Underwood Stakes Day Review

Alligator Blood wins the Group 1 Underwood Stakes

As the best races were to be run towards the late afternoon, I took my time getting to Caulfield, arriving just after 1.10 pm.

I watched, but did not photograph Race 3, the Pancare Recycle Plate, which was won by Cardigan Queen from Seradess and Le Danseuse Rouge.

The earlier races were not that interesting, but I got in some photography practice during the next few races.

Race 4 was the Here For The Horses Handicap for mares run over 1400 metres, which resulted in a win for the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman runner Nunthorpe, who won easily from Frigid and Yellow Sam.

Nunthorpe on her way to the barriers

Oz Empress won Race 5, the Jim Moloney Stakes, with De Sonic Boom and Poifect filling the minor places.

Oz Empress leads to the finish ahead of De Sonic Boom and Poifect

Buffalo River was the victor in Race 6, the Testa Rossa, leading from the start to the finish to narrowly hold out challengers Savannah Cloud and Corner Pocket.

Buffalo River wins the Testa Rossa

The next race held considerably more interest, it being the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, where Steparty, winner of all five of his starts won the bickies from Southport Tycoon and Scentify by a short margin.

Steparty (no 3) coming wide to overtake the leaders of the Guineas Prelude

Steparty about to hit the front as they race to the finish line

There was one more race before the feature Group 1 and this was the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup (registered as the Naturalism Stakes), run over 2000 metres, where the winner earns a chance to run in the Caulfield Cup.

Uncle Bryn won the privilege from race favourite Floating Artist with Alaskan God running third.

Uncle Bryn on his way to winning the MRC Foundation Cup

The Group 1 Underwood Stakes is run over 1800 metres and has been won by top class horses, most memorably from my point of view by It’s A Dundeel ten years ago in 2013, where he defeated star mare Atlantic Jewel, the one and only time that she was beaten in a race.

This year’s edition had attracted a good field of stayers that included the likes of Vow And Declare who had  won the 2019 Melbourne Cup.

Alligator Blood was the warm favourite and he prevailed, winning by over length from Tuvalu with Duais running third.

Alligator Blood on his way to the barriers

It was a bright sunny day last Saturday, perfect for an afternoon at the races.

Caulfield Racecourse is going through some kind of upgrade, so several areas that were accessible in the past were off limits, but surprisingly it was relatively easy to get a position on the fence to take photos.

Let’s hope that by the time the Caulfield Cup is run the renovations will be less obstructive and more areas will be open.

The main race meeting next week is on Friday night at Moonee Valley with the Group 1 Moir Stakes being the feature event, starring New Zealand mare Imperatriz, so next Saturday I will be watching the racing action at home for a change.

Queens of the Turf – Makybe Diva Stakes Day

Makybe Diva Statue at Flemington

When I read that Makybe Diva, three time Melbourne Cup winner, was to make a special appearance at Flemington, how could I not attend.

Fortunately there were no public transport disruptions last Saturday, so I arrived at Flemington shortly after 1.00 pm, in time for Race 3, The Sofitel, a race over 1400 metres.

This resulted in a win for Kalino who narrowly beat Umgawa and Detonator Jack.

The Sofitel finish – Kalino is the widest in purple silks

With time in hand I decided to tramp up to the stalls area for a look at Makybe Diva who was in Stall number 1.

A big crowd of admirers surrounded her stall, but I managed to get a few photos, including one of her with Glen Boss who rode her in all three of her Melbourne Cup victories from 2003 to 2005.

Glen Boss is obviously delighted to see Makybe Diva again

Makybe Diva in the stalls area

There was display on the public lawn close to her statue of symbols of her three Melbourne Cups.

Makybe Diva’s Cups Display

All this dilly dallying in the stalls caused me to miss Race 4, the Poseidon Stakes, but I had returned to my usual spot for Race 5, the Exford Plate, which was won by Griff from Surprise Coming and King of Fighters.

Griff (no 8) is the widest with Surprise Coming in yellow silks

The feature race of the day was of course the Makybe Diva Stakes, scheduled as Race 7, so there was still one more race to run before it occurred. Luckily, the weather on Saturday was fine and sunny, so it was pleasant to bask in the sun after the chill winter we had recently experienced.

This was the Cap D’Antibes Stakes, a sprint over 1100 metres that had attracted a largish field of 19 runners.

Shesallshenanigans (a mouthful of a name) was the victor at big odds, beating Stretan Angel and Skirt The Law to the post.

Shesallshenanigans (foreground)  wins the Cap D’Antibes Stakes.

Finally it was time for the Makybe Diva Stakes and the result was pretty much as predicted by the experts with Mr Brightside, tongue lolling out, winning the bickies from Alligator Blood with Osipenko running third and Princess Grace fourth.

Mr Brightside wins the 2023 Makybe Diva Stakes from Alligator Blood

Mr Brightside on his way to the barriers

Alligator Blood on his way to the barriers

Osipenko on his way to the barriers

Princess Grace on her way to the barriers

Mr Brightside celebrates with his connections in the mounting yard

Mr Brightside has won his last five races and is one of the shining lights of the Spring racing season.

Another bright light of this Spring is undoubtedly Amelia’s Jewel who contested and won the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Amelia’s Jewel was bred in West Australia and has had ten starts for eight wins and two seconds.

The Let’s Elope Stakes was her first start in Melbourne and she passed the test with flying colours, doing it easily after drawing the widest gate, winning by over a length from Life Lessons and El Patroness.

Amelia’s Jewel parading in the mounting yard

Amelia’s Jewel on her way to the barriers

Amelia’s Jewel overtaking Life Lessons & El Patroness

Amelia’s Jewel returns to scale after winning the Let’s Elope Stakes

I’m pleased that I was there to see her in the flesh and hope I get to see her race again later in the Spring. There is some talk of her tackling the Cox Plate.

It was pleasant being back at the big track. The roses were not yet in bloom; no doubt timed as always to reappear in stunning arrays during the Melbourne Cup  Carnival.

Next Saturday I plan to head to Caulfield for the running of the Group 1 Underwood Stakes.

Feehan Stakes Day at Moonee Valley

Pinstriped on his way to winning the 2023 Feehan Stakes

The weather was awful – a brisk cold wind and the occasional shower marring the afternoon, but the racing made it worth while attending Feehan Stakes Day at Moonee Valley.

Particularly impressive was the sensational win by New Zealand mare Imperatriz of the Group 2 McEwen Stakes.

As the best races were scheduled towards the latter part of the afternoon, I took my time getting to track, arriving just before Race 5, the Listed McKenzie Stakes, run over 1200 metres.

A contest for three year old colts and geldings, Steparty started as the warm favourite and didn’t disappoint, winning by a length from Scentify, with Brave Mead taking third spot.

Steparty wins the McKenzie Stakes

With a bit of time to kill before the next race, I headed off to the stalls interested in getting photos of New Zealand mare Imperatriz and Giga Kick.

This I succeeded in doing, both horses being stabled close to each other in Stalls 135 and 137.

Imperatriz

Giga Kick

Race 6 was the Atlantic Jewel Stakes, also run over 1200 metres, but for three year old fillies.

Charm Stone came out the winner in this case, beating Inhibitions by over a length.

Charm Stone wins the Atlantic Jewel Stakes

Run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres, Race 7 was the Strathmore Community Bendigo Bank Handicap, where a large field of stayers were kicking off their spring campaigns.

English bred Future History started as favourite, but he was upstaged by Young Werther with Born A King running third.

Young Werther holds off a challenge from Future History to win Race 7

Up next was the Group 2 McEwen Stakes, the pick of the afternoon, a sprint over 1000 metres and seen as a match race between Imperatriz and Giga Kick, the latter being the hot favourite.

It was an exciting competition with Giga Kick being slow to begin tailing the field for most of the race, until his jockey, Craig Williams, urged him forward  as they entered the straight. Imperatriz swept past all the contenders to register a sensational  2½ lengths win from Rothfire. Giga Kick ended up finishing third.

Imperatriz wins the McEwen Stakes

Giga Kick and Rothfire vie for second place

The feature Feehan Stakes was certainly  upstaged by the McEwen Stakes, but worth lingering at the track for.

The highly touted, so far unbeaten, Globe was the favourite, but he faded to finish last after racing on the pace from the beginning. It was discovered that he suffered Cardiac Arrhythmia during the race and was eased out of the running.

Pinstriped won the Golden Ticket into the Cox Plate beating Attrition by one length with Tuvalu filling third place.

Throughout the afternoon a band on the public lawn had been entertaining the crowd with tasteful covers of popular songs, including Moonee Valley favourite Horses where I found it amusing to note the drunks dancing and singing along.

 
A portion of the band

And so ended another afternoon at the races.

I was pleased to have attended the event and glad to have witnessed a potential new sprinting Queen of the Turf in Imperatiz.

She will do all her Spring racing in Melbourne, so I’ll get to see her again later in the season.

Next Saturday I hope to attend the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes meeting at Flemington, where the grand old lady and triple Melbourne Cup winner, Makybe Diva herself, will be a special guest.

Also on the program is star Western Australian mare Amelia’s Jewel contesting either the feature Group 1 race or the Let’s Elope Stakes.