Going Global is living up to her name, as the eight-time U.S. graded-stakes winner makes her Australia debut this Friday night at Rosehill.

A record number of international horses have traveled to Sydney for the AU$40 million (about $26.5 million US) Autumn Racing Carnival. Two horses prepared by Joseph O’Brien (one favored against Going Global) also feature on a 10-Race program that includes eight Group races. The card will broadcast live on FanDuel TV and is available to stream on the Sky Racing World App, with first post scheduled for 9:10 p.m. EDT.

Following Going Global’s victorious American swan song in October, trainer Phil D’Amato labeled her “the epitome of a champion in my heart. She just has all the attributes, the heart, the will and an unbelievable turn of foot.”

The 2021 Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner sold for $2.5 million at Fasig-Tipton’s November sale, then crossed the Pacific to join the barn of champion Sydney conditioner Chris Waller. Going Global (15-1) has drawn an extremely wide gate for Friday night’s Emancipation Stakes (G2), at 7 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares, carded as the day’s sixth race. She will also face the query of a wet surface, after relishing California’s firm footing.

Her competition includes the O’Brien-trained favorite Statement (7-2), who also makes her Aussie debut and comes off a similar layoff to Going Global. Statement, who has fared much better at the post position draw, was last seen winning the Concorde (G3) at this distance in Ireland. Both mares will have an even bigger target in sight: the Queen of the Turf (G1) on April 7, part of the championships at Randwick. The championships are a Breeders’ Cup-style event, boasting eight Group 1 races across two Friday nights: March 31 and April 7.    

Joseph O’Brien, who has sent five horses to chase Sydney’s riches, also has Cleveland set for an Australian debut in Friday night’s Tancred (G1, Race 8) at 1 1/2 miles. After Cleveland finished second at Royal Ascot going 1 3/4 miles (in just his sixth career start), he was purchased by a prominent Australian owner as a prospect for elite marathon races Down Under. O’Brien has already trained two Melbourne Cup winners for the father-son team of Lloyd and Nick Williams: Rekindling (2017) and Twilight Payment (2020).

In Friday night’s Tancred, Cleveland (8-1) will rub shoulders with a pair of Melbourne Cup-winning horses: 2019 victor Vow And Declare (12-1), and last November’s winner Gold Trip (7-2). Gold Trip also began his career in Europe.

While the Melbourne Cup remains the “holy grail” for the world’s best marathon horses, the Tancred is a proven stepping stone to a lucrative shorter-term goal, the Sydney Cup (G1) on April 7. The Tancred field also includes a son of Frankel named King Frankel (12-1), who had a three-race win streak snapped last start when favorite but has the capacity to rebound.

On a program of incredible depth and intrigue, numerous other races feature Australian debuts of highly regarded horses. Full of Sincerity, a last start third in the New Zealand Derby, is 5-2 favorite for the Tulloch (G2), carded as the day’s third race.

The Neville Sellwood (G3), the fourth race, contains a quartet of fresh faces, each with new Australian trainers: Gear Up (9-1) is a Group 1 winner in France who defeated Cleveland last summer in Ireland; Fancy Man (14-1) has six Group 3 placings in England; Magical Lagoon (40-1) won last year’s Group 1 Irish Oaks; and Third Realm (9-1) carries the lightest credentials but has been training very forwardly.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s star 3-year-old filly, Prowess, brings a six-for-eight career record to the Vinery Stud (G1), the seventh race of the day. Prowess, who beat older males last start at G1 level, is the 8-5 favorite while returning to her own age and sex; 2-1 second wagering choice, Pavitra, is a highly promising Australian daughter of American Pharoah.

Times Square, Group 1-placed at Longchamp as a 2- and 3-year-old filly, contests the Doncaster Prelude (G3), the ninth race. Times Square (15-1) has landed in the barn of potent Australian training team Ciaron Maher and David Eustace (who also train Gold Trip). The reigning champion trainers of Melbourne, who lead the nation in races won this season, have recently increased their stall allocation in Sydney.  Citing “the unprecedented growth of Sydney racing,” Maher has identified the Harbor City as “obviously where we want to expand our presence … it’s a real growth area for our business.”

From Dubai to Sydney, top-flight horse racing is, indeed, “going global” this weekend. Ironically, a horse named Dubai Honour competed on the World Cup card last year but is currently in Sydney. The William Haggas trainee created an enormous impression winning his Australian debut last week, less than an hour before Australia’s best horse, Anamoe, won his ninth Group 1. The pair will collide on April 7 in the $3.32 million Queen Elizabeth (G1), the marquee race at Randwick.

The Rosehill card will be broadcast live on FanDuel TV this Friday night, with first post scheduled for 9:10 p.m. EDT, alongside cards from Wyong, Eagle Farm and Ascot.

About Michael Wrona

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael’s vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders’ Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

Coverage of Randwick for Horse Racing Nation is made possible through a sponsorship by Sky Racing World.