Join Ladbrokes Races.com.au Favourite Bookmaker!
Join Ladbrokes through Races.com.au and be ready when the gates open.
Code used for tracking purposes only.
Chances are you’re about to lose. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Join Ladbrokes Races.com.au Favourite Bookmaker!
Join Ladbrokes through Races.com.au and be ready when the gates open.
Code used for tracking purposes only.
Chances are you’re about to lose. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Champion mare Lady Shenandoah further enhanced her outstanding race record when producing a commanding performance in Saturday’s 2026 Empire Rose Stakes results at Flemington, giving trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald another Group 1 triumph during a stellar Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Sent out the heavily backed $1.85 favourite in the Group 1 $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), Lady Shenandoah proved far too classy for her rivals, defeating Concord Connie by 1½ lengths, with Idle Flyer finishing a further 1¾ lengths away in third.
The victory was the mare’s fifth career Group 1 success and her second elite-level win in as many starts following her brilliant Toorak Handicap victory at Caulfield, taking her career earnings to almost $5 million and reaffirming her standing among Australia’s elite mares.
2026 Empire Rose Stakes Results
- #1 Lady Shenandoah
- #10 Concord Connie
- #2 Idle Flyer
Lady Shenandoah Rewards Stable Faith
Representing the Waller stable, Charlie Duckworth said the mare deserved enormous credit after competing against the very best horses throughout her campaign despite not always enjoying winning success.
“You could have easily written her off prior to last start. She had been running well but just wasn’t winning,” he told Racing Victoria.
“She was running in the hardest of hard races, from Everests to running against Autumn Glow.
“It’s not easy territory that she was in.
“It shows how competitive these Group 1 races are.”
Duckworth reminded racing fans that the mare’s recent form had perhaps been underestimated.
“Prior to today she had won four Group 1s and $5 million and two weeks and a day ago, you would have said, is she really having a crack if you were outside the camp.”
The stable representative also reflected on the significance of Group 1 success beyond the financial rewards.
“These races are so special to owners, to punters, to us.
“I know we all bang on about the money, and the money is great with these big prize money races, but you win a Derby, they are different.”
Popular Mare Delivers for The Team
Having been part of the stable throughout her entire racing career, Lady Shenandoah holds a special place within the Waller operation.
“Lady Shen, she has been with us from day dot and all the team at home, you begin to love these animals and you go, she is a bit quirky,” Duckworth said.
Duckworth reserved particular praise for Sydney foreman Cory Dunn, who oversees the mare on a daily basis.
“Cory Dunn, he looks after her in Sydney and he’ll be shattered.
“He lets go of her because he runs a vital barn in Sydney and he can’t come down and yet she comes down and goes bang, bang in two big Group 1s.
“It’s awesome for the whole team.”
McDonald Executes Perfect Plan
Duckworth revealed that McDonald identified the key tactical advantage before the race.
“He said to me before the race, he said that the wind’s coming from the top of the straight across,” he said.
“And he said if I can get three deep with cover and just sit there and coil up and let her loose.
“With the wind, the blockage by the other horses has really helped her today.”
The strategy proved a masterstroke as Lady Shenandoah settled beautifully before unleashing her trademark acceleration in the straight.
“An Armchair Ride” for J-Mac
McDonald was glowing in his assessment of the mare following the comfortable victory.
“It was an armchair ride,” the ace jockey said.
“The only worrying part was that she jumped out so well and she wanted to get on with the job, she was pretty well.
“So I had to give her just a, ‘hey, come back quickly’, instead of running through the bridle.
“But it was the only worrying part of the whole race.”
The champion jockey believes Lady Shenandoah deserves greater recognition given the quality of rivals she regularly faces.
“She’s just come on and on and she deserves this.
“Obviously it’s hard with Autumn Glow around the same sort of trip and Autumn Glow’s got her measure, but she’s just so honest, always races to a high level.
“You know what you’re going to get with her is a solid performance.”
McDonald summed up her appeal in simple terms.
“You’d love to own her and I love riding her.”
Toorak Win Showed Her True Class
McDonald also noted that comparisons with top-class performers such as Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi may have overshadowed Lady Shenandoah’s own achievements.
“I agree with that, but I think her ideal trip is 1400,” he said.
“She’s very, very quick and probably people don’t give her credit for that because when she has raced in 1400m races, it’s been against Autumn Glow, it’s been against the best, Sheza Alibi.
“You can’t hide, there’s nowhere to hide when she gets that level.”
He pointed to her Group 1 Toorak Handicap victory under top weight as further evidence of her quality.
“Now she’s won a Toorak with 58 kilos, that’s incredible and then she’s gone back to mare’s grade and won really well,” McDonald said.
“One thing about her, she’ll always run to a very high level so for horses to get to her she won’t decrease, she just turns up and gets the job done.”
Friendly Carnival Rivalry Continues
The victory also gave McDonald some bragging rights in his ongoing Melbourne Carnival competition with fellow star jockey Mark Zahra.
“I’ve been going backwards and forwards with Zahra,” he added.
“He’s been giving me a bit of stick in that.
“We’ve got a beer on this carnival on who can get the most wins and when he won the Coolmore he goes, ‘I got the one that mattered’.”
Lady Shenandoah’s emphatic Empire Rose Stakes success capped another tremendous chapter in her already distinguished career and confirmed she remains one of Australia’s premier weight-for-age mares. After back-to-back Group 1 victories this spring, the classy daughter of Snitzel has once again proven that when she gets the right conditions, few mares in training can match her brilliance.
Empire Rose Stakes 2026 Results & Finishing Order
| 1. Lady Shenandoah (8) 57kg2×441 | ||
| 10. Concord Connie (6) 56.5kg11×23 | ||
| 2. Idle Flyer (7) 57kg64405 | ||
| 9. Sass Appeal (5) 56.5kgx1442 | ||
| 3. Surfin’ Bird (9) 57kg1×411 | ||
| 11. Pillow Fight (3) 56.5kg2×652 | ||
| 4. Cilacap (4) 57kg831×5 | ||
| 7. Jenni Multabella (2) 57kg31222 | ||
| 8. Salty Pearl (1) 56.5kg5×346 | ||
| 5. Unleeshing (10) 57kgx2211 | ||
| 6. Pondalowie (11) 57kgx8156 |
