All Aged Stakes (Group 1)

SATURDAY’S All Aged Stakes, the final Group 1 of Randwick’s three weeks, which included The Championships, saw a field of 14 load into the barriers.

The favourite was last weekend’s TJ Smith Stakes (1,200 metres) winner Briasa, and he looked to have the race stitched up until ‘hitting the wall’ with 100 metres remaining. Swapped late, the Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar burst from behind runners to sweep to the front and win by almost a length. In the wake of the Per Incanto gelding were the Zoustar filly Joliestar and the Invader mare Sunshine In Paris, just ahead of Briasa who found the 1,400 metres a touch too far.

“He is such a ripper,” said Ciaron Maher of Jimmysstar.

“This prep, he has come out this time with the (Group 1) Oakleigh Plate (win over 1,100 metres) and his next two runs have been absolutely outstanding. He has run in four Group 1s and to claim two of them is pretty special.

“He’s a cool horse, Jimmy with a great ownership group and he’s got a pretty cool jockey as well (Ethan Brown). I’m just thrilled. This has been a real come-out preparation for Jimmy. Credit to Ozzie (Kheir, part-owner) and his team, with Matt Becker finding these horses. They’re very good at it.”

Two Group 1

With nine wins now from 18 starts Jimmysstar is the only sprinter to win two Group 1 races this season.

“I was thinking about The Everest after the Oakleigh Plate,” added Maher.

“The other day, he ran home a quicker time in the TJ Smith than he did in the Oakleigh Plate, and his Oakleigh Plate was blistering. He’s just a very good horse and I’m sure he’ll make his presence felt in The Everest.”

Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (Group 1)

THE Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes-trained Nepotism has produced a scintillating run to win the Group 1 Champagne Stakes for two-year-olds by a head. Last on the turn over Randwick’s 1,600 metres, Tyler Schiller had to angle Nepotism to the middle of the track to get clear room before the colt was able to power home and overwhelm the Lucky Vega filly Within The Law, who held an even smaller margin over the Trapeze Artist filly Tupakara.

“I was watching the bird fly in front of me and thought that we had left it too late,” said Schiller. “I feel like he peaked at the 100 (metres), but he had that tenacity to win.

“He’s a great colt and he picked up when I needed him to. He’s got a great will to win and a great tenacity. To get him to this trip so quickly, and through a couple of hot form races, he’s a great colt and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.”

Third start

By the O’Reilly horse Brutal, whom the Hawkes family also trained, Nepotism, at just his third start, becomes the first Group 1 winner for his sire, who stands at Newgate Farm. Purchased for A$160,000 at the Inglis Premier yearling sale, Nepotism is out of the Casino Prince mare Brigite, a half-sister to Black Caviar and a full-sister to the Vinery Stud stallion All Too Hard.

“He’s just a proper horse,” said Michael Hawkes. “When he was out the back, they were running along and I was just thinking ‘wow, are they going hard enough?’ But he’s just blistering with an exceptional turn of foot. Last to first, unbelievable.

“Neil Werrett and his partners, they’ve just been so patient. His win in the (Group 3) Baillieu was outstanding, we just love making colts, it’s one thing we love doing.”

2025 First Season Sires

WITH the yearling sale season done, weaning done and farms having a well-deserved break before the foaling season comes around again, the marketing departments have begun announcing stud fees for 2025 with a number of first season sires joining rosters for the first time.

Saturday’s All Aged Stakes looks like the final start for Broadsiding, with the Too Darn Hot colt to stand at Darley for A$66,000. He will be joined on the roster by Traffic Warden at $22,000, a Street Boss dual Group 2 winner

Over at Coolmore, the Snitzel colt Switzerland, a Group 1 Coomore Stud Stakes winner, will stand at $60,500.

He will be joined by City Of Troy (Justify) at $49,500 and the Written Tycoon colt Private Life ($19,250), the Caulfield Guineas winner.

There will be no new horses at Cambridge Stud or Newgate Farm this season, while Arrowfield will stand the Havana Grey colt Vandeek at $22,000 and Yulong will add the More Than Ready horse More Than Looks with a fee to be announced.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Auguste Rodin, will make his way to Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand. The Deep Impact colt will stand at a fee of NZ$23,000.