BARTLEY’S TRIO TO HUNT ANOTHER FOUR PILLARS TRIUMPH

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THERE’S strength in numbers!

At least that’s what Tracey Bartley hopes is the case when he takes three horses to Royal Randwick tomorrow for the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m).

The Wyong horseman, who won the inaugural Four Pillars in 2021 with the now deceased Kiss Sum (who tragically had to be put down after fracturing a pelvis in a track gallop) when it was run at Rosehill Gardens, has the biggest representation in the sixth running of the annual half million dollar feature for eligible Midway and provincial trainers.

His trio is Dusty Bay (Tim Clark), Cuban Cigar (Nash Rawiller) and Titanium Miss (Ash Morgan).

All have big weights – Dusty Bay 63kg, Cuban Cigar 62kg and Titanium Miss 60.5kg – and Bartley resisted the opportunity to book apprentices to lessen their burdens.

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“I said right from the start that I wouldn’t claim if I managed to get runners in the race, and I’m sticking with that,” he said today.

“But the Four Pillars should be a Benchmark 72 Handicap, not a 68.

“It’s a Midway and those races in town are always 72 Handicaps.”

Despite the fact all three will carry big weights, Bartley is confident his trio is ready to run well.

“Dusty Bay was unplaced in the Four Pillars last year from an outside barrier, but will jump from the inside this time following the withdrawal of Octa De Lago,” he said.

“He is coming off an impressive Eagle Farm victory over 1600m at his last start three weeks ago, and should get a nice run from that draw.

“Cuban Cigar has drawn awkwardly, but we will be going forward on him.

“He galloped brilliantly at Wyong on Tuesday morning, and Nash (Rawiller) is the right man for the job.

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“Titanium Miss is racing well without luck.

“She was runner-up at both the Kensington track and Rosehill Gardens, in between ran in the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle last month, and has also drawn well.”

Dusty Bay ($7 second favorite) and Cuban Cigar ($8 third favorite) were well in the market this morning with TAB.com.au in a wide open Four Pillars market, and Titanium Miss was at $17.

Three other provincial trainers have dual representation in the Four Pillars.

Newcastle’s Jason Deamer has Just In Time ($9) and Spaceballs ($11) and Nathan Doyle has Caltsar ($17) and Hellfire Express ($34), and Kembla Grange co-trainers Mitch Beer and George Carpenter have Magical Moments ($10) and Dumebi ($61).

STORY JOHN CURTIS, OCTOBER 30, 2026 - PICS BRADLEY PHOTOS