This year's location of the Moir Stakes may give Giga Kick an edge
Three races into her career, the Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old filly Natural Fling has accomplished enough to justify the role of favorite for Saturday’s Group 1 Moir Stakes at Sandown Racecourse near Melbourne.
With a win the $537,500 Moir Stakes at five furlongs, Natural Fling would be part of a minor segment of Australian racing history. For the first time since the race was introduced in 1976, the Moir Stakes will not be run at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne, which is undergoing renovation.
A move to Sandown, about 20 miles southeast of Melbourne, means a different course configuration. At Moonee Valley, the race began from an infield chute, and briefly joined the backstretch before a sharp turn and a stretch run of a mere 190 yards. At Sandown, a five-furlong race begins from a chute that briefly joins the final turn before a stretch run of about 2 1/2 furlongs.
:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for international racing, including Australia
The different layouts should not affect Natural Fling, who has won twice from the front. The layout should aid her main rival in Giga Kick, who has won six group stakes and the $9.3 million Everest Stakes in 2022 when it was not recognized as a group-level race.
Giga Kick tends to run from off the pace and may have been hampered by the short stretch at Moonee Valley.
The Moir Stakes will be Giga Kick’s first start since a 10th-place finish by 4 1/4 lengths in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in April.
Giga Kick has won following a layoff in the past, including last October when making his first start in four months.
Natural Fling and Giga Kick will dominate the betting in the Moir Stakes, which will be the first start in a Group 1 for Natural Fling. Trained by the father-son team of Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Natural Fling returned from a layoff of nearly three months to win the Group 3 Quezette Stakes by four lengths against 15 3-year-old fillies at five furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne on Aug. 15.
Post time for the Moir Stakes is 2:15 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 11:15 p.m. Pacific on Friday.
Autumn Glow named Australian Horse of the Year
Autumn Glow was honored as Australia’s Horse of the Year in a ceremony in Sydney last week for a 2025-2026 season in which she won seven of eight starts.
A 4-year-old Southern Hemisphere filly in her championship year, Autumn Glow drew 110 votes, outpolling Half Yours (69), Sheza Alibi (67), Via Sistina (66), and Sir Delius (65). Via Sistina was the 2024-2025 Horse of the Year.
Autumn Glow, trained by Chris Waller for Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds, has won 12 of 13 starts since her career began in August 2024.
In her championship season, Autumn Glow won three Group 1 races – twice at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in the Epsom Stakes and Verry Elleegant Stakes, and the George Ryder Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens. She also won the $6.55 million Golden Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at Randwick last November, which is not recognized as a group stakes.
Autumn Glow won her first start of the current season, the Group 1 Winx Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick, by slightly less than 1 1/2 lengths over Sheza Alibi on Aug. 22.
Autumn Glow, by The Autumn Sun, is scheduled to start in the Group 2 7 Stakes, a $710,000 race at a mile at Randwick on Sept. 19.
In other awards for the 2025-2026 season, Waller was named champion trainer for the 14th consecutive year, while James McDonald was named champion jockey for the sixth consecutive season.
Autumn Glow was also named middle distance champion.
Sheza Alibi was recognized as champion 3-year-old filly. Other honors went to Guest House (2-year-old), Autumn Boy (3-year-old male), Joliestar (sprinter), and Half Yours (stayer).
Half Yours won the famous Melbourne Cup last November, and is rated among the leading contenders for this year’s race on Nov. 3.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.