The first major weekend of the new racing season offered a little bit of everything.
There was an emerging Australian star reaffirming her position at the head of the spring pecking order, a Juddmonte International upset that few saw coming and an American speedster finally delivering Wesley Ward the York victory he had been chasing for more than a decade.
By the time Notable Speech put an exclamation mark on the Ebor Festival, the weekend had produced four Group One winners at York and a compelling opening chapter to the Australian spring.
The Winx Stakes had been promoted as a showdown between two of Australia’s most exciting racehorses, but when the pressure was applied it was Autumn Glow who supplied the most emphatic answer.
Returning for the first time since suffering the only defeat of her career in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Chris Waller-trained mare was sent out a dominant $1.75 favourite and justified that confidence with a victory over Sheza Alibi who lost no admirers in her first up effort and Gringotts.
James McDonald never appeared concerned. Autumn Glow travelled like the best horse in the race and, once presented with her opportunity, quickly established a winning advantage.
It was exactly the performance Waller would have wanted from a mare beginning a campaign expected to carry her towards some of the biggest prizes of the spring. She has now won 12 of her 13 starts and, more importantly, demonstrated that her Queen Elizabeth defeat had done nothing to diminish her authority.
That does not mean the rivalry is over.
Sheza Alibi finished strongly under Luke Nolen and lost nothing in defeat. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare was competing against older opposition at weight-for-age for the first time and showed that she belongs at this level.
Round one went comfortably to Autumn Glow, but the margin between the two may tighten as the distances increase and the spring develops.
Elsewhere on the Randwick card, Pembrey announced herself as a filly worth following by winning the Group Two Silver Shadow Stakes, while Prima Bella completed a hat-trick in the Group Three Toy Show Quality. The latter defeated Stardom narrowly, becoming the 38th individual stakes winner by Per Incanto in the process.
York’s four-day Ebor Festival began with a result that turned the Juddmonte International market on its head.
Much of the attention had centred on Ombudsman and the unbeaten Constitution River, but neither could repel the late challenge of Item.
Ridden by Colin Keane, the Andrew Balding-trained son of Frankel edged past Almaqam to win by a head at odds of 10-1. Constitution River finished third, with Ombudsman only fourth after a race shaped by a muddling early tempo and ground softer than several runners would have preferred.
There was an added layer to the victory. Item races for Juddmonte, the sponsors of York’s flagship contest, and delivered the operation one of its most satisfying victories of the season. The result also provided an early indication of what was to come from the Balding and Keane partnership over the remainder of the meeting.
Earlier, Maltese Cross won the Great Voltigeur Stakes and placed himself firmly into the St Leger conversation, while Haffner secured the Acomb Stakes and a guaranteed place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
If Item had announced the Balding-Keane combination on Wednesday, Kalpana underlined its strength 24 hours later.
The Yorkshire Oaks developed into one of the finishes of the carnival. Sent out an odds-on favourite, Kalpana appeared in danger when the 22-1 outsider Sparan Nua launched a sustained challenge. The pair fought through the closing stages before Kalpana prevailed by a short head.
It was not her most dominant performance, but it may have been one of her most valuable. The best horses do not always win with daylight behind them; sometimes they are required to survive, and Kalpana found enough when the race was there to be lost.
The victory was her fourth at Group One level and continued a campaign that has established her among Europe’s premier middle-distance horses. An Arc challenge now appears the logical destination. Minnie Hauk finished third, two and a half lengths behind the leading pair.
The Group Two Lowther Stakes went to Libertango, adding further depth to a meeting that consistently unearthed potential stars.
Wesley Ward had gone close to winning the Nunthorpe Stakes with Acapulco and Lady Aurelia, but York’s five-furlong Group One had continued to elude the American trainer.
That changed when Bacio produced one of the most explosive performances of the festival.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, the three-year-old was sent directly to the lead and simply refused to come back to the field. The 3-1 favourite maintained a relentless gallop on the rain-affected surface and held more than a length over his rivals at the finish.
There were no complicated tactics and no need to search for excuses. Bacio possessed the fastest natural speed in the race and used it from the moment the gates opened.
The Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint is expected to be his major end-of-season target, but the Nunthorpe represented something more immediate for Ward—a breakthrough success in a race he had coveted for years.
On the same card, Arapaho Gold won the Gimcrack Stakes and emerged as another promising juvenile with bigger assignments ahead.
The newly elevated Group One City of York Stakes provided the final major contest of the meeting and produced arguably its most authoritative winner.
There had been considerable interest in the clash between Notable Speech, Lake Forest and Japanese visitor Satono Reve, but the final furlong belonged entirely to the favourite.
William Buick allowed Notable Speech to settle before asking him to improve through the field. The response was immediate. Once in the clear, the Charlie Appleby-trained runner accelerated away to defeat Lake Forest by two and three-quarter lengths, with Marvelman taking third.
It was the sixth Group One victory of Notable Speech’s career and another reminder of just how effective he can be when presented with seven furlongs and a strongly run race.
Lake Forest performed with credit but could not match the winner’s change of speed. For Satono Reve, the experiment was less successful. The Japanese sprinter travelled prominently before weakening inside the final furlong to finish ninth, with the 1408 metres appearing to stretch his stamina beyond its optimum point.
The traditional Ebor Handicap supplied a suitably tight conclusion. Daiquiri Bay completed a three-way finish by defeating Hopewell Rock by a head, with Opportunity another neck away in third.
Gelded earlier in the season, Daiquiri Bay has now won at Newbury, Royal Ascot and York in succession. Although he holds a Melbourne Cup entry, trainer Alan King was not rushing to commit to an Australian trip, and even raised the possibility of returning to hurdles.
South Africa lacked a headline Group One race over the weekend, but the return to Durbanville marked the beginning of the Cape’s transition towards its spring programme.
The opening maiden produced an upset when Viva Asterix, trained by Candice Bass and ridden by Craig Zackey, defeated the heavily supported African Wild Dog over 1250 metres. The winner found strongly under pressure, but the runner-up also shaped as a horse certain to improve from the experience.
One of the day’s more decisive performances came from Avignon, who shouldered 61 kilograms and defeated Paratrooper by four and a half lengths. At Scottsville on Sunday, Capsaicin won the principal middle-stakes contest from Uzwano and Command Pilot, offering a reminder that even during a quieter period, horses capable of progressing towards the summer features are beginning to emerge.
Deauville also produced one of the most explosive performances of the weekend as Senorita Bonita unleashed a devastating turn of foot to win the Group One Prix Morny.
The Simon and Ed Crisford-trained filly arrived on the Normandy coast with a considerable reputation. Purchased for 900,000 guineas as the top lot at April’s Craven Breeze-Up Sale, she had already justified a portion of that price with victory in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.
That form had received an important boost when Libertango won the Lowther Stakes at York earlier in the week, but Senorita Bonita still needed to improve again against a deep field of talented juveniles.
She did so emphatically.
After beginning slowly, the daughter of Starspangledbanner settled towards the rear under Oisin Murphy as Carry The Flag established a strong gallop at the front of the field. With Royal Ascot winner Orthodox also positioned ahead of her, Senorita Bonita appeared to face a considerable task approaching the closing stages.
The picture changed within a matter of strides.
Once Murphy asked for her effort, Senorita Bonita rapidly closed the gap before sweeping past the long-time leader and drawing clear. It was the acceleration of a high-class filly and transformed what had briefly appeared a difficult position into a commanding Group One victory.
The triumph provided Simon and Ed Crisford with their second Prix Morny success, following Vandeek’s victory in 2023. It also continued the excellent recent record of fillies in the race after Venetian Sun defeated the colts 12 months earlier.
The manner of the performance was more significant than the result alone. Senorita Bonita had raced behind the bridle during the opening stages and was left with plenty of ground to recover, yet still possessed enough speed to settle the contest quickly.
Newmarket’s Cheveley Park Stakes is now the logical next target, where she could renew her rivalry with Libertango and potentially meet another York winner in Sun Goddess.
That contest may provide a clearer picture of Europe’s leading juvenile filly, but Senorita Bonita will arrive with strong claims after establishing herself at the highest level in France.
Connections are also hopeful that her career will extend beyond sprinting.
Her immediate appearance and racing style suggest that 1200 metres is currently ideal, but there is stamina deeper in her pedigree. Her dam is by Ruler Of The World, giving the Crisford team reason to believe she could handle an increase in distance as a three-year-old.
A Classic trial may therefore become part of her programme next season, although those decisions will be made after her juvenile campaign is complete.
For now, the Cheveley Park represents the next opportunity to strengthen her position at the head of the division.
While York and Randwick provided much of the weekend’s headline action, Deauville delivered a major upset as Aventure brought the unbeaten run of Diamond Necklace to an end in the Group One Prix Jean Romanet.
The younger filly arrived in France with a perfect six-from-six record and the reputation of being one of the brightest stars at Ballydoyle. Her victories in the Prix Marcel Boussac, Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane had made her a dual Classic winner and established her among the leading three-year-olds in Europe.
However, this was a reminder that reputation alone is not enough when taking on proven older opposition.
Ridden by Maxime Guyon, the Christophe Ferland-trained Aventure produced a performance worthy of her own top-level record, defeating Diamond Necklace and adding the Romanet to last season’s Prix Vermeille success.
The result reinforced the value of experience at Group One level. Diamond Necklace travelled with every chance but could not match the five-year-old when the race was decided, suffering the first defeat of her career.
For Aventure, the victory was also a welcome return to her most effective distance. Connections accepted that running over 2400 metres in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud had been a mistake and now believe her growing speed has made 2000 metres the ideal trip.
That change in direction appears to have worked perfectly.
Having finished second to Bluestocking in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Aventure will not make another attempt at Europe’s premier middle-distance contest. Instead, she is expected to remain over 2000 metres for the Prix de l’Opera on Arc day.
A successful appearance there could open the door to an international campaign, with the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Keeneland being considered as a possible end-of-season target.
The defeat may lead to the opposite approach for Diamond Necklace. Aidan O’Brien was satisfied with her performance but acknowledged that Aventure had simply been superior on the day.
A step up to 2400 metres is now under consideration for later in the autumn. Although her unbeaten record is gone, one defeat against an accomplished older mare is hardly enough to diminish what she achieved during the first six starts of her career.
Charlie Johnston also had reason to be pleased after Timeforshowcasing finished a close third under Jack Mitchell.
It was another career-best effort from a filly who has raced regularly and travelled extensively throughout the season. Her record on good or softer ground now includes a Listed victory, a Group Two success and placings in two Group One races.
The Romanet was billed as another opportunity for Diamond Necklace to extend her dominance. Instead, it belonged to an older champion whose best performances may still be ahead of her.
On a weekend filled with significant Group One results, Aventure’s victory ranked among the most important. It changed the direction of two major autumn campaigns and reminded the racing world that she remains one of Europe’s most accomplished mares.
By Scott Bailey
