Royal Blue marches on with Green Spaces in Australian Derby
Racenews
7 April, 2026
Green Spaces added his name to an exceptional group of Godolphin three-year-olds in Australia with a decisive victory in the G1 Australian Derby on day one of The Championships at Randwick on Saturday.
In scoring by three and a quarter lengths, the Street Boss colt became the sixth individual G1 winner from this year’s Classic crop – joining Attica, Beiwacht, Tempted, Tentyris and Observer.
A close relative to dual G1-winning sprinter Trekking, Green Spaces has thrived over longer distances and could be a contender for the G1 Melbourne Cup later in the year.
In the United States, Wondrous secured an important Stakes win as she dominated Saturday’s Primonetta Stakes at Laurel Park. The daughter of Uncle Mo is a half-sister to multiple G1 winner and leading Darley stallion Maxfield.
Cualificar kicked off what will hopefully be a big four-year-old campaign in France with a close third behind a race-fit Bright Picture in the G2 Prix d’Harcourt in Paris on Sunday. A three-time Group winner at three, the Andre Fabre-trained colt could return to Longchamp for the G1 Prix Ganay later this month.
Notable Speech won both his starts in North America last year, with his scintillating displays in the G1 Woodbine Mile and G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile seeing the son of Dubawi crowned American Champion Male Turf Horse at the 2025 Eclipse Awards.
He heads back across the Atlantic for his five-year-old return in Friday’s G1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, a race that is also set to feature Aomori City.
Day two of the Championships takes place at Randwick this Saturday, with Tempted set to spearhead the Godolphin contenders, while Fine Needle filly I Need You will be hoping for Classic success when she tackles Sunday’s G1 Oka Sho at Hanshin.
