2026 Sir John Monash Stakes Day Preview

ANGELS FURY takes winning form and improvement into the first on Sir John Monash Stakes Day.

She finished at the tail of the field in the Blue Diamond Preview F back in January and was immediately put away but returned to action for an easy win in maiden company Bendigo.

She’s been kept up to the mark with a trial since that race, she’s got plenty of upside and can fight out the finish again this week.

ZOUPER FUND is second up and open to plenty of improvement into a nice race at Caulfield.

The Zoustar gelding has won half of his ten career starts so far, placing a further two times and finding form around some credible opposition.

He clearly needed his first run back this time when fourth, beaten more than three lengths by the classy Bazaball Rewarded at Sandown, but he’s yet to miss placing at this point of his preparation and is another that has had a trial between races.

CRUISERWEIGHT puts an unbeaten record on the line.

The Hello Youmzain gelding was nothing short of dominant on debut in his native France back in December, picking up where he left off with a sharp victory out at Swan Hill during the carnival last month.

He’s since trialled well, he’s clearly got a lot of ability, and I am keen to stick with him until he gives us a reason not to.

CAVALRY GIRL gets a great chance to successfully transition back into Saturday metro company this week.

The Bivouac filly stamped herself as one to follow last time in, finding form around some classy opposition and winning down the Flemington straight most notably.

After only just missed behind Saluted on the Heath track here first up in May, she returned to winning form with a dominant performance to beat home the likes of Actuality last time out, and with further improvement this week, I’m confident she can go on with it.

The consistent AMLETO shapes as a key chance again on Sir John Monash Stakes Day in the fifth race on the card.

Amleto is yet to miss placing in four appearances since resuming this time, winning in BM66 company at Ballarat two back before returning to town to finish second behind Bella Savoir right here at this track and trip.

He meets that horse substantially better at the weights this week, while he has drawn to receive the run of the race under Craig William.

DECALOGUE has gone to another level and looms as the one to beat again in this contest.

Having stripped fitter with a few credible performances earlier this prep, including a fourth placing in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes in Sydney, Decalogue has been outstanding in each of his three latest starts, breaking his maiden before winning a pair of Saturday metro races at Randwick and Flemington.

Understandably, in-form apprentice Jabez Johnstone retains the ride and claims a few kgs, and with even luck in the run, the horse will take a power of beating again.

The Sir John Monash Stakes is a typically open affair this year and there is a case to made for many of them, including BEAST MODE at big odds ($18 at publish).

Beast Mode has always hinted at above-average talent and turned in plenty of fine performances during his spring prep last year, recording consecutive wins at The Valley most notably.

He took up the running and tried hard, though his condition just gave out a little at Sandown when resuming last month, but having since turned in a nice trial performance to tune up further, I’m confident he’ll be right back on for this contest, and he looks a touch of overs in Sir John Monash Stakes betting, in my opinion.

There’s some genuine black type talent engaged in the penultimate race on Sir John Monash Stakes Day, including the resuming RISE AT DAWN.

We haven’t seen Rise At Dawn at the races since his unplaced effort in February’s Carlyon Cup, but he was far from disgraced behind the likes of Light Infantry Man on that day, and it capped another strong and consistent preparation.

In give previous fresh attempts, he’s won three times and placed once more, he boasts a class edge over a number of these rivals, and he’s proven on both soft and heavy going.

Tough end to the program from a betting perspective, but MAKDANE is one with genuine winning claims in my opinion.

Makdane returned to action with a fine effort to get up over a mile here back in May, and after something of a flat second up effort when getting out to the 2000m, he was far better when finishing just over a length behind the winner dropping to the 1800m last time out.

The wide alley is the knock this week, but the booking of Craig Williams will go a long way towards cancelling that out, and in peak order, the horse is certainly up to winning something of this quality.