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.