Australia: Streaking Cinsault flying under the radar for Coolmore Classic

Cinsault has compiled a three-race winning streak in Australia since late January that has done little to impress bettors.

A 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere filly, Cinsault won her group stakes debut in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Feb. 21. The victory has led to Cinsault’s Group 1 debut in Saturday’s Coolmore Classic at 7 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares at Rosehill Gardens.

As of Wednesday, Cinsault was 8-1 in early betting behind Lazzura (7-2), Savvy Hallie (4-1), and Ole Dancer (6-1).

Lazzura was second by a short neck as the even-money favorite in the Millie Fox. Trained by Chis Waller, Lazzura is a four-time stakes winner. James McDonald, annually among the leading riders in Australia in earnings, has the mount in the Coolmore Classic.

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Lazzura is well-suited to the distance of the Coolmore Classic, having won the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill Gardens in March 2025.

Savvy Hallie and Ole Dancer, Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds, are recent stakes winners. Savvy Hallie won the Group 2 Light Finger Stakes at six furlongs for 3-year-old fillies at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Feb. 14, and was second two weeks later to the five-time group stakes winner Tempted in the Group 1 Surround Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs at Randwick.

Savvy Hallie will start at 7 1/2 furlongs for the first time in the Coolmore Classic.

Ole Dancer was third by about 1 3/4 lengths in the Surround Stakes. She won the Group 1 1000 Guineas at a mile at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne last October.

Under the handicap conditions of the Coolmore Classic, Lazzura carries topweight of 127.8 pounds, while Savvy Hallie will carry 123. Cinsault and Ole Dancer will carry 121.

Tempted and Cinsault are owned by Godolphin Racing. Tempted was held out of the Coolmore Classic in favor of a Grade 1 sprint in coming weeks, according to published reports in Australia.

Cinsault, trained by Michael Freedman, drew post 5 in a field of 14 in the $714,700 Coolmore Classic. The post should work in favor of Cinsault, who has shown the ability to race near the front or as a stalker.

Cinsault, a winner of 5 of 14 starts, has never started at 7 1/2 furlongs. She won a minor handicap at seven furlongs at Randwick on Jan. 26, racing near the front throughout in the first start of her active winning streak.

The Coolmore Classic has a post time of 1:35 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 10:35 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

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