Weekend Racing Recap
Australian racing fans had their eyes set overseas this week with the Royal Ascot Carnival dominating the air waves of racing stations. The first day of the Carnival featured two Australians with Overpass and Asfoora taking on the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m), where the Bjorn Baker trained Overpass ran a gallant placing down the famous Ascot straight. The final day of the Royal Ascot Carnival peaked the highest interest with the running of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) and featured the Chris Waller trained Joliestar and Overpass backing up from his gallant placing on Day 1.
The race was run at the usual frantic pace of a sprint down the Ascot straight with both Australian horses sitting in a forward position and at the 200m when James McDonald drove Joliestar to the front she looked to have the race in her keeping but the tough uphill finish proved a test for her and she was claimed in last stride beaten into a close minor placing. James McDonald later proved his class with a masterful winning ride on Lost Boys.
Stakes racing headed to Ipswich for their biggest day of the season with the running of the Listed Eye Liner, Listed Ipswich Cup and Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic the features of the program. The Eye Liner was a training triumph for Michael Freedman. The gelding looked a promising tyype when he took on the 2023 Winx Guineas but he suffered a tendon injury soon after and went to the paddock.
The son of Divine Prophet had a long lay off and was not seen back on the racecourse until April 2026 when he chased home Cosmo Centaurus into second spot in a BM85 at Eagle Farm. He was back in the winners stall two starts back then went to the Eye Liner with only 53kgs and looked perfectly weighted. Daniel Moor had him back near the rear in the big field and that is usually not the place to be around the tight Ipswich layout, but he was able to improve his position wide from the 500m and once balanced-up he produced a withering run and finished too well getting up for a final stride victory to beat the brave La Roja ($31) with Esjay ($19) holding on for brave minor placing.
The stayers stepped out in the Ipswich Cup over the 2150m. Chris Munce was a bold front running rider in his day and he would have been proud of the way apprentice rider Emily Lang rated Kaluakoi out in front from start to finish to win the $250,000 feature. It was the second Ipswich Cup trained winner for Munce, who also had won the Ipswich Cup as a rider on Oompala back in 1994.
The first lady of Australian racing in Gai Waterhouse and the race named in her honour the Gai Waterhouse classic was a triumph again for the skill of Emily Lang. She came across from her wide gate on the three-year-filly Naifah and once she foound the front got her to relax beautifully and once she pushed the button on the corner the $4.40 favourite slipped away and the race was never in doubt holding on to beat a brave Manolo Bling ($8.50) with Silver Wedding ($4.60) running into a gallant minor placing.