GOLDEN CROSS SCORES A BIG CUP WIN FOR BRYAN DAIS AND ARCHIE MCCOLM AT MURWILLUMBAH

By Graham Potter | Friday, August 21, 2026

Trainer Bryan Dais’s hot run of form burnt away the opposition in the $85 000 Murwillumbah Cup when the five-year-old gelding Golden Cross stormed down the outside in the home straight to complete a hat trick of his own and give Dias a fifth winner from his last seven runners.

Golden Cross, the $6.50 second favourite raced well back for much of the race but, ultimately, two moments of concentrated acceleration, at different stages in the race, played a pivotal part in Golden Cross going in to secure an outstanding victory.

The first came when Archie McColm urged Golden Cross forward throughout the sweep to the home turn with the Dais trained runner rapidly making up ground before cornering five wide, but now nicely in touch with the leaders.

While there was really no let-up in Golden Cross’s long, sustained run … and the momentum always appeared to be with him … it was another change of gear inside the final 200m that sealed the result as Golden Cross ran right away from the $71 outsider Kairos Louie who had raced into real contention along the inside, momentarily looking like he was going to stay with Golden Cross.

Kairos Louie stayed on for second. The winning margin was 2.59 lengths with the balance of the field well and truly strung out behind that.

There was also a story within a story as the very promising apprentice Archie McColm completed a notable double on the day, having saluted on the Adam Campton trained Krakarib earlier in the $40 000 BF Charman Sprint.

McColm cut his teeth in racing at Murwillumbah long before he became an apprentice, having watched and helped his father, the very astute David McColm, train with great success out of Murwillumbah … he won the $2 million Kosciuszko with Far Too Easy … a learning opportunity, both in terms of the skills and the discipline required to get head in the game, which has clearly served the young rider well.

The $2.05 race favourite, the Ciaron Maher trained Rock Empire, had every chance but weakened to finish out of the placings.

The Murwillumbah Cup result was a very important result for the winner and runner-up as the race comes with a ‘Big Dance Eligibility’ ticket for the first two runners across the line. (The Big Dance is a $3 million race which will contested at Royal Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day).