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Live sport on SN this weekendThe Western Front shows staying prowess
NZ Racing Desk • April 4th, 2026 4:30 pm
The Western Front outstays his rivals to win the Bert Bryant Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield | Photo: Bruno Cannatelli
The Mornington Cup (2400m) could be on The Western Front’s agenda after the New Zealand-bred gelding outstayed his opposition in the A$80,000 Bert Bryant Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained five-year-old was previously a four-time winner between 1535m and 2025m, but the latter – a Benchmark 70 handicap at Cranbourne two starts ago on February 20 – was the longest distance he had attempted in his career until Saturday.
The Lindsay Park team decided to test his stamina with the step up to 2400m at Caulfield, and The Western Front gave them exactly what they were hoping to see.
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse initially went back to second-last with The Western Front, then allowed him to surge forward into fourth in a promising move approaching the home turn.
The Western Front showed plenty of greenness down the straight, lugging in while turning his head towards the Caulfield grandstand, but he nevertheless finished over the top of Xtra Rush and Kurakka and went on to win by three-quarters of a length.
JD Hayes indicated that The Western Front may now be given a black-type opportunity in the A$300,000 Listed Mornington Cup on April 18.
“It was a terrific ride by Daniel,” he said. “We put the earmuffs on, because he’s a little bit of his own worst enemy, and you will have seen there was a little bit of a discussion between horse and jockey early in the race. But thankfully he put his head down and travelled through the field strongly and he was very strong to the line.
“It was lovely to see him out over this trip and rounding off a strong race. We could potentially look at the Mornington Cup – that’s a Monday discussion.”
Racing in the colours of syndicators Ace Bloodstock, The Western Front has now had 15 starts for five wins, three placings and A$178,150 in stakes.
The Western Front was bred by the late Kevin Hickman and is by Inglewood Stud stallion War Decree out of the winning Zacinto mare Rosaeflora.
Offered on Gavelhouse.com as a weanling in June 2021, The Western Front was bought by Ralph Manning for just $1,300. The gelding had two trials for Manning, winning the second one at Cambridge in May of 2024 before being sold to Ace Bloodstock.
“It’s great to get this result for the Ace Bloodstock boys, because we sourced this horse together in New Zealand,” Hayes said. “He’s been a work in progress. He’s won quite a few races, but he’s still so green and raw. We do feel he’s a very nice stayer in the making.”
The Western Front is one of two winners from two foals to race out of Rosaeflora. The Western Front’s older half-sister Elsie May (by Time Test) won twice from just five starts in 2022 and 2023 and finished sixth in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and seventh in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
Rosaeflora was offered during the same June 2021 auction on Gavelhouse.com as her son, in which she was picked up for $500 by Steve Young. She produced filly foals by Vespa in 2021 and Wyndspelle in 2022, and she was served by young Grangewilliam Stud stallion Hilal last spring.
