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MELBOURNE
THE wet weather – or how much rain would fall at Sandown last Saturday – went close to costing trainer John McArdle a deserved Group 1 win with My Gladiola in the Moir Stakes.
McArdle was quick to admit he almost scratched Mr Gladiola when more rain was forecast on race morning because the grey mare had not in the past produced her best in the wetter conditions. The meeting was postponed after the Moir was run due to continuing lightning activity.
Unsung hero of the win was jockey Jamie Mott, who is riding in career best form and gave champion Craig Williams a run for his money in the last Melbourne premiership.
Mott, a one-time jumps jockey, with more than 1800 wins on his CV, has ridden five Group 1 winners but declared My Gladiola the best. He was quite emotional after the win paying tribute to his good mate McArdle. “We’ve both had success in Group 1s, but not together, so this is very special.”
A tilt at The Everest was well and truly ruled out after Ka Ying Rising resumed with a track record breaking win at Sha Tin on Sunday. My Gladiola will run in the either the G1 Manikato Stakes Caulfield on September 27 or the G2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington on October 3. She will have a few more runs this spring, and then a light autumn campaign in Australia, before tackling the famed Royal Ascot carnival in England.
PUNTERS were celebrating after Evaporate ran up to his comeback run with a win in the So You Think Stakes proving too strong for Pinstriped.
Jockey Blake Shinn declared Group 1 success within the reach of Evaporate after he returned to Sandown where he had last won a year ago.
Despite his absence from the winner’s circle, Evaporate was hardly out of form banking more than $1.6mn with close seconds in the G1 Toorak and All-Star Mile as well as finishing third in the $10mn Golden Eagle last Spring.
Team Hayes did not declare a definite goal going forward with Evaporate except to say: ‘We’ve got plenty of options now.’
STEWARDS’ REPORTS regarding queried rides or disappointing runs on the day by fancied runners:
GIGA KICK: Approaching the winning post was steadied when awkward on the heels of Skybird. Rider Mark Zahra reported that Giga Kick was not sharp enough over the 1000m and would now be suited by stepping up in distance. Trainer Clayton Douglas concurred with the views of Zahra and advised that the plan would be to continue on to the Manikato Stakes subject to Giga Kick recovering satisfactorily. Douglas undertook to report any abnormalities, should they arise, in the days subsequent. A post-race veterinary examination did not reveal any significant findings. Stewards will follow up with the stable.
CLOSER TO FREE: Rider Mark Zahra reported in his opinion the colt did not run out the 1300m and was also not suited on the soft track conditions. Zahra added that he had recommended to connections to drop the horse back in distance and add blinkers to its gear. A post-race veterinary examination revealed the colt to be lame in the near hind leg. A veterinary clearance is required prior to being permitted to race or officially trial again.
CRUISERWEIGHT: When questioned, rider Ethan Brown explained he had been asked to ride the gelding with cover. Brown added when the tempo steadied in the middle stages, Cruiserweight travelled comfortably, albeit a little keenly. When questioned regarding his riding from the 500m, Brown explained as his mount had not raced since 25 July 2026, he endeavoured to assist the horse coming down the downhill section of track from the 500m to the 400m, before placing his mount under pressure soon thereafter. Brown added that Cruiserweight quickened well, however peaked on its run over the final 50m.
OUR HORSE TO FOLLOW OUT OF THE MEETING: FUNDAMENTAL NATURE.
RANDWICK
THE run of the day was the return of TEMPTED in the Group 2 Concorde Stakes but whether he will continue to improve sufficiently to challenge Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising in The Everest is debatable.
Tempted was heavily-backed and won impressively but the effort of runner-up Head Wall, at his first start after a year-long injury-enforced absence was, in the opinion of many good judges, finishing just as strongly.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare is No 1 contender for the Godolphin slot in The Everest with their Memside Stakes winner Beiwacht also in contention.
“She’s definitely in the discussion for our slot and perhaps another one, in the event we needed two,” Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said. “There’s still a bit of water still to go under the bridge, but it’s great to see her kick off in that way.”
Maher said Tempted would head to the Premiere Stakes as a final Everest lead-in.
On the Concorde runs, trainer Matt Smith is entitled to believe that Head Wall doesn’t have to improve too much on that comeback effort to earnt a place in The Everest field.
ONE wonders if the Aussies are all running for second – once again – after the track record comeback of Ka Ying Rising in the Chief Executive’s Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Richie Callander, one would have thought, was very much tongue in cheek looking for the critics to take the bait when he declared in his Racenet column that Ka Yhing Rising beat nothing.
The ‘not so big fella’ wrote: ‘Come on ‘King’ Ka Ying, bring it on, you looked good against second raters at Sha Tin on Sunday, but we’ll be ready to go in Sydney in five weeks, Randwick will be rocking and our Aussie challengers will be in the zone.
Tempted, runner-up last year as an immature three-year-old, is ready to show something special this time around as a mature racing machine.
Watch the replay of the interview with Ciaron Maher, her trainer, after Tempted’s scintillating win in the Concorde Stakes at Randwick on Saturday and tell me if he has ever looked more excited.
Headwall, the runner-up in the Concorde, will surely snare a spot, Ninja is already paid up, Guest House, the Golden Slipper winner, has it as his number one priority, Joliestar and Beiwacht are telling Chris Waller they want to be there.
RICHIE did round up his early Everest preview with this admission: WOW, how good did Ka Ying Rising look on Sunday?
DESPITE all the hullabuloo about how the fierce headwind at Randwick on Saturday would make it near-on impossible for leaders to win, LINDERMANN comes out and bolts in with the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes.
All the fear mongers achieved was creating an unexpected price for Lindermann (his SP was $2.7 but they bet more) when he should have been odds-on from the outset.
Some of our readers have called in a form reversal after his tiring first-up ninth in the G1 Winx Stakes but the seven-year-old has never raced as well fresh as he does second-up (now five wins from 10 starts).
The Lindermann price drift was also aided by a move for stablemate FANGIRL, finishing a creditable third and taking her earnings to over $11mn before heading to the breeding barn.
STEWARDS reports on queried rides or runners deemed to be disappointing on Saturday:
PEMBREY: Tommy Berry reported that after obtaining the lead, the filly travelled comfortably. He said, however, that when placed under pressure in the straight, Pembrey did not quicken as he had anticipated and raced flat. He added that Pembrey may not have backed up from its first-up win. A post-race veterinary examination of Pembrey revealed a slow recovery.
CHERRY BOMSHELL: Jockey Ben Thompson reported that it was his intention to settle in a forward position. He said, however, that Cherry Bomshell began awkwardly and lost ground, which resulted in the filly settling towards the rear of the field.
PRIVATE EYE: Jockey Nash Rawiller reported that Private Eye did not show any early speed and, to avoid being caught wide, he elected to ease the gelding to obtain cover towards the rear of the field. He added that Private Eye never travelled comfortably through the middle stages and, when placed under pressure in the home straight, did not close the race off. He added that the only explanation he could offer for the disappointing performance was that Private Eye may not have been comfortable on the firmer track. A post-race veterinary examination of Private Eye did not reveal any abnormalities.
IDLE FLYER: Jockey Zac Lloyd reported that the mare, which was backing up after a first-up run where the race was run at a strong tempo throughout, may not have been suited by the speed of this race.
THEBUDGIESMUGLA: Jockey Dylan Gibbons stated that he felt the gelding was disappointing as it failed to close off in the home straight after enjoying a comfortable run. A post-race veterinary examination of Thebudgiesmugla did not reveal any significant abnormalities.
OUR HORSE TO HORSE TO FOLLOW OUT OF THE MEETING: STRIKING ALIBI.
EAGLE FARM
APART from the dismal performance of his star filly PEMBREY at Randwick, from a punters’ perspective it was the good, the bad and the ugly for champion Queensland trainer Tony Gollan last Saturday.
After watching the impressive first-up win of Pembrey in the G2 Silver Shadow over the same T&D, one not so impressed punter had this to say after the filly’s poor showing in the G2 Furious: ‘Gollan had to be kidding when he didn’t rule out a start in The Everest for Pembrey. She would need to start a race earlier to beat that quality of horse.’
It was far from an unsuccessful day for Gollan at Eagle Farm where he landed a successful treble but you can’t please all the people (especially the punters) all the time.
Gollan had three of the seven starters in the second and they ran first, second and fourth – the best fancied Zoubaby was favorite and performed the worst. The winner Moulin Miss jumped to the front and proved too strong for stablemate Fleetwood.
The Moulin Miss win provoked this comment from one punter, who admits he backed Zoubaby: ‘Gollan is quickly becoming the Waller of the north when he has multiple runners in races. I know she was back in trip on Saturday. but I thought Moulin Miss was disappointing at her previous start.’
There were no complaints when Precise Star continued on her winning way (that’s now four on end since joining Gollan) but it was the result in the last that angered punters and blew most out of the Quaddy.
Gollan had four starters and three of those ran the trifecta. Sadly, from a punters’ perspective, the roughie Millane at $41 saluted from King Kapa and the well-backed favorite Hell. Millane was never a chance 1st-up after missing the start and finishing 10th of 12. He dropped in class, had good stats over the track and trip but was drawn off the track.
STEWARDS obviously felt as much in the dark over the form reversal as the punters so they sought some answers. Here is their report:
WHEN questioned regarding the improved performance of MILLANE, trainer’s representative Craig Cavanagh advised that the gelding trialled successfully (during the) week with the addition of a blindfold, which aided in the gelding being able to jump with the field allowing MILLANE to take up a forward position. He further added, though he was surprised to see horse jump so well, it will be the intention of the stable for the gelding to be ridden in a similar pattern going forward.
THE only way those who do the form on Brisbane races could have selected this $41 chance was applying a BLINDFOLD to THEMSELVES. Just another of the many from the excuse book of the Gollan stable.
APART FROM THE ABOVE, here’s what STEWARDS had to say about disappointing performances on the day at EAGLE FARM:
ANGEL LADDER (Favorite & woeful in the First): Slow into stride. Jockey Tahlia Fenlon reported on scales that she felt her mount proved disappointing but further added being first-up, would derive benefit from the run. Trainer’s representative Dechlan Maher advised he would report back to stewards if anything may come to light following the mare’s performance. A post race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities.
ZOUBABY: Began awkwardly and bumped with PRUCIA. Held up during the early stages of the home turn until near the 200m.
SAN GABRIEL: When asked to comment on the performance on SAN GABRIEL, jockey Taylor Marshall explained that the gelding proved disappointing when placed under pressure over the concluding stages. A post race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities. Trainer Rob Heathcote advised he would report back to stewards if anything may come to light following the mares performance.
ARTFUL GIRL: When questioned regarding the improved performance of ARTFUL GIRL, trainer Kevin Kemp stated that the mare benefited from the step up distance and the softer racing surface presented for this race meeting. He further added that he was pleased with how ARTFUL GIRL finished off the 2200m at Eagle Farm on the 29th August 2026 and as such expected a forward showing.
CAPITAL ASSET – When asked to comment on performance of CAPITAL ASSET, apprentice Montana Philpot explained that the gelding over-raced in the early stages and then failed to settle. Passing the 800m made respiratory noises and from that point weakened noticeably. A post race veterinary examination revealed no apparent abnormalities. Stewards advised trainer Sam Strazzieri that a veterinary certificate inclusive of an endoscopic exam would be required prior to CAPITAL ASSET accepting for a future jump-out, trial or race.
ROSA KISS: Raced wide throughout. When asked to comment on the performance of ROSA KISS , jockey Daniel Moor could not comment anything of note regarding the performance. A post-race veterinary examination revealed a poor post race recovery. Trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith advised it would be their intentions to send ROSA KISS for a spell.
OUR HORSE TO FOLLOW FROM THIS MEETING: Ex-HONG KONG galloper LIM’S SHAVANO.
