A Gloomy Day with a Sparkle of Diamonds

Written By returns to scale after winning the Blue Diamond

When I set out for Caulfield on Saturday the weather was warm and humid, but with a cool change sweeping in during the journey, a brisk chill greeted me as I stepped into the course. It was also raining slightly, and did so on and off throughout the afternoon, though fortunately didn’t bucket down.

So I was underdressed, but resigned myself to enduring the chill for the remainder of the afternoon.

It was challenging light for taking photos the heavy cloud cover barely lifting at any time, so I’m grateful that the nifty plugin filter Perfect Exposure did its job of enhancing the light in the photos that came out too dark.

I spent most of the afternoon out the back in the stalls area, which I had pretty much to myself and was pleased to discover that the Young Members were not accommodated on the hill as I had feared.

Loitering through the stalls area, I didn’t bother watching Race 3, but caught Race 4, the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes, for three year old fillies run over 1400 metres.

I can’t say I’ve ever heard of the winner Summer Sham but she romped in to win by half a length from Palazzo Vecchio  with Miss Wahoo running third.

Summer Sham wins the Angus Amanasco Stakes

Summer Sham on her way to the barriers

Race 5 was the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes for mares also run over 1400 metres. Silent Sedition, who won the Mannerism last year, started as second favourite and didn’t disappoint, leading from start to finish to win by over two lengths.  Samovare finished second and Montoya’s Secret ran third.

Silent Sedition is still well ahead after the turn

Silent Sedition returns to scale

The first of the Group 1 races was up next, the Futurity Stakes.  It resulted in a Darren Weir trained Japanese bred quinella with  Brave Smash beating stablemate Tosen Stardom, with three year old  Showtime running third.

Just past the post in the Futurity Stakes

Brave Smash returns to scale

Tosen Stardom returns to scale

Showtime returns to scale

Having witnessed most of the build up races, I still had no idea of who the winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes would be, but I’m pleased that four of the nine horses I mentioned in my preview post finished in the first four, with Written By proving the star of the show, winning the Blue Diamond Stakes by a good two and half lengths from Enhibaar and Oohood. Prairie Fire finished fourth.

I watched the pre-parade before the field headed to the mounting yard. 

Here are the main contenders…

Written By

Enhibaar

Oohood

Prairie Fire

Ennis Hill

Kinky Boom

Lady Horseowner

Plague Stone

Long Leaf

Written By was the starting favourite and gave his rider, the young Jordan Childs, his first Group 1 win. Jordan is the son of Greg Childs, famous for his association with Champion New Zealand mare Sunline.

Blue Diamond Stakes just past the post – Written By still leads

In the final Group 1 of the day I was interested in getting some photographs of Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign, having not seen her in the flesh before. A fair crowd of interested racegoers were gathered around her stall most of the latter part of the afternoon, but my best photos were of her parading in the ring before the Oakleigh Plate. Despite the fact that it had started to rain, my photos actually turned out alright, though are slightly noisy and misty due to the fine rain falling at the time.

She Will Reign

She Will Reign head shot

The other runner I was keen to see was Russian Revolution who is rarely spotted on a racecourse. He paraded last and spent some time in the pre-parade ring when the others had all departed for the mounting yard.

Russian Revolution in the pre-parade ring

The Oakleigh Plate was the final Group 1 race of the day. A field of 18 runners dashed down the straight with Russian Revolution winning by a neck from race leader Snitty Kitty with Hellbent a close up third.

Oakleigh Plate finish – Russian Revolution & Snitty Kitty side by side on the fence

Russian Revolution returns to scale

Snitty Kitty in the pre-parade ring

Hellbent returns to scale

She Will Reign was never in the picture, racing at the tail of the field with no hope of catching the leaders.

She Will Reign returns to scale with Sword of Light

After the Oakleigh Plate I headed home and welcomed the chance to get warm on the train, after enduring  overly cool air for three hours.

There are only two Saturday Group 1 race meetings in Melbourne to go, before we bid farewell to another Autumn carnival. Both meetings are at Flemington.

Next Saturday features the Australian Guineas in Melbourne, and in Sydney at Randwick Winx will be starting her autumn season in the Chipping Norton Stakes and gunning for her 23rd consecutive win. 

A Multifaceted Blue Diamond

Long Leaf – current favourite for the Blue Diamond Stakes

The Blue Diamond Stakes is the feature race next Saturday at Caufield and it has to be one of the most open competitions for years, with no real standout colts or fillies. Even Long Leaf, the current favourite is $7.00 on the tote and several others share second favouritism, priced between $8.00 and $10.00.

As usual a full field of sixteen will be competing for the prize and most of the them have (on form) the ability to win the 1200 metre dash. 

Of the colts, Long Leaf, Written By, Prairie Fire and Plague Stone have all been prominent in the build up races, as have fillies Enbihaar, Kinky Boom, Lady Horseowner, Ennis Hill and Oohood.

As Saturday afternoon is forecast to be showery,  this could favour those runners who appreciate a bit of give in the ground.

Whatever the outcome, it looks a doozy of a race.

There are two other Group 1 events at Caulfield on Saturday – Futurity Stakes and Oakleigh Plate, which have both attracted excellent fields, the Oakleigh Plate in particular.

The Futurity Stakes  run over 1400 metres is the first of the Group 1 events to run and the field of  11 contestants is similar to the Orr Stakes; in fact eight of the runners contested the Orr Stakes. Black Heart Bart won the Futurity Stakes last year, but he is out of action for autumn.  2018 Orr Stakes winner, Hartnell  is not in the field, though will be running later in the afternoon in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes. Fresh starters include Humidor and Sovereign Nation.  Top chances are Tosen Stardom, Brave Smash and the three year olds Mighty Boss and Showtime.

A huge field of 18 runners has accepted for the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate, a sprint run over 1100 metres.  The sensational field includes 2017 Golden Slipper/Moir Stakes winner She Will Reign, 2017 Blue Diamond winner Catchy, Sheidel, last year’s Oakleigh Plate winner,  and  Group 1 winner Russian Revolution who is three wins from three first up.

As the Group 1 races are scheduled as races 6,7 and 8, I can take my time getting to Caulfield and shan’t mind the delays in public transport caused by railway track updates.

Rosehill in Sydney has three interesting Group 2 races  - the Silver Slipper Stakes  for Golden Slipper bound two year olds, which stars Magic Millions winner Sunlight, the Millie Fox Stakes for mares with Chris Waller stars Egg Tart and Foxplay kicking off their autumn campaigns, and the Hobartville Stakes for Guineas and Derby bound three year olds run over 1400 metres, which has a terrific field that includes Trapeze Artist, Ace High, Pierata  and Kementari.

Anyway I’m looking forward to seeing the action at Caulfield even though I suspect that my favourite spot on the hill above the stalls will be reserved for Young Members.

A Change of Luck for Hartnell–Orr Stakes Day Review

Orr Stakes finish – a wall of horses crosses the finish line together

In true Group 1 fashion, the Orr Stakes ended in a thriller with the first seven across the finish line being less than a length apart.

Hartnell demonstrated that he was back in contention with the narrowest of wins, denying the doughty Single Gaze her moment of glory on the line. Brave Smash finished third.

It was an overcast day on Saturday and I arrived at Caulfield Racecourse, with the odd raindrop threatening a downpour that failed to eventuate, just after the running of the first race, but in plenty of time for the fillies Blue Diamond Prelude.

Oohood started as favourite, and was impressive racing from the back of the field to miss by half a length, unable to overtake winner Enbihaar who raced on the speed. Seabrook finished third.

Enbihaar (blue & white striped cap) wins the Blue Diamond Prelude

Enbihaar returns to scale

Oohood returns to scale with 4th placed Lake District Girl

Seabrook returns to scale

As races in the early part of the program were only 35 minutes apart, it wasn’t long until the colts Blue Diamond Prelude.

Again the favourite, in this case Plague Stone,  was relegated to second place by an unfancied runner. He lost out by half a length to Written By. Native Soldier was a further 1½ lengths away running third.

Written By (red cap) wins the Colts Blue Diamond Prelude

Written By returns to scale

Plague Stone on his way to the mounting yard pre race

Native Soldier in the pre parade ring

As I’ve now witnessed the Blue Diamond Previews and Preludes, as well as the Inglis Premier and Chairman’s Stakes, the actual Blue Diamond Stakes likely winner is far from clear.  So far I’ve been the most impressed by Kinky Boom’s run in the Inglis Premier and the tote agrees, marking her pre-race favourite.

The Blue Diamond Stakes will be run on 24 February, so it’s not long to wait for the result.

In between races I  cruised through the stalls area, but my photos of horses in stalls are not much good, the overcast sky being as problematical as bright sunlight for photography.

The head turner of the day was the flashy Mighty Boss, a chestnut colt with a blonde mane and tail. His friendly strapper was only too pleased to pose Mighty Boss for snaps.

Mighty Boss being walked in the pre-parade ring

I can see Mighty Boss becoming a crowd favourite with his unusual looks. I know I noticed him the first time I saw him at Caulfield in the 2017 Blue Diamond Prelude, where he finished third last. He did go on to win the Caulfield Guineas at 100/1 last Spring.

The Carlyon Cup, the sole race on the day for stayers, run over 1800 metres, was race 4 on the schedule.  Only seven horses were in the field and Gailo Chop was the favourite.  He didn’t disappoint winning by 1¼ lengths from Harlem with Lord Fandango finishing third.

Carlyon Cup finish

Gailo Chop returns to scale

Harlem returns to scale

Lord Fandango on his way to barriers

In the Kevin Hayes Stakes Booker led from the start to the finish, and hot favourite Shoals failed to fire, finishing second last. Leather n Lace finished second and long shot See Me Exceed finished third.

Booker returns to scale

Leather n Lace on her way to the mounting yard

See Me Exceed returns to scale

So on to Race 6, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes, where Super Cash won the race for the second year in succession, pipping old Flamberge at the post.  Merchant Navy finished third.

Just past the post in the Rubiton Stakes

Super Cash returns to scale

Most of the afternoon had been warm and humid, despite the overcast sky, but a blustery change came through around 3.00pm which added a strong wind factor – hell for a contact lens wearer.

I wasn’t much interested in Race 7, the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, but as it was the penultimate race before the feature, I watched it and noted that Holy Snow, running wide from the back of the field won by over a length from Mr So And So and Astoria.

Autumn Stakes just past the post

Holy Snow returns to scale

It had been a long afternooon , though the time seemed to pass relatively quickly, until finally at around 4.45pm,  the Orr Stakes was due to run and it was worth waiting for.

Tosen Stardom was the favourite but after being aggressively ridden early in the race, he faded to end up at the tail of the field. It was a messy sort of race as evidenced by the mass of horses crossing the finish line in a bunch, with quite a few hard luck stories among the unplaced. Young Mighty Boss was keen as mustard, but was blocked and hampered and failed to get a clear run, which stymied his chances. There were similar complaints from several of the other runners.

However, all honours to Hartnell – it’s good to see him back as winner.  His next race will possibly be against Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes on 3 March, though it is unlikely he will turn the tables on her as she’s beaten him fair and square seven times previously.

Anyway here are photos of the first seven home.

Hartnell returning to scale

Single Gaze on her way to the mounting yard

Brave Smash on his way to the mounting yard

Thronum (4th) returning to scale

Lord of the Sky (5th) returning to scale

Abbey Marie (6th) returning to scale

Mighty Boss (7th) on his way to the starting gates

Speaking of unusually coloured horses, the sad news yesterday was that Miss Vista has been euthanised due to painful foot issues. She was a great crowd favourite like her look alike Apache Cat.

I’m glad her sufferings are now over and that she rests in peace.

Miss Vista at Caulfield 15 April 2017

Next week the Group 1 action is at Flemington for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, dubbed The Great Horse Day. Living Legends will be out in force, so I’m looking forward to seeing the old champs again.