The $1million Group I BRC Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) has a full field of 16 plus emergencies with a myriad of serious contenders looking to stake their claims for Stradbroke glory in two weeks time.
How did Eagle Farm get it's name? Click here for an entertaining history lesson.
Last year Waller wondermare Joliestar ( Zoustar) emerged triumphant over Zarastro and Golden Mile, and in 2026 the master trainer has deployed another simply outstanding mare, Fangirl.
Quite frequently we have seen a top class sprinter contest numerous editions of this race and this year we have two such turf luminaries - Rothfire and Private Eye.
Wondrous to behold are these hardy eight year olds and crowd favourites!
Rob Heathcote's beloved Rothy first ran in this race in 2022 for fourth. He was third in 2023 then drew barrier 18 in the Straddie - running second under 57 kg. He has not contested this race since then, and last year went straight from his Doomben 10,000 second to the Stradbroke.
Joe Pride's Private Eye was third in last year's Straddie - first up under 57kg if you don't mind.
That was the Al Maher gelding's first visit to Queensland since 2024, when fourth in the Doomben 10,000. We then have to go back to April of 2023 when none other than Rothy beat him into fifth in the G2 Victory Stakes.
In 2022, Private Eye was eighth in this race before a brave second to Alligator Blood in the Stradbroke. His only win at Eagle Farm is the G2 Queensland Guineas of 2021 - and the horse he beat home that day was the 2022 Kingsford Smith Cup hero Apache Chase!
We underestimate these old warriors at our peril.
A full field of 16 ( 4 emergencies) will thunder around Eagle Farm on Saturday in the Cup, with Ciaron Maher's sprinter Jimmysstar carrying the No 1 saddlecloth.
Online debate is intense about just how well Jimmy is going this prep, but Maher's faith in the son of Per Incanto is unfazed. The big track will certainly suit the powerful backmarker a lot better than Doomben.
Among a multitude of chances, Desert Lightning for Moods and Coleman is a last start G1 winner; the gifted Sepals, Linebacker and Transatlantic are all G1 winners fresh and dangerous; last year's Stradbroke runner up Yellow Brick arrives second up in winning form, ditto quality sprinters King Of Roseau and Splash Back.
Fangirl is a multiple G1 winner with all the class in the world but is some query at 1300m which is short of her best while Skybird - good enough to win on her day and maker of late ground in the 10,000, looms as the big “dark horse” she actually is in real life.
Impressive Wootton Bassett colt Napoleonic is the only three year old in the 2026 field following his gutsy third in the 10,000 off a freshen, with local colt Grafterburners - well down the track in that race - sweating on a run as second emergency.
At time of writing the track is a heavy 8 with showers clearing so I have guesstimated a racing surface somewhere in the soft range!
Top Pick: TRANSATLANTIC
Going for a win for the locals this year with this Tony Gollan trained five year old son of the much-missed champion sire Snitzel.
Transatlantic gave the stable successive wins in the G1 Toorak Hcp with a tough win over Evaporate in the 2025 edition, after Antino had won the race the previous year.
Transatlantic won and placed in each of his three starts at Doomben as a juvenile and was stakes placed at three, but the beautifully bred colt required the ultimate gear change.
Since being gelded, Transatlantic has won six races including his G1 in Melbourne, the Magic Millions Buffering (1400m) and Listed Spear Chief Stakes (1500m) at this track, and the Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) at Randwick, as well as finishing runner up in stakes races at Flemington, Sandown and Rosehill.
His return in the G2 Victory Stakes on heavy was pleasing and he improves sharply second up, loves the wet, loves Eagle Farm, carries weight well and is in a stable which has a great record in the race.
I also like that he is fresher this time in for this 1300m assignment (off a 25 week spell) than he was last preparation in Melbourne - and is only once unplaced in four starts at the trip - none of them at this track, where he excels.
The patiently handled Transatlantic has built the impressive record of 23 starts for 8 wins and 9 placings, which have earned connections $2,289,550.
The son of Snitzel was a $360,000 purchase for Tony Gollan Racing, Harbour Equine and John Foote Bloodstock from the Segenhoe draft at the 2022 Inglis Easter Sale. Segenhoe retain an ownership share.
The good looking bay was bred by Go Bloodstock from their top class Darci Brahma mare Gust Of Wind (NZ)
He was the third winner and first stakes winner for his G1 ATC Oaks winning dam, who owns the distinction of being the last horse to defeat the legendary Winx, in that very race.
Gust Of Wind won the Oaks decisively on a wet Randwick track at just her fifth race start for trainer John Sargent. The following spring she ran a great fourth in the Caulfield Cup, then snuck along the rail to briefly look like the winner in the closing stages of Prince Of Penzance's historic Melbourne Cup - she finished sixth.
Gust Of Wind's 2022 filly by I Am Invincible was snapped up by K Yoshida for $1.1 million as an Inglis Easter yearling. Named Sensational Wind, she won and was placed but retired after six starts and has been served by champion Dundeel for her first foal, which will boast a duplication of Zabeel x 2 daughters, and a sex balanced linebreeding to Sadler's Wells. Nice!
Gust Of Wind next delivered a Stay Inside colt, a $220,000 Inglis Easter buy for Irwin Racing from Segenhoe, subsequently passed in when offered by Hannover Lodge at the 2025 Inglis Ready2Race Sale. He is named Storm Seeker and is yet to race.
The mare herself produced a filly to Dundeel who was withdrawn from Inglis Easter this year, before unfortunately missing to the late Wootton Bassett.
Gust Of Wind is now awaiting her next foal by Too Darn Hot.
She was the best foal produced by her stakes placed dam Starrystarrynight (Sadlers's Wells), twice a winner in NZ and Listed placed at The Curragh and a full sister to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas placed filly Starbourne.
Starbourne became grand dam of G1 QLD Oaks runner up Reo (Rubick)
The two Sadler's Wells daughters were out of the unplaced Upper Circle (Shirley Heights), a full sister to the dam of 1996 G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Lady Carla. That filly bolted in the Classic by nine lengths, setting the fourth biggest winning margin in the history of the great race - though to be fair, it was generally regarded as one of the weaker Oaks fields of the era.
This family is that of the great broodmare Zanzara ( Fairey Fulmar) who is Transatlantic's fifth dam. Her G1 winning son Showdown became a highly influential sire in Australia, and Gust Of Wind descends from his half sister Cammina by Hornbeam.
This family (a branch of 6-b) descends from the French-bred Democratie by the great sire Epinard, and is that of the Epsom Oaks winners Scintillate and Juliette Marny, as well as the great international sire Red Ransom and our home grown champion Zeditave.
Dubai Destination, Agnes World and Librettist are all descendants of Democratie - as is the ageless 2026 Doomben 10,000 hero Rothfire!!
The great Zabeel forged a powerful nick with this family through Zeditave and Showdown.
A good example is Cox Plate winner and champion sire Ocean Park by Thorn Park ( third dam by Showdown) out of a Zabeel mare.
Transatlantic's dam Gust Of Wind carries the cross which is given an extra boost by her damsire, Darci Brahma, a descendant of the treasured NZ family tracing back to the imported King's Stand Stakes winning mare Easter Bride.
She was sired by Epinard's fine son Emir d'Iran, a close relative of the great French sire Teddy - this is also the family of Gainsborough.
Transatlantic's sixth dam Sunright was sired by Gainsborough son Solario and was out of Democratie.
Snitzel brings two lines of Lunchtime - sex balanced to both Solario and Teddy, and out of a mare by Hornbeam who sired Transatlantic's ancestress Cammina. The dam of Snippets was sex balanced to Teddy's sire Ajax and carried his greatest daughter La Troienne.
Transatlantic is bred
Danehill 3m x 3m
Northern Dancer 5m,5m x 5m,5m
Danehill’s brilliant Kiwi bred sprinting son Darci Brahma is also the damsire of G1 winning sprinter miler Pier (stakes placed at Doomben and Eagle Farm) who was sired by another fabulous member of the “Bride” family, Proisir.
Another G1 winner out of a Darci Brahma mare is the 2023 Coolmore Stud Stakes hero Ozzmosis ( Zoustar)
Both these horses carry the double male Danehill inbreeding pattern which appears in Transatlantic, and Snitzel also enjoys a doubling of Danehill sons, with two of his most dynamic G1 performers Lady Shenandoah and Cambridge Stud's boom sire Sword Of State carrying the cross.
Other notable factors in the pedigree of Transatlantic:
Blue Hens Special and Lalun are both sex balanced in Gust Of Wind. The damsire of Snippets, Grand Chaudiere, was from the family of Lalun while his La Troienne daughter Baby League sex balances Lalun's damsire Bimelech, son of La Troienne.
Redoute's Choice carries Baby League's son Mr Busher and Danehill brings the La Troienne daughter Businesslike, the ancestress of his second damsire Buckpasser.
War Relic's tail male line via In Reality ( bred 4m x 4f to that sire) is key for Snitzel - Darci Brahma provides his grandson Vice Regal, who carries the Discovery son Whistling Wind. Snitzel's third dam A Realgirl sex balances the pattern with two Discovery daughters.
Redoute's brings a Relic daughter through his damsire Bletchingly.
The duplicated Danzig and Bletchingly in Snitzel meet their relation Rockefella, who sired Darci Brahma's ancestress Easter Rock.
The family of Cinna, who appears via her son Beau Pere in Danehill and Canny Lad, is that of Darci Brahma's second damsire Vice Regal who was also sex balanced to this Blue Hen.
This pedigree also features linebreeding to Sir Ivor and to Blue Hens Special ( sex balanced in Gust Of Wind, she is missing from the pedigree of Snitzel and is a favoured nick), Lavendula ( via son Ambiorix in Snitzel and daughters Source Sucree (dam of Turn-To) and Perfume (dam of My Babu, to whom Gust Of Wind is bred x 2f)
Transatlantic has drawn to get an economical run and he likes to be near the speed. He goes well for Ryan Maloney, having won both previous runs for the jockey prior to his good return in the Victory Stakes.
Transatlantic and Ryan will take flight from barrier 5.
Next Best: JIMMYSSTAR
Ciaron Maher is keeping the faith and really - Jimmy's Doomben 10,000 run was pretty good - considering the way the race panned out and the 1200m, which is short of his best distance these days, on that tight track.
But, we are going into the fifth run of this prep now with no win for Jimmy and his many loyal followers are feeling a little restless. Only his first up effort was slightly below par - it just seems that things haven't panned out in his favour since then.
It seems I'm just one of the countless fans who want to give this superstar Kiwi sprinter another chance. He is favourite for the Kingsford Smith at time of writing.
I do sometimes wonder if - being out of a middle distance performed Zed mare - Jimmysstar has lost a wee bit of his brilliance as time has gone by.
It took a little acclimatising to Australia, racing and winning at Listed level, before the powerful chestnut burst onto the big G1 sprint stage with an explosive victory in the 2025 Oakleigh Plate.
The gifted son of Per Incanto had won two of his first three starts in NZ for his original trainer Guy Lowry.
A majority share in the exciting galloper was sold to a big group of clients of the Ciaron Maher stable, headed by prominent owner Ozzie Kheir.
Now six years old and a seasoned G1 WFA performer with wins in the CF Orr and All Aged Stakes on his CV, Jimmysstar has earned a tick over $8.6 million from his 27 starts to date, which have netted him 11 wins ( 3 x G1) and 8 placings.
Jimmysstar was bred by Wairarapa couple Pete and Chrissy Algie in partnership with Little Avondale Stud, who stand his remarkable sire Per Incanto (Street Cry).
Little Avondale Stud proprietors Sam and Catriona Williams, along with the Algies, remain in the ownership of the galloper they bred from Anniesstar - a daughter of the amazing Zabeel son Zed.
Anniestar won five races including the Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m), while her full-brother Jacksstar was a seven-time winner up to G2 level and also placed in the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Jimmysstar’s second dam is Star Guest by the champion racehorse and sire Pentire, who frequently passed on a brilliant turn of foot to his progeny, who performed over all distances.
Jimmy's classy female line is Argentinian-bred and descends through the G1 winning mare Love's Hope, who goes back to the great Argentine foundation mare Ante Diem (by Carbine's sire Musket) exported from GB in 1884.
She became the ancestress of at least 19 Argentinian Classic winners, including the 1931 Triple Crown legend Mineral. Hers is a branch of family 9-g which is one of several families descending from Maid Of Masham (9-e) the most successful being the prolific 9-f tribe.
The very first US Triple Crown winner (before it was officially called such) in 1919, Sir Barton, had Ante Diem's half sister as his fourth dam.
Jimmy’s dam Anniesstar produced four foals, three of them winners, including his full sister Charms Star (G3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes, runner-up G1 New Zealand Oaks and G1 QLD Oaks)
The mare produced a full brother to Jimmysstar in 2022 who was offered on behalf of Little Avondale by Riverside Stables and sold for $260,000 to Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) at Inglis Easter in 2024.
Named In'kantosstar and also trained by Ciaron Maher, he has placed at his only start to date. He was the last foal from Anniesstar, who sadly died while in foal to Per Incanto in 2024.
From modest beginnings as an Italian-raced G3 winning sprinter with a service fee set at $4000, Per Incanto has risen to great heights.
The son of Street Cry from the stakes winning Indian Ridge mare Pappa Reale keeps up a reliable stream of elite performers and he is also the damsire of the fastest horse on the planet, Ka Ying Rising!
Jimmysstar is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Sir Ivor 5f x 5m sex balanced
Notably, Street Cry and Pentire share the same ancestress in far removes, the matriarch Illuminata (family 1-l)
An outstanding feature of Jimmy's pedigree is sex balanced linebreeding to Klairon - tail male ancestor of Per Incanto's damsire Indian Ridge, and damsire of both Star Way and Zed's ancestress Klairessa, dam of Eight Carat - carried by his dam Anniestar.
Jimmy is linebred to Blue Hens and three quarter sisters Natalma and Cosmah, and sex balanced to another in Boudoir through her son Your Host and daughter Flower Bowl.
This pedigree boasts duplications of the sires Petition, Alibhai, Never Bend, Hail To Reason, Grey Sovereign and of mighty War Relic, who was bred 3m x 3m to Blue Hen Fairy Gold - her fourth dam was Maid Of Masham, Jimmysstar's own ancestress.
1300m is a distance Jimmysstar really enjoys and he will also doubtless be happy getting onto the big Eagle Farm track which will bring those stamina reserves he has right into play.
He started once at the track back in 2024 on soft ground, and was a fast closing third in a 1600m contest.
While untried on heavy tracks, Jimmy loves the soft so anything in that range ( as looks likely at the moment) would seem to his distinct advantage - also the wider barrier late in the day.
He needs the opportunity to get rolling unhampered with that big and classy turn of foot.
Jimmysstar and Ethan Brown will jump from barrier 15.
Roughie: ANOTHER WIL
Stablemate to Jimmy and like him, a six year old gelding, Another Wil was good in the 10,000 off a long break when making late ground and he has a great second up record.
The 2025 G1 CF Orr Stakes winner had placed in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke and won the G2 Damien Oliver (soundly beating Jimmysstar) in the Spring. In fact, up to that point he had run one poor race in his entire fourteen start career and had won eight, the CF Orr being his first G1.
Following his CF Orr triumph over none other than Mr Brightside, Another Wil was a 1.5 length fourth to Tom Kitten in the All Star Mile and under a length from Stefi Magnetica in the Doncaster carrying 56.5kg. Clearly, this was a galloper of serious talent.
But the son of Street Boss was well off the pace in two Spring runs and was quickly sent to the paddock.
Connections could find no clear reason for his disappointing return. It happens, and sometimes (like us) they just need some time out! The horse had put so much into his racing and had been so very genuine.
Another Wil was bred by the late Colin McKenna and the powerful chestnut is part-owned by his wife Janice along with a big group of family and friends.
He races in the Mackenna's blue and lime green silks, and it was a particularly emotional moment for all when Another Wil won his Orr Stakes, justifying the faith Colin had always had in the horse of whom he was especially fond.
Now a veteran of just 19 starts as a 6YO, Another Wil has won 9 of them and placed in 3 more for earnings of more than $1.7 million.
He is a half-brother to stakes placed Wahine Toa and is the best of six winners from six to race ( all her foals) from the two time winning Bianconi mare Arohanui, who died in 2021.
Arohanui was purchased as a yearling at Inglis Premier by Ciaron Maher way back in 2010, for $30,000.
She was a modestly talented middle distance performer with her wins coming at 1900 and 2050m from only five race starts, but she certainly proved to be a broodmare of worth.
The good stayer Wahine Toa by Dalakhani has a filly by Street Boss and is in foal to Anamoe.
Arohonui's colt by Reset, Wil John, proved to be a brave and talented performer on the flat and over the fences, winning the gruelling Jericho Cup and several big jumps races for earnings of more than $700,000.
Arohonui's last two foals were daughters Tamahine by Impending ( in foal to Paulele) and Big Sister Ava by Puissance De Lune who has won and placed from just three starts.
Arohanui was out of the six time winning Soviet Lad mare Tiffany's Best, a solid producer of sound, race winning horses who made the best of their less than top class ability.
The next dam Magic Breakfast was sired by Lunchtime and a daughter of Biscay's dual stakes producer Susy's Magic. Her best offspring was the 1995 G1 AJC Sires Produce hero Alf and the 1989 BATC Doomben Stakes winner Gladful.
This family is a branch of 9-a and it descends from taproot mare Evening Star (GB) through her daughter Nightmare ( by the great stamina sire Panic).
Nightmare became the grand dam of one of the all time Australian Turf greats, Wakeful. Another Wil's stakes winning ancestress La Tosca was a full sister to Wakeful's mum Insomnia and was the dam of the champion stayer F,J.A.
Although Another Wil's immediate family had been quiet on the stakes producing front for a while, it had at one time been one of the most desired sources of high class stayers in Australia and New Zealand. This is also the family of the influential Magpie son Talking, a full brother to Another Wil's ancestress High Class.
Again there's a similarity here with Jimmysstar - a brilliant sire like Street Boss or Per Incanto over a mare with a damline that contains a huge concentration of Classic depth and stamina.
Another Wil is bred
Northern Dancer x4m,5m
This pedigree unites the relatives Blushing Groom and Khaled carried by Street Boss and Bianconi respectively.
Blue Hen Iron Maiden is duplicated via her son Iron Liege who sired the fourth dam of Street Boss, and his half sister Iron Reward, the dam of Khaled's champion son Swaps.
Another Wil's ancestress Matchless was sired by Le Grand Duc, a son of Blenheim from the family of Djebel. He was third in the Epsom Derby and became a leading sire and broodmare sire in Australia.
Street Boss is from the family of Blenheim and descends from the Djebel daughter Dalama.
Bianconi has proved to be an excellent broodmare sire, as has his G1 winning son Nicconi, the damsire of G1 winning mare Magic Time ( by Hellbent, who carries two lines of Green Desert, a descendant of Iron Maiden's half sister Judy-Rae ).
Of course Nicconi also threw the 10 x G1 winning sprint warhorse Nature Strip - his dam was by Green Desert's Desert Sun.
Another Wil is linebred to Blue Hen Almahmoud and sex balanced to her daughter Natalma.
Jamie Melham, who was aboard for his G1 Orr Stakes, reunites with Another Wil and the pair will have good options from barrier 11.
Blowout: SKYBIRD
Here I am, including the big girl again after she’s failed to deliver the knock-out blow I keep expecting. But I love the way this is setting up for her.
Skybird really got going late in the 10,000. This is her first time on the big track at Eagle Farm which should be very much to her liking, she will get the right surface and won at her only attempt at 1300m ( though it was way back in 2023!)
She's enigmatic, she can be a punter's ( and probably an owners) nightmare, but the big five year old daughter of Exosphere has any amount of talent.
When she’s on song, the beautifully named Skybird really does take flight and she is glorious to watch.
She needs galloping room, so the wider draw is ideal and the great Kerrin McEvoy jumps aboard the Mitchell Freedman trained speedster for the first time - just a nice little change up for the mare, Johnny Allen rides her so well but adapting to a new rider can spark them up a bit.
Still lightly raced for her age, Skybird is a veteran of just 18 starts for 5 wins and 4 placings. Her career earnings stand at a tad short of $1.6 million.
She was a $110,000 Freedman Racing purchase at the 2022 Inglis Classic Highway Session from the draft of HP Thoroughbreds, and races for a small group of clients of the Mitchell Freedman stable.
Her sire, Lonhro's excellent G1 Golden Rose winner Exosphere, bore strong resemblance to his Golden Slipper winning broodmare sire Danzero and was an enormous horse.
The imposing Skybird is very much her father's daughter in looks!
She remains the only G1 winner by her short lived sire, who proved himself a reliable source of exceedingly fast horses.
Exosphere also has son Headley Grange engaged here. I wanted to find room for Joe Pride's late-maturing WFA performer because he too is a genuine winning chance I reckon!
Skybird is one of a number of stakeswinners as broodmare sire for Fastnet Rock's G1 Newmarket winning son Wanted, who was also a G1 runner up in the William Reid and just missed the placings in a Manikato Stakes.
Skybird's damline is all too familiar when it comes to elite speed.
Her dam Real Desire was a winning daughter of the Waajib mare Forest Finch. Waajib was a great sprinter, but passed on a slower maturing kind of speed than our more precocious Golden Slipper types.
Real Desire has only four named foals, all raced and all winners with Skybird her only black type earner. She has moved into the most elite harems now, with her 2024 colt by Pierro and 2025 filly by Home Affairs yet to be named, and an I Am Invincible baby on board.
She was the only filly to breed on from Forest Finch, a half sister to the dam of mighty breedshaper Snitzel and his excellent half brother Hinchinbrook, Snitzel’s full sister Viennese (and her Champion Two Year Old Filly Arcaded), Epsom winner Redeiner, and the incredible multimillionaire Private Eye who will also be a Kingsford Smith rival on Saturday!
Skybird is bred
Danehill 4m x 4m
Northern Dancer x 5m,5m
Her damline from Storm Bird's Blue Hen Snow Finch nicks with Marscay’s American lines to Bull Lea and Co with the double of Danehill boosting that affinity.
Exosphere's damline goes back to the mare Faramoude and her daughter Flora Dora, a full sister to the dam of Roan Rocket - best known to us as the broodmare sire of Rory's Jester.
Exosphere carries three male lines to the Epsom Derby winner Blue Peter, two coming through Danzero.
Skybird's damsire Fastnet Rock descends from a Blue Peter daughter and has a line to him as a damsire through Princely Gift.
Storm Bird brings more Fairway and duplications of Precipitation - his sons Summertime and Supreme Court sired Lonhro's ancestress Sweet Time, and Octagonal's fourth dam Courtessa respectively.
Skybird's second damsire Waajib is from the family of the stallion Alibhai carried by Danehill, and bred on the same Ribot cross.
Skybird is linebred to the Blue Hens Loved One, Grey Flight, Sunshot and La Troienne.
The burst of acceleration this mare is capable of producing can propel her over the top of them here - if all the stars align this time!.
Skybird and Kerrin McEvoy will spread their wings from barrier 13
