Sovereignty bows out with Breeders’ Cup Classic glory & McDonald dominates Derby Day at Flemington

A weekend of Breeders’ Cup drama at Keeneland, and the Melbourne Cup Carnival is in full swing. Here are the stories you need to know:

• Sovereignty signed off his career in the best way possible, winning the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic after missing the race through illness last year. Ridden by Junior Alvarado, he beat Golden Tempo and defending champion Forever Young before being retired the next morning

• Aidan O’Brien collected three Breeders’ Cup wins, led by Benvenuto Cellini in the Turf under a masterclass ride from Ryan Moore, while Sun Goddess made it six wins in a row and Haffner extended the stable’s Juvenile Turf run

• Much Ado won the Dirt Mile by a whsiker after the Owen Almighty team had already begun celebrating, and Japan’s T O Elvis stole the Sprint from hot favourite Englishman

• James McDonald dominated Derby Day at Flemington, winning the Victoria Derby on Stormy Marco and the Empire Rose Stakes on Lady Shenandoah for Chris Waller

• The Melbourne Cup arrives on Tuesday with Trustyourinstinct and Sons And Lovers among the leading contenders from the Joseph O’Brien stable, and 2024 winner Knight’s Choice looking to regain his crown

Continue reading for a full round-up across Australia, Chile, Ireland, Japan and the USA, and a look ahead to Melbourne Cup week.

What’s Happened

Australia

Flemington served up the goods on Saturday; offering a bonanza of Group-race action on Derby Day. The headline G1 Howden Victoria Derby went to Stormy Marco, who gave powerhouse duo Chris Waller and James McDonald another G1 success, producing a dominant turn of foot from off the pace to beat outsider Cold Shower by two lengths, with filly Quick Finish in third.

It was McDonald’s day to prove his dominance in Australia, the Kiwi rider landing the G1 Empire Rose Stakes a mere 40 minutes’ later on the remarkable Lady Shenandoah. It was a fifth top level success for Waller’s mare, who beat Concorde Connie by a length and a half.

McDonald added two Group races to his trophy haul, winning the G2 ABC Bullion Damien Oliver on Joseph Pride’s Private Eye and the G3 Asahi Super Dry Sprint on Bryce Heys Flying For Fun.

Owner Phil Cunningham has been an ebullient presence on British racecourse for some years, but he made an instant impact in Australia when winning a G1 at the first attempt. Owned in partnership with Widden Stud, his The Next Episode made it four wins on the spin, taking the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes by a head and a neck in an absolute thriller; St Gotthard and Mbube having to settle for the minor placings.

Trainer brothers Ben, Will and JD Hayes also enjoyed a fine time of things, taking two G3s, courtesy of Regal Ambition, who won the Tab One Pool Vanity Stakes, and Ndola, who won the G.H. Mumm Rising Fast Stakes for juveniles.

There was something of a shock over in Sydney, where multiple G1 winner Sheza Alibi finished unplaced In the G1 Golden Rose at Randwick. After meeting trouble in running she only managed 11th, behind Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou’s Skyhook, who won by a nose over Decorum, with Beiwacht third.

Earlier, multiple G1 winner Jimmysstar disappointed in the G2 Russell Balding Stakes, trailing in seventh behind Pericles, the three-quarter length winner for Bjorn Baker and jockey Dylan Gibbons.

Chile

Favourite Astromelia won the G1 Gran Premio Alberto Solari Magnasco at Hipodromo Chile by an astonishing nine lengths. Ridden by Joaquin Herrera, she put clean air between herself and owner mate Bahia Perdida, for trainer Jose Inda.

Ireland

Aidan O’Brien’s good weekend extended to his home country, his busy Amelia Earhart taking her first win since May in the G3 Loughbrown Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday, under jockey Gavin Ryan.

Japan

Danon Decile produced an incredible performance in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo on Sunday, overcoming stall 17 to record his fourth G1 success. Ridden by Keita Tosaki for trainer Shogo Yasuda, he powered down the centre of the track to beat 40/1 shot Nebra Disk by two and half lengths.

USA

Sovereignty ended his career on the ultimate high when beating a stellar cast in the $7million G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Saturday. Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott’s four-year-old saw off Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Golden Tempo as well as defending champion Forever Young, only fifth. Now a hot favourite for the all-important Horse of the Year accolade, Sovereignty was retired with immediate effect, heading to Jonabell Farm the morning after his triumph.

It was a Breeders’ Cup to remember, especially for Aidan O’Brien, whose three wins over the weekend culminated in Benvenuto Cellini’s triumph in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. It was a masterclass ride by Ryan Moore, who weaved the three-year-old through from the back of the pack for a convincing victory in the silks of US owner Peter Brandt.

There was more of an upset in the Mile, when defending champ Notable Speech got there too late to collar Deterministic, a popular first Breeders’ Cup winner for New York-based trainer Miguel Clement, under the equally revered Kendrick Carmouche.

The banker of most people’s day was Nitrogen in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Mark Casse’s filly didn’t disappoint, charging home must the best. Connections said afterwards that she remains in training for 2017, with a tantalising tilt at the boys in next year’s Classic a possibility.

Where Forever Young faltered, his compatriot T O Elvis rocked, hitting the right notes for a memorable Japanese win in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, he made light of a layoff since May to collar hot favourite Englishman in the run to the line.

The G1 Turf Sprint provided, in the words of syndicate manager Caitline Dunne, “the perfect end to the perfect season” for Bacio. Wesley Ward’s diminutive chestnut blitzed an international field in the hands of Juan Hernandez, adding this to his handicap win at Royal Ascot and G1 Nunthorpe success at York. His worldly-wise connections have mooted The Everest as a possible entry on his 2027 dance card.

The G1 Dirt Mile often produces a humdinger of a finish and 2026 was no exception. The syndicate connections of Owen Almighty thought they had won and cheered wildly, only for the photo to reveal favourite Much Ado, trained by Brad Cox, as the actual winner – by a pixel.

Big meetings in the US rarely pass by without a win for Chad Brown, and the Saratoga-born trainer collected the opening G1 Filly and Mare Sprint with Ways And Means – much the best as the market suggested she would be. Brown also won the G1 Filly & Mare Turf with Kathynmarissa – named after two women called Kathy and Marissa – who outgunned the South African-bred Gimme A Nother in the run to the line.

Future Stars Friday had begun the excellent weekend for O’Brien, who won the featured G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for an impressive fifth straight year. It was Haffner who stepped up to the plate for a convincing victory in the hands of Moore, registering his first top level success.

Moore and O’Brien also combined with Sun Goddess in the G1 Juvenile Fillies’ Turf; the “exceptional” filly beating a strong field to land her sixth success on the bounce and fourth G1 – a truly amazing campaign.

Where Sun Goddess is stunning, Hughes is mind-blowing. Bob Baffert’s gorgeous colt was far too good for his rivals in the G1 Juvenile, storming home in a favourite’s fashion and into Kentucky Derby second favouritism behind U.S.S. Valor.

Baffert is no stranger to Breeders’ Cup success – now with 22, two behind O’Brien, but there was a first for Brendan Walsh. The Irish expat handler was the popular winner of the G1 Juvenile Fillies with Emphatic who won as her name suggested she would, storming home by a length and a half.

Newly crowned British Champion Jockey Billy Loughnane make quite the start to his Breeders’ Cup career, winning the opening G1 Juvenile Turf Sprint on Libertango.

Trained by George Boughey, the filly dug deep for a length and a half success over Hell Of A Spin.

What’s Happening

Australia

The Race That Stops A Nation is just hours away! The G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup will feature the Joseph O’Brien-trained Trustyourinstinct as favourite with stablemate Sons And Lovers also high up the betting for the two-mile spectacle at Flemington on Tuesday.2024 winner Knight’s Choice and jockey Robbie Dolan will try to regain their crown.

After Oaks Day on Thursday, the fantastic Melbourne Cup Carnival comes to a crescendo at Flemington on Saturday, Champions Day offering a smorgasbord of A$3 million events; the G1 Champions Sprint, Stakes and Mile.

Japan

The JRA hosts three Graded Stakes next weekend; the G2 Keio Hai Nisai on Saturday and the G2 Copa Republica Argentina and the G3 Miyako Stakes on Sunday.

USA



The week after the Breeders’ Cup is not a huge one in the US, but Belmont Park stages the G2 Mother Goose and Churchill Downs the G3 River City Stakes.