Knightsbridge Romps, Item Shines & Kalpana Holds On in a Huge Racing Week

What’s Happened

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

G1 action returned to Australia on Saturday with the Winx Stakes at Randwick providing a superb showdown between two top fillies, Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi. It was the former who got the win, powering to a length and a half success under James McDonald, for trainer Chris Waller.

It was a fourth G1 success for Autumn Glow, who could meet Sheza Alibi again if both head to the G1 King Charles III Stakes, back at Randwick, on October 17th. It was a remarkable 10th success in the contest for Waller, including three with the mare it is named after.

McDonald also took the main supporting race, Pembrey running out the convincing winner of the HKJC World Pool-sponsored G2 Silver Shadow Stakes for trainer Tony Gollan.

🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇦

The big-race action at Woodbine continued on Saturday when Saffie Joseph shipped Reagan’s Flame up from New York to win the G3 Seaway Stakes, in the hands of Edgard Zayas.

Century Mile staged the 97th G3 Canadian Derby on Sunday – the biggest race held at the Edmonton track. It went to Quarry, for rookie trainer Jerry Gorneau, who beat Big Curl by half a length in the hands of Damario Bynoe.

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

There was a devastating performance in the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville on Sunday when the filly Senorita Bonita came from last to first in the hands of Oisin Murphy. Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the daughter of Starspangledbanner beat Carry The Flag by four lengths.

Carry The Flag’s trainer Aidan O’Brien also finished second in the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, his hitherto unbeaten Diamond Necklace overturned by Aventure, two years her senior. Christophe Ferland’s five-year-old, second in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, will head to the G1 Prix de l’Opera this time around.

Joseph O’Brien struck on the undercard, taking the G2 Prix Kergolay with Defiantly, while Woot Woot was the convincing winner of the G2 Prix du Calvados, for trainer Christopher Head.

🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇪

The Curragh hosted three Group races on Saturday and all three went to the O’Brien family. Joseph kicked things off when his Green Empress won the G2 Debutante Stakes, followed by father Aidan’s win in the G2 Futurity with Giant Seqouia. He followed up in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial with Queenstown, ridden by Wayne Lordan.

Ireland’s sole Group race on Sunday was the G3 Ballyogan Stakes, at Naas, which went to the Ger Lyons-trained Chantez who beat Soul Love by half a length.

🇲🇺 Mauritius 🇲🇺

Cumbre Vieja extended his unbeaten record to nine with victory in the G1 Mauritius Derby on Sunday. The victory, in the hands of Manoel Nunes, made him the first ever winner of the Mauritius Triple Crown.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

The York Ebor meeting, one of the UK’s most popular summer festivals, began on Wednesday with its feature race, the G1 Juddmonte International, topping the agenda. It was billed as something of a match between defending champion Ombudsman and rising star Constitution River but in fact it was Item, ridden by Colin Keane for Andrew Balding, who came home the winner in the colours of the sponsors. It was a third win from three starts on the Knavesmire for the Frankel colt, who overcame a minor foot problem earlier in the week to make the starting line-up.

Item holds an entry for the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, as does Maltese Cross who ran out the dour winner of the G2 Great Voltigeur for William Haggas and Tom Marquand. The three-year-old, second in the Derby, beat his Epsom conqueror Christmas Day, only third this time.

Christmas Day’s trainer Aidan O’Brien did take the G3 Acomb Stakes, however, with his charge Haffner earning a spot in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in the process.

Not content merely with scooping the week’s biggest prize, Balding and Juddmonte followed up on Thursday when G1 King George heroine Kalpana won the G1 Yorkshire Oaks – just. Ridden again by Keane, the mare held off outsider Sparan Nua by a short head. It was a fourth G1 for Kalpana, who will now head either to the Arc or for a third successive G1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot.

It was a day of special fillies, Libertango taking the G2 Lowther Stakes for George Boughey and Billy Loughnane, while G1 winner Sun Goddess was an unusual starter in the Harry’s Half Million by Goffs Sales race. She produced a remarkable performance, charging home by six lengths under Ryan Moore for O’Brien, and now looks Breeders’ Cup bound.

Friday saw an international renewal of the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes, with runners from the UK, Ireland, US, France and Japan lining up for the 1000metre dash. The win went to the USA, Wesley Ward’s Bacio dominating from the front under Juan Hernandez. The colt, who remarkably won a Royal Ascot handicap on his previous start, will now take up his entry in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at his home track of Keeneland.

Notable Speech was a five-time G1 winner coming into Saturday’s G1 City of York Stakes, the UK’s newest top-level contest. However, with trainer Charlie Appleby expressing ground concerns, he was a lukewarm favourite. That didn’t matter to the horse, however, who showed his brilliant turn of foot under William Buick, winning by two and three-quarter lengths from Lake Forest. The five-year-old will now head to Keeneland for a defence of the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

The featured Ebor Handicap produced a thrilling finale, Alan King’s Daiquiri Bay just beating Hopewell Rock by a head under an elated Rossa Ryan. King, predominantly a National Hunt trainer, is reluctant to take up his ‘Golden Ticket’ Melbourne Cup entry, but George Boughey is likely to travel to Flemington with the runner-up.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

The performance of the week Stateside isn’t in doubt. Knightsbridge romped to a brilliant win in the G1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar, beating a quality field by six and a quarter lengths under Junior Alvarado, despite fast fractions throughout. It was a first G1 for the Godolphin-owned colt who now surely must take on his Bill Mott-trained stablemate Sovereignty in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, for which this was a Win and You’re In.

It was a great day for Alvarado, who also won the G1 Del Mar Oaks on Tam Tam for Philip Bauer. Trainer Philip D’Amato took both the card’s G2s, Sorrento Sky winning the Green Flash Handicap and King Of Gosford taking the Del Mar Mile.

Chad Brown winners at Saratoga are rarely a surprise, but it was when My Gun’s Loaded beat hot favourite Counting Stars, third, in the G1 Alabama. Ridden by Manny Franco, she held off Measure and Counting Stars by a neck and a length and a half and may next take on her elders in the G2 Beldame at Belmont or the G1 Spinster at Keeneland.

Counting Stars’ trainer Mark Casse gained some recompense for her defeat having earlier taken the G2 Ballston Spa with And One More Time, who beat Stuart Williams’ British raider Sunlit Uplands by a neck – surviving a Stewards’ Enquiry.

What’s Happening

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

Deauville’s popular summer meeting concludes with the G2 Grand Prix de Deauville, over 2500metres, on Sunday. The G3 Prix De Meautry and G3 Prix Quincey are the supporting races.

🇮🇪 Ireland 🇮🇪

The Curragh stages the G3 Snow Fairy Fillies’ Stakes – named after Ed Dunlop’s globetrotting mare – on Saturday. On Sunday, the G3 Little Big Bear Stakes, also for fillies and mares, takes place at Cork.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

Goodwood stages the G2 Celebration Mile on Saturday, a race which features Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass on its Roll of Honour. Sandown Park has a pair of G3s, the Solario Stakes and the Atalanta Stakes.

Goodwood returns on Sunday with the G3 Prestige Fillies’ Stakes.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

It’s one of the best days on the calendar in the US – Travers Day at Saratoga. The Spa’s ‘Summer Derby,’ as the Travers is known, has attracted a top-class field of 10, including Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Golden Tempo, Preakness winner Napoleon Solo and Jim Dandy winner Renegade.

On the same card, the G1 Forego, Personal Ensign and Ballerina all have Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In entry for the winner. Defending champ Book’em Danno heads to the Forego against seven rivals, including rising star Senior Officer.

Englishman, one of the most exciting colts in the US, heads the field for the G1 H Allen Jerkens Memorial.



Over in California, the G2 Del Mar Handicap and G2 Pat O’Brien Stakes also offer Breeders’ Cup berths, while Kentucky Downs stages the G1 Ladies’ Turf Sprint, upgraded to the top level for the first time.