2025 Southern Cross Stakes Day Tips & Preview

Imatruestar has been racing well and is sure to appreciate the drop back to Highway grade.

The Star Turn gelding hasn’t seen the winners’ stall for just over 12 months, but he’s continued to perform well at a higher level and the form around him is solid.

He’s hard fit and under set weights conditions, as well as the 3kg claim for Madeline Owen, he gets in extremely well with just 56kgs.

Pocketing has performed well in all five starts and looks very progressive.

A son of Grunt, the three-year-old won well at Kembla two runs back before a solid effort to finish second at Canterbury, where he charged late into second after being up in the early part of the straight.

With a month since that latest run, he’s nicely placed with the drop back in trip and he looked sharp in a recent Rosehill trial.

Zac Lloyd will take the mount for Richard and Will Freedman and whilst he does rise in grade, he’s sure to appreciate the 5.5kg weight drop.

Burma Star kicks off his preparation.

A son of Exceed And Excel, the Godolphin colt has just had the one start, and it was a very encouraging debut over 1000m at Warwick Farm.

Settling outside the leader, he showed a good kick in the straight and fought strongly but just found one better on the day.

Given time, he looks to have come in top order following a very impressive trial win in what was the fastest heat of the morning.

Tim Clark got a good feel for him in the trial, and he’ll do the steering here for James Cummings.

Snitzel Miss makes her raceday debut.

The Chris Waller trained daughter of Snitzel has been seen in two public trials and her latest was particularly impressive.

Held together, she cruised through the line to win the heat in slick time and looked to have plenty in hand.

James McDonald will take the mount, and I think she’ll give a great sight.

Polyglot proved too good when resuming over the 1100m here a fortnight ago and he looks set for a big campaign.

Allowed to settle just behind the leading pair he travelled sweetly and when asked for an effort in the straight, he extended strongly to pull away over the final part and score comfortably.

The recently gelded son of Lonhro showed plenty of natural talent in his first preparation and looks to have returned bigger and better.

He does have the wide draw to overcome but gets the services of James McDonald, who stays in the saddle for team Godolphin.

Age Of Sail resumed with a very encouraging effort over 1500m here a fortnight ago and he will have taken plenty of improvement from the run.

The former UK galloper was racing well last campaign with very little luck and there’s no doubt his record should read better than it does.

Placed in three of his four second up appearances and placed three times over the 2000m, there’s a lot to like about him here.

He’ll appreciate getting back on a firmer track and with the inside draw, he’s set to receive a cosy run in transit under Kerrin McEvoy.

Step Aside will take his place here after things went awry for him last week.

When resuming at Randwick the Chris Waller trained gelding lost rider Tommy Berry after receiving severe interference when a galloper on his outside clipped heels.

He’s obviously come through the incident unscathed and I’m happy to stick with him.

He boasts a terrific fresh record and looked sharp in his most recent trial where he was very strong through the line when sporting the blinkers.

A very capable galloper, he was unlucky on a couple of occasions last preparation against quality opposition.

The blinkers stay on, and James McDonald will do the steering.

Accredited is in red hot form and will look to make it four straight wins.

The All Too Hard gelding was unlucky not to have won when resuming over 1100m at Canterbury but has taken all before him in three subsequent runs.

He proved too strong for the talented Yorkshire two starts back and was dominant when saluting over 1400m last time.

He was set to start in the Listed Carrington Stakes last week before the race was sensationally scrapped but now with the four weeks between runs, the drop back to 1200m looks ideal.

This will be his toughest test to date but he’s continued to improve and with just 53kgs on his back, I think he’ll be hard to beat.

Inhibitions has been racing well and didn’t have the best of luck last start the Listed Black Pearl.

The daughter of Zoustar recorded a deserved win on the Caulfield Heath two runs back but got a long way back and didn’t have a lot of room over the final stages in the Geelong feature.

Prepared by team Godolphin, the mare has performed consistently throughout her career and with five stakes placings to her name, she’s certainly not short of talent.

She holds a great record over this trip and is sure to make her presence felt.

Yorkshire comes off a dominant victory over 1350m at Wyong and looks well placed to make it back to back wins.

Only lightly raced, having had the six starts, the son of Snitzel is building an enviable record as he works through his grades with ease.

He was only beaten by the barest of margins when resuming at Randwick, he tried hard but just couldn’t get past the race-fit Accredited.

He presents here at peak fitness and way he’s been finding the way suggests he’ll relish the rise to 1500m.

James McDonald jumps aboard for the first time and barrier four should see him afforded all the favours.