IMMORTAL BLISS TARGETS THE GOLDEN SADDLE

By Graham Potter | Friday, October 2, 2026

The second edition of the Develop-Golden Saddle will be contested at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Club’s Kalgoorlie Cup meeting on Saturday and, while it might hardly cause a tremor on the national racing scene barometer, swamped as that currently is by coverage of elite level racing on the east coast,… the 1200m weight-for-age sprint has genuine significance, not least because it puts $1 million in prize-money up for grabs as it brings slot holders and their respective nominated runners into the spotlight.

The Simon Miller trained Magnificent Andy won the inaugural running of the race last year, and Miller will be looking to make it lucrative back-to-back wins and keep the Golden Saddle as his own when he is represented by the five-time winner West Star, who is currently a $9 chance, on Saturday.

West Star will be racing first-up after a four month layoff … he has won twice in five starts first-up … but he is racing over a distance which is arguably short of his which could be offset by the keenness he could show after his layoff.

The five-year-old son of Playing God will be ridden by Chris Parnham.

Three runners are shorter than West Star in the betting with Immortal Bliss being a clearcut favourite at $2.

Also a five-year-old, the Daniel Morton trained Immortal Bliss has had a freshen up since winning the Listed Belmont Newmarket over the Golden Saddle distance back on August 8. You would expect Morton to have his charge fully primed for this one and Immortal Bliss does rate as the horse to beat.

Immortal Bliss did salute at this Kalgoorlie meeting a year ago when taking out the $100 00 Ron Sayers Sprint. Now he has bigger fish to fry.

Regular pilot Lucy Fiore again takes the reins.

Cessation ($5.50) and Lord Shiva ($7.50) are the other runners quoted under $10.

Cessation, a Tiarnna Noske trained six-year-old mare who will race first-up after a four-and-a-half month layoff, has maintained a highly impressive level of consistency for a long period of time.

In fact, you have to go back twenty runs … all the way to July 2024 … to find the last time the daughter of Sessions finished out of the first four places. In her nineteen starts since then Cessation has won four times … including her last start … finished second nine times, finished third twice and fourth on four occasions … which all stands as a positive testimony to both the horse’s commitment and to the the training expertise of Tiarnna Noske.

On that, Cessation must be considered a threat.

Jarred Noske takes the ride.

Lord Shiva, for his part, has also had a freshen up and trainer Mitchell Pateman will bring the six-year-old into the race emboldened by the fact that he has won his last two starts … both over 1200m … and will be bidding for an exceptional hat trick of wins with Holly Watson in the saddle.

The Luke Fernie trained Rissoles, who has finished a close-up third in her last two starts, is touted as best of the rest at $10.