, by Hussonet, in 2007-08 and Lankan Rupee, by Redoute's Choice, in 2013-14. The Autumn Sun completed an exceptional night through Autumn Boy, who was named Champion 3YO Colt after winning both the Gr1 Caulfield Guineas and Gr1 Rosehill Guineas. Arrowfield's influence extended to the Champion Sire title, with the late Snitzel receiving the award for a fifth time after a superb final season. Snitzel, who died in June 2025, was represented by six individual Gr1 winners among 17 Australian stakes winners and accumulated progeny earnings of approximately $26 million. Dundeel was represented among the NSW awards by Idle Flyer, whose defeat of Lady Shenandoah, Treasurethe Moment and Pride Of Jenni in the Gr1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes earned her the Queen of the Autumn honour, while Castelvecchio's daughter Aeliana was named NSW Champion Stayer after winning the Gr1 Ranvet Stakes and Gr1 Tancred Stakes. Autumn Glow also collected Australian Champion Middle Distance Horse and NSW Champion Miler honours, giving The Autumn Sun progeny four of Arrowfield's eight awards on a night that underlined the depth of the farm's stallion roster and its continuing influence at the highest levels of Australian racing.
Snitzel was represented by 6 individual Gr1 winners (pic: arrowfield.com.au)
Metropolitan Loses Group 1 Status
Weekend, 31st August 2026
One of Australian racing's oldest elite contests will be conducted at Gr2 level this spring after Racing NSW chose preservation of The Metropolitan's traditional handicap format over changes that could have retained its Gr1 classification. The 2400-metre Randwick feature, first staged as the Great Metropolitan Stakes in 1866, was downgraded by the Asian Racing Federation after failing to meet required ratings benchmarks for the past three seasons. The $750,000 race had been reviewed by the Asian Pattern Committee in July, with a submission from Racing Australia incorporating proposed changes from Racing NSW considered as part of the process. The Metropolitan was initially permitted to retain Gr1 status for 2026-27 provided those changes were implemented, but Racing NSW subsequently decided against altering its conditions. Racing NSW acting chief executive Graeme Hinton defended that position, arguing that preserving the race as one of the country's significant staying handicaps was ultimately more important than maintaining its classification. Increased prizemoney and a switch from handicap conditions to set weights and penalties are understood to have been among the options considered as a means of attracting stronger fields and lifting the race's ratings profile. Instead, Racing NSW elected to retain the character of a contest that has occupied a distinctive position in the Australian spring programme for more than a century and a half. The downgrade follows victories in the past three editions by Royal Supremacy, Land Legend and Just Fine, with The Metropolitan representing the sole Gr1 success of each horse. The race has previously departed from its handicap tradition, with the Australian Jockey Club introducing set weights and penalties conditions in 1995 before restoring the handicap format after the 1999 renewal. This year's Metropolitan will be run at Randwick on October 3. Its altered status provides an illustration of the increasingly rigorous application of international pattern-race standards following the Asian Racing Federation's assumption of responsibility for Australian race grading after the long-running interstate impasse over the national pattern. While the Gr1 designation has disappeared, Racing NSW's stance is clear: the historic identity and competitive purpose of The Metropolitan as a major spring staying handicap were considered worth protecting, even at the cost of elite black-type status.
Beiwacht Pulls No Punches in Memsie
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Gun Godolphin racehorse Beiwacht announced himself as a genuine spring heavyweight with a devastating front-running display in the Gr1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, sweeping aside a high-class weight-for-age field by three lengths and providing second-season sire Bivouac with another significant advertisement. Nash Rawiller wasted no time taking advantage of the four-year-old’s natural speed, allowing the Chris Waller-trained entire to stride forward from barrier 10 and establish control rather than becoming embroiled in an early battle for position. From there the Memsie increasingly became a race conducted on Beiwacht’s terms. Rawiller was able to dictate before asking his mount to extend approaching the home straight, and the response was immediate. Beiwacht accelerated clear at the 200m and the expected challenge from the established Gr1 performers simply never materialised, the son of Bivouac maintaining a commanding advantage to stop the clock at 1:23.81. Mr Brightside, sent out at $21, produced a terrific return to racing at nine years of age, working through strongly for second and demonstrating that his appetite for competition remains undiminished. Cosmic Crusader, the $3.30 favourite, was forced to do more work than ideal without receiving the trail William Pike had hoped for but battled honestly into third, a short-neck behind Mr Brightside. Beiwacht’s victory was particularly emphatic considering his preparation had been interrupted by a minor health issue which delayed his journey to Melbourne, making the authority of his performance first-up all the more significant. Waller indicated afterwards that the entire had settled particularly well since joining his operation following the conclusion of James Cummings’ tenure with Godolphin, describing him as focused and a pleasure to handle. The result advanced Beiwacht’s record to three victories and four placings from 13 starts and delivered a first Gr1 victory for the Godolphin homebred, whose pedigree combines Bivouac with the Street Cry mare Metastasio. For Bivouac, standing at Darley in NSW, the performance provided another elite result from a young stallion whose progeny continue to enhance his reputation. Yet the most striking element was simply the manner of victory. Mr Brightside and Cosmic Crusader were not edging closer late; Beiwacht had comprehensively put the race beyond them. With his tactical speed, ability to control a race and explosive acceleration when Rawiller released the brakes, Beiwacht emerged from the first Melbourne Gr1 of the season as considerably more than merely its winner – he became one of the horses the established stars will have to catch as the spring progresses.
Strong Sire Line-Up for Gold Coast Sale
Weekend, 31st August 2026
An international spread of sire power and an important enhancement to Magic Millions Race Series eligibility headline the catalogue for the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale, which will be staged at the Bundall Sales Complex on October 12 following breeze-up sessions in Queensland and New South Wales. A total of 77 individual sires are represented, with Northern Hemisphere stars Gun Runner and Kingman joined by a formidable Australasian line-up including I Am Invincible, Snitzel, Ole Kirk, Toronado, Savabeel, Justify, Starspangledbanner, Stay Inside, Written Tycoon, Capitalist, Ghaiyyath, All Too Hard, Hellbent, Wootton Bassett, Pierro, The Autumn Sun and Zousain. Of particular significance this year is the opportunity for buyers, for the first time, to pay up eligible two-year-olds from the sale for the lucrative Magic Millions Race Series, while 73 lots have already been nominated for the programme. The Race Series now comprises 28 races staged across six Australian states for horses of varying ages, classes and distances, adding another commercial dimension for prospective buyers. Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch says the Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale has established an enviable record of producing quality performers both domestically and internationally and believes the standard of this year's offering gives every indication that the trend can continue. Technology will again form an important component of the breeze-up process, with TripleS data available across both the two-year-old and three-year-old sections. Electronic chips provide potential purchasers with information covering stride length, stride frequency and speed, giving buyers another objective measure to assess alongside veterinary examinations, pedigree and the traditional visual appraisal of each horse. Bowditch says feedback surrounding the technology has been particularly encouraging in recent years and believes the additional data gives buyers greater confidence when making purchasing decisions. The first breeze-up session will be staged at the Gold Coast Turf Club on September 22, followed by Scone on September 30. Inspections at the Gold Coast Sales Complex will run from October 10-12 before selling begins at 3.30pm on October 12, while supplementary entries remain open until October 5.
Guest House Smashes Rosehill Record
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Golden Slipper winner Guest House returned to racing with a performance every bit as impressive as his juvenile achievements, breaking Rosehill's longstanding 1100m course record in the Gr3 San Domenico Stakes and emphatically answering whether he had trained on at three. Sent out at $7 against heavily backed $1.90 favourite Blue Door, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt was carrying 58.5kg and faced the additional complication of barrier seven in the eight-horse field, but Zac Lloyd refused to become involved in an unnecessary early speed battle. Guest House instead found a position behind the leaders as Blue Door controlled the inside, leaving Lloyd requiring both patience and courage when the field straightened. The decisive opening eventually appeared along the rail and Guest House drove through it before accelerating away from Blue Door to score by 1.3 lengths, with Music Time another 0.9 lengths away in third. The clock confirmed what the eye suggested. Guest House covered the 1100m in 1:02.41, with a final 600m of 33.36, lowering by a tenth of a second the Rosehill course record established by Westicaro in February 2007. The historical significance extended further. Magic Millions graduate Guest House became the first Golden Slipper winner since Tierce in 1991 to subsequently win the San Domenico and, importantly for a colt whose commercial value is already immense, showed none of the post-Slipper regression that has affected numerous winners of the juvenile championship. Coolmore acquired a major interest in Guest House following his Slipper victory, and the son of Home Affairs now appears capable of repaying that investment at the highest level during the spring. Blue Door lost little in defeat after attempting to repel a genuinely top-class colt while receiving 3.5kg, and Music Time again demonstrated his quality by finishing strongly enough to secure third. Guest House, however, was operating at another level. Purchased for $270,000 from Newgate Farm at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he has now won three of five starts with another two placings, meaning he is yet to finish outside the first three. The Gr1 Golden Rose is the obvious immediate objective, while the performance inevitably brings races such as The Everest and Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes into longer-term calculations. His Slipper victory established Guest House among the best of his generation; his San Domenico return suggested that generation may still have some catching to do.
Plagiarism Steals the Show at Rosehill
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Written By's son Plagiarism chose an appropriate stage on which to break his maiden, turning the Gr3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill into a demonstration of sustained front-running speed and putting himself firmly into the Golden Rose conversation. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old had shown sufficient ability as a juvenile to be aimed towards the Golden Slipper without managing to win a race, but his first preparation after being gelded has produced a considerably more tractable and effective racehorse. Regan Bayliss made full use of that transformation, taking Plagiarism straight to the front and establishing a rhythm which ultimately proved impossible for his rivals to disrupt. Rather than attempting to conserve the Written By gelding excessively, Bayliss allowed him to roll and gradually increased the pressure, forcing those behind to chase before the home straight had fully developed. Plagiarism kept responding when challenged and held the fast-finishing Genesis Runner by three-quarters of a length, with Hostwin King another half-length away in third. The winner returned $8 and recorded 1:16.08 for the 1300m, including a sharp 33.91 final 600m which underlined how difficult it was going to be for the chasing division to reel him in after being allowed to dictate. The victory lifted Plagiarism's record to one win and two placings from six starts, but the bare statistics disguise the level at which Waterhouse and Bott have consistently tested him. Rather than building his confidence through low-grade maiden company, the stable pursued major juvenile races because it believed the ability was present, and the decision to geld him after his two-year-old campaign now appears particularly significant. Adrian Bott said the stable had always held the horse in high regard and believes gelding has helped him considerably, an assessment supported by the professionalism of Saturday's performance. Genesis Runner was arguably the most eye-catching of the beaten runners, closing strongly from behind the winner and suggesting additional distance will be no impediment, while Hostwin King produced a sound effort at $17 to secure third. Plagiarism, however, controlled the contest and never allowed his rivals to dictate terms. A $120,000 purchase from Widden Stud at the 2025 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, he is by Written By from the Snitzel mare Profiterole and was himself offered by the farm where his sire stands. The Gr1 Golden Rose now presents a substantially tougher examination, but Saturday provided compelling evidence that Plagiarism has progressed from promising maiden to legitimate stakes-class three-year-old.
Private Eye Share Heads MM Digital Sale
Weekend, 31st August 2026
A rare opportunity to secure a share in proven Group 1 performer Private Eye sits at the head of an unusually diverse Magic Millions Digital catalogue that also features a seven-horse Godolphin draft, a share in leading The Kosciuszko contender So You Pence and an extensive group of broodmares from Arrowfield. Offered unreserved by Proven Thoroughbreds as Lot 1, the 10 per cent interest in Private Eye provides buyers with access to one of Australia's most durable high-class sprinters, who currently occupies tenth position among the nation's all-time prizemoney earners. Private Eye began his latest spring campaign with a strong second in the Gr2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes on August 15 and is being considered for either the Gr2 Tramway Stakes or Gr2 Theo Marks Stakes at his next appearance. Proven Thoroughbreds' Tom Walter describes the offering as a rare opportunity to become involved with a genuine Gr1 horse, explaining that the interest is being sold because the organisation holding the share has entered administration. The racehorse section carries significant depth through seven Godolphin offerings headed by three-time winner Steel Move, who has earned more than $368,000, recent winner Zebra Finch and metropolitan-placed Matima. Another intriguing ownership opportunity comes through an unreserved two per cent share in So You Pence, offered by Kurrinda Bloodstock. A winner of five of his 10 starts, So You Pence is currently favourite for the $2 million The Kosciuszko and gives the successful bidder the chance to join his ownership group ahead of one of the major attractions of the Sydney spring. Arrowfield supplies nine broodmares to the catalogue, among them Gr1 winner Politeness, stakes winner Kneeling and Get Closer, the dam of One Step Closer, who finished fourth in both the Gr1 Victoria Derby and Gr1 Rosehill Guineas last season. Kneeling has already produced two stakes winners, while Politeness is the dam of stakes-placed Politely Dun. Bidding opened on August 28, with the Private Eye share closing separately from noon on August 31. Bidding on the balance of the catalogue, beginning with Lot 2, closes progressively from noon on September 2.
A share in Private eye is on offer (pic: Mark Gatt)
Oliveanotherday Makes an Everest Statement
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Exciting Everest prospect Oliveanotherday extended his remarkable winning sequence to five and thrust himself into calculations for some of Australia's premier sprint races with a commanding first-up success in the Gr3 The Heath 1100 Stakes at Caulfield. Tom Dabernig's four-year-old had won his final four starts of the previous campaign and resumed carrying 58kg from barrier one against considerably more seasoned sprinters, yet the market correctly identified him as the horse to beat at $2.30. Harry Coffey made use of the inside draw without becoming trapped into defending the lead at all costs, allowing Oliveanotherday to travel comfortably before presenting him when the race began in earnest. The response was decisive. Once balanced in the straight, the Nicconi gelding accelerated strongly and put clear air between himself and Bridal Waltz, scoring by 1.5 lengths, with War Machine another 1.25 lengths away in third. The 1100m was completed in 1:03.81 on the Soft 7 surface, and the authority of the victory immediately prompted discussion about substantially loftier spring targets. The Everest is now an increasingly realistic possibility should a slot holder be persuaded by his continuing progression, while the Gr1 Manikato Stakes presents an obvious domestic target and bookmakers reacted to Saturday's display by elevating Oliveanotherday prominently in futures markets. What makes his rise particularly compelling is the consistency behind it. The homebred has now won six of eight starts with another placing, and his five consecutive victories demonstrate an ability to keep advancing as the quality of opposition increases. Bridal Waltz produced an encouraging first-up performance and appears capable of collecting a good sprint during the campaign, while War Machine was solid under 59kg and should derive benefit from the outing. Neither, however, could match the winner once Coffey asked him to lengthen. Oliveanotherday is by Nicconi from the All Too Hard mare Olive, providing Widden Stud's Victorian operation with another stakes-winning advertisement for a stallion whose reputation for producing fast, durable sprinters has long been established. The next question is no longer whether Oliveanotherday belongs in stakes company – Caulfield answered that emphatically – but how high Dabernig is prepared to aim. The leap from Gr3 company into Australia's elite sprinting division is considerable, yet a horse with six wins from eight starts and an apparently still-rising ceiling has earned the opportunity to find out exactly where that ceiling lies.
All Too Darn Hot 3YO Looks Elite Class
Weekend, 31st August 2026
American Eagle made the transition from promising debut winner to genuine Gr1 prospect in only his second race start when prevailing in a strongly contested Gr3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt arrived with considerably less racing experience than most of his rivals but compensated with raw ability, holding off the more seasoned Unit Five by 0.2 lengths after a testing 1200m on the Soft 6 surface. Mark Zahra allowed the son of Too Darn Hot to find his feet rather than demanding an immediate position, giving the colt the opportunity to balance before bringing him into the race. American Eagle travelled into contention with the confidence of a considerably more seasoned horse and then had to demonstrate a different quality when Unit Five refused to surrender. The pair fought out the closing stages before American Eagle edged ahead where it mattered, with Seraphox 2.5 lengths further back in third and Phillip Island finishing fourth. The winner recorded 1:11.87 and returned $3.30, maintaining his unbeaten record after two appearances and immediately forcing connections to consider how rapidly they should progress through the spring three-year-old programme. The Gr1 Caulfield Guineas is an obvious destination, although the Freedman stable now has the luxury of plotting a route according to the colt's development rather than attempting to manufacture improvement that may already be naturally occurring. His pedigree certainly offers encouragement for longer distances. Too Darn Hot, a son of Dubawi and Dar Re Mi, has already demonstrated his capacity to produce elite Australian performers, while American Eagle is out of the six-time winner Awake The Stars, a daughter of champion sire Redoute's Choice. Purchased for $400,000 from Yulong's draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, American Eagle has quickly begun to justify that substantial investment. Unit Five lost no admirers in defeat, conceding 1kg to the winner and making him earn the race through the final stages, while Seraphox produced a useful performance at $17 without ever seriously threatening the leading pair. The significance of American Eagle's performance lies in how much he achieved with so little experience. Two starts have now produced two victories, the second at Gr3 level against established three-year-old opposition. There remains considerable development to come physically and tactically, but Caulfield demonstrated that his natural talent already places him among the more intriguing colts of the new season.
American Eagle has significant upside (pic: Mark Gatt)
Kingswood Springs Heatherlie Stable Upset
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Tattersalls October graduate Kingswood reignited his Caulfield Cup aspirations and completed a memorable quinella for trainer Gavin Bedggood when upsetting stablemate Just Folk in the LR Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield. Sent out at $23 after beginning his campaign against a deep field of stayers and middle-distance horses, the imported son of Roaring Lion produced precisely the kind of first-up performance required to put himself back into spring calculations. John Allen gave Kingswood an economical ride, allowing the six-year-old to find his rhythm before gradually improving into the contest rather than asking him to sustain an unnecessarily long run on the Soft 7 surface. When the field straightened, Kingswood responded strongly and proved too effective for Just Folk, who himself ran an excellent race to give Bedggood the first two home. Deakin produced a major form turnaround at big odds to finish third, with Zahrann fourth. Kingswood stopped the clock at 1:44.05 for the 1700m, returning around $23 and providing one of the afternoon's biggest upsets. The victory lifted his career record to five wins and five placings from 21 starts and was particularly important because of the programme connections have mapped towards the Gr1 Caulfield Cup. Just Folk demonstrated that age has done little to diminish his competitive instincts, the ten-year-old producing another high-quality performance and giving Bedggood considerable reason for satisfaction despite being denied victory by his stablemate. Deakin's third was also encouraging as he worked home strongly enough to suggest he can be competitive as distances increase. Kingswood, however, was the horse who changed the complexion of his spring campaign. Bred in Britain, he is by the late Roaring Lion from All At Sea, a daughter of Sea The Stars, giving him a pedigree rich in elite European middle-distance and staying influence. He was originally sold through Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale before eventually making his way to Australia, where his ability had already been evident without always being converted into victories. The Heatherlie has traditionally served as an important early-season examination for horses moving towards Melbourne's major staying races, and Kingswood passed his test in convincing fashion. There is still considerable territory between a 1700m Listed handicap in August and a Caulfield Cup over 2400m, but his ability to resume with a victory against seasoned opposition provides Bedggood with options. At $23, the market regarded Kingswood as an outsider on Saturday; by the time the spring staying picture fully develops, that assessment may look considerably less generous.
Beiwacht Wins Gr1 Memsie Stakes
Weekend, 31st August 2026
Track: Caulfield
Race: Gr1 Memsie Stakes (1400m)
Winner: Beiwacht (Bivouac-Metastasio, by Street Cry)
