Talking Points: Saturday - 12th of July 2025

We touch on a couple of races and ratings over the weekend.

ROYAL SUPREMACY winning the EREMEIN HANDICAP
ROYAL SUPREMACY winning the EREMEIN HANDICAP Picture: Martin King / Sportpix

Caulfield – John Monash Stakes

In Flight continued her excellent form over the Winter with a big win in the Sir John Monash stakes, running to a new career peak rating in the process.

The tempo wasn't quick here but her late splits to come from the back were very good, recording the fastest final 800, 600, 400 and 200m split of the meeting.

115 is her new Racing & Sports rating, up from a pair of 113 wins prior. That's the equal second highest John Monash Stakes on record, only bettered by Recommendation (116) last year, who won by seven lengths.

Some handy types have rated well below 115 to win this race, including super-sire I Am Invincible who went 113 in 2009.

Other winners include Lord Of The Sky, who also went 115, Sigh (113), Jungle Edge (111) and Voodoo Lad (109).

There's no reason In Flight can't be kept ticking along with feature sprints such as the Bletchingly Stakes or even the Group 2 Missile Stakes in a few weeks' time at Rosehill both options.

The Missile Stakes has typically taken a bit more winning than 115 depending on the year, ranging all the way from 108 (Tycoon Tara) to 127 (Lonhro).

Schwarz (110) and I Am Me (115) have won the past two so In Flight certainly fits in well there and can pick up a very valuable Group Two win.

New York Lustre was good in second running a clear new peak of 111 (up from 106), however did have the pace scenario to suit and I think In Flight is comfortably better than the margin on the day, with the adjusted time figure suggesting she's at least eight pounds (nearly three lengths) better than these.

 

Randwick – Royal Supremacy

Only an off-season meeting but I think there's a horse worth highlighting here that may fly under the radar of a few people.

This horse won the benchmark 88 over 1800m, carrying 58.5kg after the 2kg claim from Braith Knock, and has put up a very strong rating for this time of year.

He's run to 111 on the RAS scale which is very strong for this grade. On the Timeform scale, he's run to 115 which is nearly 13 pounds higher than an average benchmark 88 winner at Rosehill.

Going back through his profile overseas, there's plenty to like. He's only won a two-year-old handicap at Kempton All Weather but the piece of form that stands out is running third to Calandagan in a Group 2 King Edward (2414m) at Ascot.

Now, he was beaten 7.8 lengths on that occasion but still, it's a strong piece of form.

He's had a few runs for the Ciaron Maher yard now and is starting to hit his groove, with any further rises in trip only to suit better, and that has me thinking they've got a certain race in mind for him.

The Metropolitan looks tailor made for this horse under handicap conditions. Horses have won that Group 1 contest with RAS ratings lower than what Royal Supremacy did on Saturday, with a typical winner coming in at around 115-116.

Given that he's been kept in their NSW stables and campaigned in Sydney, I think that could be their thinking as well.

$26 is the best price in futures markets (pre-noms) at the moment with some corporates getting in as ridiculously low as $15.

Whether that's worth taking is debatable but the Metrop field falls off a cliff pretty sharply each year and he certainly profiles well for it.


Racing and Sports

Caulfield

Saturday, 12th July 2025

8
16:15
(local)

Sportsbet Sir John Monash Stakes (G3)

Type: OPEN
AUD $200,990
1100m TURF SOFT
8
16:15
(local)
AUD $200,990
1100m SOFT

Sportsbet Sir John Monash Stakes (G3)

Type: OPEN


FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 6. IN FLIGHT (AUS) 4yo M
FLYING ARTIE (AUS) - WAVELINE (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS
JOSEPH PRIDE
$2.5
56.5kg
Ms K A Tibbey, J M T Fish, R Edwards, B D Playford, S Hambly, Goldmount Lodge Pty Ltd (Mgr: Ms D H Sulivan) & Proven Thoroughbreds (Mgr: A J Walter)

Sales Information

2nd 10. NEW YORK LUSTRE (AUS) 5yo M
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS) - COPPER (AUS)
JAMIE MELHAM
ENVER JUSUFOVIC
$10
56.5kg
M Howard
3rd 2. RECOMMENDATION (AUS) 5yo G
SHALAA (IRE) - ADVISO (USA)
BEN ALLEN
CIARON MAHER
$8
58.5kg
N S Psaltis, Mrs G C Psaltis, M Christopher, S T Elwick, A D Sier, D Simonsen, G A Buchanan, Captain's Call No.3, J A Forrest, Green Park Syndicate, D P Sinn, Four Four Racing, Mrs C C Gash, B T Gash, S R Payne, J Steet, T J Harris & J A O'Neill

Sales Information

4th 9. CLEO CAT (AUS) 4yo M
AMERICAN PHAROAH (USA) - ANGEL FACE (AUS)
JORDAN CHILDS
TOM DABERNIG
$4.8
56.5kg

Sales Information

5th 5. KIN (AUS) 5yo M
IMPENDING (AUS) - KINSHACHI (AUS)
JYE MCNEIL
JAMES CUMMINGS
$11
56.5kg
6th 3. KALLOS (AUS) 6yo G
MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - CALLIOPE (AUS)
BLAKE SHINN
JAMES CUMMINGS
$7
58.5kg
7th 4. EXTREMELY LUCKY (AUS) 6yo G
EXTREME CHOICE (AUS) - TAMARIND LANE (AUS)
BEAU MERTENS
GAVIN BEDGGOOD
$31
58.5kg

Sales Information

8th 1. LIM'S KOSCIUSZKO (AUS) 7yo G
KERMADEC (NZ) - JACQUETTA (NZ)
JASON MASKIELL
DAN MEAGHER
$16
58.5kg

Sales Information

9th 11. LINGANI (AUS) 4yo M
AMERICA (AUS) - BETTY BUTTERSCOTCH (AUS)
PAUL GATT
PETER & BELINDA BLANCH
$61
56.5kg
10th 7. MRS CHRISSIE (NZ) 6yo M
PER INCANTO (USA) - TURF FIRE (NZ)
HARRY COFFEY
CIARON MAHER
$51
56.5kg

Sales Information