Tattersall’s Cup continues strong campaign for Asterix
Four years on from his Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) triumph, Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock) is enjoying a second wind as a seven-year-old and collected his fourth feature win of the season in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
The Tavistock gelding initially took time to find his feet in the new surroundings of Chris Waller’s stable, but the patience of his connections has been rewarded this time in with victories in the A$300,000 The Beauford (2300m) at Newcastle, the Gr.3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick, the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) and Saturday’s Tattersall’s Cup.
Asterix was ridden by Tim Clark on Saturday and settled at the tail of the six-horse field before launching an irresistible finish down the home straight. Clark angled him to the outside and drove him home over the top of his rivals, getting up to beat Pounding (Exceed And Excel) by a long neck.
“I just felt my main priority there was just to get him to settle,” Clark said. “He has raced a bit keenly previously, so I just felt it was really important to get the first two-thirds of the race right. If I could do that, I knew he'd take care of the rest.”
Asterix became the fourth Tattersall’s Cup winner for Waller, who has previously won it with Index Linked(Dansili) (2016), Brimham Rocks (Fastnet Rock) (2020) and Manzoice (NZ) (Almanzor) (2025).
“It’s a race that’s been pretty good to Chris over the years,” assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
“This horse was obviously brilliant at the start of the preparation, and then he took a massive step up in grade when he finished sixth in the Doomben Cup (Gr.1, 2000m) and Q22 (Gr.2, 2200m). So it was a drop back in grade today, and I think that’s all he needed.
“Tim gave him a lovely ride. He didn’t panic early and just let it all unfold in front of him, and then the horse was really strong late.”
Asterix was bred by Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock and is by Tavistock out of the Shirocco mare Mourasana.
Curraghmore offered Asterix at the 2020 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where Bruce Perry Bloodstock bought him for $450,000.
Asterix began his career in the Matamata stable of Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott, for whom he won four of his 14 starts, including the 2022 New Zealand Derby and the 2024 edition of the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m).
Asterix has now had a total of 29 starts for eight wins, two placings and A$1.41 million in stakes.- NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Asterix (NZ) 2018
Owners: Mr D A J Kelt, Mr M J Greatbatch, Mr A J Scott, Mrs L J Scott, Mr J P Hunter
Trainer: Chris Waller /Gold Coast
Breeding: by Tavistock out of Mourasana (GB) by Shirocco (GER)
Breeder: Go Bloodstock New Zealand Ltd
Sales: 2020 Ready to Run Sale V: Curraghmore $450000 P: Bruce Perry B/stock
Churchillian claims Tauranga Classic
Consistent mare Churchillian (NZ)(Churchill) did what she does best when leading all the way to claim her third career black type success in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) on Saturday.
The Tony Pike-trained daughter of Churchill has endeared herself to the racing public with her take no prisoners frontrunning style and she adopted similar tactics on Saturday in the hands of Sam Collett, who was back to raceday riding after enjoying a decent holiday break in Europe recently.
Collett took her straight to the front, where she was joined by Miss Bo Peep (NZ) (Astern) and the pair set up a leisurely speed at the head of proceedings.
It was apparent that Churchillian had plenty of petrol in the tank when Collett pressed the go button rounding the home bend, where she sat hard up against the rail as she established a three-length break on her rivals who were spread across the track trying to track her down.
Churchillian never looked like stopping as she cruised over the final 150m, winning by just on two lengths from Kaimai Queen (NZ) (Atlante) and Churchillian’s stablemate Thooza (NZ) (Almanzor), who both finished strongly near the outside running rail.
With Pike on an overseas holiday at present, it was left to stable representative Ryan Stacey to sum up the winning performance.
“She has been going so well and we’ve just had to keep getting the work into her since her last run,” Stacey said. “She is just so consistent and is holding that form.
“Sam got her out of the gates well, controlled the race and she has brained them.
“Her record suggests that 1400m is her sweet spot and she showed that again today.”
Collett was glowing in her praise for Churchillian.
“Tony and the team have done an amazing job to keep her up, keep her happy, in what has been a busy prep for her,” she said.
“She just has that zest for life, which she showed today and when I asked her for some more gas she dug really deep.
“She didn’t really grab the bit and drag me along like she can do, so I was trying to pick my ground from the half mile (800m) to where she was comfy and when I kicked she was off and was always going to find the line.”
By Coolmore Stud’s four-time Group One winner Churchill, Churchillian was bred by Sir Peter Vela under his Pencarrow Thoroughbreds banner from his Fastnet Rock mare Fond du Coeur.
She has now won 11 of her 27 starts and prizemoney in excess of $406,000. - NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Churchillian (NZ) 2019
Owners: Emblem Ltd, G D Melville-Smith, B W Stevenson ONZM, J C & Est late M A Thompson
Trainer: Tony Pike / Cambridge
Breeding: by Churchill (IRE) out of Fond du Coeur (IRE) by Fastnet Rock (AUS)
Breeder: Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd
Sales: 2021 National Yearling Sale - Book 1 V: Pencarrow Stud $100000 P: PA Willetts
Back-to-back wins for Coeur Volante
Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) continued her late-career resurgence with a second consecutive win on Saturday, albeit not in the race her connections might have been hoping for.
An impressive last-start success at Sandown on June 13 raised the possibility of a tilt at Saturday’s Gr.1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) in Queensland, but logistical challenges stood in the way. The A$150,000 Quayclean Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield was a suitable consolation prize.
“We just watched the Tiara a few minutes ago, and we were half hoping that we might be able to get there with this mare,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said. “But unfortunately, it didn’t work out with the flights and everything. But a Saturday win at Caulfield is the next best thing.”
Coeur Volante has had a change of ownership this season, having been bought by Anthony Thompson’s Widden Stud Australia Pty Limited and Julia Ritchie’s Bangaloe Stud for A$500,000 from the 2025 Spring Boutique Online Sale on Inglis Digital in November.
The New Zealand-bred daughter of Proisir previously raced for a syndicate headed by Rupert Legh, for whom she won four races including the Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m), Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m). She also finished fourth in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
Left in the Lindsay Park stable by her new connections, Coeur Volante has made a strong return to the racetrack this autumn and winter with a third in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) on May 30, a win at Sandown and Saturday’s equally emphatic follow-up at Caulfield.
The five-year-old was ridden by apprentice jockey Jackson Radley on Saturday and was able to slot into a handy position just behind the speed before angling to the outside to make her bid in the straight.
Coeur Volante produced a turn of foot none of her rivals could match, bursting to the lead in the final 100m. She scored comfortably by a length with Radley beginning to ease her down before the line.
“The race worked out perfect,” Radley said. “It was a bit sticky early, but then I managed to slot into a lovely spot. Once we got into clear air, she really let rip and showed her ability.”
Coeur Volante has now had 19 starts for six wins, a placing and A$760,040 in prizemoney.
“She had a really good, long break and a good reset,” Hayes said. “Her new connections were unfortunately not able to get her in foal last spring, so they decided to continue to race her this season. She’s definitely paying her way now and Julia and Anthony are very happy people. She’s in great form.”
Hayes has not ruled out a tilt at the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in August before a likely spring mating with star stallion Zoustar.
“She’s already a Group Two winner, which doesn’t leave many ways to improve your pedigree page,” Hayes said. “You can try to win or place in a Group One, or you can add another Group Two. The Lawrence is an option we could consider. We’ll see how she is, but she’s in great order.”
Bred by Fairdale Stud, Coeur Volante is by Proisir out of the Testa Rossa mare Shanina. She was purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock in conjunction with Ballymore Stables for $90,000 out of the Prima Park draft during the Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2022 and was initially trained by Moroney’s late brother Mike.
Coeur Volante is the younger half-sister of stakes-placed filly Hasstobemagic (NZ) (Scissor Kick) and comes from a family that includes multiple Australian Group Two winner Rose O’ War and outstanding race mare Savana City, who included the Gr.1 AJC Oaks (2400m) amongst her eight career victories. – NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Coeur Volante (NZ) 2020
Owners: Widden Stud Pty Ltd, Bangaloe Stud
Trainer: Ben, Will & JD Hayes /Pakenham
Breeding: by Proisir (AUS) out of Shanina (AUS) by Testa Rossa (AUS)
Breeder: Fairdale Stud (2007) Ltd
Sales: 2022 National Yearling Sale - Book 1 V: Prima Park $90000 P: Paul Moroney B/stock/Ballymore Stables
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
Kevin Robertson
Joshua Smith
Kevin Robertson
