Across the Ditch: 20 million reasons to smile
Across the Ditch • October 17th, 2025 10:00 AM • 5 min read
Thoroughbred Racing - Nick Quinn
A huge day of feature racing with the Caulfield Cup and the $20 Million Everest.
The McEvoy trained Half Yours is a raging favorite for the Caulfield Cup, he won the Gr.3 Naturalism at Caulfield before running an eye catching fourth at weight for age level in the Turnbull Stakes behind Via Sistina.
Master trainer Chris Waller has won two of the past five Caulfield Cups with Verry Elleegant ($5fav) in 2020 and Durston ($18) in 2022.
This year he will have four runners with River Of Stars (Beau Mertens), Birdman (Teo Nugent), Land Legend (Jamie Mott) and Valiant King (Jye McNeil)
An interesting runner is the Simon & Ed Crisford trained Meydaan who is on the second line of betting and $34 for the Melbourne Cup.
The other Group One at Caulfield is the Thousand Guineas with Apocalyptic a perfect three from three this campaign and heading the market.
If she can reproduce her last performance when claiming the Gr.1 Flight Stakes her rivals face a tough proposition.
Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising shapes as the one to beat and has been backed from $1.90 into $1.75 throughout the week including one bet of $10,000 at $1.90.
Ka Ying Rising won just one of his first three career starts, but since then has been arguably the best sprinter since Black Caviar, winning 13 races in a row and just under $13Million in prizemoney.
He was slightly underwhelming in a recent barrier trial, but if he can produce anywhere near his best then he will be winning.
Master trainer Chris Waller won the Everest in 2019 with Yes Yes Yes ridden by Glen Boss and again in 2021 with Nature Strip ridden by James McDonald.
Waller will have three runners in the race this year with Angel Capital (Ben Melham), Joliestar (James McDonald) and Lady Shenandoah (Damian Lane)
The other feature race is the Gr.1 King Charles with topliners Fangirl, Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni all set to clash.
Harness Racing - Adam Hamilton
Champion Aussie pacer Leap To Fame faces something he hasn’t for almost two years in Saturday night’s $250,000 Gr.1 Victoria Cup at Melton.
Fresh from the biggest of upsets at Melton last Saturday night, Leap To Fame has a big challenge ahead from the worst possible barrier draw in the Victoria Cup.
An inside back row draw (gate eight), especially over the short 2240m trip, means luck and how his rivals are driven will be just as important as Leap To Fame’s greatness this week.
Dixon summed it up best: “If you drag back to get into the clear, you’re conceding a huge start to some really good horses, but if you push through you seriously risk being pocketed and never seeing daylight.
“It’s made it way harder and certainly made for an intriguing race now.”
Leap To Fame could start close to $2 from the draw in a race he was $1.20 to win this time last week.
Key rival trainer Andy Gath, who has pole marker and eight-time Group One winner Catch A Wave, agrees Leap To Fame faces an enormous challenge.
“We’ve got a race now, haven’t we,” he said. “We know how good he is, but I don’t think Gran (Dixon) has any option but to go right back from the draw to get clear air and that means he’ll be giving away a huge start.
“These 2240m races at Melton are not far off sprint races once they settle down.
“I know Grant won’t see it this way, but it’s made the race as far as a contest and spectacle goes.”
Gath is thrilled with gate one for Catch A Wave, who returned to winning form at Melton last Saturday week.
“We’ve got options, but in saying that, Hi Manameisjeff is drawn next to us and flies out. He’ll probably get across, but if he does, I can’t see him handing up, so we should get a good trail,” he said.
There is plenty of Kiwi interest in the Gr.1 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint on the night with Keayang Zahara, Jilliby Ballerini, Arcee Phoenix and Parisian Artiste all possibles for trips to NZ Cup Week.
Keayang Zahara returned from a spell with a breathtaking win last week, but her stablemate Jilliby Ballerini was similarly impressive a week earlier.
The draw favours Jilliby Ballerini (gate two), with Keayang Zahara in four.
Arcee Phoenix faces a huge task from outside the back row (gate 12) in the 1720m sprint, while Parisian Artiste also has the back row (nine).
The “Kiwi watch” also extends to the pacing and trotting Oaks’ on the night.
The lone Kiwi-trained raider at the meeting is Cran and Chrissie Dalgety’s Joyride from gate four in the $150,000 Gr.1 Victoria Pacing Oaks (race three).
In the trotting Oaks, the two favourites Gatesys Gem (gate one) and Tracy The Jet (three) are NZ-bound for the $500,000 The Ascent, a race Keayang Zahara won so stunningly last year.
Greyhound Racing - Jared Timms
The biggest night on the Australian greyhound calendar is only days away and all focus will be firmly locked on Wentworth Park for 2025 Million Dollar Chase Night.
Eight of the best chasers in Australia will be loaded at the famous 520m start, where another name will be etched in the history books and perhaps more importantly, claim an incredible A$1 million windfall.
Eriza Sparkles has made one 14 trips to the races since debuting and is easily the least experienced dog in the 2025 Million Dollar Chase Final field, but there’s little doubt that she is a star on the rise.
Having tasted her first success at the highest level in September’s Dapto Megastar Final, the daughter of Tommy Shelby became the fastest-ever race bitch over 520m at Wentworth Park when she sizzled in 29.17 in last week’s Million Dollar Chase Semifinal.
Trainer Steve Fitch, who also prepares the talented Cumbria Jack in Friday’s Million Dollar Chase Consolation, is understandably thrilled to have another Million Dollar Chase Finalist.
“I’m absolutely rapt,” he said after the MDC Semifinal.
“I had in my head that if she came out clean, she’s run 20.20 tonight. She went around Bulli two weeks ago and went 25.90, which bitches don’t run there. Not on trial morning.
Fitch prepared Cumbria Kid to an agonizingly close second placing behind Jay Is Jay at odds of $17 in the 2023 Million Dollar Chase Final,
“The Kid was flying under the radar, and she has a little bit too, no one has really talked about her since the Megastar,” he added.
“She’s at the top of the market and I’m not used to that – three years ago we were 300-1 so now it’s a bit different!
“It’s special to win any race but I whelp them, I rear them, I do everything, and you just hope you’ve got a dog that can win some races, and we’re in the biggest race in the world now.”
Eriza Sparkles has opened a $2.50 second-elect in Million Dollar Chase betting, with Golden Easter Egg winner Power And Glory ($2.45) occupying the top line.
