The Opera House – photo from SMH by Darren Pateman
Yesterday in the NSW country town Wyong, The Opera House finally won a race. It was over 2100 metre and she scored by a comfortable two lengths. I have written about her previously, back in December 2009, when she had her first start in Newcastle. On that occasion she ran fifth.
As I have her in my black book on Racing & Sports, I have been alerted to her runs, and from nine starts she has placed five times, and now won once. She recently raced over 2100 metres at Gosford and came third on that occasion, but it is obvious that like a true Zabeel she appreciates the extra distance.
She is yet to run on a city track, and it will be interesting to see if and when she does, how competitive she will be.
Her breeding is excellent, being a three quarter sister to the great Might & Power, but she is unlikely to attain anywhere near his achievements, which included the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate. I was at Moonee Valley when he won the Cox Plate in 1998 and still remember the occasion vividly.
On the subject of stars of the turf, So You Think will be racing in the UK on Saturday (early Sunday morning here) in the Group One Sandown Coral Eclipse Stakes where he will be out to redeem his shock loss in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot a fortnight ago. He was only beaten by a short margin, when Rewilding pipped him at the post when flogged by Frankie Dettori to the line. Aiden O’Brien’s pacemaker tactics came undone when the pacemaker missed the start, and in making up ground bumped So You Think in passing, causing SYT to over race and go for the line too early. A messy race.
Anyway, despite the opposition being a cut above the norm tomorrow – with top UK racehorses Workforce and Snow Fairy being part of the small field - we in Australia will be cheering on our champ.
Update: Sunday, 3rd July
So You Think was the victor in the Eclipse Stakes beating Workforce by what looked to be a length, after giving him a two length lead. At one stage it looked as if Workforce would win, as So You Think, blocked for a run on the inside, seemed to become unbalanced, but he recovered and stormed down the outside with his characteristic devastating sprint to pass his rival and win.
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