Allen’s weekend rollecoaster.
Few jockeys rode the emotional rollercoaster quite like Ben Allen over the weekend. And many a punter rode shotgun on his journey.
Saturday’s talking point came aboard the heavily backed Big Swinger at Caulfield.
Approaching the home bend, Big Swinger looked to be moving into the race strongly, ominously and it was clear only clean air was going to stop him being in the finish. However, the horse travelling as well as he was might have invertedly been Allen’s undoing.
The ride quickly became the subject of debate, with many punters believing Allen should have been able to get to the outside in the straight. Despite having lost on Big Swinger, I am more forgiving.
To my eye, there simply wasn’t a genuine opportunity to get outside Roadcone and he couldn’t very well hip and shoulder Couer Volatne. Big Swinger travelled into the race so effortlessly that Allen became a passenger to the tempo unfolding in front of him. Once committed to the inside, he was reliant on gaps appearing, and they simply didn’t come at the right time.
It’s one of those rides that is easy to criticise on first watch, but multiple looks at the replay show he didn’t have too many option.
Allen wasted little time making amends. He produced a faultless, albeit straightforward, ride aboard another heavily backed favourite, Winnasedge, in the last at Caulfield, giving punters little cause for concern as the gelding comfortably justified its favouritism.
Winnasedge wears down Bazaball Rewarded and gives Nick Ryan a double at Caulfield 🥇🥇@bennallen44 @nryanracing pic.twitter.com/UmMM3cTB4h
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 27, 2026
Sunday at Sale, however, was a different story.
As soon as Chowdown crossed the line first in Race 7, it looked destined for a trip to the stewards’ room.
Under pressure over the concluding stages, Allen allowed Chowdown to shift out, severely checking El Trecero, which was squeezed between Chowdown and Zorro’s Flight. After considering the protest, stewards rightly promoted Zorro’s Flight to first, relegated Chowdown to third and handed Allen a deserved 14-meeting suspension for careless riding.
Sale Race 6 | PROTEST
No.11 Zorro’s Flight (2nd) & No.6 El Tercero (3rd) vs No.9 Chowdown (1st) – Alleged interference over the concluding stages – Placings 9-11-6-4@carbonelawyers #CarboneLawyers pic.twitter.com/tfhVZbIQ8s
— Racing.com (@Racing) June 28, 2026
It was an ugly incident and the suspension warranted.
Big Swinger backers can consider themselves unlucky.
El Trecero punters probably have an even stronger case.
Sorry King C, he’s going in the bin.
One can only imagine the conversation between King Charles and Ciaron Maher after Gilded Water’s latest flop.
“Ciaron… what on earth was that?”
Probably not. But it’s a fun thought.
Before we go any further, a disclaimer. Ciaron Maher has trained around 1,700 more winners than I have. I’ve trained precisely zero. He is one of the world’s premier horsemen and is infinitely better placed than anyone reading this to determine what’s best for Gilded Water’s long-term future.
But that’s the trainer’s job.
As punters, our job is different.
We judge horses on what they’re doing today, not what they might be doing in six months’ time. We invest in the race in front of us, not a long-term training experiment.
That’s why Gilded Water is going in the bin.
Last spring he was one of the most exciting emerging stayers in the country because he used his greatest asset: speed. He rolled forward, broke fields apart and turned staying races into genuine tests.
He was enormous in both the Bart Cummings and Geelong Cup, running third and second respectively after making his own luck in front, having won at Caulfield over 2000m the start prior. The Geelong Cup winner, Tornazino, went on to finish fifth in the Melbourne Cup, illustrating just how strong that form was.
This preparation, however, the script has completely changed.
The stable seem keen on teaching Gilded Water to take a sit and settle off the speed. Heading into Saturday the telltale signs were all there: ridden quietly in a jump-out between runs, crossover nose band and earmuffs on.
There are almost certainly bigger ambitions at play. Perhaps they’re trying to mould him into a Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup horse that can adapt to different race shapes.
That may well prove to be the right call.
If anyone can reinvent a horse successfully, it’s Ciaron Maher.
But for the here and now, it simply isn’t working.
The horse that terrified rivals by running them along at a genuine tempo has become one that’s being cuddled in behind runners, waiting for a turn of foot that has never been his greatest strength.
On Saturday, he was ordinary. Although it wasn’t entirely unexpected, the market spat him out late and he went the start a drifting favourite.
Nellie Leylax returns to the winners stall in style and the apprentices continue their dominance at Caulfield, this time it’s Ryan Houston ⭐@hoophouston @archibaldracing pic.twitter.com/RpADIFXSBJ
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 27, 2026
Until he shows he can produce his best racing with these new tactics, punters have little choice but to take him on.
Maybe the experiment works.
Maybe by October we’re all applauding Maher for creating a more versatile Cup horse.
But until there’s evidence of that, I’m sticking with what we’ve seen, not what we hope might happen. Unless of course there’s a tactics change and they notify punters they are ditching the experiment and pressing forward again.
Sorry, King Charles.
Your horse is in the bin.
Green shoots at Caulfield
The Caulfield track certainly raced better on Saturday than it did back on May 30.
It was far from perfect, but given I was critical after that meeting, it’s only fair to acknowledge the improvement.
It was difficult to make ground around the field and races were largely dominated by those on speed, but it was a far cry from horses winning on the front lawn. And, with virtually no wind throughout the afternoon, though, that’s not an unusual pattern at Caulfield.
I’ve maintained throughout the MRC’s track issues that Bennetts is a terrific operator. Just as importantly, he’s an excellent communicator who understands the intricacies of track preparation and can explain them in a way punters understand. If the club needs a public face on track matters, I’d be putting Bennetts front and centre.
Make Monday’s great again…
If you only bet at one track this winter, make it the Pakenham Synthetic.
I’ve banged on about Pakenham a bit in recent weeks, but with good reason. It is, without doubt, the fairest winter track in Victoria at the moment and arguably the country.
If you’re serious about betting but can only spare a day or two each week, make one of them Monday at Pakenham. Quite simply, it’s the best betting meeting of the week.
Speed maps are rewarded, horses can win from anywhere, and the best horse with the best run in transit generally wins. That’s exactly how racing should be.
Just as importantly, there’s none of the kickback that continues to plague racing on the Ballarat Synthetic.
When the track is consistent, the form stacks up, confidence grows and everyone wins.
Long may it continue.
Which brings me to a left-field idea…
If Pakenham is producing Victoria’s fairest winter racing, why aren’t we making more of it?
Every fortnight, remove one of the weaker winter meetings elsewhere in the state and redistribute those races across the two already-scheduled Monday meetings at Pakenham.
Instead of two eight-race cards, run two 10-race or even 12-race programs under lights.
The benefits are obvious. Bigger fields, fewer scratchings, a premium betting product on a track punters trust, and more opportunities for trainers to run multiple horses on the same day.
Racing Victoria is under enormous pressure to maintain prizemoney. Stakeholders want current prize money levels protected which is a challenge in the current economic climate, while the business continues to make cuts across almost every department to balance the books. But there’s only so much fat you can trim before you start cutting into muscle.
At the same time, the industry should be looking for positive ways to reduce costs while improving the product. Consolidating one meeting every fortnight into the two existing Monday Pakenham programs feels like one of those rare ideas that could do both.
Stage one fewer meeting. Save on the costs associated with running that fixture. At the same time, create two stronger betting products with bigger fields, greater wagering appeal and, higher turnover.
Everybody wins.
There’s even room to think differently from a wagering perspective. The Early Quaddie (Races 1-4), the Knock-Off Quaddie (Races 5-8) and the Showcase Quaddie (Races 9-12).
Quite often Monday’s coincide with industry RDO’s, too.
There’s been plenty of discussion about eventually converting Pakenham back to turf.
I’d be asking the opposite question.
Why change one of Victorian racing’s biggest success stories, particularly while Ballarat’s synthetic continues to battle kickback issues?
The Pakenham Synthetic shouldn’t be viewed as a winter contingency plan.
It should be one of Victorian racing’s flagship betting products.
One for your blackbook….
A Top Shelf Sharaz
No, not Shiraz. Sharaz.
The Mitch Freedman-trained two-year-old uncorked one of the more impressive debut wins you’ll see at Bendigo (r1) on Wednesday. After settling a mile off the leaders, Sharaz unleashed a blistering turn of foot to round them up and score going away.
Bendigo Race 1 | Sharaz
What a debut performance! 😮 @Freedmanmitch
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/0GrANUjemH— Racing.com (@Racing) June 25, 2026
The performance only improved with age as the meeting unfolded. It quickly became apparent it was difficult to make ground all day, making Sharaz’s sweeping finish even more meritorious.
He’s one to cellar away for spring. He’s got much better wins in store.
Matt has spotted a very nice drop out of the first race at Bendigo on Thursday 🍷
How good do you think Sharaz is? @Matt__Welsh_ @Freedmanmitch pic.twitter.com/gjhnnZsh2T
— Betsy (@betsy_com_au) June 28, 2026
