Australian Cup 2023 Review

Cascadian wins the 2023 Australian Cup

The Australian Cup used to be run on the same day as the Newmarket Handicap, but this year it was the single feature race two weeks after.

I’m not at all sure that this strategy on the part of Racing Victoria worked, as the other races on the card were not that interesting.

Anyway, it being the final Group 1 race of the Melbourne Autumn carnival, I decided to attend the meeting.

As no City Loop trains were running last Saturday, it was a bit tricky getting to Southern Cross Station to catch the train to Flemington,  but I managed quite comfortably and arrived at the big track at around 1.40 pm.

Race 3 was just about to start as I wandered up the public lawn to the stalls area, so I lingered at the fence to watch favourite Sparkle flash by and win easily by two lengths from Black Penn.

In the stalls area, the first horses I came across were the Living Legends special guests, Harlem and Gailo  Chop  who ran the quinella in the 2018 Australian Cup. Indeed Harlem also won the race again in 2019.

Harlem

Gailo Chop

My main aim whilst I was in the stalls was to get a photo of highly regarded  New Zealand mare Campionessa. Her compatriot and stablemate Imperatriz had won the Group 1 William Reid Stakes the night before at Moonee Valley.

Campionessa

Campionessa was entered in the Australian Cup, and only got a run after several horses were scratched.

Other Australian Cup runners I came across in the stalls were…

El Patroness

Nonconformist

Smokin’  Romans

Cascadian

Bear Story

Yaphet

Figuring I probably needed some action photo practice I abandoned the stalls and wandered up to my favourite spot on the Western Lawn in plenty of time to watch Race 4, the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap, a sprint over 1000 metres.

Kallos won the race from The Bopper with A Very Fine Red finishing third

Kallos wins the Bob Hoysted Handicap

The Bopper

Kallos returns to scale

Race 5, the  Listed Roy Higgins, run over 2600 metres was of more interest as the winner scores a Golden Ticket into the Melbourne Cup.

Goldman led the race from the start to the finish to win by almost three lengths from Soulcombe with Swords Drawn running third a further length behind. Goldman is now early  favourite for the Melbourne Cup, and I  can understand why; it was an impressive win.

Goldman wins the Roy Higgins easily

Soulcombe (blue) & Swords Drawn run second and third

Goldman returns to scale

Soulcombe returns to scale

A couple of years ago speedy mare Sunlight was a big favourite of mine, so it was pleasing to see that she now has a race named in her honour. This was the Listed  Sunlight Classic, a sprint over 1000 metres and run as Race 6 last Saturday at Flemington.

A large field of fifteen runners contested the event and What You Need was the starting favourite. He won convincingly by a length from Renosu and Benedetta.

 
What You Need (navy & white) overtaking  Renosu  and Benedetta to win the Sunlight Classic

What You Need returns to scale

Up next was the feature Group 1 race of the afternoon, the Australian Cup.

Whilst waiting for it to start I checked out the band that was playing in the Elms. Over the afternoon, they had been playing soothing pop numbers, the only one I recognised was Water Melon Sugar, mostly because I have fond memories of reading the book  (by Richard Brautigan) with a similar name in the dim distant past.

Band

It wasn’t the classiest field assembled for the Australian Cup with no real stand out horses. Cascadian started as favourite after his impressive second placing in the All Star Mile.

Here are some photos of the contestants on their way to the barriers…

Cascadian

Emissary

El Patroness

Campionessa

Nonconformist

Pounding

Regal Power

Smokin’ Romans

Numerian

Cascadian won the race in sensational  fashion, storming from the back of field to overtake Numerian who led from the start. Pounding finished third.

Australian Cup finish – another photo

I didn’t hang around after the Australian Cup was run being anxious to catch the first train back to city from Flemington at 4.39 pm.

The focus of Group 1 racing will switch to Sydney from now on with the so called Championships offering plenty of exciting racing action, which I will be content to watch at home.