Going Global is living up to her name, as the eight-time U.S. graded stakes winner makes her Australian debut this Friday night at Rosehill racecourse. A record number of international horses have traveled to Sydney for the AU$40 million Autumn Racing Carnival. Two horses prepared by Joseph O'Brien (one favored against Going Global) are also featured on a 10-race program that includes eight Group races. The card will broadcast live on FanDuel TV and is available to stream on the Sky Racing World App (First Post 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT).
Following Going Global's victorious American swan song last October, trainer Phil D'Amato labeled her “the epitome of a champion in my heart. She just has all the attributes, the heart, the will and an unbelievable turn of foot.” The 2021 Del Mar Oaks winner sold for $2.5 million at Fasig-Tipton's November sale, then crossed the Pacific to join the barn of champion Sydney conditioner Chris Waller.
Going Global (15-1) has drawn an extremely wide gate for Friday night's G2 Emancipation Stakes (Race 6), at 7 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares. She will also face the query of a wet surface, after relishing California's firm footing. Her competition includes the O'Brien-trained Statement (7-2 favorite), who also makes her Aussie debut and comes off a similar layoff to Going Global. Statement, who has fared much better at the post position draw, was last seen winning a G3 (at this distance) in Ireland.
Both mares will have an even bigger target in sight: the G1 Queen of the Turf on April 7, part of The Championships at Randwick. The Championships are a Breeders' Cup-style event, boasting eight G1 races across two Friday nights: March 31 and April 7.
Joseph O'Brien, who has sent five horses to chase Sydney's riches, also has Cleveland set for an Australian debut in Friday night's G1 Tancred Stakes (Race 8) at 1 1/2 miles. After Cleveland finished second at Royal Ascot going 1 3/4 miles (in just his sixth career start), he was purchased by a prominent Australian owner as a prospect for elite marathon races Down Under.
O'Brien has already trained two Melbourne Cup winners for the father-son team of Lloyd and Nick Williams: Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020). In Friday night's Tancred, Cleveland (8-1) will rub shoulders with a pair of Melbourne Cup-winning horses: 2019 victor Vow And Declare (12-1), and last November's winner Gold Trip (7-2). Gold Trip also began his career in Europe.
While the Melbourne Cup remains the “holy grail” for the world's best marathon horses, the Tancred Stakes is a proven stepping stone to a lucrative shorter-term goal, the G1 Sydney Cup on April 7. The Tancred field also includes a son of Frankel named King Frankel (12-1), who had a three-race win streak snapped last start when favorite but has the capacity to rebound.
On a program of incredible depth and intrigue, numerous other races feature Australian debuts of highly regarded horses. Full of Sincerity, a last start third in the New Zealand Derby, is 5-2 favorite for the G2 Tulloch Stakes (Race 3). The G3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (Race 4) contains a quartet of fresh faces, each with new Australian trainers: Gear Up (9-1) is a G1 winner in France who defeated Cleveland last summer in Ireland; Fancy Man (14-1) has six G3 placings in England; Magical Lagoon (40-1) won last year's G1 Irish Oaks; and Third Realm (9-1) carries the lightest credentials but has been training very forwardly.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's star 3-year-old filly, Prowess, brings a 6-for-8 career record to the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes (Race 7). Prowess, who beat older males last start at G1 level, is 8-5 favorite while returning to her own age and sex; 2-1 second wagering choice, Pavitra, is a highly promising Australian daughter of American Pharoah. Times Square, G1-placed at Longchamp as a 2- and 3-year-old filly, contests the G3 Doncaster Prelude (Race 9). Times Square (15-1) has landed in the barn of potent Australian training team Ciaron Maher and David Eustace (who also train Gold Trip). The reigning champion trainers of Melbourne, who lead the nation in races won this season, have recently increased their stall allocation in Sydney. Citing “the unprecedented growth of Sydney racing,” Maher has identified the Harbour City as “obviously where we want to expand our presence … it's a real growth area for our business.”
From Dubai to Sydney, top-flight horse racing is, indeed, “going global” this weekend. Ironically, a horse named Dubai Honour competed on the World Cup card last year but is currently in Sydney. The William Haggas trainee created an enormous impression winning his Australian debut last week, less than an hour before Australia's best horse, Anamoe, won his ninth Group 1. The pair will collide on April 7 in the AU$5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the marquee race of The Championships at Randwick.
The Rosehill card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night (First Post: 9:10 p.m. ET / 6:10 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Wyong, Eagle Farm and Ascot. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances, and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.
A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.
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