Sergeant major eyes key role in 2026 Randwick return

Sergeant Major holds a Listed triumph on record, but assistant trainer to Ciaron Maher, Johann Gerard-Dubord, maintains the best is still ahead for the four-year-old.

Gerard-Dubord accepts that the gelding has not fully delivered since his South Pacific Classic (1400m) conquest in last autumn’s Sydney series, yet he is firmly in the horse’s corner.

“If he finally puts it all together, he’s got a lot of ability. We haven’t seen the best of him yet,” Gerard-Dubord said.

Complementing his Sydney autumn carnival win, the horse earned two stakes placings during his three-year-old campaign before faltering in four spring appearances.

An extended break followed his midfield finish at Eagle Farm come November, and Gerard-Dubord views that Queensland stint as ultimately positive despite the racing disappointments.

“In his work, he looks like he could be anything, but he has been a bit disappointing at the races, even though he is a Listed winner,” he said.

“Last prep, we felt he wasn’t going as well as he could and he’s a gelding, so he is always going to keep improving. We stopped, reset and came back at this time of year.

“The trip to Queensland seems to have done the job, like it did with Gringotts and Jimmysstar.

“He has changed physically and mentally. He has done really well.”

Gerard-Dubord sees echoes of Gringotts in Sergeant Major, with the latter peaking later and winning consecutive The Big Dance (1600m) features.

He envisions the gelding potentially stepping up to that level in due course.

“He has always shown a lot of ability, and I have always compared him to Gringotts,” Gerard-Dubord said.

“He could be a Big Dance horse at some stage. We’ll play it by ear. But he is back at a good time, and there are good races in Queensland at the back-end of the carnival if he’s going well enough.”

Betting interest has sparked early for Sergeant Major, who has firmed from $16 to $11 and gets in light at 57kg courtesy of apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald’s 3kg claim.

Head to the racing betting markets for competitive prices on his Randwick comeback in 2026.