J.J. Atkins Stakes (Group 1)

THE shortest-priced favourite of the day, the Godolphin-owned Broadsiding, justified his $1.60 quote with a facile win in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins for juveniles over 1,600 metres.

Clicked through his gears at the top of the straight by James McDonald, the Too Darn Hot colt hit the front with 300 metres to run and extended his advantage with each stride to win by five lengths.

A winner of the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick in April, Broadsiding has now won his past four starts having a career tally of seven starts.

“He paraded like a thriving colt, and he got the big salute there from James McDonald,” said trainer James Cummings.

“He sort of had that feel about perhaps being the best two-year-old in the country this season.

“He’s just been so good. He’s been a horse that has been able to keep improving and being by Too Darn Hot out of a Street Cry mare, he’s got his future well and truly assured on the roster at Darley.

“He’s what you love to look for in a two-year-old, and yet he’s got that dynamic motor, the way he cruised up into that race was effortless, and James just rode him like he was the best horse in the race, he was full of confidence in the horse.”

Stefi’s Stradbroke

Stradbroke Handicap (Group 1)

SLIPPING through on the rails as the field fanned wide, Stefi Magnetica capitalised on her minimum weight of 50 kilogram s to take out Saturday’s A$3 million Stradbroke Handicap over Eagle Farm’s 1,400 metres.

Ridden by apprentice Zac Lloyd for Bjorn Baker, the victory was a breakthrough Group 1 win for both Lloyd and the All Too Hard filly who has emulated her dam, Mid Summer Music, who won the 2012 edition of the Stradbroke.

“She was tough,” said Zac Lloyd. “I saw Bella Nipotina and I thought that was one horse you don’t want to be in a finish with, but she was great. It is really good just to get that Group 1 on my resume.

“I’ve had some great opportunities in the past year or so and I haven’t been able to capitalise. To get the job done today in a very big race, it is very special.”

Fifth Group 1

Sent around as a $15 chance Stefi Magnetica, the fifth individual Group 1 winner now for All Too Hard, defeated the Pride Of Dubai mare Bella Nipotina, who was aiming for a third Group 1, by a head, as the Hallowed Crown gelding Vilana filled third.

The win also completed a group-winning double for the Baker stable who earlier in the day had taken out the $400,000 Group 2 Brisbane Cup over 3,200 metres with the Teofilo gelding Alegron.

A former Godolphin runner, Alegron was bought for $40,000 from an Inglis Digital sale last November by the Bjorn Baker stable and has now passed all the qualifying clauses for the Melbourne Cup.

“I’m sure that is the ultimate aim,” said stable foreman Jim Clark. “It’d be a great story; an online purchase that could get to a Melbourne Cup after a wind operation. Bjorn has had very good luck with that.”

THE Irish-bred Fawkner Park has roared into Caulfield Cup favouritism following a comprehensive win in the A$1.2 million HKJC World Pool Q22 over 2,200 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Trained by Annabel Neasham and ridden by Tyler Schiller, the former Joseph O’Brien-trained Zoffany gelding, who won his maiden at Dundalk 20 months ago, burst clear at the top of the straight to post an impressive four-length margin over the Extreme Choice gelding Knight’s Choice and the Toronado gelding Bois D’argent.

“I thought he’d take a bit of beating and obviously the market suggested that, but to win by that margin with that ease was really exciting,” said Annabel Neasham.

“He’s got a big heart, he’s got a good stride, he goes on soft, goes on firm and I think we should have a big spring to look forward to. We’ve seen so many horses in the past two to three years run really well here in Queensland and then go on to have big springs.

“I’ll obviously chat with Bennett Racing, but I’m sure the Caulfield Cup will be circled in the calendar to work back from.”

The win in the race was the stable’s third in four years after wins by Zaaki and Numerian, with Neasham and her owners headed by Bennett Racing going to 120,000gns at the 2022 Autumn Horses In Training Sale to buy Fawkner Park from his Lloyd Williams-led syndicate.