Lindsay Park pick up where they left off…
The Hayes boys dominated the 2yo ranks in season 2024/25 and they were the first stable on the board in the new season.
Eurocanto – a son of Per Incanto – took out the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes under the guidance of Mark Zahra. The colt had to overcome traffic issues before letting down strongly to reel in Streisand, who had raced on speed throughout.
Eurocanto over the top!
Another swooper scores down the straight as @lindsayparkrace land the first 2YO winner of the season in Melbourne 🥇 pic.twitter.com/rJDqGnEtEh
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
It’s a race the Hayes name has had good success in, including 2005 winner, I Got Chills, who landed a huge plunge ($15 into $5) when bolting in for David Hayes.
Familiar names take out Sydney’s first 2yo races
The Freedman name has been synonymous with quality 2yos for decades, this time it was Michael who produced Incognito to win the Breeders’ Plate.
A son of Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, raced in the James Harron Bloodstock colours, Incognito settled well back in the field before producing a brilliant turn-of-foot to charge past his rivals. They stopped the clock at 57.31 secs, which was slightly quicker than the fillies 40 minutes later.
Incognito takes the Breeders Plate!@TommyBerry21 and @MFreedmanRacing combine for the first two-year-old winner of the season 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/91MuM0Kitx
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
”It’s a big thrill to win a race like this, but to win it with a son of a colt that we trained for the Golden Slipper is an extra big thrill,” said Freedman post-race.
A trip to the Gold Coast for January’s Magic Millions might be the immediate goal, “We’ll have a chat with James [Harron] and the crew. He is a Magic Millions graduate, so I guess that is a possibility. Otherwise, a nice break and then start focusing on the autumn.”
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are regular winners of 2yo races and it didn’t take them long to get on the board in season 2025-26.
Too Darn Hot filly Shiki took out the Gimcrack in typical Waterhouse-Bott fashion, going straight to the front before fending off her rivals.
An all the way 2yo winner for @GaiWaterhouse1? Sounds familiar 😉
Shiki hangs on in a thriller in the Gimcrack! pic.twitter.com/ctQpnwx1A4
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
Begg lands early Flemington double
Grahame Begg closed last season with a remarkable 28% strike rate – the best in the state by some margin – and he’s wasted no time carrying that form into the new season, landing an early double at Flemington on Saturday.
He struck first with De Bergerac, who has held his form through a long winter campaign. Punters were left disappointed as the gelding wore down the $2.50 favourite She’s An Artist, who loomed the winner at the 100m before fading late into third. In-play punters were also burner on She’s An Artist, with the mare trading as low as $1.04 in the run.
Flemington Race 1 | De Bergerac
Racing at Flemington is underway on Turnbull Stakes Day! De Bergerac unleashes a withering burst of speed to topple the two favoured runners 💨
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/CILCvmIuQM— Racing.com (@Racing) October 4, 2025
It was far more straightforward in the Rose Of Kingston Stakes, where Miraval Rose rolled to the lead and gave nothing else a look in. She quickened clear at the top of the straight and was never in danger, recording back-to-back wins.
Backmarkers struggled to get into the race, including the well-supported favourite On Display, who closed off strongly into third. The standout run from the tail was Pondalowie, who again hit the line well and continues to race in terrific form without breaking through.
Rose of Kingston Stakes | Miraval Rose
Miraval Rose wins the Rose of Kingston Stakes decisively, leading throughout & kicking clear at the top of the straight 🌹
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/LW2AdXLkR8— Racing.com (@Racing) October 4, 2025
Apocalyptic continues Princess Series domination
To the cheer of punters, the heavily-backed Apocalyptic took out the Group 1 Flight Stakes.
Having claimed both key lead-up races – the Furious and Tea Rose Stakes – the Michael Freedman-trained filly was sent out $1.55, and she justified the price. Jockey Tommy Berry sent the star filly forward, settling outside the leader, before she set up a race-winning break early in the straight.
Apocalyptic is part-owned by micro syndication business, My Race Horse.
APOCALYPTIC 💥
How about the look around the shoulder by Berry at the 350?! The Flight Stakes was never in doubt with this star filly ⭐ pic.twitter.com/XdmM57B9oI
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
McGaw causes Danehill boilover
The field split in the Danehill Stakes with the two horses that came towards the stand side of the track clearing out to run the quinella: McGaw and My Galdiola.
It was bold riding from Damian Lane (McGaw) and Jamie Mott (My Galdiola) who stuck to their guns whilst the other seven jockeys steered a path closer to the inside rail.
Ultimately, McGaw was able to out-tough the heavily backed My Gladiola to score a narrow win. McGaw still does plenty wrong in his races, so there should good upside to come from the gelding.
MCGAW 💜💛
An upset in the Danehill as Mcgaw turns the tables and some favourites disappoint! pic.twitter.com/6L21h2GA33
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
For punters, it was a case of the wrong King!
Gilded Water was out to give King Charles a runner in the Melbourne Cup and the majority of punters sided with the last-start winner, sending him out a heavily-backed $2.20 favourite.
It was expected Gilded Water would race on speed under Jamie Melham, but those who had taken the shorts may have been a little concerned when he set up a several lengths break in the mid-stages. Initial data would suggest Gilded Water went some 19L above standard to the 800m mark.
The long Flemington straight was an agonising watch for Gilded Water backers, and as he got to the furlong marker it was clear he was showing signs of distress.
Out of the pack emerged the Chris Waller-trained Valiant King (50/1), sporting the blinkers for the first time, who steamed past the leaders to win by a widening 2.75 lengths.
VALIANT KING 😱
Well that was something! Valiant King is into another Melbourne Cup, running down the King’s horse Gilded Water who set up a massive lead in the run! pic.twitter.com/sgxtI9tztY
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
Another bolter, Torranzino, finished back in second, with the favourite a tiring third. Local Cup hope Revelare has already booked his ticket for the First Tuesday in November. However, in what was his first genuinely run test beyond 2000m, he struggled into seventh.
Autumn Glow is perfection
A wide draw mattered little for star mare Autumn Glow, who kept her unbeaten record intact with a brilliant win in the Epsom Handicap.
Kerrin McEvoy sent Autumn Glow forward from the outside gate, ultimately settling outside Fully Lit, who held the lead. These two controlled the race throughout, with Autumn Glow the stronger late.
What a mare! Autumn Glow shines the brightest in the G1 TAB Epsom and remains unbeaten to claim her Group 1! 🙌 ⭐️@KPMcEvoy @cwallerracing @ArrowfieldStud @aus_turf_club @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/VhBl3o28F1
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 4, 2025
“It means a lot to us, she’s a very talented horse,” Chris Waller said after the win.
“It’s all about Group 1 racing in my eyes and for the future generations. So it was so important to get that box ticked, that was the biggest relief, I think the next run will be fine. I’m not worried about the winning record, it’s almost impossible to keep that intact,”
On what’s next, Waller said: “We just don’t want to over-race her. It’s what I call a four-year-old filly, as I say. We won’t over-race her. I’ll speak to Mr Messara and his team, and the Hermitage up in Hong Kong, and we’ll see what they all want to do, probably one more run.”
“It’s likely either the Golden Eagle or the Empire Rose at Flemington.”
It was Autumn Glow’s first Group 1 win, but it almost certainly won’t be her last.
Sir Delius dominant
Sir Delius stamped himself as the horse to beat this spring with a dominant victory in a star-studded Turnbull Stakes.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained son of Frankel settled handy to the speed before peeling off Antino in the straight, surging clear to score by a commanding 1.75 lengths.
TAKE NOTE, THE REAL DEAL. SIR DELIUS ⭐
An outstanding win against an outstanding field! The Melbourne Cup favourite wins the Turnbull, and he might be Cox Plate favourite before too long 💛🏆 pic.twitter.com/A3BjvEBEUR
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 4, 2025
While the Melbourne Cup is his ultimate target, Sir Delius looks set to do further damage on the road to the First Tuesday in November. Waterhouse, who famously won the Cup with Fiorente in 2013, will be chasing her second success, and punters clearly think she has the right horse – Sir Delius is now a firm $3.70 favourite for the 3200m classic.
Antino lost little in defeat, boxing on bravely for second, while the well-backed favourite Via Sistina made late ground into third without ever threatening the winner.
The run of the race outside Sir Delius came from Half Yours. The lightly raced stayer was poorly treated under the set weights of the Turnbull but still flashed home into fourth. On that performance, he rightfully assumes favouritism for the Caulfield Cup.
