Intimations of Spring – Bletchingly Stakes

Vega Magic – 2017 Memsie Stakes

Psyching myself up for the start of the 2018 Spring racing season, I’ve decided to go to Caulfield this coming Saturday for the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes, the last Group race of the 2017/2018 racing year.

Named for champion sire Bletchingly (Kingston Town’s dad),  it’s a dandy race over 1200 metres and this year has attracted a good field of contestants that include Group 1 winners Black Heart Bart and Vega Magic.

The aforementioned are naturally the class horses in the field with Vega Magic likely to start as favourite.  The race is a little short for Black Heart Bart, but others such as Voodoo Lad who won the Group 3 John Monash Stakes at his last start a fortnight ago is likely to be in the finish. Three year old Jukebox ran third in the John Monash after starting favourite, but may have improved on that run, though is not well advantaged at the weights.

The most interesting race of the day is in fact being run at Morphettville where super filly Sunlight is kicking off her spring season in the Listed Lightning Stakes and faces stiff competition from spruiked new sprinter Nature Strip, who has strung together a couple of wins at Flemington recently and is rock hard fit. It looks a fascinating race with these two classy contenders and it’s a toss up which of them will win the bikkies. I’m hoping Sunlight prevails. Astrologically she has the perfect name for the time of year, the dominant zodiac sign being Leo, who is ruled by the sun.

The weather tomorrow in Melbourne is expected to be mild and sunny, so it will be pleasant to be outside for a change and get some photography practice.

With Winx’s first race of Spring only three weeks away,  it won’t be long before the good horses all return to the fray. Winx had her first trial last Monday and looked good despite not winning or even trying to win .  Chautauqua was in the same trial but refused to leave the gates, so his future is uncertain. He did successfully leave the gates a few weeks earlier in a trial at Flemington, so he’s obviously a horse with a will of his own. His connections are understandably puzzled by his attitude as by all reports he is physically fine, though getting on in years.