Beiwacht dominates the Memsie Stakes & Leading Change lands the Travers Stakes ➡️ WHR Weekly

What’s Happened

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇷

Stakes races this week were split between La Plata and San Isidro, situated on either side of Buenos Aires.

The G2 Clasico La Mission, an important stepping stone to the G1 Gran Premio Copa de Plata, was the headline act at San Isidro with Igual No Soy leading throughout. The Juan Saldivia-trained mare held off reigning Horse of the Year Charm at her first start over 2000m.

On the same card, Hi Pocho won the G3 Clasico Ensayo in a canter for trainer Marcelo Sueldo and jockey Gonzalo Borda. Meanwhile, at La Plata, it was all about the three-year-olds with Teobaldo taking the G3 Clasico Jose Pedro Ramirez for the boys and Siesta the G3 Clasico Diego White for the fillies.

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

The traditional spring starting point in Melbourne is the G1 Memsie Stakes and it was all about Chris Waller-trained Beiwacht, who continued his incredible record at 1400m by defeating eight Group 1 winners in tremendous fashion under Nash Rawiller.

The G3 The Heath potentially unearthed a contender for The Everest when Tom Dabernig’s Oliveanotherday continued his remarkable rise from obscurity, while the G3 McNeil Stakes was won by American Eagle for Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Up in Sydney, Golden Slipper winner Guest House made an impressive three-year-old return in the G3 San Domenico Stakes while unheralded Plagiarism broke his maiden in winning the G3 Up And Coming Stakes.

🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇱

Chile delivered one of the weekend’s most remarkable sire feats, with all three G1 winners by Travers Stakes winner Tiz The Law.

Kerouac dominated Friday’s G1 Clasico Polla de Potrancas at Club Hipico de Santiago, Astromelia ended Bahia Perdida’s unbeaten run in Saturday’s G1 Clasico Mil Guineas at Hipodromo Chile and Makhulu completed the treble with a decisive G1 Clasico Polla de Potrillos victory on Sunday.

On the same Sunday card, My Way successfully defended his G2 Clasico Copa de Oro title – the first to win the Club Hipico feature in consecutive years in 30 years.

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

The curtain came down on Deauville’s August meeting with British nine-year-old Al Aasy finally landing a first Group 2, charging late under Pierre-Charles Boudot in the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville. William Haggas’s veteran had already won eight G3s and became the oldest ever winner of the race.

Earlier, Wathnan’s Diego Ventura emerged on top of a three-way finish in the G3 Prix Quincey, while Danish sprinter Great Wish produced the day’s most decisive display, streaking four and a half lengths clear in the G3 Prix de Meautry for Bent Olsen and Mickael Barzalona

🇩🇪 Germany 🇩🇪

Baden-Baden’s Grosse Woche meeting opened with Stingray recording the biggest win of his career in the G3 Preis der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe for Marcel Weiss and Leon Wolff.

A day later, Holguin gave Wathnan Racing, Hamad Al Jehani and Faleh Bughenaim a second successive G3 Goldene Peitsche, 12 months after The Strikin Viking.

🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇪

At the Curragh, the juvenile races produced two upsets: Jim Bolger’s Sea Of Rain became the first stakes winner for Naval Crown in the G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes, while unbeaten Push The Boat Out denied Coventry winner Great Barrier Reef in the G3 Round Tower Stakes. British raider Miss Scott then swept almost four lengths clear in the G3 Snow Fairy Stakes for John and Thady Gosden and Christophe Soumillon.

At Cork, Magny Cours finally gained an official first victory with a two-and-a-half-length success in the G3 Little Big Bear Stakes; she was a maiden winner in June last year but was subsequently disqualified. Daniel McLoughlin’s filly is now likely to step up to G1 company in the Prix de la Foret.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

Zoroastro made a winning return from a four-month break in the G3 Niigata Kinen, edging out G1 NHK Mile Cup winner Rodeo Drive by a head under Mirai Iwata. The three-year-old had missed the Japanese Derby after suffering a bleed following the Satsuki Sho.

At Chukyo, unbeaten juvenile G T Maika swept past her rivals to win the G3 Chukyo Nisai Stakes. The victory made Kyoko Maekawa the first female trainer in JRA history to win a graded stakes race.

🇳🇴 Norway 🇳🇴

After last Sunday’s Norsk Derby card was abandoned because of a slippery track, the meeting – headed by the G3 Marit Sveaas Minnelop – was finally run two days later. Last year’s Norwegian Derby winner War Socks led the Marit Sveaas Minnelop throughout under Thore Hammer-Hansen, breaking the 1800m track record and spearheading a one-two for trainer Niels Petersen. It was Petersen’s 10th win in the race.

Meanwhile, this year’s Derby was taken by Super Smooth – bred, owned and trained by amateur horsewoman Gina Mathisen.

 🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇪

Monterrico’s G3 Clasico Miguel A Checa Eguiguren was decided in the stewards’ room. Happy Man crossed the line first but was demoted after his jockey’s whip interfered with Zuccaro in the closing stages, handing the race to Carlos Trujillo’s eight-year-old.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

Zavateri returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since last year’s G1 National Stakes with a dominant three-and-a-half-length victory in the G2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood. Eve Johnson Houghton’s colt will now head to the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day.

At Sandown, Love Dynasty relished the soft ground to come out on the top of a five-way finish in the G3 Atalanta Stakes, while the experienced Alfred Wallace held on narrowly in the G3 Solario Stakes and is likely to be tested at G1 level next.

Back at Goodwood on Sunday, Light Of Dawn completed a remarkable international weekend for Wathnan Racing with her first Group win in the G3 Prestige Stakes under James Doyle.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

Saratoga’s Travers Day delivered five G1 winners, headed by the extraordinary Leading Change in the G1 Travers Stakes. Making only his third start, Brad Cox’s unbeaten colt wore down Preakness winner Napoleon Solo with Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Golden Tempo third.

Chad Brown and Flavien Prat swept the major races for fillies and mares as Fully Subscribed romped home by almost 10 lengths in the Personal Ensign and Ways and Means dominated the Ballerina by more than five lengths. Englishman made all to stake his claim as the best American three-year-old in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, while Hymn recorded a first G1 win in the Forego.

The Kentucky Downs meeting began with In Our Time leading throughout to defeat two-time winner Ag Bullet in the G1 Ladies Turf Sprint. Del Mar’s three graded races went to Test Score in the G2 Del Mar Handicap, Iron Man Cal in the G2 Pat O’Brien and unbeaten Rabeeba in the G3 Torrey Pines.

Friday night at Charles Town saw Willy D’s reverse last year’s G2 Charles Town Classic result with Banishing, while Niche handed previously unbeaten favourite At A Premium her first defeat in the G2 Charles Town Oaks.

What’s Happening

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇦🇷

The country’s top three-year-olds will step forward in the G1 Polla de Potrancas and the G1 Polla de Potrillos, while the older horses step out in the G1 General San Martin at Palermo.

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

The G1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, Australia’s sole Group 1 over the minimum 1000m trip during the spring, sees exciting three-year-old Natural Fling tackle G1 winners like Giga Kick, Rothfire and Skybird.

Four G2 races at Randwick in Sydney, including the Concorde Stakes over 1000m and the Chelmsford Stakes over 1600m, will see some of Australia’s best horses make their spring return.

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇧🇷

It’s a weekend for the three-year-olds across South America and it’s the same at Sao Paulo’s Cidade Jardim: the G1 Grande Premio Ipiranga for the colts and geldings and the G1 Grande Premio Barao de Piracicaba for the fillies.

🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇱

After Astromelia won the G1 Clasico Mil Guineas – the 1000 Guineas – last weekend, the colts and geldings will step out in the G1 Clasico Dos Mil Guineas at Hipodromo Chile.

🇫🇷 France  🇫🇷

The Arc Trials will headline the return to Longchamp as leading contenders for next month’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe emerge. Defending champion Daryz continues his path towards the first Sunday in October, tackling the G2 Prix Foy, while the G1 Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares and the G2 Prix Niel for three-year-olds are also key lead-ups.

The meeting also features the G1 Prix du Moulin, a notable target for some of Europe’s best milers.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

Four graded stakes races will be run this weekend, each with a recent history of producing future G1 winners. In particular, the G2 Shion Stakes for three-year-old fillies is a lead-up to the G1 Shuka Sho while the G2 Centaur Stakes is the main lead-up to the G1 Sprinters Stakes.

🇲🇺 Mauritius 🇲🇺

The island’s best race, the Maiden Cup, has a history that dates back to 1843. Large crowds will flock to Champ de Mars this weekend to see the next Mauritian champion emerge over 2400m.

🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇳🇿

The G1 Proisir Plate features the return of last season’s champion three-year-old Well Written among a slew of Group 1 winners.

🇰🇷 South Korea 🇰🇷

The country’s two biggest races – the G2 Korea Cup and G3 Korea Sprint – will take centre stage at Seoul Racecourse. Breeders’ Cup berths will be on the line in both races.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

At Haydock, the G1 Sprint Cup features many of Britain’s best sprinters, while perhaps the most intriguing race of the weekend will be the G3 September Stakes at Kempton as champion hurdler Constitution Hill makes his Group race debut on the flat.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

Del Mar’s summer meet comes to a close with the G1 Del Mar Debutante and the G1 Del Mar Futurity, while the two-year-olds are also in the spotlight at Saratoga in the G1 Spinaway Stakes and the G1 Hopeful Stakes.



The Kentucky Downs meeting features the G2 Kentucky Turf Cup and the G2 Nashville Derby