Lady Shenandoah will jump from barrier eight in Saturday’s $1 million Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington, with James McDonald staying aboard the Toorak Handicap winner in an 11-horse field for the Group 1 mile.
The field was confirmed in the official Racing Australia fields for Derby Day on Saturday 31 October. The Empire Rose is race eight on the card, with a 5pm AEDT start, and is run under weight-for-age conditions for fillies and mares over 1600m. The track was rated a Good 4 at acceptances.
Lady Shenandoah, trained by Chris Waller, was the $2.30 favourite with Surfin’ Bird next at $4.20 and Concord Connie at $7.50 when Just Horse Racing reported the market on Wednesday afternoon.
Lady Shenandoah back against the mares
The five-year-old Snitzel mare won the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on 10 October carrying 58kg, beating Changing Colours by a head. Bets.com.au lists her earlier Group 1 wins as the Flight Stakes, Surround Stakes and Coolmore Classic.
She has won six of her 18 starts and more than $5 million in prizemoney, according to Racing Australia. Before the Toorak she finished fourth in the Winx Stakes and the Rupert Clarke Stakes this spring.
Read more: 2026 Toorak Handicap Review: What The Jockeys Said
Surfin’ Bird chasing a third straight win
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Surfin’ Bird has won her past two starts, the Group 3 Ladies’ Day Vase at Caulfield on 10 October and the Group 2 Crystal Mile over this course and distance on Cox Plate Day. Blake Shinn takes the ride from barrier nine.
Idle Flyer, the Matthew Smith-trained mare who beat Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 Queen of the Turf at Randwick in April, drew seven for Mark Zahra. She was fifth in The Invitation at Randwick last Saturday.
Bjorn Baker has two runners. Unleeshing (barrier 10, Jason Collett) won the Group 3 Angst Stakes at Randwick on 17 October, with stablemate Pillow Fight (barrier three, William Pike) second.
Read more: Pride Of Jenni Out of Empire Rose, Could Face Autumn Glow Instead
Danny O’Brien’s Sass Appeal drew barrier five for Damian Lane after running second in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes. “A fast-run mile is just about her perfect set-up,” O’Brien said in comments published by the Daily Telegraph.
No Pride Of Jenni this year
Ciaron Maher’s Pride Of Jenni, who won the Empire Rose in 2023 and 2025, is missing after not recovering in time from a leg infection. Maher still has two runners: Salty Pearl, who has the rail with Ben Allen, and Jenni Multabella (barrier two, Declan Bates).
Atishu won the race in 2024, Icebath in 2022 and Colette in 2021, Bets.com.au’s Derby Day guide notes.
Empire Rose Stakes 2026 field and barriers
- Barrier 1: Salty Pearl – Ciaron Maher (trainer), Ben Allen, 56.5kg
- Barrier 2: Jenni Multabella (NZ) – Ciaron Maher (trainer), Declan Bates, 57kg
- Barrier 3: Pillow Fight – Bjorn Baker (trainer), William Pike, 56.5kg
- Barrier 4: Cilacap – Grahame Begg (trainer), Michael Dee, 57kg
- Barrier 5: Sass Appeal – Danny O’Brien (trainer), Damian Lane, 56.5kg
- Barrier 6: Concord Connie – Charlotte Littlefield (trainer), Craig Williams, 56.5kg
- Barrier 7: Idle Flyer – Matthew Smith (trainer), Mark Zahra, 57kg
- Barrier 8: Lady Shenandoah – Chris Waller (trainer), James McDonald, 57kg
- Barrier 9: Surfin’ Bird – Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott (trainers), Blake Shinn, 57kg
- Barrier 10: Unleeshing – Bjorn Baker (trainer), Jason Collett, 57kg
- Barrier 11: Pondalowie – Emma-Lee and David Browne (trainers), Harry Coffey, 57kg
The Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (3:40pm) and Victoria Derby (4:20pm) are the other two Group 1 races on the Derby Day card.
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