Beiwacht’s G1 Memsie headlines a stakes day-out for Godolphin

Beiwacht was the headline of an exceptional day at the races for Godolphin with a victory described as ‘a procession’ in the Group One Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

Adding to a record that already includes the G1 Golden Rose and G1 All-Aged Stakes, the four-year-old horse took charge from the gates and posted a three-length victory in the 1,400-metre event, the first G1 of the Melbourne spring.

It proved a galloping lesson, with jockey Nash Rawiller allowing Beiwacht to dictate the pace and pull away at the 200-metre mark. 

Rawiller, who first piloted the horse in their All-Aged victory in the autumn, said it was a special feeling up the straight.

“He’s always had that raw, high cruising speed,” the jockey said.

“He just had them cold. It was exciting.”

Beiwacht was last week forced to withdraw from the G1 Winx Stakes with an elevated temperature. He was therefore first-up after his All-Aged victory in April.

Trainer Chris Waller, who took charge last year after Beiwacht’s relocation from former Godolphin trainer James Cummings, said the horse had fitted in perfectly to the stable.

He hinted at previous international ambitions, and suggested the potential for similar again.

“We said last year we were keen to take him internationally, but he’s not a real straight horse,” Waller said. 

“He’s a specialist 1,400-metre type horse, so there are some international thoughts there.”

Waller said he wasn’t concerned at the sudden redirection after the Winx Stakes withdrawal.

“We didn’t panic,” he said. “It (the horse’s temperature) came up enough to say he didn’t need to leave the stable and, remarkably, his blood on Monday was perfect.

“We galloped him at Rosehill on Tuesday. He was fine on Wednesday, and everything has been good since so whatever it was, it didn’t last long.”

The Memsie Stakes brings Beiwacht’s career earnings to $2.5 million, with his three G1 ribbons alongside the two-year-old feature, the G2 Silver Slipper.

In winning the Memsie, Beiwacht brought up Godolphin’s 15th G1 global success for 2026, and he joined top Godolphin performers Tentyris (Street Boss), Observer (Ghaiyaath) and Tempted (Street Boss) in Australia this year.

And, while Beiwacht laid claims to his reputation as the best 1,400-metre horse in Australia, the Caulfield card also delivered a further stakes result for Godolphin.

In the G3 Courtza Stakes over 1,200 metres, four-year-old mare Custom (Street Boss), trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Ethan Brown, led home fellow Godolphin runner Photograph (Blue Point) in a confident 1.75l victory.

It was the third win for the mare, who had been stakes-placed early in her career and was stepping back up to black type level for the first time since her three-year-old season.

“We could have gone for a ratings race or we could have rolled the dice here in the stakes race,” Maher said.

“It’s nice to get the Stakes for a filly like her.” 

Photograph, who followed Custom home, had similar form to the winner and is trained at Lindsay Park.