2026 Apollo Stakes Day Preview

HOLY HELL is the one for me in this week’s Highway race.

Holy Hell has only made eight appearances at the races since debuting but has stamped herself as one to follow by winning three times and finishing the runner up on as many occasions.

I like that she has been kept up to the mark with a trial since her latest victory out at Wagga, and one of these Highway races certainly doesn’t look beyond her.

The Midway Handicap is a typically open affair this week with plenty of winning chances engaged, including LET’S GO AGAIN.

Let’s Go Again hasn’t won in five starts back this time, but there’s no doubt that she has continued to improve, and after filling the minors behind Mother Goose at Rosehill two starts back, she was tough up on the speed at Warwick Farm last time out, finishing less than a length behind the winner.

She’s hard fit this week, gets a senior ride and drops in the weights, and I think she can be in this for a long way at nice odds.

I’m eager to stick with MISS CHANEL when she takes her place in the Pierro Plate field.

Miss Chanel debuted with a fine performance to finish third, beaten a length and a half by the likes of Outspan at Rosehill last month, and she took plenty of improvement into a near miss in the Widden Stakes last time out.

She’s got plenty of upside, she gets into the race well and is a leading chance of going one better this time.

This looks another wide-open race with plenty of key chances, but one that I thought looked particularly well placed is MISS KIM KAR.

Her first few runs back this time left a bit to the imagination, but Miss Kim Kar turned in a vastly improved performance in BM78 company at Rosehill a fortnight ago, hitting the line behind an impressive Sovereign Hill.

1400m at Randwick suits and with a key fitness edge over several key rivals this week, I’m confident she can be in the finish.

CROSS TASMAN can bounce back from a near miss at Randwick on Apollo Stakes Day.

Having returned to action to post three-consecutive and impressive race wins, Cross Tasman was sent off the short-priced favourite over 1500m at Rosehill last time out and was only just denied by Pippie Beach.

Out to the mile this week looks to suit and with appropriate luck in the run, I really can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish again.

APOCALYPTIC makes her eagerly awaited return to the races in the 2026 Light Fingers Stakes field and perhaps unsurprisingly, has gone up a clear odds-on favourite.

We haven’t seen her in action since October, but Apocalyptic was almost faultless last time in, winning three races in succession, including the Group 1 Flight Stakes before only just missing behind Ole Dancer in the Thousand Guineas.

She’s trialled up well and I think she’ll be winning, but the $1.65 available at publish is too short for me, so I am going to select her as my winner in a Same Race Multi and pump up my odds with NEPO BABY running into the first three.

Nepo Baby returned to action to fill the minors in open company at Rosehill a fortnight ago and with natural improvement and getting back into a three-year-olds race, I’m confident she’ll run a drum.

Same Race Multi selections:

• 1 Apocalyptic (Win)
• 8 Nepo Baby (Top 3)

Some of the country’s best sprinters resume in the Expressway Stakes this week including JOLIESTAR, who I’ve put on top.

We haven’t seen Joliestar at the races since she finished third behind Giga Kick in the Champions Sprint, but she’s a multiple Group 1 winner and flies fresh – her first up record currently stands at 6:4-1-1.

With the benefit a couple of recent trials under her belt and James McDonald in the saddle, she’s well placed to win here.

Another star resuming this week is AUTUMN GLOW in the Apollo Stakes field.

Autumn Glow has maintained an incredible unbeaten run of form in eight starts since debuting, but she really did go to another level in the spring, winning both the Epsom Handicap and The Golden Eagle at her two latest appearances.

She’s another one that has opened a short favourite in the market, so with her as my winner in a Same Race Multi, I’m also going to select AELIANA to finish in the first three and THE INSTRUCTOR to finish in the first four.

Aeliana is a Group 1 winner that boasts a great fresh record, while The Instructor boasts a fitness edge over his rivals and is drawn to receive a lovely run from barrier 3.

Same Race Multi selections:

• 7 Autumn Glow (Win)
• 9 Aeliana (Top 3)
• 4 The Instructor (Top 4)

LAZZURA resumes in a winnable edition of the Triscay Stakes.

She picked off some nice races during her Spring Carnival prep last year and was particularly good fresh from a break, winning both the Show County Quality and the Let’s Elope first and second up.

She has been charged with carrying topweight this week, but she’s well and truly earned that, and I think she’s just the best horse in the race.

ALTOFF chases a hat-trick in the last on Apollo Stakes Day.

Having hit the line in BM78 company at Wyong two back, the Written Tycoon gelding franked that performance with a determined on-pace effort here last time out.

He’s fit, he gets some relief in the weights and with appropriate luck in the run, I think he’ll be right in the thick of things again.