Fastnet Rock - New Winner

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.

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.

With most of the hype heading into this year’s running of the $1m Group 1 MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) surrounding the four-year-olds, the Cliff Brown trained Sepals justified that hype, highlighting his class to come out on top with a brilliant win.

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.

Having just his third Australian start, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale topper Sir Delius (GB) further highlighted his claim to Spring riches by winning the $1m Group 1 VRC Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Flemington.

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.

Star Thoroughbreds have had a good bit of success with the progeny of Extreme Choice having raced his G1 winning mare Espiona and the purple and white stars were in the frame on Saturday with progressive colt Estremo winning the $300,000 MRC Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

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).

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.

North Island raids have delivered rich rewards this year for Canterbury mare Ears Back, who collected her second black-type prize in the Gr.3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.