Saturday summary: Broadsiding and Godolphin dominate Golden Rose, eye Cox Plate next

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Broadsiding on path to greatness

Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}) made a thrilling return to racing with a stunning victory in the G1 Golden Rose S. at Rosehill, edging out his stablemate Traffic Warden (Street Boss {USA}) by a razor-thin 0.14l margin in a fierce battle to the finish. The electrifying win not only secured Godolphin a one-two finish but also crowned Broadsiding as the first horse to claim the prestigious race first-up. The star 3-year-old colt now looks primed for an exhilarating future ahead.

The colt’s effort in the $1 million 1400-metre contest now has him third in betting at $6 for the G1 Cox Plate (2040 metres) on October 26.

And with his exceptional cruising speed and ability to finish races, you would be silly not to look closely at him for the prestigious weight-for-age at Moonee Valley on October 24.

Winning Godolphin trainer James Cummings played down the feat of Broadsiding winning such a competitive Group 1 first-up because of the natural ability his star possesses.

“That was so overblown. This race has been around five minutes. It hasn't been done before, well it's been done now. I had no trouble getting Anamoe ready for a Winx Stakes over seven furlongs first-up. Plenty of good horses can do that.

“He was in the right race fresh up and that's just our stable having the confidence to know our horses,” Cummings said.

“But take nothing away from Broadsiding. He's a champion from last season, he steps right onto the turf as a 3-year-old and claims a Group 1.

“It's a pretty impressive achievement for a colt to do. I can't remember too many colts, champion 2-year-old colts, doing that in the past.”

Champion jockey James McDonald claimed his 99th Group 1 win aboard Broadsiding, and he was almost lost for words describing the 3-year-old’s greatness post-race.

“He’s got way more (ability) than we can ever imagine. Mate, he’s just a cool dude. The moment I sat on him in the Fernhill, to see his development from race to race to race is just incredible.

“And he’s dead set, he hasn’t gone up step by step, he’s skipped a couple.

“He’s that kind of horse.”

The Godolphin homebred is one of the 14 stakes winners for his sire, Too Darn Hot (GB), who breeders missed this spring, hopeful that he will again shuttle in the future.

Broadsiding’s two-time winning dam Speedway (Street Cry {Ire}) sadly died young having produced just one other foal, the light raced (yet-to-place) Tony Gollan-trained No Brakes (Lonhro).

Speedway is a half-sister to the G1 1000 Guineas winner Flit (Medaglia D’Oro) out of the stakes-placed Glissade (Redoute’s Choice) whose dam is the G3 AJC Breeders Classic winner Steflara (Zabeel {NZ}).

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Broadsiding's victory marked James Cummings' 50th Group 1 win as a trainer, on that he said, “It takes a village to run a racing stable and it doesn't matter if it's Leilani Lodge from 10 years ago or Godolphin now. I've got three great stables that are able to get their fingerprints all over horses like these. I owe it to them.

“They are the backbone, they are the guts of what we are trying to achieve and two big colts today in a proper race, letting down to fight it out in a race like the Golden Rose is a huge moment.”

Makarena moves with new lease on life to win Golden Pendant

Makarena’s (Snitzel) new lease on life was the tonic for her comfortable 1l victory in the G2 Golden Pendant (1400 metres).

Second-up after throat surgery, the 4-year-old mare hit the lead at the 250-metre mark and was too strong from there.

The 148th stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based Champion Sire, Makarena was bought for $250,000 by Hawkes Racing from her breeders Arrowfield Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes had noticed Makarena’s fresh approach coming into Saturday’s feature, with her previous win the Tapp-Craig back on October 7 last year.

“She came back with a new lease on life. She was only second-up today, so she’s in for a really nice preparation,” he said.

“She’s got that Group win under her belt that we wanted. We’ve always had a really high opinion of her.”

Winning apprentice jockey Zac Lloyd said Makarena had also matured since her last preparation from February to April.

“She was so relaxed; I was very happy with the way she was parading,” Lloyd said. “Last prep she was a bit fizzy.

“She was able to get a slipstream and at the 600 (metres) I popped out, and she handled that race well and dictated it.”

Makarena is the second stakes winner for Wecansay Mak (Starcraft {NZ}) whose daughter Missile Mantra (Smart Missile) won the G3 Summoned S.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Also dam of the stakes-placed Maximak (Smart Missile), Wecansay Mak missed to Snitzel last spring, sadly losing her previous foal by Dundeel (NZ). Her yet-to-race 3-year-old Four Candles (Castelvecchio), who ran fifth in a Flemington jump-out a couple of weeks ago, is a member of the Hawkes stable.

Wecansay Mak is a full sister to the dual Group 1 winner We Can Say It Now whose son Sky Kingdom (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) is a Group 3 winner in France.

Desert Lightning a Toorak Handicap prospect after Sandown Stakes triumph

Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) showed his readiness to record another feature contest when he finished third in the Chautauqua S., and he built on that with his 1l win in the Sandown S.

The 5-year-old gelding was a comfortable victor after getting to the front at the final 200 metres.

The G1 Toorak H. is at Caulfield on October 12, and co-trainer Katherine Coleman believes that last year’s G1 Captain Cook S. winner can again step up in elite company.

“It was really nice to see him take that improvement from the first-up run. We still think he’s got a little bit more there to come, which is really exciting,” she said.

“He’ll head towards the Toorak now, and providing he takes the improvement that we think he’s got to come, then that’s a really exciting prospect.”

Bred by the Mahoenui Partnership, Desert Lightning was bought by PJ & DM Williams for NZ$150,000 from Little Avondale Stud at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Book 1 sales.

One of his sire’s 23 stakes winners, Desert Lightning is out of the unraced Isstoora (High Chaparral {Ire}). Not served last year having foaled a couple (a filly and a colt) by Per Incanto (USA), she is a daughter of the G3 SAJC Breeders Plate winner Murjana (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) whose grandam is the prolific matriarch Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}), dam of Hurricane Sky and Umatilla (NZ) and grandam of Redoute’s Choice.

First Light shines bright in Stephen Quality

Any doubts Tommy Berry had about First Light’s (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) credentials were allayed by Champion Trainer Chris Waller, before he went on to win the G3 Colin Stephen Quality S. (2400 metres) by a convincing 3l.

Berry wanted the ground to be a little more moist than a Soft 6, but Waller knew the experienced 7-year-old would be up to the task.

“I said to Chris before the race, ‘I just would’ve like it to be a bit softer’, and he said, ‘He’ll be right’,” Berry said.

“I had a really good feeling about him today on the back-up, and Chris just mapped up his preparation perfectly.”

Runner-up Changingoftheguard (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) led by 3l at the 300-metre mark, before First Light made his move on the outside to salute comfortably.

“(What Waller said) gave me the confidence to ride him like I usually do, and forget about the first half of the race,” Berry said. “When he’s in a field where it’s not that big and he doesn’t have as much ground to make up, he’s quite dynamic.”

First Light’s sire Dubawi (Ire) is the most successful sire ever to stand in Britain, with 286 stakes winners. Twenty-three of whom have won on Australian soil.

Waller said First Light was capable of backing up and giving a good account of himself in the G1 The Metropolitan over 2400 metres at Randwick on October 5, exempt from the ballot due to Saturday’s triumph.

“I’ll have a talk to (owners Drakenstein Stud), and see what they’ve got to say because they bred this horse in England and sent him out,” he said.

“We’ve found backing horses up isn’t always the worst thing in a staying race, they need to be fit.

“He can go home and won’t have to do anymore galloping; he’s had his gallop today.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Bred by Cayton Park Stud, First Light is one of the three winners produced by the stakes-placed Anzhelika (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who missed to Supido last spring. Her dam Ange Bleu (USA) (Alleged {USA}) has proven to be an outstanding matriarch with 14 stakes-winning descendants including her dual Group 1-winning daughter Angara (GB) (Alzao {USA}).

Lost saddle doesn’t stop Amor Victorious from saluting in Shannon Stakes

Winning jockey Tyler Schiller said losing his saddle soon after his mount Amor Victorious (Caravaggio {USA}) broke from the barriers did not worry him, before saluting in the G2 Shannon Stakes over 1500 metres at Rosehill.

“I knew it (saddle) was back, but I was still balanced. I was comfortable, but I was just happy the horse underneath me kept travelling,” Schiller said.

The 5-year-old gelding was a $180,000 purchase by Darby Racing/Will Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) from Bhima Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Amor Victorious was bred by the Fieldhouse Partnership.

He is the 18th stakes winner (the second in Australia) for her sire who shuttled to Coolmore for one season in 2018. His dam Koizora (Snitzel) is out of the dual Group 3 winner Sky Love (Octagonal {NZ}), half-sister to the G1 Emirates S. winner Sky Cuddle (Snippets).

Foaling a Jonker colt on August 30, Koizora was not served the previous year; her 2022 colt being by Sensei whilst her yet-to-race 3-year-old Presszora (Press Statement) is a member of the Clinton Taylor stable.

Hidden Wealth destined for more riches after Weetwood win

Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready) is destined for more riches after his 0.5l victory in the Listed Toowoomba Weetwood.

That was the opinion of winning trainer Tony Gollan, after his 5-year-old gelding stuck to a simple game plan of moving across from barrier 13 to salute with Angela Jones aboard.

“He’s done an amazing job, and you’ll see a lot more of this horse over the coming seasons,” Gollan said.

“He’s a horse who can sustain a good gallop. He’s a very smart horse, and he shouldn’t have the rating he’s got. He’s going to get to a far higher rating than what we’ve seen today.

“(Angela) rode him well. We had a very simple game plan from a wide draw, just to go across and control the race.”

A $110,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale purchase for Gollan Racing and John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA), Hidden Wealth was bred by J.B Fraser and Don Loomis. He is the 13th stakes winner for his Lyndhurst Stud-based sire who was recently crowned last season’s Queensland Champion Sire.

He is one of the three winners (from as many foals to race) for the city winner Miss Stash (Bradbury’s Luck) whose dam is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Aqua Blessing (Secret Savings {USA}).

Not served in 2022, Miss Stash visited All Too Hard and Better Than Ready last spring with her most recent foal being Stash The Cash, a 2-year-old full sister to Hidden Wealth.

Toowoomba hoop Jones wanted to have the opportunity to ride Hidden Wealth for some time.

“I’ve eyed this horse off for a long time and I’ve just been waiting for my chance to get on him,” she said.

“I was really disappointed when he didn’t really go as we expected first-up (fifth over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm on September 14).

“I thought that might’ve been my only chance. I’m so grateful for the team for having me back on, and for Tony for giving me this opportunity.

“Winning a Weetwood is very special, and this is where it all started for me.”

Mood Swings shows tough mentality to salute in Black Heart Bart Stakes

Evergreen 8-year-old Mood Swings (War Chant {USA}) showed an impressive turn of foot inside the final 50 metres to salute by 0.5l in the Listed Black Heart Bart S. at Ascot.

It was his ninth victory from 54 starts, picked up by George and Lyndall Dupre by $7000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Perth Winter Yearling Sale, with George the trainer.

Bred by Yarradale Stud and Waldeck Farms, Mood Swings is one of the 46 stakes winners for his G1 Breeders Cup Mile-winning sire who died at Yarradale Stud in April.

Winning first-up, Dupre said his gelding continues to improve as he ages.

“He’s definitely gotten better the past couple of years. I think he’s just matured and he can grind out those longer races,” he said.

“His rating is so high now and there are only certain races he can go in. But he’s been working really well, and he trialled great the other day.

“He’s always been a little bit of a handful in the yard. Today he paraded really nice, we almost thought he was asleep.”

Mood Swings is one of only two live foals produced by the unraced Scarlet Storm (Commands) who died young in 2019; her other foal being an unnamed son of Gingerbread Man.

Scarlet Storm’s dam is the G3 Cockram S. winner Storm Alert (Metal Storm {Fr}) who did such a good job with six of her seven foals to race being winners including the Listed winners Dark Alert (Testa Rossa) and Windstorm (Redoute’s Choice).

Winning jockey Luke Campbell said Mood Swings ran a good trial over 1000 metres, finishing third to Wild Belle (Pride Of Dubai) and Laced Up Heels (Toronado {Ire}) at Belmont on September 16.

“He’s so tough. His trial was enormous the other day, and when the markets came out for this race today (at $21), I definitely thought he was paying overs,” he said,

“He trialled third to Laced Up Hills and Wild Belle, who are proven good horses. We didn’t get beaten by far.”