2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes: Via Sistina not the only danger to Dubai Honour, trainer William Haggas says
English maestro William Haggas isn’t surprised by Dubai Honour’s form surge as the trainer closes in on a fourth win in five years in the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Horse Racing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
English maestro William Haggas isn’t surprised by Dubai Honour’s form surge as the trainer closes in on a fourth win in five years in the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Dubai Honour is a seven-year-old but continues to compete at the top level on the international stage, as he showed with his dynamic win in the Tancred Stakes earlier this month.
This was his third Group 1 win in as many Australian starts after he won the Ranvet Stakes-Queen Elizabeth Stakes double two years ago.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
“I wasn’t surprised Dubai Honour ran so well in the Tancred because all the vibes I had was that he was in good form,’’ Haggas said.
“But this is a strong race, never mind the favourite, Via Sistina. There are others reaching peak fitness, too, so he will have to be on his A-game.’’
Champion mare Via Sistina is top pick in TAB Fixed Odds betting at $1.90 with Dubai Honour next at $6.
The barrier draw was kinder to Via Sistina than Dubai honour with the mare drawing the rails barrier and the English raider coming out of gate 12.
It's a matter of honour! ðŸ‘@WilliamHaggas and @TomMarquand do it again with Dubai Honour who pops another Australian G1 on his shelf with a win in the Tancred Stakes!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/QcLkKmaUdL
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 1, 2025
From the 2000m start, there is a short run to the first turn but Haggas is unconcerned with Dubai Honour’s awkward draw.
“Tom (Marquand jockey) will work it out, he knows what to do,’’ Haggas said.
“But there’s no doubt Via Sistina is the horse to beat. She deserves to be short in the betting, she has a nice draw and we know she has a very good turn of foot.
“The danger might be that she could be locked up a bit on the rail but I’m sure James (McDonald) will look to get her off the rail fairly quickly.
“She will be hard to beat but it is a horse race and there are a lot of runners.’’
• New formula can land a second Queen Elizabeth with Dubai Honour
Haggas, who has orchestrated Queen Elizabeth Stakes coups with Addeybb (2020-21) and Dubai Honour (2023), said Japan’s Rousham Park was a definite chance provided the track conditions continued to improve.
“Rousham Park is a pretty good horse but they don’t like any ‘cut’ in the ground at all,’’ he said.
“Those Japanese horses are really good in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Hong Kong where the conditions are like they are in Japan, but when they get to France and England they are not as effective.
“With all due respect they haven’t been as effective in Australia, either.’’
• RAY & DUFF: Ray Thomas and Ron Dufficy’s Randwick preview, featuring $11 value bet
Haggas cited as an example the Golden Eagle result last spring which the trainer won with Lake Forest while Japan’s Ascoli Piceno ran only 12th as a hot favourite.
“That filly has since come out and won in Saudia Arabia (Turf Sprint) at the Saudi Cup meeting,’’ he said.
Haggas also revealed Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest was being set for a showdown with Mr Brightside and Royal Patronage in the Group 1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin later this month.
But the trainer stopped short of confirming Dubai Honour would also make the trip to Hong Kong for the feature meeting on April 27.
“Lake Forest leaves for Hong Kong next week,’’ Haggas said. “He’s a pretty useful horse and he’s in good shape.
“As for Dubai Honour, if he was to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes we might go to Hong Kong but we will decide after the race.
“We have an invitation and we are thinking about it but there is another race over 2400m in Hong Kong on May 25 that might suit him better.’’
• Clinton Payne’s 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes tips, runner-by-runner form analysis
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
WHEN Dubai Honour won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes two years ago, he foiled Horse of the Year-elect Anamoe’s bid to win a seventh Group 1 race for the season.
Dubai Honour finds himself in a similar situation at Royal Randwick on Saturday with Via Sistina aiming for her seventh Group 1 of the season to secure Horse of the Year honours.
Remarkably, at the Newcastle provincial meeting on Saturday, Anamoe’s half-sister is making her debut in a 1200m maiden.
Blue Willow is a three-year-old filly by Blue Point out of Anamato, the dam of Anamoe.
The first-starter is trained by Godolphin’s James Cummings who prepared 2022-23 Horse of the Year Anamoe to win nine Group 1 races and more than $12 million prizemoney.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
BUSH two-year-old Spicy Lu, who has firmed from $26 to $7.50 for the Listed Fernhill Mile (1600m) which opens the Randwick meeting, has already made a piece of racing history this season.
The Nick Olive-trained filly is unbeaten in two starts with both wins coming against older horses.
It is rare for a two-year-old to race against and beat older horses but Spicy Lu has done it at Cowra on debut and then Albury last start.
Spicy Lu steals it! 💥
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 20, 2025
The @nickoliveracing trained 2YO filly with a strong finish wins the third at Albury with @KeatingsCoriah on board! pic.twitter.com/J2DKthmU2E
• Favourites day: Is this the easiest $63 multi ever?
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
NORM Yammine knew very little about racehorses and had never been to a racetrack when he decided to called Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse with a particular request.
“I had never met Gai but I just called her one day, introduced myself and said I wanted to get a grey horse,’’ Yammine said.
“Gai asked what sort of horse and I said a horse that runs!”
Some months later, Waterhouse remembered the conversation and rang Yammine.
“Gai said I have found the horse for you,’’ Yammine said.
The horse turned out to be Alalcance, the tough grey mare who is the favourite to win the Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
“She makes it very exciting doesn’t she?!â€
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025
Who isn’t thrilled with Alalcance?! Get the latest from Adrian Bott and @clarkyhk after the Chairman's Quality👇@GaiWaterhouse1 | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/svFEaNeAxC
• Sydney Cup favourite Alalcance ‘has the pedigree’ for two-mile test
Alalcance, which in Spanish means “within reach”, started her race career in England when Waterhouse, who trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, secured the promising staying mare and formed a syndicate with first-time owner Yammine the major shareholder.
Since joining Tulloch Lodge, Alalcance has won four of her six starts including three consecutive wins this autumn in the Randwick City Stakes, Manion Cup and Chairman’s Quality to earn Cup favouritism.
Alalcance was particularly dominant last Saturday in the Chairman’s when she shouldered 56.5kg and defeated many of her Cup rivals by nearly three lengths. She drops to 4.5kg to 52kg for the gruelling 3200m staying test.
💥 A demolition job by Alalcance, who takes the G2 Chairman's with absolute ease, making it three from three this prep, and an early Randwick double to the @GaiWaterhouse1 - @clarkyhk combination!@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/MG83HcMF26
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025
• Racing Confidential: Why the Sydney Cup field makes for sobering reading
Yammine, who works in the trucking industry, conceded he was only now getting an appreciation of his good fortune to buy into Alalcance.
“My brother keeps telling me ‘do you realise how lucky you are having a horse like Alalcance’, because most owners just dream of getting a runner at Randwick,’’ Yammine said.
“But I’ve learned that racing has a great community of people, it’s fun to be involved, and the horses I think are a sign of hope. They just go out there and do their best, they are very resilient.
“I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Waterhouse-Bott team and to get Alalcance. It’s all because Gai didn’t forget me and called me back – she is one in a million.’’
• Jett Hatton’s 2025 Sydney Cup tips, runner-by-runner form analysis
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
5 YEARS AGO
Addeybb, trained by William Haggas and ridden by Tom Marquand, proved too strong for Verry Elleegant in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick. Ciaron Maher’s Etah James scored an upset win in the Sydney Cup under Hall of Fame jockey Glen Boss, Con Te Partiro won the Queen of the Turf Stakes, the James Cummings-trained Colette won the ATC Australian Oaks.
Now that's a seriously good horse! UK raider Addeybb kicked clear for a dominant win in the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes and wrote himself into the history books 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟@WilliamHaggas@H_Eustace#TheChampionshipspic.twitter.com/TdFSVxr3id
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 11, 2020
10 YEARS AGO
Gust Of Wind defeated favourite Winx in the ATC Australian Oaks. This was the last race Winx ever lost as she went on her famous 33-race winning streak over four years. Gust Of Wind never won another race. The David Hayes-trained Criterion defeated three-time Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux and Royal Descent in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Hall of Famer Jim Cassidy rode Grand Marshall to a narrow over Who Shot Thebarman to give trainer Chris Waller the stable Sydney Cup quinella. Amanpour won the Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Tune in for rare footage of the great mare Winx running second!
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2023
How good was Gust Of Wind in the 2015 Australian Oaks? pic.twitter.com/iS4ICN3cxt
20 YEARS AGO
Grand Armee, ridden by Danny Beasley, won his second successive Queen Elizabeth Stakes from Delzao and Mummify. Trainer Kim Waugh prepared her Group 1 winner with Mahtoum, ridden by Darren Beadman, to win the Sydney Cup. The John Hawkes-trained Dizelle won the ATC Australian Oaks under Corey Brown while stablemate Ike’s Dream won the Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Originally published as 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes: Via Sistina not the only danger to Dubai Honour, trainer William Haggas says
Better than Black Caviar? Dye’s massive call on Ka Ying Rising
He is set to start at ‘ridiculously short odds’ in this year’s The Everest and according to Hall of Fame jockey, even legends like Black Caviar and Silent Witness couldn’t beat Ka Ying Rising this year.
Ray Thomas’ blackbook: Snowden eyes record eighth Hawkesbury Crown
The Daily Telegraph Racing Editor Ray Thomas runs his eye over the meeting at Royal Randwick on Saturday.