SYDNEY AUTUMN RACING CARNIVAL FINISHES ON TOP OF THE WORLD
April 16, 2022
A dominant filly in Fireburn winning the Australian Turf Club’s prestigious race for two-year-olds and a third consecutive victory by Nature Strip in Australia’s premier Autumn sprint were two shining highlights in a world-class Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival which concluded today.
More than $37 million in prizemoney was won by owners, trainers, jockeys and strappers during the six-week Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival – including in 18 Group 1 races amongst 48 Black Type events across 60 races.
A total of 679 runners competed for three weeks at Rosehill Gardens and three weeks at Royal Randwick, including two weeks of the ninth running of The Championship and seven races at Newcastle.
Fireburn, trained at Warwick Farm by Gary Portelli and ridden by Brenton Avdulla, took the first two legs of the two-year-old Triple Crown – the Group 1 $5 million Longines Golden Slipper Stakes and Group 1 $1 million Inglis Sires’, before a narrow second in today’s Group 1 $500,000 Moët & Chandon Champagne Stakes.
She’s Extreme trained by Anthony Cummings and ridden by Tommy Berry reversed the placings from the Inglis Sires’, beating Fireburn in the third leg.
Nature Strip, trained by Sydney’s 11-time champion trainer Chris Waller and reigning premiership rider James McDonald, won a third Group 1 $2.5 million Furphy TJ Smith Stakes, helping to propel him to equal top-rated horse in the world in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings.
Think It Over – after a spectacular Everest Carnival in the Sydney Spring – took out the Group 1 $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes under a memorable ride by jockey Nash Rawiller and for the horse’s trainer Kerry Parker.
The $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes has been Australia’s highest rating race for the past four years.
Over the 60 races of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, the leading trainer on a 3-2-1 win and place points basis was Chris Waller on 42 points, ahead of Godolphin’s James Cummings on 40 points.
The leading rider under the 3-2-1 points basis was James McDonald on 37 points, ahead of Tommy Berry on 35 and Sam Clipperton on 29.
James McDonald with three Group 1 wins – Anamoe in the Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas, Nature Strip in the Furphy TJ Smith Stakes and Cascadian in the Schweppes All Aged Stakes – was the leading Group 1 rider.
Four trainers/stables each recorded two Group 1 wins:
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace (Lighthouse/Coolmore Classic and Hitotsu/Bentley Australian Derby);
Chris Waller (Fangirl/Vinery Stud Stakes and Nature Strip/Furphy TJ Smith Stakes);
Gary Portelli (Fireburn/Longines Golden Slipper Stakes and Inglis Sires’); and
James Cummings (Anamoe/Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas and Cascadian Schweppes All Aged Stakes).
Amongst other flagship Australian Turf Club races at the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival:
• Group 1 $2 million Bentley Australian Derby winner Hitotsu for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and jockey John Allen became the first horse since Mahogany in 1994 to complete the Sydney/Melbourne Derby double;
• Mr Brightside gave young brothers Ben and JD Hayes their first Group 1 winner in the $3 million The Star Doncaster Mile, with jockey Craig Williams aboard;
• Multiple Group 1 winning mare Forbidden Love took out the Group 1 $1 million The Agency George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens for trainers Richard and Michael Freedman and jockey Hugh Bowman;
• Damien Oliver claimed the all-time Group 1 winning record for an Australian jockey with his 127th major, aboard Nimalee for Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith in the $1 million Sydney’s Queen Of The Turf Stakes;
Australian Turf Club Executive General Manager Racing and Wagering James Ross said: “The Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival remains one of world racing’s strongest and most prestigious events.
“Sydney again is home to the world’s highest rated horse in Nature Strip, who adds a third TJ Smith Stakes to an incredible career record including a TAB Everest.
“We also saw a dominant win by Fireburn in the world’s richest race for two-year-olds the Longines Golden Slipper which this year was worth a record $5 million to become the richest race of the Sydney Autumn.’’
A comprehensive review, results and statistics service for all group and blacktype races along with other key feature Sydney races from 29 January to 16 April, encompassing the six-week Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, can be found here.