Gladiola blooms in Group 1 Moir as Mott and McArdle combine for first Group 1 in partnership

Sprinting mare My Gladiola secured a much-deserved first Group 1 success, claiming the Moir Stakes at Sandown at her first start in her four-year-old season.

In what was an on-pace dominated edition of the 1000-metre sprint, Jamie Mott sat My Gladiola just behind the slick tempo set by Cavalry Girl and Natural Fling.

As Cavalry Girl swung wider on the turn, Mott cut back to the inside and it was a stirring battle between the two four-year-old mares over the final 200 metres.

Mott’s strength came to the fore, and he urged the John McArdle-trained daughter of I Am Invincible to a 0.35l victory, with race favourite Natural Fling another 0.75l away in third.

It was a fifth Group 1 for Mott, but among the most significant, given his long association with McArdle and the fact he had ridden My Gladiola in her defeats in both the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and the Lightning Stakes last season.

“I’m actually really emotional. Just to do it for John is just unbelievable,” he said.

“He’s had a Group 1 winner in the past and he’s loyal to me as a jockey, and I’ve loved working closely with him and his team,” he said.

“Obviously with her coming along, she’s been so special. (She was) yet to tick off that Group 1, but we knew she was good enough.

“I’m absolutely over the moon. My fifth Group 1 and I haven’t been this emotional (for the others), so it’s pretty special.”

For Mornington-based McArdle, it was his first Group 1 in 21 years, since Hollow Bullet won the Tancred Stakes in 2005.

“She has run against the best her entire career. We ran second to Tentyris a couple of times. They ran incredible times and she was deserving of this,” he said.

“I didn’t think it was going to be today. I did before the rains came. All the team at home have done a great job with her.”

McArdle said the victory was all the more sweet because of Mott’s involvement.

 “Motty has been our stable rider for a long time. When he was getting a couple of rides in the bush, we were putting him on in Group races with Humma Humma,” he said.

“I always said, ‘you stick with me, I’ll stick with you’ and we have. We’ve been close plenty of times and now we’ve done it.”

Long-term plans for the flying mare include a possible trip to Royal Ascot in 2027.

Moir Stakes | My Gladiola

She's a sprinting star! The grey mare, My Gladiola, wears down Cavalry Girl to claim her first Group 1 under the urging of Jamie Mott ⭐️

📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/HEhdpozFmy pic.twitter.com/0ndWGSpp1g

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 5, 2026

My Gladiola was bred by Kia Ora Stud and while she was a $550,000 buy out of its draft by McArdle at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Kia Ora stayed in the ownership.

She is out of the multiple stakes-winning Not A Single Doubt mare Villa Verde, who is closely related to fellow black-type winners Doubtland and Pretty Fast. It is also the family of the champion two-year-old of the 1980s, Rory’s Jester.

It was a big day for star sprinting four-year-old mares after Tempted confirmed she was on track for The Everest with a brilliant win for trainer Ciaron Maher and owners Godolphin in the Group 2 Concorde Stakes.

Both the Sandown and the Randwick meetings were impacted by inclement weather, with lightning causing a postponement of the final two races in Melbourne, while a freak wind gust knocked over the running rail in Sydney, causing a delay in the Chelmsford Stakes, which was won by Lindermann.