Imperatriz–Queen of the Valley

Imperatriz on her way to winning the Group 1 William Reid Stakes

The better races were scheduled later in the afternoon last Saturday, so I took my time getting to Moonee Valley, arriving in time to witness the running of the 5th race.

This was the Group 2 Sunline Stakes, a race over 1600 meters for fillies and mares.

Eternal Flame won narrowly from Rumbled Again and Campionessa.

Eternal Flame winning the Sunline Stakes

Eternal Flame on her way to the barriers

Campionessa (orange) and Rumbled Again on their way to the barriers

The Alexandra Stakes was next, a race for three year old runners over 1600 metres, and was won by Vibrant Sun from Grinzinger Belle. Vivy Air ran third in front of Socks Nation.

Vibrant Sun

Grinzinger Belle

Socks Nation

Moonee Valley  was in party mode, with a band playing on the public lawn…

Portion of band

…and a peculiar music machine pumping out doof doof type rhythms throughout the afternoon.

Music Machine – the Kombi Cart

The big screen was split in two, one side showing the horse racing, the other playing footage from the Melbourne Grand Prix car racing – a peculiar combination to say the least, echoed by the signs around the track, advertising the Pit Stop Party scheduled after the horse racing.

Pit Stop Party sign

Back trackside, the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes was next to run.

This was won by 50/1 shot Antrim Coast from New Zealand mare Quintessa with Zipaway running third.

Antrim Coast (blue cap) about to overtake Quintessa in the Alister Clark Stakes

Antrim Coast poses for the photographers after winning the Alister Clark Stakes

Of  course the feature Group 1 William Reid Stakes was the race we were all there for, to see super sprinter Imperatriz in action.

The Merchandise Store was selling an Imperatriz stubby holder, which naturally I purchased to add to my racing memorabilia.

Stubby Holder Design

Imperatriz was the hot favourite to win, and win she did, withstanding  a challenge from 71/1 shot Johnny Rocker to claim victory by a narrow margin. I Am Me ran third.

She has now won 10 Group 1 races most of them at Moonee Valley. This was her second victory in the William Reid Stakes as she won the race last year as well.

Another photo of Imperatriz winning the William Reid Stakes

Opie Bosson all smiles returning to scale on Imperatriz

Imperatriz in the winners rug with her devoted strapper Jason Levin

I didn’t hang around for the Pit Stop party (perish the thought), heading home after the William Reid Stakes, glad to have witnessed Imperatriz win once again.

Newmarket Handicap Review

Cylinder (blue) on his way to winning the 2024 Newmarket Handicap

As the Media emphasised over and over again,  it was a stinking hot day last Saturday, fierce sunlight and a blustery wind making the conditions at Flemington pretty awful.

However, I didn’t let that put me off attending, when my current favourite racehorse, Imperatriz, was set to contest the feature race.

Racing Victoria had rejigged the time line of events with the first race being put back to 10.45 am, meaning it would not be a long afternoon trackside.

I reached Flemington around 11.45am and was in time to practice photography in the 4th race, the Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes.

Also having time on my hands I briefly visited the stalls area for a photo of Imperatriz

Imperatriz in her stall

Traffic Warden was the victor in the Sires Produce Stakes, leading from the start, beating race favourite Rue De Royale by 1.75 lengths.

Traffic Warden wins the Sires Produce Stakes

 
Rue de Royale

Race 5 was the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and Imperatriz was the hot  favourite.

Alas, it wasn’t to be with lightweight three year old Cylinder upstaging the mare to win by 1.25 lengths. Imperatriz carried the top weight of 58kg, giving Cylinder, who carried 51.5kg an enormous advantage on weights.

Imperatriz battling up the straight overtaking race leader The Astrologist

Imperatriz returns to scale

As trains from Flemington to the city were running all afternoon and feeling the heat, I departed after the Newmarket Handicap and got home early for a change.

Lightning Strike–Imperatriz wins again

Imperatriz winning the 2024 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes

Over the past decade I have attended Lightning Stakes Day at Flemington many times.

This year with super star sprinter Imperatriz being set to run, it was a no brainer to be present again, so I headed off to the big track last Saturday for the event.

Happily it was a sunny day, quite warm in fact, and I arrived at the track shortly after 1.00 pm and was in plenty of time to get to my favourite possie on the fence to witness the Talindert Stakes, a race for two year olds over 1100 metres.

The bizarrely named Aardvark won the race by a little over length with Reasonable Point and Bittercreek running the minor places.

Aardvark wins the Talindert Stakes

I gave Race 4 a miss and decided to visit the stalls area to get a photo of Imperatriz.

Imperatriz in her stall looking bright & beautiful

Race 5 was the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes, run over 1400 metres for fillies and mares.

Revolutionary Miss who I recall witnessing winning the Blue Diamond Prelude in 2022, proved the winner in this race, narrowly beating Forbidden City and Fortunate Kiss.

Revolutionary Miss wins the Frances Tressady Stakes from Forbidden City

The the Group 3 Vanity was next up and Grizinger Belle, who led from the start, prevailed to win comfortably from French Endeavour and Mollyknickers.

Grizinger Belle wins The Vanity

The colts equivalent of The Vanity, the C S Hayes Stakes, followed and 2023 Victorian Derby winner, Riff Rocket, surprised everyone with a solid victory, running from the tail of the field to overtake King Colorado and score the bickies. Verdad ran third.

Riff Rocket wins the C S Hayes Stakes

Riff Rocket on his way to barriers

Flemington was in Carnival mode with a small band entertaining the crowd and stilt walkers cruising the public lawn.

Stilt walker posing for photograph.

It wasn’t all that crowded last Saturday so it was easy to get around when seeking shade from the sun.

The feature event was of course the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning. It was renamed in Black Caviar’s honour in 2013 to recognise her dominance in the event. She won it three years consecutively from 2011 to 2013.

Imperatriz was the hot favourite this year and she won by a short margin after overtaking Private Eye in the straight.

Imperatriz returns to scale

Calling it quits after the Black Caviar Lightning I headed home, pleased to have attended to have seen Imperatriz win yet again.

Her next race I assume will be the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley in late March – I’ve already  purchased a ticket!.

Next Saturday I plan to go to the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting at Caulfield.

Champions Stakes Day at Flemington

As the sign above the gate to the Mounting Yard proclaimed, it was Champion’s Stakes Day at Flemington, the last day of the Flemington Melbourne Cup mini carnival, so forth I went last Saturday to catch the action.

There were three Group 1 races on the card, a sprint – the Champions Sprint, a race over 1600 metres dubbed the Champions Mile and the Champions Stakes, run over 2000 metres.

Quality fields had accepted on the day, making it worth attending.

I was particularly interested in seeing Imperatriz, the super New Zealand mare, running in the sprint.

It was a coolish kind of day, a chill wind spoiling the afternoon somewhat despite the bright sunshine.

As the Group 1 races were scheduled for mid to late afternoon, I took my time getting to Flemington, arriving around 2.00 pm, just before the running of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

I watched the race from a distance and noted that Muramasa was the winner with Ladies Man running second ahead of Duke de Sessa.

From there I made my way up to the stalls area to see who had arrived and came across several of the Group 1  runners, such as Imperatriz.

Imperatriz

Zaaki

Alligator Blood

Pride of Jenni

Espiona

It was a well patronised race meeting, but not that hard to get through the crowd of scantily dressed girls to my preferred spot on the fence, from where I managed some photo practice in Race 5, the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes, where a field of mares were set to run the 2000 metres.

Deny Knowledge led from the start to the finish and won narrowly from Osmose and Amokura.

Deny Knowledge prevails over Osmose and Amokura

The next race was the first of the Group 1  events, this being the Champions Sprint where Imperatriz won her fifth Group 1 in succession, defeating a classy field. Buenes Noches ran second ahead of In Secret and Espiona finished fourth.

As the field raced down the centre of the track fairly close to the outer rail it is always difficult to get clear photos of the finish. Fortunately I clicked at the right time and snapped Imperatriz in shot.

Imperatriz wins the Champions Sprint

Imperatriz returns to scale

The next two races resulted in unexpected long shot winners, the Champions Mile being won by Pride of Jenni who led from the start and was never challenged. Mr Brightside finished second ahead of Alligator Blood.

Pride of Jenni zooms up the straight to win the Champions Mile

The placegetters – Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood & Fangirl

The Chris Waller trained Atishu triumphed in the Champions Stakes, easily beating Duais by almost two lengths with Young Werther running third.

Atishu wins the Champions Stakes

Atishu on her way to the barriers

Duais on her way to the barriers

Young Werther on his way to the barriers

I didn’t stay for the final race, heading home directly after the Champions Stakes.

Next week Caulfield host the final Melbourne Group 1 races of the Spring Racing season, the Thousand Guineas and the Rupert Clarke Stakes.

The Romance of Racing – Cox Plate Day Review

James MacDonald celebrates Romantic Warrior’s Cox Plate victory

It was a long afternoon at Moonee Valley Racecourse last Saturday as I arrived at the track much earlier than I normally would in order to grab a position on the fence.

The weather on the day was overcast with strong winds, which is hell for contact lens wearers of which I am one. However I did remember to wear sunglasses which provide protection from motes of dust that have a tendency to get under the lens and disrupt one’s view, not to mention being somewhat painful to suffer until they are wept out.

Catching my usual mode of transport, the 510 (Ivanhoe to Essendon) bus I arrived at Moonee Valley around 12.30pm and was able, after finding my friend Rebecca, to get some photo practice in Race 2, the Inglis Banner, a Listed race over 1000 metres for two year olds.

It was won by Bold Bastille who led from the start, beating Hayasugi by three lengths with Chosen Legend a further length behind running third.

Bold Bastille bounds up the straight to win the Inglis Banner

Race 3 was the Group 3 Tesio Stakes, run over 1600 metres. Hot favourite Wishlor Lass also led from go to woah and won easily by over a length from Thalassophile and Osmose.

Wishlor Lass on her way to the barriers

The rather more interesting Crockett Stakes was next up and Sheva started as favourite and finished third behind the winner Gumdrops and second placed Saltaire.

Gumdrops tackles Sheva as they gallop  to the finishing post

A Group 2 race over 1600 metres, the Crystal Mile was next to run and resulted in a win for Prowess, who just beat Antino with race leader Tuvalu holding on for a close third.

Crystal Mile finish – Prowess (yellow silks) prevails over Antino and Tuvalu

Prowess on her way to the barriers

Antino – a handsome beast - on his way to the barriers

Tuvalu on his way to the barriers

Race 6, the Group 2 Fillies Classic, also run over 1600 metres, resulted in another close finish with Skybird sustaining a long run from the back of the field to pip Grizinger Belle at the post.

Skybird about to overtake Grizinger Belle as they thunder up the straight

Skybird on her way to the barriers

As the first of the Group 1 races was the Manikato Stakes, scheduled as Race 8, there was only one more race before it was run.

This was the Group 2 Drummond Golf Vase, won by Apulia by two lengths from Verdad, with Air Assault running third.

Apulia holds off  Verdad to win the Drummond Golf Vase

In the dim distant past the Manikato Stakes used to be the first Group 1 race of the Spring Racing Season run in mid September, and the only race meeting I attended back in the early 2000s. I saw Miss Andretti win it in 2006 and Gold Edition win it in 2007 and do recall Spark of Life victorious on two occasions in 2004 and 2005.

The 2023 edition of the race is newly added to the Cox Plate daytime meeting, it previously being run on Friday night since 2012.

Star New Zealand mare Imperatriz was the major attraction on Cox Plate day, set to run in the Manikato Stakes, and she didn’t disappoint, winning easily by over three lengths from fellow mare I Am Me with Uncommon James running third.

Imperatriz wins the Manikato Stakes with ease

By winning the 2023 Manikato Stakes, she accomplished a rare feat, being  the first horse to win the three Group 1 Moonee Valley sprints – William Reid Stakes, Moir Stakes and Manikato Stakes – in a calendar year.

Imperatriz parades up the straight after winning the Manikato Stakes

I Am Me

Uncommon James

After the gratifying result of the Manikato Stakes, the Cox Plate could have been underwhelming, but of course it never is being, as the sign said, it is Australia’s Best Race.

And my favourite race.

The twelve runners represented a classy field that included the tried and true such as Mr Brightside, Zaaki , Alligator Blood, Gold Trip and Duais against Internationals Romantic Warrior and Victoria Road, and three year old light weighted contenders Militarise and King Colorado – in a word an intriguing mix of runners.

There was a bit of pomp and ceremony as usual with a bandstand being set up and the National Anthem was sung before singer James Johnson launched into Horses, the large crowd singing along to words that they knew.

Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior was the hot  favourite, though there was plenty of support for Alligator Blood.

As the race panned out, King Colorado and Zaaki were the front runners with Mr Brightside, Alligator Blood and Romantic Warrior all handy in third or fourth position. It was a frantic finish with Mr Brightside stealing the lead close to the post, but Romantic Warrior, running wide won the race by the narrowest of margins (a photo finish)  to claim the prize for Hong Kong. Mr Brightside hung on for second and Alligator Blood ran third.

Cox Plate finish – Romantic Warrior (no 1) overtaking the leaders

Romantic Warrior in the winners rug with elated connections

The afternoon remained fine throughout, the stiff wind a tad chill at times, but warm when the sun broke free of the clouds.

And so ended another Cox Plate, after which I headed home- catching a tram at Moonee Valley Junction to the 510 Bus Stop, where there was a bit of a wait for it to arrive.

Next Saturday is Derby Day at Flemington, which I’ll probably attend.