At Randwick on Saturday, a new name entered the upper tier of Australia’s race mares as Idle Flyer produced a commanding late surge to claim her first Group 1 victory in the Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Queen of the Turf Stakes 2026 results
Taking on a seasoned field that included Pride Of Jenni, Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment, the progressive four-year-old arrived with momentum after her Group 2 Emancipation Stakes success at Rosehill. Yet this represented a significant rise in class, and she met it with authority.
Trained by Matthew Smith, Idle Flyer was allowed to settle off the pace as the leaders set a genuine tempo. Turning for home, she was still giving her principal rivals a start, but once angled into clear running, her acceleration proved decisive. She swept past the field with a telling turn of foot to score comprehensively, stamping herself as a mare of genuine top-flight ability.
The victory was the eighth of her 15-start career and lifted her earnings beyond $1.16 million, underlining a rapid ascent through the grades that has come with both patience and careful placement.
Purchased for $70,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale by Smith alongside Randwick Bloodstock’s Brett Howard, the mare has already far exceeded expectations. Offered by her breeder Torryburn Stud, she now stands as a prime example of value emerging from the sale ring.
Torryburn’s Brett Cornish reflected on her development with quiet satisfaction.
“She just needed time but she always had plenty of ability we thought and it’s great to see her showing that now,” Cornish said. “She’s really zoomed through the grades, she’s got a great turn of foot and looks like she’s got plenty left in the tank.”
Smith admitted even he had not anticipated such an outcome against proven Group 1 performers.
“That was some win, wasn’t it? I don’t know what to say really, it was unbelievable,” he said. “I knew she was going good but I didn’t think she could win that, if I’m being honest. This is what we get up in the morning for—it means everything.”
The race developed in favour of the closers, but it still required a precise ride, with jockey Zac Lloyd timing his challenge to perfection, tracking the main contenders before unleashing Idle Flyer at the right moment.
The mare now heads towards the Brisbane Winter Carnival, where targets such as the Stradbroke Handicap and Tattersall’s Tiara present further opportunities at the highest level.
Idle Flyer led home a Group 1 quinella for Inglis graduates, with Lady Shenandoah finishing second after a consistent effort throughout.
Earlier on the Randwick programme, Beskar continued his progression with a front-running display in the Listed South Pacific Classic. The three-year-old, trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, made every post a winning one, following up his Listed Darby Munro Stakes victory with another determined performance.
“He’s become really genuine,” Anthony Freedman noted. “He’s a high-paced horse who can sustain a long gallop, and this opens up options for him at 1400 metres.”
The colt is now likely to be aimed at the Brisbane Winter Carnival, where his racing style could prove well suited to the competitive tempo of those contests.
In the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes, In Flight secured her fourth black-type success, finishing strongly to defeat a quality field of mares. The Joe Pride-trained runner once again demonstrated her consistency at this level, adding further depth to an already accomplished record.
Elsewhere, at Caulfield, Single Choice prevailed in a testing renewal of the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2400 metres, while in Adelaide, Regeneration continued his upward trajectory with victory in the Listed Redelva Stakes at Morphettville.
Across three states, it was a day that highlighted both emerging talent and established class, with Idle Flyer’s breakthrough at Randwick providing the defining performance.
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