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NEW Bright Rae of Sunshine for Cranbourne Trainer
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
Eight years after turning his first Flemington runner into a winner, the long wait for another visit to the winner’s stall at headquarters finally ended for Alex Rae when I’mateez swept down the straight last Saturday, the Cranbourne trainer’s second success there arriving at start number 23 and in the middle of a purple patch for his stable. According to racing.com, Rae is not inclined to overstate the significance of the venue, particularly when two winners from 23 starters at Flemington is hardly a record to lament, but the timing made the breakthrough especially satisfying, with his past three metropolitan runners all winning inside eight days. “It’s been a while between drinks – in fairness, we don’t have that many run there – but it’s always a great thrill to get a winner at headquarters,” Rae told Giddy Up with Gareth Hall on Monday. The lesson, he said, had been delivered in classic racing fashion after Cochada scored for him in the 2018 Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final and briefly made the game look easy, only for Flemington to prove a far tougher nut to crack in the years that followed. Now, with Enna’s Dream having won at Morphettville and Loft Vega successful at Caulfield Heath in the week before I’mateez joined the run, the stable’s horses are doing plenty to keep spirits high. A son of Capitalist raced by prominent supporter Paul Lofitis’ Lofty Group, I’mateez has long hinted at better-class talent, though his lightly raced profile tells the story of a horse who has not always been straightforward to keep at full power. Rae thought he was “a good thing” at Warrnambool second-up, but the gelding needed a month to recover from that effort, prompting the trainer to tell connections he would not return him to the races until he was completely right. That patience was rewarded when Daniel Stackhouse produced him late at Flemington and the horse tore clear in a performance that now has Rae looking seriously at the Listed Creswick Series Final, provided the winter remains kind. “It was no surprise to see him win on Saturday. He’s always shown that ability, the biggest concern has just been making sure he’s in one piece,” Rae said, adding that the horse had spent time in the ice bath since the run and had trotted up as well as possible by Monday morning. With 20 horses in work, Rae believes about half the team has metropolitan-grade ability, a position made stronger by a staff group he values highly, headed by his brother and assistant trainer Chuck. The horses, he said, are not missing anything, the people around them are enthused, and a happy stable is being reflected where it matters most: on race day.
NEW Taroona Continues Rich Vein of Form
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A productive run through the colder months reached its best point in Hobart on Sunday when Taroona completed a rich autumn and winter campaign with victory in the $45,000 Carbine Club 3YO Winter Classic over 1390m, reports tasracing.com.au. The Barry Campbell-trained filly has now won four of her past five starts across May and June, collecting close to $100,000 for connections and rewarding the patience of a stable that always felt there was talent beneath the earlier frustrations. "She always had the ability, but everything went wrong with her, and this time in, everything's gone right," Campbell said. Sent out at $5.50, Taroona was positive from the start under Troy Baker, who took her straight to the lead and made full use of the opportunity while hot favourite Daytona Diva, a $1.24 chance, was forced to cover ground back in the field. With the favourite unable to settle into a comfortable rhythm, Taroona stole a decisive break before the home turn and still had enough in reserve to hold off The Little Bay, a $91 outsider who made ground along the inside to finish three-quarters of a length away, with Daytona Diva close up in third. Campbell indicated the filly had likely done enough for now, saying he would put her out and consider the next step in a later campaign, with each start this preparation having brought further improvement. Although Daytona Diva's defeat meant the feature did not unfold as hoped for John Blacker, the trainer still played a major role on the nine-race card with a treble. Light Work opened his account for the stable in a 1600m maiden at $5.50, before new addition Alpine Ruby caused a $31 upset in one of the 1200m maidens only two races later. Blacker said Laura Blacker had paid just $2,500 for Alpine Ruby, largely because she was by Alpine Eagle and Tasbred, making her eligible for the full range of incentives. The filly had been unplaced at her only previous start for Adele Garraway in Victoria in April, and Blacker felt more distance would suit her, though the stable had not expected her to be the price she was. Alpine Ruby also ended a winless stretch dating back to April 17 for apprentice Lauryn Bingley, who quickly doubled her tally when Wild Nights landed the first leg of the quaddie at $21 after she picked up the ride from a doubly engaged Bulent Muhcu. "I got hit with a suspension and had a few plain weeks," Bingley said, adding that a strong day had given her reason to keep building through a difficult time of year.
NEW Maschino Filly Tops MM Perth Winter Sale
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
Strong demand for a well-related youngster saw a Maschino filly emerge as the headline act of Sunday's Magic Millions WA Winter Yearling Sale, with Roostand Racing principal David Gatti securing the daughter of the Alwyn Park stallion for $55,000. Offered as the first foal from stakes-winning mare Sheza Chalmer, the youngster carried an appealing pedigree page and represented the dispersal of a partnership involving breeders David and Dee Gatti, Mark and Lyn Jones, Brandon and Lisa Publow, and Bernie Miller of Belles Park. Presented by Gervase Park Stud as agent, the filly traces to Sheza Chalmer, a daughter of Vital Equine who captured the Listed Belmont Guineas over 1600 metres in 2021. Gatti was pleased to add her to the Roostand Racing team and confirmed her future lies with trainer Summer Dickson. “She’s a lovely filly and will be trained by Summer Dickson,” he told tbwa.net.au. “I have a few with Summer down at Port Kennedy and the best of them so far is the Safeguard 3YO Hurricane Harley who has won at Ascot and Belmont this season.” The purchase adds another chapter to what has already been an exceptionally lucrative association with Maschino for the ownership group, whose colours are carried by Jokers Grin, one of Western Australia's premier sprinters and a horse that has elevated the stallion's profile to new heights. The gelding is set to return to pre-training at Thenford Farm this week after a foot abscess ruled him out of a Brisbane winter carnival campaign. Situated at Sutton Forest in New South Wales' Southern Highlands, Thenford Farm is widely utilised by champion trainer Chris Waller for pre-training, spelling, education and rehabilitation duties across his extensive stable. Managing part-owner Mark Jones reported encouraging news regarding the gelding's recovery, explaining, “He did extra well during that time off and they tell me his feet are looking good. There are any number of good races for him and we will be guided by Chris going into the new season.” Jokers Grin's outstanding 2024 season featured victories in the $5 million Kia Quokka, the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes and the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes before his transfer from Bernie Miller to Waller in January. The family continues to grow, with his dam Walk In Beauty producing another Maschino colt and carrying a further pregnancy to the stallion, while Sheza Chalmer has followed an identical path with a weanling colt by Maschino and another foal due from an early cover. Reflecting his growing influence, Alwyn Park has increased Maschino's fee to $13,750 including GST for the coming season, while newcomer Minsk Moment will stand alongside him at Serpentine at a service fee of $5,500 including GST as he embarks on his first commercial book.

The Maschino filly out of Sheza Chalmer topped the sale (pic: Western Racepix)
NEW Key British Racing Cancellations by BHA
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
As much of southern Europe swelters through an intense heatwave that has driven temperatures to extraordinary levels, Britain has also found itself in the grip of severe conditions, prompting racing authorities to act decisively in the interests of both horses and participants. For the first time in four years, extreme heat has forced the cancellation of race meetings in Britain after a rare Met Office red weather warning was issued across large areas of southern England and Wales. Forecasts suggesting temperatures could climb to 40C in the middle of the week — eclipsing the June record of 35.6C that has stood for half a century — led the British Horseracing Authority to activate its hot-weather procedures. As a result, Wednesday's fixtures at Kempton, Salisbury, Worcester and Ffos Las have been called off. According to Racing Post, Kempton and Ffos Las will instead race next Monday, while Salisbury's meeting has been transferred to the following Tuesday. Worcester's abandoned card has not been reassigned. Despite the disruption, racing is expected to proceed at Carlisle on Wednesday, while Ireland's Naas fixture also remains on schedule. The BHA's previous weather-related cancellations came during the fierce heatwave of July 2022, when five meetings were lost amid the conditions that ultimately produced the UK's all-time temperature record of 40.3C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The latest red warning, which the Met Office said was likely to cause "significant disruption to daily life", extends from 1am on Wednesday until 11pm on Thursday across southern England and parts of Wales, with amber warnings already in force earlier in the week. The BHA noted that its existing hot-weather policy requires any fixture situated within a red warning area to be abandoned. Although Ffos Las falls outside the designated zone, officials explained that the meeting could not continue because horses would be required to travel from, or through, areas covered by the highest-level alert. The authority added: "We will continue to liaise with racecourses hosting fixtures in amber warning zones this week to consider any further mitigations that may be needed. Each fixture will be managed on a case-by-case basis, with several factors considered according to the local weather forecast and environmental conditions." Trainers were also reminded that horses must not be transported from or through regions where red heat warnings remain active.
NEW Bahrain Race Earns International Gr1 Status
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
Against the backdrop of a still uncertain Middle East peace deal, a landmark elevation for racing in the Gulf will arrive late this year when the 2026 Bahrain International Trophy is run as a Group 1 for the first time, giving the Kingdom of Bahrain its inaugural race at the sport's elite level, reports TDN. First staged in 2019, the 10-furlong contest has become the centrepiece of Bahrain's international programme in a relatively short span, and its eighth running at Rashid Equestrian & Horseracing Club on Friday, November 13 will also carry a boosted purse of $1.5 million. The race has steadily built a profile through the quality of its winners, with popular international campaigner Lord Glitters successful in 2021, Spirit Dancer claiming back-to-back editions in 2023 and 2024 after the race was promoted to Group 2 level, and Royal Champion adding his name to the honour roll in 2025. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, chairman of the Bahrain Turf Club, described the upgrade as "a proud moment for The Kingdom of Bahrain" and said the ambition had been clear from the beginning. "When we established the Bahrain International Trophy in 2019, it was always our ambition and belief that the race would grow to become our first Group 1 race," he said. "To have achieved that after only seven years is fantastic." He added that Bahrain's racing strategy was built around international collaboration, long-term development and a determination to raise the country's position on the world stage, with the Trophy now the clearest expression of that plan. He also thanked those who had supported the race since its launch and said Bahrain looked forward to welcoming more visitors and more world-class horses in 2026. Bahrain Turf Club chief executive Yusuf Buheji said the Trophy was the nation's flagship race and that its Group 1 promotion represented a major step in the development of racing in the country. He added that the broader programme of premier races was also continuing to expand, creating further opportunities for international horses to compete in Bahrain across the season.
NEW Trenwith Celebrates First Metrop Double
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A career-first metropolitan double at Morphettville added another bright note to Paula Trenwith's impressive season, with the stable's knack for improving tried horses again to the fore through Ginger Sinner and Babayka. Trenwith went to the meeting with confidence that her team was ready to run well, and that belief was rewarded when both horses continued their productive second chapters under her care. "I thought I had some good chances today, the team is going really well," she said after the double. Ginger Sinner has now won five of his 14 starts since transferring from the Richard and Chantelle Jolly stable last year, banking $202,950 for connections and giving Trenwith another reason to admire his honesty. "He's a little ripper," she said. "He just tries so hard, he's a wonderful horse." Babayka, who joined Trenwith in 2023, is also racing in career-best form after posting his fifth win for the stable and his second victory from his past three starts. He has clearly become a favourite around the barn, with Trenwith summing him up simply as "such a legend" and adding, "If every horse tried like he tries." Both winners were partnered by Caitlin Tootell, who shared riding honours with fellow apprentice Brooke King on a day when the younger riders made a strong impression. King landed a significant result aboard Mansiere, giving Karren Letts-Maund her first city winner in 13 years, before later taking the last on Sir Leapalot for Ryan Hannemann. The durable Nicajon also had his turn in the Morphettville spotlight, the 11-year-old making it two wins from his past three starts after Campbell Rawiller produced a cool ride from the inside gate. Former local Mick Shepherdson, now based at Geelong, said the veteran's previous failure at Murray Bridge was down to trainer error, admitting they had been "too soft on him in between runs". Nicajon, who has now won three and placed four times from 11 Morphettville starts, was described by Shepherdson as "such an old beauty", and Rawiller's patience allowed him to switch off before unleashing when clear. Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray were also back among the winners when talented filly Orlova returned to form under Tala Hutchinson, with Clarken saying she had "a little bit of talent". At Port Augusta on Sunday, apprentice Ashlee Stone rode her first winner aboard Bad To The Bone for boss Bill Bogarts, while Garret Lynch completed a race-to-race double that included Fox Dunnett's Saltbush Livestock Squatter's Cup win under Jemma Gutte.
NEW Highly Capitalised Amo Racing Encouraged
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
According to sportlinglife.com, a narrow defeat in the King Edward VII Stakes left Amo Racing still searching for a Royal Ascot winner this year, but principal Kia Joorabchian came away from the meeting encouraged by the shape of an operation he believes is still being built for sustained pressure at the highest level. Ancient Egypt came within a neck of giving the purple-and-white silks a second success in the race after King Of Steel’s 2023 victory, only to find Ballydoyle’s Causeway and Ryan Moore too strong late on Friday. Joorabchian made no pretence that the result was easy to absorb, telling Sky Sports Racing, “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t gutted to lose,” and adding that he felt for a team that had worked so hard to have a winner at the royal meeting. Yet he also drew plenty from Ancient Egypt’s performance, particularly as the colt was backing up just 13 days after the Derby, whereas King Of Steel had 20 days between Epsom and Ascot two years earlier. Joorabchian felt that a few more days might have changed the finish, and he praised Charlie Johnston and his staff for getting Ancient Egypt back in such competitive order. He also pointed to Pikachu, another Frankel colt in the Johnston stable, who finished fifth in the Chesham Stakes and was beaten less than two lengths, as evidence that Amo’s younger talent is beginning to take shape. Crownbreaker, trained by Kevin Philippart De Foy, also ran with credit when fifth at 100-1 in the Queen Mary Stakes behind Victorious, finishing third in her group, but Joorabchian said the lack of broader two-year-old representation was deliberate rather than a sign of weakness. He said “80% of our two-year-olds are at home”, explaining that Amo had bought deep-pedigreed horses not designed to be early June juveniles or obvious Ascot types. While he admitted that neither he nor the team could be satisfied without a winner, he said they were pleased with the stock at home and the stage of the broader project. The scale of the challenge was laid bare in the King Edward VII, where Coolmore again demonstrated the reach and tactical strength of its programme. Joorabchian said their operation could shape races with one or two runners because of the depth of their pedigrees, and acknowledged Amo was “way, way behind” a machine developed over more than three decades. Still, he framed the gap as something to be narrowed through patience, breeding and better bloodlines. Persian Force has already encouraged him at stud, with Pershaada, by the same sire, finishing fourth in the Queen Mary, while King Of Steel’s progeny are still to come. Amo has also invested in broodmares, including Streak Of Luck in the United States, dam of champion two-year-old Ted Noffey, and Joorabchian believes those foundations can eventually bring the operation closer to the giants it is chasing.
Berry Heads to Hawkesbury with a Top Book
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A carefully chosen Hawkesbury book can keep Tommy Berry's remarkable provincial season humming on Tuesday, with the champion jockey heading to the meeting with six rides and a chance to lift his already outstanding strike-rate back towards the 40 per cent mark it touched earlier in 2025/26. Berry's mounts include four strongly fancied runners, among them the Waikato Stud-owned filly Movie Night at $2 and Brad Widdup's progressive Mulberry Racing gelding Escargoes at $2.10. A treble at Gosford last Thursday took Berry to 43 provincial winners from 118 rides for the season, a 36.4 per cent winners-to-runners return that stands unmatched and reflects a deliberate approach to picking his opportunities. "My manager (Paul Joice) does a great job there and we try stay above 30 per cent and I think there was a stage I was at 40 per cent," Berry said. He does not chase every provincial programme, preferring to select a handful each month, and said that if there are two such meetings in a week he will generally choose one, rather than risk being worn down. That selectivity has helped him build a season strong enough to have him in podium contention on the provincial, metropolitan and statewide premiership tables, with his NSW total sitting at 112 wins from 581 rides, second behind Pierre Boudvillain, who has 126 from 721. Berry said it had "probably been one of my better seasons of late", especially after a broken neck interrupted last year and a disqualification 18 months before that also cut across his rhythm. Consistency has long been the standard he has chased, and this season's numbers are beginning to show it. One of his key Hawkesbury chances is Escargoes in the St Johns Park Bowling Club Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1100m, with the gelding returning to the track where Berry guided him to a dominant breakthrough win last month. "He's back to the scene of the crime," Berry said, noting that Escargoes had a minor setback but had since trialled quietly at Warwick Farm and looked well placed again. Berry believes confidence can be decisive for horses who have been away from the winner's stall, particularly fillies, mares and geldings, and said Escargoes appeared to have improved from that first success, with freshness also suiting him. The son of 2016 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist also carries a Slipper thread on his dam's side through Sebring. Berry will later wear Waikato Stud's colours on Movie Night in the XXXX Gold 3YO Maiden Handicap over 1400m, with the homebred filly looking well placed to break through at start six. He said she had gone close more than once, particularly in her latest starts, and praised Tom Charlton for finding what looks the right race for a versatile filly who can settle on speed or take a trail depending on tempo.

Tommy Berry's percentages are off the charts (pic: Vinery Stud)
NZB FOTY Reach Extends Beyond New Zealand
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A season that once again underlined the depth and reach of the NZB Filly of the Year Series has already produced an exceptional flow-on beyond New Zealand, with this year's graduates collecting Gr1 wins in Sydney, a Gr3 in Adelaide and further black-type form in Queensland. The headline act was Ohope Wins, the Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained daughter of Ocean Park who secured the 2025-26 title with 28 points after stringing together victories in the Gr2 Patrick Hogan Stakes over 2000m, the Gr2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic over 2100m and the Gr1 New Zealand Oaks over 2400m. Bought by Yulong Investments during that winning sequence, Ohope Wins was later transferred to champion expatriate New Zealand trainer Chris Waller and wasted little time making her presence felt in Australia, winning the A$1 million Gr1 Australian Oaks at only her second start across the Tasman. In doing so, she became just the fourth filly to complete the New Zealand-Australian Oaks double, following Domino, Bonneval and Pennyweka. Another Sydney Gr1 success story from the same series was Belle Cheval, who made her only Filly of the Year appearance when third in the Gr1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas to earn 3.5 points. The Savabeel filly then won the Gr3 Almanzor Trophy and Gr3 Uncle Remus Stakes before being narrowly beaten in the $4 million NZB Kiwi, after which Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson sent her to Rosehill for a single late-season assignment. She answered emphatically in the A$750,000 Gr1 Vinery Stud Stakes for prominent owner David Archer, who races her with his wife Diane and children Simon Archer and Natalie Micarone. Fringes, bred and raced by photographer Trish Dunell, also carried the series form offshore, having won on debut in New Zealand on Boxing Day before finishing ninth in the Gr2 Lowland Stakes. Sent to Michael Hickmott in South Australia, the Niagara filly captured the A$170,000 Gr3 SA Fillies' Classic at Morphettville on May 9. Single Red added further Australian black type after earning 7.5 series points through placings in the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic and New Zealand Oaks, finishing second in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet and fourth in the Gr2 Doomben Roses before a wide gate counted against her in the Queensland Oaks. The next wave is no less intriguing, headed by unbeaten Well Written, whose six wins include the Soliloquy Stakes, New Zealand 1000 Guineas, Auckland Guineas, Karaka Millions 3YO and NZB Kiwi. Autumn Glory, runner-up in both the New Zealand Oaks and New Zealand Derby, will continue from the Cranbourne stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, while the next series begins with the Gr3 Sunline Vase at Ellerslie on September 5.
Cambridge Stud Pivots to Karaka Weanling Sale
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
With Joliestar having carried Cambridge Stud's colours with distinction in the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, attention is already shifting back to Karaka, where the farm will present a select nine-strong draft at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling Sale on Thursday. Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay were in England to watch their multiple Gr1-winning mare go within a nose of Royal Ascot success, and although the result narrowly eluded them, the experience was hardly one to lament. "We would have liked to have won. Are we disappointed? No," Sir Brendan said. "We have just had a life experience and lucky for Jo and I, we have met the King and the Queen. Life's not too bad." At home, Cambridge Stud's team has been preparing its weanlings for the sale, with sales and nominations manager Scott Calder encouraged by both the depth and commercial shape of the draft. He said the offering included strong representation by the farm's own stallions, headed by five youngsters by Almanzor, many out of black-type mares or from young mares with persuasive credentials. Calder described Almanzor as a proven sire and noted he had produced five stakes winners again this season, giving buyers confidence that his progeny continue to perform. Hello Youmzain also arrives with his profile on the rise after what Calder called "a fantastic end to the autumn", leaving the farm with a group he believes can provide genuine opportunity. Cambridge will also offer weanlings by outside sires, including a Bivouac filly out of the stakes-performed mare Dottie Dee, a half-sister to Gr3 winner Fairy Dream. Bivouac's standing has been strengthened by Fireball Miss's recent Gr1 Queensland Oaks win, and Calder said the filly's timing could hardly be better, with the sire having added another elite winner to his record. Another notable inclusion is a colt by champion New Zealand sire Savabeel, whose death last week gives the offering added poignancy. The colt, catalogued as lot 137, is one of only two Savabeel weanlings in the sale. Although not part of Cambridge's own draft, the first New Zealand progeny of its freshman sire Chaldean will also attract interest, with two youngsters by the Gr1-winning son of Frankel to be offered. Chaldean's first European weanlings were warmly received, averaging the equivalent of NZ$260,000 and selling up to NZ$580,000 at Tattersalls, while his first Southern Hemisphere sale-ring representative made A$180,000 at Inglis' Great Southern Weanling Sale. A colt through Haunui Farm as lot 3 and a filly through Curraghmore as lot 54 will now represent him at Karaka, and Calder said the response to the Great Southern filly should help them. From a pinhooking perspective, he expects a first-crop horse with that reception to be high on buyers' lists when inspections begin ahead of Thursday's 11am opening lot.

Almanzor is the sire of 5 stakes winners this season (pic: Cambridge Stud)
Improvements to Come for 2027 Royal Ascot
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
With attendances rising, international support holding firm and early ticket sales for next year already tracking strongly, Royal Ascot has emerged from what officials regard as a vintage edition with plans to sharpen parts of the racecourse experience rather than overhaul a meeting in trouble. Nick Smith, Ascot's director of racing and public affairs, revealed to racingpost.com that the course was acting from a position of strength after crowds climbed across all five days to about 295,000, roughly 7,000 more than last year, with hospitality also improved throughout the site and tickets for the next royal meeting already "ahead of the curve" after going on sale during the week. Smith said festivals remained popular in a broad sense, but Royal Ascot possessed the extra pull of being both a national and international fixture, woven into the British summer alongside Wimbledon and the Lord's Test, while also drawing more than 10,000 overseas visitors from markets including Australia, America and the Far East, as well as racegoers from almost every postcode in Britain. Chief executive Felicity Barnard indicated at the close of the meeting that improvements were being considered, and Smith said the main focus would be the Queen Anne Enclosure, historically known as Tattersalls, with the Royal, Village and Windsor enclosures viewed as close to where the racecourse wants them and the Heath continuing to serve local residents well. He stressed the Queen Anne area was "far from unsatisfactory", noting three years of ticket-sales growth, but said Ascot believed facilities, layout and other practical elements needed closer review if that grade of enclosure was to match the standard expected in a competitive events market. On the racing side, the meeting also grew, with a record 634 runners across 35 races, and Smith was intrigued by the impact of tighter handicap bands, given the depth of demand and the number of horses being balloted from already fierce contests. He said James McDonald had underlined the unique demands placed on jockeys at Royal Ascot, with huge fields, race-specific quirks and a track that asks a different question almost every time. McDonald, the Australian-based New Zealander, was part of another strong international contingent and finished third aboard Australian-trained Joliestar in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, a race that also featured runners trained in Japan, France and Denmark, alongside the domestic and Irish representation. "That's what the meeting is about," Smith said, adding that the international visitors had been pleased with their experience and were speaking about returning. He also played down any concern that Joshua Parr's 20-day whip ban, incurred for overuse aboard King Charles III Stakes third Overpass, would discourage future Australian participation, describing it as something to learn from rather than a lasting deterrent. The draw and a perceived stands-side bias were also discussed, but Smith said most straight courses favour the rail to some extent, and that at major festivals the pattern can become self-reinforcing once fields begin to favour one side and the ground there becomes more compacted.
Exciting WA Filly Proves Too Darn Hot
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A bruising inches defeat in the Listed Raconteur Stakes has quickly been placed in proper perspective, with Hot And High restoring her black-type authority in Saturday’s Listed Belmont Guineas over 1600m and showing the mile is well within her compass. The Dion Luciani-trained filly had won her first five starts, including the Listed Sir Earnest Lee-Steere Classic, before her Raconteur reversal, but there was little trace of that disappointment when she launched late to deny Prince Of Dala in the final stride, reports tbwa.net.au. Castle Road, as is his habit, poured the pressure on from the front and the tempo had the full field strung out by close to 15 lengths as they came off the riverside, setting up a searching test rather than a sit-and-sprint. Hot And High, placed within striking range on straightening, had to force her way into clear running at the expense of Westbound before setting out after Prince Of Dala, who looked to have the race in safe keeping until the daughter of Too Darn Hot found one last surge. “She’s still raw and we’ve believed all the way through that she would be a miler,” Luciani said, adding that while he felt her $2.60 quote was skinny enough, she was “right up to the mark” and had shown “the true Hot And High”. Bred and raced by Cape Falls Thoroughbreds owner Brett Fogarty, Hot And High is from the second southern crop of Darley shuttle sire Too Darn Hot and is out of the Snitzel mare High Conviction. Her female family traces to Group Three winner Paris Petard, whom Fogarty bought from Oakland Park for $100,000 at the 2011 Perth Magic Millions Autumn Sale. Already a Listed winner through last December’s Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic over 1400m, Hot And High has now given connections a stronger reason to look toward the better races during the Ascot Pinnacles. Luciani said she had “dug deep” and described her as “definitely a summer horse”, with the Belmont Guineas success strengthening the case for a sharper return aimed at higher targets rather than a longer spell and the mares series. Too Darn Hot is standing the 2026 breeding season for $275,000.

Hot And High (yellow cap) arrived in the nick of time (pic: Western Racepix)
Begg Buoyed but Wary Ahead of Gr1 Tiara
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A late-season Group 1 that once looked set to draw several headline mares has taken on a different complexion, but Grahame Begg remains wary of the depth still assembled for Saturday’s Tattersalls Tiara over 1400m at Eagle Farm, where Splash Back will try to turn a carefully mapped campaign into a top-level breakthrough. According to racenet.com.au, the final Group 1 of the Australian season lost its early favourite when Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman withdrew top-flight Zoustar mare She’s Got Pizzazz from the market on Sunday, the Dane Ripper Stakes winner having come through her heavy-track success in need of a break rather than another run. Coleman said it was “a real shame” and that the stable was disappointed, but the mare would now have a few weeks off with the hope of returning for the back end of spring. Fangirl has also been sent for a spell, while newly crowned Stradbroke Handicap winner Spicy Martini is likewise being aimed at spring targets, leaving Splash Back, Gerringong and Michael Freedman’s 2024 Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Manaal sharing favouritism at $5. Begg said the Tiara had been the race identified for Splash Back since last year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival, and while the field had “fallen away a little bit” with the absence of Fangirl and Spicy Martini, he stressed it would remain highly competitive. The dual Group 2-winning mare resumed her Queensland campaign in fine style when taking the Victory Stakes over 1200m at Eagle Farm second-up last month, before finishing midfield and beaten about three lengths in both the Kingsford Smith Cup over 1300m and the Stradbroke over 1400m. Begg believes circumstances have been against her in those Group 1 runs, particularly with the way Eagle Farm has played. “She’s been closer to the inside and it wasn’t the A-grade ground,” he said, adding that it had been difficult to make ground, with on-speed runners hard to reel in and the inside section inferior. He hopes she can settle a shade closer and work into a wider lane this time, with her fitness now at its peak. “She’s come through the Stradbroke really well,” Begg said. “We’re absolutely looking forward to next week. It’s weight-for-age, 1400m (fillies and mares), she’s rock-hard fit now.” The market reflects the open nature of the contest, with Gerringong, Manaal and Splash Back at $5, Abounding at $6, Poster Girl and Surfin Bird at $8, Within The Law at $10, and Melody Again and Naifah on the next line at $11. Begg will also make a sprinting adjustment with Niance, who is set to drop back to the Group Three WJ Healy Stakes over 1200m after two mixed Queensland runs, the latest an eighth in the Dane Ripper when she travelled near the speed but faded and left the stable unconvinced she had seen out 1300m.
Longest Lived Slipper Heroine Passes Away
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
One of the grand mares of the modern Golden Slipper roll of honour has gone, with 2001 winner Ha Ha dying recently at the age of 27, having been believed to be the oldest living heroine of Australia’s defining juvenile contest. Bred by Swettenham Stud, the bay daughter of Danehill and the Listed-winning Crown Jester mare Very Droll carried the colours of John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud and was one of the headline fillies of her generation. She announced herself immediately as a two-year-old when scoring easily on debut at Rosehill for Brian York, although that early gloss was checked a fortnight later when she was beaten by Magic Albert at the same course as a $1.60 favourite. A trip north for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic followed, where she finished fourth behind stablemate Excellerator, before Gai Waterhouse brought her back to Sydney and sharpened her for a Golden Slipper campaign. A narrow success in the Group Three Sweet Embrace Stakes put Ha Ha back on course for the Rosehill showpiece, and at $13 in the Slipper she delivered a result of lasting significance. Ridden by Jimmy Cassidy, she reversed the Magic Millions form with Excellerator, defeating him by 1.3 lengths, while Red Hannigan completed a Waterhouse trifecta in third. The victory gave Waterhouse her first Golden Slipper, a race she would go on to win eight times, and fixed Ha Ha’s name permanently among the stable’s most important horses. Far from being only an early-season star, Ha Ha returned at three to build an outstanding record, winning the Group Two Silver Shadow Stakes, Group Two Tea Rose Stakes and Group One Flight Stakes. She was narrowly beaten by Bart Cummings’ Magical Miss in the 2001 Group One Thousand Guineas at Caulfield, then added one last major success in the 2002 Group Two Apollo Stakes, defeating a field that included El Mirada, Tie The Knot, Referral, Freemason and Fairway. Ha Ha retired with eight wins, 11 placings and just under $3 million from 25 starts, though her broodmare career never matched her racing deeds, producing only one winner. Her first foal, the Sadler’s Wells colt Standing Ovation, made $1.3 million at the 2006 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but won just once. After years at Strawberry Hill, Ha Ha spent her final chapter at Yvonne Clerke’s Glastonbury Farms in the Hunter Valley.
Purton Treble Headlined by Group 3 Success
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
A patient ride, a clean passage and a well-timed return to Group company brought Little Paradise back to winning form in Sunday’s Group 3 Premier Cup over 1400m at Sha Tin, where Zac Purton gave the Jimmy Ting Koon-ho-trained four-year-old every chance to remind Hong Kong where his better form belongs. The son of Toronado had looked a serious talent, according to scmp.com, when beating Infinite Resolve by two lengths in February’s Classic Mile, but he could not carry that level through the remaining legs of the four-year-old series and was later luckless in the Group 1 Champions Mile before being freshened for eight weeks. Back at Sha Tin with 54.5kg, barrier four and Purton taking over, Little Paradise settled midfield and one off the fence before the champion jockey eased him out to track Winning Ovation three wide approaching the turn. Once into the straight, Purton angled wider and began to build his run, with Lucky With You dashing clear at the 200m and forcing the favourite to chase in earnest. Little Paradise gradually reeled him in, while Galaxy Patch, having his first outing for the Brett Crawford stable, stormed home from last to grab second by a neck and stamp himself as the flashing run of the race. The win also carried a pleasing echo for Purton and owner Ko Kam-piu, with the jockey having worn the same lilac and gold colours to victory aboard Little Bridge in the 2012 Group One King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. “It’s obviously a lucky week for myself and the connections, so it’s good,” Purton said, adding that Ting had done all he could to present the gelding properly. Purton felt Little Paradise probably was not at his peak after the break and just one trial, but the effort and the time of the race suggested there could be more to come next season. Ting, who shared a running double with Purton after Come Fast Fay Fay had also scored, said the Premier Cup plan had emerged only after Little Paradise showed signs of needing a breather following the Champions Mile. “After the [Champions] Mile he was a bit tired, so I gave him a short break and then I talked to the owner and said that maybe we run him in this race,” Ting said, noting the owner was keen to proceed. The trainer rated the horse’s fitness at “only 90 per cent” and admitted he was worried late when Little Paradise began to feel the pinch over the final 50m, but the combination of suitable distance, light weight, good draw and Purton’s polish proved decisive. Now a six-time winner from 12 starts, Little Paradise is likely to be given the chance to develop further with the Hong Kong Mile in view, with Ting still believing 1400m and 1600m are his best trips.
Magic Ride Sees Evergreen Beauty Cruz Home
Tuesday, 23rd June 2026
Few horses still have the appetite, constitution and class to win Group races at Sha Tin as nine-year-olds, but Beauty Joy again made a nonsense of the calendar when he successfully defended his crown in Sunday’s Group Three Premier Plate over 1800m, the final Group contest of the Hong Kong season. According to racingnews.hkjc, the Tony Cruz-trained veteran had already been living on borrowed time in a racing sense, with his future hinging on this same race a year earlier when Cruz told owner Simon Kwok and the Kwok family that defeat would bring retirement. Victory then bought him another campaign, and the same conversation had been circling again in recent weeks, only for Beauty Joy to answer it in the most persuasive fashion possible. Cruz said he had told Simon Kwok before last year’s race that “if he wins we’ll keep going for another season, if we lose we’ll retire him”, and after the gelding repeated the performance, the owner’s response was that it appeared they would continue. The next stop is set to be the Racehorse Owners’ Association Cup on July 12, after which a final call will be made, although Cruz acknowledged that rising 10 could be asking plenty of even so durable a campaigner. “He’s been a very genuine horse – a very difficult horse to race, but he’s got a fighting heart,” Cruz said. Joao Moreira produced a ride worthy of the occasion, settling Beauty Joy in midfield before easing him away from the rail approaching the straight and committing to a narrow run between Romantic Thor and Ka Ying Generation. It was bold, precise and decisive, and Cruz was unstinting in his praise for the Brazilian, saying he had been “very confident” once Moreira was booked and that the jockey delivered “a perfect race”. The win placed Beauty Joy in rare company, with nine-year-old Group winners in Hong Kong almost unheard of in the modern era. Able One’s 2011 Group One Hong Kong Mile success was the most recent example, while Bullish Luck’s 2008 Group Three Centenary Vase win over the same distance is the only other such case in the past two decades. Cruz also advanced his own record, becoming the most successful trainer in the Premier Plate, while Moreira lifted his tally in the race to three. The victory formed part of a double for “The Magic Man”, who also scored on Winning Machine for Caspar Fownes in the Class Five Spessartine Garnet Handicap over 1400m.

Beauty Joy claimed back-to-back Gr3 Premier Plates (pic: hkjc.com)

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