The Australian Guineas – Easy for All Too Hard

All Too Hard – Caulfield 23/2/13

Tomorrow is officially Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, and the weather today, after two weeks of 30C plus temperatures, has cooled down considerably to mark the change of seasons.

More appropriate one would think for the Melbourne Autumn racing carnival, which continues this weekend at Flemington, featuring the Group One Australian Guineas. 

It is a race for three year olds over 1600 metres and has attracted a full field of 16 youngsters willing to take on All Too Hard. He is certainly living up to his big sister’s accomplishments, so far this season being unbeaten with two Group One races on the trot. He should be able to add the Australian Guineas to his record on Saturday as he is the standout performer in the field. He has drawn Barrier 14, but that shouldn’t be a problem as he usually runs towards the middle or end of the field, then storms home late.  The best of his opposition appear to be Philippi, Sheer Talent, Force Command, Ajeeb and sole filly You’re So Good who will possibly be fighting for the minor places.

In Sydney at Rosehill the Group Two Hobartville Stakes (1400 metres) is the most interesting race of the day. It has a super field with triple crown winner Pierro resuming, as well as Proisir. It’s A Dundeel, Rebel Dane, Mulaazem and Sacred Falls, all very smart colts, will ensure that it is an exciting race. Gai Waterhouse insists that Pierro is better than All Too Hard, and so we all thought until All Too Hard beat Pierro in the Caulfield Guineas.  Whether the two colts will meet again in competition remains to be seen.

I will not be attending the races this weekend, but think I might go along to the Newmarket/Australian Cup meeting the following weekend. I’ve never been to it, so should at least experience the autumn super Saturday at Flemington at least once in my life.

Meanwhile, here at home, renovations are in full swing. I won’t elaborate here, but write a separate post soon.

Update Sunday:

All Too Hard was scratched from the Guineas early yesterday morning, reportedly suffering from a cold.

The race was won by Ferlax, not one of the fancied runners with filly You’re So Good running second and Sheer Talent coming third. Ferlax was having his first city run, though he had previously won his first three runs on country tracks. I must say I dismissed him as a likely chance when I looked at the form. That’s horse racing, as they say.