A fresh chapter for one of Australian racing's most resilient stayers begins at Caulfield on Saturday when reigning Melbourne Cup winner Knight's Choice contests the Gr3 Naturalism Stakes 2000m, simultaneously launching John Symons and Sheila Laxon's new Ballarat operation and beginning the gelding's attempt to earn his way back into the race that provided his career-defining triumph. According to punters.com.au, Blake Shinn takes the ride in the Caulfield Cup qualifier, with Knight's Choice having settled exceptionally well following the stable's abrupt departure from Macedon and subsequent relocation to Ballarat with around 30 horses. Symons believes the seven-year-old has flourished in his new surroundings despite the colder conditions, telling racenet.com.au that his coat is beginning to improve and declaring: "The horse is in really good order, in fact I'd say he's in as good order as what he has been for two years." Knight's Choice faces the unusual task of qualifying again for the Melbourne Cup after illness prevented him defending his title last year, while wet tracks subsequently compromised a Brisbane winter campaign intended to restore him to peak competition. Saturday's second-up assignment therefore represents another important stage in rebuilding his staying preparation, although Symons is deliberately measured about expectations over 2000m. "I can't say I'm going in confident he can win," he said. "But I'm going in confident he'll run a good race." The anticipated good surface is firmly in Knight's Choice's favour and his performance should provide connections with a clearer indication of where they stand after the release of Melbourne Cup weights. Flemington remains emphatically the preferred destination, but Symons has already identified a lucrative alternative should qualification prove elusive, with the $1 million Subzero Quality 2200m at the Magic Millions carnival offering an attractive summer target under approximately 60kg. The stable's ability to concentrate on those racing decisions follows a turbulent period away from the track, with Symons and Laxon receiving what the trainer described as "110 per cent" backing from loyal owners after leaving Macedon. Dual Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Rob Hickmott played an important role in smoothing their move to Ballarat, helping the partnership become acquainted with a training complex offering turf, synthetic and uphill options. Seventeen members of the team are already in work there, including Star Of Macedon, who is expected to trial within the next fortnight, while Macedon Mission remains slightly further away from returning. Symons believes the expanded training choices mean the stable has moved forward rather than retreated following an unwanted upheaval, but Saturday provides the first significant measure of that transition, with its most celebrated horse beginning another journey towards the first Tuesday in November.
The Ballarat Cup is Knight's Choice's immediate goal (pic: Mark Gatt)
Murray Stakes Racing Queensland Role Claim
Thursday, 17th September 2026
A leadership position carrying responsibility for all three Queensland racing codes has officially opened to national and international candidates, with acting Racing Queensland chief executive Lachlan Murray confirming his desire to remain at the helm after 18 months in the role. Recruitment firm U&U Recruitment Partners launched the search on Wednesday, beginning a process that could attract several prominent racing administrators and wagering executives as Queensland prepares for substantial industry reform and one of the largest programmes of racing infrastructure investment undertaken in the state. Murray stepped into the acting CEO position following the departure of Jason Scott and is contracted through to December 31, having previously held senior financial positions with corporate bookmakers including Ladbrokes and Sportsbet. His period in charge has encompassed significant challenges ranging from cyclones and flooding to the delivery of successful carnivals across thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing, while providing him with extensive exposure to participants throughout Queensland. "Having spent the last 18 months in the acting CEO role, it's been a terrific experience meeting participants across the entire state," Murray told racenet.com.au. He said the opportunity to hear racing stories from communities around Queensland had been equally rewarding and added that he was excited by the prospect of continuing to advance the industry. Although speculation has linked former Godolphin and Magic Millions executive Vin Cox, wagering identity Paul Bittar and former Melbourne Racing Club chief executive Josh Blanksby, who now leads Motorsport Australia, with the position, recruiter Craig Sneesby stressed that no preferred candidates or predetermined shortlist exists. U&U intends to conduct an extensive search both within Australia and internationally, with remuneration pitched at a level designed to attract leading industry talent. Sneesby described the appointment as an opportunity to lead a "generational reform agenda" while overseeing an unusually significant infrastructure programme. Finding the right candidate nevertheless presents a complication that has affected previous Racing Queensland recruitment exercises. Unlike senior administrative positions devoted exclusively to thoroughbred racing, the CEO has overarching responsibility for the thoroughbred, harness and greyhound codes, substantially broadening both the workload and range of industry interests requiring management. Highly credentialled thoroughbred administrators have previously considered the position before withdrawing once the demands inherent in the three-code structure became apparent. Murray therefore enters the formal recruitment process with one advantage unavailable to outside candidates: he has already spent a year and a half performing the job and dealing directly with its breadth and complications. Whether that experience ultimately secures him the permanent appointment will be determined through an intentionally open selection process, but his declaration ensures the incumbent acting chief executive will be among those seeking the opportunity to guide Queensland racing through its next major period of change.
New Zealand Retains Three Group 1 Races
Thursday, 17th September 2026
Three races carrying significant sporting and breeding importance will remain at New Zealand racing’s highest level after the Asian Pattern Committee confirmed that the New Zealand Oaks, New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes and Telegraph will retain Group 1 status for at least the coming season. Each contest had come under formal review after failing to achieve the required race ratings for three consecutive seasons, creating the possibility that New Zealand’s complement of elite races could be reduced. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing subsequently made individual submissions defending the standing of all three events, and the APC accepted those arguments after examining their respective circumstances and importance within the domestic programme. NZTR senior handicapper and New Zealand representative on the APC Bruce Sherwin told racingnews.co.nz that each race had been assessed on its own merits and described the committee’s decision as an excellent outcome for both racing and breeding. The New Zealand Oaks and New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes were considered particularly significant to a breeding industry whose graduates continue to perform at elite level throughout Australasia, Asia and further afield, with Hong Kong champion and current world leader Ka Ying Rising providing the most conspicuous contemporary example. Retention of the Telegraph required a more complicated argument because changes elsewhere in the calendar had affected the depth of its fields. The Railway’s transfer to Karaka Millions night, necessary to facilitate World Pool participation, had weakened the Telegraph’s traditional position, prompting administrators to introduce measures intended to restore its strength. Chief among them was moving the sprint to Trentham’s late-March programme featuring three Group 1 races and preserving its prizemoney despite reductions applied to several other New Zealand races at the same level. Sherwin said those initiatives were recognised by the APC and helped secure the Telegraph’s position for another season. The ruling means New Zealand’s full roster of 18 Group 1 races is now confirmed for 2026/27, removing uncertainty surrounding three historically important contests while placing an obvious responsibility on administrators to ensure their future fields justify the classification. The first elite race of the new season has already produced an emerging international storyline, with unbeaten mare Well Written capturing the $400,000 Gr1 Proisir Plate before connections mapped an Australian campaign incorporating the Gr1 Epsom Handicap and Golden Eagle. Attention now turns to Hastings on September 26 for the Gr1 Howden Insurance Mile, but the APC decision carries consequences beyond a single season: Group 1 status is central to international recognition, breeding value and the commercial standing of New Zealand’s programme, making the preservation of all three races an important reprieve rather than merely an administrative technicality.
A rapid progression through the grades reaches its most demanding stage at Newcastle on Friday when lightly raced stayer Aethelwulf tackles the $300,000 Gr3 Newcastle Gold Cup 2300m, with trainer Matthew Smith increasingly convinced he has a horse capable of developing into a serious staying prospect. The four-year-old son of Saxon Warrior has won four of only six starts and arrives after three consecutive victories, graduating from a Class 1 success over 1600m at Kembla Grange to wins over 1900m at Canterbury and 2000m at Rosehill. His latest performance was particularly emphatic, with Aethelwulf starting at $1.30 and defeating Anthracite by 2.3 lengths in Benchmark 78 company despite still displaying signs that his racing manners remain a work in progress. Smith told racenet.com.au that the gelding continues to surprise him as the level of competition rises, but the trainer believes the key to Friday’s assignment will be conserving rather than expending energy during the early and middle stages. Aethelwulf has raced keenly at his past couple of appearances, something Smith attributes largely to inexperience, and the additional 300m at Newcastle will expose any failure to relax against seasoned stayers. Smith nevertheless regards him as a natural stayer possessing exceptional cardiovascular capacity and an unusually large, economical stride, characteristics that first attracted the trainer when he bought him for just $26,000 at the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale. Out of the New Approach mare Bouboulina, Aethelwulf has already earned more than $200,000 and his trajectory has accelerated considerably since breaking his maiden by more than five lengths over 1400m at Newcastle in June. His only subsequent defeat came when fifth on a Heavy 8 at the same track before victories at his next three appearances established him as one of Sydney’s more intriguing emerging stayers. The Newcastle Cup represents an enormous rise from benchmark company, with established rivals including Changingoftheguard, So You Are, Bella Montagna, Fernao and Elliptical among the nominations, but Aethelwulf’s performances have persuaded Smith that the opportunity is warranted. The Gr1 Metropolitan 2400m at Randwick has already been mentioned as a possible destination if he negotiates Friday’s test successfully, although connections need not rush a gelding whose trainer believes his best racing may still lie ahead. The immediate challenge is therefore as much educational as competitive: if Aethelwulf learns to settle and channels his considerable stamina efficiently over 2300m, Newcastle could establish whether his extraordinary rise is ready to continue into genuine spring staying company.
Cosmic Crusader Closes on East Coast Gr1
Thursday, 17th September 2026
A return to the distance range that produced his biggest career success has propelled Western Australian visitor Cosmic Crusader to the head of betting for Saturday’s $1 million Gr1 Underwood Stakes 1800m at Caulfield, where the six-year-old will attempt to add an eastern states Group 1 to his burgeoning record. The son of Maurice is a $2.50 favourite ahead of Chris Waller-trained quartet Birdman at $4, Lindermann at $4.60, Buckaroo at $5 and Aeliana at $6, although owner Bob Peters believes the barrier draw could play an important role in determining how comfortably his gelding negotiates the early stages. Cosmic Crusader can be tardy from the gates, yet attempting to force him forward carries its own risk. “He can get away a bit slow, which can be a problem if he doesn’t draw well,” Peters told thewest.com.au, adding that pushing the gelding out of the barriers can encourage him to race too keenly. That balancing act has been evident during his Victorian campaign, with Cosmic Crusader settling worse than midfield in each of his three appearances despite previously demonstrating that he can race prominently. He led throughout when demolishing his rivals by 8.25-lengths in the TABtouch Stakes at Belmont last year, but a more patient approach has accompanied an outstanding Melbourne preparation. Victories in the Gr3 Bletchingly Stakes 1200m and Gr2 P B Lawrence Stakes 1400m established his credentials before he finished strongly for third behind Beiwacht in the Gr1 Memsie Stakes 1400m three weeks ago. Peters felt his horse might have finished second with a more favourable passage but conceded the winner, who controlled the race from the front, was beyond reach. A similar tactical scenario represents one potential vulnerability in the Underwood, particularly with Lindermann capable of dictating proceedings after doing precisely that when winning the Gr2 Chelmsford Stakes 1600m at Randwick. Cosmic Crusader nevertheless receives an important advantage from the step to 1800m, bringing him closer to the range Peters believes may prove his optimum and over which he produced his Gr1 Northerly Stakes 1800m victory last year. The proliferation of lucrative spring options has also dispersed some of Australia’s leading middle-distance horses across alternative assignments, leaving Peters hopeful his stable flagbearer can capitalise. William Pike retains the ride and, described by Peters as “part of the team”, has committed to continuing his association with the gelding. After demonstrating speed and versatility across his opening three Victorian runs, Cosmic Crusader now arrives at Caulfield with the opportunity to show that the 1600m-to-2000m territory Peters regards as his sweet spot can also deliver the eastern Group 1 success that has so far eluded him.
Saturday's Underwood sees Cosmic Crusader a hot favourite (pic: Mark Gatt)
The Gong Broadens Illawarra Appeal
Thursday, 17th September 2026
Racing, basketball and fashion will converge at Kembla Grange when three prominent Illawarra identities become ambassadors for The Gong, reinforcing the $1 million raceday’s evolution from a major regional race meeting into one of Wollongong’s largest annual sporting and social occasions. Group 1-winning jockey Tommy Berry, Illawarra Hawks player Daniel Grida and local beauty entrepreneur Mikayla Chilby will represent the racing, community and lifestyle elements of a meeting that closes the Racing NSW Spring Carnival and is staged as a stand-alone metropolitan fixture. The 10-race programme is headed by the $1 million Gr3 The Gong, while the event’s popularity was demonstrated when approximately 7,000 patrons attended in 2025. Few riders possess stronger connections with Kembla Grange than Berry, who has competed at the course for almost two decades and added one of its richest prizes to his record aboard Gringotts in the 2024 edition. Speaking to racingnsw.com.au, Berry described his appointment as an honour given the memories created at the track since his youth and indicated that he was already aware of several horses being prepared for this year’s race. Grida brings a markedly different audience to the meeting. The Perth-born basketballer joined the Illawarra Hawks before the 2018/19 NBL season, has played more than 150 games for the club and was part of its 2024/25 championship-winning team. His first formal involvement with The Gong came as a Fashions on the Field judge in 2024, an experience that introduced him to racing while demonstrating the event’s accessibility beyond committed racegoers. Grida said he enjoyed seeing the city come together and found that arriving with virtually no racing knowledge presented no barrier to enjoying the afternoon. Chilby, meanwhile, represents the lifestyle component through her strong local business connections. Beginning as a makeup artist before expanding into beauty therapy, skin health and wellness, she now operates neighbouring Corrimal businesses STUDIOMIKAYLA and SPAMIKAYLA and regards the ambassadorial role as an opportunity to represent the community in which both enterprises were built. Her interests in fashion, hair, makeup and socialising align naturally with a raceday increasingly positioned as a broader entertainment occasion. Demand is already evident, with several hospitality areas including the official luncheon in the A.J. “Bert” Lillye Lounge and Ken Brown Dining Room sold out, while final-release general admission remains available from $35. The ambassador programme consequently reflects what The Gong has become since its introduction: elite racing remains the centrepiece, but its appeal increasingly reaches across sport, fashion, hospitality and the wider Illawarra community.
Venetian Sun Set For Sceptre Sessions
Thursday, 17th September 2026
One of Europe’s most accomplished sprinting fillies will become a coveted international breeding prospect later this year when dual Group 1 winner Venetian Sun is offered during the prestigious Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, scheduled from November 30 to December 3. The three-year-old daughter of Starman retires with six victories from nine starts following a career in which she established elite credentials at both two and three for trainer Karl Burke and owners Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy. Purchased for 240,000 guineas from Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Venetian Sun quickly vindicated that investment by winning the Gr3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot before travelling to Deauville and defeating Gstaad in the Gr1 Prix Morny. Her juvenile campaign also included a placing in the Gr1 Moyglare Stud Stakes, but she returned at three to reinforce her standing among the leading sprinters of her generation. Victory in the Gr2 Sandy Lane Stakes preceded another Royal Ascot triumph, this time against top-level opposition in the Gr1 Commonwealth Cup, before she came within a narrow margin of adding a third elite success when runner-up to Commanche Brave in the Gr1 July Cup. She also counts the Gr2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes among her six career victories. Burke’s assessment underlines the regard in which she was held throughout her time at Spigot Lodge. “Venetian Sun is a genuine superstar. I’ve never had another horse who worked like her,” he said, recalling that even as a juvenile she could work with his best older sprinters and “pulverised them one by one.” Her attraction as a broodmare extends considerably beyond her race record. As detailed by tattersalls.com, Venetian Sun was bred by Tally-Ho Stud and is from the first crop of Starman, who became champion first-season sire in Britain and Ireland, while her dam Johara is a daughter of influential broodmare sire Iffraaj. The deeper family provides further evidence of elite ability through Gr1-placed Summertime Legacy, dam of Group 1 winners Mandaean and Wavering and granddam of dual Group 1-winning juveniles Earthlight and Shadow Of Light. Tattersalls managing director Matthew Prior described Venetian Sun as an exceptional racehorse possessing the physical attributes to match her performances and expects buyers from around the world to compete for her. Created specifically to showcase outstanding fillies and mares within Europe’s leading breeding-stock auction, the Sceptre Sessions have attracted another headline offering whose combination of two-year-old precocity, three-year-old sprinting excellence and powerful female family should ensure Venetian Sun commands attention well beyond Newmarket when she enters the ring.
Newmarket Opens Doors for Cecil Weekend
Thursday, 17th September 2026
A rare opportunity to venture behind the scenes of British racing’s headquarters returns this weekend when Newmarket stages the Henry Cecil Open Weekend, combining access to some of the sport’s most famous establishments with fundraising for two charities closely connected to the town. Named in honour of the legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil, the two-day event follows a record-breaking 2025 edition that generated £107,454 for the Newmarket Housing Trust and Racing Welfare, an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year, with both organisations again selected as beneficiaries. Saturday’s programme provides access to institutions normally beyond the reach of ordinary racegoers, including The National Stud, British Racing School, Godolphin Rehoming, the Jockey Club Rooms, Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket Equine Hospital and the Injured Jockeys Fund’s Peter O’Sullevan House, while wristband holders can visit the National Horseracing Museum without additional charge. Those purchasing separate admission to Newmarket Racecourse can also watch 10 trainers compete in the Henry Cecil Open Weekend Charity Race sponsored by Lady Jane Cecil. The emphasis shifts towards the thoroughbred itself on Sunday morning, beginning with the Tattersalls-sponsored Warren Hill Gallops at 8am before 21 training yards open between 9am and 12.30pm. John and Thady Gosden, Sir Mark Prescott and Charlie Fellowes are among those welcoming visitors, offering an unusually intimate glimpse into the daily workings of some of Britain’s leading stables. According to sportinglife.com, Weatherbys Racing Bank has joined the event as a new sponsor this year and will fund food vouchers for the stable staff whose work makes the weekend possible. Sunday afternoon moves to The Severals, where the programme includes the Baker McVeigh Shetland Pony Grand National, an Ace Stud-sponsored parade of retired racehorses showcasing former runners in their subsequent careers, a fun dog show and the Amo Racing Personality Show Jumping competition. A World Pool Best Turned Out Yard presentation will also introduce a Diversity & Inclusion category through the event’s partnership with Autism in Racing. Fellowes, who chairs the Open Weekend, described last year as a landmark and believes the challenge is now to exceed its fundraising achievement while maintaining the event’s role as a celebration of both racing and Newmarket. Advance tickets cost £15, rising to £20 on the day, with admission free for those under 18, while a silent auction offering racing experiences and other prizes provides another fundraising avenue. Coming immediately after National Racehorse Week, the weekend offers something increasingly valuable to the sport: allowing the public to see not merely racehorses competing, but the people, infrastructure, veterinary care and daily work underpinning Newmarket’s racing community.
Bowman Weighs Surgery Against HKIR Return
Thursday, 17th September 2026
A difficult decision between short-term opportunity and long-term recovery confronts Hugh Bowman after scans confirmed a labral tear in his right hip, leaving the champion Australian jockey to choose between surgery and a cortisone injection that could preserve his prospects of riding at December’s Hong Kong International Races. The 46-year-old returned for the Hong Kong season opener at Sha Tin on September 6 and partnered Joyful Joy to victory, but the problem deteriorated so sharply the following day that Bowman said he “couldn’t walk” and was forced to step away from riding. Medical investigation has now established the extent of an injury that first became apparent through severe groin pain in May, although Bowman regards it primarily as the accumulated wear and tear of three decades in the saddle. Speaking to scmp.com, he acknowledged that surgery appears ultimately unavoidable but is considering delaying the procedure because an operation would entail an estimated four-to-five-month recovery, effectively ruling him out until well into the second half of the Hong Kong season. “It appears I do have to have surgical treatment. It’s just a case of whether I have that now, but I’m weighing up my options,” Bowman said. The alternative is a cortisone injection scheduled for Monday, which could have him riding again within several weeks but would provide only temporary relief. Bowman has been able to manage the condition with physiotherapy and medication, although the return to race riding after the off-season exposed the affected area to substantially greater pressure. The timing is particularly frustrating given his prominent position in Hong Kong racing. Runner-up to Zac Purton in the jockeys’ championship for each of the past two seasons, Bowman potentially has two significant Hong Kong International Races mounts awaiting him in Hong Kong Derby winner Invincible Ibis and Gr1 Champions Mile victor My Wish, depending on how trainer Mark Newnham divides their programmes. Invincible Ibis is scheduled to resume in the Gr3 Celebration Cup 1400m at Sha Tin on September 27, with Luke Ferraris expected to substitute for Bowman. Immediate discomfort is comparatively manageable away from horseback, but Bowman explained that the crouched riding position creates the greatest difficulty, making the question considerably more complex than simply tolerating pain. Surgery now would sacrifice the lucrative international portion of the season but potentially provide a definitive solution; delaying it could allow Bowman to return for December while accepting that the underlying problem remains. Having spent 30 years competing at racing’s highest level, he now faces the unusual challenge of deciding whether patience or one more major-race campaign should take precedence.
