Saturday summary: Top Ranked and Ellsberg share Epsom honours

A vintage edition of the G1 Epsom H. concluded with a dead-heat as the judge could not split Top Ranked (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ellsberg (Spill The Beans) and after an anxious wait at Randwick they were eventually both declared the winners of the time-honoured Group 1.

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Race-Day Recap

• A vintage edition of the G1 Epsom H. ended in a dead-heat between Top Ranked (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ellsberg (Spill The Beans) after the judge could not split the pair and they eventually both declared the winners of the time-honoured Group 1.

• No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) – a son of the unmatched broodmare Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}) – stepped out of his family’s overbearing shadow as he landed a Group 1 of his own in the G1 Metropolitan at Randwick on Saturday.

• Ciaron Maher and David Eustace were provided their 17th Group 1 winner as a training partnership when Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) ran out a dominant winner of the G1 Turnbull S. at Flemington on Saturday, a victory that propelled him to the head of the betting for the G1 Caulfield Cup.

• There is surely no stallion in the world in better form currently than Zoustar and on Saturday his daughter Zougotcha provided the Widden Stud resident his fifth Group 1 winner when she proved a notch above her contemporaries in the G1 Flight S. at Randwick.

• New Zealand-based Andrew Forsman was provided with an impressive stakes double at Flemington on Saturday as She’s Licketysplit’s (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) and Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel) both grabbed stakes victories.

• Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) tuned up for his The Everest assault with a victory in the G2 Premiere S. at Randwick and trainer John O’Shea believes he has the gelding exactly where he wants him ahead of the $15 million race.

• Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) has been somewhat the surprise package in the last few months and he continued his rise through the ranks when he stretched his unbeaten record to four when he added a second stakes win to his record with a victory in the G2 Danehill S. at Flemington on Saturday.

• Williamsburg (Snitzel) – who landed the G3 Schweppervescence H and the Listed Fernhill H. as a juvenile – returned to the winners’ circle on Saturday when he came from last to first to win the Listed Dulcify S. at Randwick.