Begg claims the inaugural The Taggart
Grahame Begg had a strong hand in The Taggart (race three) at Caulfield and he was rewarded with the quinella.
Miraval Rose sat outside race favourite, Austmarr, and under the guidance of Jordan Childs was too good over the concluding stages.
Miraval Rose wins The Taggart!
Jordan Childs and Grahame Begg combine as @LizzieJelfs‘ pick of the yard salutes at $10 ⭐@JChilds47 @Grahame_Begg pic.twitter.com/vvvmnAl8oE
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Stablemate, Stretan Angel, charged home into second, in an eye-catching performance.
Austmarr looked to have every hope up on speed and was a touch disappointing over the concluding stages, while See You In Heaven was tailed off throughout.
The race was named in honour of the Taggart family, a name synonymous with Caulfield. David Taggart is well known to racing fans, particularly for his work on SEN Track, while his late father, Les, was a much-loved racing figure who managed and hosted winners’ rooms across Melbourne’s tracks.
SEN’s CEO Craig Hutchison summed up the importance of the race:
Craig Hutchison speaks on how meaningful the inaugural running of The Taggart is 🥹@MelbRacingClub pic.twitter.com/u6L6RKynLp
— SENTrack (@SEN_track) September 20, 2025
Nadal a very late scratching
The Ciaron Maher-trained Nadal was withdrawn just 25 minutes before he was set to resume in race four at Caulfield. The scratching was due to a track upgrade, with stewards announcing after race three it had improved to a Good 3.
LATE SCR: CAUL R4 – No.1 Nadal – 1:24 PM – Track Upgrade
— RVStewards (@RVStewards) September 20, 2025
Birdman wins Kingston Town
There was barely a cigarette paper between Birdman (Kerrin McEvoy) and Adelaide River (Tyler Schiller) in the Kingston Town Stakes. The pair quickly put a margin on their rivals over the final 200m, and just when it looked as though Birdman had gained the upper hand, Adelaide River dug deep late to fight back and only go down narrowly.
Trainer Chris Waller had Birdman accepted to run both in Sydney as well as the Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield, ultimately pulling the right rein.
BIRDMAN 🦅
What a finish in the Kingston Town! The two imports put on a great duel down the straight but Birdman sticks his nose out💪 pic.twitter.com/a6qXcUU60x
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Full Count Felicia ensured it was a genuine 2000m contest by stringing the field out early, but she compounded badly and was the first horse beaten.
The short-priced favourite Vauban was disappointing on face value, failing to quicken when the pressure went on in the straight.
Estremo enters Guineas picture
Estremo made it a rapid-fire, dual-state double for Chris Waller, taking out the Guineas Prelude at Caulfield.
Ben Melham was able to use the inside alley to drive up behind the leader, Vega For Luck, before peeling off his back and getting the bob in right on the line.
Vega For Luck was sent out the $34 outsider in the small field, but put in a tough, on-speed performance under Jamie Mott.
ESTREMO 💜
Another thriller as @BMelham lifts Estremo over the line to with the Caulfield Guineas Preude!@cwallerracing @StarTbreds pic.twitter.com/AycuZKnjJy
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Keen yard watchers noted that race favourite Planet Red was sweating up and toey in the yard and going onto the track, which may have contributed to his significant late drift on the Exchange ($2.70 out to an SP of $3.19 in the last 2-3 minutes of betting). He was a touch keen in the run under Mark Zahra before working to the line OK in third.
Apocalyptic dominant in Tea Rose
The Michael Freedman-trained filly Apocalpytic was breathtaking in wining the Group 2 Tea Rose.
Jockey Tommy Berry was patient early, before tracking race favourite Tupakara into the race around the home bend and quickly dropping her, clearing out for a dominant win.
APOCALYPTIC ‼️
She sat three wide throughout and was still too strong! A terrific filly wins the Tea Rose ⭐@TommyBerry21 @MFreedmanRacing @MyRacehorseAU pic.twitter.com/qH9suHR7mA
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
She is now unbeaten in two runs this campaign and is favourite for the Group 1 Flight Stakes in a fortnight’s time.
Yum causes a boilover in the Jim Moloney
The John McArdle-trained Yum took out the Jim Moloney Stakes at $23, to the chagrin of most punters.
Jamie Mott rode Yum, turning in one of the rides of the day to get the filly home from dead-last in the run. Mott saved ground coming around the home bend before a split-second move saw him extricate off the fence and into the clear; the filly did the rest, showing a strong turn of foot over the final furlong.
“YUM – THE PUNTERS ARE LICKING THEIR LIPS!” 😋😋
An upset in the Jim Moloney Stakes as the John McArdle trained Yum makes it two in a row!
What a name 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/9S04zhpWVV
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
The Playwright set a cracking tempo which saw the backmarkers to the fore. The overall time of 1.22.51 was two seconds quicker than the 3YO boys went in the Guineas Prelude.
The heavily-backed Vivid Sun settled third in the run but was fairly plain over the concluding stages. Potentially the strong tempo sapping her finish.
Sir Delius justifies hype
Sir Delius was truck-loaded from the moment markets opened and despite giving punters a scare, he ultimately prevailed in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.
Craig Williams put Sir Delius into a lovely spot from a wide draw – one out, one back – but when Buckaroo swept around him at the top of the home straight it looked it looked like the favourite was in trouble.
To his credit, Sir Delius lifted strongly the final furlong, a clear sign the horse is already looking for further than today’s 2000m.
“The first Tuesday in November, that’s what I want to win!” 🏆
Gai knows what she wants with Sir Delius, and Craig Williams will be right there with her! pic.twitter.com/86FzovcTpQ
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Trainer Gai Waterhouse stated post race: “One big race is the Melbourne Cup – the First Tuesday in November, that’s what I want to win”. Waterhouse will be chasing her second Melbourne Cup having won with Fiorente back in 2013.
Buckaroo, who was chasing back-to-back wins in the race, was brave in defeat, having been asked to make a sustained run. While Golden Path was game in third on the quick back-up from Flemington last week.
Fangirl – by a whisker!
Lindermann was brave on speed in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, but it was his stablemate Fangirl who had the final say in a dramatic finish.
Lindermann stole what looked a race-winning break with 200m to go, but under the urging of James McDonald, Fangirl steadily clawed her way into contention. Even inside the last 20m it appeared a forlorn task for the veteran mare, but she surged late to snatch victory in a tight photo, the judge confirming number eleven to the roar of the Randwick crowd.
HOW HAS SHE DONE THAT ‼️
Fangirl, you are a star ⭐ pic.twitter.com/HPUUPTL9eY
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
Sepals wins a dramatic Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
A terrific Craig Williams ride helped rising star Sepals claim his first Group 1 victory.
Drawn a wide gate, Williams was aggressive early on the Cliff Brown-trained gelding, quickly getting up outside the leader.
For Brown, it was his first Group 1 win since returning to Australia (from Singapore), but he was a five-time Group 1 winner prior to heading overseas.
SEPALS IS A GROUP 1 STAR ⭐
Craig Williams makes it a Group 1 double and wins his eighth Rupert Clarke Stakes!
Cliff Brown is back at the top as a trainer 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/V5tmV8JzgP
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 20, 2025
It was a tale of woe for backers of Angel Capital, who drifted back to third-last before having absolutely no luck in the straight – only seeing daylight with 100m to go and flashing into fourth.
The winning time of 1:21.39 was noteworthy, just 0.19 seconds outside Exceed And Excel’s longstanding 1400m track record.
Unfortunately, Chorlton Lane went amiss with 200m to run, dislodging jockey Celine Gaudray. Pleasingly, Gaudray was able to walk back to the mounting yard. Sadly, Racing Victoria later confirmed that Chorlton Lane was humanely euthanised after sustaining the injury.
Veterinary report on Chorlton Lane following the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. pic.twitter.com/iwswDC66hO
— RVStewards (@RVStewards) September 20, 2025
