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Bhima Makes Statement Purchase at Karaka
Friday, 26th June 2026
A compact catalogue still generated a strong commercial statement at Karaka on Thursday, with NZB’s 2026 National Weanling Sale posting sharp gains across the board and highlighting the depth of demand for young stock from both domestic and international buyers. According to nzb.co.nz, from 143 lots catalogued, 102 weanlings changed hands for an aggregate of $3,593,000, a 49 percent lift on the previous year, while the average rose 23 percent to $35,255 and the clearance rate reached an impressive 89 percent. According to nzb.co.nz, buyers from New Zealand, Australia, China, Hong Kong and Japan contributed to a competitive bench, and the day’s headline act arrived early when Lot 3, a chestnut colt from the first crop of Chaldean, was knocked down to Mike Fleming of Bhima for $250,000. Offered by Haunui Farm, the colt is out of Novashow and quickly found favour with the major Australian operation. “I bought a couple here a few years ago and I’m always happy to come over for the right horse that’s forward and well-moving,” Fleming said. “This colt’s a lovely horse. I came in yesterday, and with the rain I didn’t get out so I waited until this morning. He was right at the top of my list.” Fleming said the price was no surprise given how the colt measured up against the catalogue, adding that once bidding reached $200,000, the Australian dollar conversion naturally came into mind. “In the end he probably landed at about $200,000 Aussie,” he said. The second-highest price came late when Western Australia’s Byerley Bloodstock secured Lot 141, a Paddington colt from Seaton Park and a half-brother to Group One winner Lion’s Roar, for $190,000. Paul Pertab finished as leading buyer, signing for three lots at a total of $310,000, headed by Lot 16, a Super Seth colt out of Popular purchased for $180,000. Super Seth was the session’s leading sire, with eight weanlings selling at an average of $120,625, including two that reached $180,000. Waikato Stud topped the vendor standings by both aggregate and average, selling nine lots for $704,500 at an average of $78,278. NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said the results were a positive pointer towards the Ready to Run and National Yearling Sale, while noting that the first-season sires were particularly well received. “The first season sires all sold very well, and the only disappointment was that we didn’t have enough horses to sell,” he said. Seabrook hopes breeders take confidence from the figures and support a larger catalogue next year, with all weanlings offered eligible for nomination to the Karaka Millions Series. NZB’s attention now turns to the National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus before the Ready to Run Sale returns to Karaka in November.

The Chaldean-Novashow colt topped the sale at $250k (pic: nzb.co.nz)
Firestar Appears to be Overs in a Deep Field
Friday, 26th June 2026
Run as the last black-type race on Tattersall's Tiara day, the Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes returns to Eagle Farm as a 1200-metre quality handicap that can be both a winter-carnival consolation and a launching pad towards races like the Ramornie Handicap. Its recent honour roll is useful context, with Metalart winning last year for Kelly Schweida and Jason Collett, while Zarastro scored in 2024 for Tony Gollan and Angela Jones before later advertising the strength of the form. The race has also produced sharp editions through Prince Of Boom in 2023 and Away Game in 2021, and Saturday's field looks similarly tricky, with no dominant market horse and several coming through the Moreton Cup, Hinkler and Dane Ripper threads. Current betting has Fire Star, Payline, Oak Hill and Yellow Brick clustered near the top, with Hidden Wealth, Pereille, About To Explode and Niance close enough to keep the race open. The play is Fire Star. Peter Snowden's gelding has been building through two runs back, and his Hinkler effort suggested he was looking for this exact set-up: 1200 metres, a strong tempo, and a surface not too testing. From barrier eight, Tim Clark can let the speed sort itself out, avoid being nailed to the fence, and bring him with one run. Oak Hill is the danger and has strong specialist support after a huge Moreton Cup second, when he charged through late and produced the race's quickest closing split. He maps sweetly from gate three for Daniel Stackhouse, although he needs clear air earlier than last time. About To Explode is the value runner. Tony Gollan has him deep into the preparation, but he keeps racing honestly, and his Hinkler third behind Midnight In Tokyo was better than the beaten margin suggests, especially if Eagle Farm improves towards firmer ground. Payline has the inside draw and Nash Rawiller, which is never a small thing in a sprint like this, but he has to turn around two plain recent runs and could be cluttered up if the pace collapses back onto him. Yellow Brick has class and barrier two, though 60kg makes the task more severe, while Hidden Wealth is another Gollan runner capable of lifting sharply at home. Niance is the left-field threat dropping back from the Dane Ripper, but gate 13 demands luck, especially if cover proves elusive against seasoned, streetwise sprinters late under pressure here. Likely top four: Fire Star, eachway all day at $7.00 to beat Oak Hill, About To Explode and Payline, with Yellow Brick the obvious one to again punish any misread of the tempo late.
Marffian Offers Upside in Tattersall's Stakes
Friday, 26th June 2026
A set-weights test for late-season juveniles brings together a genuinely open Tattersall's Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday, with Tannin narrowly preferred in a race where the market infers very little separates the leading chances. Recent editions have produced useful horses, with Autumn Boy winning last year for Chris Waller and James McDonald after Depth Of Character took the 2024 running, and this year's field again has the feel of a race that could identify a spring prospect rather than merely close a winter campaign. Tannin has been the one most consistently found by form students, with both Just Horse Racing and Ladbrokes pointing to his debut win at Gosford, where he came from behind, quickened sharply and gave the impression 1400m would only help. From barrier three, Tommy Berry should be able to have him closer if required, and the Michael Freedman stable's juvenile form adds to the appeal. Marffiano deserves his place at the head of betting after a sound effort two weeks ago and, at $5.50 in early markets, looks the obvious danger for the Lindsay Park team, although barrier eight may require Daniel Stackhouse to find cover without conceding too much ground. Cool Gent has already put black type on the page, having swept home from last to win the Listed Oxlade Stakes at big odds, and while he again maps to need luck from barrier nine, his finish that day was too strong to dismiss. Klocke gives Waller another live hand, drawn to get a soft run from barrier two under Ben Melham after a debut second, and that combination should ensure he is given every chance to bridge the experience gap. La Barrita, a last-start winner for Tony and Calvin McEvoy, is also right in commission at $6.50, while Hard To Exceed has Nash Rawiller and a kinder gate, but the race shape may favour those able to relax and build through the long Eagle Farm straight. The Machine Gun is unbeaten from one start, though barrier ten makes this a sharper rise in pressure, while Pearl Of Dubai has the race fitness and filly's weight to be competitive if she can turn consistent placings into a winning blow. On a Soft 5, tactical manners could matter as much as raw ability, especially with several runners still learning their craft. Selection: Tannin to use the draw, produce the cleanest late sprint and justify the early confidence. Marffiano can hold second through professionalism, Cool Gent is the knockout closer for third, with Klocke tipped to take fourth ahead of La Barrita and Hard To Exceed.
Asterix Dangerous Back in Grade and Weight
Friday, 26th June 2026
Taken as a staying puzzle rather than a deep handicap, Saturday's Group 3 Tattersall's Cup at Eagle Farm looks a compact but intriguing 2400-metre test, with the market leaning to horses already hardened by the Queensland winter rather than those trying to reinvent themselves late in the carnival. Recent history gives the race genuine weight: Manzoice won last year for Chris Waller after coming through the Brisbane Cup, while grand old Vow And Declare rolled back the years in 2024, adding a second Tattersall's Cup to his 2019 success and again showing how The Q22 can feed directly into this contest. The 2026 field is only eight strong on paper, but it has enough moving parts to make tempo decisive. Future History heads betting around $3.00, with Pounding close at $3.50, Asterix near $4 and Black Run solid at about $5, while Fawkner Park, Etna Rosso, Prince Levi and Fernao are wider in the market. The first call is whether Pounding can finally convert his honesty. He has been knocking on the door, and specialist comment around his latest Q22 run has been forgiving, noting that he chased hard in a race shaped to suit Royal Supremacy up front. From barrier two, Luke Nolen should have him economical, close enough to launch before the race turns into a sprint. Future History is the obvious danger. Greg Hickman's stayer has been good throughout the preparation, and with Nash Rawiller booked, he has the right rider to make a positive mid-race move if the tempo slackens, although gate eight means he may have to do some early thinking. Asterix is the classier Waller runner and maps beautifully from barrier three for Tim Clark. His Q22 effort was better than it looks on paper, because the shape did not entirely suit and he kept finding the line, but there is a small query whether he has one more peak left after a demanding late campaign. Black Run is the progressive threat down in the weights. His latest second keeps him firmly in calculations, and Daniel Stackhouse can put him into a stalking position from gate five, but he still has to prove he can outstay more seasoned winter horses at this level. Etna Rosso is the knockout, coming back from the Brisbane Cup trip to a distance that should suit better, though he needs to turn around a plain finishing effort. The likely top four: Pounding to beat Future History, Asterix and Black Run, with Etna Rosso the one capable of barging into the frame if the leaders overplay their hand.
It's About the Journey Not the Destination
Friday, 26th June 2026
A low-key Doomben midweek maiden hardly looked the natural stage for one of the more scrutinised breakthroughs in Queensland this season, but Crash The Party finally shed the tag of Australia's best maiden when she justified a prohibitive quote in Wednesday's $40,000 Maiden Plate over 1350m. According to racenet.com.au, the Toby Edmonds-trained three-year-old was having her 12th start, an unusually long wait for a filly who had already banked respectable prize money and mixed it in far stronger company, including a fourth behind Ninja in January's $3m Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. Punters treated the assignment as little more than a formality, backing her from $1.24 into $1.16, a starting price Edmonds admitted was a new experience even for a trainer with two Stradbroke Handicaps on his record. The performance itself was more tradesmanlike than spectacular, with Crash The Party taking time to gather her rivals before doing enough to score by a length-and-a-half, but the result carried more importance than the margin. "She probably didn't look too impressive today, but she has been knocking on the door for a long time," Edmonds said, relieved rather than jubilant after a watch that never quite became comfortable viewing. "It's not often they get to their 12th start without having previously won a race, especially given the prizemoney she has won. It was a bit workmanlike, it wasn't a pretty watch, but she still got it done so that's the main thing. I don't think I've had a horse start at $1.16 before, so that's something different for me." Daniel Moor was similarly pragmatic, calling it a case of "number in the frame" and adding, "She is going to win better races than this. But it's job done today." Edmonds will now consider giving Crash The Party a spell, with the win extending a rich winter for the stable after Spicy Martini delivered him a second Stradbroke Handicap earlier this month. Crash The Party is a daughter of Japanese-bred Yarraman Park Stud stallion Brave Smash, a winner of the Gr1 Manikato Stakes and Gr1 Futurity Stakes. He also boasts Group 1 placings in the Moir Stakes, CF Orr Stakes and VRC Newmarket – twice, and is standing the 2026 season for $22,000 inc GST.
Stokes Stable Has Oaklands Plate History
Friday, 26th June 2026
Another late-season juvenile test with a history of producing horses capable of stretching into better company, the David Peacock Oaklands Plate at Morphettville Parks looks a race where the market and the form students are pointing in the same direction, with Brevitas narrowly preferred over Lalor in a competitive 1400m Listed contest. The race, run for two-year-olds under set weights and penalties, has been renamed to honour respected South Australian racing figure David Peacock, and its recent honour roll has been kind to the Phillip Stokes stable, which struck last year with Matahga after winning the 2024 edition with Femminile (see below), who later developed into an SA Derby winner. Stokes again has a major say through Brevitas, a filly who comes off a decisive 1200m Murray Bridge win and is the Just Horse Racing top selection, with that analyst expecting her to relish the rise to 1400m. Sportsbet had her around $3.30 to $3.60, just shading Lalor, and Harry Grace should be able to let her find a rhythm from gate seven rather than bustle her early. Lalor appeals as the obvious threat for Michael Hickmott and Todd Pannell after a strong second behind Brevitas last start, when he settled back, saved ground and drove late. The extra 200m looks within reach and barrier six gives Pannell scope to have him closer if the tempo proves muddling. Mountjoy, a last-start winner for Henry Dwyer, brings the right profile for this type of race, with natural improvement, race sense and a $5 quote that says the market has him firmly in the conversation, though the outside draw leaves Will Price with a decision to make. Tweeter is also hard to ignore at a bigger price, having won last start, drawn gate three and possessing local stable polish from Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray, while Pretty Baby and Adakite sit in the next line of chances after consistent lead-up efforts. Pretty Baby has been around the mark without quite landing a blow, and Adakite's inside draw gives Zac Spain options if she can take the next step. Contrary is the tipster's roughie, and the leap to 1400m could suit if she settles and finishes off, but she still has to bridge a sizeable class gap. On a Soft 7 with the rail out, position may matter, yet the winner will still need to be strong late. Selection: Brevitas to continue the Stokes/Oaklands thread, Lalor second, Mountjoy third and Tweeter fourth, with Pretty Baby and Adakite the next two.
Blackbook the Name Omolong for the Spring
Friday, 26th June 2026
A tardy beginning at Warwick Farm did little to blunt the reputation of exciting late season juvenile Omolong on Wednesday, with the heavily supported Chris Waller-trained colt overcoming an awkward start to produce a debut win of real authority in the Asahi Super Dry 2YO C&G Handicap over 1100m. Sent out a $1.70 favourite after opening at $3.70 earlier in the week, punters.com.au reports the regally bred son of much admired stallion Extreme Choice missed the start and settled well back, but Tommy Berry quickly realised he was on the right horse as the colt travelled strongly, circled the field and put the race away with a surge that had bookmakers reacting immediately. Omolong’s Golden Rose quote was cut from $51 to $26 after he beat stablemate Sanctum by 1.25-lengths, with Letters Patent a long head away in third, and Berry said the race became far more comfortable than it looked in the first few strides. “He was a bit edgy in the barriers, and he wasn’t great away but it took about 50 metres for me to relax,” Berry said. “He was on the bridle with this massive stride, and I knew he’d cover them. The team had told me prior to the race he’s held in very high regard, and I didn’t pull the stick on him coming from near last. You don’t do that very often.” Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth was similarly taken by the performance, particularly given the colt created his own early difficulty before proving clearly superior. “He made it pretty hard for himself being slow away but he was too good,” Duckworth said. “It was a brilliant first day at school and we go away very pleased with the outcome. You couldn’t have asked for much more. He’s still got a bit to learn. There’s good improvement in terms of his manners and maturity.” Omolong cost $850,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, despite being a December foal, and Duckworth said his physical development and future distance range would be left for Waller to assess. “Being a December foal he’s still a bit on the small side but Extreme Choice throws them in all shapes and sizes with big engines,” he said. “I’m not sure how far he’ll stretch out because he’s fast but I’m sure Chris will map things out for him.”
Final Group 1 of The Season at Eagle Farm
Friday, 26th June 2026
Set to close the Australian Group 1 season at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, the Tattersall’s Tiara again brings together mares hardened by the winter carnival and a filly trying to repeat the three-year-old strike of Startantes in 2022. Run at 1400 metres under weight-for-age conditions, the race has tended to reward those arriving through the right Queensland pathways, with Tashi using a Dane Ripper second to win last year, Bella Nipotina confirming her champion quality in 2024 after a campaign through the Doomben 10,000, Kingsford Smith and Stradbroke, while Palaisipan and Tofane also underlined that Stradbroke form can be a serious pointer. This year’s market has tightened since the scratching of She’s Got Pizzazz, leaving Tuileries around the head of betting from Splash Back, Gerringong and Manaal, a shape that suggests confidence is spread rather than anchored to one obvious stand-out. The draw pushes the argument towards Tuileries. Peter Snowden’s mare comes in with fresh legs, a last-start win, and barrier three, giving Chad Schofield the chance to land closer than several key rivals without burning early fuel. That can be crucial at Eagle Farm, where rhythm from the 1400-metre start often counts for as much as raw acceleration, particularly if the surface keeps the field bunched before the turn. Manaal is the proven Group 1 performer and looks the main danger. She has been firm enough in the market, maps to get cover from barrier nine, and profiles as the sort of mare who can sharpen considerably second-up, although she may need the tempo to give her a proper cart into the race. Splash Back has the neat platform from barrier six and brings enough upside for Grahame Begg to have genuine belief, but her latest figure leaves a small query if this becomes a strongly run test. Firestorm is the late threat. Her Dane Ripper run can be read as a tune-up rather than the grand final, and Chris Waller’s history in the Tiara, including Red Tracer and Invincibella, makes her hard to dismiss. Gerringong and Within The Law are both capable of making the finish, the former with home-track force and Nash Rawiller, the latter helped by the 55.5kg filly allowance, but each needs enough luck to avoid being posted or dragged too far back. Abounding’s second in last year’s Tiara proves she belongs, yet barrier 17 makes the repeat task sterner. The likely top four: Tuileries to beat Manaal, Splash Back and Firestorm, with Gerringong the danger to that order if Rawiller can put her into clear running before the late sprint really begins.
Success is Baked in for Sydney Stable
Friday, 26th June 2026
A season already rich in stable achievement could still end with one more elite flourish for Bjorn Baker, who will send Within The Law to Eagle Farm on Saturday as his final Group 1 runner of the term in the Tatt’s Tiara, reports racenet.com.au. The 1400m feature is the last Group 1 race of the Australian season and the filly, the only three-year-old female in the field, has the chance to lift Baker to four top-level wins for the campaign, matching the benchmark he set in 2023/24 with Arapaho in the Tancred Stakes, Ozzmosis in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, Overpass in the Winterbottom Stakes and Stefi Magnetica in the Stradbroke Handicap. For Baker, there would be a pleasing sense of symmetry if Within The Law were the horse to get him there, given how much she has contributed to the stable from the start of her career. “She’s just been a great filly for the stable from her early days as a two-year-old right through and she’s got blinkers on and I think she’ll be switched on for it and a better track than last time will definitely suit as well,” Baker said. Her Group 1 record could easily look better with a little more fortune, having failed to finish in the 2025 Golden Slipper after crashing through the running rail, then going within a nose of beating Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes over 1600m. As a spring three-year-old she again found one better in the Flight Stakes at Randwick before being tested against older rivals when ninth in the King Charles III Stakes, and Saturday gives her another opportunity to turn consistent high-class form into a major win. Baker’s current-season Group 1 winners Pericles, Green Spaces and Caballus are already through their winter breaks and beginning the climb towards spring targets, with Green Spaces shaping as a particularly intriguing carnival horse. “Caballus and Pericles are back at pre-training and Green Spaces is back in the stable and we’re rapt with him,” Baker said. “For Green Spaces, first and foremost, we are going to look at the Caulfield Cup. There’s also the Melbourne Cup of course, and I wouldn’t rule out a Cox Plate. On his pedigree, you wouldn’t think he’d get a mile and a half but he did pretty easily in the (ATC) Derby and he’s a very relaxed horse so that gives us confidence heading into the spring.” Royal Ascot Group 1 placegetter Overpass is also expected to be part of Baker’s spring squad, while the trainer’s 126 wins this season leave him behind only five trainers nationally.

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Weekend News

Bhima Makes Statement Purchase at Karaka

The Chaldean-Novashow colt topped the sale at $250k (pic: nzb.co.nz)

Firestar Appears to be Overs in a Deep Field

Marffian Offers Upside in Tattersall's Stakes

Asterix Dangerous Back in Grade and Weight

It's About the Journey Not the Destination

Stokes Stable Has Oaklands Plate History

Blackbook the Name Omolong for the Spring

Final Group 1 of The Season at Eagle Farm

Success is Baked in for Sydney Stable

2025 BTR Stud Stallions

BTP STUD STALLIONS