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.

A Weir Quinella–Makybe Diva Stakes Review

Palentino beats stablemate Black Heart Bart to win the 2016 Makybe Diva Stakes

The Darren Weir machine rolls on with remarkable success,  the Ballarat based trainer scoring his second Group 1 win for the season.

No other Victorian trainer gets a look in when it comes to the major races these days, though that may change as the spring racing carnival progresses and the Sydney stars come to Melbourne to challenge for the riches on offer.

My afternoon at Flemington began early where I got to the course in time to watch race 2, the Cap D’Antibes Stakes, a Listed race for three year old fillies run over 1100 metres.

Down the straight in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes – eventual winner Kentucky Miss is on the far left of the picture

The trouble with taking photos of sprints down the Flemington straight is that the field generally splits into two sections, one moving to the grandstand side, the other staying on the inside or in the middle. It’s hit or miss, depending on which side you are focussing on, whether you will get a photo of the winner crossing the line.

Such was the case in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes where the winner, Kentucky Miss came down the grandstand rail and I was concentrating on the inside rail.  So I got a nice shot of fourth placed Super Too and missed the winner and runners up, Beyond The Dream and My Country who  ran down the middle of the track.

Kentucky Miss returns to scale

Race 3, the Starlight Express Room Stakes was a 1400 metre race for three year olds and less complicating to photograph, the runners sticking to the inside of the track.

Approaching the finish line in race 3 – Detective (dark green silks) has the edge over Tessera (blue silks & blinkers) and Throssel (blue & white silks)

Detective returns to scale

In between the races, as usual, I tramped back to the stalls, about six times in all, so I got plenty of exercise over the afternoon.

The Living Legends special guest was Paris Lane who was being polished up in his stall, preparatory to parading in the mounting yard.

Paris Lane in his stall having his hooves polished

To refresh your memory, Paris Lane won the 1994 Caulfield Cup and MacKinnon Stakes, and ran second in the Melbourne Cup. He’s now 26 years old, looking pretty spry none the less.

It was a bit early in the day at this time (1.3opm) for the Makybe Diva Stakes field to have arrived, but  I pleased to see New Zealand colt Saracino in his stall. He was entered in Race 5, the Danehill Stakes, scheduled to run at  2.50pm.

Saracino

Alpine Eagle had arrived early, and was in the stall next to Saracino.

Alpine Eagle

Back trackside, it was pleasing to see Bon Aurum take out race 4, The Sofitel (aka Tontonan Stakes), a Listed race over 1400 metres. I’ve been following Bon Aurum for awhile, and he hadn’t won a race since winning the Guineas Prelude in late September last year.

Bon Aurum wins The Sofitel from Ulmann & Hi World

Bon Aurum rugged in the mounting yard posing for photos

Ulmann on his way to the barriers

Hi World on his way to the barriers

The first of the Group races was next on the program. This was the Group 2 Danehill Stakes for three year olds over 1200 metres.

I keen to see how Saracino would go in this and he exceeded expectations leading the field from start to finish, scoring by a narrow margin from Archives and Samara Dancer.

 
Down the straight in the Danehill Stakes – Saracino (yellow & green stripes) just ahead of Archives (blue silks) with Samara Dancer (blinkers) behind him.

Saracino returns to scale

Archives returns to scale

Back in the stalls area, most of the Makybe Diva field had arrived, so I cruised through to get snaps.

The Weir mob were in neighbouring stalls…

Palentino

Black Heart Bart

Prince of Penzance

Nearby were Happy Trails and Rising Romance…

Happy Trails

Rising Romance

It was certainly a case of handsome is as handsome does in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality, race 6 on the program. 

New Zealand stallion Xtravagant is a stunner to look at, but he disappointed, finishing last. His jockey Damian Oliver stated that the horse raced on his wrong leg, and refused to respond to any urgings to race on the right leg. Perhaps he needs to corner as he obviously doesn’t like the long Flemington straight, or maybe his mind is on other things judging by his tumescent state when leaving the mounting yard.

I photographed the contenders in the mounting yard and leaving for the track.

Under the Louvre

Xtravagant

Durendal

Tivaci

Faatinah

We’ve Got This

The race was won by Faatinah from Tivaci and We’ve Got This. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of Faatinah before, but he’s done most of his racing in Adelaide.

Down the straight in the Bobbie Lewis Quality

Faatinah returns to scale

The excitement was building for the next race which of course was the feature Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes.

As it was a pretty even field it was hard to single out a winner, other than Black Heart Bart who started as the warm favourite, despite there being a question mark over his ability to win over a mile.

It ended up with Palentino and Black Heart Bart fighting out the finish down the straight, the stablemates winning the quinella, Palentino scoring by a length from Black Heart Bart with He Or She three lengths behind in third place.

I got some nice photos of the field in the mounting yard and going to the barriers…

Prince of Penzance

Happy Trails

Black Heart Bart

Alpine Eagle

Palentino

Rising Romance

Tarzino

Maykybe Diva Stakes finish – Mark Zahra celebrates Palentino’s win

Palentino returns to the mounting yard

Alpine Eagle was again disappointing, finishing at the tail of the field. Like Xtravagant, perhaps his mind is on other things. Rising Romance raced on the pace, but faded to finish seventh.

As I’d been at the track since 12.45pm  I decided to head home after the feature race. I didn’t have any bets on the day, and having hardly sat down all afternoon, I was somewhat tired.

The afternoon was mostly overcast with the sun rarely showing its face, but the time as usual passed really fast. And I seem to have solved the Nikon’s light problem, the exposure compensation settings doing the trick. Despite the overcast day, I didn’t get any dark photographs.

Next week the only Group 1 race is in Sydney at Randwick where the feature race is the George Main Stakes which is now strangely called the Colgate Optic White Stakes. Anyway, Winx will be making her second appearance for the spring in this race and so far only six other competitors have nominated, which makes it look like a walkover for the wonder mare of Australia.

The racing in Melbourne will be at Caulfield and the feature race is the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, a race over 2000 metres for Caulfield Cup bound horses.

And finally…

The news today was of the death of 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope. She apparently passed away in her sleep during the night. She was 29 years old.

As well as the Melbourne Cup, Let’s Elope won the 1991 Caulfield Cup and MacKinnon Stakes and in 1992 won the Turnbull Stakes, Australian Cup, Orr Stakes and St George Stakes.

She was a great race mare and I was pleased to see her grand-daughter Let’s Make Adeal win The Bart Cummings last year at Flemington in early October.

Sign at Flemington – Turnbull Stakes Day 2015

Makybe Diva Stakes–Is a Spring Romance on the Cards?

Rising Romance on her way to the barriers in the Memsie Stakes

The wide open spaces of Flemington beckon this coming Saturday with a super race meeting making the trip out west worth the effort.

The feature race is the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes, where a field of 13 runners will be contesting it.  Black Heart Bart is the hot favourite. It’s understandable considering he won Memsie Stakes in fine fashion at his first start for the season.  However, there are a few questionmarks as to whether he can win. He has never won over 1600 metres, and his recent form shows him running first, then second, then first, second, etc, though in his younger days in Western Australia he strung together several consecutive wins.

Happy Trails, now nine years old, is resuming for another spring season, his sixth in succession. I feel that he is probably past his glory days  where from 2012 to 2014 he won a Group 1 race each year – the Emirates Stakes in 2012, the Turnbull in 2013 and the Mackinnon in 2014. He’s grand old trouper who seems to have been around forever.

When I saw Rising Romance at Caulfield on Memsie Stakes Day I thought she looked a picture of health, so it was not surprising that she ran second in the race. Can she go one better in the Makybe Diva Stakes?  She’s due for a win having run against quality fields most of her career and finished second or third in several Group 1 races.

The handsome Alpine Eagle is also entered in the Makybe Diva Stakes. It would be good to see an improvement from him after his rather disappointing sixth in the Memsie Stakes, but he is bred to be a stayer and may have found the pace too hot.

Also worth considering are Australian Guineas winner Palentino and Derby winner Tarzino. Stayers often win the Makybe Diva Stakes, for instance Fawkner last year.

Due to the train timetable, I’ll be obliged to get to Flemington fairly early in the afternoon, so it’s fortunate that the support card has several other interesting races to keep me amused.

The Group 2 Danehill Stakes is scheduled as race 5 and is for three year olds and run over 1200 metres. I’m keen to get a look at New Zealand trainer Murray Baker’s new star Saracino having his first race in Australia. He’s up against smart local colts like Defcon, who recently won the HDF MCNeil Stakes, the  runners up Highland Beat and Wazzenme, Trenchant who has won at Flemington previously, and sole filly Samara Dancer.

We last saw New Zealand bred Xtravagant race in Australia in this  year’s Australian Guineas, where he started as hot favourite and failed to run a place. He’ll be out to redeem his reputation in the Bobbie Lewis Quality a sprint over 1200 metres. His greatest rival is Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre who always runs an honest race. This race was won by Chautauqua in 2014, which was when he first came to notice, and we all know how good has become since then.

In Sydney at Rosehill the feature race is the Golden Rose Stakes. It has a great field comprised of 12 colts/geldings and 3 fillies.

Of the boys, the top picks are Astern and Divine Prophet who both won their last starts, followed by Winx younger half brother El Divino, who was rather disappointing in the Run To The Rose and Melbourne colt Derryn who ran second to Divine Prophet at his last start.

Both Omei Sword and Yankee Rose are highly regarded fillies, the former being in the almighty Chris Waller stable, winning her last start by three and half lengths, the latter winning against the boys in autumn in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes and also running second in the Golden Slipper Stakes. If Yankee Rose has recovered from the minor injury she sustained recently, she is a force to be reckoned with and is one of the horses I’ve been looking forward to seeing this spring if she ever makes it to Melbourne.

Though the weather in Melbourne has been warm and sunny most of this week, a change on Friday is forecast to bring some rain, though it is expected to clear briefly on Saturday in time for the races.

Rosehill, for a change, may even present as good, with not much rain falling in Sydney before the weekend.

Super Saturday at Flemington

Chautauqua returns to scale after winning the 2016 Black Caviar Lightning

The grey flash, Chautauqua returns to the scene of his latest victory, to attempt the Lightning/Newmarket double at Flemington this coming Saturday. He is the top weight on 58kg and has drawn the outside barrier, but he is the one to beat, and will probably start as favourite. 

Ten other horses will be trying to one up him, the most threatening being the Chris Waller contingent Delectation and Japonisme. Terravista is missing from the field, so that’s one less to worry about. Last year the Newmarket Handicap was won by the lightweighted three year old Brazen Beau who relegated Chautuaqua to second, so that gives Japonisme, sole filly Secret Agenda, Counter Attack and Keen Array all a chance.  A new name in the eastern states racing scene is Black Heart Bart (great name!), another West Australian galloper now trained by Darren Weir,who will be having his first start in the east in the Newmarket. 

As well as the Newmarket Handicap, Flemington hosts the Group 1 Australian Cup a race over 2000 metres for middle distance runners and stayers.

Old campaigner, Happy Trails is pitted against the younger brigade, the top picks being Bow Creek and Preferment along with mares, Rising Romance, Suavito and Fenway. It has been a long time since a mare has won the Australian Cup, Makybe Diva being the last in 2005, but the above girls have been holding their own against the boys, so one of them could steal the show.

Mourinho was an acceptor for the Australian  Cup, but he was scratched today having succumbed to an old tendon injury, which signifies the end of his racing career.

There is a fine support card at Flemington that includes the Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes, Blamey Stakes and Kewney Stakes, but I’m not going to preview them here.

And at Rosehill the feature race is the Group 1 Coolmore Classic, a race for fillies and mares over 1500 metres. Unbeaten filly Ghisoni is the current favourite, but she’ll have to beat classy mares like Lucia Valentina, Politeness, Solicit, Amicus, Zanbagh and Azkadellia.

We have been experiencing a late summer heat wave here in Melbourne over the past two weeks, though yesterday it rained practically all day – welcome after the long dry spell – but today, Friday it’s back to being sunny and humid, so the Flemington track shouldn’t be affected all that much.

Tomorrow is forecast to be mild and overcast with a chance of rain in the afternoon.  Those conditions suit me fine, as I intend to soak up the racing action with the last Group 1 race meet for Melbourne’s autumn racing season. Australian Cup Day is always enjoyable, not overcrowded like the spring carnival and generally pretty laid back.

Extreme Choice Shines in the Blue Diamond

Extreme Choice parades in the mounting yard after winning the 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes

Last Saturday, Melbourne woke to a mild sunny day that was perfect for attending the first class race meeting at Caulfield, where three excellent Group 1 competions delivered on their promise of thrilling racing action.

As planned, I arrived at Caulfield Racecourse about 20 minutes before Race 3, the Angus Armanesco Stakes was scheduled to start and watched the fillies parade in the mounting yard…

Catch A Fire

Mossin’ Around

Pasadena Girl

Egypt

… then found a good postition on the fence to observe the race.

Pasadena Girl started as favourite, and performed really well, running third to runaway longshot winner Catch A Fire, who beat Mossin’ Around by over two lengths.

Down the straight in the Angus Armanesco Stakes - Catch A Fire leads the rest of the field.

Catch A Fire’s saddlecloth number was 8, and remarkably horses wearing saddlecloth number 8 won four of the nine races on the program.

As Mahuta had been scratched from the Autumn Classic (race 4) the new race favourite was Tally (number 8 saddlecloth) who justified his support by easily winning the race from Flying Light and Top Ravine.

I watched this race from the other side of the stalls area. The prime spot on the hill above the stalls area was fenced off to restrict the area to young members. What a waste of a useful space! There were more security personnel than young members so it was observed.

Race 4  finish just past the winning post – Tally (blue silks) leads

Tally on his way to the barriers

Flying Light on his way to the barriers

Top Ravine returns to scale

Whilst in the stalls area, and as there were a wealth of horsey stars in attendance, I cruised through to see them.

Extreme Choice in his stall – as good as gold

Flying Artie next door

Zamzam smooching with her strapper

Fell Swoop – ear muffed to keep him calm

Flamberge

Mourinho with his devoted strapper

Suavito

Fawkner

The United States

The beautiful Turn Me Loose – photos don’t do him justice

Back trackside, Race 5, the Peter Young Stakes was about to begin.

Irish import Bow Creek, whom I’ve overlooked despite other pundits having a high opinion of him, started as favourite, and finally delivered on his promise with a convincing win in the 1800 metre race. Fenway finished second. Good old Mourinho who was kicked by Fenway before the start of the Orr Stakes, and passed fit to race, and finished second last,  ran third in the Peter Young Stakes, which he won last year.

Bow Creek on his way to the barriers

Fenway on her way to the barriers

Fawkner on his way to the barriers

Happy Trails on his way to the barriers

Mourinho on his way to the barriers

Fawkner finished a distant third last after a torrid run six horses wide. He may be a spent force, so it wouldn’t surprise if he was retired. Happy Trails fared slightly better finishing seventh. Bow Creek was outstanding, as he missed the start and had to make up ground, then was held up by a wall of horses, but after finding a gap he exploded away to win by 1½ lengths.

Peter Young Stakes finish – Bow Creek breaks through.

The first of the Group 1 races, the Futurity Stakes was up next, and with its classy field was the best race of the afternoon.

As it was a 1400 metres race, I went back to the spot on the other side of the stalls area.

The race lived up to its promise, with Turn Me Loose the popular winner.  This time he raced back in third or fourth spot instead of leading, and surged late to grab Suavito (third) and Stratum Star (second) to win by ¾ length. Hucklebuck overraced in the earlier part of the race and ended up uncharacteristically leading, then faded to finish eigth. Unfortunately Boban bled from both nostrils and is banned from racing, so that is the last we’ll see of him, which is a pity as he was great horse on his day.

Boban

Stratum Star

Hucklebuck & Stratum Star

Politeness

Scissor Kick

Suavito

The United States

Turn Me Loose

Futurity Stakes – just past the winning post -  head on shot

For the Blue Diamond Stakes I returned to the public lawn and grabbed a good spot early to see the young things head out to the track.

The late afternoon sunlight was glaring and bad for photos, so the few I took are darkish.

However, I got a good photo of the finish down the straight where Extreme Choice is several lengths ahead of his stablemate Flying Artie, and the rest of the field is out of the frame. The filly Zamzam finished third six lengths behind the leading pair.

 
Extreme Choice burns up the straight with Flying Artie in hot pursuit.

Extreme Choice in the winners rug in the mounting yard

Extreme Choice does look special. Only a small horse, he has a calm temperament and is yet to lose a race. He’s now favourite for the Golden Slipper Stakes, which he could well win too.

I stayed at the course for the final Group 1 race, the Oakleigh Plate, and decided to have a small wager on both Fell Swoop and Heatherly. Top weight Flamberge, who has a good first up record and has won at Group 1 level before, was unfavoured in the betting. He started at 30/1 and won by a nose from Fell Swoop who was held up in the straight and couldn’t quite catch the Flamberge. Heatherly, who was prominent throughout and led for most of the race hung on for third.

Oakleigh Plate finish down the straight – Flamberge (yellow silks) is about to overtake Heatherly (red cap) with Fell Swoop charging down the outside

Flamberge parades after winning the Oakleigh Plate

After collecting my winnings on Heatherly and Fell Swoop for a small profit, I headed for the station and home.

The afternoon at Caulfield sped by very fast even though the interval between races was back to its usual 40 minutes. 

Thank goodness MRC have finally come to their senses and not run the feature event as the second last last race on the card.

I did get to watch the Chipping Norton Stakes on the big screen while waiting for the Blue Diamond Stakes to start. Winx enhanced her claims to being the best horse in Australia with an easy win from Dibayani and Hauraki.

Next Saturday the action is at Flemington for the Group 1 Australian Guineas meeting, whilst Randwick hosts the rival Randwick Guineas and the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes.

Here in Melbourne we at least get the first chance to see star New Zealand colt Xtravagant in the flesh.