2026 Carlyon Stakes Day Tips & Preview (Sandown) | Saturday 22 August

Cruiserweight can bounce back on Carlyon Stakes Day. Having recorded a dominant win on debut in France on New Year’s Eve, Cruiserweight hit the ground running in Australia with two dominant victories first and second up. He suffered his first defeat when faced with too much to do from back in the pack at Caulfield last time out, but he’s another one that has been back to the trials, he’s got plenty of upside and gets a ride change with Mark Zahra booked this week.

Run Harry Run attracted late interest in betting ahead of the Mildura Cup last month and produced an eye-catching turn of foot to justify the move, while he franked that performance when getting up again over 1500m up in Sydney. Fitter third-up, back to Victoria and from the good draw, he’ll get some relief in the weights under Jackson Radley, and I can’t find a reason why he won’t be in the finish again.

We haven’t seen Unit Five at the races since February, but after winning the Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic on debut in December, he went up to Queensland and added the lucrative Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast to his CV. The Blue Diamond Stakes could have been an afterthought, and he finished down the order, but he has trialled up very well again and can build on his unbeaten fresh record this week.

Conscience has raced consistently through seven starts since debuting and returned to action to finish second behind an impressive Queen Christine over 1200m here earlier this month. She’s a winner at both this track and at this trip, Blake Shinn is booked to ride and something like this certainly doesn’t look beyond her abilities. With luck in the run, she can fight out the finish again.

We haven’t seen Extragalactic at the races since May, but she was outstanding last time in, winning her first two starts in dominant fashion before finishing the runner up in both the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes and the Group 1 Goodwood. Her fresh record is excellent and with the benefit of a couple of trials under her belt, she can use this as a stepping stone into something stronger.

Tennessee Bound puts her unbeaten record on the line again in the penultimate race on Carlyon Stakes Day. Having recorded three wins from as many starts during her debut prep, Tennessee Bound has picked up where she left off by winning all three this time as well. Getting out to the 1300m at this point of her prep looks to suit, Jabez Johnstone understandably retains the ride after piloting her to all three successes this time in and in peak order, she can get the job done again.

Mukhtalif has been a consistent performer through just seven appearances at the races so far, winning three times, placing as many and finding form around some credible opposition in the process. He won at this point of his last preparation, and I like that his campaign is being launched over the mile – a recent trial suggested he is forward enough to win.