Horrible Race Name–Good Race Though

Winx - Moonee Valley Cox Plate Day  2015

The time honoured George Main Stakes has been renamed the Colgate Optic White Stakes, in my opinion a totally absurd change and somewhat disrespectful to the many champion racehorses who have won the race in the past.

Anyway, it is of great interest due to the return of super mare Winx, having her second start for the spring.

She faces a very small field of five other starters that include two of her stablemates, Spirit Jim and Vanbrugh and a couple of Godolphin hopefuls in Hauraki and It’s Somewhat.  Japanese horse Tosen Stardom was an acceptor but he has been scratched after he sustained a minor injury on his trip to Sydney.  Winx of course is the short priced favourite and Hauraki is seen as her greatest threat.  It should be an easy win for Winx and, barring the unforeseen, she will achieve her 11th consecutive win.

For a change the track at Randwick shouldn’t be too soggy, as Sydney hasn’t had as much rain this week, unlike Melbourne, where it has rained solidly all week, and rural areas are flooded all over the State of Victoria.

There are no Group 1 races in Melbourne this coming weekend, but Caulfield is holding a fairly interesting meeting that features the Group 2 Naturalism Stakes, a race over 2000 metres for stayers aiming to gain automatic admission into the Caulfield Cup.

It has attracted a huge field of 16 starters plus 4 emergencies and includes staying mares Real Love, who ran second to Awesome Rock in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, Set Square who ran third on that occasion, and Jameka who will have no worries running on a heavy track.  An interesting runner is French mare Gabella who raced at Flemington last Saturday and finished a close fourth.

The favourite will no doubt be Tom Melbourne an Irish import who has a good reputation and several wins under his belt.

As I plan to get to the track later rather than early, I will miss seeing Cauthen in the first race. Now six years old he has been only lightly raced, but he has the distinction of defeating 2013 Cox Plate winner Shamus Award and Long John, 2013 Caulfield Guineas winner  at Moonee Valley back when he was three. He hasn’t raced for two years, so it’s surprising to see him back, but the recovery from various injuries kept him off the track all that time.

Also returning from a break is Hucklebuck, 2014 Emirates Stakes winner, in Race 7 the Testa Rossa Stakes.

And Alpine Eagle is entered in a Listed 1800 metre race at Morphettville on Saturday; no doubt an attempt on the part of his connections to restore his reputation and confidence.

Hopefully the rain will hold off tomorrow, but it will most likely be overcast again, the up side of that being better lighting for photographs than bright sunlight.

The Thrills Continue–Racing at Caulfield & Randwick

Silent Achiever in the mounting yard at Caulfield – Memsie Stakes Day

Caulfield is offering free entry on Saturday for the Underwood Stakes meeting, so naturally I’ll sally along to take in the atmosphere of first class racing once more . And hopefully Melbourne’s weather will play nice, after this past week brought a return to winter chill.

The feature event is the aforementioned Group 1 Underwood Stakes, run over 1800 metres. Last year Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel fought out an exciting finish down the straight with It’s A Dundeel the victor by the narrowest of margins.

This year’s edition has a pretty good field as you’d expect in a Group 1 contest.  The top contenders are Silent Achiever who in my opinion is the top pick, Foreteller who always runs an honest race, Happy Trails ditto, and Star Rolling who won the PB Lawrence Stakes at  Caulfield in August. Of course I’d love old fave Super Cool, who is backing up in this race after running last week, to show some of the form that won him the Australian Cup – his last win in fact.  Lidari and The Offer also have a chance.

The support card is mildly interesting though not top class. A few of the horses I follow are engaged in a few a them.

The Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000 metres) is one for stayers hoping to win a place in the Caulfield Cup.  Top pick is the Chris Waller trained Our Voodoo Prince. His name is a clever interpretation of his breeding (out of Kingmambo x Ouija Board). Spillway has had two runs so far in his Spring campaign, running second to Star Rolling in the PB Lawrence Stakes and fourth in last week’s Makybe Diva Stakes, so he is one of the top chances and must win this to have a hope of running in the Caulfield Cup.  Bonfire has claims with close seconds in his only two runs this spring in Sydney. The most interesting runner is Zanbagh who ran second to Rising Romance in the Sydney Oaks. And when will Let’s Make Adeal make some headway? She has generally been disappointing of late.

The Group 3 Sportingbet Sprint Series Heat 2 Stakes (1200 metres) is run after the feature race, and looks to have attracted a really good field of smart mares. Samaready makes a welcome return to racing in this event and is the class act if she is back to her best.  It’s good to see She’s Archie’s daughter May’s Dream back on the track again. This race is too short for her, so she is not expected to win. She won the South Australian Oaks at her last start in April. Also in the field is Spirits Dance who in Autumn built up  four wins on the gallop and shouldn’t be dismissed, A Time For Julia who ran a close second to Gregers in the Cockram Stakes and Shamal Wind who has a good record first up and can fly like the proverbial over the distance. Throw in Jessie Belle and Girl Guide as place chances.

The final race on the program at Caulfield is the Le Pine Funerals Handicap and is of interest only because Cauthen is in the field. He was thrown in at the deep end at his last start in the McEwen Stakes and finished sixth. I had a look at him on that day and he has grown into an impressive looking young horse.  With his light weight and the services of top jockey Tommy Berry he may show the form that had him beating Long John and Shamus Award back in Spring last year.

In Sydney the racing card at Randwick is much better.  The Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600 metres) is the feature race of the day and has almost the same field that contested the Chelmsford Stakes on
6 September, with a few variations. Anyway you’ve got Hawkspur who won the aforementioned race by a nostril from Royal Descent who is also in the field along with Sacred Falls who ran fourth. He will appreciate the good track that is finally likely for Randwick on Saturday and is a top contender over the distance. Perhaps Lucia Valentina can repeat her incredible win in the Tramway Stakes if that effort didn’t overtax her, and maybe the spruiked sole three year old Panzer Division can give all the older horses a galloping lesson.  Also New Zealand mare Rising Romance, who won the Sydney Oaks is sure to feature somewhere.

Earthquake will be out to redeem her reputation in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400 metres). It’s obvious she is not suited to heavy tracks after her defeat at her last start in the Furious Stakes where she ran third. The winner on that occasion was Winx who will be aiming to keep her perfect unbeaten record intact in the Tea Rose.  Also in the picture are Peggy Jean and Alpha Miss.

The other interesting Group 2 race at Randwick is the Hill Stakes run over 2000 metres. After two horses were scratched, a field of six will compete for the honours. These include La Amistad, Criterion, Bagman and Moriarty. I’ll be torn between barracking for La Amistad and Criterion.

All in all it looks to be a good day of racing, and so you would expect as the spring racing season progresses.  It’s less than month to the running of the first of the big Cups – the Caulfield Cup – so my Saturday afternoons are taken care of for the next month or so.

Spring Has Sprung–Memsie Stakes Day Review

Dissident returns to scale after winning the Memsie Stakes, an elated Ben Melham in the saddle

It was the second last day of winter and Melbourne put on a splendid bright and sunny day for the first Group 1 race of the Spring racing season, and made it a pleasure to be outside at the track.

The racing was excellent as well with exciting competitions that resulted in most cases with longshot winners.

I arrived at Caulfield at around 1.40pm, with plenty of time up my sleeve to wander around the stalls area before the fourth race.

Quite a few of the star horses had already arrived, including Boban…

Boban in his stall

…and Commanding Jewel

Commanding Jewel

And I was pleased to catch up with my old favourite Super Cool and his strapper Jade, who kindly posed with him, mentioning that he loved having his photo taken.


Super Cool & Jade

Deciding to not to have wager on Race 4, the HockingStuart Handicap, I climbed up the hill to watch the race and take pictures of the finish from that vantage point.

Race 4 – just past the post – Late Charge (blinkers)  wins ahead of Olivier (rose silks) with Precious Gem (lime & white silks) running third

The next race on the card was the Group 3 TheShark.Com.Au Stakes, a 1100 metre sprint, so I wandered to the public lawn, pausing to place a few dollars on Flamberge, who was at pretty good odds of 8/1. Vain Queen started as the favourite, but only managed to run fourth.  I was understandably delighted when Flamberge got home the winner. He financed the rest of my afternoon at the races.

I viewed the runners in the mounting yard…

Flamberge

Vain Queen

Rifleman – runner up

Hard Stride – ran third.

Race 5 finish down the straight – Flamberge takes the lead from Hard Stride

Race 6 was the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes for three year olds, and  Novel Dancer, the sole filly, was the favourite, but finished last. I decided to put my money on Tan Tat Diamond as his form didn’t look too bad and his odds were good. A mistake, as he ended up running eighth.  The very handsome Chivalry came from the back of field to overtake the leaders and won on the line narrowly from Nordic Empire with Awesome Rock a short half length third.

Chivalry just coming into the picture is about to overtake the leaders up the straight.

Chivalry parading after winning the HDF McNeil Stakes – handsome isn’t  he?

I was really looking forward to the next race, the Group 3 Cockram Stakes for mares and seeing how Commanding Jewel would fare. She’s a lovely looking mare, dark brown, almost black in colouring. Her odds were amazingly good for one of her class, so I hazarded a few dollars on her each way.

Commanding Jewel in the mounting yard

Gregers started as the favourite and was one of the few favourites to win on the day. Commanding Jewel did well running a very close third just pipped out of second place by A Time For Julia. If she hadn’t been blocked for a run when it counted, Commanding Jewel would have won.

Dear Demi in the mounting yard – she ran fifth

Gregers on her way to the barriers

Race 7 finish down the straight – Gregers is about to overtake A Time For Julia – Commanding Jewel (orange cap) is on the inside.

Memsie Stakes winner Dissident certainly flew under everyone’s radar, romping in at long odds, winning by 2½ lengths from Sweet Idea. Trained by Peter Moody, he has been rarely seen in Melbourne, doing most of his racing in Sydney, where he won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas earlier this year. The favoured Moody runner was Moment of Change who I thought was a top chance. He finished last, after racing on the speed through most of the race. What happened?

Boban was the favourite, but he was forced to race three wide throughout and only managed to come fifth. Puissance de Lune showed great improvement from his run in the PB Lawrence Stakes (where he ran sixth) finishing in third spot. Sterling mare Silent Achiever ran fourth, and Super Cool, having his first race in almost a year, and not really expected to win, finished second last.

Here are some photos of the main contestants in the mounting yard

Boban

Dissident

Happy Trails

Messene

Moment of Change

Puissance de Lune

Silent Achiever

Super Cool

Sweet Idea

Memsie finish down the straight – Dissident is drawing away from Sweet Idea

I didn’t hang around after the Memsie Stakes, deciding not to stay and watch the last race. It was getting on for 5.00pm and the cats at home would be getting anxious for their dinner, as Talya insists on being fed at 4.00pm.

Next week the local racing action is at Moonee Valley and offers some star attractions such as Lankan Rupee kicking off his spring campaign in the Group 2 McEwan Stakes, and current Melbourne Cup favourite and Sydney Cup winner The Offer running in the feature race, the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Also likely to be at Moonee Valley on Saturday is New Zealand colt (now 4 years old) Cauthen who has the distinction of beating 2013 Caulfield Guineas winner Long John and 2013 Cox Plate winner Shamus Award on this course at this time last year. He’s been missing in action for almost a year, having suffered an injury that sidelined him during the interval. 

High Drama! The 2013 Cox Plate

 
Atlantic Jewel at Caulfield before running in the Underwood Stakes  21 September 2013

The great WFA competition, the Cox Plate is to be run this Saturday, but alas super mare Atlantic Jewel will not be taking her place in the field. She has succumbed once again to a tendon injury and is to be retired.  So the highly anticipated spectacle of her and It’s A Dundeel going head to head again, will never happen.  It’s terribly disappointing that we will not see Atlantic Jewel grace the track again. There was always an added sparkle to a race day if she was running. She goes out with 10 wins from 11 starts, four Group Ones and three at Group Two level.  And of course her only loss was a narrow second to It’s A Dundeel in the Underwood Stakes on a slow track, where she certainly was far from disgraced.

I will remember with affection, and was glad to be present, the few times I witnessed the wonderful Atlantic Jewel on the racetrack. Alas her star was all too brief, but we can look forward to seeing her sons and daughters in the future.

If it’s not one thing, it’s the other!

Another dramatic event that effects the outcome of the Cox Plate is the suspension of top jockeys Glen Boss and Nick Hall for careless riding on  Caulfield Cup day. Glen Boss has been the regular rider of Puissance de Lune in all his races, so you would assume that his personal knowledge of the horse’s idiosyncrasies would boost the confidence of the average punter in betting on the horse . Ben Melham who often rides for Darren Weir will now take the ride. Who knows, a fresh jockey and new approach may succeed, as Glen Boss has not won on Puissance de Lune at his last three starts. Nick Hall was to have ridden Masked Marvel in the Cox Plate, now Michael Rodd will ride him, a second best option after Atlantic Jewel.

Despite Atlantic Jewel not contesting the Cox Plate, there is some consolation in that my other favourites It’s A Dundeel, Super Cool and Puissance de Lune are all part of the field.  It would be great if they ran the trifecta.  Of the three I reckon It’s A Dundeel has the winning edge. The little stallion has recovered from his minor setback and is primed to go, according to his trainer and jockey. Interestingly, I first saw him race on Cox Plate day last year where he ran second to Super Cool in the Mitchelton Wines Vase, which is run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres. It was my first sighting of Super Cool that day too.

Last year Green Moon was the Cox Plate favourite and failed to run a place. He went on to win the Melbourne Cup as we all know, but by then he was out favour due to his Cox Plate flop, so it was a big surprise.  Green Moon is again entered in the Cox Plate this year. Lloyd Williams has entered three runners, the others being Masked Marvel and Seville, and declares Green Moon his pick of the three.

However, as it’s been raining for the past two days, with more on the way, the Moonee Valley track could well be rated on the slow side, especially as 17 races over a night and a day will be run on the track before the Cox Plate, which is scheduled as the last race at 5.40 pm.  Goodness knows what state it will be in by that time!

So who are the mudrunners? Well, Puissance de Lune has some form on slow and heavy tracks, as does Foreteller, Fiorente and of course It’s A Dundeel won the Underwood Stakes on a soft track.  The two three year olds, Long John and Shamus Award may have an advantage with their lightweight in heavy going but neither have much form in the wet, and are they good enough to beat the likes of It’s A Dundeel? We’ll see…

The other Group One race of the weekend is the Manikato Stakes on Friday night. It’s got a cracker line up that includes champion Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Nine, and Moir Stakes heroine Samaready, as well as the usual suspects Buffering, Bel Sprinter and Rebel Dane. Add smart Sydney mare Arinosa and Newmarket Handicap winner Shamexpress for extra spice and you’ve got a good race. It’s being run as the last race of the evening meeting at 10.00pm. I wonder how many punters will be around to watch it.

The Moonee Valley night and day blockbuster carnival entails eighteen races in all, eight on Friday night and ten on Cox Plate day. Both meetings have strong support cards that I’m not going to the cover, though there are some interesting Group 2 and 3 events.

I won’t be going to the Manikato Stakes meeting, as I am not fond of night racing, but I’ll be there with bells on for Cox Plate day.

As I’m posting this entry early in the week, I expect conditions to mutate over the coming days, especially if the rain keeps up.

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.