It’s Queensland and Western Australia’s time to shine

It’s just five weeks until the start of winter but the action on the betting sites was red-hot on Saturday. Morphettville was the track to host the Group 1 racing on the day but there was also some excellent quality at Ascot.

The quality of racing is not ready to drop away just yet with Morphettville taking over the Group 1 mantle for a couple of weeks. The early weeks of winter will see Eagle Farm with a couple of Group 1 Saturdays so there is still plenty to enjoy. It was certainly a day that Mark Zahra will not soon forget.

Group 1 double for Zahra at Morphettville

There have been few men better for the big occasion in recent seasons. The winner of back-to-back Melbourne Cups in 2022 and 2023, Zahra took his Group 1 winning total to 35 on Saturday afternoon and took another few steps closer to the mark of 1500 overall winners.

At the other end of the scale is Benagil’s trainer Glen Thompson who was landing the first Group 1 win of his career. His filly took out the Australasian Oaks after running closest to Treasurethe Moment in the Vinery Stud at Rosehill on her most recent start.

There was never a moment when Zahra didn’t look comfortable on her. She fairly strolled to victory with a massive roughie in Sweltering filling the second spot. Normally that would be a concern for the form but given the winners’ Rosehill run, it should be treated as a best from the second.

Zahra was quick to double up with Charm Stone in the Robert Sangster Stakes. She has long been well thought of by trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent, with a wide barrier in 12 not proving to be an issue for her over the 1200m distance.

Beaten just a length in the Golden Rose in September 2023, she was not seen in a race again for 13 months. She has been brought back to the boil brilliantly by her handlers and claimed her first win at the top level. Behind her, Asfoora made her return to action in seventh. Zahra also landed the Group 3 Breeders Stakes earlier in the afternoon.

Jokers Grin lands the Quokka

2025 was just the third running of the Quokka. The first two had both been won by Overpass who made it a perfect 4/4 at Ascot in the Winterbottom when last at the track. He set off at a serious pace and unfortunately for him, he set it up for the closers.

It looked like it was going to be Headwall who picked up his first Group 1 having run so well in them this season. He hit the front in the final 50m but no sooner had he got there than Jokers Grim and Patrick Carbery nailed him on the line. It was the sixth Group 1 win for the 49-year-old hoop and the first for the trainer of Jokers Grim, Bernie Miller.

$475 treble at Eagle Farm for Gollan

Although the Mark Zahra treble at Morphettville will get the headlines, veteran trainer Tony Gollan produced the same at Eagle Farm. The wins included Tenzing in one of the Listed contests on the card. It was the first time that the six-year-old had raced at that level.

Gollan’s other two winners came from Hurts So Good in a Bm85 and Rockribbed in a Bm90. The former took a while to click but has won 6 of his 11 starts in the last year. The latter has gone 4/11 since joining the stable, just twice finishing out of the places.

It was an afternoon to remember for Mark Zahra on Saturday. Winning both of the Group 1 races at Morphettville. It was a total of three winners from six rides as he cemented his place as a hoop the horse racing bookmakers fear.