The explosive Cosmic Crusader can be discussed as on of Australia’s best on Saturday, as Lindermann joined Phar Lap, and Zac Lloyd made a remarkable recovery to win another Group 1. Punters were disappointed by Ciaron’s Star and Jigsaw but shouldn’t bin them, while Street Chase didn’t even make it to the track.
HITS
COSMIC CRUSADER
When he is ridden cold and comes with one run, the West Australian star is the second-best horse in the country, behind Autumn Glow. His runs in defeat in the Underwood Stakes and Caulfield Cup were exceptional when he was put into the race, but more patiently ridden he is explosive. Willie Pike had the last laugh on the doubters who were offering him advice earlier in the spring as he took the Cox Plate back to the West.
SAM CLIPPERTON
All a jockey needs is one horse to get on a roll, and Sam Clipperton has found that horse with Juja Kibo. He got on the stayer for the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury, which was short of his best trip, because of his fiancé Georgia Schofield, who works at Ciaron Maher’s stable, had a good relationship with the owners. It led him to being on it in for The Metropolitan win and he again gave it a perfect ride to win the Moonee Valley Cup on Saturday. It showed the former champion apprentice and Everest winner’s talent and should lead to more opportunities and maybe a Melbourne Cup.
LINDERMANN
It shows how the spring as changed that Lindermann joined Phar Lap, as a three-time winner of the Craven Plate on Saturday, a he once again showed off his front-running skills. Nash Rawiller is a master when he gets control of race, like he did on Saturday. Lindermann has been superbly placed by Chris Waller taking advantage of massive prizemoney racing against horses at his level. He has won more than $6 million with half of it coming from the Sydney spring largesse.
PROXIMA DEA
This unbeaten filly is that good she dragged Zac Lloyd from his sick bed to win her first Group 1. It won’t be her last. Lloyd had rang trainers, including David Payne, on Friday to say he was 95 percent not to be riding on Spring Champion Stakes Day. “I didn’t want anyone else to get on her and it would have been hard to watch her win from bed,” Lloyd said. “I hadn’t been able to eat in the days leading up, but I was able to keep a piece of toast down on Saturday morning and I got to Randwick and she showed how good she is.”
TOMMY BERRY
With J-Mac away, Tommy Berry took full advantage of being Chris Waller’s top pick at Randwick on Saturday, winning Lazzura and Declichy Boulevard as part of a winning treble. He got it right on both favourites although he got a careless riding suspension in The Invitation for causing interference at 1200m mark. His good record saved him from missing Saturday’s Golden Eagle with his two-meeting ban, which will be Wednesday and Thursday this week.
MISSES
JIGSAW
We won’t see Jigsaw at Flemington again after Logan Bates told the stewards he doesn’t quicken down the straight like he does off a bend. He could probably still head to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes and be very hard to beat. Wherever he runs next around a bend it could be profitable to forgive his run on the weekend.
SMOOTH CHINO….JUST 📸
Indianna Weinert and Austin Galati score their biggest career wins in the McEwen Stakes! The unbeaten run of Jigsaw finishes at 8 👏 https://t.co/4vJZlZ7mMk
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 24, 2026
SIR DELIUS
Sir Delius will forever have that win over Autumn Glow when he was at his best in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. But, it was extraordinary to hear Craig Williams and Adrian Bott agree that he will take a fitness improvement off his fading effort in the Cox Plate. It was the grand final for weight-for-age horses in the spring and you would have thought he would be at the top of his game.
Cox Plate | Cosmic Crusader
Cosmic Crusader & Willie Pike! The Western Australians reign supreme in the Cox Plate’s first trip away from home ⭐️⚔️
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy https://t.co/kfWIYWaTgD— Racing.com (@Racing) October 24, 2026
STREET CHASE
It took until he was about to walk into the mounting yard to find Street Chase wasn’t at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The scanner read the name Zoodoo, another five-year-old from the Jack Bruce stable, which was saddled ready to race. Street Chase was scratched and an inquiry opened into why he wasn’t on track. A mistake at Bruce’s stable that morning, when the wrong horse was put in the wrong box, caused it. Stewards will make a ruling on penalty for Bruce after examining betting and hearing further evidence.
CIARON’S STAR
The money flowed for this three-year-old in the Brian Crawley Stakes, but she never got her chance to challenge. After being fractious in the barriers, she missed the jump by two lengths, then Jason Collett got in a position to challenge, but he was snookered for a run for most of the straight in the small field. She will probably head to Melbourne for Cup week or the Thoroughbred Club Stakes and is one to follow.
KERRIN McEVOY
Kerrin McEvoy will miss the ride on Skyhook in the Golden Eagle after a suspension from the Geelong Cup for being three over the limit with the whip. Stewards mentioned McEvoy’s outstanding record twice in their report, calling it “excellent” and “exemplary” under the whip rules, but couldn’t find a way to knock a meeting off his ban to allow him to ride in Sydney. Even at appeal McEvoy could not get a meeting off.
