After a stakes treble at Randwick headed by a pair of group 2 wins with homebred Golden Slipper (G1) contenders, Godolphin’s day March 8 would get even better as it hit a crescendo at Flemington via the James Cummings-trained homebred Tom Kitten, who produced a stellar performance to take out the AU$2.5 million All-Star Mile (G1).
The gelding was tasting victory at the top level for the second time, having won the 2023 Spring Champion Stakes (G1) at Randwick. Yet to score at group level since that victory, he had placed in both the Epsom Handicap (G1) and lucrative Golden Eagle in the meantime.
Returning first-up in the Futurity Stakes (G1) last month, the 4-year-old gelding ran a huge race to be second, beaten just 0.1 lengths, by Australian Group 1-winning machine Mr Brightside under the guidance of Ben Melham. With Melham back in the saddle for this weekend’s contest, Tom Kitten was again rivalled by the Lindsay Park-trained Mr Brightside, but would this time come out on top.
Angled to the outside of the seven-runner field with 400 metres left to race, the son of Darley’s shuttle stallion Harry Angel loomed up to Mr Brightside with just 200 metres to go and, after an excellent dual between the pair inside the closing stages, had his head down in front where it mattered to turn the tables on his old rival.
The winning distance was again just 0.1 lengths, with the front pair a further 1.2 lengths in front of Northerly Stakes (G1) winner Light Infantry Man.
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“He came back really good, this horse. His second prep as a gelding and James Cummings and Godolphin, they’re such good conditioners of this calibre of horse heading to these big races,” Melham said. “He was obviously very unlucky the other day (in the Futurity). In another hop he probably beats Mr Brightside.
“I was confident he could come here and beat Brightside today, but he just has a few antics on the barriers and stepped a bit
ordinary, but it worked out really well for us.
“I was able to suck up for a little bit straightening and when I let him down I knew he’d be there for me.”
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Newmarket Handicap Victory Never in Doubt for Joliestar
Plenty of Kiwi eyes would have been on the action at Ellerslie’s Champions Day on Saturday, but all eyes at Cambridge Stud were fixed firmly on their mare Joliestar in the 1200-meter (about six-furlong) Newmarket Handicap (G1) and they were not disappointed as the crack sprinter delivered a dominant performance in Flemington’s time-honoured handicap.
Joliestar wins the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse
The Chris Waller-trained 4-year-old, who had won Caulfield’s Thousand Guineas (G1) over 1600 metres as a 3-year-old in 2023, had been switched to her champion trainer’s Melbourne base from Sydney just 10 days prior to Saturday’s victory. And what a move it turned out to be.
Jumping from barrier eight, Joliestar and Lane travelled strongly up to the 350 metres but looked to have a wall of horses in front of
them. However, as most of her 14 rivals began to wilt under pressure, Joliestar found racing room under a confident Lane and, showcasing her trademark turn of foot, shot to the front with 150 metres left to race, eventually running out a ready 1.3-length winner over Headwall, who had also been short of room late on.
“We had faith about the horse being the best horse in the race. That is what we thought going out there,” said Waller’s stable racing manager and assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth. “It made the watch a little less stressful knowing that she does have that electric turn-of-foot because when she is at her best, she is amazing.”
Lane revealed he was confident he had the race won if they had gotten an out and was also delighted to lift the winning trophy named after the late jockey Dean Holland.
“It felt like I needed an inch of room, and she was going to put them away. She just travelled so easily the whole race,” the winning rider said. “(I’ve) never been so confident that I could put a Group 1 away if I got the right run.”
Duckworth revealed post-race that Joliestar could be headed to Royal Ascot, a meeting Waller has triumphed before, having landed the King’s Stand Stakes (G1) in tremendous style with champion sprinter Nature Strip in 2022.
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Royal Patronage takes Canterbury Stakes
Royal Patronage has shown he will be a force to be reckoned with during the autumn following a tenacious first-up win in the Canterbury Stakes (G1) at Randwick March 8, with next month’s Doncaster Mile (G1) back at Randwick the main target for the 6-year-old.
Royal Patronage wins the Canterbury Stakes at Royal Randwick
In his second campaign with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Tulloch Lodge, Royal Patronage finished strongly under Tim Clark to run down race leader Here To Shock by 0.4 lengths, with the fast-finishing Magic Time a further 0.7 lengths away in third. Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) winner Switzerland finished sixth.
Despite Royal Patronage winning his Australian debut over 1400 metres (about seven furlongs) in the spring, Adrian Bott admitted he thought the 1300 metres (about 6 1/2 furlongs) of Saturday’s group 1 might prove too short, and the fact he managed to score regardless, augured well for his campaign.
“He’s an incredible horse. To do what he did first start in Australia and first preparation, I thought he was one of the most forward Europeans we’ve had over,” Bott said. “We were open minded about how far to stretch him last time in, but I feel the mile is his real sweet spot.”
Royal Patronage placed in a trio of top-class races in the spring before finishing down the field in the Cox Plate (G1) when Bott felt he had reached the end of his campaign.
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Linebacker Gives Co-Trainer Charlton First Group 1 Success
A week after Feroce became the first elite-level winner for Waikato Stud’s young gun stallion Super Seth, another of his sons, Linebacker, doubled the sire’s topflight tally when he got the better of crack colt Broadsiding to claim the Randwick Guineas (G1) and in the process became the first group 1 winner for young co-trainer Tom Charlton.
Linebacker wins the Randwick Guineas at Royal Randwick
Linebacker had to settle for second behind Broadsiding in the Champagne Stakes (G1) last April, but fast forward 11 months and the gelding proved too strong for the Godolphin colt on this occasion.
Ridden for the first time by Zac Lloyd, Linebacker, who Charlton trains in partnership with John O’Shea, tracked the pacesetting Tenbury Wells throughout. Turning for home, Linebacker soon loomed up alongside that rival before hitting the lead with just over 300 metres left to run.
Sent for the winning line by Lloyd, Linebacker produced a stylish turn of foot to kick clear of Broadsiding, who he defeated by 0.6 lengths.
“It panned out perfectly. I just wanted to work with Linebacker, not against him,” Lloyd said. “He broke well, and he had a nice bunny in Tenbury Wells. His asset is his big, long stride, and he sustained his gallop nicely.
Charlton also cut a delighted character as he registered his first group 1 win in partnership with O’Shea.
“I know the tally of crossbar hits we’ve had in group 1s over the last few years, so it’s great,” Charlton said. “This horse has pleased us all the way since we gelded him. You could see a long way out that he was in a really good rhythm today. They were going at a high speed, but he looked comfortable.”
Saturday’s victory was the 30th at the elite-level for Charlton’s training partner O’Shea, and his first since fellow Kiwi-bred Lion’s Roar
landed the same race in 2021.
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