A reshaping of Europe's leading juvenile and Classic-generation rankings has followed York's Ebor meeting and Deauville's Prix Morny, with Item emerging as Timeform's highest-rated three-year-old and Senorita Bonita taking over at the head of the two-year-old division. Item's rise came through a dramatic Juddmonte International in which the Dante Stakes winner upset a field headed by reigning champion Ombudsman and Eclipse winner Constitution River, overcoming traffic difficulties before defeating Tattersalls Gold Cup winner Almaqam by a head. Timeform raised both winner and runner-up to a rating of 128, with Item improving from 123p and replacing Constitution River, subsequently eased from 128p to 127, as the organisation's leading three-year-old. The Andrew Balding-trained Item has now been beaten only once, in the Derby, and Timeform believes the strength of his finish at York suggests a return to 2400m could unlock further improvement, potentially establishing him as a significant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe contender provided conditions are not excessively testing. The three-year-old picture was further strengthened by Maltese Cross in the Gr2 Great Voltigeur Stakes, while Derby winner Christmas Day finished third and continues to shape as a strong-grinding type likely to appreciate the demands of the St Leger. Among the older horses, Kalpana retained her 128 rating after narrowly winning the Yorkshire Oaks, although Irish Oaks third Sparan Nua emerged as a major improver, climbing from 110 to 121 after going down by only a short-head. American sprinter Bacio also enhanced his international reputation by winning the Gr1 Nunthorpe Stakes, rising from 121p to 124p after dominating much of the five-furlong contest and establishing himself as a major Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint prospect. Notable Speech returned to form with an authoritative Gr1 City of York Stakes victory and improved to 127, while Archivist surged from 118 to 125 after demolishing his Gr3 Strensall Stakes rivals by seven and a half lengths. Perhaps the most fascinating development, however, surrounds the juvenile fillies. Libertango improved to 107p after winning the Lowther Stakes, only for Phoenix Stakes winner Sun Goddess to climb to 110p with a six-length success despite carrying a 3kg penalty. That supremacy lasted just three days before Senorita Bonita produced an even stronger performance in the Gr1 Prix Morny at Deauville, advancing from 107p to 114 after defeating the colts by four lengths. The daughter of Starspangledbanner settled more effectively behind a strong pace before sweeping past Carry The Flag inside the final 200m and drawing clear. With Libertango, Sun Goddess and Senorita Bonita potentially converging on next month's Gr1 Cheveley Park Stakes, Timeform believes the race could develop into an exceptional examination of Europe's leading juvenile fillies.
Beamish Out of the Blocks in Record Time
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
A remarkably efficient beginning to life in the training ranks has Liam Beamish operating at a 50 per cent strike rate, with the Wesley Vale horseman hoping two of his stable stars can extend that record when racing returns to Devonport on Wednesday. Working with only three horses, Beamish has already prepared four winners from eight starters and will saddle City Wok and The Real Man in consecutive races on the nine-event card after both missed planned assignments when the August 12 meeting was abandoned following two races. Safety concerns arose after rocks were discovered on the Devonport surface, prompting remedial work before subsequent trackwork and trials were conducted without incident on August 18. Beamish has since spoken with trainers and jockeys and inspected the track himself, leaving him satisfied racing can safely resume. The interruption proved particularly frustrating because he had been confident both horses were ready to win, but Wednesday provides another opportunity with City Wok tackling a Class 1 over 1350m before The Real Man contests a BM64 over 1150m. City Wok had been strongly supported from $4.50 into $2.50 for the corresponding race a fortnight earlier and will start from barrier one with Luke Dempsey aboard. The gelding required considerable patience simply to reach the races initially, although Beamish says he has presented no problems since and came through a gallop shortly after the abandoned meeting in good condition. His trainer also expects the rise to 1350m to prove more suitable than the 1150m journey over which he scored first-up at Devonport on July 26. Stablemate The Real Man brings an imposing local record into his assignment, having won three of four starts at Devonport and finished second on the other occasion. Kirra-Lee Lane's 2kg claim reduces his impost to 59kg from barrier two, although Beamish acknowledges it remains a significant weight. There has nevertheless been no indication the four-year-old has gone backwards since his latest victory, with his enthusiasm at home suggesting he remains in excellent order. The pair provided Beamish with a double at Devonport on July 26, while recent Hobart winner Henley Extreme completes a compact stable that has given its young trainer ample reason to consider expanding. Beamish readily accepts that maintaining a 50 per cent strike rate indefinitely is unrealistic, but the outstanding opening has encouraged him to add several horses so the operation can retain continuity when members of his current trio require spells. Wednesday therefore represents another intriguing chapter in an unusually productive start, with City Wok and The Real Man offering Beamish the chance to turn an already eye-catching set of numbers into something even more substantial.
Ready2Race Catalogue Raises The Bar
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
The 2026 Inglis Ready2Race Sale will assemble what the auction house describes as the strongest group of two-year-olds ever catalogued for a breeze-up sale in Australasia, with 321 lots set to go under the hammer at Riverside Stables on October 15. Inglis reports 232 of those youngsters were purchased specifically with the sale in mind, while the balance consists of homebreds prepared by respected vendors from Australia and New Zealand. The catalogue contains 111 lots either out of black-type performers or black-type producers and includes siblings to Gr1 winners Private Life, Communist, Tashi and Captivant, along with relations to a deep list of stakes-class performers. Proven stallions represented include I Am Invincible, Zoustar, Frankel, Gun Runner, Siyouni, Toronado, Too Darn Hot, Home Affairs, Ole Kirk, Savabeel, Harry Angel, So You Think, Super Seth, Wootton Bassett, Starspangledbanner, Dundeel, Exceed And Excel, The Autumn Sun, Street Boss and Written Tycoon, while buyers will also have access to the first crops of Anamoe, Artorius, In The Congo and Diatonic. The sale's growing reputation has been reinforced by the performance of recent graduates, headed by this year's Gr1 JJ Atkins winner Tron Bolt, who emerged from the 2025 edition before becoming a top-level juvenile at only his fourth career start. Other notable graduates include Gr1 winner Libertad, millionaires Democracy Manifest, Tavi Time and Strait Acer, dual Gr1 winner Nettoyer, and stakes performers including Cristal Clear, Forgot You, Lightsaber, Allibor and Malkovich. Internationally, the sale has also produced Hong Kong Classic Cup winner Rubylot and successful performers across Hong Kong and Malaysia. Inglis Bloodstock chief executive Sebastian Hutch believes the sale's graduate record has significantly strengthened its appeal and says vendors have deliberately sourced higher-quality horses to meet growing buyer demand. The Inglis Ready2Race Sale currently boasts the highest winners-to-runners ratio of any comparable sale in the Southern Hemisphere, a statistic that has helped underpin its rapid development. Breeze-up sessions will be held at Warwick Farm on September 25, Taupo on September 28 and Wangaratta on September 29, with vision to be uploaded within 48 hours of each session. All horses offered will also be eligible for the lucrative Inglis Race Series, incorporating the $5 million Xtra Bonus Series and $1 million Pink Bonus Series. With the sale staged just two days before the $20 million Gr1 The Everest, Inglis is positioning the 2026 renewal as a major feature of Sydney's spring racing and bloodstock calendar.
Star stallion Too Darn Hot is represented in the Ready2Race Sale
Bootlegger Targets SA Country Cups
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
A strong Morphettville performance has opened the door to a South Australian country cup campaign for Bootlegger after the progressive galloper claimed the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes over 1400m on Saturday. Prepared by Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray, the four-year-old proved too good for Air Assault and Cote Atlantique, handing apprentice Tala Hutchinson the biggest victory of her career and earning a likely crack at the Listed Balaklava Cup before a possible Murray Bridge Cup appearance. Clarken was understandably delighted afterwards, describing the win as "a massive thrill" and adding: "He's a great little horse, he's tough as teak." The trainer confirmed Balaklava and Murray Bridge were the races connections intended to target next as Bootlegger continues to strengthen his record. The feature success formed the middle leg of an outstanding treble for Hutchinson, who had earlier combined with Ros Day aboard Cradle Of Jazz before completing her three-timer with Jacks On Ice in the final event. That victory came through an adventurous tactical decision devised by trainer Michael Shepherdson, with Jacks On Ice kept tight against the inside despite much of the day favouring runners sweeping towards the outside fence. The former local responded gamely to withstand the late challenge of the eye-catching Talisay. Fellow apprentice Caitlin Tootell also enjoyed a milestone afternoon, recording her first metropolitan treble. Her day began aboard exciting filly Pretty Baby, who preserved her unbeaten record as a three-year-old with an authoritative victory in the opener before Tootell added wins on the Jon O'Connor-trained Maxildo and Starlite Valley. Pretty Baby's performance has strengthened plans for a Melbourne spring campaign, with the filly settling off the speed before rounding up her rivals comfortably. Trainer Peter Moyle believes additional distance will enhance her prospects and has identified the Gr1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on October 17 as the major objective. "That's the plan," Moyle said. "Off her first two runs, there has been nothing to suggest we can't be a sneaky chance in a race like that. She'll meet some stiffer opposition but she's not putting a foot wrong." Pretty Baby provided the first half of a double for the Richards and Moyle stable, with Fast Tempo later returning to winning form in impressive fashion. The weekend's apprentice success continued at Port Augusta on Sunday, where Sophie Potter and Polly Brewster shared riding honours with two winners apiece, while Potter's double came in partnership with Kate Haliday, who finished the meeting as the leading trainer.
Memsie Shapes As a Genuine Spring Blockbuster
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
Victoria's first Group 1 race of the new season is shaping as one of the strongest editions of the Memsie Stakes in years, with former winner Mr Brightside and defending champion Treasurethe Moment among a high-class group nominated for Saturday's 1400m weight-for-age feature at Caulfield. Racenet reports the pair headline a race containing an unusual concentration of elite performers, with Mr Brightside attempting to recapture the title he won in 2023 and Treasurethe Moment seeking consecutive victories after defeating him in last year's renewal. Mr Brightside returns as a nine-year-old after missing the autumn because of a fetlock issue, but his Caulfield record provides compelling evidence that age alone should not be considered a barrier. The Lindsay Park gelding has finished first or second at each of his past 10 starts at the track, including five victories and four at Gr1 level, while he has also finished in the quinella in seven of 10 first-up runs. Treasurethe Moment arrives with equally imposing credentials. The Matt Laurie-trained mare won last year's Memsie first-up before later finishing third in the Cox Plate, having already established herself as a four-time Gr1 winner through victories including the Crown Oaks, Vinery Stud Stakes and ATC Oaks. The depth extends considerably further. Cosmic Crusader enters after following his Bletchingly Stakes success with victory in the Gr2 PB Lawrence Stakes over the same Caulfield 1400m, while triple Gr1 winner Jimmysstar resumes over a distance that has consistently brought out his best. Chris Waller is expected to be strongly represented through Angel Capital, Autumn Boy, Birdman and Buckaroo, with Beiwacht also among the nominations after being scratched from the Winx Stakes because of a minor temperature. Angel Capital has race fitness on his side after finishing third in the Missile Stakes, while Buckaroo returns to a course where he produced a major first-up run when third at big odds in last year's Memsie before subsequently finishing second in the Cox Plate. Planet Red and Sabaj are expected to represent Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, while Tom Kitten and Melbourne Cup winner Knight's Choice add further depth to a field likely to test the maximum capacity. With the established stars resuming and Cosmic Crusader arriving in peak form, Saturday's Memsie is far more than an opening spring marker; it shapes as an immediate collision between proven Gr1 champions and horses intent on joining them.
Cosmic Crusader brings plenty to the table (pic: RWWA)
Morgan Returns With a Smaller Curated Stable
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
A year away from training has convinced Cody Morgan that the racing life still holds a powerful attraction, but the multiple Country Championships-winning horseman intends to approach his return very differently after leasing 12 boxes at Tamworth racecourse. Morgan had his final runner in September last year and initially expected to spend considerably longer away from training, but after a holiday and about seven months working as a jockey manager, the 40-year-old found himself increasingly drawn back to the profession that has occupied most of his adult life. Racing NSW reports Morgan plans to restrict his stable to around 12 to 14 horses, believing a quality-over-quantity approach will allow him to remain more hands-on and make training sustainable over the long term. The decision follows a period in which his stable grew well beyond the size he originally enjoyed managing, with numbers reaching around 50 at one stage before dropping to 35 when he stepped away. Morgan said the workload eventually wore him down and the break provided an opportunity to reflect on what had worked, what had not and how he wanted to structure the next phase of his career. His smaller operation will allow him to ride much of the trackwork himself while maintaining close involvement with each horse, something he believes was increasingly difficult when his numbers expanded. Morgan has already compiled 422 career winners and enjoyed particular success in the Country Championships, winning the Tamworth qualifier in 2019, 2020 and 2022, while Talbragar captured the Northern Wild Card in 2023 before finishing second to Sizzle Minizzle in the Final at Randwick. He has also saddled runners in four editions of The Kosciuszko. Morgan currently has only two horses in his care, headed by lightly raced three-year-old Don Valiente, an ex-Michael Freedman-trained maiden purchased by a friend after learning he was returning to training. The gelding has raced three times and arrived from a Wyong appearance earlier this month in sufficiently forward condition to give Morgan a relatively immediate opportunity to return to the races. His other horse is familiar territory in the shape of Occult, the former Godolphin galloper who won his first two starts for Morgan before transferring to Brett and Georgie Cavanough when the Tamworth stable closed. Occult is presently spelling but could be directed towards the Country Championships when he resumes, providing Morgan with an early opportunity to revisit a series that has been central to his career. Morgan admits he originally imagined taking two years away, but 12 months proved sufficient. The ambition has returned; this time, however, it comes with a determination to ensure success is measured not by the size of the stable but by how effectively it can be managed.
Bellatrix Star Retired After Heart Issue
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
A career that combined exceptional sprinting ability with repeated battles against injury has come to an end for Bellatrix Star, with the Gr1-performed mare retired following a second episode of heart fibrillation. Racingnews.co.nz reports the five-year-old will now be offered as a broodmare prospect through Inglis Digital next month, bringing down the curtain on a 13-start career that produced five victories and earnings of more than $1 million. Purchased by Te Akau Racing principal Sir David Ellis for Fortuna Racing for $80,000 from Phoenix Park's draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale, Bellatrix Star made an immediate impression when winning on debut by more than four lengths over 800m at Wanganui. The daughter of Star Witness subsequently finished second in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes before claiming the Gr2 Eclipse Stakes at Pukekohe on New Year's Day and later finishing fourth behind Velocious in the Karaka Millions 2YO. Her three-year-old season in Australia established her among the better sprinting fillies of her generation. After finishing fifth in the Gr3 Quezette Stakes at her first start across the Tasman, Bellatrix Star won the Gr3 Scarborough Stakes and Gr2 Schillaci Stakes before producing arguably the finest performance of her career when runner-up to Switzerland in the Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington. Her subsequent career became increasingly difficult. In January last year Bellatrix Star reared and fell while returning to her stable, fracturing vertebrae in her neck and initially receiving a prognosis that suggested she might never race again. Trainer Mark Walker and the Te Akau team nevertheless managed to rehabilitate her through an extended programme incorporating paddock rest and dressage. A return in the Listed Doveton Stakes at Caulfield last November then revealed a fetlock chip that required surgery, adding another lengthy rehabilitation period. Connections prepared her for another comeback earlier this year, only for a veterinary examination ahead of a planned Caulfield return in May to detect heart fibrillation. After being cleared to race, she resumed with an encouraging second in last month's Gr3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield and was being prepared for the Gr1 Moir Stakes when the fibrillation recurred. Fortuna Racing's John Galvin said the mare's welfare left little room for debate and retirement was considered the only responsible option. Bellatrix Star retires without the Gr1 victory her talent threatened to deliver, but her resilience and elite-level performances ensure she leaves racing with a record far richer than the bare statistics suggest.
Amuseantes Eyes Black-Type Ambitions Ahead
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
More than $30,000 in veterinary treatment and a lengthy spell recovering from a potentially career-threatening problem could yet be rewarded with black-type success for Amuseantes, with trainer Robert Heathcote hopeful the well-related mare can continue one of Queensland racing's most productive family traditions. The five-year-old resumes in a 1200m Class 3 Handicap at Doomben on Wednesday, her 14th career start and first appearance since finishing near the rear in a 1600m benchmark event at Eagle Farm in April. Racing Queensland reports Amuseantes spent more than a month recovering at the Gatton veterinary clinic earlier in her life, with Heathcote and her owners ultimately spending in excess of $30,000 on treatment before she vindicated their faith by winning against her own age group at Eagle Farm in June last year. The daughter of Rothesay has endured interruptions at different stages of her career but has already earned more than $185,000 despite competing at relatively modest grades, encouraging Heathcote to believe there is considerably more ability to be unlocked if she remains sound. Her racing pattern presents its own complications, with Amuseantes typically settling well back and requiring both tempo and clear running to produce her best. Heathcote compares that trait with her Gr1-winning half-sister Startantes and believes jockey Taylor Marshall, who has partnered Amuseantes in two recent trials, will need to provide her with the right opportunity from off the speed. Pedigree is one of the principal reasons connections were prepared to persevere. Amuseantes is out of Funtantes, a 10-time winner who earned more than $704,000 and captured the Gr2 Champagne Classic, Listed Nudgee Handicap and Listed Juanmo Stakes before becoming an accomplished broodmare. Funtantes has produced several winners including Startantes and Ziemba, while the wider family traces to granddam Cantantes, who won only twice in 37 starts but subsequently developed into one of Queensland's most influential broodmares of the past two decades. Heathcote has trained much of the family, including Funtantes, Excellantes and Guntantes, and estimates the line has produced more than 40 metropolitan winners. Startantes supplied its defining result when winning the Gr1 Tatt's Tiara in 2022, and while Amuseantes still has considerable ground to cover before matching that achievement, Heathcote believes black-type company is a realistic ambition if she can build on her current preparation. Wednesday's return therefore represents more than another Class 3 assignment: it is the first step in determining whether a mare once fighting simply to reach the racetrack can add another stakes chapter to an exceptional Queensland family.
Defiantly Secures Melbourne Cup Ticket
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
Europe's international pathway to the Gr1 Melbourne Cup has produced two more significant staying performances, with Defiantly earning an automatic place at Flemington through victory in the Gr2 Prix Kergorlay at Deauville and Ebor Handicap winner Daiquiri Bay also securing qualification at York. The Victoria Racing Club says the results capped the international leg of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, although Daiquiri Bay is considered unlikely to travel despite earning his golden ticket for trainer Alan King and jockey Rossa Ryan. Runner-up Hopewell Rock nevertheless emerged from the Ebor as a genuine Melbourne Cup possibility for Wathnan Racing and trainer George Boughey, with Australia's premier staying contest firmly under consideration. The more compelling development came 24 hours later in France when Defiantly dominated the Gr2 Prix Kergorlay under Dylan Browne McMonagle. Trained by two-time Melbourne Cup winner Joseph O'Brien and raced by Australian Bloodstock, the improving stayer now has the opportunity to follow a celebrated route to Flemington. Australian Bloodstock won the 2014 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist after the German entire had also captured the Kergorlay, while Americain completed the same double in 2010 and Dunaden contested the French staying feature before winning the Cup in 2011. O'Brien believes Defiantly's most important asset is his stamina, noting the gelding handled a rise in class while simultaneously dropping in distance and describing the Melbourne Cup as a legitimate possibility. Browne McMonagle was equally positive, emphasising the horse's ability to stay strongly, cope with quick ground and remain relaxed under pressure — attributes particularly valuable amid the unique atmosphere of Cup Day at Flemington. This year marks the first occasion on which the Prix Kergorlay carries automatic Melbourne Cup qualification, extending an international programme that also includes the Belmont Gold Cup in the United States, won this season by Tawny Port. VRC chief racing officer Leigh Jordon said the Ebor and Kergorlay remain internationally recognised tests of elite stayers and believes the qualification pathway continues to strengthen the Melbourne Cup's global standing. The $10 million Gr1 Melbourne Cup over 3200m will be staged at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November, and while Daiquiri Bay may not take up his invitation, Defiantly now shapes as a serious international contender with both the credentials and connections to make the journey.
Golden Saddle Beckons Lord Shiva
Wednesday, 26th August 2026
A rapid seven-day turnaround has done nothing to slow the progress of Lord Shiva, with the Mitch Pateman-trained sprinter producing another dominant Belmont performance that has connections considering a tilt at the $1 million Golden Saddle at Kalgoorlie. The son of Playing God backed up from a barrier-to-box graduation victory on August 15 to overwhelm his rivals in Saturday's Black Heart Bart – Hall Of Fame Handicap over 1200m, taking his record for Pateman to five wins from 12 starts since changing hands cheaply in late 2024. Thoroughbred Breeders WA reports Pateman had no hesitation accepting when nominations for the race were extended, with Lord Shiva having recovered particularly well from his previous success. The gelding again made full use of his natural speed, establishing control before putting the result beyond doubt and continuing a transformation that has seen him develop from a difficult horse with modest credentials into one of the more progressive sprinters in Western Australia. Pateman admitted Lord Shiva was a highly enthusiastic galloper when he first joined the stable and remains far from straightforward, but credited regular trackwork rider Holly Nottle with playing an important role in helping him settle and conserve his energy. The trainer now intends to keep increasing the level of competition while monitoring where that improvement ultimately leads. One possibility is the second running of the Golden Saddle over 1200m on Kalgoorlie Cup Day on October 3, a slot race carrying $1 million in prizemoney. Lord Shiva remains available to prospective slot-holders and his sustained front-running speed could prove particularly effective around Kalgoorlie. The five-year-old had won only a Bunbury maiden from 10 appearances before being purchased for $17,000 at the 2024 Inglis December Online Sale. Since transferring to Pateman he has won three races at Belmont and two at Ascot, banking about $200,000 for a syndicate managed by the trainer's uncle Greg Hunter. His pedigree also contains substantial Western Australian depth. Lord Shiva is by Playing God from Shakhimere, a daughter of Oratorio and a full-sister to Gr2 Perth Cup winner Lords Ransom, while she is also a half-sister to Listed Aquanita Stakes winner Palace Intruder. Oakland Park purchased Shakhimere carrying Lord Shiva for $17,000 at the 2020 Mungrup Stud dispersal. The latest victory also helped Pateman establish an early lead in the metropolitan trainers' premiership with five wins, while Nottle completed a double after earlier combining with the stable aboard Kings Honour. Lord Shiva's rise has already comfortably vindicated his bargain purchase price, and another step forward could now carry him into one of regional Western Australia's richest sprint contests.
