The best were on show at Caulfield on Saturday. Warwoven laid down a challenge to Autumn Glow as the best horse in the country, while James McDonald did what we’ve come to expect from the world’s best jockey. But don’t expect to watch a Sydney Group 2 in Melbourne.
HITS
WARWOVEN
He is now clearly the best of his generation after completing the Golden Rose-Caulfield Guineas double with some ease on Saturday.
The next step is taking on all-comers in the Cox Plate and potentially becoming the best horse in the country. After that, bloodstock agent Jim Clarke will secure the stud where his future lies beyond the track.
Clarke is the power behind Bjorn Baker’s stable, an agent who makes a habit of finding the right horse at the right price. He doesn’t play at the top end of the market, but the $380,000 he spent on Warwoven is set to deliver his biggest return yet.
A Cox Plate victory could see the colt, from Sword Of State’s first crop, command a price tag approaching $50 million.
JAMES MCDONALD
J-Mac carries expectations every time he rides in a Group 1, and his effort aboard Lady Shenandoah showed why.
He took the narrowest of gaps, even making space for himself, to charge through and win the Toorak Handicap.
It was part of a winning treble for the world’s best jockey and trainer Chris Waller, after Sequinned and Pinhole won earlier in the day.
Sequinned SWAMPS them 💥
J-Mac is on the board on Guineas Day!
@mcacajamez @cwallerracing https://t.co/JEODkgYi63
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 10, 2026
However, his beaten ride on Flying For Fun was equally as good. They just ran into a cracking sprinter in Jigsaw.
CIARON MAHER AND LAND LEGEND
It was a masterstroke by Ciaron Maher to win the Might And Power Stakes with Land Legend.
He outthought his five rivals, and Ethan Brown executed the plan perfectly. A post from Ciaron Maher Racing gave an insight into how the coup was planned and the excitement when it came off.
ONE OF THE GREAT UPSETS. LAND LEGEND 🤯
A Might And Power Stakes for the ages sees Sheza Alibi defeated at $1.40!
@Brown_ethan8 @Cmaherracing https://t.co/Aw7Qgusnwx
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 10, 2026
Maher uses the strength of his stayers against more brilliant stars, turning 2000m races into genuine staying tests. He plays to his horses’ strengths while taking away the advantages enjoyed by horses like Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi.
You could call it the Jenni effect.
PETER MOODY
Sheza Alibi had to play second fiddle to Land Legend, to everyone’s surprise, but Peter Moody’s response to what had happened was perfect.
“As long as his [Land Legend’s] arse points towards the ground he’ll never beat her again, but he’s had his day in the sun,” Moody said.
“That’s life and we’ll bounce back and fight another day. It was a tough run race and all honours to the winner. We weren’t good enough on the day. We followed Birdman and unfortunately, he went terrible. We were going to use him to drag us into the race but that it didn’t pan out. But that’s life.”
ADAM CAMPTON
The care a master has for his apprentice was on show when Adam Campton spoke about his star apprentice, Bella Youngberry, on Saturday night after she was thrown from Metaphorically at Eagle Farm.
“We are pleased to confirm that Bella has been cleared of any serious injuries, which is a tremendous relief to everyone involved,” Campton wrote.
“We are aware there has been speculation surrounding the incident, and we kindly ask that people refrain from spreading rumours or making assumptions. Bella’s health and wellbeing remain our absolute priority, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding and respect. Bella would also like to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out with messages of support and concern. The overwhelming kindness shown by the racing community has been greatly appreciated. Bella is a tough girl and we have absolutely no doubt she will bounce back from this setback bigger, better and stronger than ever. We look forward to seeing Bella back doing what she loves in no time.”
That is very classy.
MISSES
HILL STAKES
Once a great staging point for the biggest races of the spring, the Hill Stakes has become a big-money payday for horses that have found their level.
When the Hill Stakes was run in mid-September, it ranked alongside the Prix Foy and Royal Ascot’s Hardwicke Stakes as one of the great Group 2 races in world racing.
Throwing money at it and moving it into October has made it a worse race. Stakes don’t equal status.
The same horses have fought out the finish in the past three years. Mitchell Freedman has done a great job to win it twice with Attrition, who has earned $2.8 million of his $4.3 million in career prizemoney from the Hill Stakes alone.
And he’s no Hartnell, Verry Elleegant or Descarado.
BEN THOMPSON AND KING OF POP
Wrong place, wrong time. That was Ben Thompson’s problem aboard King Of Pop in the Eagle Farm straight.
King Of Pop was travelling as well as eventual winner Bring Me Kash passing the 300m, but as Bring Me Kash made his winning charge, King Of Pop was dragged back to last behind a fading leader.
The margin blew out from just over a length to six lengths in the space of 50 metres. When King Of Pop finally found clear running, he trimmed the margin to finish a well-beaten third.
King Of Pop could be one for next time, but that has been said about him plenty of times in Sydney.
TAB AND CHUCHICHASCHTI
She was completely missed by TAB in the early markets, with smart punters able to secure $26, a long way from the $3 she started at in the Tapp-Craig.
TAB’s Tim Ryan admitted the mistake in Saturday’s radio preview, and I don’t think you’ll see $26 against the unbeaten filly’s name again.
Team Hawkes will place her well, and she looks a top-level horse in the making, but a Group 1 challenge will have to wait until next year.
SEPALS
Last year’s Golden Eagle and Stradbroke runner-up was sent out favourite in the Alan Brown Stakes but never raised supporters’ hopes, dropping out to finish last.
Jamie Mott told stewards he “failed to stretch out comfortably and after being required to make a wide run making the home turn Sepals was unable to close off and dropped out of contention.”
Stewards will follow up with trainer Cliff Brown this week. Hopefully, he’s all right.
CAULFIELD ADS
The Sydney-Melbourne rivalry is alive and well down south, with one of the Rosehill features punted from the on-course screens in favour of a Sportsbet advertisement on Saturday.
Just as Paradoxium sped to the lead in the Roman Consul Stakes, Caulfield decided it was a good time to support its sponsor.
It sent punters diving for their phones to watch the hot favourite get run down by Satono Glow and Steel Will in the lead-up to next month’s Coolmore Stud Stakes.
