THE DAY’S HEADLINES (AUGUST 1):

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 1, 2026

Stewards at Flemington once again decline to allow a confirmed breach of THE WHIP RULE to impact on the result of the race, as decided on the track, as Boomtown Boss is allowed to keep the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Stakes ahead of Royal Insignia, whose jockey rode within the rules … but Boomtown Boss’ jockey Daniel Moor receives a ten day suspension and a $3500 fine for his indiscretion.

Boomtown Boss is a big winner for trainer TONY GOLLAN, who took out his second Aurie’s Star Stakes, after previously winning the feature win Temple Of Boom in 2011.

Riders at Doomben are also stung by THE WHIP RULE. Jai Williams (a ten meeting suspension … he had priors), Jace McMurray (two separate fines totalling $600) and Tahlia Fenlon ($500) all fell foul of the rule to their cost … Williams and McMurray, like Moor, doing so on race winning rides.

BLAKE SHINN makes a winning return to the saddle at Flemington, landing a winner in his first ride back following just shy of a nine month, injury enforced layoff. He then goes on to complete a double on the day.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained NEARCO FLOD, that first winner for Shinn and a progressive staying type, makes it three wins in a row … twice over 2400m and this time over 2520m, winning all three by comfortable margins.

TOUCHDOWN, the second winner for Shinn at Flemington, improves his race record to five wins and three second placings in nine starts for the Ben Will and JD Hayes training partnership.

SASS APPEAL wins again. The Danny O’Brien trained mare wins her fifth straight race in a row at Flemington to extend her already impressive winning sequence. Her only defeat came when she finished a close-up second on debut.

FUNSHOW, the lightly raced Nathan Doyle trained son of Cosmic Force, completes a hat-trick of wins at Rosehill to take his race record to three wins and three runner-up finishes from seven starts.

ZONKSTAR makes a winning debut as a four-year-old at Newcastle with the Matthew Smith trained son of American Pharoah striking over 1400m.

They don’t come more honest than BRAVEHEART who wins again at Doomben, taking his record in the nine starts since transferring to the Tony Gollan yard to three wins, four second places, one third and one fourth place.

Trainer CHRIS WALLER keeps the bookmakers happy … that doesn’t happen often … as Noble Conqueror wins the last at Doomben at a starting price of $41.

Noble Conqueror’s win gives newly crowned Brisbane Jockeys’ Premiership winner BEN THOMPSON two winners on the day (he had previously scored on Grinzinger Champ). Appropriately enough, Jace McMurray, the Brisbane Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership winner also landed two winner at Doomben as both Premiership winners kicked off the new campaign in style.

Hong Kong jockey MATTHEW CHADWICK brings home a winner, Over Spray, at the Gold Coast where he is on a month’s working holiday during the Hong Kong off-season.

PRECISE STAR makes it two wins from two starts since transferring from Chris Waller to the Tony Gollan stable. These wins have come over 1200m and 1400m with the latest victory at the Gold Coast being achieved by a 3.95 length margin.

SHRYN ROYES saddles the winners of half the six race card at Corfield.

Trainer WILLIAM PUGSLEY and apprentice jockey HAYLEY SAUNDERS combine to win three out of the five races at Tambo.

The Darryn Pateman trained KINGS SICARIO ($6.50) makes it back-to-back Cup wins when taking out the Kimberley Cup at Broome, beating his more fancied stable companion Pharoah Show ($1.85) into second place. The seven-year-old had won the Walyarra Derby Cup in his previous start two weeks earlier.

Bold Secret gives NOEL CALLOW his first win in his first meeting back in the saddle after a full year on the sidelines at Morphettville. Bold Secret also gives the PHILLIP AND TOMMY STOKES their first success in their first day in action as a training partnership.

BOLDINHO romps home in the Palmerston Sprint at Darwin for trainer Gary Clarke and jockey Stan Tsaikos. Early Crow, who won the last three editions of the Palmerston Sprint, the Northern Territory’s richest sprint race, had to settle for second place this time.

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