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A super consistent Queensland raider kicking off his autumn is favourite to kick off where he left off as the Kelly Schweida-trained Grafterburners heads betting on Saturday’s The Galaxy 2026 at Rosehill Gardens.

The feature sprint race on a packed Golden Slipper Day card in Sydney, this year’s Group 1 $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) has drawn a capacity field of short-distance specialists.

Sitting top of the latest The Galaxy odds at $4.20 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au is the airborne Graff colt Grafterburners who is out to be the second three-year-old in as many years to win the event following last year’s champ Private Harry.

The gun young galloper was huge last campaign stringing together four wins on the trot in his home state including a last start victory in the lucrative $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Sunlight Plate at the Gold Coast on January 10.

Kept fresh since, the up-and-comer is now being thrown in the deep end against the older horses in what will be just his second interstate assignment.

His only other run outside of the Sunshine State was in Randwick’s $2 million Inglis Millennium in February last year where he ran a credible fourth behind Rivellino.

He is also back up in grade running in a Group 1 for the first time since his sixth-place effort as a juvenile in the JJ Atkins over the Eagle Farm mile last winter.

Grafterburners looks well placed in The Galaxy field coming back in weight from 57kg to just 50.5kg and benefits from the booking of the in-form Zac Lloyd.

Second in The Galaxy betting this autumn at a current quote of $5.50 is the 58.5kg topweight Briasa resuming for Team Hawkes.

The Smart Missile grey hasn’t been seen since a disappointing ninth place finish in the Russell Balding last November, but he’s proven against some quality sprinters and is out to recapture his best form.

Last prep he beat Jimmysstar home in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) carrying the same kilos he’s allocated this weekend, while his latest Rosehill run produced a close fourth under two lengths off the winner in last year’s The Galaxy results.

He’s a proven performer fresh (4:2-1-0) and boasts the class edge on a lot of these despite the weight which he’ll cart from wider out in gate 14 (12 with emergencies out) with regular rider Tyler Schiller back in the saddle.

A further three final acceptors are also at single figures in the markets including Anthony & Sam Freedman‘s third emergency Inkaruna ($7) who is being kept safe despite looking unlikely of gaining a run.

Of the sprinters confirmed a start, the next best fancied at $7.50 is Reserve Bank from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr stable.

The four-year-old Capitalist entire recorded a hat-trick during the spring with his campaign culminating with an Adelaide Group 1 success in The Goodwood last May.

He trialled up well when second to Briasa in a Rosehill hit-out earlier this month to bring him on fitness-wise for his return, and with plenty of 1100m form (3:2-1-0) to rely on he could surprise a few from a favourable gate two draw.

Gavin Bedggood‘s early The Galaxy market mover Hedged ($12 into $9.50) completes the hopes under $10 for the win.

A five-year-old son of Capitalist, Hedged is the fit horse in the field having been up for some time.

He runs at Rosehill for the first time from a good gate three draw for Timmy Clark and was huge last time out at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Day finishing second best to Tropicus when carrying 59kg in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m).

While he’s not proven as effective on his Sydney leg in the past, the drop back weight-wise to 55kg works to his advantage putting him in the mix.

Of the longer priced The Galaxy contenders, value inclusions for exotics include: the consistent Joe Pride-trained Mazu ($12) coming off a third first-up in Randwick’s Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) in a blanket finish, Chris Waller‘s narrow Challenge Stakes winning mare Generosity ($12) drawn a nasty gate in her bid at completing the double, Michael Freedman‘s reigning Golden Slipper winning filly Marhoona ($12) out to recapture her Group 1 winning form from on this day last year, and her progressive four-year-old stablemate Enriched ($12).

The 2026 The Galaxy is scheduled as Rosehill Race 9 at 5:15pm (AEDT) when running the penultimate event on the program.

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