2026 Black Caviar Lightning Day Preview

Just three of the seven confirmed starters in the 2026 Talindert Stakes field have raceday experience, including ZAMBALES, who I’ve got on top.

Zambales was sent off a $3.80 chance over 1000m at Randwick on debut last month and worked home well enough to finish second behind Satin Summer.

I’m expecting plenty of improvement for that experience and so long as he handles the straight, I think he’ll be right in the finish again.

FIORENOT chases a hat-trick in what does look another winnable race at HQ on Saturday.

Having found form around the likes of Touchdown earlier in his prep, Fiorenot returned to winning form with a smart effort over 1800m here on New Year’s Eve, while he franked that performance when getting up under 61kgs again last time out.

Dropping a couple of kilos this week, getting slightly further out in trip and with Jordan Childs retaining the ride, he does look to get plenty of ticks again.

Group 1 winner Ole Dancer resumes this week, but she faces a tough first up assignment in the Desirable Stakes, particularly in the form of a fit and in-form SASS APPEAL.

She’s yet to contest a race at black type level, but Sass Appeal has continued to improve noticeably with each of three starts since debuting and as the bar has been raised, and she was an impressive winner over this route at BM70 grade last time out.

While I do think that Ole Dancer will probably surpass her at some point this prep, Sass Appeal’s fitness edge will take her a long way this week, in my opinion.

IMMORTAL STAR is fit, in form and finds herself in an ideal feature race on Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Immortal Star has won three of her last four starts, including one down the straight here at HQ two back.

There’s no doubt that this is the hardest task she’s been set, but she’s certainly got the runs on the board, she’s fit and should be able to get some cover in the run from an inside draw before calling on a sharp turn of speed again.

Keen to give FISSION another chance in peak order and blasting down the straight at Flemington on Saturday.

The veteran sprinter was eye-catching on his way to a nice win over this route here two back and after settling off the pace here again last time out, he mustered a bit turn of foot to ultimately fill the minors.

He gets into this light and can settle just a little closer this week from barrier 4 before calling on that strong late sprint again.

We were with SAINT GEORGE when he won over 2000m here last month and I don’t see any real reason to be jumping off now.

Saint George was well beaten in the Ballarat Cup back in early December, but he followed up that race with a dominant win in BM100 company at Cranbourne.

Having franked that win getting back here to HQ last month, I love that he’s been kept up to the mark with a trial, while getting back out to the 2500m on the big Flemington track looks to suit at this point of his preparation as well.

SABAJ returns to action for his eagerly anticipated autumn prep.

He dusted off the cobwebs with a decent effort behind the likes of Linebacker in the Silver Eagle at Randwick on The Everest Day before recording consecutive victories back down in Victoria, including the Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup in November.

While a run in the Group 2 Ingham back up in Sydney in December didn’t go to plan, the Manhattan Rain gelding has trialled up nicely ahead of what looks an ideal launchpad.

And just like that, the first Group 1 feature race of 2026 has arrived… and what a feature is it!

Five of the eight confirmed starters are three-year-olds, three of whom are Group 1 winners, while the three open-aged horses in the Black Caviar Lightning field have all won at the highest level previously as well.

All things considered, the horse that definitely has the runs on the board here is GIGA KICK, so I have to have him on top.

The multiple Group 1 champion proved that he is still well and truly up to this level in the spring, recording two wins from as many starts, including the Champions Sprint here at HQ.

He’s as tough as they come and will get his chance.

SIXTIES couldn’t have been more impressive up in Sydney when resuming and he can go on with it in the CS Hayes Stakes.

The Flying Artie colt has always had above-average talent, but his fresh performance and win in open BM88 company at Rosehill a fortnight ago suggested he might have returned an even better horse this time.

With natural improvement, getting out to 1400m and back into three-year-olds company, I’m happy to take the even money about him in CS Hayes Stakes betting (at publish).

Tough way to end the day from a betting perspective and there’s a case to be made for plenty of them in this Frances Tressady Stakes field, including SAMANGU at a nice price ($15 at publish).

She’s yet to place in three runs back this time, but there’s no doubt that Samangu has been slowly improving with fitness, and she wasn’t disgraced when fifth in the Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes a fortnight ago.

We know how good she is at her best, there’s no doubting her fitness this week and she has genuine each way claims in this company.