Cosmic Crusader set to back up in Gold Rush

Australia’s newest Group 1 winner, Cosmic Crusader (Maurice), is set to back up in Saturday’s Gold Rush (Gr 3, 1400m) at Ascot, provided he continues to come through his Northerly Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) triumph in good order. The Bob Peters-bred and raced gelding endured a luckless campaign, finishing third as an odds-on favourite in both the Asian Beau Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and RJ Peters Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m), before winning the Carbine Club Stakes (Listed, 1400m) on November 22 and claiming his maiden elite-level win on Saturday. After rising from 1400 metres to 1800 metres for the Northerly, the five-year-old will now drop back in trip for the $1.5 million contest. Michael Grantham acknowledges the unconventional preparation but is eager to roll the dice. “He’s pulled up well this morning,” the trainer told SEN Track. “We’ll probably accept for the Gold Rush and I’ll just keep monitoring him during the week and keep the work up to him, because I don’t want him to get away from me. It will be a very big test for him. I know it was a big test on Saturday. That Gold Rush, with those couple of handy sprinters that can really turn on the speed, it might bring him undone, but you’re racing for $1.5 million so you’ve got to have a crack while you’ve got the horse,” Grantham added.

Sabaj to continue campaign in The Ingham

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will saddle up Cranbourne Cup (Listed, 1600m) winner Sabaj (Manhattan Rain) in Saturday’s $2 million The Ingham (Gr 2, 1600m) at Randwick. The gelding heads to Sydney three weeks after his brilliant Cup win, a performance Kent said he bounced out of better than expected. "To be honest, immediately post-race we were in two minds whether to push on or not, but the following morning Mick [Price] was in the stable and he was delighted with what he saw," Kent said. "The horse ate very well overnight, he wasn't too tucked up and whilst he ran a track record, we think the horse coped really well with the run. There was no travelling involved being at Cranbourne, that probably helped a bit, and for a lighter-framed horse he looks good in the body. He had a week out at my farm, at Kingshaven, where he had some time on the grass. I think he's in the zone, he feels great." Sabaj galloped the Sydney way at Cranbourne on Saturday and will do so again on Tuesday before travelling north on Wednesday. Price and Kent have adjusted their Sydney travel regime, opting to break up the trip. "We used to go right the way through but we had one horse get sick so we've changed our system and now we break the trip up," Kent said. "If you go in the middle of the day you miss all the traffic, [he'll be] head down in a green grass paddock for five hours then it's seven hours to Rosehill from Nagambie." Sabaj has already handled a Sydney trip this preparation, having finished a luckless sixth in the Silver Eagle (1300m) before notching Flemington and Cranbourne victories.

Black Run set for Pakenham Cup

Black Run (Nathaniel) has gone from winless in Australia to a string of three successive victories this spring, prompting his trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald to raise their ambitions for the gelding. The stayer is among 22 nominations for Saturday’s $300,000 Pakenham Cup (Listed, 2500m), following back-to-back wins over 2400 metres at Caulfield and a 2000-metre Benchmark 78 success at Randwick on November 1. Annabel Archibald said the gelding’s form justified a crack at the Listed contest. "I'm not sure what else is going there, so he might be a little bit out of the handicap, but I think 2500 [metres] will be ideal and he's a very genuine horse," she said. "Ryan Houston will stick with him. He's been riding out of his skin and seems to have a nice affinity with this horse." Apprentice Houston, who cannot use his 2 kilogram claim on Saturday, partnered Black Run for both Caulfield wins, while Tom Marquand steered him home at Randwick. The Archibalds have nominated three runners for the Pakenham Cup, with Firm Agreement (Yes Yes Yes) and Naval College (Dartmouth) also entered. A decision on whether Firm Agreement backs up from the Ballarat Cup (Listed, 2000m), where he finished seventh, will be made closer to acceptance time, while Naval College is also nominated for Saturday’s Christmas Cup (Listed, 2400m) at Randwick.

Group 1 trio headline Supernova

Group 1 winners Private Eye (Al Maher), Here To Shock (Shocking) and Pinstriped (Street Boss) are among the headline acts for Saturday’s $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Southside Pakenham, with a deep and diverse line-up assembled for the slot race’s latest running. Joe Pride’s Private Eye heads into the race off a freshen following his fifth placing behind Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) in the Russell Balding Stakes (Gr 2, 1300m) at Randwick on November 1. He will race in the Ladbrokes slot. Defending champion Here To Shock, trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes will represent Cavallo Park. Lindsay Park will also send out last year’s runner-up Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel) in their own slot, while Yulong’s representative will be Roll On High (Shamus Award), fifth in last year’s race. Enver Jusufovic will saddle two runners: last year’s Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Pinstriped races for Moonee Valley Racing Club, while Proved (Time Test) lines up for host Southside Racing.

Baker juveniles dominate Warwick Farm trials

Bjorn Baker-trained youngsters swept both juvenile heats at Warwick Farm on Monday morning, including a standout performance from the highest-priced Australian yearling sold by first-season sire Sword of State (Snitzel). Two-year-old colt Warwoven (Sword Of State) was given a solid education by Rachel King in his trial debut. The colt jumped fairly, settled midfield and then finished strongly when angled into the clear, winning his 796-metre heat
by nearly two lengths in a time of 46.38s. A $380,000 Magic Millions purchase from Kia Ora, Warwoven is the first foal out of Group 2 winner Needle And Thread (Makfi), who hails from an elite European female line stocked with high-class stayers. In the other heat, All Too Hard (Casino Prince) filly Modernist, impressed in her second trial. After finishing fifth at the start of spring, she returned sharper and more professional, leading throughout to score by more than a length and stopping the clock quicker than the colts heat, 45.85s. Passed in at Magic Millions and retained by Cressfield, Modernist is the first foal out of Modernity (Foxwedge), a winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Onemorenomore (Red Ransom) from Group 2 scorer Palia (Last Tycoon).

Daffy’s Oh Too Good wins World Pool Moment of the Year

Kevin Daffy, the trainer and strapper of the one and only horse in his yard, Oh Too Good (All Too Hard), has won the World Pool Moment of the Year for 2025. The six-year-old mare’s win in the Ladies Day Vase (Gr 3, 1600m) at Caulfield on October 11 was publicly voted the World Pool Moment of the Year for 2025, after receiving 48 per cent of the total vote. Oh Too Good beat three nominated finalists to this year’s award: Saudi Cup (Gr 1, 1800m) winner Forever Young (Real Steel), Nunthorpe Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) winner Asfoora (Flying Artie) and Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock). After being told the news by Racing.com’s presenter Edward Sadler, Daffy said: “You’re joking! Fair dinkum Edward? Moment of the Year in world racing, for a little bloke and his little horse out of Guys Hill – I can’t believe it. This is amazing. To win this award, you couldn’t make this stuff up! I’d just like to thank everyone for their support right across this journey, and it’s been a journey. We’ve had her five years and she’s only run for the last two – it’s been a lot of hard work, dedication and mainly a lot of love for this horse. We love her, she’s part of the family – we told her that when we got her, we promised her a home for life even if she never got to the racetrack. She’s a very lucky horse in that regard and she’s also made it very lucky for me and my family with what she’s repaid us with. The amount of support has blown me away, that people have followed this horse and been inspired by the story. We had some beautiful messages come through from people all over the world.”

Dual Group 1 winner Orchestral retired

Dual Group 1-winning mare Orchestral (Savabeel) has been retired after suffering an atrial fibrillation in last month’s Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m). “Unfortunately, she had an atrial fibrillation in the race and her heart hasn’t come back to a normal rhythm,” Robert Wellwood, who trains the seven-time winner in partnership with Roger James, said. “That counts her out as being a racing prospect, so she has been officially retired and is going to be a mum.” Orchestral was one of the standout three-year-olds of her generation, winning five consecutive races highlighted by the Karaka Millions 3YO (RL, 1600m), Avondale Guineas (Gr 2, 2100m), New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), before finishing third in the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m). She added the $1 million Aotearoa Classic (Listed, 1600m) last season and placed in the Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (Gr 1, 1600m), retiring with seven wins and four placings from 18 starts and more than $2.7 million in prize-money. “She has been a wonderful mare,” Wellwood said. “When you look back through her record you pinch yourself that you are involved with a horse like her. The Karaka Millions was very exciting, that is probably when she announced herself. To be able to win a Derby with Roger was a dream come true… To win a Group 1 in Australia too just capped it off, she really showed her class. It has been a dream run and although it is gutting to not have another season with her, we look forward to the Litt family hopefully breeding some superstars from her.”

Mapperley set to reap long-term family rewards

Simms Davison is more than happy to play the long game with Bella Carolina (O’Reilly) and her family. The mare continues to do the Mapperley Stud principal proud with future stakes contender Stella Ma Bella (Contributer) the latest to shine.

Davison bred and races the filly, a sister to the Zabeel Classic (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Campionessa, who was an impressive winner for Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at her second start at Te Aroha on Sunday.

“She’s a better physical type than Campionessa, she’s more forward as a younger horse and showing that. She’s got a real physical presence about her, she’s a ripper,” Davison said.

“She will go to the three-year-old filly’s race [Eight Carat Classic] at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, that’s the plan at this stage. I only had ten per cent of Campionessa so it’s nice to own 100 per cent of a nice horse. Te Akau did a great job with her and they’re doing it again with Stella Ma Bella.”

Campionessa was also a four-time Group 2 winner and is now back in the Mapperley Stud broodmare band.

“I sold Campionessa after she had been passed in twice at two different sales,” Davison said.“I bought her back at the Gold Coast so there’s probably more money going out so far than in with that family, but hopefully it will reward us in the long term.”

A sister to Campionessa and Stella Ma Bella will be offered as Lot 306 in Mapperley’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in January.

“She’s a really good type, you can’t keep everything and we’ve got Campionessa and Stella Ma Bella, so I’ve got two fillies out of the family and hopefully that’s enough,” Davison said. “Bella Carolina’s also got a really nice Profondo colt on her and she’s gone back to him, I have always supported my own stallions with those nice mares.”

Rooke celebrating first Group 1 success

Just weeks after tasting the bitterness of a short-margin defeat in a Group 1, George Rooke was savouring the sweetness of scoring his first elite-level success over the weekend. The expat Englishman thought he had nailed his first Group 1 victory aboard Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) in last month’s New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, but the photo-finish revealed Romanoff (Belardo) got the nod. Rooke was once again caught in a short-margin struggle aboard the Stephen Marsh-trained Provence (Savabeel) in last Saturday’s Mufhasa Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at Trentham, and had an agonising wait to hear the judge’s call as a result of a malfunction with the photo-finish camera. “It was very nerve-racking because two weeks before I learnt my lesson,” Rooke said, referring to Affirmative Action’s defeat. “It was very close that day and I thought I had won, and I was devastated [when I didn’t]. The camera not working wasn’t ideal for a Group 1 race [on Saturday], they said the software seemed to fail. It was a painful wait, but we got the right result.” The victory fulfilled a lifelong ambition for Rooke, who moved to New Zealand last year in search of further opportunities. “It was my first Group 1, so I am over the moon,” he said. “It is what we do it for and why we get up at the crack of dawn. I had two stakes winners in England, it is just very competitive and hard to get on the good horses. Over here there is a bit more opportunity and I have put in the hard work, and the trainers and owners have always supported me since I have been here.”

HK: Purton happy as riders allocated horses in International Jockeys’ Championship

Zac Purton was happy with his allocation of rides for Wednesday’s International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley, which is being hailed as the best in the history of the lucrative competition. The 12 riders will compete for the richest prize-money on offer globally for a jockey challenge across the four-race series, which operates on a points-based system, with 12 points for a win, six for second and four for third. The overall winner pockets HK$600,000 (approx. AU$116,210), while HK$250,000 (approx. AU$48,420) goes to second and HK$150,000 (approx. AU$29,050) to third. The riders were randomly allocated their rides for the series with Purton set to partner Beauty Thunder (Night Of Thunder), Youth Power (Blu Constellation), Flying Fortress (Shamexpress) and Kyrus Dragon (Safeguard). “I need to digest it a little bit more,” he said. “There are a couple there that are okay, and a couple are going to find it a bit tough. I think there is probably a little more depth to the fields this year which is good to see, and it comes down to the luck you have in running.” Seven previous IJC winners will feature in this week – defending champion Mickael Barzalona, Vincent Ho, Purton, Hugh Bowman, Joao Moreira, Christophe Lemaire and Ryan Moore. Rachel King, Hollie Doyle, James McDonald, William Buick and Umberto Rispoli will be aiming for a maiden victory in the contest.

38 for Lucky Vega

Yulong’s first-season sire Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega) sired his 38th individual winner on when Vega Dawn (2 f ex Palmetto Bay by Champs Elysees) landed a 1300-metre claimer at Milan on Sunday. The Marco Gonnelli-trained filly defeated Angera (Helmet) by two lengths, with a further five and a half lengths back to Priestess (Massaat) in third. Vega Dawn is the only winning foal from two to race out of the winning Champs Elysees (Danehill) mare Palmetto Bay, herself a half-sister to the stakes-placed winner Angel Palm (Dark Angel). Lucky Vega is standing at Yulong Stud for a fee of $38,500 (inc GST).