Aaron Mills’ top three to follow from Belmont

Tom Baddock - Monday October 9

The first of Perth’s Group I races is still seven weeks away so I’ve identified some fit horses that should be winning sooner rather than later.

Advertisement

SOVEREIGN TRADE
Sure, he only broke his maiden at his sixth attempt on Saturday but the manner of the victory suggests there’s scope to work through the grades. After a moderate first-up effort Sovereign Trade stepped up to the more suitable 1400m trip, relishing a solid tempo up front to unleash a dominant finishing burst from worse than midfield to have a big field covered halfway down the straight. Outside of the sprints his final 600m sectional was the best of the day to add further merit to the victory. Trainer Bernie Miller said after the race there’s "another twenty percent” before he is the full package so there looks to be plenty more to come from Sovereign Trade this time in work. There’s often one or two that start building the picket fence around this time of the season so let’s stick strong with Sovereign Trade in the coming weeks.
Career record (6:1-1-1)
Race to look for – Midweek or Saturday restricted race 1400m and beyond

JUST LIKE FIRE
The racing Gods showed how fickle they can be with the three runners to follow from this column two weeks ago all starting in the market on Saturday and being beaten convincingly, although a closer look at the circumstances surrounding Just Like Fire’s effort suggests we shouldn’t be dropping off now. On face value the Oaks and Derby cheque-earner was disappointing as she struggled into a distant fourth however the race simply wasn’t run to suit. Just Like Fire struggled to keep up in a solidly-run 1400m race where the leader carved out the first 800m in 48 seconds and change, finding herself a long way off the top rounding the turn, yet returned closing sectionals similar to impressive winner Star Value which settled much closer in the run. Surely now it’s time to see Just Like Fire’s staying prowess come to the fore by stepping the mare up to a more suitable journey.
Career record (14:3-0-3)
Race to look for – Benchmark 62+ 1800m on October 21

UNDISCLOSED
At the double-figure odds she looked one of the best roughies on Saturday and supporters would be feeling they left something in the bag after her luckless display. Beaten nine and three lengths, respectively, in her first two starts since resuming, many might have thought the winner of three races hadn’t come up this time in work but with blinkers off and the prospect of being ridden cold in the big field said she was capable of improvement. Indeed, the daughter of Alfred Nobel ended up well back and looking at a wall of horses on the turn, getting badly held up until the 150m mark and rocketing to the line late to finish fourth. She’s a winner at Ascot so there shouldn’t be many concerns about the switch to that track, especially early in the season when the rail is in and making ground from back in the field is possible.
Career record (8:3-0-0)
Race to look for – Benchmark 62+ 1000-1200m

Advertisment
More Reading...
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Rising HK Star for Embellish
Bulb General continued his electric form in Hong Kong to bring loftier targets into play for the son of Embellish.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.
Kiwi Bred War Machine Secures Everest Slot
The NZB Ready to Run Sale is never short of graduates flying the flag on Group One stages in Australia. With the 2025 edition at Karaka now less than six weeks away, War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) has put his hand up to continue that trend this spring.
Everest Runner/New G1 Horse for Hellbent as Invincible Legacy Surges
Hellbent has made a solid start to the new season with 25 winners racking up over $2million in earnings and he will have a runner in the $20million The Everest in two weeks time with Magic Time confirmed for the Inglis slot, while at Randwick last Saturday he added another G1 performer to his tally.
Shamus Award Mare Chasing Another G1
Adverse weather has forced multiple Group One winner Quintessa to take an unorthodox route to next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with the mare appearing at the Awapuni trials on Monday afternoon.
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
Wootton Bassett G1 Double on Arc Day
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!