A compelling collision between an emerging mare and some of Australia's most accomplished weight-for-age performers gives Saturday's Gr1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) considerably more depth than the market might initially suggest. Sheza Alibi heads to Flemington second-up after finishing behind Autumn Glow on her return, and from barrier seven Luke Nolen should have the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare in a position to produce her best without surrendering excessive ground. The market has installed her around $1.70, but the mile at weight-for-age presents a sterner examination against seasoned campaigners than her price implies. Mr Brightside needs no introduction to this race. The Hayes stable veteran has already won the Makybe Diva Stakes three times and his first-up second to Beiwacht in the Gr1 Memsie Stakes demonstrated that age has done little to diminish his competitive instinct. Barrier two and Blake Shinn provide every opportunity for another economical run and, if the race becomes tactical, his familiarity with Flemington and extraordinary consistency make him extremely difficult to dismiss. Sir Delius is the intriguing improver. The Waterhouse-Bott import has barrier nine and Craig Williams, with his longer-range spring ambitions suggesting the 1600m may still be short of his eventual optimum, yet his class makes him dangerous even before he reaches peak fitness. Treasurethe Moment returns to Flemington with Damian Lane and remains one of the field's most talented mares, while Light Infantry Man draws the inside and is capable of improving sharply from his resuming effort. Chris Waller supplies numerical strength through Buckaroo, Birdman, Autumn Boy, Aeliana and Ohope Wins, while Melbourne Cup hero Half Yours begins another campaign from barrier 12 after strong trials. Aeliana is particularly interesting if she takes the necessary step second-up, and Buckaroo's late work first-up suggested he is progressing towards the distances at which he is most effective. The race may ultimately hinge on where Sheza Alibi lands relative to Mr Brightside. If she can travel within striking distance and reproduce the finish that established her among the country's leading mares, she deserves favouritism, but defeating Mr Brightside over the Flemington mile is rarely straightforward. There is also considerable appeal in Sir Delius as the horse most likely to expose any weakness in the favourite should the tempo become searching. In a race named after one of the great mares, Sheza Alibi has the opportunity to confirm that she belongs permanently among Australia's weight-for-age elite. Suggested Top Four: 1. Sheza Alibi 2. Mr Brightside 3. Sir Delius 4. Treasurethe Moment
Weeping Woman Confronts Proven Class
Friday, 11th September 2026
An unbeaten four-race campaign last preparation has earned Weeping Woman a substantial rise in expectation as she resumes in Saturday's Gr2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m), but Joseph Pride's mare must immediately deal with a field containing several runners with genuine elite-level credentials. The five-year-old progressed through her grades without defeat during her previous preparation and concluded it with a Gr3 success, while a particularly sharp recent trial has strengthened the view that she has returned ready to perform immediately. Tim Clark rides from barrier six with 55kg, giving her both a favourable weight and enough tactical flexibility to avoid becoming buried among runners. Lazzura may represent the greatest threat. Chris Waller has given the classy mare a quiet build-up and James McDonald takes the mount from barrier five, an ideal combination for a horse with sufficient speed to hold a prominent position without being used excessively. Lady Shenandoah carries the 59kg topweight after a satisfactory first-up fourth and is entitled to improve, although barrier 11 makes her task more complicated. Apocalyptic has the benefit of race fitness after resuming with a third, and barrier one should allow Tommy Berry to save ground throughout, while Gangsta Granny has trialled well since a less convincing return and drops to 55.5kg. Plaintiff resumes with a strong record and must be respected at 55kg, particularly if the leaders overdo things, while Stardom was runner-up first-up and is favourably treated at 54kg. Savvy Hallie has considerable ability but needs to put a disappointing resumption behind her. The composition of the race makes it unusually difficult to assess because several leading chances arrive at different stages of their preparations: Weeping Woman is first-up and rising rapidly through the grades; Lazzura resumes with established Stakes class; Lady Shenandoah is second-up under a sizeable impost; and Apocalyptic brings the benefit of recent racing. That points towards positioning and race fitness being decisive late. Weeping Woman has not yet met opposition of this calibre, but everything she accomplished last preparation suggested there remained another level to discover, and her trial indicates Pride has not sacrificed freshness in preparing her for the assignment. Lazzura may receive the perfect trail into the race and is the one most likely to exploit any vulnerability in the favourite, while Apocalyptic's inside draw gives her every opportunity. This is the point at which Weeping Woman must graduate from exciting mare to established Group performer, but the conditions give her every opportunity to make that transition successfully. Suggested Top Four: 1. Weeping Woman 2. Lazzura 3. Apocalyptic 4. Lady Shenandoah
Oliveanotherday Faces Straight-Six Examination
Friday, 11th September 2026
The rise of Oliveanotherday has been sufficiently rapid to make Saturday's Gr2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington feel less like another stepping stone and more like the first genuine examination of whether Tom Dabernig has an elite spring sprinter on his hands. The four-year-old son of Nicconi has won five races in succession and was authoritative first-up at Caulfield, prompting connections to use the Bobbie Lewis as both a significant Stakes target and an introduction to Flemington's straight course before potentially progressing to the Gr1 Manikato Stakes. Harry Coffey rides from barrier eight with 57kg, and while straight racing can expose an inexperienced horse tactically, Oliveanotherday possesses enough natural speed to find his place without being committed too early. Early markets have him around $1.80, an unusually short quote in a 15-horse straight-course Group race, but it reflects how emphatically he has separated himself from his contemporaries during the current winning sequence. King Of Roseau represents one of the stronger established alternatives. Peter Snowden's gelding carries 57.5kg and has drawn nine, close enough to Oliveanotherday for the pair potentially to come down a similar section of the track, while his best form warrants considerably more respect than his recent figures alone might imply. Hedged resumes to the straight after finishing fifth first-up and has Blake Shinn aboard from gate three, while Arkansaw Kid possesses extensive Flemington experience and gains Mark Zahra. Abounding is fascinating at 55.5kg after Rob Heathcote elected to send her here following last weekend's abandoned Chautauqua Stakes assignment. A Gr2 winner and Gr1 placegetter, she has never raced down the straight, but her closing speed makes her dangerous if Ethan Brown can give her cover before asking for an effort late. Desert Lightning has to concede weight all round with 59kg, while Losesomewinmore, Recon and Enriched have sufficient exposed quality to punish any failure by the favourite. The central question, however, is whether Flemington presents Oliveanotherday with a new problem or simply another stage on which to display his improvement. Everything he has done recently suggests the latter, and if he adapts quickly to the straight-six configuration, his acceleration should carry him a long way towards a sixth successive victory and a legitimate Gr1 spring campaign. Suggested Top Four: 1. Oliveanotherday 2. King Of Roseau 3. Abounding 4. Hedged
Untapped prospect Oliveanotherday (pic: Mark Gatt)
Waller Quartet Converges On Run To The Rose
Friday, 11th September 2026
A fascinating internal contest awaits Chris Waller at Rosehill on Saturday when four colts from his powerful stable line up in the Gr2 Run To The Rose (1200m), with the unbeaten St Gotthard attracting most attention as he attempts to establish himself alongside two already proven Group 1-winning stablemates. The three-year-old has not raced since taking the Gr3 Ken Russell Classic at the Gold Coast in May, but Waller believes the colt has returned a stronger and more complete athlete, telling racingnsw.com.au that St Gotthard has “thickened up, furnished, got a bit of muscle and a bit of power and mentally very good.” While St Gotthard enters the spring with only a small body of exposed form, that lack of experience is balanced by the impression he created in his first preparation and by the trainer’s view that he now has an opportunity to demonstrate whether he is capable of becoming a Gr1 horse. His stable companions bring considerably more established credentials. Tron Bolt captured the Gr1 JJ Atkins as a juvenile, while Fireball won the Gr1 Champagne Stakes after being competitive throughout his two-year-old season, and Central Europe arrives as a three-time Stakes placegetter still seeking his first victory. Waller conceded he would ideally have separated some of the quartet, particularly Central Europe and St Gotthard, but believes the former requires another sprint outing before stretching to 1400m. James McDonald takes the ride on St Gotthard, who opened at $2.50 with TAB, while Zac Lloyd partners Central Europe, Tim Clark is aboard Fireball and Tyler Schiller rides Tron Bolt. Fireball and Tron Bolt were dealt the least favourable barriers of the Waller runners and both are expected to appreciate longer distances as the spring unfolds, with Waller particularly mindful that Fireball must carry a penalty for his Gr1 success. The trainer considers the Golden Rose, rather than Saturday’s 1200m contest, the more significant target for both, although he remains wary of underestimating their class. The stable also has important representation in the Gr2 Sheraco Stakes, where Lady Shenandoah and Lazzura take on their own sex rather than clash with Autumn Glow. Lady Shenandoah resumes from a fourth in the Winx Stakes and drops back to 1200m, while Coolmore Classic winner Lazzura returns first-up with McDonald aboard and a more favourable draw. Waller believes Lazzura may be underappreciated after finishing second to Beiwacht in the All Aged Stakes last preparation, and the mare’s Gr1 credentials ensure she cannot be dismissed lightly in a race that offers the stable another chance to shape its spring priorities.
Gold Coast Belle Takes Stakes Leap
Friday, 11th September 2026
An unbeaten spring campaign and an enviable record of consistency place Gold Coast Belle at the centre of Saturday's Gr2 Let's Elope Stakes (1400m), where Danny O'Brien's progressive mare takes another significant step against established Stakes performers. The daughter of So You Think has finished first or second in each of her seven starts and resumed with an emphatic Sandown success over 1300m, travelling comfortably before putting Tennessee Bound away in convincing fashion. That victory extended her winning sequence to four and confirmed that the progression she showed when taking the Listed Bendigo Guineas last preparation had been carried into the spring. O'Brien immediately identified the Let's Elope as the logical next assignment, and the return to 1400m at her home track appears ideal. The difficulty is that this is no longer a race against improving benchmark horses. Salty Pearl brings genuine Stakes credentials and has been accorded 57.5kg, while Coeur Volante has drawn beautifully in barrier two and possesses the class to make her presence felt if she returns near her best. Wrote To Arataki is another seasoned mare whose 1400m credentials command respect, and Too Darn Discreet is likely to find this distance short of her eventual target but has reportedly been performing strongly in her preparatory work. Sea What I See receives a favourable draw in three with Blake Shinn aboard, while On Display has ratings which place her firmly within striking distance of the principal chances. Gold Medallist should also derive benefit from her first-up run, when she encountered restricted room, and the 1400m suits her profile better. The appeal of Gold Coast Belle is that she still appears to have upside that several of her rivals have already exposed. Her first-up victory suggested she has returned stronger without sacrificing the tactical speed that allows her to settle where required, and that becomes especially valuable from a potentially awkward draw. The concern is whether she can reproduce the same turn of foot against mares capable of sustaining a stronger mid-race tempo, but she has yet to provide a compelling reason to oppose her. Coeur Volante looks the principal danger from an economical draw and Salty Pearl has enough toughness to capitalise if the favourite is forced to work. On Display can close strongly if there is pressure throughout, but Gold Coast Belle enters the race as the mare with the most persuasive upward trajectory and has the opportunity to convert promise into a first Group victory. Suggested Top Four: 1. Gold Coast Belle 2. Coeur Volante 3. Salty Pearl 4. On Display
Skyhook Aiming at Bigger Targets
Friday, 11th September 2026
A spring campaign carrying considerable expectations begins for Skyhook in Saturday's Gr2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m), with the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained entire resuming after finishing his previous preparation with a dominant Gr3 Gunsynd Classic victory at Eagle Farm. His autumn campaign also included success in the Hawkesbury Guineas, and those performances established him as one of the most progressive horses of his generation before a spell. He returns with 56kg and Kerrin McEvoy but must overcome barrier 15, which introduces the primary complication in a race containing enough speed to make an aggressive early move expensive. Skyhook has won first-up previously and, despite the draw, the 1300m provides an attractive launching point towards more important spring targets. Midnight In Tokyo brings the contrasting profile of a mare at the peak of her preparation. She has won four of her past five outings and carries 56kg, giving Todd Pollard's runner fitness and confidence in abundance against several horses beginning new campaigns. Militarize resumes for Chris Waller and has James McDonald booked from barrier 11. The multiple Gr1 winner finished his previous preparation with a third in the Gr2 Q22 over 2200m and is clearly building towards longer races, but his previous first-up record suggests he is capable of producing a significant performance at 1300m. Estadio Mestalla resumes under 58.5kg and boasts particularly strong Rosehill form, although barrier 12 compounds his weight burden. Just Party is the intriguing lightweight after resuming with a victory and drops to 53kg, while God's Window draws barrier two and carries the same weight, giving him every chance to enjoy a soft run. Verona Rose, Magnatear, Firestorm and Encap provide further depth, and the presence of so many fresh horses increases the possibility that the race will be decided by who receives the most economical passage rather than simply who possesses the highest ceiling. Skyhook nevertheless looks the runner capable of progressing beyond Gr2 company this preparation. His 3.5-length Gunsynd victory was the performance of a horse whose development had accelerated markedly, and if McEvoy can avoid being stranded deep from the outside alley, his turn of foot should prove difficult to contain. Militarize is the obvious class horse and becomes particularly dangerous if the pace is strong enough to bring him into the contest, while Midnight In Tokyo's fitness could take her deep into the final 200m. Just Party appeals as the lightweight capable of making the jump, but Skyhook's upward trajectory earns him the narrow preference in one of the afternoon's most competitive contests. Suggested Top Four: 1. Skyhook 2. Militarize 3. Midnight In Tokyo 4. Just Party
Aurora Belle Makes Immediate Vic Impression
Friday, 11th September 2026
An unbeaten New Zealand mare has wasted little time attracting attention in Victoria, with Aurora Belle producing an eye-catching first jumpout for Lindsay Park as she builds towards an Australian debut and a possible Golden Eagle campaign. The Stakes-winning mare finished second in an 800m Flemington hitout on September 4, but it was the ease of her work rather than the result which caught the attention of Glenn Ingram and Edward Sadler on The Trial Show, according to racing.com. “She’s interesting,” Ingram said. “Very interesting. Beautiful filly. Look at the way she’s striding out here. She’s got her ears up, she’s cruising.” Aurora Belle arrived in Australia unbeaten in two New Zealand starts and has joined Ben, Will and JD Hayes, whose record with horses sourced across the Tasman encouraged Ingram to suggest the mare could continue improving in her new surroundings. Sadler was similarly taken by the way she responded when challenged and maintained her work beyond the line, prompting the emphatic assessment: “Aurora Belle, put a big circle around her.” She was not the only Lindsay Park-trained runner to earn praise, with Gin Twist producing an effortless 800m Flemington jumpout ahead of her return on Saturday. The speedy mare has won her past two starts at Listed level, and Sadler considered her work superior to that of Hard Kick, noting the comfort with which she travelled and the margin she established over her rivals while appearing to retain something in reserve. He was also prepared to support her at around $10 in early betting. Elsewhere, lightly raced filly Handee continued to impress at Caulfield Heath after finishing second on her only race start, with Ingram describing her latest 850m exercise as one of the stronger trials of the session and suggesting she could break through quickly when she returns. Unraced three-year-old Strong Tempo also remains firmly on the radar after following an impressive Pakenham Synthetic jumpout with another powerful finishing display, although his lack of early speed remains an obvious tactical concern. Established performer Von Hauke showed he had retained considerable fitness following his excellent Stradbroke campaign, working strongly through the line when fourth in a Caulfield Heath jumpout, with Ingram favouring the Gr1 Epsom Handicap over the Cox Plate as a realistic spring objective. Storm Leopard completed the collection of horses to follow, with his first-up effort considered better than it appeared after a slowly run race and stronger pressure expected to suit him at Flemington on Saturday.
Prioress Returns To Online Sale Ring
Friday, 11th September 2026
A remarkable return on a modest online investment has come full circle with Stakes-winning mare Prioress returning to gavelhouse.com two years after Foxton trainer Suzy Gordon secured her for just $7,250. The eight-year-old daughter of Proisir is being offered as part of the latest 39-lot fortnightly auction, with bidding due to begin closing at 7pm NZT on Monday, September 14, according to nzb.co.nz. Gordon purchased Prioress through the platform in August 2024 when the mare had already accumulated four wins from 41 starts and $146,320 in earnings, but the subsequent two seasons transformed her from a useful racehorse into a valuable black-type performer and broodmare prospect. In 20 starts for Gordon, Prioress added three victories, eight placings and another $163,902 in prize money, lifting her overall record to 61 starts for seven wins, 21 placings and $310,222. Her finest period came during the most recent winter, highlighted by a powerful late surge to win the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on July 18, a result that also supplied Gordon with her first Stakes success as a trainer. The performance carried an additional stable flavour when Prioress defeated fellow Gordon-trained and gavelhouse.com graduate Turn The Ace, underlining the remarkable value the trainer has extracted from the online sales platform. Prioress then produced another high-class effort two weeks later when third in the Gr3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton, despite encountering interference at a crucial stage near the top of the straight. Gordon believes the mare may have finished even closer with a clearer passage and described the run as one which again demonstrated her toughness and consistency. A minor suspensory issue has now prompted the decision to draw the curtain on Prioress’s racing career and offer her for sale as a breeding prospect, with Gordon stressing that the injury is not considered serious but that, at eight, the mare has little left to prove on the racecourse. “She’s a lovely, lovely all-round mare. She’s a big girl with huge bone, she’s jet black and has a wonderful nature,” Gordon said, adding that she had every confidence Prioress would make an excellent broodmare. For prospective buyers, the appeal lies not only in her black-type record and Proisir pedigree but in the durability reflected by 61 starts and a career that improved markedly with age, making her return to the platform where Gordon first found her an appropriately circular conclusion to an unusually productive racing story.
Postponed Chautuaqua Stks Won by Warnie
Friday, 11th September 2026
A sweeping late charge delivered Warnie the Gr3 Orbit Logistics Chautauqua Stakes over 1300m at Sandown on Wednesday, with the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding coming from the rear to overhaul stablemate Tennessee Bound and strengthen his credentials for a possible Gr1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes assignment. The race had originally formed part of Saturday’s Moir Stakes card before severe weather forced its postponement, but the four-day delay proved immaterial as Mark Zahra settled Warnie patiently before allowing him to build through his gears in the straight. Starting at $3.70 on a Soft 7 surface, the six-year-old relished the genuine tempo and powered past Tennessee Bound ($4.20) to score by 1.25 lengths, with Amenable ($7.50) another long neck away in third. The victory took Warnie’s record to seven wins and six placings from 25 starts and pushed his earnings beyond $1.2 million, adding another Stakes success to a career which already includes the Gr2 Damien Oliver at Flemington and the $1 million Supernova at Pakenham. Bred in Ireland, the son of Highland Reel and the Footstepsinthesand mare Cumbfree was secured by Bennett Racing and Blandford Bloodstock for 65,000 guineas at the 2023 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze-Up Sale and has developed into one of Highland Reel’s most accomplished performers. Maher’s decision to geld Warnie has also helped him become a more tractable racehorse, and his ability to conserve energy before unleashing late was evident at Sandown as Zahra allowed the race to unfold rather than forcing his hand early. The result carried an added poignancy through the horse’s association with the late Shane Warne. Brooke Warne, the champion cricketer’s daughter, bought a share in Warnie through the Inglis Digital platform last month, joining the ownership of a horse whose name inevitably evokes one of Australian sport’s most famous figures. She marked the purchase enthusiastically on social media, describing her excitement at becoming involved with Bennett Racing and adding, “Giddy up, Warnie!” For a galloper already noted for his powerful finishing burst, Wednesday’s performance carried an almost theatrical appropriateness: held back until the contest reached its decisive stage, Warnie produced the racing equivalent of one final ripping leg-break, sweeping past his rivals when the race was there to be won. With the Gr1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes on September 19 identified as a likely next target, his latest display suggests there may yet be considerably more to come from a horse whose name carries greater sporting significance than most.
