Saturday summary: Boilover at Flemington as Skybird strikes in the Lightning

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Lightning shocker as Skybird flies home to win

All talk leading into the G1 Lightning on Saturday had revolved around the stallion prospects bidding to add (another) Group 1 to their resume, but it was the much overlooked Skybird (Exosphere), trained by Mitchell Freedman, who was first across the line, Running at the rear of the 10-horse field at the 400-metre mark, the 4-year-old mare found extra gears beneath John Allen and positively surfed home on the worsening Soft 7 track to score by 1l over Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}), with Benedetta (Hellbent) completing a mares’ trifecta in the Group 1 contest.

Switzerland (Snitzel) was the first colt home in fourth, with Traffic Warden (Street Boss {USA}) on his heels in fifth, and Growing Empire (Zoustar) in seventh.

“Her work at Horsham ten days ago was phenomenal, and Tuesday’s gallop was just as good,” Freedman said, thrilled with the win. “We knew she was flying coming into today. There was plenty of chatter that she wasn’t fast enough for the 1000 metres, but we always believed she was a sprinter at heart."

“I let out a hell of a scream!,” Jenna Freedman, wife of Mitchell, recalled watching the mare peel out from the pack. “When she found that gap, I thought, ‘Oh my God, here we go.’ I’m sorry for anyone standing near me, but I just couldn’t help it.

“It’s such an incredible result for the team and the owners. These moments don’t come around every day.”

“We mapped out a campaign around Melbourne’s big sprints, and she’s right where we want her,” Mitchell Freedman continued. “We’ll monitor how she pulls up, but the Newmarket (Handicap) looks (like) a logical next step.”

Skybird was a $110,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for her trainer from HP Thoroughbreds, and is the third winner for her dam, Real Desire (Wanted), a granddaughter of blue hen Snow Finch (Ire) (Storm Bird {Can}). Skybird has collected five wins, three at stakes level, in 12 starts and over $1.2 million in prize money, and Freedman has nominated her for the G1 TJ Smith Stakes at the beginning of April. Real Desire has a colt foal at foot by Pierro, and was covered by Home Affairs in the spring.

Lady Shenandoah returns in style in Light Fingers

Despite getting a little upset pre-race while being led by the pony, Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) kept her cool in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes. The 3-year-old filly was too slick for her rivals, darting past Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) to score by 1.18l for Chris Waller and Hermitage Thoroughbreds. The G1 Flight Stakes winner has been unbeaten for the entirety of her 3-year-old season.

“It was (superb),” Charlie Duckworth, Waller’s assistant trainer, was on course at Randwick for the win. “She’s obviously an incredible athlete, and was aided by an absolutely stunning ride by Zac (Lloyd). He got her in a beautiful position from what could have been a slightly sticky draw, and she’s gone about her business beautifully. She’s accelerated and Lady Of Camelot is no slouch to try and run past in the concluding stages, and she seems to have done it with a bit in hand.

“Obviously she gets up over a lot further than 1200 metres, so to do it first up, she is going to take a world of beating next time.

“It will be interesting to see what Zac says, because, being a Flight Stakes filly, she obviously stays the mile but she sprints pretty fast too. The obvious next target is the Surround Stakes, which you would love to add to her name. The other three runners finished alongside one enough and ran incredibly well, and they will all be going there.

“Grand final? Not sure yet - let’s win another Group 1 first.”

On the G1 Surround Stakes, which is the likely target for Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), Duckworth said, “Zac’s probably quite lucky, because he’s probably a bit worried that James (McDonald) might come back for the Surround and knock him off, but if Autumn Glow is there then they will have to have one each.” Autumn Glow is aimed at a second trial next week.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Amongst Lady Shenandoah's nominations are the G1 Surround Stakes, G1 Randwick Guineas, and four races on the G1 Australian Oaks card in April.

A $525,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Hermitage from breeders Arrowfield Stud, Lady Shenandoah is three-quarter-sister to G1 Centenary Cup winner Stronger, who stands at Aquis Farm and saw his first foals on the ground this past spring. Arrowfield will offer a half-brother by Maurice (Jpn) at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 187.

Magic arrives just in Time in Expressway

The G2 Expressway Stakes looked like a lost cause for Grahame Begg’s Magic Time (Hellbent) for the majority of the run and far into the straight, with Iowna Merc (Winning Rupert) appearing to have the race in the bag - but the pack fanned out over the last furlong and the 5-year-old mare squeezed through the gap. With 100 metres left to run, she found an extra gear to rocket home, with Iowna Merc breathing down her neck 0.21l behind. Race favourite Joliestar (Zoustar) kicked well to finish third, 0.37l further back.

Adding a sixth stakes win to her record, Magic Time clocked a scorching 32.52s for her last 600 metres.

“We brought her here because we thought she’d get some give in the ground,” Begg said post-race. “She’s effective on top of the ground as well, but getting cut in the ground, if it gets wetter as the autumn goes on, well she is going to come right into play.

“We were worried about Joliestar obviously, but she’s (Magic Time) going extremely well and she’s in for a great prep.

“We earmarked (that) she would run today, three weeks into her next start, and then we’ll work it out from there. She is entered for everything she can be in.”

Begg confirmed that Magic Time will head to the G1 Canterbury Stakes next, before plotting a course to either the G1 George Ryder Stakes or another tilt at the G1 All Aged Stakes in April. The mare also holds nominations for the G1 TJ Smith Stakes, G1 Doncaster Mile, and G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Magic Time was raced by her breeder Johnathan Muir up until November last year, when she was purchased by Yulong Investments for an undisclosed sum in a private sale. Her dam, G3 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Time Awaits (Nicconi), delivered a half-brother by I Am Invincible in the spring, and was covered by him and Snitzel afterwards.

Fangirl leads home Waller trifecta in Apollo

It was a Chris Waller trifecta in the G2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, but perhaps not in the order that everyone anticipated. Fangirl (Sebring) made it over the line first to go back-to-back in the event - this meeting has been a lucrative one for her over the years, as in 2023 she also came third to Anamoe in the same race, and in 2022 she won the G2 Light Fingers Stakes on her way to her first Group 1 victory.

The 6-year-old mare pulled it out of the bag in the last furlong, uncatchable by both Lindermann (Lonhro), who finished second by 0.95l, and Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), who spent most of the straight boxed in before exploding to the outside to run third.

“It’s very, very satisfying,” Charlie Duckworth, assistant trainer to Waller, said. “She’s been a very good horse for a very long time. You do worry when these horses get older, will they get slower and the young ones will creep up on them, but she was going to be hard to peg back today.

“I think she’s a jockey’s dream. She’s just the most quirk-free horse, she’s just an absolute darling to have in the camp.

“It was a great return (for Via Sistina), she was obviously held up for a little bit, but then she really got going in that last 75 metres, so it’s going to be an interesting battle (between them next time) and one that everyone’s going to savour.”

Fangirl’s dam Little Surfer Girl (Encosta De Lago) has a yearling colt and a filly foal at foot by Home Affairs, and was subsequently served by Wootton Bassett (GB) in the spring. Fangirl is nominated for the $2.5 million G1 All-Star Mile, as well as the G1 Doncaster Mile, the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

New stakes winner for Calyx as Sepals surprises in Hayes

Former Coolmore shuttler Calyx (GB) chalked up his second Southern Hemisphere stakes winner on Saturday at Flemington, where the Cliff Brown-trained Sepals bounded away with the G3 CS Hayes Stakes. A winner of two starts up to BM64 level last month, the 3-year-old gelding streaked away from the pack to win by 3.25l over Lindsay Park’s Ndola (Justify {USA}). G1 Caulfield Guineas runner-up Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) ran third.

“We were pretty confident coming in,” stable representative Tony Lane said. “The horse has done nothing wrong, so we thought we’d throw him in the deep end and see if he could swim – and he definitely swam!

“With the track downgrades, we weren’t sure how he’d handle it, but you don’t know until you try. He’s been progressing well over the last few months, and he’s still on the up.

“He’s always shown a lot of ability at home, and with a performance like that, the (G1 Australian) Guineas is definitely on the radar.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everthing

The first foal out of Singapore Champion 4YO What’s New (NZ) (Casino Prince), Sepals was a $80,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Cliff Brown Racing from Vinery Stud. Standing at Coolmore Ireland for €12,500 ($20,654 inc GST), Calyx has six stakes winners worldwide, including Listed Tasmanian Derby winner Likeakalix.

Inhibitions causes boilover in Triscay

The money came for her stablemate Commemorative (I Am Invincible), but it was Inhibitions (Zoustar) who hit the front in the G3 Triscay and held on for a win for James Cummings on Saturday. Sitting midfield as they came round the home turn, Kerrin McEvoy urged the 4-year-old mare forward once in the straight and she impressively strode away to win by 0.65l. Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich’s well-bred Clear Thinking (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was hot on her heels, rocketing from last at the turn to finish second in her first career defeat in five starts.

“Job done,” Darren Beadman, Godolphin’s assistant trainer, told the Australian Turf Club post-race. “Whatever we get on top of this is just cream.

She’s been a very ultra-consistent mare, she’s been up and down the Pacific Highway, and her style of racing really puts her in the right spot when needed. She’s very fit - she’s been up since about August, so she’s been up for an eternity - and she’s a lovely natured mare, and it’s great to see her win.

“She’s an easy mare to train, she doesn’t get too over-awed with the occasion, conserves energy and, as you can see, she’s a big-framed mare so she’s going to let down nicely in the broodmare barn.”

Inhibitions was a rare yearling purchase for Godolphin, bought for $380,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from Kitchwin Hills. North Bloodstock sold her half-sister by Street Boss (USA) at the same sale last year, where she was purchased by International Thoroughbred Solutions (FBAA) for $180,000, and will offer a full sister at the same sale this April.

Cilacap on Oaks path after Desirable win

Grahame Begg’s Cilacap (Written Tycoon) justified her favouritism in the Listed Desirable Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, giving her trainer a Saturday stakes double after the earlier exploits on Magic Time. The 3-year-old filly has only been beaten once - when she ran third on debut - and added a maiden stakes win to her record on Saturday, when she bounded away from Husk (Calyx {GB}) to win by 0.25l. G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas victress Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) made her Australian debut in the race, finishing fourth by 3l in unsuitable wet track conditions.

“She’s (Cilacap) still a big, raw filly, but she’s progressing beautifully,” stable representative Rowan Hughes said. “This was an important test for her today, and she passed with flying colours.

“We’ve been targeting an Australasian Oaks campaign, and she’ll go up to a mile next start to continue that progression.”

Corumbene Stud offered Cilacap at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where she sold to the bid of Bruce Elkington Bloodstock for $300,000. She is the second foal of city winner Falkenberg (More Than Ready {USA}), a full sister to Sebring who was third in the G1 Queensland Oaks. Falkenberg has only produced two foals at stud to date, and was covered by In The Congo in the spring.