Affinity Thoroughbred Racing

25/10/2026

🏇🏆 SALANN DOES IT AGAIN! 🏇🏆

ANOTHER GROUP PLACING FOR OUR RISING STAR!

What an incredible journey our little filly SALANN is taking us on.

Yesterday, on an historic Cox Plate Day at Flemington, she produced another outstanding performance to finish 3rd in the $400,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase against the boys, adding another Stakes placing to her impressive record.

Backing up just seven days after her eye-catching sixth place in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas, SALANN jumped beautifully and settled much closer to the speed than she has in recent starts. Approaching the home turn, Rachel King had her travelling beautifully, and for a few exciting moments, it looked as though she might be about to storm into contention for the win! However, she hit a bit of a flat spot around the 300m mark, but to her enormous credit, she picked herself up again over the final 150m and was really strong through the finish line.

Her third placing earned her another $36,000 in prizemoney, taking her career earnings beyond $140,000 from just six career starts. And she's still a maiden!

It's quite extraordinary when you consider what this bargain purchase has already achieved:

GROUP 3 – Runner-up as a two-year-old at Flemington.

LISTED – Runner-up as a two-year-old at Randwick.

GROUP 2 – Third place as a three-year-old at Flemington.

Three Stakes placings at three different levels, in just six career starts.

Provided she pulls up well from yesterday's effort, our intention is to press on to the $1 million Group 1 VRC Oaks during Melbourne Cup Week.

She's currently an $8 chance and third favourite in the early markets, which tells you just how seriously her performances are being taken.

There is still the question of whether she will run out the longer Oaks distance (2500m), but the way she attacked the line yesterday has given us plenty of encouragement.

A huge congratulations to Ben Brisbourne and his amazing team, who have done a wonderful job preparing and developing this talented filly. And a big thank you to Rachel King for another terrific ride and for giving SALANN every opportunity to show what she can do.

Caulfield Cup Day. Cox Plate Day. Now off to VRC Oaks Day.

What a remarkable few weeks it's been for our Owners and everyone involved with ATR.

To have a runner in a Group 1 Classic during Melbourne Cup Week is something that every racehorse owner dreams about.

We all dream about competing on the biggest stages in Australian racing, and our little bargain filly just keeps making those dreams a reality.

Giddy Up! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜

25/10/2026

Salann 💜🩷💜🩷

After an impressive victory yesterday, will anyone else beat Proxima Dea in the Oaks?

🗞️ https://bit.ly/4ewCmqV

23/10/2026

SALANN @ Flemington - Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase

ANOTHER HUGE SATURDAY! THREE RUNNERS, TWO TRACKS AND A HISTORIC COX PLATE DAY!

What an incredible time of year to be involved in racing.

Last Saturday, we were competing on Caulfield Cup Day, one of Australia's great racing occasions. Just 7 days later, we're back on the big stage as Flemington hosts the legendary Cox Plate for the first time in history.

These are the days we all dream about. The atmosphere, the excitement, the prestige of competing on racing's biggest stages. Caulfield Cup Day last week. Cox Plate Day this week. This is what racehorse ownership is all about!

And we're not just there to make up the numbers. Our Group 1 performer SALANN is back in action. Plus, we have two runners at Yarra Valley. All three horses are in the top three in the market and look to be genuine winning chances.

Three runners. Two tracks. Another enormous afternoon for ATR!

Flemington Race 3 @ 1.40pm – #10 SALANN

$400,000 Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase – 2040m

From $151 Outsider to Group 2 Contender in just 7 days. What a difference a week makes!

Last week, our $10,000 bargain filly SALANN lined up in the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas as a $151 outsider. Seven days later, she's back on the big stage, and this time the Bookies aren't taking any chances.

After her eye-catching 6th place in the Thousand Guineas, where she overcame a difficult run, traffic problems and interference in the straight, she certainly made people sit up and take notice. Today she steps up to the 2040m, taking on the boys, in what promises to be another fascinating test of her ability.

Rachel King retains the ride, and the pair have drawn beautifully in Barrier 4 of 11. The big question mark is whether she can handle the step up to 2040m. It's new territory for our talented filly, but if she can relax, settle into a rhythm and produce that powerful finishing burst we know that she possesses, she looks to be a very strong each-way chance.

Yarra Valley Race 4 @ 2.36pm – #10 PHAROAH'S DAUGHTER

If there's one horse in our stable who deserves a little good fortune, it's PHAROAH'S DAUGHTER. "Cleo" has endured a frustrating run of luck of late, with her performances consistently better than her results. Her run in the iconic Manangatang Cup was another afternoon we'd rather forget, but we're putting that behind us and looking forward to a fresh opportunity at Yarra Valley today.

She has drawn the premier Barrier in 1 of 10, and experienced jockey Mitchell Aitken takes the ride. If Mitch can have her travelling comfortably throughout and give her an economical run, she should have every opportunity to produce her best when it matters. She's certainly overdue for a result, and we'd love to see her get the rewards her recent efforts deserve.

Yarra Valley Race 6 @ 3.56pm – #2 PONTE ARCOBALENO

What a performance it was from PONTE ARCOBALENO at Manangatang. Slowly away, caught three-wide without cover and forced to do things the hard way, our tough gelding looked to have an enormous task ahead of him. But jockey Lachie King refused to panic, balanced him up around the home turn and set him alight. It took almost every metre of the home straight, but Ponte kept coming, grabbing victory in the final strides in a thrilling finish, breaking the track record in the process.

Today, the winning combination reunites at Yarra Valley, and they've drawn well in Barrier 3 of 10. His last start victory was thoroughly deserved, and there's no doubt he's racing with renewed confidence. If he can reproduce that determination this afternoon, there's every reason to believe he can make it two wins in a row!

WHAT AN EXCITING AFTERNOON WE HAVE AHEAD!

*A $10,000 bargain filly chasing Group 2 glory on an historic Cox Plate Day.

*An unlucky mare looking for some long-overdue redemption.

*And a last-start track record breaker chasing back-to-back victories.

This is what we love about racing. The anticipation, the possibilities and the excitement of never quite knowing what might happen when those barriers open.

From Caulfield Cup Day to Cox Plate Day in the space of seven days, we're incredibly proud to have our horses competing on these magnificent occasions. It's an achievement just to be part of these incredible race days.

A huge thank you to Ben Brisbourne and his amazing Team. Our brave jockeys, and most importantly our wonderful Owners who make these opportunities possible.

Best of luck to everyone today!

🏆🏇 LET'S MAKE IT ANOTHER SATURDAY TO REMEMBER! 🏆🏇

Giddy Up! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜

18/10/2026

SHE'S BACK! WHAT A PERFORMANCE BY SALANN!

What an incredible thrill it was to see our $10,000 filly SALANN take on Australia's best three-year-old fillies in yesterday's $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas on Caulfield Cup Day! And didn't she do us proud!

On a track that heavily favoured the leaders, SALANN found herself buried behind a wall of horses at the top of the straight, with seemingly nowhere to go. Once she finally found clear running, she exploded down the outside to finish 6th, missing 5th by a nose! With a little more luck, she could easily have finished in the Top 4.

SALANN recorded the FASTEST final 600m, 400m and 200m of the race.

On a day when seven of the ten winners were in the first two at the top of the straight, it was an extraordinary performance against some of the best fillies in the country, including established Group 1 winners and Stakes performers.

She collected $30,000 in prizemoney for her efforts, a wonderful return from our little $10,000 purchase, who has now broken through $100,000 of earnings in her first five races!

Jockey Rachel King was full of praise, suggesting that with a better draw or a little more luck in running, she could have finished in the Top 3.

Six months after the heartbreak of her Group 1 Ch*****ne Stakes scratching, our girl has reminded everyone just how much talent she possesses.

She's back, she's a genuine Group 1 filly, and her spring campaign is far from over!

Giddy Up! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜

18/10/2026

Horse to follow out of the Caulfield Cup meeting yesterday.

SALANN 😍😍

16/10/2026

SALANN - $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas @ Caulfield

This is what we dream about. This is why we race horses.

Group 1 racing. Caulfield Cup Day. One of the great days on the Australian racing calendar, featuring one of Australia's most prestigious Classic races. These are the occasions that every racehorse owner dreams of being part of, and today, ATR takes centre stage on one of the biggest days in our company's history.

We head to Caulfield this afternoon with a $10,000 yearling purchase, chasing a Group 1 win in a race worth $1.5 million! From the sales ring to the biggest stage in Australian racing. Whatever happens this afternoon, it has already been an extraordinary journey. But we haven't come this far just to make up the numbers.

Caulfield Race 7 @ 3.45pm – Group 1 Thousand Guineas – #10 SALANN

Six months in the making. Unfinished business, and a shot at redemption!

It's hard to forget the devastation of watching SALANN scratched at the barriers in the Group 1 Ch*****ne Stakes at Randwick back in April. After two outstanding second places at Stakes level as a two-year-old, she had earned her shot at Group 1 level, only to have it cruelly snatched away before the gates even opened. From that moment, today's Group 1 Thousand Guineas became our Grand Final.

Everything we have done since that day has been geared towards having SALANN cherry-ripe, third-up this campaign, and ready to tackle the best three-year-old fillies in the country. Forget her last start at Flemington. She simply resented the very heavy ground, and that performance was no reflection of her true ability.

She has drawn beautifully in Barrier 6 of 12, and we have secured the services of nine-time Group 1-winning jockey Rachel King, who arrives full of confidence after winning last Saturday's Group 1 Caulfield Guineas aboard "Warwoven".

At $151 in the market, the bookmakers have given us absolutely no chance. But we certainly don't see it that way. We know what this filly is capable of. If she can reproduce her 2yo form she deserves to be right in the conversation. We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the challenge, but Group 1 races aren't won on paper, and reputations count for nothing when the barriers open.

Whatever the result, we couldn't be prouder to have reached this stage. But make no mistake, we're going there to give it everything we've got!

Darwin Race 2 @ 4.07pm – #6 MONTJUIC MAGIC

Can "Maggie" make it four in a row?

While all eyes will be on Caulfield, our Darwin Star MONTJUIC MAGIC will be looking to continue her remarkable winning streak and make it four consecutive victories and five wins from just six starts since we purchased her for $20,000 in May. What an incredible investment this mare has already proven to be.

It's been six weeks since her last appearance, but "Maggie" is fit, well and ready to go again. She has drawn Barrier 4 of 7 in the strongest field she has encountered since arriving in the Territory. This will be a genuine test of just how far she has progressed, and we are looking forward to seeing how she measures up against some stronger opposition. She is racing with enormous confidence, and despite the rise in class, we believe she is a genuine winning chance once again.

Darwin Race 3 @ 4.45pm – #5 SOUTHAMPTON FLARE

"Jack" is back!

It's been a frustrating journey for SOUTHAMPTON FLARE, with two serious foot injuries bringing his last two campaigns to a premature end. But after plenty of patience, rehabilitation and hard work, "Jack" is ready to return to the races this afternoon!

It's worth remembering just how promising his form has been when everything has gone right. If we put a line through the two races in which he suffered those foot injuries, Jack's record reads two wins and two second places from just six starts! That's a terrific record for a horse who has had more than his fair share of setbacks.

He has recovered well, and while there is always an element of uncertainty when returning from injury, we know he has the ability to be very competitive at this level. If he can reproduce his best form, Jack looks a genuine each-way chance this afternoon.

WHAT AN AFTERNOON WE HAVE AHEAD!

A Group 1 dream at Caulfield. A winning streak on the line in Darwin. And a talented gelding returning from injury.

From a $10,000 yearling purchase to competing for $1.5 million on Caulfield Cup Day, this is everything we love about our great sport.

These opportunities don't come around very often, and we are incredibly proud to be sharing this journey with our Owners and Clients.

Best of luck to all of our Owners, Trainers, Jockeys and everyone that makes these wonderful days happen.

🏇🏆LET'S MAKE IT A CAULFIELD CUP DAY TO REMEMBER! 🏇🏆

Giddy Up!! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜

14/10/2026

Final preparations for SALANN and "Grinzinger Heart" as Ben Brisbourne saddles two runners in the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday 🏇🏻🏇🏻

Best of luck to Ben, Heather, April and the amazing Team at Brisbourne Racing

Giddy Up! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜 🐎🤍🩶🤍🩶

13/10/2026

Listen to Ben Brisbourne at Caulfield this morning discussing his two entrants in the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday.

You can also see vision of SALANN's gallop.

Giddy Up!! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜

Recent history against top Thousand Guineas hopes after draw🤔

🗞️ https://bit.ly/4zpKOQJ

13/10/2026

SALANN
Group 1 Thousand Guineas @ Caulfield

We have an incredibly exciting week ahead of us as rising star SALANN takes her place in the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday.

She has drawn well in Barrier 6 of 13 and top NSW jockey Rachel King has been booked to ride, after winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas last week aboard "Warwoven".

Scratched at the barrier in the Group 1 Ch*****ne Stakes in April, SALANN is looking for the ultimate redemption story on Saturday.

Giddy Up! 🐎🩷💜🩷💜