The sun was shining, the stands were buzzing, and the stage was set for Queensland’s biggest day on the turf, Stradbroke Handicap Day. The 2025 edition brought the heat, on and off the track, with a blockbuster card that delivered drama, brilliance, and a touch of magic at Eagle Farm.
From the moment the gates crashed open in the opener, it was clear this wasn’t just another race day. It was a celebration of everything that makes Stradbroke Season special.
The feature event, the $3 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, saw War Machine unleash a performance for the ages, while Cool Archie confirmed his rising star status in the Ladbrokes J.J. Atkins.
With bold rides, breakout wins, and a crowd that roared with every stirring finish, this was racing at its most electric.
Let’s dive into the moments that mattered, the horses to follow, and the stories behind the silks on a day that lived up to every bit of the hype.
War Machine Writes His Name in Stradbroke History
The Stradbroke Handicap has long been the race where reputations are forged and legends are born and in 2025, it was War Machine who seized the moment and etched his name into Queensland racing folklore.
In front of a roaring Eagle Farm crowd and under the crisp winter sun, the athletic gelding delivered a performance that was equal parts power and poetry.
With Tim Clark in the saddle, the four-year-old son of Harry Angel surged from midfield with a devastating turn of foot, swallowing up the leaders and holding off brave local Yellow Brick to claim the $3 million Group 1 feature.
Clark picked up the ride through regular jockey Blake Shinn being injured.
“He got away okay, and it worked out pretty well from that draw,” Clark said.
“We just wanted to get on a three-wide line with a bit of cover.
“He found Transatlantic’s back, who I knew was going to take him far enough.
“He travelled so well, I probably let him loose a bit early but this was the grand final, there’s no tomorrow, so I wasn’t going to die wondering.
“He let rip and he could feel Yellow Brick coming late and sort of surged again.”
Trained by the Lindsay Park team of Ben, JD, and Will Hayes, War Machine was formerly in the care of the late, great Mike Moroney.
“We’re very proud, it was an amazing result today (Saturday),” Ben Hayes said.
“We’re fortunate to be able to get that horse from Mike Moroney and he’s an amazing, exciting horse.”
War Machine is undefeated in four starts since the stable change and will have some big targets during the Spring Carnival.
Ben Hayes said the team would be open to the possibility of War Machine filling one of The Everest slots and welcomed the challenge of taking on his father, David, with superstar Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising.
War Machine is currently a $15 chance with Ladbrokes in The Everest.
Cool Archie Freezes Out Rivals in J.J. Atkins
In a race that had the Eagle Farm crowd on its feet, it was Cool Archie who kept his nerve and delivered a career-defining performance, storming home to win the 2025 Group 1 Ladbrokes J.J. Atkins.
Trained by Chris and Corey Munce, and ridden to perfection by Martin Harley, the colt showed class, composure, and a devastating turn of foot to claim the $1 million juvenile feature.
It was a landmark moment for the Munce training partnership securing their first Group 1 win together and a breakthrough Australian Group 1 for Harley.
Chris Munce has never given instructions to Harley on how to ride the son of Cool Aza Beel and was full of praise for the Irish hoop who is undefeated in five rides on the colt.
“Oh, what about that? So good, so good,” Munce said.
“It’s not just about Corey and me, it’s the whole team, the staff, and I don’t think Martin has had enough recognition either, the whole way along.
“When you put a rider like Martin on, you’ve got so much confidence.
“He walked the track yesterday and told us exactly how he was going to ride the horse.
“He knew they weren’t making ground, so he had to ride him a little bit out of his comfort zone, but what a win.”
Behind the winner, Hidden Achievement produced an excellent performance to charge home along the fence to finish second with James McDonald in the saddle who was battling illness.
But the spotlight belonged to Cool Archie, a colt with a cool head, a big motor, and now, a Group 1 title to his name.
Cool Archie will head for a spell and could target races like the Golden Rose Stakes where he is considered a $21 chance with Ladbrokes.
Floozie Eyes Tiara Following Dane Ripper Stakes Win
Fresh off a career-best performance in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes, Floozie is now firmly on track for a shot at Group 1 glory in the Tattersall’s Tiara and she’s heading there with momentum and confidence on her side.
Trained by the in-form Tony Gollan, Floozie turned heads at Eagle Farm with an impressive display under the guidance of arguably Queensland’s best jockey Angela Jones.
The four-year-old mare was confidently backed into favourite at $4.60 and backers would have been feeling great about their chances thanks to the exceptional poise of Jones.
Floozie has won all four of her races since joining Gollan with the champion trainer saying all preparation that she was the perfect Tattersall’s Tiara horse.
Gollan continued that narrative following Saturday’s win.
“When she won the Benchmark 70 here a few runs ago, we said she’d take part in this Carnival and that is exactly what she is doing,” Gollan said.
“Onwards to the Tiara in a fortnight.
“This mare will give it a hell of a shake.
“Mares like this in good form, I wouldn’t swap her for anything in two weeks.”
The Dane Ripper Stakes has long been a proven launching pad into the Tiara, and Floozie now joins a list of mares who’ve used the race as a springboard to Group 1 success.
With the Gollan stable firing and Jones riding with growing authority, the stars may be aligning for a fairytale finish to the carnival.
As the Tiara field begins to take shape, one thing is clear, Floozie won’t be flying under the radar with Ladbrokes rating her $4.60 chance.
Pier A Class Above In Wayne Wilson
Denied a start in the Stradbroke Handicap, Pier made a statement of his own, blitzing the field in the Listed Wayne Wilson over a mile at Eagle Farm and reminding everyone exactly what he’s capable of.
Trained by Darryn and Briar Weatherley and ridden with confidence by Ethan Brown, the five-year-old Kiwi gelding delivered a commanding performance, surging clear to win by just under three lengths.
It was a dominant display from a horse who looked every bit a Group 1 contender and might well have been, had he made the Stradbroke field.
“He’s achieved what I expected he would,” Darryn Weatherley said.
“I truly believe he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Straddie but maybe next year.”
After drawing wide and flashing home late in the BRC Sprint, Pier was much better suited on Saturday.
From a favourable draw, Brown had him travelling sweetly just off the speed before letting him stride into the race at the top of the straight.
The response was immediate.
Pier lengthened beautifully and put the race to bed in a matter of strides.
“He’s a very nice horse,” Brown said.
“Proven at the mile, fit and well prepared, he gave me everything.”
The win was more than just a consolation prize.
It was a reminder of Pier’s class, resilience, and potential.
A Group 1 winner in New Zealand as a three-year-old, he’s had setbacks, but Saturday’s performance suggests he’s back better than ever.
Weatherley hinted at a short Queensland spell before targeting the first Group 1 of the New Zealand season, followed by a spring campaign in Melbourne.
With owners like Ozzie Kheir and a growing fan base behind him, Pier looks set to make plenty more noise in the months ahead.
Truth Hurts: Compelling Truth Blazes to Hinkler Win
In a race where tactics and timing were everything, it was Compelling Truth who proved too sharp, too tough, and simply too good to claim the Listed Hinkler Handicap at Eagle Farm.
Trained by Mack Griffith and ridden with confidence by Bailey Wheeler, the five-year-old gelding jumped cleanly from a tricky gate and never looked back.
He sat at leader Prince Of Boom’s girth, and kicked clear at the top of the straight to hold off a fast-finishing Need Some Luck and Appin Girl.
Drama struck before the race when Appin Girl double barreled The Big Goodbye on two occasions which saw the Rob Heathcote-trained gelding scratched behind the barriers.
It was a ride that showed trust and understanding with Wheeler now four-from-four aboard Compelling Truth.
It was a win that rewarded the Griffith stable’s patience and belief in their gelding’s unique racing style.
“You’ve got to ride him a little bit ugly sometimes,” Griffith said.
You put the bigger name jockeys on and they want to ride him too pretty.
“Bailey understands him.
“You’ve just got to put him in the zone and Bailey knows how to do it.”
Wheeler echoed that sentiment, praising the gelding’s gate speed and relaxed nature.
“He’s a chilled dude,” Wheeler said.
“He gave me a great feel going to the barriers, and once he found the front, I knew he’d be hard to run down.”
Sent out at $17, Compelling Truth defied the market and a quality field to land his biggest win to date.
The victory also marked a significant moment for the Griffith family, with multiple generations involved in the ownership and training of the horse.
With the Listed win under his belt and his racing pattern now well understood, Compelling Truth could be set for a tilt at higher honours later in the spring.
Queensland Sun Agrees With Brave Design
The Queensland winter sun has a way of bringing out the best in southern raiders and on Saturday at Eagle Farm, it was Brave Design who soaked it up and shone brightest in the Listed Oxlade Stakes.
Trained by Danny O’Brien and ridden with precision by Jordan Childs, the two-year-old colt broke his maiden in style, claiming his first black-type win in a performance that oozed class and confidence.
Sent out a $7 chance, Brave Design settled just behind the speed before easing off the rail and powering home to defeat Isti Star and Royal Chic.
It was a well-earned reward for a colt who had been knocking on the door.
After a brave run behind Cool Archie in the Group 2 Brisbane Sires’ Produce Stakes on heavy ground, O’Brien opted to bypass the J.J. Atkins and drop back in trip and grade, a decision that paid off handsomely.
“We were very keen to get a win on the board with him,” O’Brien said.
“The Sires’ was tough going, but he came through it well.
“He’s loved it up here in Queensland, as a lot of our Victorian horses do.”
Childs gave the colt a perfect ride, landing in the box seat from a good draw and navigating traffic with composure before letting Brave Design lengthen in the straight.
“We came here with a lot of confidence,” Childs said.
“He’s a very nice horse going forward and once he got clear running, he did the rest.”
The win opens the door for another Queensland run, with O’Brien hinting at a possible tilt at a 1400m race on Tiara Day before a freshen-up and a spring campaign in Melbourne.
For now, though, Brave Design heads back to the stables with a maiden win, a black-type trophy, and a growing reputation.
Campaldino: A Stayer On The Rise
In a Stradbroke Season brimming with breakout performances, few have been more compelling than Campaldino.
The progressive stayer has gone from promising prospect to genuine staying force, stringing together four wins in a row capped by a dominant display in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup on Saturday.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and ridden to perfection by Tim Clark, Campaldino has found his rhythm and confidence at the right time.
After a strong win in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the gelding backed it up with a commanding front-running performance in the Brisbane Cup, controlling the race from the front and never looking in danger.
“He’s just a different horse since we took the blinkers off,” Clark said.
“He relaxes, he travels, and he finishes.
“That’s the key to him staying out a strong trip.”
The four-year-old son of Ghibellines has flourished under the Waterhouse-Bott system, showing versatility, toughness, and a genuine will to win.
His Brisbane Cup victory was a staying masterclass, with Clark rating him beautifully and kicking clear at the top of the straight.
With wins over 2400m and 2600m, Campaldino now shapes as a serious spring player in the staying ranks.
A tilt at the Melbourne Cup could be on the cards, with connections keen to strike while the gelding is in peak form.
“I think we’ll have to go for the Melbourne Cup,” Bott said.
“He’s an amazing, progressive horse.
“He’s come a long way and that tops off the campaign nicely.
“He can’t have too long off, but he’s had some nice conditioning this preparation and we’ll try and work backwards from the Melbourne Cup.”
Ladbrokes traders have installed Campaldino a $34 prospect for the race that stops a nation.
From midweek maiden to Group 2 winner in a matter of months, Campaldino is the definition of a stayer on the rise and he’s only just getting started.
Kovalica Closes Stradbroke Season In Q22 Thriller
It took every inch of the Eagle Farm straight, but Kovalica finally got his moment and what a moment it was.
In a heart-stopping finish to the Group 2 The Q22, Kovalica surged late under Nash Rawiller to edge out New Endeavour by the narrowest of margins, closing out Stradbroke Season with a win that was as emotional as it was exhilarating.
Trained by Chris Waller, the five-year-old gelding hadn’t won since his 2023 Queensland Derby triumph, but the stable never lost faith.
After a string of brave runs in elite company, including the Ladbrokes Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, Kovalica returned to his happy hunting ground and delivered when it mattered most.
“It took the length of the straight to get there,” Waller said.
We haven’t lost faith in him and he’s been a good horse without winning.
“He’s been working to something good.
“He might win his next race this time next year, if not two years. He’ll be back to Queensland.”
The decision to apply blinkers midweek proved a masterstroke.
Rawiller settled Kovalica midfield, and while he pulled a touch early, the gelding responded when asked, launching down the outside and lunging right on the line to win a three-way go.
“It was a long ride back to scale making sure I’d got there,” Rawiller said.
“I feel like I’ve redeemed myself for saying he’d win the Melbourne Cup last year.
“We made a call during the week to put the blinkers on.
“You could tell in the run that he was going to do something. He’s so strong.
“I thought he’d keep going even though he pulled a bit in the race.
“I’ve had a bit of a shit time lately, so I feel like I’ve bounced right back in a big way.”
With the drought broken and confidence restored, Waller hinted at a possible spring campaign, perhaps even another tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
But for now, Kovalica is back in the winner’s circle, and back in the hearts of his loyal supporters who never stopped believing.