A horse that jockey Ash Morgan knows well, and another he's been keeping a close eye on from afar will spearhead his chances of feature race success at Randwick.

Morgan has a Group One win in the bag courtesy of Private Harry (Harry Angel) in the 2025 Galaxy (1100m), and will chase his second aboard the David Payne-trained Persian Wonder (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) in Saturday's Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

Having ridden the gelding in his past three starts, Morgan is satisfied Persian Wonder arrives there in peak fitness after working home from the back of the field when finishing within two lengths of stablemate Proxima Dea (Tarzino) in the Gr.3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) last start.

"He was four weeks between runs and up 400 (metres), so David wanted to ride him quiet and get him to come home," Morgan said.

"I thought he ran really well. He came to the back of them as though he was going to get involved and just peaked a little on the run, which was probably expected.

"This is his grand final on Saturday.

"I galloped him on Tuesday with Proxima Dea, and he worked really good. He's going well and I'm really excited to ride him on Saturday."

All of the Spring Champion Stakes runners are facing their first test at 2000m, but Morgan doesn't see it as an issue for Persian Wonder.

He says the three-year-old has long given the impression he'll appreciate a journey, and has the right attitude for a middle-distance horse.

"All his mannerisms, I'd be amazed if he didn't get it," Morgan said.

"He doesn't waste any energy he doesn't need to. I've always thought he was going to be a 2000-metre horse, even as a two-year-old, so I'm really confident he'll stay the trip."

Bred by Cambridge Stud, Persian Wonder is out of the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars.- NZ Racing Desk

Te Akau’s Riccarton arsenal firing ahead of NZ Cup Week

Excitement is building at Te Akau Racing’s Riccarton barn as New Zealand Cup Week draws nearer, with the stable once again holding a strong hand at their home meeting on Saturday.

The barn, led by assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, is set to line-up five favourites on the 10-race card, including Sword Of Stars (NZ) (Sword Of State) and Hakkinen (NZ) (Savabeel), who lead the markets for the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1400m) and Listed Pavilion Now Open Spring Classic (2000m) respectively.

Sword Of Stars has come of age as a three-year-old, with the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained filly placing behind stablemate Sweetest Thing (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) before scoring a two-length maiden win over 1200m at Timaru at the start of the month.

Durrant is looking forward to stepping her up to 1400m this weekend as she progresses towards next month’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).

“She is a lovely filly that just wants to please,” he said. “She is a lovely-looking filly and is a horse that has looked great all winter, she has got an immaculate coat.

“She was really good first-up, she was really brave in the Canterbury Belle on that slightly off track, and we wanted her to get a bit of confidence and break maidens, and she got the job done at Timaru.

“She has trained on well and I don’t think we could have her in any better order ahead of Saturday, stepping up to 1400m.

“She has drawn well (4), she will get a nice run just in behind the speed. We have taken the side winkers off just to get her to try and relax a little bit, she needs to relax stepping up in distance, especially looking to the mile.”

Sword Of Stars will be joined in the War Decree Stakes by stakes-winning stablemate Zafar (Snitzel).

The Fortuna Racing colt was impressive when winning his sole start as a juvenile in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m), but he has failed to recapture that form in his three starts as a three-year-old.

Durrant is hoping he can show his true colours this weekend ahead of next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

“He is a bit of a head scratching horse,” Durrant said. “He has got it there, he won a Listed race here as a two-year-old. He is a lovely colt and can definitely gallop, he shows us that at home, but he is just lacking that on raceday.

“We have done a few things to switch him up and keep him on his toes, and full cup blinkers go on. His work has been really good.”

Hakkinen has been faultless this spring, winning both of his starts in the south, and Durrant is hoping he can extend his winning sequence to three in the Spring Classic, where he will carry 53kg.

“He is getting in with a lovely weight,” he said. “He has come down to the South Island and put two nice dominant wins on the board, and I couldn’t be any happier with him.

“He worked on the course proper at Riccarton on Tuesday morning and worked super. He is coming into the right time of the spring with a really good form line.”

Hakkinen will be joined in the Spring Classic by stablemate Court Of Appeal (NZ) (Eminent), who is heading towards next month’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m).

She was runner-up in the North Canterbury Cup (2000m) at Riccarton last month, and Durrant is confident of a similar showing this weekend.

“She attacked the line well over 2000m, and over the same course and distance I can’t see why she can’t figure in it again,” he said. “Her work has been excellent, she looks outstanding and she has got the miles into her legs now to really put a dominant win on the board.”

Durrant is also upbeat about the chances of Never Too Much (NZ) (Rubik) in the Pavilion Open Day – Check It Out Maiden (1400m) and Balance Of Power (NZ) (Almanzor) in the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3000m).

“I think Never Too Much in the first is a nice horse, especially stepping up to 1400m,” Durrant said. “He has been a bit of a headscratcher at times, and he whacked away late at Timaru over 1200m, and we thought it was time to step up to the 1400m.

“Balance Of Power is in the Road to the Jericho. He has been up a long time, but he is a happy older gelding that is doing everything right.”

While Te Akau’s Riccarton barn has been in red-hot form, there is still plenty of firepower in their arsenal yet to arrive, including New Zealand 2000 Guineas favourite System Of Play (Ole Kirk) and New Zealand 1000 Guineas favourite Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor), with the former contesting the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.

“If he (System Of Play) ran well he will book his ticket down here,” Durrant said. “He is a nice, promising horse that we are hopefully looking forward to having.

“The filly, Asturia, looks extremely exciting. She will fly down on the Wednesday before the 1000 Guineas, and she looks to be extremely dominant. I think the mile on a big, roomy track like Riccarton looks like it is really going to suit her.”

Amongst his current contingent, Durrant has high hopes for Group One performer Sweetest Thing in the 1000 Guineas, with the filly set to have an exhibition gallop on Saturday.

“Sweetest Thing is flying,” he said. “She was very unlucky, she copped big interference in the Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m, when fourth), and we are lucky that she came out of it unscathed and she has trained on well.

“She will have a gallop between races at Riccarton on Saturday. It was always the plan to miss the War Decree and go straight into the mile. She is a huge chance going into the 1000 Guineas and we couldn’t be any happier with her.” - Joshua Smith

Mufhasa Classic in the crosshairs for Derby winner

Last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) resumed with a pleasing trial at Te Awamutu on Thursday, and now trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are setting their sights towards a feature mile with their charge.

Bred and raced by Ron and Judi Wanless, Road To Paris had a solid three-year-old term, winning two and placing in two of his eights starts, including runner-up in the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) before is Derby triumph.

Road To Paris made his first public appearance of the season when comfortably taking care of his rivals in a 1150m trial on Thursday, much to the delight of his trainers.

“I thought it (trial) showed a lot of class,” James said. “He has had a long build-up and had some nice time off, and I am pretty happy with him.

“He has strengthened markedly and his constitution is better.”

James said the son of Circus Maximus will now likely head to an Open 1400m at Tauranga next month in preparation for the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham on December 5.

“We had intended trialling him again and then taking him fresh-up to the Group One mile in the first week of December at Wellington,” James said. “We may give him a 1400m race now, given his trial. There is a 1400m at Tauranga on November 14. It is a bit short of his best, but it will replace a trial.”

James was also pleased with Ariadne’s (NZ) (Almanzor) trial on Thursday, where she finished fourth in her 1150m heat.

The four-year-old daughter of Almanzor also had a pleasing season last term, winning one and placing in two of her six starts, including runner-up to Ultimate Habit (NZ) (Embellish) in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) before finishing fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m).

James has been pleased with her return and said she will thrive with time.

“I thought she trialled really well too,” he said. “She was always maturity wise behind the eightball at three, but she was still able to be competitive in black-type racing, so you would think she is going to develop into a nice middle-distance horse at four, and be even better at five.”

Meanwhile, James is looking forward to testing his promising three-year-old Excite (Wootton Bassett) over a mile for the first time when he heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to contest the Thank You Craig Baker 1600.

The stakes winner has had two starts as a three-year-old, finishing third first-up over 1400m at Ellerslie last month before running seventh in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings, and James said both runs were better than the results suggested.

“He ran the quickest sectionals in both of them, but he wasn’t getting away from the barriers well, so we have done a bit of work at the barriers with him,” James said. “We trialled him the other day at Tauranga and he left the barriers beautifully.

“Hopefully that can continue because it was just putting him into an awkward position in races, and even though he was running great sectionals, he was too far out of it early. Hopefully we have remedied that and we can have a more complete racehorse tomorrow.”

Excite will be stepping back to rating 65 grade, where he has been allocated 60kg, but will get weight relief thanks to apprentice jockey Sam McNab’s two-kilogram claim.

“We wanted to go a mile with him and that was the only one we could really find that was suitable timing towards Riccarton,” James said. “He gets a bit of weight, but we have got a claimer on board.”

Excite is a leading prospect for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next month, for which he is currently $8 on the TAB’s futures market behind System Of Play (Ole Kirk) at $4, and Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) and Old Fashioned (NZ) (Proisir) at $5.

Stablemates Spellbound (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Incandescent (NZ) (Per Incanto) are also on a path towards the Riccarton Classic and will bid to book their berths in Monday’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa, although Spellbound may be saved for another day after drawing barrier 11.

“Spellbound has drawn out a bit and we may save him for a three-year-old 1400m on Melbourne Cup Day (at Ellerslie) if he doesn’t come in from the draw,” James said. “The other horse has drawn better, so he will go.”

Incandescent has placed in both of his starts this preparation, and James is hoping the addition of some gear will help improve the gelding in the competitive Sarten field.

“He has been drifting around a little bit in the run home and losing a length or two by doing that,” James said. “We have put visor blinkers on him for this run, and he has worked really well in them, so hopefully that curbs that little tendency. It is a good, strong field, and whoever wins it will deserve it, but he is right in it.”

Back at Ellerslie on Saturday, stakes performer December (NZ) (Shamexpress) will resume in the Shaw’s 1200, while last-start winner The Precursor (St Jean) will have his final northern run in the Elsdon Park 1600 before heading to Christchurch for New Zealand Cup Week.

“December’s work on Tuesday was almost exceptional. It was stunning work,” James said. “His record is good, he is a good horse, and I expect a bold showing from him. Having said that, it is a good field.

“With The Precursor, we just didn’t want to get to a New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) with a horse that was too dour. He proved that we can have him ready for a staying trip off a light prep when he won at Matamata last start. Hence, we brought him back to a mile just to give him a run around, and all going well he will go from that to the Metropolitan (Listed, 2580m) on the first day of Cup Week and into the Cup." - Joshua Smith

Waller content with Cox Plate preparations

Champion trainer Chris Waller has learned to keep his nerves in check on the eve of a big race. 

With two runners in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Flemington on Saturday – Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) and Birdman (Free Eagle) – Waller said he isn't too bad these days. 

"I'm not too bad, but I've been edgy before," Waller said. 

"We've been to some pretty high highs, and once you've been there, it helps you get there and you also learn, don't expect too much, don't build yourself up too much and usually you come away happy." 

Waller is shooting for a seventh Cox Plate and join the legendary Tommy Smith as the greatest winning trainer in the race's history. 

It started in 2015 for Waller with Winx (Street Cry) winning the first of her four Cox Plates while Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) provided the trainer with back-to-back wins in 2024 and 2025. 

Like those two winners, Aeliana is a mare and will be ridden by James McDonald shooting for his fifth straight Cox Plate success. 

Waller said both his horses have had the ideal preparations for the 2040m race which this year is run at Flemington, away from its traditional home of Moonee Valley which is undergoing reconstruction. 

"It's going to be a great race, as it is every year," Waller said. 

"Birdman is very fit. His fitness was found out in the last 100 metres of his race last start, but he's come through it well and is well prepared for Saturday's Flemington Cox Plate. 

"Aeliana is very similar. 

"She was beaten on the wet track last start in a solid staying test as well. 

"She's ready to peak. She won a Tancred after winning a Ranvet a week earlier and hopefully she can get back to those ratings that saw her dominate the staying ranks in the autumn." 

Waller said it will be interesting to see the race dynamic with a longer run to the first turn at Flemington rather than the short run at Moonee Valley. 

Birdman has drawn ideally in gate one while Aeliana is out in barrier 10. 

"It's been good to read what people are saying about the race being at Flemington and the long run into the bend, compared to a short run at Moonee Valley," Waller said. 

"With the speed horses drawn out wide, the three-year-olds, one has drawn wide, one has drawn well, I think they'll roll, and I would say every horse will get a good run. 

"You might have to be further back if you've got a wide draw, but I couldn't see anything getting caught three wide and it's Flemington, they won't come around the bend single file, they normally pack up a bit. 

"It will be an intriguing race."  - NZ Racing Desk