Mr Brightside surges late to win the Doncaster Mile

G1 1600m RANDWICK Saturday 1 April

Probably the highlight of most Autumns, the Doncaster brings together the best horses in a handicap race over the famous Randwick mile.

Now worth a massive $4m, it doesn’t matter what barrier you draw as you just need momentum at the right time once you top the rise.

Two of the champs of the turf were dual winners of this race in the last 30 years as Sunline competed in three Doncasters for two wins and a second while one of the greatest milers of them all Super Impose started his string of four straight Randwick mile victories with the 1990 renewal.

The Hayes boys were back in charge of Lindsay Park and they combined with a tough member of their team in 2022 as Mr Brightside would beat home a group of elite milers.

2022 Doncaster Mile Race Details:
MR BRIGHTSIDE (Craig Williams/Ben & JD Hayes)
Barrier 18 - 50.5kg - $20
2nd I’m Thunderstruck (H Bowman)/3rd Icebath (F Kersley)

Nature Strip was an international star

G1 1200m RANDWICK Saturday 1 April

While the TJ Smith Stakes only has a relatively short lifespan, it is now the pre-eminent G1 sprint race in the country, being at WFA.

Increased to $3m as part of The Championships, it has been the benchmark for most performances under a mile in Australia in recent years.

While it was hard to go past the end of an era as Black Caviar won her 25th and final race start in 2013, it was her win over Hay List in 2011 that must go down as one of the great races. Then we had the great Chautauqua going BOOM!!

Nature Strip had taken his name to the heights of the sprinting ranks and he only confirmed that winning his third straight edition in 2022. He’d then show that off to the world in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

2022 TJ Smith Stakes Race Details:
NATURE STRIP (James McDonald/Chris Waller)
Barrier 11 - 58.5kg - $2.30
2nd Eduardo (N Rawiller)/3rd Paulele (J Kah)

Hitotsu became the first dual Derby winner in a long time

G1 2400m RANDWICK Saturday 1 April

The premier Derby in Australia is worth $2m as part of the first day of The Championships in the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Sometimes a great pointer to races like the Caulfield Cup more than WFA contests to come, much of the form comes from the Rosehill Guineas - and yet before 2013, the previous dual winner was Sky Heights in 1999. Strangely it happened again in 2014.

While there have been some top recent winners, the 1996 edition will take some beating as it was the clash between Octagonal, Saintly, Filante and Nothin’ Leica Dane - some stars there.

It had been an incredible period of time since the two state Derby double had been achieved and it took a remarkable training performance from Maher/Eustace to get Hitotsu to score off such a light campaign.

2022 ATC Australian Derby Race Details:
HITOTSU (John Allen/Ciaron Maher & David Eustace)
Barrier 4 - 56.5kg - $3.30
2nd Benaud (B Avdulla)/3rd Alegron (H Bowman)

Fillies dominate the Sires' Produce

G1 1400m RANDWICK Saturday 1 April

The second leg of the Two Year Old Triple Crown, the Sires is, for most, their first attempt at the 1400m.

Golden Slipper winners had previously backed up and since 1990 seven times they’ve done the double. However in recent seasons few have tried off the Slipper despite there being a two week break.

One of those was last year when Fireburn came charging from back to run the leaders down in another exciting performance by this filly.

2022 ATC Sires Produce Stakes Race Details:
FIREBURN (Brenton Avdulla/Gary Portelli)
Barrier 5 - 54.5kg - $2.50
2nd She’s Extreme (T Berry)/3rd Let’srollthedice (D Lane)

An all-time great ride by Nash Rawiller gets Think It Over home

G1 2000m RANDWICK Saturday 8 April

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes has changed for many reasons. The prize money not the least of that. But the race itself cannot get any more exciting from an historical standpoint than some of late.

Winx’s swansong was as big an occasion as the Everests have become and her 33rd win on the trot was incredible.

But a new guard had to take over and we saw a high quality field of international reckoning in 2020 with runners from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and England competing.

2022 was set up as an incredible contest with so many elite horses but one who was given little fanfare was a star not suited on wet tracks. Think It Over was ridden to the outside fence in the straight by Nash Rawiller and the rest was history.

2022 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Race Details:
THINK IT OVER (Nash Rawiller/Kerry Parker)
Barrier 4 - 59.0kg - $41
2nd Zaaki (J Kah)/3rd Mount Popa (W Pike)

Knights Order leads all the way in the Sydney Cup

G1 3200m RANDWICK Saturday 8 April

The Sydney Cup has regained a lot of status in recent years with great contests.

The field sizes tell you as much and many of the big stables target the race again. We saw Chris Waller to the fore in 2019 following Winx’s 100th major as Shraaoh added another to that amazing list for the master trainer.

It was Tulloch Lodge’s time to shine in 2022 over the long trip again as Knights Order found the front for Rachel King and kept going. He’d prove that form was very respectable in the Spring.

2022 Sydney Cup Race Details:
KNIGHTS ORDER (Rachel King/Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott)
Barrier 1 - 51.5kg - $8.50
2nd Sheraz (C Williams)/3rd Daqiansweet Junior (K McEvoy)

El Patroness' upset in the Australian Oaks

G1 2400m RANDWICK Saturday 8 April

The best of the Oaks’ run in Australia, the Australian Oaks is at the right time of year for the fillies to have matured and show they will run the mile and a half right out.

There are many famous winners of the Oaks but ironically it was one that lost that holds most fascination. In 2015 this was the last race that Winx lost before her astonishing picket fence run of form to her finale.

This has become the race for the kiwis and while it wasn’t one trained over there, it was one who had raced there and ended up with Chris Waller with Verry Elleegant taking the Vinery Stud Stakes/Australian Oaks double in 2019.

Shamus Award was building a reputation as a sire of stayers and he did it again in 2022 as El Patroness scored at big odds on the wet track.

2022 ATC Australian Oaks Race Details:
EL PATRONESS (Damian Lane/Danny O’Brien)
Barrier 2 - 56.0kg - $26
2nd Gypsy Goddess (W Pike)/3rd Gin Martini (R Dolan)

So You Think ended a great day via Nimalee in the Queen Of The Turf

G1 1600m RANDWICK Saturday 8 April

One of the major alterations to the Sydney Autumn Carnival was the moving of the Queen Of The Turf from Rosehill to Randwick.

It provided a greater point of distinction between the Coolmore Classic at handicap status and the WFA version in this race - both of which were previously run a fortnight apart at the same track and distance.

Now a month apart, and 100m further, this provides a championship end for the girls.

Capping an amazing day for sire So You Think, Nimalee would sit near the speed all the way then surge through the pack to score with some ease in 2022.

2022 Queen Of The Turf Stakes Race Details:
NIMALEE (Damien Oliver/Matthew Smith)
Barrier 2 - 57.0kg - $31
2nd Annavisto (R King)/3rd Icebath (K McEvoy)