Winx in Melbourne Again

Winx at Flemington – October 2017

It goes without saying that I am keenly anticipating Winx’s return to the big dance floor – AKA Flemington – on Saturday, where she will be attempting, and probably succeeding, to win the Turnbull Stakes for the second year in succession. In doing so she will also notch up her 28th consecutive win and 21st at Group 1 level.

Last year she thrashed six rivals and the only one of those six to face her again this year is runner up Ventura Storm.  Eight others have accepted and include the handsome Mick Price boys Grunt and Mighty Boss, Winx’s stablemate Youngstar, Caulfield Cup favourite Kings Will Dream and New Zealander Jon Snow who ran third in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

Having watched Winx easily win six races since her last appearance at Flemington, it’s hard to see any of the aforementioned beating her. Go Winx!

The rest of the racing card is moderately interesting with several Group 2 & 3 races, most particularly the Group 3 The Bart Cummings, which awards the winner ballot free entry into the Melbourne Cup. Avilius is the current favourite having won his last three starts, but I’ll be barracking for Vengeur Masque who rewarded me handsomely when he won the Geelong Cup at big odds last year.  He has narrowly missed out on gaining entry to the Melbourne Cup the past two years, but if he does gain a place he would be a good chance being sired by Monsun whose sons Fiorente, Protectionist and Almandin were all successful in the race recently.

I plan to get to Flemington fairly early, around 1.00 pm. No doubt the crowd will be larger than last year, Winx fame increasing attendances where ever she races.

The weather is predicted to be warm and sunny, pleasant for an afternoon at the races, hopefully celebrating another win by the great mare.

Go Winx! - Spring Has Almost Sprung

Winx – Golden Slipper Day 2018

The weather may not be anything to write home about, but with the World’s Best Racehorse, Winx, returning to the racetrack there is reason to celebrate.

Winx will be aiming to surpass her own and Black Caviar’s record of 25 consecutive wins at Randwick this coming Saturday in her eponymous Group 1 Winx Stakes.

She faces ten rivals, which is actually a decent field size considering her presence in the field, four of them being her stablemates and the rest from various other stables.

Besides Winx, the field has Group 1 winners such as Ace High, D’Argento, Kementari and Unforgotten, some of whom could be considered serious challengers to end her winning streak.  By all accounts Winx has returned just as good as ever, so is expected to continue on her winning ways, and racing fans sincerely hope she will. Go Winx!

Though I won’t be at Randwick to witness Winx’s return in person, I’ll certainly make sure to watch the Winx Stakes on a screen at Caulfield where a rather good race card is programmed, featuring the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes with the Group 3 Vain Stakes and Quezette Stakes as tasty entrees.

The P B Lawrence Stakes was formerly known as the Liston Stakes and is run over 1400 metres.  There is however a curse on winners of the race;  very few P B Lawrence Stakes winners go on to win other races in the Spring. Last year’s winner Hartnell failed to win another race in Spring 2017,  though won the Group 1 Memsie Stakes in autumn this year. Hartnell is again competing this year against a classy field that includes Caulfield Cup favourite Kings Will Dream, last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time,  2017 and 2018  Australian Cup winners Humidor and Harlem, trusty old Black Heart Bart, and young guns Grunt and Mighty Boss.

Kings Will Dream – Flemington 17/2/18

Fortunately the races that I am most keen to watch are scheduled mid afternoon, so I can take my time getting to Caulfield, and won’t stress about buses replacing trains on the Hurstbridge line, which generally adds a extra 15 to 20 minutes travel time to the city.

So I aim to arrive around 1.30 to 2.00 pm in plenty of time to see the Vain Stakes, a Group 3 race for three year old colts and geldings over 1100 metres. Top picks are Long Leaf,  Ollivander, The August, Hard Rock, Tony Nicconi and Native Soldier.

The fillies equivalent race, the Quezette Stakes has the classy Sunlight having her first start in Melbourne. She faces a full field of 15 rivals that include well performed fillies like Thrillster, Lady Horseowner, Ennis Hill and Pippie.

Sunlight – Golden Slipper Day 2018

Melbourne weather is forecast to be pretty awful on Saturday, cold and wet, similar to what was predicted for last weekend, so I’ll take my chances, suitably clothed, and hope it is not as bad as expected.

The Brilliance of Winx & Grunt’s Australian Guineas

Grunt being rugged after winning the Australian Guineas

Though the racing at Flemington was in the main not that interesting on Saturday, it was a fine sunny afternoon to attend and soak up some Vitamin D.

Due to the Flemington train timetable I was obliged to arrive at the course early and I got there around 1.00 pm  just before Race 2, so there were over three and a half hours to kill whilst waiting for the feature race.

Naturally I used the time to practice photography on the earlier races, and since it was a bright day decided to try out the Active D Lighting option on the camera, which according to the Nikon User Manual is a useful setting for bright sunny situations.  It worked a treat, as normally the contrast between highlights and shadows is extreme and needs adjustment during photo editing.

I  watched Race 2, the Roy Higgins Quality a 2600 metre race for stayers, from the fence near the mounting yard, so didn’t get any photos of the action, just the winner Aloft returning to scale from the track.

Aloft returns to scale

I ambled around the stalls area, but most of the Guineas field had not at that time arrived at the course, so I headed up to my usual spot and pretty well stayed there for the rest of the afternoon.

Nearby, children were being entertained in the Pharlap Club by a Magician.

Tony the Magician in action with audience volunteer

Race 3 was the Mitty’s Handicap, a race for fillies and mares over 1100 metres. The favourite was Hear The Chant who, racing on the speed, went on to win, with Fragonard running second and Essence of Terror third.

Mitty’s Handicap finish – Hear The Chant is outside Fragonard

Hear The Chant returns to scale

So onto Race 4, the moderately interesting Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes, where Flippant started favourite and won after leading the whole 1400 metre trip. Oregon’s Day was the runner up and Soho Ruby ran third.

Flippant wins the Frances Tressady Stakes

Flippant returns to scale

As it was quite hot out in the open, in between the races I sought shade up in the James Boag’s Celebration Deck where surprisingly there were unoccupied umbrella shaded tables which provided respite from the sun.  It certainly wasn’t crowded at Flemington last Saturday – the wide open spaces were sparsely populated.

I was amused by the oxymoronic VRC Members Express, a sort of droll conveyance for the convenience of Members who couldn’t be bothered walking from one end of the course to the other. It crawled along at snail’s pace, belying its hifalutin title.

VRC Members Express

Race 5, the Australia Handicap was pretty uninteresting as I’d hardly heard of many of the runners. Run over 2000 metres it was won by 2007 Cox Plate winner El Segundo’s brother Big Sur by  over three lengths from Big Pat’s Pontiac and Wannon Warrior.

Big Sur wins the Australia Handicap

Big Sur returns to scale

As Winx race the Chipping Norton Stakes was scheduled at 3.30pm I made sure I was near a big screen to watch the event screened from Sydney. Winx was heading to the barriers as the Australia Handicap winner’s presentation was being held in the mounting yard.

Screen shot with intruding head in the foreground of Winx going to the starting gates

Winx was simply breathtaking, winning the Chipping Norton Stakes by over seven lengths from Prized Icon with consummate ease.  Galloping at the tail of the field, Winx took charge on the turn into the straight and sailed to victory, Hugh Bowman barely moving in the saddle. A scattered applause was the response at Flemington from those few who were watching the race on the Public Lawn. She now has won 23 races in succession, 16 of them being at Group 1 level, one more than Black Caviar.  It appears very likely that she will match Black Caviar’s record of 25 consecutive wins this autumn racing season.

That was the must watch race of the day as far as I was concerned, and at Flemington there was still one race to run before the feature event.

This was the Group 3 Autumn Handicap, an open competion run over 1400 metres.

Tshahitsi led for most of the race, but was swamped by outsiders Nozomi, Violate and Cool Chap who finished first, second and third respectively and the favourite Poetic Dream finished fifth.

Race 6 finish – Nozomi is in the blue silks

Nozomi returns to scale

The Australian Guineas was the next race to jump, and truth to tell the most interesting race of the day at Flemington, so I pegged out a spot on the fence around the mounting yard. The roses had grown profusely and impeded the view from many areas around the yard. Whilst waiting for the Guineas field to arrive I watched the Surround Stakes from Sydney on the big screen. Shoals won from Torvill and Rimraam and Shumookh dead heated for third.

Here are some photos of the Guineas parade…

Grunt

Aloisia being wayward

Mighty Boss

… and heading for the starting gates.

Bring Me Roses

Grunt

Cliff’s Edge

Peaceful State

Levendi

Main Stage

Holy Smoke

Mighty Boss

Grunt showed what a game little trooper he is, winning the Australian Guineas by half a length from the challenging Peaceful State with Bring Me Roses two lengths behind running third. Cliff’s Edge was the starting favourite, but wore himself out leading the field for most of the race and finished seventh.

Grunt wins the Australian Guineas

With the feature race being run and won, I headed for the station and home. It was another of those weekends where buses were replacing trains on the Hurstbridge line between Macleod and Clifton Hill, so it took a bit longer to get home than normal.

Next week is the so called Super Saturday at Flemington which features the Group 1 Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap.

Welcome Back Winx!

Winx at Flemington  - 7 October 2017

Next Saturday there are three Group 1 races, the Chipping Norton Stakes and Surround Stakes at Randwick, and the Australian Guineas is the feature race at Flemington.

The race everyone will be watching is the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600 metres) where wonder mare Winx is the star attraction, finally kicking off her autumn campaign. She will be aiming for her 23rd win in succession and her third consecutive win in the Chipping Norton Stakes.  She is expected to win, and judging by her finish in a recent trial she surely will.  She faces 8 rivals, two of whom are her stablemates (both stayers) and the rest are a hardly threatening mob, the best of whom are Prized Icon, Jemadar, Classic Uniform and Stampede.

The Surround Stakes, for three year old fillies, was up to now classed as a Group 2 race, but this year is upgraded to Group 1 status. Run over 1400 metres is has attracted a small but classy field of 11 runners, three of whom are Group 1 winners – Alizee, Shoals and New Zealand filly Melody Belle. Shoals was disappointing in her first race this autumn, finishing unplaced in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes, whereas Alizee won the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes first up for autumn.  Other chances are Victorian filly Rimraam  who recently won the Group 3 Vanity Stakes, Frolic, the 2017 Golden Slipper runner up. Shumookh, who ran a close second to Alizee in the Light Fingers and Unforgotten who has won three of her five starts.

Grunt – current favourite for the Australian Guineas

A full field of 16 runners will vie for Group 1 glory in the  Australian Guineas at Flemington on Saturday. Top of the pile are Mighty Boss, Grunt and Cliff’s Edge with Addictive Nature, Main Stage,  Holy Snow and filly Aloisia also in with a chance.

As it’s the second last Saturday of Group 1 racing in Melbourne, I’ll be there, camera ready, to capture the action. The weather is forecast to be warm and sunny - a contrast to the miserable weather last week.

In the meantime I’m heading to the city for a literary event tonight, seeing Fran Lebowitz at the Athenaeum Theatre.

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.