2025-26 season in review

Aug 2, 2026

As the curtain is officially drawn on season 2025/26 regeneration is once again embraced. Will the mooted baton change from PRIVATE EYE to his little brother KING’S SECRET actually take place? Can IN FLIGHT win a Group 1? Are there any hidden gems to emerge amongst the 60 unraced horses on the Proven roster?

To be engaged in this great game is to live and breathe optimism. As an old racing wag once said, “you’ll get a sore neck looking backwards” but as a new season dawns, it’s important to review, analyse and learn from the past.

Casting an objective eye over the last year, our total number of winners dropped from 60 in 2024/25 to 48, yet critically the ratio of metropolitan winners to overall, rose to 44% from 42%.

Which is not to belittle any victor, given success on the Acton Track at Canberra in the middle of winter right through to the big stage, is still and always will be, a thrill. However, Metro winners render a horse viable long term and that is clearly the primary aim.

As highlighted in last season’s review, only about 10% of the racehorse population manage to win in the city so posting that 44% ratio is very satisfying.

In saying that, our total prizemoney earned dipped to $3.6m from $5.1m but that’s perhaps more a reflection of less winners, as the overall quality of the victorious, has obviously been maintained.

The Proven Thoroughbreds operation would not be possible were it not for the ongoing support of so many loyal owners, our talented quartet of trainers and their staff plus our spelling, pre-training and breaking farms along with vets, farriers and chiropractors.

Racing is a team game and our mantra for any success is the simple adage that a pleasure shared, is a pleasure enhanced.

STAR PERFORMERS

PRIVATE EYE

With the 9 candles on his birthday cake barely blown out, this ageless warrior keeps delivering. Appropriately his 9 run campaign in 25/26 yielded victories at GROUP 2 & 3 level, 2nds in the Tramway & Pakenham’s Supernova, a 3rd in the Hallmark and another gallant close up run, when 5th in the Stradbroke. Age has not wearied this extraordinary gelding whose 14 wins and 12 places from 52 starts have his prizemoney total nudging $13m. As he prepares to put the pads on again early in the season, it’s remarkable to note over so many seasons of elite racing, that he’s able to sustain a 50% win/place strike rate.

IN FLIGHT

Bonny mare is perhaps an over used description but this now 6yo daughter of FLYING ARTIE, crowned a tremendous career in season 25/26 with her triumph in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick. Astonishing that a mare of her class against her own sex went out at $15 that day, on what the market deemed unsuitable firm ground. But good horses make liars of tipsters over and over again. She will race on well into next year provided she can maintain her 9-4-1 scoresheet from 25 starts. She’s come a long way from her modest 11th of 12 debut at her home track as an autumn juvenile.

KING’S SECRET

Like his older half sibling PRIVATE EYE and IN FLIGHT, this emerging sprinter is yet another graduate of Kerrie Tibbey’s Goodwood Farm and prepared by Joe Pride at Warwick Farm. “Junior” as KING’S SECRET is fittingly named by the stable, takes an ultra-consistent 14:6-3-3 CV into the Spring after nailing his first stakes win in the Listed Canterbury Sprint back in January. Joe has an open mind in regards to a campaign plan but will likely avoid the Everest heat and target Melbourne Sprints. The 5yo son of SHALAA is adept from 1000m-1200m but what level he can attain and how he manages interstate trips, will hopefully be answered in the near future.

THE BLACK CLOUD

Showed once again what a versatile and adept traveling sprinter she is when securing a valuable stakes success in the Listed Bribie at Eagle Farm over the Summer. This daughter of SHAMUS AWARD has previously graced the winner’s circle down the straight at Flemington, at Sydney’s HQ Randwick and been placed at Rosehill, Canterbury and Caulfield. Surprisingly, she’s never lined up at Warwick Farm though that has more to do with Racing NSW’s relegation of her home track to just a midweek venue than any aversion to competing at home.

ONES TO WATCH

COLUMBIA BLUE

A late maturing, lightly raced 5yo son of YES YES YES who has only been out of the money once in 8 starts, his 4 blue ribbons include Rosehill and Canterbury. To what degree Joe Pride can work his astonishing longevity skills on this horse, will be revealed as 26/27 unfolds. Looks very capable of reaching off season Open company on affected ground though ceilings are hard to calculate so early in a career.

APEX PREDATOR

This unbeaten filly’s two wins didn’t incite any lavish praise, nor should they given the figures and margins she recorded. However, there was a very determined look about this gal who can race on speed and has already got to 1350m very early in her short racing life. Trainer Matt Hoysted has successfully taken quality horses south in the past and may well be loading APEX onto the truck through the Spring though like all promising horses, she needs to keep improving to earn an extended floating fee.

BANG ON TIME

Has overcome significant injuries which has seen her trips to the races limited to just three, most unusual for a 5yo. She’s a winner and placegetter already and surprisingly for an ALMANZOR with a distaff side bathed in stamina, she’s shaping as more of a sprinter. Kerry Parker will initially aim this mare for Midways and then perhaps something deeper, depending on how her career develops.

SIRES ON FIRE

STATE OF REST


Newgate Farm

Wow, that’s some start! From his first 5 runners in Europe, STATE OF REST has produced 3 winners, one of them by 9 lengths! This high class racehorse has burst from the blocks in his latest profession so it’s going to be fascinating witnessing the fortunes of his Southern Hemisphere sons and daughters. As a Cox Plate and Royal Ascot victor and a Group 1 winning passport that was stamped in 4 different countries, this sire can add to Australia’s relatively low middle distance stocks.

Proven currently has bargain-priced shares available in the STATE OF REST x RUSSIAN GLAM 2yo colt in training with Kerry Parker.

GHAIYYATH

Darley

His stock really stood up as 3yos in 25/26, posting 31 winners (5 stakes) from half the runners of his main rivals. The 53.4% strike rate posted is easily the best of the top 15 Second Season Sires, supplemented by $5.6m in prizemoney. Given his progeny’s propensity to stay a trip, the sky’s the limit for this guy as his stock age and mature.

RETIREES

STOCKMAN

Hard to believe it’s all over for this grand old soldier. His age may have ticked over into double figures yet it seemed like he’d be competing forever until finally, a leg injury called time. The son of TAVISTOCK was just starting to find his niche in his second year of jumping, narrowly missing at Hamilton first up in April. A subsequent run on the flat was his last hurrah, pulling up with mild filling. What a faithful servant he was, saddling up 72 times for 10 wins and 14 placings and $1.9m in stakes! The old fella who absolutely loved the life of a racehorse, gave us the thrill of a lifetime when lining up in the 2022 Melbourne Cup. His zest for life will hopefully be maintained in the equestrian arena under the guidance of Isabella Tyson who has provided SCALLOPINI with a similarly joyful post racing vocation.

COSMONOVA

A game little mare whose 5 wins didn’t fall in the just completed season. She did however, run a bold 2nd in the Group 3 Wenona Girl, which precipitated a healthy sale price of $550,000 (following a career that yielded $446,000) for her deserved owners who’d all had a decent swing 4 years prior when she was knocked down to Proven/Pride Racing for $220,000. Beautifully bred being a ZOUSTAR half to a Group 1 winner, we wish Yulong all the best with the next chapter of her life and look forward to seeing her progeny at Sales in years to come.

LOOKING AHEAD

No one ever left this life with an unraced horse in the barn! Well, the Proven colours currently have 60 to unveil so “can’t wait” is an understatement in the extreme. Enough said.

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