The latest weekend of black-type racing conducted either side of the Tasman proved to be a bittersweet 24 hours with Sledmere Stud graduates finishing runner-up in no fewer than four stakes races from Group 1 to Listed Race level.
From Pakenham in Victoria on Friday night to Ellerslie in Auckland on Saturday afternoon, we witnessed Veight run second in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m); I Am Aria debut with a second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m); Hughes going within a whisker of landing the Listed John Dillion Stakes (1200m); and Arkansaw Kid claiming second in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m).
Four graduates, all of which finished runner-up in black-type events … staged at G1, G2, G3 & Listed level!
Having his first start since last May, Veight turned in a hugely encouraging performance when appearing a possible winner of the Australia Stakes at one point in the Pakenham straight before running out of race fitness over the closing stages. The Group 1 winning graduate ultimately finished two lengths adrift of the winner Hedged, but had one-and-a-half length to spare over fellow Group 1 winner and $1.30 favourite of the race War Machine (NZ) in a highly satisfactory return to action.
Sporting the well-known colours of Te Akau Racing, I Am Aria displayed brilliant natural speed to lead the nine-horse field assembled for the fillies division of the Blue Diamond Preview before boxing on gamely close to the line to finish runner-up behind Rubi’s Choice — beaten just three-quarters of a length. The I Am Invincible filly earned a Group 3 placing at her first career start in so doing, displaying black-type winning ability with any form of natural improvement.
Raced by a Roll The Dice ownership group, Hughes looked desperately unlucky not to have added the Listed John Dillion Stakes to his winning record. The gelded son of Russian Revolution got held up on more than one occasion in the Caulfield straight and only just missed out on posting his maiden black-type success.
And, Arkansaw Kid did what Arkansaw Kid does — give it his utmost in every race he contests. On this occasion, the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate failed by three-quarters of a length to reel in Jigsaw in the Ellerslie feature, adding another Group 1 placing to his distinguished race record.
While the outcome could obviously have been acutely better, a quartet of black-type seconds is still a timely advertisement for the 2026 Sledmere Stud consignment heading to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale next week.