More Thrills In The Offing– 2012 Cox Plate

Green Moon – A top pick for the Cox Plate.

Another superb day of racing is coming up this Saturday with Moonee Valley featuring the famous (and my favourite of the BIG three) WFA championship of the spring  - the Cox Plate.  The Cox Plate has attracted a quality field with a mix of tried and true WFA performers and young upstarts. More about that later.

Moonee Valley Racing Club have decided this year to run the Manikato Stakes the night before the Cox Plate. I remember that some years back it was the first Group One race of the Spring racing carnival in mid September, but these days racing clubs change races around at will to fit some vision they have for their club.  I don’t intend to go to Manikato Stakes night, preferring daytime racing. The daytime Cox Plate meeting has a better race card with several fascinating Group Two and Three races occurring before the big event.

The Manikato Stakes however does look to be an interesting race, with Sydney mare Sea Siren making her first appearance this spring. She won the BTC Cup/Doomben 10,000 double in the autumn, defeating Buffering in the latter by a short margin. These two will clash again in the Manikato Stakes.  Buffering is in excellent form, winning his last two starts, .and has the edge, as he’s raced and won at Moonee Valley recently, whereas Sea Siren has not raced in Melbourne ever, yet with her weight advantage Sea Siren may give Buffering a damn good run for the money. Also in with a chance are Bel Sprinter another with winning Moonee Valley form, the always competitive Satin Shoes, Hallowell Belle and Ready to Rip who ran second to Buffering in the Moir Stakes recently.

So on to Cox Plate day…

The first of the Group races is Race 4, the Group 3 Telstra Phoneworks Stakes, a race over  1200 metres for three year olds. Chosen Moment and Hidden Warrior look the top picks, the former having the benefit of Craig Williams in the saddle. It appears to be an evenly talented field with a number of chances – last start winner Cavalry Rose for one, Stars In The Sky also, and South Australian Essay Raider for another.

Things heat up in Race 5, the Group 2 Mitchelton Wines Vase, run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres and also for three year olds. Unbeaten New Zealand star It’s A Dundeel is the top pick and pretty well a dead cert winner (touch wood). He’s having a practice run before tackling the Victoria Derby the following Saturday. Viking Star, If I Could and Super Cool appear to be the next best dressed and could run a place.

The Group 2 Drake International Cup (formerly the Moonee Valley Cup) is run over 2500 metres and is for stayers still trying to qualify for the Melbourne Cup. I must admit I find the field for this race a tad uninspiring. You’ve got the unpredictable Precedence again, Moudre who finished 14th in the Caulfield Cup last week, Reuben Percival. also ho hum, Ibicenco an International runner from the Luca Cumani stable, and probably the pick of the litter along with Midas Touch who has a bit of form in recent races though nothing spectacular.

Race 6 the Crystal Vase is a completely different and more classy Group 2 race run over 1600 metres. Though only 7 runners have accepted it looks to be a very interesting race. Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn is the one to beat. Good old Rangirangdoo is top weight, but on his day he is very competitive, like his recent second to his stable mate, Shoot Out, in the George Main Stakes and moreover he won this race in 2009.  The consistent Ambidexter cannot be overlooked and Tokugawa has won at Moonee Valley in the recent past.

The Cox Plate will be run slightly earlier this year, so I can relax and not rush for the bus directly after the race as I had to do last year. The change from running the race at 5.35pm to 5.15pm has something to do with the Television coverage. The interval between races will be reduced to 35 minutes as opposed to the usual 40 minutes. Suits me fine as killing time between races can be a bit boring if you’re solo and not partying.

Let us now consider the Cox Plate…

A full field of 14 runners will compete in this powerhouse competition. It looks an excellent field this year with outstanding Group One performers like More Joyous, Green Moon, Shoot Out, Ocean Park, Sincero, Rekindled Interest and Southern Speed all in the mix. Then you’ve got the top three year olds of the year, Pierro, All Too Hard and Proisir in with a lightweight chance.  I am torn between Green Moon and Ocean Park as my top fancies, and I would love it if old favourite Shoot Out scored an upset win. He ran in this race in 2010, finishing 4th behind So You Think. Gai Waterhouse is having a disappointing Melbourne spring carnival, with none of her top racehorses scoring a win so far, so I dare say she is hoping one of her three runners can win this prestigious race.

If Pierro hadn’t been beaten in the Caulfield Guineas, I would understand why he is the favourite for this race. At the moment I find it really puzzling. He has never run past 1600 metres and he has not raced in open company before. However, his grandsire Octagonal, who also failed to win the Caulfield Guineas won the Cox Plate in 1995 at the age of three. I was there that day and remember the race vividly. Also, Pierro’s sire, Lonhro, ran in the race in 2002 and 2003, running 6th and 3rd respectively. Remember Helmet last year? He was one of the favourites for the 2011 Cox Plate after winning the Caulfield Guineas and though he ran a game race, he did not feature in the finish. And he didn’t win or place in a race ever again.

The other three year olds All Too Hard and Proisir could be given just as much chance as Pierro, with All Too Hard being the better of the two, no matter what Gai Waterhouse thinks.

The weather on Saturday is expected to be around 17°C with a few showers clearing. The track should be rated good to dead and excellent for racing. I expect the crowd to be large, but as Black Caviar is not part of the action this year, maybe not as crowded as last year.

Whatever the weather and the crowd, I’m really looking forward to seeing my favourite racehorses in action and maybe getting some good photos of Shoot Out in particular.

UPDATE: Saturday night


2012 Cox Plate Start

What a fab day at the races! Full of interesting events  and not too crowded, at least where I was standing at the top of the straight. New Zealand star Ocean Park won the Cox Plate overtaking All Too Hard just before the line, with Pierro running third. It’s the first time a New Zealand horse has won the Plate since Sunline in 2001.

The other New Zealand star It’s A Dundeel, a striking and attractive colt, was beaten for the first time in his career by Super Cool.

I’ll write a fuller account of my day at the races soon, with more photos.

Autumn Racing Carnival continues…

Foxwedge after winning the William Reid Stakes – it was night time so photo is a bit murky

I haven’t had much time to write about racing, but I have certainly not lost my interest in it. I didn’t have time to post about last week’s feature races, but did attend the last night meeting for the season at Moonee Valley last Friday to witness the running of the William Reid Stakes. Hay List was the short priced favourite, but he was overtaken just before the post by three year old colt Foxwedge. Hay List had been suffering from a bruised heel most of the week, but had been passed as fit to run, so it is possible that he was still affected by that injury as he didn’t show his characteristic blistering sprint. 

In Sydney last Saturday, More Joyous made a welcome return to the track with a win in the Group 2 Canterbury Stakes, and it was also pleasing to see Metal Bender resume after a long injury induced break, running a solid third place behind More Joyous.

The feature Group One races were exciting nail biters, both with very close finishes, with Manighar & Rangirangdoo fighting out the finish of the Ranvet Stakes. Manighar won by a nose, and Shoot Out ran a close third.  And long shot, Ofcourseican narrowly won the Coolmore Classic from Secret Admirer and King’s Rose.

Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready remains unbeaten, winning her debut race, the Group Two Reisling Stakes, in Sydney last weekend. She’s hot favourite for the Golden Slipper and is the most likely of all the aspirants, to take out that race. If she does, it will be the second year in a row for the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper double to be won by the same horse. This was accomplished by Sepoy last year.

Well, that was last week.

This coming Saturday, Rosehill hosts the feature Group One Rosehill Guineas. It’s a race for three year old stayers over 2000 metres and has an intriguing field. Super filly Mosheen has beaten the boys in the other recent Guineas (Australian & Randwick), but her place this time as the sole female contestant, is taken by top New Zealand filly Silent Achiever, who has won five out of seven races, the last three in succession, and has never been unplaced. She is the logical favourite, however she has drawn a wide barrier, and is racing for the first time in Australia. Locals who may threaten her are Doctor Doom, who is a Group One winner over the distance, albeit at Randwick, Laser Hawk who ran third in the Randwick Guineas, Said Com who ran second on that occasion and Strike The Stars who ran second to Mosheen in the Australian Guineas. The Peter Moody trained Highly Recommended is also a good chance, having recently won the Alister Clark Stakes and fellow Melbourne runner Proliferate who has a slight claims. Possibly the best competition for Silent Achiever will come from fellow New Zealanders Ocean Park and Rock ‘N’ Pop, and if he returns to form, 2011 Victoria Derby winner Sangster.

Black Caviar’s little half brother All Too Hard is having his third race on Saturday in the Group Two Pago Pago Stakes (1200 metres). Can he remain unbeaten? He certainly looks as if he will keep his record intact, judging by the way he’s won his previous races. It’s too early to call him a star of the turf, but he is worth following.

The Group Two Challenge Stakes (1100 metres) sees Rain Affair back on his home turf. He didn’t handle the straight at Flemington, when contesting the Newmarket Handicap, but  he should be back in the winners stall in this race. That is if he can beat the highly regarded Bel Sprinter who was waylaid by a minor injury to his leg and was out of action for a month. Also in the picture is the speedy filly Satin Shoes, who narrowly missed winning the Euclase Stakes in Adelaide on Labour Day and Elite Falls, the other class filly in the race, who ran second to Woorim in the Oakleigh Plate.

On Saturday evening, the eyes & ears of Aussie racing fans will be focussing on the Dubai World Cup meeting at Meydan. Several Australian horses are competing in various races;  Sepoy in the Golden Shaheen (1200 metres) against the likes of Rocket Man, Singapore’s top sprinter, Helmet in the UAE Derby (1900 metres) and dual Cox Plate winner So You Think  in the Dubai World Cup (2000 metres).  Here’s wishing them all the best of luck.

Lightning Strike – Black Caviar wins again

Black Caviar returns to scale after winning the Lightning Stakes

This is the first chance I have had to report on my day at the races last Saturday, other stuff like website updates occupying my time for the past few days.

Flemington was very easy to get to via two trains and the station is directly outside the racetrack. It’s the biggest racetrack in Melbourne, and the famous straight is certainly a very long one.  It was good to be back there after an hiatus of 40 or so years, and give it a look over in relatively uncrowded conditions. But I must admit, having over the past month attended all three of Melbourne’s race tracks, Caulfield is now my favourite.

Why? Well, at Flemington you can’t take photographs from the fence, of horses running down the straight because there is a rail impeding the view, whereas at both Caulfield and Moonee Valley the track fences are low enough to afford an excellent view.

So, at Flemington on Saturday, I could only get good photos of the horses from the chute leading into the mounting yard or of the mounting yard itself. Still it gives one a different viewpoint, so expect to see most of my photos in this post depicting winners returning to scale, or in the mounting yard.

I arrived at the track just in time to watch the first race, the Talindert Stakes where Black Caviar’s little half brother All Too Hard emulated his big sister by winning by a couple of lengths from At The Tap and Timely Truce.

 
All Too Hard returning to scale after winning the Talindert Stakes

After that I went in search of the Cheer Squad area and found it easily. It was tucked up against the mounting yard, a prime position as usual.

It was a hot and sunny day and the cheer squad area offered no shade, so I was glad that I had slathered myself with sun screen before setting out, so I didn’t end up sunburnt at all.

Race 2 was the Gurner’s Lane Handicap run over 2000 metres. It was won by long shot Cheviot Beach, with Prizum and Persian Star filling the minor placings.

Cheviot Beach after winning the Gurner’s Lane Handicap

Under The Hat won the next race, from Chasse and Over Quota

Under The Hat

The first Group race of the day was race 4 the Group 3 Vanity Stakes for 3 year old fillies. Mosheen was the obvious pick and started as short odds favourite. She’s a very pretty, dainty little thing…

Mosheen in the mounting yard

…but alas, was pipped at the post by Shopaholic.

Shopaholic

Helmet was the hot favourite in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes, but was beaten into fifth place, the race being taken out by That’s The One.

Helmet in the mounting yard

That’s The One

And then it was the build up to the Lightning Stakes. The course by this time was pretty crowded, but as Flemington is such a big course, it wasn’t squashy. The usual array of Black Caviar flags, signs and apparel were all over the place.

Apache Cat and Silent Witness paraded before the rest of the field came out, Apache Cat being his usual ratbag self trying to graze on the turf, and throwing a wobbly later on. He is quite a character.

Apache Cat parading

All the others were perfectly behaved.  Hay List was one of the first out, and as the race proved, is back to his best. He certainly challenged Black Caviar, sticking with her to the end and only being defeated by 1¾ lengths.


Hay List in the mounting yard

The race was a bobby dazzler, run at a cracking pace and Black Caviar prevailed as mentioned before, bringing up her 19th win in succession and 9th Group One. She was only .03 of a second off the course record set by Special in 1988. As an aside, I remember Special very well. She was a very special mare, who ran and won races whilst she was with foal, I recall. That sort of thing wouldn’t happen these days.

Black Caviar after winning the Lightning Stakes

Black Caviar has been nominated for the Group One Futurity Stakes next Saturday. Apparently she recovered remarkably well from her energetic Lightning run, so Peter Moody is considering running her three weeks in a row.  Whether this eventuates is yet to be decided. If so, the Cheer Squad will be back at Caulfield next weekend, where the feature race is the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.

Speaking of the Blue Diamond Stakes, I went along today to the Barrier Draw, which took place in the City Square. The Black Caviar Cheer Squad were invited to attend for some media event. Only a few turned up, and it fizzled.

However, it was quite an entertaining event notwithstanding, with a sausage sizzle, a photo booth where you could get a photo of yourself with a virtual Black Caviar, giveaways, like a Black Caviar poster, free admittance tickets to Caulfield next Saturday and a raffle for a diamond and sapphire necklace.

The Carlton & United Breweries wagon, drawn by four Clydesdales was there as well and was an impressive sight. The huge placid beasts are quite a contrast to the streamlined thoroughbred racehorses.

 

Update Wednesday

Black Caviar was not among the acceptances for the Futurity Stakes. Peter Moody has decided to send her for a break, in preparation for her eventual trip to Royal Ascot in June. She will probably have one more run in Australia prior to that, in Adelaide or Brisbane.

Melbourne has certainly been spoiled, having had the opportunity of seeing her run her last 6 races in this city, though many people have travelled from interstate to experience the thrill of being part of the Black Caviar phenomenon.

Despite her non appearance at Caulfield next Saturday, I still may attend as Sepoy will be having his last run in Australia in the Oakleigh Plate and I’d like to be there for that, and of course the Blue Diamond Stakes.

Flash – Black Caviar To Star in the Lightning Stakes

Black Caviar back again this weekend in the Lightning Stakes

Well I was going to break up the horse racing entries with other stuff, but here we are at week’s end, and I didn’t get an opportunity to go the Mad Square Exhibition at the National Gallery despite my best intentions. That will have to wait until next week.

Tomorrow however, Basement Discs are hosting their first in store performance for 2012 -  The Orbweavers, a young, well regarded Melbourne band who have been described as having “a delicate and subtle sound” and are inspired by the natural world - so I’ll attempt to review the mini show tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, there’s the autumn racing carnival to consider, with another Group One on the cards at Flemington this Saturday. It’s the Lightning Stakes a sprint down the famous straight over 1000 metres.  Peter Moody has decided that Black Caviar , rather than having a gallop in the morning, might as well do it in company in the afternoon; and incidentally set her up for her 19th win in as many starts.  Back after a long break, after suffering a life threatening leg infection, Hay List returns to do combat with the Queen for the fourth time. She beat him by 3.3 lengths in last year’s Lightning Stakes and is likely to do so again this time.

There are those that say, that coming back in distance makes Black Caviar vulnerable, but I don’t agree. She’s a once in a lifetime racehorse and those sorts of racehorses can do remarkable things.

Not that any other of seven horses in the Lightning Stakes field, are likely to threaten BC, there are some interesting runners, Foxwedge for instance, who was one of the outstanding three year olds in the spring, being competitive against the likes of Sepoy and Manawanui.

The rest of the card at Flemington looks better than normal. In the first race Black Caviar’s little half brother All Too Hard will be having his first start in the Talindert Stakes, so it will be interesting to see how he performs.

Super filly Mosheen, who won the Manfred Stakes in fine fashion last start will no doubt start favourite in the Group 3 Vanity Stakes, a race for three year old fillies over 1410 metres. Her main opponents – at a quick glance - seem to be Shopaholic, Great Dame and Notice Received.

Helmet makes a welcome return to the track in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes, for three year old colts and geldings, also run over 1410 metres. He is the top pick, but solid performers like Instinction Sabrage, Decircles and That’s The One may give him a run for the money.

Sydney racing at Warwick Farm on Saturday looks just as interesting. Gai Waterhouse has a couple of her Golden Slipper hopefuls running, Driefontein (the controversial winner of the 2yo Magic Millions Classic) in the Widden Classic and  Raceway in the Canonbury Stakes.

Manawanui makes a welcome return to the racetrack in the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200 metres) though he’s up against some smart young fellows, like the unbeaten Peter Moody trained Moment of Change, Hot Snitzel, King Saul, Rekindled Alliance, Doctor Doom (though this race may be a bit short for him) and Darci Be Good.

The Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes the three year old fillies equivalent of the Royal Sovereign Stakes has a super field that includes Karuta Queen, Streama, Hallowell Belle and Al’s Magic Miss among others.

So lots of excitement all round promised for this Saturday in both Melbourne and Sydney.

I’ll be going to Flemington to take part once again in the Black Caviar Cheer Squad. It is 40 or so years since I was last there, so I’m looking forward to exploring another of Melbourne’s racetracks. The Squad will be accommodated in a prime spot near the mounting yard next to the track, so more photo opportunities abound. Apache Cat and Silent Witness will also be on display, so I shall be sure to pay the old boys a visit.

The weather will most likely be fairly warm and humid, but it isn’t expected to rain.