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Turfling
Australasia
Tuesday 6 October 2026
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The lead
Bjorn Baker keeps Warwoven in Sydney before the Caulfield Guineas
Warwoven runs in Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas over 1600 metres, and Bjorn Baker is preparing him in Sydney rather than at Caulfield’s Guineas Week gallops. He works again at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Left handed racing is the question: all eight of his starts have been right handed. “He’s fantastic, he’s got a great attitude, he’s really bombproof,” Baker said. The Cox Plate at Flemington on 24 October follows if Saturday goes well (NZ Racing News)
He took the Golden Rose over 1400 metres at Rosehill on 26 September by 3.2 lengths under Rachel King, running 1:20.93. The analyst Daniel O’Sullivan rated the performance 105.5 at weight for age, among the highest returned by a Golden Rose winner in the past decade. “That is an elite performance,” O’Sullivan said. It was the first Group 1 winner for Warwoven’s sire Sword Of State (Just Horse Racing) Fields and barrier positions are Racing Australia content and are not reproduced here.
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Things to know today
| 1 |
Seventy one horses remain in contention for the 24 places in the Lexus Melbourne Cup, after 30 came out at first acceptances. Four of them hold ballot exemptions: Defiantly, Shockletz, Zakouma and Mr Monaco. Second acceptances close at noon on 13 October, with further qualifying runs, withdrawals and exemptions still to shape the field before final acceptances (Just Horse Racing) |
| 2 |
God’s Window won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap at Royal Randwick on Saturday by nearly a length and three quarters with 50 kilograms, having been 15th of 16 at the turn. The six year old son of Dubawi and the Nathaniel mare Perfect Clarity was bred and is raced by Gaynor Rupert of Drakenstein Stud in South Africa, is trained by Chris Waller and was ridden by the apprentice Siena Grima. Rupert said everybody in the world admires Australian racing, and of Grima that she understands him so well and he clearly runs for her (TTR AusNZ) |
| 3 |
Miss Waititi broke her maiden in the Listed Super Impose Stakes over 1800 metres at Flemington on Saturday at her third start, the Circus Maximus filly trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr and ridden by Craig Williams. She was passed in at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and then sold for $30,000 at Windsor Park’s South Island Rugby, Racing and Beer Sale. Windsor Park bred her from the Fastnet Rock mare Fritillary, and the stud’s Steve Till said not many win a stakes race at their third start at a Flemington carnival (Breednet, NZ Racing News) |
| 4 |
Vantaa won a 1600 metre maiden on the Pakenham synthetic on Monday by two lengths in 1:38.22 at his second start, the three year old gelding trained by Matt Laurie, ridden by Jake Noonan and wearing blinkers for the first time. He cost $200,000 from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the Inglis Easter Sale and is the fifth winner from five foals to race out of the Street Cry mare Tuusula. He is the sixth Australian winner for the second season sire St Mark’s Basilica (Breednet) |
| 5 |
Inglewood Stud will sell at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale for the first time, the North Canterbury nursery better known for its Karaka yearling drafts offering a Wild Ruler gelding and a Profondo filly from the Seamist family. A Harry Angel colt was taken out of the draft with an injury and will be trained in house instead. “We’ve decided to roll the dice ourselves this year, see how we go and hopefully have a bit of fun doing it,” Gus Wigley said (Breednet, NZ Racing News) |
| 6 |
Bodyguard has his first foals on the ground at Armidale Stud, the I Am Invincible horse out of the Fastnet Rock mare Tumooh standing at $8,800 including GST this season. He was a $1.6 million Magic Millions yearling who won the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes on debut and the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield. The stud’s David Whishaw said there is plenty of strength and substance, good bone and great shape about the foals seen so far (Breednet) |
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International
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France
Daryz is unlikely to race again, his owner says
Princess Zahra Aga Khan said Daryz is unlikely to be seen on a racecourse again after his second Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. “No, I doubt it very much. He has other duties to perform,” she said, adding that each time you run him there is a risk. Francis-Henri Graffard, who trains him, would rather keep him in work: “I wish I could be allowed to win the race with him for a third time, but I don’t think I will be allowed to.” Japan’s long wait went on, Admire Terra finishing 11th and Meisho Tabaru 14th (Idol Horse)
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Hong Kong
A $50,000 Karaka graduate takes the Sha Tin dirt
Definitive won the Muk Min Ha Handicap over 1650 metres on the Sha Tin dirt by two and a quarter lengths in 1:38, beating Talents Ambition and Sky Vino. The five year old is by War Decree out of the Rip Van Winkle mare Fascinate Me, was bred by Ysberg Bloodstock and was bought by Mike Breslin for $50,000 from Inglewood Stud’s 2022 Karaka Book 1 draft, having raced in New Zealand as Revolt. David Eustace trains him and Karis Teetan rode him from barrier seven with 115 pounds. Eustace said he got a beautiful ride and the setup of the race worked out well for him, and that Happy Valley is likely next (NZ Racing News)
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The week ahead
| 10 October |
Group 1 Caulfield Guineas over 1600 metres at Caulfield |
| 12 October |
Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale at Bundall |
| 12 and 13 October |
New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run breeze ups at Te Rapa |
| 17 October |
The Everest over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick |
| 24 October |
Group 1 Cox Plate over 2040 metres at Flemington |
| 31 October |
Group 1 Victoria Derby over 2500 metres at Flemington |
| 31 October |
The Golden Eagle over 1500 metres at Royal Randwick |
| 3 November |
Lexus Melbourne Cup over 3200 metres at Flemington |
| 18 and 19 November |
New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka |
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This week
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Turfling
Reported from official race-day materials, racecourse and regulator publications, and sales results, verified against trade press. Where a fact originates elsewhere, we say so. Drafted with AI assistance. Picks are percentages, never odds. Not affiliated with any track, tote board, regulator or wagering product.
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