19 March 2026
Slice of history beckons for Aeliana at Rosehill
In the spring, it was Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock). This campaign, it has been Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun).
Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) has been in the shadow of two superstar stablemates for most of her past six starts but at Rosehill on Saturday, the mare gets her time to shine in the Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
Not only will she be chasing her first success since thumping her ATC Australian Derby rivals 12 months ago, she is also shaping as the horse to help James McDonald equal Damien Oliver's Australian record 129 Group 1 wins.
After claiming last weekend's Coolmore Classic aboard Lazzura (Snitzel), McDonald needs one more major to draw level with the now-retired Oliver, and Aeliana will be the first of his five Group 1 rides at Rosehill.
Trainer Chris Waller is confident the mare can deliver for the champion hoop, and so are punters who have kept her a solid $1.65 favourite.
"She has come back stronger, and her first two runs have been fantastic," Waller said.
"She's got the best form heading into a Ranvet.
"This time last year, she ran second by a nostril on the same day in the Rosehill Guineas to Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot) and came out with an emphatic Derby win.
"She is where she needs to be."
Aeliana is among an outstanding book of five Group 1 rides for McDonald on Saturday, all of them for Sydney's reigning premier trainer.
If the mare can be the source of his record-equalling win, Rosehill Guineas favourite Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) will be McDonald's first chance to break Oliver's mark, followed by unbeaten mare Autumn Glow in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
His other Group 1 rides, Fireball (Snitzel) in the Golden Slipper (1200m) and Generosity (Divine Prophet) in the Galaxy (1100m), will need to spring upsets with both at double-figure odds.
One of Aeliana's biggest stumbling blocks could be stablemate Lindermann (Lonhro) ($9), who has two wins and two placings from four starts over the Rosehill 2000-metre circuit.
After an encouraging first-up third, the gelding performed below par in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) last start, but Waller said he had bounced back and was expected to run his usual competitive race.
"He's fine. He's had an ECG and everything is normal so he will definitely be there," Waller said.
Trinity College (Dubawi) is the outsider of the stable's trio, but he is a Group 3 winner at the distance overseas, and Waller reports his work has been strong since his Australian debut last month. - NZ Racing Desk
Consistent Evaporate moving closer to G1 goal
Ben Hayes believes Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) is a Group 1 winner in waiting, but with star mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) among his George Ryder Stakes opponents at Rosehill, he concedes connections might have to wait a little longer.
The winner of six of his 21 starts, Evaporate almost captured an elusive major last start when he was edged out by Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington to record his fourth Group 1 placing.
Hayes has pinpointed the Doncaster Mile (1600m) as the horse's major goal in Sydney and says a clash with Autumn Glow in Saturday's George Ryder Stakes (1500m) will provide a good measuring stick towards that aim.
"It's going to be a hot race, but it will let us know where we're at and then he will probably head to the Doncaster with 54-1/2 (kilos)," Hayes said.
"He's won over $3 million and hasn't won a Group One, so it's a pretty good effort. Not many do that.
"He's a Group One horse that just hasn't done it yet."
Evaporate ($23) has competed at stakes level since he was a spring three-year-old and is proven the Sydney way of going, having won the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Randwick 12 months ago and placed behind Autumn Glow in the Golden Eagle (1500m).
Hayes was delighted with his All-Star Mile effort when he had to cart the field up to noted frontrunner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and kept fighting to the line.
"It was super. He towed the field up to Jenni, chased her. Tom Kitten sat off him and just got him late," he said.
"But I loved the way he kept kicking. He has always been a genuine horse."
The George Ryder is a traditional lead-up to the Doncaster Mile, which is also the goal for under-rated gelding Encap.
Resuming with a solid sixth in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) where he finished less than 1-1/2 lengths from winner Joliestar (Zoustar), Encap (Capitalist) has enjoyed a trouble-free campaign so far after a spring preparation disrupted by wet tracks.
"His feet are so much better now too," Portelli said.
"We've had problems with his feet over the years, and he wasn't coming out of the gates and getting going, I think because they were hurting him.
"He almost won the Doncaster last year at 50-1. We don't care about the price as long as we get a result, although his pattern makes it very hard to win and he is up against the best horses."
As a $126 outsider, Encap is one of two George Ryder runners at triple-figure odds along with Hawkes Racing's Nepotism (Brutal) ($201). - NZ RACING DESK
Dennis Ryan
Paul Vettise
🎥 Did you see?
Darryl Anderson reviews the New Zealand sourced winners in Hong Kong on Wednesday 18th March.
