Things to know today
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Chris Waller can equal Tommy Smith’s record of seven Cox Plate wins at Flemington on Saturday. Waller has six, among them six of the past eleven runnings, from 25 starters since 2012, and his runners have earned about $19 million from the race since 2010, $15 million of it from the wins. He saddles Aeliana, the 2025 Australian Derby winner, for James McDonald, who has won the past four runnings, and Birdman, winner of the Doomben Cup and the Underwood Stakes, from barrier one under Ben Melham. “She’s ready to peak,” Waller said of Aeliana. A seventh would also deny Smith’s daughter Gai Waterhouse a first win in the race (The Straight) |
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Persian Wonder steps up to 2000 metres for the first time in the $2 million Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. The David Payne trained three year old, by Hello Youmzain out of the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars and bred by Cambridge Stud, won the Ming Dynasty Quality and was then beaten less than two lengths by his stablemate Proxima Dea in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800 metres, working home from the back of the field after four weeks between runs. Ash Morgan, who has ridden him at his past three starts, keeps the mount. “I’m really confident he’ll stay the trip,” Morgan said (NZ Racing News, The Straight) |
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Stewards abandoned Friday’s Ballarat meeting at 2.50pm after two races, with seven unrun, when riders reported that a horse had slipped near the 1000 metres. Stewards and jockeys inspected the ground between the 1000 and 400 metre marks, the track was then aerated between 1000 and 380 metres and re-inspected, and the riders voted 14 to 3 to abandon, past the eight unsafe votes from 17 that Racing Victoria’s track safety procedure requires. Racing Victoria said the senior jockey who rode a routine morning gallop had reported the surface suitable, and its tracks and facilities team will inspect before Ballarat’s next meeting on 2 November. Connections in the seven unrun races will be compensated (The Straight) |
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Persistent rain forced Racing Queensland to move Saturday’s Doomben metropolitan meeting across the road to Eagle Farm, rated Heavy 10 on Friday, with seven of the ten races changing distance. The Sunshine Coast lost its course proper meeting on Friday after a further 100 millimetres overnight and switched to its Polytrack, the Gold Coast moved Saturday’s turf card to Polytrack, and Ipswich and Beaudesert lost a meeting and barrier trials. “Moving a race meeting across the road from Doomben to Eagle Farm in 24 hours sounds easy … but it ain’t!” the Brisbane Racing Club chief executive Karl De Kroo said, after more than 150 millimetres of rain in the week (The Straight) |
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Racing NSW has closed the Bathurst course proper until at least early 2027 after a fall on the home turn unseated the apprentices Deon La Roux and Dale Cole, both of whom were taken to Orange Base Hospital, with Clayton Gallagher escaping minor injuries. Stewards reported that La Roux’s mount lost her footing at the 350 metres and brought down two other horses, the second fall on that bend this year. The December meeting is cancelled, the next fixture moves to Orange, and trackwork is off the course proper. Scott Kennedy of Racing NSW pointed to the corner’s awkward shape and a slight negative camber, and said consultants will assess what can be done (The Straight) |
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Te Akau’s Riccarton team is spread across Saturday’s ten race card, with the assistant trainer Hunter Durrant reporting the horses in order. Sword Of Stars, a Sword Of State filly who won a Timaru maiden over 1200 metres by two lengths, runs in the Group 3 War Decree Stakes over 1400 metres from barrier four with her side winkers removed, and Zafar, by Snitzel and a Listed Champagne Stakes winner as a juvenile, goes in the same race in full cup blinkers. Hakkinen, by Savabeel and unbeaten this spring with two South Island wins, carries 53 kilograms in the Listed Spring Classic over 2000 metres. Sweetest Thing skips the War Decree for an exhibition gallop and goes straight to the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas over 1600 metres next month. “Sweetest Thing is flying,” Durrant said (NZ Racing News) |
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Road To Paris has been set for the Group 1 TAB Mufhasa Classic over 1600 metres at Trentham on 5 December. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood trained New Zealand Derby winner, by Circus Maximus and bred and raced by Ron and Judi Wanless, resumed with a 1150 metre trial at Te Awamutu, and an open 1400 metres at Tauranga on 14 November may take the place of a second trial. He won two of eight starts at three and was second in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas. “He has strengthened markedly and his constitution is better,” James said (NZ Racing News) |
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