White Abarrio upsets Sovereignty & Journalism in the US, Waller dominates in AUS and Hong Kong gears up for FWD Champions Day

What’s Happened

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

Fireball led home a Chris Waller-trained 1-2-3 in the G1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, beating stablemates Campione D’Italia and Diameter in the hands of Tim Clark.

Waller completed a G1 double thanks to Beiwacht who made his lighter weight as the only three-year-old count in the All Aged Stakes. Ridden by Nash Rawiller, he led all the way for a length victory over fellow G1 winners Lazzura and Jimmysstar.

Rawiller enjoyed an excellent afternoon, also winning the G3 Frank Packer Plate on Matias, who is now set for a G1 Queensland Derby campaign.

🇫🇷 France 🇫🇷

Group-race action was sprinkled across the week in France, beginning on Tuesday when My Calyx Cen took the G3 Prix Sigy at Chantilly. Trained by Patrik Olave, the three-year-old beat Kimi Rey by a head.

There was another fillies’ Classic trial at Saint-Cloud on Friday, when Gilded Prize shot into the reckoning in impressive style. Trained by Francis Graffard, the Juddmonte filly scooted clear by three and a half lengths under Colin Keane and could next head to either the G1 Prix de Diane or Epsom Oaks.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

Lovcen added the G1 Satsuki Sho to his G1 Hopeful Stakes win with a bold front-running display at Nakayama in the hands of Kohei Matsuyama. Sent off favourite, for trainer Haruki Sugiyama, he held off Realize Sirius by three-quarters of a length.

It was the second Classic in a week for Matsuyama, who also partnered Star Anise to success in the fillies’ Guineas.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

Newmarket’s Craven Meeting officially signals the start of the UK turf season proper and first off the ranks in Group company was Damysus, who struck for owners Wathnan Racing in the G3 Earl Of Sefton Stakes.

Newmarket handler Stuart Williams has a first Classic hope on his hands in Azleet, who will head to the G1 1000 Guineas after winning the first major fillies’ trial, the G3 Nell Gwyn, in the hands of Marco Ghiani.

The featured G3 Craven Stakes, a trial for the G1 2000 Guineas, went to Oxagon, trained, like Damysus, by John and Thady Gosden.

There was a heartwarming upset in the G3 Abernant when Run To Freedom, trained by Henry Candy, took the 1200metre contest on his fourth run in the race, at the age of eight.

Newbury staged three G3s on Saturday and Convergent looked a star in the making when taking the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes [John Porter] under a patient Clifford Lee. The Karl Burke-trained four-year-old had nowhere to go for much of the race but got out in time to beat Al Aasy by half a length.

Burke also took the colts’ Classic trial, the G3 Greenham Stakes, will Alparslan. Also ridden by Lee, he beat G1 winner Zavateri by a length and will now head to the 2000 Guineas.

The G3 Fred Darling Stakes, the fillies’ trial, gave up and coming trainer Jack Channon a big win thanks to Sukanya, who beat favourite Touleen by three-quarters of a length in the hands of David Probert, recently returned from Hong Kong.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸

Popular seven-year-old White Abarrio showed his younger rivals Sovereignty, reigning Horse of the Year, and Journalism, how it’s done with a minor upset in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap – arguably the race of the weekend.

The race took an unexpected turn when Sovereignty led, followed by Journalism, forcing Irad Ortiz on White Abarrio to stalk the pace. Approaching the line the race-fit older runner powered clear for a two-length success, an emotional one for trainer Saffie Joseph Jnr.

At Keeneland on Saturday, the G2 Elkhorn Stakes went to Burnham Square by a staggering nine and a quarter lengths. The four-year-old, who finished sixth in last year’s Kentucky Derby, was ridden by Brian Hernandez for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Bill Mott might have been out of luck with Sovereignty this weekend, but he did grab a G3 courtesy of Stars And Stripes, who took the Ben Ali Stakes under Luis Saez.

On Sunday, Italian jockey Antonio Fresu was back among the big winners at Santa Anita, guiding Philip D’Amato’s Almendares to victory in the G3 American Stakes on the turf.

What’s Happening

🇦🇺 Australia 🇦🇺

Morphettville is now the centre of attention in Australia, staging the G1 Australasian Guineas and the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes on Saturday. Point Barrow is the favourite for the latter, with Skybird and Generosity also among the fancied runners.

🇯🇵 Japan 🇯🇵

There are three G2s across the weekend, starting with the TV Tokyo Hai Aoba Sho, a Japanese Derby Trial, at Tokyo on Saturday.

On Sunday, the same track hosts the Sankei Sports Sho Flora Stakes, a Japanese Oaks Trial, while Kyoto stages the G2 Yomiuri Milers Cup.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong 🇭🇰

The stars collide at Sha Tin on Sunday when FWD Champions Day brings out the very best from Hong Kong, Japan and further afield.

The G1 FWD QEII Cup sees Romantic Warrior take on rising UK star Royal Champion, while Ka Ying Rising goes for win 20 in a row in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, facing Japanese star Satono Reve.

In the G1 FWD Champions Mile, Japan’s exciting Jantar Mantar goes up against Hong Kong Triple Crown winner Voyage Bubble, as well as G1 Queen Anne Stakes winner Docklands and home hopes Cap Ferrat and My Wish.

🇵🇪 Peru 🇵🇪

The biggest race of the year in South America, the G1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, returns to Monterrico, Peru, for its 42nd running. The race was last held in Peru in 2024, but this time will take place on the turf course; the first time in the history of the Latino that a host venue stages the race off its main track.

🇬🇧 UK 🇬🇧

Sandown Park bursts into flat gear on Friday with the G2 Mile, G3 Classic Trial and G3 Gordon Richard Stakes. The Mile has been won in the past by subsequent G1 scorers Addeybb, Palace Pier and Charyn.

🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸



Two weeks out from the Kentucky Derby means there’s little in the way of Graded Stakes in the US this weekend, but Santa Anita stages the G3 Royal Heroine Stakes on Saturday.