Racing fans and punters love a good debate, but if there's one thing they tend to unite on, it's the view that the retirement of talented young horses from the racetrack to the stud happens far too early for their liking!
Of course, the commercial imperative to launch a star colt’s career in a blaze of glory that enables maximum claims to exceptionalism, and minimum exposure to the risk of defeat or injury, is understandable.
Yet there arises an inevitable, symbiotic tension between the interests of the breeding industry and the interests of the pure sport.
Realistically, we know the days of top class stallions racing into their fifth or even sixth year before commencing a stud career - unless they are unfashionably bred stayers- are well and truly gone.
Is this state of affairs one which is to the ultimate benefit of the thoroughbred itself? A question with no definitive answer, but one we all have an opinion on!
The ATC is to be congratulated for coming up with the Golden Eagle concept, which seeks to address this burning issue in a creative yet commercially viable way.
Restricted to four year olds only, the sole intention and purpose of the race is to entice connections to keep their top class young horses in training.
Naturally, the only way to achieve this is to set a massive carrot-bag of $10 million dollars dangling before them, hoping its seductive allure might stave off a big stud deal for another few months at least!
It's now the second richest global race on turf behind The Everest, and equal to The Melbourne Cup.
The race also has a philanthropic aspect with 10% of the massive prizemoney on offer donated to charity.
High quality internationals were always integral to the success of the Golden Eagle concept, and thus a 1kg allowance for Northern Hemisphere bred horses was established as part of the set weight conditions (55.5kg for mares, 57.5kg for entires / geldings).
Internationals have grasped the unique opportunity and answered the call. Apart from the disruption of Covid-19, overseas trained horses have competed in each Golden Eagle since its inauguration in 2019. They have won the last two - Obamburamai (Discreet Cat) for Japan in 2022, and a NH quinella last year with Lake Forest (No Nay Never) surviving a protest to defeat Lazzat (Territories) in an action packed thriller!
The first Golden Eagle was won by the Waller-trained Kiwi-bred Kolding (Ocean Park)
The memorable Colette (Hallowed Crown) struck early for the mares and for Aussie-breds in 2020, followed by ill-fated superstar I'm Thunderstruck NZ (Shocking) in 2021 and crowd favourite I Wish I Win NZ (Savabeel) in 2022 - before the internationals hit their straps.
The Golden Eagle, though young in years, has successfully delivered all that it was intended to - and has quickly established itself as a valuable and intriguing addition to the Australian racing calendar.
In 2025 the Golden Eagle leaves Rosehill and runs at Randwick for the first time but stays at its 1500m distance.
Past results tell us that it is a proven G1 miler that will win this high pressure race, preferably (but not necessarily) a last start winner at that distance.
Silver Eagle placegetters have a good record of placing again, but so far haven't been able convert the good form into a win - and notably no Silver Eagle winner has featured in the top three in “the big one” at all - interesting!
What a cracker of a field for the 2025 edition!
Local superstar, Chris Waller's unbeaten mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) will start the hottest of favourites following her breathtaking G1 Epsom Hcp success.
The Glow answered a lot of questions there and proved beyond all doubt that she is a very special racehorse
But there's stiff opposition from down south and over the seas.
Japan has unleashed what looks like a very dangerous weapon from their seemingly limitless arsenal, in the shape of stallion Panja Tower (Tower Of London), who recently ran a near world record time over a G1 mile in Japan - winning the same race that Obamburmai placed in, going two seconds slower, before his Golden Eagle triumph of 2022. However, rain has arrived - probably not Panja Tower's preferred conditions.
The Irish bred, GB trained Seagulls Eleven (Galileo Gold) has a funny name but is a G1 placed racehorse from a globally successful yard.
Evaporate (Per Incanto), Feroce (Super Seth) and Sepals (Calyx) comprise the talented Victorian contingent.
The local big names are well represented as you'd expect - Waller's “forgotten horse” is Autumn Glow's stablemate Lord Penman (Contributer)
Waterhouse and Bott saddle the brave Epsom runner up Fully Lit (Hellbent) and progressive gelding Shangri La Spring (Castelvecchio); Bjorn Baker has Mayfair (Fastnet Rock) and strong on-pace mare Perfumist (El Roca)
The wily Ciaron Maher sends the NZ Derby hero Willydoit (Tarzino) to the mile for the first time this prep - you know there's a plan being executed here and few trainers do it better.
O'Shea and Charlton have runaway Silver Eagle winner Linebacker, a proven G1 miler like the other son of Super Seth in the field, Feroce.
Top Pick: EVAPORATE (NZ)
Kiwi-bred Evaporate has been mixing it with the best his entire career, - the son of Per Incanto is no stranger to the big stage.
At four, he has had just 17 lifetime starts and notched up earnings of $1,771,726.
Evaporate has placed in a G1 Caulfield Guineas, was an unlucky fourth in a G1 Futurity Stake in the best WFA company,, won a G3 Carbine Club over the Randwick mile at The Championships, placed in the inaugural running of NZ's richest race the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) - he's even gone around in the holy of holies, the WS Cox Plate.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Evaporate is a tough customer too. He began his three-year-old season with four straight wins including the Gr.2 Stutt Stakes (1600m), before his close up Caulfield Guineas third.
He's absolutely primed to run a huge race here coming off a G3 Sandown Stakes win over Transatlantic, then running second to that very talented galloper in the G1 Toorak Hcp.
Evaporate was bred by Little Avondale Stud, home to his sire Per Incanto.
The son of Street Cry is riding a wave of form at the moment thanks to the performances of horses like Jimmysstar and he is also the damsire of the fastest horse on the planet, Everest hero Ka Ying Rising - he's a fabulous sire.
From modest beginnings as an Italian-raced G3 winning sprinter with a service fee set at $4000, Per Incanto rose to be champion first season sire by winners and runner-up in the 2YO premiership in 2014-15. A year later he was crowned champion 3YO sire by winners and champion second season sire by winners, and has kept up a stream of top performers since then. Another thing to love about his progeny is their durability and constitution - they thrive on racing and often have long careers.
Evaporate was purchased by Lindsay Park Racing for A$330,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2023.
Little Avondale’s Sam and Catriona Williams wisely retained a share in the ownership of the colt, which they bred from the unraced Animal Kingdom mare Savanna, a half sister to Australian G3 winner Belluci Babe (Per Incanto)
Their dam Savamour by the mighty Savabeel is a three quarter sister to the classy stayers Philosophe and Men At Work.
She a half sister to stakes winning sprinter-milers Magnum (Per Incanto) and Sir Lovesalot (Darci Brahma) and to stakes placed Hong Kong galloper Trillion Win (Last Tycoon)
This family is one of NZ's most reliable sources of stakes horses which is that of the very fine mares Sound Lover (Sound Reason) - Evaporate's third dam, and her champion full sister Candide (dam of G1 Blue Diamond winner and G1 sire Nadeem, and HK stakes winner Billion Win)
This damline goes back to stakes producing Agricola daughter Country Girl and then further in a rarely broken succession of black type producers to the matriarch Flora McIvor - bred in NSW, exported to NZ in 1854 and a grand daughter of legendary taproot mare Manto (Colonial family 18)
Another branch from Flora McIvor gives us the great NZ “Belle” family to which belong champions like Anamoe, Melody Belle and Grand Armee,
From other branches sprang superhorses like Strawberry Road, High Caste and Tie The Knot - also NZ HOTY Puccini and his G1 winning half brother Sir Slick, and possibly the greatest Melbourne Cup mudlark of all time in Van Der Hum!
Flora McIvor's daughter Waimea is Evaporate's direct ancestress and from her came Phar Lap's great rival Nightmarch - a true champion in his own right.
Just a few of the best known names from this prolific and enduring family!
Evaporate is bred
Ahonoora 4m x 5f sex balanced.
Ahonoora is a linebreeding subject of particular merit, especially when sex balanced as here - he has truly been a breed shaping sire through his wonderful daughters Park Appeal (Cape Cross, Iffraaj, Diktat) and Park Express (New Approach, Shinko Forest), among others.
Though a pure sprinter himself, Ahonoora proved a revelation at stud, getting top class winners over all distances.
His male line has thrived through the deeds of Indian Ridge, and to illustrate the versatility of this blood - Per Incanto is a brilliant and prepotent speedsire out of an Indian Ridge mare, yet Melbourne Cup champion Dunaden was a grandson of Indian Ridge and so was Makybe Diva's great rival Vinnie Roe. 2017 Cup hero Rekindling was also out of an Ahonoora daughter.
The great sprinting filly Airwave (grand dam of Churchill) was out of an Indian Ridge mare, as was the dam of Classic winner Nighttime ( second dam of Ghaiyyath)
The 2011 G1 Lightning / dual Newmarket Hcp winner Redkirk Warrior was a cult Aussie sprinting hero by Ahonoora's grandson Notnowcato - yet he also placed at G1 level over 1800m in Hong Kong!
Ahonoora is the damsire of Acclamation, whose son Dark Angel we know as a source of blistering speed up to a mile.
Evaporate carries the Zabeel cross on which Per Incanto's dual G1 winner Jimmysstar (Zed) and G1 George Ryder hero Gingotts (Savabeel) are bred.
Per Incanto's G1 winner Dal Cielo and G2 winner Justacanta like Evaporate, descend from daughters of Sound Reason.
Evaporate is linebred to Sir Ivor (sex balanced) and to his Royal Charger / Turn-To tail male line with three duplications of Hail To Reason, two of Sir Gaylord, a line to Reverse via Savabeel and a key Royal Charger daughter carried by Street Cry.
Turn-To's dam Source Sucree is of the famed Marchetta family and Evaporate's pedigree is loaded with complementary members of the tribe - notably lines to Agricola and his half brothers Alycidon and Borealis, Sayani and his half brother My Babu, and Klairon - the all important tail male ancestor of Ahonoora.
Evaporate drops in weight from the Toorak where he bombed the start somewhat and didn't enjoy the best of runs but went down fighting. He won the Carbine Club here on a Soft 5 and seems to prefer a bit of give underfoot so the rain will help.
Nash Rawiller takes the reins for the first time and they jump from barrier 7.
“Per Incanto” is Italian for “as if by magic” - suddenly something enchanted and wonderful happened.
Is there a spell that will change a Golden Eagle into a Golden Kiwi?
Next best: AUTUMN GLOW (AUS)
I don't want to see the gallant Glow get beaten, but rare is the horse, even the champion, who doesn't suffer defeat at some stage! She won't lose any fans even if or when her picket fence is left a paling short.
The daughter of elite sire The Autumn Sun stepped up in every way to win the Epsom at her big G1 test, and I'm sure she will go close on Saturday if she doesn't win.
Track conditions don't seem to bother Autumn Glow, who has still only raced seven times in her life and has earned $1,740,000 in stakes under the oh-so-patient guidance of Chris Waller.
My little query is that she's fourth up for the first time and this is only her second real preparation, so it's going to be interesting to see if there's any change in her performance - does she peak again, hold steady or taper just a little?
Autumn Glow is a blueblood and is that rare unicorn - a sale-topping yearling that not only lives up to but exceeds expectations!
Bred by Newhaven Park Stud, the stunning filly was a $600,000 pinhook for Silverdale Farm/Shrone Bloodstock at the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Silverdale consigned the daughter of The Autumn Sun to the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where Arrowfield Pastoral / Hermitage Thoroughbreds shelled out a cool $1.8million to secure her.
Autumn Glow is a three quarter sister to Newgate Farm's G1 Golden Rose hero In The Congo (Snitzel).
She is the third foal, third winner and second G1 winner from only three to race from the Champion Sprinter of South Africa in 2013-14, Via Africa - now a Blue Hen!
The daughter of the excellent Forest Wildcat stallion Var won 10 races, 3 at G1 level including dual victories in the Scottsville South African Fillies Sprint.
Via Africa hails from a very speedy family, with her first two dams by Qui Danzig and Quick Turnover both prolific producers of sprinters - and of winners, but Via Africa was on another level of ability entirely.
Autumn Glow is bred
Northern Dancer 5m,5m x 5m
Danzig 4m x 4m
The successful Snitzel mating for Via Africa provided yet another play on the above Grey Flight sibling nick through Misty Day, a three quarter brother to both.
Champion racehorse and sire The Autumn Sun provided a far more Classic bent, without sacrificing speed, through super sires Redoute's Choice and Galileo, and a regal female line from the Aga Khan's stud - didn't that work well!
Autumn Glow is one of five G1 winners for her sire who had his first colt to win at the highest level this season, when Autumn Boy emulated his old man and won the Caulfield Guineas.
Autumn Glow is linebred to close relatives Mr Prospector and Bold Native, to their sire Raise A Native, to Danzig/Bletchingly - also to Buckpasser and other descendants of La Troienne, and to Rough Shod (Nureyev, Sadler's Wells, Lt Stevens)
A devastating blend of class and speed was the result.
Autumn Glow and J Mac have drawn gate 9, so they have options.
Can Waller's wonder mare remain unbeaten?
Roughie: SEAGULLS ELEVEN (IRE)
I was bemused by his weird name - until I read that the horse is owned by a bunch of Pommie footballers, and suddenly it all made sense.
Seagulls Eleven races in the colours of the Brighton &Hove Albion football club, aka “The Seagulls”
And it seems the lads weren't all in agreement about whether or not to send their pride and joy on a mission to the other side of the world in an attempt to claim back to back Golden Eagles for NH raiders.
In an intriguing twist, last year's Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest is owned by the owner of the Brighton Club!
Anyway - the Seagull has landed, and I like him as a good each way chance.
Bonus - his trainer Hugo Palmer actually spent a couple of years working with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick, and has travelled his own horses to Australia before.
He's a top tier trainer and will have G1 runners on three different continents this weekend.
Seagulls was out of form for a while, but is back in top order and apparently has thrived in the Aussie sunshine, looking and working better than he ever has.
He's a most typey individual with a big baldy face that catches the eye.
Seagulls Eleven is bred
Danzig 5m x 4m,5m
Green Desert 4m x 4m
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
He's bred on lines that are the global fashion right now with multiples of Danzig via Green Desert and the addition of female relative and Blue Hen Rafha to the mix, usually seen via Invincible Spirit - but in this case it's Kodiac by Danehill, Invincible Spirit's three quarter brother - a very fine sire and successful sire of sires despite never winning a stakes race himself!
Seagull's sire Galileo Gold (also trained by Palmer) is a grandson of Desert Style (by Green Desert from the family of Barathea) and his fourth dam is Floripedes, dam of the mighty Montjeu.
Galileo Gold's dam is unsurprisingly, by the great family upgrader Galileo.
Despite being a Classic winner of the G1 2,000 Guineas and G1 St James Palace Stakes and from a regal female line, Galileo Gold has never been a highly commercial stallion - because his sire Paco Boy was a stud flop, banished to Turkey.
However - he is a G1 sire and consistently throws stakes class horses from relatively small numbers of mares.
Interestingly, Galileo Gold is the sire of Estadio Mestella, a stakes winner for Joe Pride at Rosehill in July 2025 and a winner at the Randwick mile.
Seagulls Eleven was a 50,000 Guineas Book 1 Tattersalls October yearling buy for SackvilleDonald/Manor House Stables from the Tally Ho draft.
He is a half brother to G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp winning filly The Platinum Queen.
His female line is actually one of the deepest and goes back to Blue Hen Etoile De France, the ancestress of In The Wings, the great Dubawi - and Melbourne Cup legend Prince Of Penzance!
Seagulls Eleven has only raced eleven times. At the mile, he is a recent G3 winner at Goodwood and Listed runner up at Newmarket. He's G1 placed at 1400m and was considered good enough by his stable to contest the Breeders Cup Juvenile but unfortunately bad luck there.
Globetrotting jockey Tom Marquand aka “Aussie Tom” has tasted plenty of success at the highest level at Royal Randwick on overseas horses - what better pilot to have aboard Seagulls Eleven?
The horse handles all ground and has drawn perfectly in barrier three.
Blowout: LORD PENMAN (NZ)
Kiwi gelding Lord Penman benefits from “The Magic Man” Joao Moreira flying into town to partner Japanese galloper Strauss in the Russell Balding Stakes - and becomes a nice little pick up ride in the $10m feature!
And Moreira will be itching to avenge last year's Golden Eagle disappointment when Japanese star and race favourite Ascoli Piceno underperformed.
Waller's second stringer is in the field courtesy of his placing in the G3 Silver Eagle, but the son of former superstar Contributer is a good horse - and perhaps in better form than a quick perusal of the form guide suggests!
A modest $60,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Toro Bloodstock from the draft of Mapperley Stud (who stood his sadly deceased sire) the lightly raced Lord Penman has had 11 starts and won or placed in his first 5 of them in NZ.
He was seventh behind Autumn Glow in the Epsom when tackling G1 level for the first time. He went right back, endured a tough run and had far too much to do in the closing stages but he kept coming gamely (vets- slow recovery)
The start before was his first try at Randwick's mile and the gelding went to the line untested when badly held up.
Chris Waller never runs horses just to “have a crack” or chase prize money. He doesn't break their hearts If Lord Penman is lining up here it's because the trainer thinks he merits a place in a field of this calibre.
Lord Penman is the fourth foal and second winner out of the placed O'Reilly mare Update, a full sister to eight winners including the excellent Irlanda (G2 winner in Australia) and stakes placed Chandelier (dam of the champ Mo'unga, 2 G1 wins and many G1 placings in Sydney and Melbourne)
Lord Penman's sire Contributer was one of the most exciting racehorses of his time! The son of High Chaparral possessed in full the electrifying turn of foot which distinguish the breed. He died suddenly last year and it was a sad loss indeed, as he was proving himself to be an excellent sire.
I think Lord Penman can be part of that story - and with a bit of Moreira Magic from the wide gate 16 (which I don't actually mind, as he seems to find trouble inside too many horses!) and a softer track, Lord Penman can be there when the whips are cracking!
