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He was beaten last start but there’s plenty of early money coming for Chris Waller‘s class three-year-old Sixties to bounce back down in grade as the odds-on favourite for Saturday’s Phar Lap Stakes 2026 at Rosehill Gardens.

A gun line-up of promising youngsters, many of which are eyeing April runs in the Australian Derby and Oaks, faces off on Coolmore Classic Day in a stellar edition of the Group 2 $300,000 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m).

Won by a host of turf giants during their own three-year-old seasons including superstar mare Winx (2015) and subsequent ATC Oaks winners Hungry Heart (2021), Verry Elleegant (2019) and Unforgotten (2018), the Phar Lap is a proven springboard to autumn and future Group 1 success.

This year all the hype is surrounding Flying Artie colt Sixties who is being kept very safe in Phar Lap Stakes betting at $1.75 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Zougotcha ($1.50 in 2023) was the last favourite, also at a conservative quote, to salute in the event which has been absolutely dominated by the Waller yard in recent history.

Waller prepared eight fillies to win in 11 years with superstar mare Winx (2015), Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019), Funstar (2020), Hungry Heart (2021), Zougotcha (2023), and most recently Lazzura (2025).

This year however it is a colt tipped to beat the girls with Sixties back in Sydney on the back of a game last start third behind Observer in Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).

He lands himself an easier task now back north for the first time since his distant fifth to Beiwacht in the Group 1 Golden Rose last September.

This prep he kicked things off with a first-up win at Rosehill in a BM88 in January to regain confidence before heading to Flemington to win the Group 3 CS Hayes and round out the Australian Guineas trifecta.

With a 50% win rate from four previous Rosehill runs, he’ll enjoy coming back to the circuit and at set weights with the on-fire James McDonald partnering he looks very hard to go past for the win.

Should Sixties fail to fire, the other best in betting and the only others at single figures for the win are Shangri La Boy ($6.50) for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and Panova ($7) drawn wider out for Waller in gate 12.

Nicely bred Pierro colt Shangri La Boy is looking to recapture his strong spring form when he races second-up on Saturday from barrier six with Nash Rawiller in the saddle.

The colt went back-to-back here at Rosehill including a Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) win by two lengths last prep before his second by a nose to Attica in a blanket finish to the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).

He kicked off his autumn in the Group 2 Hobartville here on February 21 but failed to beat home any of his rivals crossing last to Ninja when struggling late.

Having brushed off the cobwebs now he’s expected to improve sharply and the fact he’s previously won second-up and gets 100m extra now both work to his advantage.

Panova is the best backed of the fillies to add to the girl’s elite record over the colts and geldings in this race, and she too is second-up on Saturday.

The daughter of Trapeze Artist enjoyed two Group 3 wins to see out her spring including the Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day, before she was thrown straight into the deep end resuming in the Group 1 Surround Stakes where she finished sixth to Tempted.

For value, a few punters are eyeing off the Ciaron Maher-trained Group 2 winning colt West Of Swindon ($11) who ran sixth in both the CS Hayes and Australian Guineas bringing that form around Sixties to Sydney too now.

The early Phar Lap Stakes market mover meanwhile backed in from $23 to $17 is the other Waller runner in the mix, Soverato.

The untapped Vadamos filly has just her fifth start now as a two-time winner in easier company and she’ll be ridden from gate two by Kerrin McEvoy for her first Group race assignment.

The 2026 Phar Lap Stakes is scheduled as Rosehill Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEDT) as one of the key support acts on the 10-event program.

CHANCES ARE YOU’RE ABOUT TO LOSE.

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au