Oaks & Emirates

Aloisia – favourite for the Oaks

As we head into the last two days of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington, it’s timely to preview the Oaks, run tomorrow over 2500 metres, and the Emirates Stakes meeting on Saturday.

Last year the Victorian Oaks was won by 100/1 shot Lasqueti Spirit, who surprised everyone with her tearaway victory, leading from the start to the finish. The year before Jameka zoomed down the straight on a heavy track to win by two lengths.

Prior to winning the Oaks, Jameka beat the boys in the Vase on Cox Plate Day, and current Oaks favourite Aloisia accomplished the same feat this year, and at her prior start won the Group 1 Thousand Guineas.

So Aloisia is understandably the one to beat.

Her main rival is the Gai Waterhouse trained Pinot who won the Ethereal Stakes at her last start and will likely set the pace and take some catching.

The winner of the Wakeful Stakes run on Derby Day often  goes on to win the Oaks, so you can’t really preclude this year’s winner, Luvaluva, from being a serious contender.

Emirate Stakes Day is generally a very pleasant race meeting and not half as crowded as Derby Day, and features two Group 1 events – Darley Classic and Emirates Stakes – as well as several interesting Group 2 and Group 3 races.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the grey flash, Chautauqua again. He was sensationally scratched at the barriers before the Manikato Stakes, so we’ll never know if he would have won it.  The underrated Hey Doc was the victor on that occasion, with In Her Time running second and Malaguerra third.

Chautauqua hasn’t raced in Melbourne since February this year, and will be competing in the Group 1 Darley Classic, a sprint over 1200 metres. He ran second in this race to Delectation in 2015 and hopefully will go one better this year.

A  classy field has been assembled for the Darley Classic and Chautauqua’s main rivals are Everest winner Redzel, Everest runner up Vega Magic and other Group 1 sprinters such as Redkirk Warrior, Malaguerra, Terravista and Manikato Stakes runner up In Her Time.

We’ll finally get to see New Zealand Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner, Gingernuts in Melbourne for the first time in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes. He’s had a delayed start to his spring campaign  due to various setbacks, so it will be interesting to see how he goes in the Emirates Stakes on Saturday.

Run over 2000 metres, the Emirates used to be the Mackinnon Stakes and run on Derby Day and the former Emirates Stakes was run over 1600 metres and is now called  something else and run on Derby Day.

This year’s edition has a good field of 15 contenders that include BMW winner Happy Clapper, Doncaster winner It’s Somewhat,  Folkswood, and the usual suspects Gailo Chop, Tosen Stardom etc. all vying to get a Group 1 race on their CVs.  But perhaps the older runners will be upstaged again by the three year old Cliff’s Edge with his weight advantage giving him a good chance.

I’ll probably go along to the Oaks tomorrow, but plan to get there later in the afternoon as the feature race is not run until 5.00pm

And I’ll be at Flemington again next Saturday and will also take my time getting there aiming for 1.30 to 2.00 pm, so I’m in plenty of time to watch the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

It will be my last outing to the races for a while.

The Speed of Light(ning)

Flying Artie – Derby Day Flemington 2016

Flemington hosts a super race meeting this coming Saturday, which despite a gloomy weather forecast, promises many thrills, in particular the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning, a 1000 metre dash down the Flemington straight.

I’ve attended the last five Lightning Stakes meetings, the first two in 2012 and 2013 featuring Black Caviar. The race is now named in her honour - after all she won it three times.

Last year it was won by the grey flash Chautauqua and the year before, the “horse with a heart”, Lankan Rupee, was the victor. Many stars of the Australian turf have won this race over the years – Fastnet Rock, Miss Andretti, Takeover Target, Apache Cat etc.

This year has attracted an intriguing field with several of the younger sprinting brigade such as three year old colts Flying Artie and Star Turn challenging older sprinters Flamberge and Terravista and The Quarterback and all those in between.

Also in the field is speedy mare Heatherly who may well give the boys a run for the money.

Owing to the train timetable, I’ll be obliged to get to Flemington around 1.30pm, which means a fairly long afternoon at the track with the Lightning Stakes scheduled to run at 4.45pm.

Luckily there are several quite interesting races to watch while waiting for the main event. Firstly the Talindert Stakes for two year old Blue Diamond hopefuls. I witnessed Black Caviar’s little brother All Too Hard win the Talindert Stakes back in 2012 at his first start. Interestingly, several  (four) of his progeny are contesting this year’s race, and one or other of them may well win it.

The Group 3 Vanity Stakes for three year old fillies run over 1400 metres and the colts equivalent the C S Hayes Stakes run after it, have both attracted classy fields. The Vanity has Legless Veuve who recently beat the boys in the Manfred Stakes, up against Crown Oaks runner up Harlow Gold and the amusingly named Nurse Kitchen who won a race at big odds on Cox Plate Day last year.

As for the C S Hayes, it’s good to see Hey Doc return to the track. He’s already had one run this season in the Manfred Stakes where he finished third and will probably start as favourite. He’s up against smart colts Seaburge, Morton’s Fork and Inside Agent.

Apparently, according to the VRC website, there will be ten Living Legends present at Flemington on Saturday. They could make a race field themselves if they weren’t in retirement.  They’ll include former Hong Kong stars Silent Witness and Bullish Luck. And who else?

Anyway, I’m looking forward to getting back to Flemington and a pleasant afternoon in the open air among the famous roses.

At Last, Some Class – Group 1 Racing Returns

Jameka will kick off her autumn campaign in the Orr Stakes

Since the last Group 1 race – Kingston Town Classic in WA in early December 2016 – the world has undergone a tumultuous change with the rise to power of Donald Trump to US President, so it’s good to have some small pleasures to distract one from the global doom and gloom that dominates at the present time.

I’m speaking of course of the resumption of Group 1 racing this weekend, when Caulfield hosts the C F Orr Stakes and several other interesting races.

In Sydney, wonder mare Winx kicks off her autumn campaign in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick, aiming for her 14th win in succession.

I intend to get to Caulfield in time for the two Blue Diamond Preludes (races 3 and 4), having caught the 2 year olds on Australia Day at Caulfield in the two Blue Diamond Previews where Property won the colts and geldings division and Limestone won the fillies race.

Property

Limestone

The fillies Blue Diamond Prelude, a Group 2 race over 1100 metres is on first and has a small field of class fillies contesting it that include the aforementioned Limestone, Catchy who has won her only two starts, defeating Property in the second by over two lengths, Blondie who sizzled in her only start at Moonee Valley, and Roomooz who won her only start by 5 lengths.  They appear the top picks.

Property is probably the top pick in the colts Prelude and is up against the likes of Azazel who ran second to Property in the Preview.  Others worth considering are the stunning looking Wait For No One, Cao Cao, and Sydney colt Pariah. 

The mighty grey flash Chautauqua makes a welcome return to the track in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes, a sprint over 1100 metres. He didn’t fire  in the two races he contested last spring so has had a long break.  It will be interesting to see if he’s back to his old winning self. He faces a small field that includes Winx younger half brother El Divino and Myer Classic winner I Am A Star. Also in the picture are Wild Rain and Hellbent.

The Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400 metres) is scheduled as race 7 and has attracted a cracking field, nine of the twelve runners being Group 1 winners. Last year it was won by Suavito and the year before by Dissident. 

Black Heart Bart, Malaguerra, Turn Me Loose and Palentino all have a run under their belts, contesting  the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago. Malaguerra was the winner,  beating Black Heart Bart by two lengths.

Back from a break are Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, Awesome Rock and He’s Our Rokkii.  Also in the field, thrown in at the deep end, is Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet, a light weight chance.

Winx takes on a field of 11 rivals in the Apollo Stakes, also run over 1400 metres, that include Hartnell, Dibayani, stayers like Preferment and Leebaz and the runaway Victorian Oaks winner Lasqueti Spirit. As is usual during the Sydney autumn racing season the track will be on the slow side, but a hot day is forecast. Here’s hoping Winx will keep her winning run intact.

Melbourne has had a fairly mild summer so far with very few days getting above 35ºC and Saturday is expected to be a pleasant 27ºC, and mainly sunny.

I’m fond of the Melbourne autumn racing season it having a different vibe to the spring carnival. It is less crowded for a start and more laid back.

I’m looking forward to seeing quite a few of my current favourites racing in the flesh – Jameka, Turn Me Loose, Chautauqua, Black Heart Bart etc.

Spring Racing Carnival Wrap Up

Winx winning the 2016 Cox Plate

Alas, the Spring Racing Carnival is over for another year, and I must say it was one of the more interesting in recent times, with some astonishing performances.

The star of the Spring was undoubtedly Winx, the wonder horse, who accumulated four more pickets to the fence against her name in the form guide. Three were at Group 1 level and augmented her perfect record to thirteen consecutive wins over a year, nine of them at Group 1 level. The crowning moment was her second Cox Plate victory where she blew away a top quality field, winning by a record eight lengths.

Other memorable moments were Jameka’s three length Caulfield Cup win…

Jameka wins the Caulfield Cup

…and Hartnell’s Turnbull Stakes.

Hartnell wins the Turnbull Stakes

Hartnell finished second in the Cox Plate and third in the Melbourne Cup and also won two Group 2 races in Sydney by huge margins.

Most of the main Group 1 races of the spring were won by a variety of horses, but Black Heart Bart won two – the Memsie Stakes and Underwood Stakes - and finished second in the Makybe Diva Stakes and Caulfield Stakes, one of the few horses to win more than one Group 1 race.

The final day of the carnival, which I missed, was held last Saturday and the feature races were won by longshots Awesome Rock (Emirates Stakes) and Malaguerra (Darley Classic).

The longest priced Group 1 winner was Lasqueti Spirit, who romped home in the Oaks at  120/1 odds.

As for wagering, I hardly had a bet all spring, which made attending the races a cheap outing. With my general admission season tickets to the three city racecourses covering entrance fees, my only expenses were on a race book and a drink. My travelling costs on public transport were covered by my Senior’s Myki Card which is free on the weekend.

Several old stars of the turf have been retired this spring, still sound of body thankfully. The Cleaner and Buffering now share a paddock at Living Legends, and it was announced on Saturday that Happy Trails has run his last race. He’ll spend his retirement with his devoted strapper Chelsea Moss who is interested in developing him into a show jumping, dressage and event horse.

Happy Trails with Chelsea Moss at Flemington 10/9/16

Also gone from the scene is Tarzino and Alpine Eagle, both off to stud, and the handsome Xtravagant has returned to New Zealand after a very disappointing spring campaign.

I’ll have to find something else to do with my Saturday afternoons for the next few months, while waiting for the autumn racing season to begin.

That’s The Spirit! Oaks Day Review

Crown Oaks finish Brenton Avdullah celebrates Lasqueti Spirit’s unexpected win

Last year the Oaks meeting was a wash out when a big storm hit the course in the early afternoon. By contrast the Oaks this year was run in brilliant sunshine and as you can imagine the crowds were out in force.

Everywhere there were girls dressed in flimsy dresses and high heels, not to mention with crazy fascinators on their heads.

So much over the top high fashion grew quite boring after a while, so I sought solace in the stalls area and the horses waiting for their events to begin.

I was intending to get photos of the Oaks field in the stalls, but failed to locate several, as the stalls they were allocated in the race book appeared to be occupied by a different horse.

Those I did manage to snap are below.

Eleonora

Lamma Hilton

Lasqueti Spirit

Yankee Rose

Moqueen

Penthouse Kitten

Bella Sorellastra

My Girl Chilly

Nina Peak

I reached Flemington at around 2.00 pm, but dilly dallied in the stalls area whilst race 4 was run, so missed it entirely.

For the rest of the afternoon I was in my regular spot at the access gate west of the finishing post, so I witnessed and photographed races 5 to 7 whilst waiting for the main event.

Race 5 was the TCL QUHD TV Stakes for three year olds, run over 1800 metres.

Anaheim won the bikkies from Righteous Mate and Rockstar Rebel by a length.

Anaheim wins race 5

Anaheim returns to scale

Race 6 was a slightly more interesting race, the L’Oreal Paris Stakes over 1400 metres.  Former Irish horse Arod, who is now with the Chris Waller stable was making his first appearance this spring. He was out here last year and competed in the Cox Plate and Emirates Stakes without success.

Arod ran a good second to Rageese in the L’Oreal Paris Stakes  with Federal running third.

L’Oreal Paris Stakes finish – Rageese (outside) Arod (middle) & Federal fight it out.

Arod on his way to the barriers

Rageese on his way to the barriers

Federal on his way to the barriers

Even more interesting than the L’Oreal Paris Stakes was race 7, the Mumm Stakes, a sprint over 1000 metres. It was good to see Terravista back in action having his first race since autumn. He mixed it with the likes of Chautauqua and Lankan Rupee a few years back and was considered one of the best sprinters in Australia at the time.

He performed very well in the Mumm Stakes losing by a nose to Redzel on the line.  The race favourite Hellbent was two lengths back running third.

Mumm Stakes finish – Redzel (red blinkers) and Terravista (orange silks) on separate sides of the track hit the finish line

Terravista returns to scale

Redzel returns to scale – Blake Shinn celebrates

There was a 45 minute wait before the Crown Oaks was run, and the trophy was carried down the straight by champion athlete Usain Bolt in the interim.

When I snapped the following picture I was unaware that the black gentleman in the photo was Usain Bolt. I’m so uninterested in celebrities that I was unaware that he was at Flemington for the race and only found out when watching the news later that night.

Usain Bolt carries the Oaks cup to the mounting yard

I was amused to read today that he was almost kicked by Eleonora in the mounting yard.  Story here.

So on to the Oaks…

Nobody, least of all her jockey, expected Lasqueti Spirit to win the Oaks, but win it she did in spectacular fashion, setting a rattling pace in the lead for most of the 2500 metre race. In the straight she showed no signs of slowing down and raced to a four length win unopposed.

Harlow Gold and Eleonora fought out the minor placings with the rest of the field several lengths behind them. Yankee Rose was never in the race, running at the tail of the field to finish well back.

Eleonora (inside) & Harlow Gold fight out the finish.

Lasqueti Spirit payed over $100 for her win. Lucky if you were on her.

Lasqueti Spirit returns to scale

Lasqueti Spirit in winners rug

I headed home after the Oaks, I must admit feeling a tad spring carnival lagged after the past week of racing excitement.

Melbourne’s Spring Carnival concludes tomorrow at Flemington’s Emirates Stakes Day meeting.

I won’t be there to watch it live, but hopefully will find time to watch the replays later on if I can’t find a way to watch the live coverage.

Ladies Day–Crown Oaks

Eleonora – Flemington 2/10/16

With the Melbourne Cup being run and won, it’s time to turn our attention to the next Group 1 race in the Spring Racing Carnival, the Crown Oaks, for three year old staying fillies run over 2500 metres.

With my calf muscle now back in walking order I intend to go to the Oaks meeting at Flemington tomorrow, ostensibly for the feature event as two of my favourite fillies will be competing in the event.

Yankee Rose will understandably start as favourite, her earlier exploits in classy company making her the top pick.  Her win in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes against the boys, including Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon, marked her as a filly of extraordinary ability. Her third placing in the Cox Plate was also full of merit.

I’m very torn between Yankee Rose and her main competitor in the Crown Oaks, Eleonora, and can see either of them winning.

Eleonora has the superior breeding for the race distance and her win in the Group 3 Ethereal Stakes, where she beat subsequent Wakeful Stakes winner Tiamo Grace, was impressive. Tiamo Grace is not in the Oaks field, but Wakeful Stakes runner up, Sebring Dream is, so too the third placed Missrock.

Others with a chance are Harlow Gold and Smart As You Think.

The Oaks is scheduled as race 8  and run at 5.00pm tomorrow, so I’ll be taking my time getting to Flemington, but envisage arriving around 2.30 pm.

Last year a wild storm swept through Flemington early in the afternoon, but the weather this year is forecast to be mild and sunny.

The Flemington mini carnival finale is on Saturday and features the final two Group 1 races of the Melbourne spring racing season, and much as I would like to be there, I am unable to attend due to a commitment to attend a birthday party in Beechworth, a small interesting town in North East Victoria.

So Oaks Day is my last chance to attend a Group 1 race meeting this year.

On the subject of mares and fillies, it was disappointing to learn that Lucia Valentina has been retired, so I’m glad I got to see her twice this Spring. She apparently has a sesamoid injury which precludes her from racing again. She’ll be mated to Fastnet Rock, so we can look forward to seeing her sons and daughters hitting the track in the future.

Though I was also disappointed that Jameka didn’t feature in the Melbourne Cup finish it was obvious that she could not run the 3200 metres. Nick Hall’s ride was spot on again and she was primed at the right time to sprint home, but she faded to finish 15th.

An interesting point that arose from the Melbourne Cup result was that Almandin’s sire, the German stallion Monsun had bred his third Melbourne Cup winner, the others being Protectionist in 2014 and Fiorente in 2013.  That’s something to look for in analysing the runners in future Melbourne Cups. Though Monsun passed away in 2012 his influence could possibly continue with his sons and daughters at stud like the great Sir Tristram and Zabeel in New Zealand.

Whose Cup Will Runneth Over This Year?

It’s that time of the year again when Melbourne gears up for the Melbourne Cup, still the most popular race in the country, being the best known no doubt. Most of the country wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a sprint and distance race to tell the truth.

Every year it gets harder to suss out the Cup winner and this year is no different with the bulk of the 24 strong field being International raiders hoping to steal the $6 million on offer.

There is a sad lack of local talent, with only four in the field being bred in Australia or New Zealand. Still, with both the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate being won by local breds, and mares at that, one can hope that one of the four locals – Jameka, Who Shot Thebarman, Pentathlon and Rose of Virginia -  will win the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

Of the four mentioned above, Jameka has the best chance and is my personal favourite in the race. She has drawn Gate 3 (inside) and has the excellent services of Nick Hall as her jockey. He’s an intelligent rider, his winning ride on Jameka in the Caulfield Cup being a masterpiece of strategy and timing. If he can do the same in the Melbourne Cup, she wins.

The only question mark over Jameka is her ability to run 3200 metres. Her breeding suggests she can’t, but I thought the same before she won the Oaks last year and was glad to be proved wrong.

Of the rest, imported stayers who have acclimatised, Hartnell and Almandin are the top picks. Both have been in winning form this spring and have been specifically set for the Melbourne Cup.

The best of the Internationals appear to be Irish stayers Wicklow Brave and Heartbreak City and Godolphin owned runners Oceanographer who won the Lexus Stakes last Saturday, and Qewy who won the Geelong Cup.  There is one Japanese stayer in the field, Curren Mirotic, who may be unwise to ignore, but he is 9 years old and his form looks uninspiring.

That’s my two bobs worth - take it with a grain of salt.

In reality any horse in the field can win given luck and the right ride.

I’m hoping that Jameka can become the first mare since Ethereal in 2001 to win the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double.

If she does succeed in doing this I shall regret that I was not there to see it in person, as I do not intend to go to the Melbourne Cup meeting, even though I was thinking about it.

I ended up with a strained calf  muscle after stumbling at Flemington last Saturday, and even though it is much improved today, I don’t fancy limping around an overcrowded public lawn or walking any great distance at the present time.

Hopefully it will be all better by Crown Oaks Day on Thursday as I don’t want to miss the feature event where Yankee Rose will be the starring attraction.

Jameka, Queen of the Turf–Caulfield Cup Day Review

Nick Hall all smiles after Jameka wins the Caulfield Cup

The Caulfield Cup meeting on Saturday was considerably better than I thought it would be and culminated in a stunning victory for locally bred racehorses, when Jameka beat the International raiders by a comprehensive margin in the Caulfield Cup.

My afternoon at Caulfield started fairly early at around 1.15pm which was in plenty of time to watch the third race, the Listed Alinghi Stakes for fillies and mares run over 1100 metres.

There was a much bigger crowd for the Caulfield Cup than for Guineas Day, so I avoided the front lawn and spent the afternoon out the back in the stalls area and up on the hill, which as I’ve mentioned before is ideal for taking photos of horses going to and from the barriers and returning to scale, though not for them racing down the straight.

It was a fine sunny day with a strong head wind blowing directly down the straight, which adds kudos to the winners fighting against it and their rivals.

The Alinghi Stakes was won by outsider Palazzo Pubblico from Aegean Sea and Vezalay, also long odds runners.

Alinghi Stakes just after the post – the winner Palazzo Pubblico is the second from the left

Palazzo Pubblico returns to scale

Race 4 was the Group 2 Ethereal Stakes and I was glad to be present to witness Eleonora appropriately winning the race named in honour her granddam.

She showed considerable staying power over the 2000 metres distance to win by 1¼ lengths from a fast finishing Tiamo Grace with Savvan a length further back running third. Eleonora will now head to the Crown Oaks at Flemington on the Thursday after the Cup.

Just past the post in the Ethereal Stakes

Eleonora returns to scale after winning the Ethereal Stakes

Tiamo Grace returns to scale

Savvan returns to scale

The colts and geldings version of the Ethereal Stakes, the Ladbrokes Classic, also run over 2000 metres, was the next race on the program.

James Cummings, grandson of the late great Bart, trained the winner, Good Standing. Good Standing has done most of his racing in Sydney and contested the Caulfield Guineas without running a place, but started as favourite for the Ladbrokes Classic. He didn’t disappoint his backers winning narrowly from Rocketeer. Inference finished third

Rocketeer must be the unluckiest horse in Australia, running a close second again to a better horse on the day for the fourth time this spring. 

Just past the post in the Ladbrokes Classic – Good Standing (red & black stripes) & Rocketeer (lime green) lead the rest of the field around the turn.

Good Standing returns to scale

Rocketeer on his way to the barriers

The afternoon passed remarkably quickly, the races being spaced 35 minutes apart, no doubt adding to the sense of  having little time to do anything, before another race was about to start.

Race 6 was the Group 3 Coongy Cup run over 2000 metres as well. It marked the last race in which popular front runner The Cleaner would compete. His owners finally have made the decision to retire him, for which I am glad.  Now 9 years old, he has not looked anywhere like winning for over a year, so it has been sad watching him try.

The Cleaner returning to scale after the Coongy Cup

Back to the race, It’s Somewhat was the starting favourite, but he only managed to run third.

The Chris Waller trained Vanbrugh having only his second start in Melbourne won the prize from Tom Melbourne.

Vanbrugh returns to scale

Tom Melbourne returns to scale

It’s Somewhat on his way to the barriers

I was looking forward to the next race with keen interest and hoping to get a good photo of First Seal who was having her first start in Melbourne.  The race was the Tristarc Stakes for mares run over 1400 metres.

Tycoon Tara was the popular favourite, but First Seal proved her quality by beating her narrowly on the line.  Pearls ran third.

Tristarc Stakes finish (l to r) – First Seal, Pearls & Tycoon Tara

It’s great to see First Seal back in winning circles. She obviously had no trouble racing the Melbourne way.

First Seal returns to scale

Tycoon Tara returns to scale

Pearls (no 3) returns to scale

First Seal – head shot with her tongue hanging out– returning to the stalls area

There wasn’t long to wait after the Tristarc Stakes for the main event, so I stayed on to my spot on the fence on the hill and watched The Cup being driven past to the presentation area, but was too late to get a photo.

The horses paraded down below in the pre parade ring as the National Anthem was sung, then the field began to make their way to the mounting yard.

It was an interestingly run race, with the lead changing as the race progressed. Looking at the big screen I was pleased to see that Nick Hall had Jameka up near the pace in about fifth spot. As they turned into the straight Scottish had the lead and somehow Hall had got Jameka clear of the fence and running wide. She overtook Scottish and tore away for an easy win three lengths ahead of Scottish with Exospheric coming late to run third.

Past the post in the Caulfield Cup – Nick Hall celebrates Jameka’s win

Jameka returns to scale

Scottish returns to scale

Exospheric returns to scale

Jameka returns to the stalls area after the presentation

Jameka’s strapper and, I assume, one of her owners pose for snaps

With old favourite Lankan Rupee engaged in the next race, I did not depart like most of the crowd after the Caulfield Cup, but stayed to watch the running of the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint.

Lankan Rupee started from Barrier 1, which is either a blessing or a curse, and it proved the latter in this race, when he was blocked for a run and only found a gap at the last minute. Carrying 61kgs, he did well to run third.

Our Boy Malachi stormed down the outside to win by 1½ lengths from Fatinaah.

Past the post in the Caulfield Sprint – horses spread out as they turn the corner

Our Boy Malachi returns to scale

Fatinaah returns to scale

Lankan Rupee returns to scale

It had been a very enjoyable day at the races and gratifying that most of my favourite horses were successful in their various races.

The icing on the cake of course was Jameka’s victory in the Caulfield Cup.  She will now contest the Melbourne Cup and has been penalised to carry 53.5kgs. If she were to win the big one, it would be a weight carrying record for a four year old mare.

Next Saturday is the highly anticipated Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, where Winx and Hartnell are set to clash for a mouth watering contest that also involves the mystery French horse Vadamos and the three year old filly Yankee Rose.

Sounds like the stuff of legends – I can’t wait to see it.