Begg keen to strike early blow with Sydney autumn carnival team

2 weeks ago 2

By Craig Kerry

February 19, 2026 — 5.00pm

Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg expects comeback galloper Cilacap to make a good first impression for his team heading to Sydney for the autumn carnival when she races in the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes on Saturday at Rosehill.

The four-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon travelled to Sydney last week in preparation for the fillies and mares 1300m feature, where she was a $14 TAB chance.

With four wins in eight starts, all in Melbourne, Cilacap will be chasing higher honours in Sydney after already adding listed and Group 3 victories to her name a year ago.

She was then sidelined for 36 weeks after having arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip in her knee following a 10th in the Easter Cup at Caulfield last April.

The $300,000 yearling buy, which started with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees before her Victorian owners wanted to race her closer to home, returned in the listed Xmas Stakes at Sandown on Boxing Day, finishing four lengths off winner Hedged in seventh.

Begg then gave her a break with a view to building towards the Sydney autumn carnival, where the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 14 is her main target.

Chris Waller-trained Lazzura ($2.50) shapes as the one to beat on Saturday but Begg expected Cilacap to be finishing strongly under jockey Nash Rawiller.

“She ran very well first up then we backed off her, gearing up to go to Sydney,” Begg said.

“She does like a bit of give in the ground and we felt you are more likely to get that in Sydney than in Melbourne over the carnival.

“She’s prepped very well, she’s had a nice jump-out in between at Cranbourne two weeks ago.

“Obviously, Lazzura will be hard to beat, but we are very happy with where we are at.

“She’ll be hitting the line all right, we expect her to run well.”

Rosehill was a soft 5 on Thursday with the chance of more showers to come but also a top of 33 degrees on Saturday.

Begg said Everest runner Magic Time, exciting five-year-old mare She’s A Hustler and last-start Twilight Glow Stakes winner Ruska Roma were also heading to Sydney.

Tesio Stakes and Sandown Classic winner She’s A Hustler, which has seven victories and four seconds from her 11 starts, could clash with unbeaten star Autumn Glow in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf on April 11 at Randwick.

“She’s going to run in the Queen Of The Turf first-up, then she will go on to Brisbane after that,” Begg said.

Six-year-old mare Magic Time, a Group 1, 2 and 3 winner in Sydney at this time of year, will run first-up in the William Reid Stakes at Caulfield on March 21 then head north for the TJ Smith or All Aged Stakes.