Juddmonte Colours Salute at Flemington – Surefire Wins G3 Archer Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Saturday October 29

Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) has always promised to win a stakes race in Australia and got the job done at Flemington on Saturday when scoring a determined win in the Group III VRC Archer Stakes (2500m).

Surefire wins the G3 Archer Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, Surefire was a short priced favourite and was strong to the line to beat 2020 Epsom Derby winner Serpentine (IRE) by a length.

Advertisement

“He travelled into it like he was going to win a bit better than he did, but in saying that he got to the front and backed off and waited for the other horses, so maybe a set of visors might help him concentrate,” said James McDonald.

Surefire races for a partnership of Waller stable clients and his breeder Juddmonte Farms in whose colours he runs. He has the overall record of six wins and three seconds from 14 starts and as a four year-old his best is still to come.

Surefire wins his first stakes race - image Grant Courtney

A half-brother to Group winner Button Down and stakes-winner Platitude, Surefire is one of seven winners from stakes-winner Modesta, a half-sister to Group I winning champions Reams of Verse and Elmaamul as well as the dam of champion mare Midday.

Surefire is the 190th stakes-winner worldwide for Coolmore's champion sire Fastnet Rock.

Advertisment

Race Result - Lexus Archer Stakes Gr3 2500m

Flemington Track: Soft(7) Time: 2:39.11
1
Surefire
- 5g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Modesta (IRE) (Sadler's Wells (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 55
Fastnet Rock
2
1.0
Serpentine
- 6g Galileo (IRE) x Remember When (IRE) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: Robert Hickmott Rdr: John Allen 55
3
2.0
Crystal Pegasus
- 6g Australia (GB) x Crystal Etoile (GB) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: M Zahra 56
4
4.7
Warning
- 6g Declaration Of War (USA) x Livia (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: D Oliver 56
5
7.7
Chapada
- 7g Bullet Train (GB) x Diamantina Dior (AUS) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: J Mott 56.5
6
7.8
Alegron
- 4g Teofilo (IRE) x Alegria (AUS) (Medaglia D'Oro (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: W Buick 59
7
11.8
True Marvel
- 7g Masked Marvel (GB) x Anecdotique (FR) (Enrique (GB))
Tnr: Matthew Smith Rdr: B Mc Dougall 54
More Reading...
Inglis Ready2Race breeze up footage NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
Progeny of the likes of Toronado, Exceed and Excel, Harry Angel, Zoustar and Ole Kirk were amongst the standout performers from breeze up sessions conducted this week in the lead up to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale on October 16, footage of which is now available online.
New SW Wrote - Fast Network Wins G3 National Day Cup
Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 2
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Blueblood Fillies From $3million Mares
Tom Magnier has been notable for his purchase of elite race fillies and broodmares in recent years to enhance the stellar Coolmore broodmare band and two of his $3million plus mare purchases have produced stunning fillies this spring.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Caulfield
Three barrier trials at Caulfield on Thursday morning produced heat winners for first season sires Wild Ruler and Profiteer with the quickest winner being Free Flying, the half-sister by Snitzel to brilliant Group winning mare Learning to Fly.
Fastnet Rock Stayer Wins G2 Chairman’s Quality
Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) carried the famous Juddmonte colours to victory in the $300,000 Group II ATC Chairman’s Quality (2600m) ploughing through the testing heavy conditions to stake a big claim for the upcoming $2million Group I Sydney Cup next week.
Generation Foals Built for Speed
Victorian farm Lovatsville offer a diverse stallion roster for this spring geared to satisfy a wide spectrum of breeder ambitions and if explosive Aussie speed is your thing then Snitzel stallion Generation will fit the bill.
Milan Park Experience Highs and Lows
Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
One to Watch – Geelong
Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Melody Belle Daughter Set for Long Awaited Debut
It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song, a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle, makes her debut.