Post-race jockey reports from the 2025 Robert Sangster Stakes
Top Victorian rider Mark Zahra made it a Group 1 double on Saturday when sending Charm Stone to victory in the $1 million Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Forty minutes prior, Zahra claimed the Australian Oaks with Benagil.
Charm Stone's win was the fifth time her trainer Mick Price has won the race and his fourth Group 1 win since starting a training partnership with Michael Kent (Jnr).
Charm Stone came from well back, making her run down the centre of the track to finish too well for the three-year-old Ameena with the well supported favourite Commemorative in third.
ZAHRA DOES THE DOUBLE!
Mark Zahra has picked up his second Group 1 of the afternoon riding Charm Stone to victory in the Robert Sangster Stakes! @MickPriceRacing pic.twitter.com/I55AQMFm2q
— 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 26, 2025
Price indicated Charm Stone would now progress to the Group 1 Goodwood over the same distance at the same track in a fortnight.
Charm Stone is a four-year-old mare by I Am Invincible and the win was her fourth from 11 start and took her earnings to more than $1.3 million.
This is what the riders thought of their mount's performance in the Robert Sangster Stakes.
1st - CHARM STONE (Mark Zahra) I drew wide. I just said I'm going to leave her alone, get her a nice rhythm, and I managed to get the back of Commemorative. I didn't travel that well, actually. I sort of had to give her a little click up to tack up, and she did. She got to the back of them, the further the race went, the more with confidence she grew. I was able to save the best for the finish. It was a busy enough finish, but I thought I won pretty convincingly in the end.
2nd - AMEENA (Jamie Melham) Fantastic run, we just had no option other than to go back to the inside, the fence is obviously a bit rougher than the outside but a great run.
3rd - COMMEMORATIVE (Blake Shinn) Had a nice run, presented to win, first two were better but she was great.
4th - A LITTLE DEEP (Ethan Brown) Career best run. That'll be good for her confidence, she's certainly improved this prep.
5th - PRAIRIE FLOWER (Kayla Crowther) Rapt with her, obviously followed the winner the whole way, she was superb.
6th - ROLL ON HIGH (Daniel Stackhouse) She ran super. Nice, pleasing run for the owners.
7th - ASFOORA (Mitchell Aitken) Drew awkward, raced flat.
8th - ESTRIELLA (Ben Allen) She was okay. She relaxed well, a little bit too relaxed. I think maybe some head gear would help her.
9th - STRETAN ANGEL (Thomas Stockdale) She burrowed her head down as soon as the gates opened. Our chances were gone after that.
10th - AUSTMARR (Jamie Mott) Yeah, the plan was to bowl along as she likes to do. She didn't step the greatest, copped a check off Asfoora shortly after that, it took her a bit to build momentum after that but she ran as good as she could considering.
11th - SHE'S GOT PIZZAZZ (Jordan Childs) Had a nice run. She was probably just a bit close to her top the whole way and might be looking for a bit further.
12th - CLIMBING STAR (Lachlan Neindorf) Nothing wrong with her effort, she just got hampered a lot quite early in the first couple furlongs of the race and it was game over from there, but she can bounce back.
13th - AVIATRESS (Jake Toeroek) Disappointing. Only jumped fairly, never really travelled, was never in her comfort zone the whole way, so very disappointing.
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