Girl Power – Blue Diamond Stakes Day Review

Just after the finish in the Blue Diamond Stakes – winner Lyre (blue silks)

So far there have been five Group 1 races in 2019 Autumn racing carnival, and remarkably four of the five have been won by the fairer sex.

Such was the case last Saturday where the girls triumphed in all three of the feature Group 1 events.

I arrived at Caulfield in time to watch Race 3, the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes, a race for mares over 1400 metres. It was won by Jamaican Rain from Naantali and Teleplay.

Jamaican Rain returns to scale

Race 4 was the not very interesting Group 2 Angus Armanesco Stakes, for three year old fillies, also run over 1400 metres. Qafila scored the second win of her 13 starts career, winning by half a length from race favourite Angelic Ruler, with Zoubo a close third.

Qafila on her way to the barriers

A small field contested the Group 3 Zedative Stakes with only five starters in contention. The Chris Waller trained Zousain was the hot favourite and was expected to shoe it in.  Everyone underestimated the so far unbeaten Terbium, an attractive grey-bay colt trained in South Australia, who romped in almost two lengths in front of Zousain. Yulong January finished third.

Terbium returns to scale

Zousain (red silks) & Yulong January return to scale

The next three races were the Group 1 events and the Futurity Stakes was the opener. Sydney mare Alizee started favourite and franked her form with a very impressive win. She raced wide for most of the race, her jockey, Hugh Bowman, opting to keep her unhindered in her run. She hit the front close to the finish line and won by half a length from Malaguerra with grand old trooper Hartnell running third another half length behind.

Futurity Stakes just past the post

Alizee returns to scale

Malaguerra on his way to the barriers

Hartnell returns to scale

It was not long to wait for the feature Blue Diamond Stakes and as the youngsters filed onto the track it was anyone’s guess who the winner would be with Loving Gaby and Athiri sharing favouritism at around 5/1.

I Am Immortal grabbed the lead shortly after the start  and led until the last 100 or so metres, where he was swamped by the swoopers Lyre, Lankan Star and Free of Debt and others.  Lyre won by half a length from Lankan Star with Free of Debt finishing third.

Lyre returns to scale, her jockey Luke Currie celebrating with a thumbs up

Lankan Star returns to scale

Free of Debt on his way to the mounting yard

In the Oakleigh Plate, the final Group 1 race of the day, Nature Strip was short priced favourite, but was a major disappointment after leading throughout, fading in the straight to finish 10th.  The winner, local mare Booker came from the back of the back of the pack to win by almost a length from Encryption with Eduardo finishing third.

Oakleigh Plate just past the post – Booker still leads

Booker returns to scale

I called it a day after the Oakleigh Plate, heading for the station and home.

It had been another pleasant day at the races. It was fairly crowded on the course, but not where I hang out on the hill above the stalls area.

Next Saturday, the races in Melbourne are at Flemington for the Australian Guineas. A fabulous field has been nominated for this event and I’m looking forward to seeing how super talented Tassie filly Mystic Journey fares in it.

In Sydney at Randwick, Winx will be running in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes. She’s won it the last three years running and will be aiming to make history by equalling Tie the Knot’s winning sequence of 1999 to 2002.

A Hot Day of Racing at Caulfield

Loving Gaby  - winner of the Chairman’s Stakes

The Darren Weir scandal broke late last week and resulted in all his nominated horses being scratched from events over the weekend., including Caulfield on Saturday.

So the day panned out somewhat differently than originally anticipated.

It was quite eerie wandering around the stalls area and seeing empty stalls where there is usually a strong contingent of Weir runners. Missing were two I was looking forward to seeing – stable stars Nature Strip and Extra Brut, who were set to kick off their autumn campaigns on Saturday.

Darren Weir appears to be in deep trouble and is likely to lose his training licence. Many of the horses in his care have been moved to other stables already.

It was an extremely hot day, so I didn’t stay all that long at the track, arriving in time to watch race 4, the Ladbroke’s Handicap and leaving after race 7, the RJ Adams Stakes.

One of the feature races of the day was the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes, a race over 1000 metres for two year old Blue Diamond aspirants.

It was worth the price of admission to see Loving Gaby,  a big strapping filly, having her first start, blitz the rest of the field, winning impressively, racing from the tail of the field to defeat Bella Rosa by half a length with race leader Lanigera holding on for third.

Just past the post in the Chairman’s Stakes

The other interesting race was the Listed RJ Adams Stakes, a sprint over 1000 metres. Last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By started as the hot favourite. He led throughout but was pipped at the post by 8/1 chance Bons Away with the blue blood Encryption running third two lengths from the leaders.

Bons Away returns to scale

Written By returning to the stalls area after the race

Next Saturday features the Orr Stakes, the first Group 1 race of the Autumn racing season and is run at Caulfield. Also on the card are the two Blue Diamond Preludes and several other Group events. With the weather predicted to be mild for a change, it will be much more comfortable  to attend.

The O’Reilly Boys & Winx 27

Grunt wins the Makybe Diva Stakes

It’s probably fortunate that over this first winter in Ivanhoe I have learned to endure the cold.  Being of a stoical nature, this stood me in good stead on Saturday at the Flemington races, where truly awful weather was the bane of the afternoon. It was cold. It was windy. It rained.

As racing  continues as scheduled, mostly regardless of the weather, you basically have to endure the capricious Spring conditions if you want to witness first class racing.

The O’Reilly boys of the title of this post are Grunt and Brutal, both sired by the New Zealand stallion  O’Reilly by different dams and trained by Mick Price (Grunt) and  the Hawkes (Brutal). Curiously enough both won their respective races on Saturday, and it’s interesting that both have really macho names. They are both very striking young fellows also.

I reached Flemington at around 1.40 pm, in time to witness the running of Race 3, the Listed The Sofitel (registered as the Tontonan Stakes) a race over 1400 metres.

The Sofitel finish – Violate wins from Dollar For Dollar & Eclair Calling

Brutal’s race, the Antler Luggage Plate was next to jump, but before that I cruised through the Stalls area, snapping a photo of the Makybe Diva statue on my way there.

Makybe Diva – the first stalls area is to the left of the statue

Living Legends Paris Lane and Brew were the special guests for the meeting.

Paris Lane with Living Legends CEO Dr Andrew Clarke

2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew

Returning to the public lawn I caught the Antler Luggage Plate field parading in the mounting yard

Brutal

Leonardo Da Hinchi

Declarationofheart

The race itself was exciting with Brutal leading from the start to the finish with Leonardo Da Hinchi challenging him most of the way. The lead changed several times as the two colts fought out the finish with Brutal toughening it out to win by a nose. Good N Fast ran third a length behind the leading pair.

Brutal (inside) & Leonardo Da Hinchi cross the line together

Brutal returns to scale

Needless to say, taking photos was challenging with the wind and the rain. Early in the afternoon the sun occasionally popped out from the clouds, but as the afternoon advanced the light worsened.

Race 5 was the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality, a sprint over 1200 metres. Thankfully the field didn’t split, but raced down the centre of the straight. The Sydney based Dothraki, now 8 years old, was the eventual winner, with First Among Equals, missing out by nose, running second with former Japanese sprinter Kemono filling third place. The photo below of the finish is deceptive due the angle of shot (diagonal pov).

Dothraki (red silks) & Kemono (inside) followed by First Among Equals (yellow cap)

Dothraki returns to scale

As Winx’s race in Sydney was scheduled to start at 3.10pm I found a place to sit down across from the big screen to watch it.

 
Winx heading to barriers for the George Main Stakes (screen view)

Naturally Winx won easily, as usual giving the field a head start by racing at the tail  before rounding them up and drawing level with the game Le Romain who had taken the lead shortly after the turn into the straight. Winx passed him in a flash and she went on to win by five lengths. That was her 27th consecutive win, 20th Group 1 win and third consecutive George Main Stakes victory.  She is simply amazing!

It started to rain as the mares were parading in the mounting yard preparatory to running in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes, hence the less than perfect photos hereafter.

I Am A Star

Bella Martini

Sheezdashing

Once again it was a closely fought finish up the straight, this time between I am A Star and Bella Martini where I Am A Star won by the narrowest of margins. Sheezdashing finished third. The rain was was pelting down as the race was run, the mares, like all the previous runners, facing a stiff breeze in the straight.

Bella Martini & I Am A Star cross the finish line together

Typical of Flemington racing, very few favourites won on the day, most of the winners paying double figure odds.

And such was the case with the feature Makybe Diva Stakes. I must admit I had lost faith in Grunt after his previous two disappointing runs this season at Caulfield. He obviously likes Flemington as he absolutely flew in the closing stages of the Makybe Diva Stakes, emerging from mid field to overtake the leaders and win by two lengths from Kings Will Dream and Jon Snow.

 
Grunt in the mounting yard

Kings Will Dream on his way to the barriers

Jon Snow in the mounting yard

I did not stay for the Danehill Stakes even though it had a super field of aspirant Guineas contenders. The blue blood Encryption (Lonhro / Guelph) won it at big odds from Thorondor and Tavisan.

Next weekend the Group 1 action is at Caulfield for the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes, and in Sydney at Rosehill, the Group 1 Golden Rose is the feature race.

Winx’s next appearance to all intents and purposes will be at Flemington in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes on 6 October. Can’t wait!

Doncaster– Derby Day 2018

Kementari – Doncaster Favourite photographed at Rosehill 24/3/18

The first Saturday of Sydney Racing’s  pompously named The Championships takes place this weekend at Randwick racetrack and features four Group 1 races -  the time honoured Doncaster Mile and  Australian Derby as well the Inglis Sires and T J Smith Stakes.

There’s something for everyone in the schedule with the Inglis Sires being a race for two year olds over 1400 metres, the Derby, a 2400 metres race for three year old stayers, the Doncaster a top class 1600 metres competition for middle distance runners, and the T J Smith a sprint over 1200 metres.

The first of the Group 1 events to run is the Inglis Sires and has attracted a field of 12 colts/geldings and 3 fillies. I’m interested in seeing how Encryption performs and whether he can emulate his ancestors and take home the Group 1 prize. His dam Guelph won the Sires in 2013, his granddam Camarilla in 2007 and his grand sire Octagonal won it in 1995. So it would be fitting if Encryption could do the family proud.

He’ll have to beat classy fillies Oohood and Seabrook, the former in particular who ran third in the Blue Diamond Stakes and second in the Golden Slipper at her last start and surely deserves a win.

The Australian Derby has been won over the past three years by New Zealand invaders  - Jon Snow (2017) Tavago (2016) and Mongolian Khan (2015) so it’s quite likely that Kiwis will take home the prize this year.

There are 7 New Zealanders in this year’s  Derby with the Murray Baker trained New Zealand Derby winner Vin De Dance being the pick of them. He’s one of the few runners to have won over the distance. Victoria Derby winner Ace High has been a tad disappointing so far this autumn, but he is proven over 2400 metres so has to be the best of the locals, along with Levendi, and Tangled and Furore who ran second and third in the Rosehill Guineas.

Redzel, who narrowly lost to Redkirk Warrior in the Lightning Stakes, is the top pick for the TJ Smith Stakes. Chautauqua won the race the last three years in succession, but is not part of the field, after he refused to leave the barriers in several trials recently, and has subsequently been sent for a long spell.

Despite Chautauqua’s absence it looks a classy field with mares, In Her Time, Global Glamour and English being Redzel’s main rivals. Also in with a chance is Brave Smash and Trapeze Artist, both with good recent form.

Happy Clapper, Humidor and Kementari are the three top chances in the Doncaster Mile, though one of the other runners such as Tosen Stardom, Lanciato or Prized Icon could steal the show. The last three year old to win the Doncaster was Triple Honour in 2008, so can the beautiful Kementari, with a generous weight advantage over the older horses, succeed ten years later?

It looks a great day of racing, run on a good track, which I shall watch at home with interest. 

*Update Saturday Evening*

As expected is was an interesting race meeting with one sensational result, when 100/1 shot El Dorado Dreaming took out the Inglis Sires, winning by a nose from the favourite Oohood, with 50/1 shot Outrageous finishing third.

Ace High, fighting out a thrilling finish in the Derby, was defeated by a nose by Levendi with Tangled several lengths behind running third.

Redzel was rolled in the TJ Smith by the three year old Trapeze Artist. In Her Time ran third.

And the Doncaster was won by the tough Happy Clapper from Comin’ Through and Arbeitsam.

So my analysis above was not all that out except for the Inglis Sires.

Blue Blood Babes Diamond Bound

Encryption

The most interesting races at Caulfield on Saturday, in terms of the Blue Diamond Stakes, were races 1 an 2, the Inglis Premier and the Chairman’s Stakes respectively, so I made sure to arrive at the course in time to watch the first race.

It was a perfect day for the races, the temperature being in the mid 20s, though still hot in the sun as the afternoon progressed.

Kinky Boom, a bargain buy and daughter of Spirit of Boom started as hot favourite for the Inglis Premier having  won a  trial at Morphetteville by 8 lengths in late January. This was her first start in a real race and she was most impressive winning the prizemoney, coming from last to win by 1¾ lengths over Grand Symphony with race leader Aristocratic Miss hanging on for third.

Race 1 finish just past the post

Kinky Boom returns to scale

Grand Symphony returns to scale

Aristocratic Miss returns to scale.

They don’t come more blue blooded than Race 2 favourite Encryption, sired by Lonhro out of four time Group 1 winner Guelph.

I saw Guelph win the 2013 Thousand Guineas and snapped a lovely picture of her at the time…

Guelph – Thousand Guineas 2013

Encryption is her sole foal and I noticed that he looks a lot like her in the head.

Guelph head shot

Encryption head shot

The 1000 metres distance of the Chairman’s Stakes was probably too short for Encryption as he was unable to overtake race leader Ennis Hill and finished 1½ lengths behind her in second place.

Outsider Prairie Fire finished third.

Race 2 finish just past the winning post

Ennis Hill returns to scale

Prairie Fire returns to scale

Race 3, the Ian Miller Handicap, included another blue blood in the field, this being Earth Angel, a daughter of Miss Finland by American sire Animal Kingdom.  The tote favourite was Twitchy Frank, but he finished out of a place, the winner being second favourite Paris Rock who scored narrowly over Earth Angel with Lucky Cat running third.

Paris Rock on her way to the barriers

Earth Angel returns to scale

Lucky Cat returns to scale

I didn’t stay at Caulfield for the full race card, let alone the feature Group 3 Manfred Stakes, but lingered to watch the next three races.

The Robert Hunter Handicap was the sole race for stayers, run over 2400 metres. The field was not that interesting and I didn’t bother taking photos of the runners returning to scale, not even the winner, outsider Double Bluff, who defeated Dornier and Al Haram.

Race 5, the Ladbrokes Handicap (1100 metres)  was more interesting with the lightly raced unbeaten Eurack, whom I admit I had never heard of, leading from the start to the finish to score comfortably from Handsome Thief and Highland Beat.

Race 5 finish just past the post – Eurack & Handsome Thief

Eurack returns to scale

There was a bit of class in the field for race 6, the W J Adams Stakes, a sprint over 1000 metres, that being Snitty Kitty who won the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint back in Spring last year. She started as the warm favourite, and  looked as if she would win easily after leading throughout, but she was pipped at the post by  50/1 shot Lady Esprit. Nasdex finished third.

Lady Esprit comes wide to win the W J Adams Stakes

Lady Esprit returns to scale

Snitty Kitty returns to scale

Nasdex returns to scale

I called it quits after the WR Adams Stakes and headed home.

Next week the racing action heats up with the first Group 1 race of the Autumn Racing Season.

The Orr Stakes is the feature race at Caulfield next Saturday, with two Blue Diamond Preludes on the cards for added interest.