Thousand Guineas Day at Caulfield

Joliestar wins the 2023 Thousand Guineas

Melbourne Racing Club has scheduled the Thousand Guineas at various times over the years. For some time it was run on Caulfield Guineas Day, and at other times contested at a mid week meeting during the Caulfield Cup mini carnival.

This year however it was held on Saturday afternoon with the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes added as an extra attraction. Also it was the last Melbourne race meeting for well known jockey Damien Oliver. He seems to have been around forever, but he is to retire at the end of the year.

If I had realised that public transport disruptions made it difficult to get to Caulfield by train, I would not have attended, as it seemed last Saturday that I spent more time travelling to and from the race course, than I passed at the track.

It’s normally pretty easy to get to Caulfield by train, several lines servicing the station, so I set off in the early afternoon and arrived at Flinders Street around 1.30pm.

From there it got tricky, as I discovered after making enquiries at Flinders Street on how to get to Caulfield, being told that I needed to take a train to Burnley Station from where I could connect with a train replacement bus.

As I wasn’t in a great rush and had plenty of time in hand I took the train to Burnley Station and found the replacement bus stop after quite a long walk, and eventually was on an express bus to Caulfield.

So it was getting close to 3.00 pm by the time I reached Caulfield Racecourse.

I was on time and at the fence to watch and photograph Race 6, the Group 3, Blue Sapphire Stakes, a race for three year olds over 1400 metres.

Run Harry Run proved the winner, fighting out the finish with Brave Mead. Arkansaw Kid filled third place.

Run Harry Run (blue & red) & Brave Mead neck and neck down the straight

Arkansaw Kid running third

Having taken so long to get to the track, the first of the Group 1 races was up next, this being the Thousand Guineas.

Coeur Volante started as favourite, but Joliestar was dominant at the finish, winning by over a length from Kimochi with Skybird running third.

Joliestar returns to scale

The Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes was the next to run and a field of 16 runners were contesting the 1400 metre race.

It resulted in Magic Time winning the prize from I Am Me and Straight Acer, running wide to overtake the leaders, finishing a good length in front of I Am Me.

 
Magic Time overtakes I Am Me to win the 2023 Rupert Clarke Stakes

I did not stay for the final two races and thus missed Damien Oliver’s farewell after the last race, opting to catch the tram – a longish scenic journey through the Eastern suburbs that eventually delivered me to Flinders Street Station from where I took a train home.

Champions Stakes Day at Flemington

As the sign above the gate to the Mounting Yard proclaimed, it was Champion’s Stakes Day at Flemington, the last day of the Flemington Melbourne Cup mini carnival, so forth I went last Saturday to catch the action.

There were three Group 1 races on the card, a sprint – the Champions Sprint, a race over 1600 metres dubbed the Champions Mile and the Champions Stakes, run over 2000 metres.

Quality fields had accepted on the day, making it worth attending.

I was particularly interested in seeing Imperatriz, the super New Zealand mare, running in the sprint.

It was a coolish kind of day, a chill wind spoiling the afternoon somewhat despite the bright sunshine.

As the Group 1 races were scheduled for mid to late afternoon, I took my time getting to Flemington, arriving around 2.00 pm, just before the running of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

I watched the race from a distance and noted that Muramasa was the winner with Ladies Man running second ahead of Duke de Sessa.

From there I made my way up to the stalls area to see who had arrived and came across several of the Group 1  runners, such as Imperatriz.

Imperatriz

Zaaki

Alligator Blood

Pride of Jenni

Espiona

It was a well patronised race meeting, but not that hard to get through the crowd of scantily dressed girls to my preferred spot on the fence, from where I managed some photo practice in Race 5, the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes, where a field of mares were set to run the 2000 metres.

Deny Knowledge led from the start to the finish and won narrowly from Osmose and Amokura.

Deny Knowledge prevails over Osmose and Amokura

The next race was the first of the Group 1  events, this being the Champions Sprint where Imperatriz won her fifth Group 1 in succession, defeating a classy field. Buenes Noches ran second ahead of In Secret and Espiona finished fourth.

As the field raced down the centre of the track fairly close to the outer rail it is always difficult to get clear photos of the finish. Fortunately I clicked at the right time and snapped Imperatriz in shot.

Imperatriz wins the Champions Sprint

Imperatriz returns to scale

The next two races resulted in unexpected long shot winners, the Champions Mile being won by Pride of Jenni who led from the start and was never challenged. Mr Brightside finished second ahead of Alligator Blood.

Pride of Jenni zooms up the straight to win the Champions Mile

The placegetters – Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood & Fangirl

The Chris Waller trained Atishu triumphed in the Champions Stakes, easily beating Duais by almost two lengths with Young Werther running third.

Atishu wins the Champions Stakes

Atishu on her way to the barriers

Duais on her way to the barriers

Young Werther on his way to the barriers

I didn’t stay for the final race, heading home directly after the Champions Stakes.

Next week Caulfield host the final Melbourne Group 1 races of the Spring Racing season, the Thousand Guineas and the Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Rocket Man – Victoria Derby Review

Riff Rocket wins the 2023 Victoria Derby

It wasn’t what you would call a first class race meeting, but as Derby Day at Flemington kicks off the Melbourne Cup mini carnival I decided to attend.

The weather was fine and mostly sunny with light winds, so it was a pleasant day to be outdoors and soak up some Vitamin D along with the racing action.

As trains to the track were running all afternoon I had no trouble getting to Flemington and arrived just before Race 3, which happened to be the Group 3 Furphy Sprint, run over 1100 metres.

Either I’m out of the loop, or perhaps just jaded as far as horse racing is concerned, but few of the contenders for the Furphy Sprint were familiar to me.

Queen of The Ball won the race from Hypothetical and Dancing Alone quite easily.

Queen of The Ball wins the Furphy Sprint

Next up was the Group 3 Rising Fast Stakes over 1200 metres, which resulted in a narrow win for Spacewalk from Crosshaven with Najem Suhail running third.

On a side note, Rising Fast who won the 1954 Melbourne Cup was a first class racehorse who also won the Caulfield Cup in 1954 and 1955,  as well as the 1954 Cox Plate, and is the first racehorse I was ever aware of back in 1954 at the tender age of seven when living in the bush. 

 
Newspaper photo of Rising Fast from my old racehorse scrap book

Spacewalk and Crosshaven fight out the Rising Fast Stakes finish

Race 5 was the rather more interesting Group 2 Wakeful Stakes, a race over 2000 metres for fillies, where Amazonian Lass, leading from the start, hung on for a close win from Zardozi.

Amazonian Lass (yellow) wins the Wakeful Stakes from Zardozi

Derby Day included three Group 1 races, the first of these being the Coolmore Stud Stakes. Run over 1200 metres,  it is a race for three year olds and the 2023 edition resulted in a win for Sydney colt Ozzmosis who raced on the pace throughout to win by over a length from I’m Unstoppable with 2023 Golden Slipper winner Shinzo running third.

Ozzmosis (white) overtaking I’m Unstoppable and Shinzo to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes

Unlike Caulfield who schedule the feature races towards the end of the program, Flemington run theirs mid afternoon. so the Victoria Derby was up next at the reasonable time of 4.20 pm.

Riff Rocket started as the short odds favourite and raced in the back end of the field. He stormed home to win narrowly from Apulia and Sunsets in a photo finish.

Riff Rocket wins the Victoria Derby 

I didn’t stay for the third Group 1, the Empire Rose Stakes which was won by Pride of Jenni who led from start to finish. Atishu ran second and Life lessons third.

Attending Derby Day has put me off going to the Melbourne Cup that I was contemplating doing. I’d forgotten how tedious Spring racing crowds can be, even though Derby Day was not as crowded as some I’ve been to.

Besides, the weather on Melbourne Cup day is forecast to be pretty awful.

I managed to catch the train back to Flinders Street in no time at all and was glad to sit down on a seat that was not a plastic fold out stool.

Last year I thought Champions Stakes Day  a superior meeting to Derby Day,  so will probably attend it next Saturday and hope for classier fields than those on offer last Saturday.