Aeliana Edges Dubai Honour by Short Head in G1 Tancred Stakes

A rating of 106.5 is the number that separates good staying mares from great ones in Australian racing. Aeliana earned that career-high WFA mark at Rosehill on Saturday, grinding down UK veteran Dubai Honour by a short head over 2400 metres in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes, completing a Ranvet-Tancred double within seven days and drawing the most loaded comparison in Australian racing from premier trainer Chris Waller.

"Aeliana might be the new Verry Elleegant," Waller said after the four-year-old mare went one better than the late champion, who had finished second in the 2020 Ranvet before dominating the Tancred as a four-year-old herself.

The race delivered the drama the 2400-metre test demands. Tom Marquand had the William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour, the defending Tancred champion, in full flight approaching the turn, the eight-year-old opening a huge lead that looked for all the world like a race-stealing move. James McDonald tracked him down. Aeliana lifted late, reeled in the front-runner, and held on by a short head at the wire.

The margin was tight but the performance was not. Aeliana had produced almost identical grit a week earlier, running down stablemate Lindermann in the Ranvet at 2000 metres to set up the seven-day double. In doing so, she bettered what Verry Elleegant had managed across the same sequence: the 11-time Group 1 winner finished second in the 2020 Ranvet before dominating the Tancred as a four-year-old. Aeliana won both.

Trainer Walker, who had cause to celebrate across two venues on Saturday, summed up the photo finish with characteristic directness. "It was the NZB Kiwi photo all over again," he said. "She just ran around a bit, but it was great for the filly. We had a group 1 at home today and a group 1 here, so it's a very special day." Walker confirmed Belle Cheval would move to his Cranbourne stable to spell before a spring campaign.

The afternoon also made a personal statement for jockey Lloyd. The Tancred win was Lloyd's fifth career Group 1, arriving just a week after his Golden Slipper success aboard Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr-trained Guest House at the same track. He did not stop there: Matt Smith-trained Idle Flyer gave Lloyd a Group 2 in the Emancipation Stakes, Price-Kent jnr-prepared Welwal added a Group 3 in the Doncaster Prelude, and Annie's Rose had opened his afternoon by winning the Midway. Four wins. Three stakes. One extraordinary day.

A 106.5 WFA rating for a four-year-old mare who has just completed the Ranvet-Tancred double is the kind of number that earns a horse a place at the very top of the staying program. At 2000 to 2400 metres, Aeliana has not merely confirmed herself as an elite stayer; she has made the numerical argument that her connections should be targeting the biggest staying races the Australian calendar offers.