The Moon and the Stars – Guineas Day at Flemington

Australian Guineas – the finishing post

If I had realised that transport disruptions were scheduled for last Saturday at the time I booked my ticket to the Australian Guineas meeting at Flemington, I probably wouldn’t have bothered attending.

It was only on  Friday afternoon that I discovered that Buses were replacing trains on the Hurstbridge line all weekend, so rather than waste the ticket I gritted my teeth and set out at an earlier hour than usual to catch a replacement bus to Parliament Station. My arrival at Ivanhoe Station on Saturday morning coincided with the arrival of the replacement bus, so I was in the city shortly after midday with plenty of time on hand to get to Southern Cross Station and catch a train to Flemington.

As a consequence I arrived at Flemington in time for the second race on the card. My Zone 2 ticket encompassed the front lawn – from the mounting yard to past the clocktower, so I had no trouble getting to the usual spot for photography. I stayed there pretty much for the rest of the afternoon. I’m not sure if there was access  to the stalls area, but only a small section of the mounting yard fence was available for general admission patrons to watch the parade.

There was quite a crowd in attendance, most of them occupying reserved tables all along the lawn, and generally civilised, other than a table of young men who seemed to be imbibing vast quantities of alcohol and having a good time. However they didn’t bother me in the slightest, and security personnel kept them in line.

Race 2 was the Listed Roy Higgins Quality, a race over 2600 metres, and Mosh Music (a daughter of Black Caviar’s brother Moshe from a Jeune mare) was the winner, beating Sin To Win by over a length with Stars of Carrum running third.

Mosh Music wins the Roy Higgins Quality

Mosh Music returns to scale

Sin to Win returns to scale

Stars of Carrum returning to scale

It was a pleasant day weather  wise, cool and mild with little wind, though overcast throughout.

A Group 3 race over 1400 metres, the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap was of interest due to the presence of popular Queenslander The Harrovian who had won his last 11 races and is an All Star Mile contender.

His colours were lowered in the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at this his first start on the big Flemington track, where he finished fifth, outclassed by the locals.

Morvada led from the start and prevailed, winning by a length from Holbien and Platoon.

Morvada wins the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap

Morvada on his way to the barriers

Holbien on his way to the barriers

The next two races were sprints, Race 4 being the World Horse Racing Handicap over 1200 metres and Race 5, the rather more interesting Bob Hoysted Handicap over 1000 metres. Both of these races were won by greys.

Subedar won the Race 4 from Street Icon and Laverrod, and West Australian grey mare Fabergino who loves the Flemington straight, won the Bob Hoysted Handicap from Indian Pacific and Humma Humma.

Subedar winning the World Horse Racing Handicap

Subedar with Jamie Kah returns to scale

Fabergino wins the Bob Hoysted Handicap from Indian Pacific

Fabergino returning to scale

The most interesting race on the card was up next; the Group 2 Blamey Stakes, run over 1600 metres. It had attracted a classy field that included Mystic Journey, Fifty Stars (2019 &2020  Blamey winner), Best Of Days and the Chris Waller trained Star of the Seas making a rare appearance in Melbourne.

Buffalo River was the race favourite and led from the start only to be overtaken in the last stretch by Star of the Seas and Fifty Stars. Mystic Journey finished 5th and found to be lame after race.

Star of the Seas wins the Blamey Stakes from Fifty Stars & Buffalo River

Star of the Seas returns to scale

Fifty Stars on his way to the barriers

Buffalo River returns to scale

Mystic Journey on her way to the barriers

It’s not every race day that you see a 300/1 shot win a Group 1 race, but such was the sensational result of the feature Australian Guineas when rank outsider, Lunar Fox won the prize.

He raced mid field for most of the race whilst race favourite Tagaloa led from the start. Lunar Fox ran wide to overtake the leaders and Cherry Tortoni flew from the back of the pack to snag second place. Tagaloa hung on for third.

Lunar Fox returns to scale

Cherry Tortoni on his way to the barriers

Tagaloa on his way to the barriers

I didn’t stay for the last two races, only tarrying to watch the Chipping Norton Stakes on the big screen. It was a great race with class staying mares Verry Elleegant and Colette fighting out the finish with the former being the narrow victor.

By rights I should left as soon as the Guineas was over.

I was under the impression that the first train from Flemington back to city was scheduled to run at 4.45pm (according to the VRC website), but had in fact left at 4.25pm.

So I had a long and tedious wait for the 5.07pm train, then was obliged to catch a tram from Southern Cross to Spring Street to catch the replacement bus back to Ivanhoe. It took almost two hours to get home.

Fortunately next weekend the Hurstbridge line services will be normal so I won’t be so inconvenienced when I travel back to Flemington for the Super Saturday meeting.

Anyway, I did find out last Saturday that Covid Restrictions were not at all onerous at Flemington and that our preferred spot for photographs is part of the Zone 2 area and no hassle to access.

Easter Weekend–Thank Heavens for Horse Racing

Winx – QE Stakes 2017

As we’ve never gone anywhere at Easter(or not for many decades), the Covid 19 lock down hardly makes a difference to the Cat Politics domicile, we being content to stay home and kill the time with our usual occupations.

In my case I’ve always enjoyed watching the races which thankfully are still being run, albeit without public attendance.

This Saturday’s race meeting at Randwick marks the first anniversary of Winx’s final race in her illustrious career in the 2019 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. She went out a winner naturally, achieving the rare distinction of winning the QE Stakes for the third time. I was fortunate to witness in person her first QE victory in 2017.

As well as the Queen Elizabeth Stakes there are three other choice Group 1 events on the program – Sydney Cup, Australian Oaks and Coolmore Legacy Stakes.

The Oaks is the first to run and appears a match race between New Zealand filly Probabeel and new filly on the block Colette, with Shout the Bar, Nudge and Toffee Tongue all a good chance as well.

Verry Elleegant won the Australian Oaks last year and is one of the fancied contenders in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes this year. At her last start a fortnight ago she won the Group 1 Tancred Stakes spectacularly by over 4 lengths, though was beaten narrowly by English horse Addeybb in the Group 1  Ranvet Stakes at her previous start.  Addeybb is again one of her rivals in the QE Stakes, so it will be interesting to see if she can turn the tables on him this time round.

Both will have to defeat the classy Japanese contender Danon Premium whose form against such leading lights as Cox Plate heroine Lys Gracieux and Japan Cup winner Almond Eye is excellent.

Overall the 2020 Queen Elizabeth Stakes field is a doozy with the likes of New Zealanders Te Akau Shark and Melody Belle, Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare and highly regarded import Master of Wine all in contention. It looks a fabulous race and one not to be missed.

The Sydney Cup like its Melbourne counterpart is run over 3200 metres. Top chances are Young Rascal, Mustajeer and Raheen House, among others.

Run over 1600 metres, the Coolmore Legacy Stakes for fillies and mares has attracted  a top class field that includes shock Doncaster Mile winner Nettoyer, the classy Alizee, Victorian mare Miss Siska, the in form Positive Peace and sole filly Funstar having her first start against the older mares. 

So that’s my Saturday afternoon entertainment settled, even if I can’t be there in person.

Update Sunday Afternoon

It was an interesting afternoon of racing that I watched on my computer yesterday.

Colette, a small but tough filly, a daughter of 2014 Golden Rose winner Hallowed Crown, won the Australian Oaks impressively by a couple of lengths from Toffee Tongue and Quintessa. She’s one to watch for in the spring.

New Zealand mare, Etah James now trained by Ciaron Maher, won the Sydney Cup from fellow New Zealander The Chosen One.

As expected the Queen Elizabeth Stakes was exciting and resulted in British horse Addeybb getting the better of Verry Elleegant once again. The hyped Japanese horse Danon Premium was left wanting on the heavy track and finished third.

The Gai Waterhouse trained, former American mare, Con Te Partiro took out the Coolmore Legacy with Funstar unable to overtake her in the straight. Danzdanzdance, another New Zealander finished third.

Rest In Peace Might and Power who died yesterday evening after suffering a colic attack from which he could not be saved.

He had an illustrious career on the track winning the rare treble of the Caulfield Cup, Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate, as well as several other Group 1 races.

I was at Moonee Valley when he won the 1998 Cox Plate and still remember the occasion vividly.

He was a long time popular resident at Living Legends and was often to be seen on race days at Flemington, which is where I took the above photo in 2016. He was 26 years old.