Oaks Day & the Carnival Finale

Kirramosa in the winner’s rug after the Crown Oaks

Oaks Day at Flemington is touted as being one for the girls, and certainly attracted quite a number of the fair sex, dressed in their finery and extravagant headgear, but it seemed to me there were as many blokes present as women.

I must have been the roughest dressed lady at the track – a sparrow among the peacocks - as I have no interest in fashion and wouldn’t be seen dead in a fascinator.  So I went in my usual jeans and t-shirt and sensible shoes. I’m not there for the fashion, I’m only there for the horses.

This was the first time I have attended the Oaks meeting, and I must admit I enjoyed it. Perhaps backing a winner in my first of  two bets on the day gave it that extra sparkle. Anyway, it wasn’t as crowded as it was on Derby Day so it was easier to move around and it certainly was colourful. The ladies below – tatts and all -  sitting on the public lawn, are a veritable rainbow.

I got to Flemington just before Race 3 and watched from my usual spot on the fence by the path to the mounting yard. It was the Heritage Stakes, a 1200 metre race for three year old fillies. It was won by 10/1 shot Melrose Place, with the equally long odds Sense of Hite and Fare Well running the minor places.

Melrose Place returns to scale after winning the Heritage Stakes

I was really interested in the next race, the Group 3 G H Mumm Stakes, because Dystopia, a Sydney mare I have been following for years, was making a rare appearance in Melbourne.  She’s part of the Chris Waller stable, and gave Chris Waller his third win of the day with her victory in the Mumm Stakes.  His other winners were Marmelo in the first race, and Multilateral in the second.  Myself, I was delighted that Dystopia won as I’d bet on her at fairly good odds. Shamal Wind ran second with She Can Skate taking third place.

Dystopia returns to scale after winning the Mumm Stakes

The final race in the Subzero Challenge was the next on the cards, and old Subzero led the large field of grey horses out to the mounting yard. This was the race where the winner’s strapper got king hit by a stable hand (I have since read it was a domestic matter). I did not witness the incident, but I did photograph the winning horse Black Cash returning to scale.

Black Cash returning to scale after winning the Subzero Challenge

Race 6 was the feature race of the day. The Crown Oaks is a race for staying fillies run over 2500 metres.  Dear Demi won it last year and previous winners have also been the top fillies of their time – Miss Finland, Samantha Miss and  Mosheen for example.  This year the favourite was Wakeful Stakes winner Kirramosa. I must admit I had not heard of her before as she has done most her racing in Sydney.

I decided to reinvest my winnings on Dystopia in a boxed first 4 of Kirramosa, May’s Dream, Solicit and Zanbach.  May’s Dream let me down and surprisingly finished out of the first four. Curses! I should have boxed them for a trifecta instead, as Kirramosa prevailed, narrowly winning from Zanbach and Solicit.

Kirramosa on her way to the track

The rest of the race card wasn’t all that interesting, so I headed home after the Oaks, pretty happy with my afternoon at the track.

I will return to Flemington tomorrow for the finale of the Melbourne Spring racing carnival. Emirate Stakes Day features two Group 1 events, and several interesting Group 2 & 3 races.

The first of the Group 1 races is the VRC Sprint Classic. It was known for years as the Patinack Farm Classic, but as Patinack  is no longer the sponsor,  the name has been changed. It’s run over 1200 metres and has been won by champion sprinters, most notably by Black Caviar in 2010 and 2011.

This year’s edition has a crack field that includes Hong Kong star Lucky Nine, Buffering, Epaulette, Sessions and Rebel Dane. Buffering finally won his first Group 1 in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in late October, narrowly beating Lucky Nine with Sessions running third. Lucky Nine didn’t really handle the tight corners at Moonee Valley, so will appreciate the long straight at Flemington and will most probably turn the tables on Buffering this time.  Buffering has had two previous attempts at winning this race and finished 8th last year, and 2nd in 2011 behind Black Caviar. He may have a hope of beating Lucky Nine if the track degrades to slow. Currently that is unlikely as there has been not enough rain in Melbourne today to really affect the ground.

The other Group 1 race is the Emirates Stakes, which is run over 1600 metres. It has resulted in some long shots winning in past years. The underrated Happy Trails won it last year, and Albert The Fat the year before and famously the 100/1 shot Tears I Cry in 2007.

The Chris Waller trained Boban will start as favourite, and rightfully so, looking at the picket fence of wins next to his name on the form guide. Also in with a chance is his stablemate and Doncaster winner Sacred Falls, and Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn, and last start winners Smokin Joey, Toydini, Spurtonic and Mouro. Old favourite Linton also has a chance if he can repeat his Stradbroke Handicap performance. And for Country Music fans, there is a New Zealand horse called Nashville who appears to have excellent form in his home country. Overall it looks to be a doozy of a race.

Of interest is the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a Group 3 race over 2600 metres. Puissance de Lune won it in spectacular fashion last year, which catapulted him into early Melbourne Cup favouritism.  This race is a sort of consolation prize for stayers who didn’t make it into the Melbourne Cup. So you’ve got Precedence, who just missed out, despite winning the Moonee Valley Cup and Kelinni who ran 4th in the 2012 Cup, as well as Shoreham, Sertorius and Forgotten Voice.

The most interesting runner however, is Makybe Diva’s little three quarter sister La Amistad, who will be trying to emulate her famous sister who won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2002 before going on to win the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cups. La Amistad has been very lightly raced, and now four years old has only run five times on country tracks, for two wins, a second and third.

So the grand finale of Melbourne’s spring racing carnival should see it out in fine fashion, race wise I mean. I’ve been getting good value out of my Flemington season’s ticket, which fortunately covers me for the 2014 summer/autumn racing season. I’m rather regretting now that I didn’t go to the Melbourne Cup, but perhaps I’ll make it next year.

Dazzling Jewel Wins Again – Caulfield Guineas Day Review

I Won! Atlantic Jewel celebrates her easy win in the Caulfield Stakes

There were girls dressed to the nines, sailors in sailor suits, young swanks posing as extras from the Great Gatsby movie, and the usual range of punters, drunks, kids and hoi polloi of the racing world.

The perfect sunny day drew them all to Caulfield racetrack to try their luck on Caulfield Guineas Day.

I arrived at the track just as the runners in the second race were being loaded into the barriers, and made it to a position on the fence towards the top of the straight to watch the race.  Warm favourite, Queensland filly Missy Longstocking, won it easily.

 
Missy Longstocking gains the lead before powering to win comfortably from Anatina and Bulbula

The Blue Sapphire Stakes was next up, so I grabbed a spot on the very limited fence space around the mounting yard to watch the parade. This was one of the races I was keen to see due to the presence of glamour filly Miracles of Life.

Miracles of Life – forelock all over the place.

She had a bad hair day – even worse in fact, as she was discovered to have bled internally after the race and will be out of action for the rest of the spring. It goes without saying that she didn’t win, being blocked for a run in the straight and having no hope of catching the winner Lion of Belfort, let alone Safeguard who came second.

Safeguard on his way to the barriers

Blue Sapphire finish – Villa Verde (grey) leads Safeguard, with Lion of Belfort (white blinkers) just behind and ready to pounce. Miracles of Life is on the fence behind a wall of horses.

Arriving so early at the course, meant a long day hanging around for the main races, which were scheduled in the late afternoon. It was quite warm and crowded, though not oppressively so, but there were shady places to relax in peace.

The most interesting race was of course Race 6 the Caulfield Stakes, starring Atlantic Jewel with co stars Super Cool and Foreteller. Green Moon didn’t run, being scratched on Saturday morning due to an elevated temperature. So Atlantic Jewel only had to contend with four other rivals.

I watched the parade in the mounting yard, arriving in good time to find a spot on the fence.

Atlantic Jewel in the mounting yard

 
Foreteller in the mounting yard

Super Cool in the mounting yard

The race was run in a casual fashion. Led by Spacecraft, they raced in single file until the 800 mark, when Atlantic Jewel started to make her move. Super Cool joined her briefly at the lead, but she powered away down the straight to win easily by four lengths from Foreteller with Super Cool running third.

Any doubts as to her ability to run 2000 metres were certainly quashed and she is now hot favourite for the Cox Plate over It’s A Dundeel.  Whether he would have beaten her on Saturday, we’ll never know, but they meet again in the  Cox Plate, which is promising to be a doozy.

Atlantic Jewel returns to scale to face a barrage of press photographers.

Atlantic Jewel in the winners rug, obligingly turning her head in my direction for this photo.

The Group Two Herbert Power Stakes was the next race of interest for me. This race gains the winner automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup.

This year’s edition was taken out by Sea Moon, a win where he could keep the prize money after losing out in the Bart Cummings in a protest.

First time down the straight – Oasis Bloom leads with Sea Moon on her outside.

Sea Moon, head high, takes the lead in the final run down the straight

Oasis Bloom held on for second and Simenon (no 2 saddlecloth) ran third.

For the last two races I decided to take up a different position to watch the action.

At the far end of the stalls area there is a raised area overlooking the racetrack just past the finishing post. I basically went up there because I couldn’t be bothered returning to the public lawn and fighting my way through the crowds. It turned out to be an OK spot for taking photos of the runners as they proceeded to the barriers, and returned after the race.

So I watched the Group One Toorak Handicap up there and snapped the following photos of the contestants.

Solzhenitsyn – the winner on his way to the barriers

Speediness on his way to the barriers


Luckygray on his way to the barriers

Linton on his way to the barriers

Solzhenitsyn won the race for a second time in succession. French horse Trevieres came second and old Blackie ran third. I was disappointed that Linton failed to run a place.

Past the post – Solzhenitsyn leads the charge


Solzhenitsyn returns to scale, his jockey being interviewed by a Channel 7 representative.

Finally, it was time for the feature event, the Caulfield Guineas, at the ridiculous hour of 5.45pm. It had been rather tiresome trying to kill the five hours I had been at the track, so I gritted my teeth and stayed for the event, watching it from the hill above the stalls.

 
Divine Calling – he ran second

The highly fancied Eclair Big Bang – unplaced

My favourite – Prince Harada – unplaced

The winner – Long John

 
Shamus Award – third place

Past the post – Long John leads with Divine Calling a length or two behind.

As I wasn’t inclined to bet on the race, I didn’t have to wait around for correct weight, or collect winnings, so I made my way home post haste. Fortunately the trains were again running like clockwork, so it only took a little over 30 minutes to get home.

I’m going back to Caulfield this Wednesday for the Group One Thousand Guineas, for which I booked a ticket some months ago. The race will be run mid afternoon, so it won’t be as tiring as Saturday. And the added attraction is that It’s A Dundeel will gallop between races three and four. I’m also looking forward to seeing Guelph run in the main event; she is regarded as the best three year old filly of the season.

Jewel, Cool & Miracles – Caulfield Guineas Day

Prince Harada – Caulfield 31 August 2013

As the Melbourne Racing Club, draws towards its spring finale, the Caulfield Cup – which is only a little over a week away - they host a fabulous day of racing this Saturday, featuring the three Group One races –  Caulfield Stakes, Toorak Handicap and the Caulfield Guineas.

I went to this meeting last year and enjoyed it enormously. It certainly has a considerably better race card than Caulfield Cup day which I will not be attending, though I really will have to go along to it one of these days, as I’ve never seen it in person.

There are ten races scheduled and the Caulfield Guineas is, as is the new fangled way, the last race of the day and will be run at 5.45pm.

But fortunately there is a solid support card that includes the Group Two  Schillaci Stakes and Herbert Power Stakes, the first being a sprint over 1000 metres and the second being a distance contest over 2400 metres.

I intend to arrive at the course in time to see Miracles of Life compete in the Blue Sapphire Stakes. She faces a field of both colts and fillies.  She actually should be at pretty good odds this time, after so far failing to win this spring.  Her greatest opposition comes from colts Safeguard, Iconic and Diamond Oasis and filly Villa Verde. I am not going to make extravagant statements as to her chances of finally cracking a win, but certainly my heart will be with her all the way.

The first of the Group One races on the program is the Caulfield Stakes. It was formerly known as the Yalumba Stakes and has been won by well known champions – last year’s Cox Plate winner Ocean Park, dual Cox Plate winners So You Think, Northerly and Kingston Town, and other notable Cox Plate winners like El Segundo and Bonecrusher - the list goes on.

It was supposed to be a highly anticipated rematch between Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel, but unfortunately the latter is still recovering from a hoof abscess, so will not compete. Atlantic Jewel will be there with bells on, along with her stable mate Super Cool, who raced last week in the messily run Turnbull Stakes and finished out of a place.  The  small field of six should give Atlantic Jewel all the advantages. Super Cool looks to be her main danger, along with Foreteller and Green Moon who are the other top class horses in the race.  There are those who say Atlantic Jewel is vulnerable over 2000 metres, even though she has won over the distance in the past. The track on Saturday should be in the good to dead range, so she won’t have to plough through churned up turf this time.

The Toorak Handicap is run over 1600 metres, and has a good field of tried and true milers. The top picks are old favourite Linton and last year’s winner Solzhenitsyn. One interesting runner is the French horse Trevieres, having his first start in Australia. He has excellent form in Europe, but whether this will translate to a win in our fair land is yet to be seen. Others with a chance are Speediness and Budriguez, who dead heated with Puissance de Lune back in the autumn.

Sea Moon, after showing his credentials last week with a technical win in the Bart Cummings, gets another chance to take first prize in the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes. He is definitely the one to beat and his main opposition will come from Kesampour and other dour imports Simenon and Verdant, as well as sole mare Let’s Make Adeal. 

So, the Caulfield Guineas…

It’s not as cut and dried a race as it was last year, even though All Too Hard surprised everyone with his victory over the hot favourite Pierro in that edition. This year’s Guineas field is wide open with any number of chances.  Sentiment leads me to favour Prince Harada, though there are doubts as to his likelihood of taking out the race. He has stiff competition from the likes of Long John who is the current favourite, Divine Calling who has won his last two starts, Eclair Big Bang who also was a last start winner and Cluster and El Roca who were close up placed against the aforementioned winners. Still Prince Harada, with luck on his side and with Damien Oliver in the saddle, may steal the prize despite not racing for a month, after his failure in the Golden Rose.

The last Group One in the Sydney spring carnival is the Spring Champion Stakes and will be run at Randwick on Saturday.  It was won by It’s A Dundeel last year. It is for three year olds and is run over 2000 metres.  None of the 14 in the field have raced over the distance before though a few, mostly notably Savvy Nature, Complacent, Drago  and Rock Hero have won or placed over 1600 metres and 1800 metres, so are the ones most likely to take home the prize. Anyway, that’s my theory and I reckon the winner will be one of those mentioned above.

Farewell Hay List

Hay List photographed heading to the barrier before winning the McEwan Stakes at Moonee Valley on 11 September 2010

Racing news yesterday reported that champion sprinter Hay List has been retired. About time too, I think, as it has been quite painful and saddening to see him racing of late, trying his heart out as usual, but being unable to find his former brilliance.  I watched his last race the Premiere Stakes last Saturday on a small screen in the Bookies area at Flemington, and he failed to finish the race. I exchanged glances with a fellow spectator of the race, and we both agreed that it was time Hay List was retired.

If the career of super mare Black Caviar had not been contemporaneous with that of Hay List, he would have been the top sprinter in Australia and possibly the world. He chased Black Caviar home six times in all, and put her to the test on more than one occasion. He was the only horse, other than Moonlight Cloud in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, who ever came close to beating her.

I first saw him race at Moonee Valley on Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes day on 11 September 2010, where he easily won the Group 3 McEwan Stakes. He won the Manikato Stakes that year as well.

He ended up racing 28 times for 15 wins and 5 places.  Three of his wins were at Group One level - but he would have won more if Black Caviar had not been on the scene – two Group Two and Three races apiece, plus six other quality races in Perth, Melbourne. Brisbane and Sydney.

So ends a brilliant career. Here’s hoping he enjoys his retirement, though his trainer John McNair has said that he was horse who was easily bored and enjoyed racing, and grew discontent in the paddock.