For the Time Poor:
| Moment of the Day | Pride of Jenni’s breathtaking return |
| Tactics Questioned | Strategic direction taken with Esha. Handing up on Dagger. |
| Flashing Lights (Follow) | Point Barrow (Scarborough Stakes) |
| Forgive Runs | Barari (Valley r4), Lady Shenandoah (Manikato) |
| You Might Have Missed | Victoria Derby winner Goldrush Guru failed again. Where is the Vic Derby at? |
| Punters Got The Lot | King Zephyr (Sandown r4) |
| Time For A Lie Down | Favourite backers at The Valley. Point Barrow backers |
This table provides a race-by-race snapshot of how each event at The Valley on Friday night was run and won. Using sectional time data benchmarked against historical standards, it delivers an easy-to-digest breakdown of early speed, late speed, and an overall race rating – giving you a clear picture of tempo and performance at a glance.
Track Summary:
- The Valley played very well. Horses could make ground with the right run, but talented horses on speed were rewarded.
- Being the tight-turning circuit it is, there was naturally plenty of bad luck.
- Sandown Saturday favoured on-speed horses, as it has tended to do of late.
Moment of the Night: Pride Of Jenni back with a bang
Plenty suggested Tony Ottobre was off his rocker for persisting with his 8YO mare, insisting her best was well and truly behind her and retirement beckoned.
But Ottobre and the Maher stable proved the doubters wrong when Pride Of Jenni returned with a brilliant performance to claim back-to-back Group 2 Feehan Stakes victories.
In a country obsessed with retiring stars too early, surely we should be celebrating owners and trainers who keep racing horses into their twilight years. No one wants to see horses at heightened risk of injury, but Pride Of Jenni had shown in her trials that she was happy and healthy. Why not continue at eight? One thing the Maher stable won’t do is send her around if she isn’t sound.
Feehan Stakes | Pride Of Jenni
Back with a BANG! 💥 The 3x G1 winner winds back the clock to go back-to-back in the Feehan with @decbates back in the saddle for @cmaherracing 💪
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a034ry pic.twitter.com/1tqoIkUAo6— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025
The real highlight for me, though, was Declan Bates reuniting with the star mare.
Declan should never have been taken off Pride Of Jenni. Simple. He made the horse with his daring front-running rides. While I completely respect that the owners pay the bills and make the calls, the reality is that without Bates she would never have scaled the heights she did.
And what of Treasurethe Moment? Well, lesson number 567,123: always be wary of a horse coming off a setback. That said, I thought she ran well enough, and she’s now had that all-important spin around The Valley ahead of her Cox Plate tilt.
The Stewards’ Room
Memo was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Scarborough Stakes, but many punters felt she should’ve won the race in the Stewards’ Room.
At the 300m mark, Lachlan Neindorf, aboard eventual winner Snow Mercy, shifted out in search of clear running but did so without being fully clear of Memo, causing significant interference to his rival.
Scarborough Stakes | Snow Mercy
No Mercy! 😤 The 3YO filly storms to back-to-back victories as @LNeindorf teams up with @pstokesracing again 🤝
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/SoUDjA3UvU— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025
Adding to punters’ frustration, many were critical of jockey Nash Rawiller’s handling of the protest, arguing his case to stewards lacked conviction.
All protests are subjective – and views are often shaped by self-interest – but it does beg the question: how can anyone consider the benefit of whip use more “subjective” than interference? (you can read my take on that here)
Watching Brief – The quality of 3yo middle distance ranks
Sheesh, it’s early doors, but the quality of horse heading towards the Caulfield and Thousand Guineas looks a concern.
Autumn Boy is the current $4.20 favourite for the Caulfield Guineas despite finishing down the track in the Golden Rose. Sure, he’s capable of bouncing back off that poor showing, but the fact he remains favourite underlines just how thin the depth is.
Vinrock was tardy away at The Valley on Friday night, but two of his three runs this prep have been plain at best and Highvol was able to peel off his back and get past him late.
Maybe a horse like Centu Cavaddi, who flashed into third behind Navy Pilot at Sandown yesterday, is capable of taking the leap in grade.
Sandown Race 5 | Navy Pilot
Navy Pilot lifts in the concluding furlong, taking the lead from Bacash in the shadows of the post 💫
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/yQnqridAvw— Racing.com (@Racing) September 27, 2025
The fillies don’t look any stronger. Just 0.1 of a length separated the first four home in Saturday’s Thousand Guineas Prelude at Sandown. They’re all reasonably well exposed, and none scream “future star”.
HOW ABOUT THAT FINISH ⁉️
Ferivia wins the Thousand Guineas Prelude in a thrilling four way go 🤯 pic.twitter.com/YAkLPExjvo
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 27, 2025
As is often the case, the Sydney form looks superior. Apocalyptic was a strong winner of the Tea Rose, and she now heads to next week’s Flight Stakes in search of a hat-trick of Princess Series wins. But, it seems she will dodge the Thousand Guineas.
Of course, these are still lightly-raced horses – many are technically still 2YOs in a country where we predominantly breed sprinters. There’s always the chance we’ll see rapid improvement heading into these grand finals, or perhaps something unexpected will burst onto the scene from left field, but at this stage the ranks are looking thin.
Tactics Questioned
Esha
As expected, short-priced favourite Esha led them up in the Scarborough Stakes, before compounding badly the final 200m to finish a distance eighth.
It’s easy to say in hindsight (plenty said it prior), but it seems Esha left it all out there in the Moir. Additionally, it seemed a strange decision to then go straight to the 1200m, where she looked a huge distance query.
It’s a cautionary tale of the difference between restricted 3yo racing and open WFA events, even when the Moir looked a ‘soft’ option.
Hopefully she can spell well and reset in the autumn.
Daggers (The Valley race one)
Daggers was heavily backed to take out the opener on Friday night and when he pinged the lids, supporters would’ve been feeling confident.
Surprisingly, though, Nash Rawiller – one of the best front-running riders in the business – handed up the lead to Capper Thirtynine. From there the tempo slackened, forcing Rawiller to ease an unsettled Daggers off the fence before the gelding hit a ‘flat spot’ turning for home.
He may not have won regardless, but given how the race played out there’s a strong case he would’ve had a better chance rolling along in front.
The Valley Race 1 | Charcoals
We’re underway at The Valley! It’s three straight for the 4YO gelding who roars home again for @jamieleemott & @FreedmanRacing 🔥
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/XYSH2vHO2t— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025
You Might Have Missed – Derby winner Goldrush Guru fails…. Yet again.
2024 Victoria Derby winner Goldrush Guru failed badly in a five-horse field at Morphettville on Saturday. He was beaten 15L into last (granted, there were excuses)- the second time in a row he hasn’t beaten a runner home.
It’s either a mighty fall from grace or a realistic reflection of the strength of last year’s Derby. I strongly favour the latter.
Looking back through that Derby makes for fairly dire reading. King Of Thunder is the only runner to have done anything of note, having placed in the Queensland Derby. The rest of the field either haven’t raced again or are whacking away in benchmark staying events.
Sure, 2023 winner Riff Rocket turned into a handy horse and Hitotsu (2021) could’ve been anything before injury curtailed his career. But the strength and depth of recent Victoria Derbies suggests the race has long since lost its prominence as the pre-eminent 3YO staying contest in Australia. One could rationally suggest its often the weakest of the four major Derbies.
Many have argued that the Victoria Derby should be reduced to 2000m. Given these horses are barely 3YO by the time they reach Derby Day – and in a country that doesn’t breed stayers at all – it’s an easy argument to make. Adding weight to that case, the 2500m start at Flemington is arguably the worst on the course, positioned just a short distance from the sharp bottom turn out of the home straight.
Time For A Stiff Drink And A Lie Down…
Favourite backers at The Valley:
All eight favourites got rolled at The Valley on Friday night. Five of them didn’t even place. Bookies had a Grand Final Eve to remember.
The sickest watch was reserved for those who piled into the shorts about Vinrock, who many mapped to lead the Stutt Stakes. Thinks went awry when he blundered as the gates opened, was spat out the back, and from there never looked like winning.
Rob Cummings
The name might not mean much to most punters, but Rob sold a 10% share in Manikato-winning mare Charm Stone on Wednesday, just 72 hours before she claimed Friday night’s Group 1 feature!
He described the move as “downsizing his breeding stocks” – and no doubt the $310k he pocketed was a handy return. Still, one suspects that after Friday’s Group 1 spoils, she might’ve fetched even more if he’d waited a few days.
It was one for the battlers, with Yulong swooping on the 10% stake.
Steer Of The Night – Blake Shinn on Charm Stone
Not many would’ve had Charm Stone mapped leaders’ back, but the ever-positive Blake Shinn made full use of her sharp getaway to land on Alabama Lass’ tail. From there he angled into the clear at the right time and the mare did the rest – a picture-perfect steer.
Manikato Stakes | Charm Stone
What a mare 🎉 A brilliant finish gives @MickPriceRacing’s star her second Group 1, guided by @blake_shinn 💎
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a034ry pic.twitter.com/vXg6bjijo9— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025
The Flashing Light:
- Point Barrow (Scarborough Stakes) – 1200m around The Valley from a wide draw always looked a tough task, but her performance was simply enormous. She could well be the pick of the Victorian 3yo fillies.
Forgive Me:
- Barari (Race 2 – The Valley) – Never, ever saw daylight. No fault of Blake Shinn, it’s just the nature of tight-turning, short straight Valley that there’s plenty of horses who invariably have bad luck. Put the ampitheathre to one side, punters should be delighted they are lengthening the straight with the redevelopment.
- Lady Shenandoah (Manikato) – The gate always looked tricky and that proved to be the case. I’d suggest she was still entitled to do more, but The Valley has claimed many a victim and as the old adage goes: always forgive a good horse an average run.
Manikato Stakes | Charm Stone
What a mare 🎉 A brilliant finish gives @MickPriceRacing’s star her second Group 1, guided by @blake_shinn 💎
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a034ry pic.twitter.com/vXg6bjijo9— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025
Punters Got The Lot:
King Zephyr (Sandown Saturday) – This bloke was truck-loaded first up at The Valley and punters went hard again on Saturday, crunching him from $2.50 into odds-on. Thankfully for punters he looked much more comfortable on the bigger Sandown track and duly bolted in.
Sandown Race 4 | King Zephyr
King Zephyr conquers his opposition, careering away for an easy win 👑
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/hOxkFGqfIM— Racing.com (@Racing) September 27, 2025
Social Media Uproar
Social media went into a spin after SEN host Gareth Hall delivered a eulogy to Wootton Bassett, the leading sire who sadly passed away late last week.
.@ghall27 pays tribute to the world’s leading stallion Wootton Bassett.
We send our condolences to the @coolmorestud team. @bet365_aus | @SENGiddyUp | @CoolmoreAus pic.twitter.com/ZaW9PSBIdb
— SENTrack (@SEN_track) September 23, 2025
I’m a huge Gareth fan. His passion for racing and relationship with participants is just about unmatched. And, no doubt a recent trip to Coolmore, who stood Wootton Bassett, deepened his connection to the stallion.
That said, I think the backing track was overkill and I’m concerned about the precedent he has set himself here!
At the very least, the comments are worth a read!
