Starspangledbanner - New Winner

The Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday featured colts and fillies with the girls coming out on top as Rosemont Stud’s homebred Starspangledbanner filly Palm Angel was too nippy for the late closing Wootton Bassett (GB) filly Wiltshire Square.

The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Roadcone led his rivals a merry dance when winning the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Saturday, bringing up a treble for the stable and jockey Luke Cartwright.

Juddmonte Farms have been firing through spring of the euro flat season and they produced the quinella overnight at The Curragh with Kingman colts finishing one and two in the Group I Irish 2,000 Guineas (1m) and leading the way was Field of Gold, who was purchased as a weanling  for €530,000.

Hot favourite War Machine made light work of his rivals in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday and it is now all systems go as the four-year-old son of Harry Angel (IRE) heads towards the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.  

The $350,000 Group II MRC Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday had a hot favourite in My Gladiola, who was looking to repeat her brilliant debut victory in the Group III MRC Blue Diamond Preview last month, but she came up short when overpowered by Starspangledbanner filly Palm Angel.

Successful last time out in the Listed Princess Stakes when becoming the 30th stakes winner for her sire All Too Hard, the David Vandyke trained Philia went four from four this time in, leading through to win the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben.

Trainer Tony Gollan has earmarked the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) as the long-range target for star galloper Antino after a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday in track record time.

Last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Pulchritudinous landed her first blow across the Tasman with a gritty victory in the Gr.3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Surprisingly contesting black type racing for the first time in his career, it was first time lucky for the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Manhood after the 6yo son of Headwater was strong to the line, leading throughout to win the Listed Chief De Beers Stakes (1110m).

Group One winner Velocious bounced back to her brilliant best in the Jarvis Trading (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, raising the possibility of a trans-Tasman mission.