Graduate bonanza at Rosehill
It's an Arrowfield graduate Group 2 trifecta as Lazzura heads for victory in the $400,000 Golden Pendant G2, with the placings filled by Verona Rose (red spotted cap) & Modella (maroon silks, yellow cap). The Autumn Sun's daughter Surfin' Bird (gold cap, on the rail) was 4th. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
The Arrowfield brand was rarely out of the winner’s circle on Golden Rose day at Rosehill, as the Stud’s sale graduates Lazzura, Skyhook & Decorum claimed two Group 2 features and a convincing victory en route to a tilt at the Golden Eagle.
Lazzura (Snitzel-Laguna Azzurra by Heart’s Cry), winner of last season’s Coolmore Classic G1, won the $400,000 ATC Golden Pendant 1400m G2 with the class & no-fuss professionalism that she first displayed in her 2YO debut win in April 2024.
She led home an Arrowfield graduate trifecta filled by Verona Rose (Castelvecchio-Minamya by Makfi), already a Group 2 winner, and Modella (Castelvecchio-Ms Rodarte by I Am Invincible), winner of the Mona Lisa S. LR at Wyong earlier this month.
The First4 was completed by The Autumn Sun’s daughter Surfin’ Bird, Group-placed & winner of the $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic last season.
A spot in the $2 million The Invitation G2 at Randwick on 24 October looks certain to be offered to Lazzura and if it is, her trainer Chris Waller says that will be her next start, followed by the Empire Rose S. G1 at Flemington or the C.F. Orr S. G1 at Sandown.
Lazzura is just too classy in the sprint home and she wins the G2 Golden Pendant under James McDonald 🩵🖤@mcacajamez @cwallerracing @WorldPool pic.twitter.com/LCS5z9T1zD
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 26, 2026
The winner and both placegetters are from Arrowfield’s Yearling Class of 2023, with $2.1 million earner Lazzura (bred in partnership with Northern Farm) purchased for $500,000 at Magic Millions Gold Coast by B2B Thoroughbreds.
Lazzura’s 2YO full sister Tavolara has joined her in the Waller stable and will also carry the B2B silks. Their dam has a yearling colt by Farnan, is due to foal to Switzerland and is booked to The Autumn Sun.
Verona Rose was a $40,000 buy for trainer Gary Portelli from Arrowfield’s Inglis Classic draft, and trainers Lee & Cherie Curtis signed for Modella at $200,000 from Arrowfield’s Magic Millions consignment. Between them, they have returned more than $1.3 million to their owners.
Two races later, 4YO entire Skyhook (Written Tycoon-Madame Pauline by Redoute’s Choice) landed his 5th Group victory in stunning style, leading from start to finish in the $300,000 ATC Shannon S. 1500m G2.
Trained by Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou, who purchased him for $575,000 from Arrowfield at Magic Millions 2024, Skyhook’s career prizemoney now approaches $1.2 million, a figure set to increase dramatically if he wins or places in the $10 million Golden Eagle G1 on 31 October.
SKYHOOK IS SUBLIME IN THE SHANNON STAKES ❤️🤍@KPMcEvoy @RARacing_ pic.twitter.com/A3eRKd6cJD
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 26, 2026
Skyhook’s jockey Kerrin McEvoy said, “He is handling himself really well. He takes bad luck out of the equation…He is a nice horse to ride, relaxed. He is doing it easy sometimes and building up through his gears. It is nice to have that underneath knowing you can build and have more to offer.”
Madame Pauline has a 2YO colt by Dundeel, a colt foal by Castelvecchio and visits Tentyris this Spring.
Earlier on the Rosehill card, Decorum (Snitzel-Ms Bad Behaviour by Blame) extended his record to 5 wins from 7 starts with a resolute performance in a BM88 contest over 1400m. His trainer Michael Freedman confirmed the 4YO gelding’s readiness for sterner tests.
“He’s a horse going places. I think he’s got the scope to go up in distance, it’s just a matter of which way we go with him at the moment. We’ll probably let the dust settle and decide whether we come back here for the Alan Brown in two weeks or we look at a Silver Eagle into the Golden Eagle.”
The finish of the $1 million Golden Rose 1400m G1 also featured a pair of Arrowfield graduates: Decorum’s full brother St Gotthard, who overcame mid-race interference to nab second, and Tenenbaum (Snitzel-C’Est Beau La Vie by Bernardini), 4th.
And at the premier Hastings meeting in New Zealand, yet another Arrowfield graduate Cheerio (Maurice-Tuudelu by Dundeel) opened her 4YO campaign from the Cody Cole stable with an eye-catching win over 1200 metres.
Ms Bad Behavior foals to The Autumn Sun this Spring and will return to him, while Tuudelu is due to foal to Vandeek and is booked to Maurice.
Arrowfield-bred-&-sold performers have notched up 36 wins, including 6 Group & Listed races, in September alone, and Arrowfield stallions Snitzel (2nd), Maurice (3rd), The Autumn Sun (4th) & Dundeel (14th) are making an early impact on the 2026/27 General Sires’ Premiership.
