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.