Sires With Winners - Friday January 22

The Sir Rupert Clarke has been a race of many names since its inauguration in 1951 as the Invitation Stakes, which it remained until 1974 and champion sires Exceed And Excel, Encosta de Lago and Testa Rossa (twice) all scorched around Caulfield to take the prize.

Many pre-race pundits had labelled Saturday’s Ellerslie’s feature, the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1400m) as a two-horse contest between Lollapalooza and Tajana, the two hottest three-year-old fillies of spring racing to date.

Selected for the Waller Racing slot for this year’s $20million The Everest, five year-old Zoustar mare Joliestar showed she would be a force to be reckoned with after scoring a scintillating victory in the $1million Group II ATC The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

New Zealand-bred gelding With Your Blessing capped a consistent run of form with his first black-type success in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick.

Fierce Flight kicked off what Te Akau Racing is hoping to be a lucrative weekend for the trans-Tasman operation when winning the Te Aroha Maiden Hurdle (3100m) on Friday with Saturday racing highlighted by the debut of their $2.1million Wootton Bassett (GB) filly from Avantage that topped the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling sale..

A big strong girl that stands above her rivals in the mounting yard, Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic again showed her class on the track with a dominant victory in the $300,000 Group II ATC Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

While Monday’s official two year-old trials at Randwick are always interesting as a first look at the babies showing early talent, there’s been a number trial around Australia already this season.

It was clear the betting public weren’t interested, but connections felt she was a good chance despite the five weeks between runs, as John McArdle’s Yum charged late to win the Listed MRC Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m), becoming the first Australian stakes winner for Darley’s Ghaiyyath (IRE).

Having not won a race since May 2024 when trained in Ireland, connections would’ve been holding their breath in the final few strides of the Group 3 ATC Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) with Chirs Waller’s Birdman (IRE) (Free Eagle) getting his head down when it mattered, securing his second black type victory.

It doesn’t carry Black Type, but the $1million ATC Channel 7 Stakes (1600m) is a G1 race in everything but name and for the second year in a row it was won by the fabulous Fangirl, who continued her love affair with the Randwick mile.