Cover image courtesy of Australian Turf Club
Road to the Golden Slipper set for another shuffle
The G1 Golden Slipper Stakes order of entry is due for another shuffle this weekend, with four juvenile Group races in Australia on Saturday, and the G1 Sistema Stakes over in Ellerslie offering more eligible prize money towards booking a slot at the starting line. Unbeaten colt Return To Conquer (Snitzel), who sits 12th in the order, is Te Akau Racing’s big hope for the race and he heads the line-up for the Kiwi juvenile contest.
Three horses are currently exempt from the ballot; Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) and Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), the heroes of last weekend, and G2 Silver Slipper Stakes victor Beiwacht (Bivouac), who will also fly the Godolphin flag this Saturday when lining up for the G2 Todman Stakes. He has drawn the outside alley, but he has nothing to prove after his last start 2.15l domination.
Return To Conquer | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
On the other hand, Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) - 24th in the order - is on much thinner ice. With eligible prize money of $109,750, the early Slipper favourite needs to secure a win or run second in the Todman - earning at least $56,000 - to have a sure shot at the final field.
He will have to overcome $1 million Golden Gift winner North England (Farnan) and the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) - fifth and sixth in the order - to have that chance, and the 1200 metres looks to suit the latter. Tentyris nearly caught Devil Night (Extreme Choice) on the line in the Diamond; it’s not a big jump of the imagination to think he might improve again when he arrives Sydney-side.
What of the fillies? The top fillies in the order after exemptions, The Playwright (Written By), Icarian Dream (Blue Point {Ire}), and My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) are all spelling post Blue Diamond weekend. Listed Lonhro Plate winner Bellazaine (Zousain) is secure in the ranking, and 15th elect Bel Merci (Extreme Choice) shouldn’t have to worry too much about her Slipper slot - but she will need some sharp improvement from her first-up eighth. She heads the field going into the G2 Reisling Stakes at Randwick, so can she bounce back to her best?
Wodeton | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Can Belclare make history with a third Breeders’ Stakes?
It’s not every weekend that history can truly be carved out at the race track, but Lisa Latta’s 7-year-old Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) has a chance this Saturday to genuinely etch herself in the history books forever. The winner of the last two editions of the G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, she has already joined an elite field of horses to win it more than once; since the race’s inception in 1971, only six mares have achieved that goal, and only one has taken the race three times.
But Orchidra (NZ) (Oncidium {GB}) won it in 1978, 1979, and 1981 - the in-between year was taken out by Monody (NZ) (Shifnal). If Belclare can win on Saturday, she will not only join Orchidra as a three-time winner of the event, she will be truly unique as a three-time consecutive winner.
Beclare (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
That isn’t to say that she’s a shoo-in to win - top seed Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) loams large as a persistent threat. The 5-year-old mare made her return this autumn with a strong victory in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes and was second in the G1 Bonecrusher Stakes at this meeting last year. If she’s back to her best, she’s not to be trifled with. Australian raider Konasana (Dundeel {NZ}) also cannot be discounted; she won the G2 Westbury Classic here in January, and was a tough fourth last start in the G1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic. Chris Waller travels to win, and her best runs have come over the mile.
Belclare has already proven herself an elite racemare, but there will be many hoping she can go that one step further on Saturday and further propel her name up among the greats.
The NZB Kiwi: who’s booking a trip to the Golden Eagle?
The inaugural NZ$3.5 million The New Zealand Bloodstock Kiwi headlines a huge Champions Day meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday, alongside no fewer than eight stakes races - four of which are Group 1 level. The brainchild of Entain and NZTR, the richest race for 3-year-olds in the Southern Hemisphere now comes with an enticing proposition for the winner, on top of NZ$1.2 million in prize money; a spot in the $10 million Golden Eagle in the spring.
It’s no surprise then to see several trans-Tasman raiders in the slot race; top billing goes to Lindsay Park Racing’s Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), whose explosive spring took him from Cranbourne maiden to Group glory in the G2 Stutt Stakes in just four starts. His performance in the weight-for-age G1 Futurity Stakes last start showed a much improved autumn 3-year-old ready to make a splash in his country of birth.
Evaporate (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Joining him from Victoria is Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon), who won the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes first-up this preparation, and Bjorn Baker’s speedy filly Perfumist (NZ) (El Roca {NZ}). She has yet to strike at stakes level, but did string four wins together from country Class 1 grade up to metropolitan Saturday racing over the summer - one might draw parallels to Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}).
The locals have plenty to offer as well; Samantha Wynne-trained - and ridden - Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) is unbeaten in her last five starts, and looks primed to extend her picket fence to six. Given that each of her wins have come by an average 5.25l margin - last start winning the Listed Southland Guineas over 1400 metres by an accelerating 8.75l - she looks deadly when stepping up to 1500 metres.
Another threat comes from the Stephen Marsh trainee Penman (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), who has strung the last three together, including a gritty victory at his most recent start where he did not get clear running until the last 100 metres. Matt Allnutt, general manager for owners Go Racing, called it a “real honour” to have a runner in the Kiwi - a feeling no doubt shared by the rest of the field.
Penman (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Who’s afraid of the big bad Brightside?
The G1 All-Star Mile field at Flemington this Saturday has to be one of the smallest fields in the race’s history. Only six horses will line up against Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) - winner of the 2023 edition and second last year to Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) - down from a field of 12 in the 2024 edition. How have this year's contenders fared before against Lindsay Park’s powerhouse gelding?
Mr Brightside (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Tom Kitten
They bumped into each other last start in the G1 Futurity Stakes, where Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) finished second, but by only a margin of 0.1l. The 4-year-old Godolphin gelding’s last win over 1600 metres was as a juvenile, but he has won from 1300 metres to 2000 metres since, and will certainly come out of the gates swinging.
Light Infantry Man
They first ran into each other in the G1 Charles III Stakes in 2023, where Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) floundered in his first start down under to finish at the tail of the field. The 6-year-old gelding has mostly avoided Mr Brightside since, but finished a respectable sixth behind him in the Futurity at his last start before this clash.
Another Wil
In an emotional victory for Halo Racing, Another Wil (Street Boss {USA}) defeated Mr Brightside in the G1 CF Orr Stakes earlier this year, by a margin of 0.35l. The 5-year-old’s connections have patiently waited for him to blossom, and he could be a real threat if he extends his Orr performance out by 200 metres.
Gallery: Six horses lined up against Mr Brightside at the G1 All-Star Mile
Flying Trapeze
The only sub-100 benchmarked horse in the field, Flying Trapeze (Trapeze Artist) is having his first swing at a Group 1. The 4-year-old entire has never faced Mr Brightside, whose only runs below the top level since September 2022 was in last year’s pre-Group 1 certification All-Star Mile and two Group 2 warm-ups.
Rise At Dawn
Unbeaten in his last four starts, but this is Listed winner Rise At Dawn’s (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) first tilt at the top level and first time opposing Mr Brightside. Is he ready for this kind of rumble?
Atishu
Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) was hot on Brightside’s heels in the G1 Caulfield Stakes in the spring, in the start before, she won the G1 Empire Rose Stakes against her own sex. They have had a few run-ins beforehand, but she will need to repeat her Caulfield run or better it, to beat Mr Brightside this time.
Militarize ready to be the comeback king
Some things are not meant to be - it’s a blow to the breeding industry that Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) has returned to the track, but it’s quite the opposite for racing fans who enjoyed the then-colt's three Group 1 wins and his tough autumn campaign last year. In the thoughts of Tommy Berry, who takes the reins for the G1 Canterbury Stakes on Saturday, few horses go backwards from being gelded. Perhaps the best is yet to come for the electric son of Arrowfield Stud resident Dundeel (NZ).
Trainer Chris Waller - whose only other runner in the race is stallion elect Switzerland (Snitzel) - is being conservative about the 1300-metre jumping off point, particularly for a horse that won over the mile as a juvenile, but the gelding has pleased him since returning to his stable in November.
Switzerland and Militarize (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“He’s had two good trials, and he was nice and sharp (in his exhibition gallop) as well,” Waller told Racing NSW. “I guess 1300 metres is a touch short for Militarize. (But) he’s fantastic, I’m not concerned about what he’s done off the racetrack.”
As a spring 3-year-old, Militarize won the G1 Golden Rose second-up, so no doubt this is just the jumping-off point. Waller hasn’t set the gelding’s path in stone yet, but will have a clearer picture after he comes through the Canterbury.
“He's a racehorse we’ve got for the next two or three years so he’ll get a few grand finals,’’ he said. Maybe one of those will be another tilt at the G1 Cox Plate - Militarize finished eighth last time, but chasing Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) to 2.35l is nothing to be sniffed at.
