John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have declined an approach about a berth in the A$20 million Gr.1 Everest (1200m) for Satono Glow (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), preferring to give their promising New Zealand-bred filly time to develop before considering a tilt at the race next year.

The daughter of Satono Aladdin returned with victory in the Gr.3 Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 12, taking her record to three wins from four starts.

But while Everest interest is encouraging, O’Shea believes the assignment would come too soon for a horse still in the early stages of her career.

“We respectfully declined. She’s not ready,” O’Shea said of the Everest approach.

“We can continue to build her profile and it’s a race that’s obviously on our agenda for next year. By the time we get to next year, she would have had 10 runs.

“If she’s good enough, she’ll warrant a position next year. But to go there this year, when she’s had such a light campaign and is at an early stage of her career, wouldn’t be in her best interests or her owners’ best interests.”

Instead, Satono Glow will follow a three-race spring program, beginning with the Gr.2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on October 10.

The Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington follows three weeks later on October 31, before the A$1 million Gr.3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on November 14.

The program offers opportunities to build her profile against her own age group while allowing the stable to work towards a potential Everest bid with a more seasoned filly.

“She’ll get plenty of opportunities to race for good money,” O’Shea said.

“Hopefully we’ll have her going well enough this time next year that she warrants consideration.”

A carefully selected program is also taking shape for fellow New Zealand-bred stablemate Linebacker, a son of Super Seth, who resumed with a fourth placing behind General Salute in the Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick last weekend.

The slowly run nature of the race added to the merit of his closing effort in O’Shea’s assessment, with the trainer looking towards the Alan Brown Stakes.

“He’s fantastic. It was a slowly run race and, outside of The Shorts, he had the best sectionals of the day,” O’Shea said.

“Zac (Lloyd) gave him a beautiful ride and he came on beautifully from that, so we look forward to going to the Alan Brown in two weeks.

“I might give him a little tick-over trial in the interim because he’s still a little bit wintery in his coat. He might just need another trial to bring him on, but he’s got his foot on the till and we’re very pleased with the way he’s going.”

The A$1.5 million Gr.3 Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on October 10 offers the same prizemoney as the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick a week earlier, with O’Shea viewing it as a suitable stepping stone for Linebacker.

“It’s worth good money, it’s early in his campaign and I think it’s a nice progression for him,” he said.

Beyond the Alan Brown, O’Shea has the A$1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) in mind before preparing Linebacker for the A$2 million Gr.2 The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick on December 12.

Already a Group One winner, Linebacker does not need to keep tackling the strongest company to deliver a rewarding campaign for his owners.

“There’s a lot of really good money around without having to be at the elite level,” O’Shea said.

“We’re just going to try to duck and weave a little bit with him and build some confidence.

“He can give a good result for his ownership. He’s a Group One winner already, but he doesn’t necessarily have to race at Group One level to do well for them.” - NZ Racing Desk

One Eye On Dubai stamps staying promise with runaway Vaal win

New Zealand-bred colt One Eye On Dubai (NZ) (Almanzor) ground his rivals into submission with a dominant front-running performance at the Vaal on Tuesday, leading throughout to score by eight and a half lengths over 2000m.

Making his third start for trainers Mike and Mathew de Kock, the Hollywood Racing runner relished the step up in distance under Callan Murray, opening his winning account in emphatic fashion.

While stronger opposition awaits, the manner of the performance suggested the progressive son of Almanzor has plenty to offer over ground. His rivals were under pressure while Murray still had plenty of horse beneath him, and the winning margin reflected his dominance.

For Mat de Kock, the breakthrough confirmed the improvement the three-year-old had shown between races.

“He won very well. Each run has brought him on considerably,” he said.

“Before his first run he wasn’t setting the tracks alight but he improved from that and even after his second placing at his last start, he filled us with confidence between that race to this race.

“It’s nice to see him deliver on the track and he looks like a nice young progressive stayer.”

One Eye On Dubai finished fourth over 1200m on debut at Turffontein in August before improving to second over 1700m at the Vaal on September 10.

Following that second outing, Hollywood Racing’s Anthony Delpech felt the colt had been unlucky not to win after dictating a slow pace and allowing a rival to get first run and the colt relished the step up to 2000m.

“This horse seems to stay very well and looks to have a future over ground. It’s exciting for the team,” Murray said.

His name is a nod to his connections’ international ambitions and De Kock Racing’s planned return to Dubai, with backing from Hollywood Racing.

Mike de Kock came up with One Eye On Dubai following One Stripe’s (One World) run in Miami, suggesting Dubai would be a good focus. The name also links to another Hollywood Racing runner, One Eye On Vegas (Buffalo Bill Cody).

“One Eye On Dubai was named by Mike de Kock in consideration of our older runner One Eye On Vegas, and after we’d decided to re-launch in Dubai,” Hollywood Racing’s Devin Heffer said.

Bred by the Smithies family’s Monovale Stud, One Eye On Dubai was purchased by Craig Ramsay for Hollywood Racing at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2025 Karaka Yearling Sale. Offered through Riversley Park’s Book 1 draft as Lot 449, he was knocked down for NZ$240,000 under the banner of Betting Entertainment Technologies International Limited, South Africa.

De Kock acknowledged both the people behind the purchase and the patience invested in bringing the colt through to his first success.

“Well done to Dev and Owen and Anthony and the whole Hollywood team,” he said.

“Craig Ramsay bought the horse in New Zealand, so he’s come a hell of a long way to South Africa and we’re just very fortunate that we get to be the recipients of such well bred horses.

“It’s nice when everyone has put in a lot of time and effort, money and patience and it looks like it is paying off.”

By Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor, One Eye On Dubai is out of the stakes-winning Exceed And Excel mare Applegate, making him a half-brother to Group winners Impendabelle and Cloudy.

Impendabelle won the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes and Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas, while Cloudy’s victories include the Gr.3 Breeders’ Stakes in Adelaide.

The family will have another representative at Karaka this spring, with One Eye On Dubai’s half-brother by Proisir catalogued as Lot 149 in Riversley Park’s draft for the NZB Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19. - NZ Racing Desk

Zambardo takes next step towards Cox Plate in Feehan

Zambardo (NZ) (Belardo) will take another step towards the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) when he lines up in Sunday’s Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield.

Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have their sights set on two Group One targets at Flemington — the Cox Plate on October 24 and the Champions Stakes (2000m) a fortnight later.

It is an ambitious spring programme for the son of Belardo, who was privately purchased out of New Zealand after starting his career from modest beginnings in Ashburton, in the South Island.

Sold as a weanling for just $3100 through gavelhouse.com to trainer Emma Wyatt, Zambardo raced as Our Martian in New Zealand. He won a trial and was twice placed at Ashburton before being identified by bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo and traded to the Price and Kent Jnr stable.

Now he is chasing success at the highest level, with the move of this year’s Cox Plate to Flemington while The Valley undergoes redevelopment potentially playing to his strengths.

Zambardo finished runner-up to Via Sistina in last year’s Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at his only appearance at Flemington.

The gelding returned from a spell with an encouraging third over 1500m at Sandown on September 5, following an autumn and winter campaign that fell short of expectations.

“He was great first-up,” Price said.

“It was what I expected off his trial after his little winter sojourn wasn’t so successful.”

After midfield finishes at Randwick and Gosford, Zambardo found his preferred rain-affected ground when second in the Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill.

He then headed north for the Q22 at Eagle Farm, where a slow tempo worked against him and he beat just two runners home.

Following a break in Queensland, Zambardo is now building towards his spring targets. Sunday’s Feehan will be followed by the Gr.1 Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 10 before the Cox Plate.

“I’m putting a circle around the 2000 metres at Flemington where he will be very well suited, especially if he gets his toe in the ground,” Price said.

“He might not be good enough, but I don’t think it will be a huge field, and there are no internationals coming.

“One thing is, he’ll be cherry right on the day.”

Zambardo faces a strong test on Sunday, with Trelawney Stud-bred mare Pride Of Jenni chasing a third successive Feehan victory.

The mare has dominated the past two editions and meets five rivals this time, including Mr Brightside and Treasurethe Moment, who have each finished runner-up to her in the race. - NZ Racing Desk

Thurlow hoping winning form continues

A pair of highly regarded debut winners will bid to further their records this weekend for Bill Thurlow, with the younger of the duo out to add serious momentum to his bid for elite age group honours.

The Waverley trainer will be represented by Old Fashioned (NZ) (Proisir) in Saturday’s Gr.2 The Foxes @ Novara Park Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) while the following day the promising Makarov (Russian Camelot) will step out at his home meeting.

Old Fashioned was a comfortable winner at Wanganui at the first and only time of asking last season and has progressed well since returning from a break.

“He has always showed us a fair bit and looks well above average,” Thurlow said.

“We got him a bit late after he’d had a ready to run prep and we only really had the time to give him the one run and put him out.

“Even then he didn’t have a very long spell to get him back for the spring.”

The son of Proisir has been given two 1000m trials at Foxton to fit him for his return and won the latest of them in fine style.

“It was a good trial and we asked a little bit more of him, we didn’t in the first trial, and he did it really well,” Thurlow said.

“We were mindful he has to go 1400m in a strong race on Saturday, so he needed a good hit-out and he responded well to beat the older horses, it was a good effort.”

Kelly Myers has been aboard the colt in all of his trials and debut victory and will again take the reins at Hastings.

“She came through and galloped him on Tuesday morning as well and she wants to stay with him and we’re happy to have her on,” Thurlow said.

Old Fashioned holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), but plotting a program south will be a challenge.

“It’s really difficult in the Central Districts, we just haven’t got the tracks to run the better races,” Thurlow said.

“We’ll get through the weekend and see what happens and he might have to have another run somewhere up here before he goes to Riccarton, otherwise he would be down there too long if he went to the War Decree (Gr.3, 1400m).

“Travel back and forth isn’t an option with a young horse, but we’ll work through that after Saturday.”

Old Fashioned is raced by breeders Matthew Goodson and Dianna Perron and joined Thurlow’s team after he failed to meet his $150,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale.

“We’ve had a few for them and they are really good owners, we won a Listed race (Warstep Stakes, 2000m) with No Rain Ever,” Thurlow said.

“Most of the others were tried a bit and came here for a different lifestyle.

“We’ve also got a Pierro filly here for them now, she’s an unraced three-year-old.”

Meanwhile, Thurlow tipped Makarov, a first-up winner over 1400m at Hastings last month, as his leading chance at Waverley where he will run in the Pioneer – P9091 (1650m).

“He’s a progressive horse who I think can go through the grades,” he said. - Paul Vettise

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