Tofane stars at Caulfield–Orr Stakes Day Review

Tofane leads all the way to win the 2022 Orr Stakes

As anticipated it was a long day at Caulfield racecourse last Saturday, but worth the effort with the racing action being engaging and bright sunlight the order of the day.

My arrival at the track,  a little after 1.30 pm, was in plenty of time for the first of the Blue Diamond Preludes, this being for colts and geldings and run over 1100 metres.

Jacquinot was the favourite, but missed out on running a place. 10/1 shot Lofty Strike with a burst of speed down the outside won the prize from Semillion, and Blue Diamond Preview winner Daumier ran third.

Lofty Strike takes the lead from Semillion as they charge to the finish line

The fillies Blue Diamond Prelude was the next to run and impressive Blue Diamond Preview winner Miss Roseiano was the hot favourite. She raced on the speed second to race leader English Riviera, but after briefly taking the lead was pipped at the post by Revolutionary Miss, another long odds winner.

Revolutionary Miss (red silks) about to overtake Miss Roseiano & English Riviera

It certainly wasn’t a day for favourites as the result of Race 5, the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes, only went to prove when Argentia spoiled the party for Scorched Earth at odds of 8.5/1, 

Argentia (white silks) looms into the picture about to overtake Scorched Earth

The next race, the Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup, was run over 1600 metres. It had an interesting field of contenders that included Spanish Mission who ran third in 2021 Melbourne Cup, as well as one time Melbourne Cup favourite Surprise Baby who has been off the scene for a couple of years due to injury.  All Star Mile aspirant Callsign Mav was also in the field.

French bred import Normandy Bridge started favourite, but as with the earlier results, he finished unplaced.

Callsign Mav and Earlswood ended up fighting out the finish with 14/1 shot Earlswood being the victor by a narrow margin. Spanish Mission finished third and Surprise Baby ran fourth.

Earlswood (red silks) & Callsign Mav neck and neck down the straight

Earlswood on his way to the barriers

Callsign Mav on his way to the barriers

Spanish Mission on his way to the barriers

Surprise Baby on his way to the barriers

After the Carlyon Cup had been run there was only one more race before the Orr Stakes to witness.

The afternoon had passed quite quickly and despite the intensity of the sunshine it wasn’t hard to find a cool shaded spot to sit for a bit between races.

The crowd was larger than the two previous meetings I had attended, and I was pleased to see my photographer friends Rebecca and George back at the track again.

The stalls area at Caulfield has changed considerably. It all looks bare and treeless and quite different to what was there before.

Race 7, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes was next up. A sprint over 1100 metres, and for a change the favourite, Marine One, was successful this time and won by over a length from Oxley Road and Sword of Mercy.

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Marine One (no 8) overtaking Sword of Mercy and Oxley Road

Our favourite spot on the fence by this time was in the shade though the track was still bathed in sunlight, so it was more comfortable to watch the running of the Orr Stakes.

As mentioned before, Tofane took the lead from the start and was never threatened, going on to win by over a length from fellow mare Lighthouse with Cascadian running third.

Tofane burns up the straight

Tofane in the mounting yard post race

Lighthouse on her way to the barriers

Pretty boy Lightsaber missed the start and ended up finishing second last, however I was glad to get some nice photos of him as he travelled to the starting gates.

Good looker Lightsaber on his way to the barriers

The wait for the last race, even if it meant a long afternoon at the track, was worth it to see wonderful New Zealand mare Probabeel win the Bellmaine Stakes for the second year in succession.  She did it hard from the outside, carrying a top weight of 60kg, overtaking the leaders Mariamia and Flying Mascot to win at the last instant.

Probabeel zooming to overtake Flying Mascot and win the Bellmaine Stakes

My trip home was uneventful though it was close to 7.00 pm when I  finally got there.

Next Saturday I’m looking forward to going to Flemington for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes. It looks a doozy of a race with  a top field of sprinters that include Nature Strip, who won the race last year.

Blue Diamond Babes at Caulfield

Miss Roseiano on her way to winning the Fillies Blue Diamond Preview

It has been over a week in Melbourne that  we’ve had to endure hot and sticky weather, quite tropical in fact.

In the past I used to quite enjoy summer weather, but as I’ve got older I find it hard to endure  hot days, so it was with some trepidation that I wended my way to Caulfield on Australia Day for the Blue Diamond Previews meetings.

Fortunately trains were running on the Hurstbridge and Frankston lines, so at least I didn’t have to put up with the concomitant inconveniences of transport disruptions.

I arrived at Caulfield about twenty minutes before the first race as intended. This was the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Preview, one of the races I wanted to see.

Not many other people were in attendance, so I had no trouble getting to my favourite spot on the fence for action photography and finding a seat in the shade in between races.

The stalls area was blocked off for major renovations so general admission race patrons were limited to the front lawn area and Norman Robinson Stand.

Interestingly, first starters won both the Blue Diamond Previews, Daumier proving too good for race favourite Philosopher and prevailing over the challenging Rampant Lion in the colts division to win by half a length.

Daumier holds off Rampant Lion to win the Blue Diamond Preview

Miss Roseiano led the much larger field of the fillies Preview from the start, and couldn’t be run down by challenging fillies Written Swoosh and race favourite Latizia. She came in at big odds, being unfancied in the betting.

Miss Roseiano zooms up the straight

I stayed at Caulfield for the following two races, the first of these being the Evergreen Turf Handicap a race over 1100 metres. I can’t say that I’d ever taken much interest in any of the runners.

Asfoora beat Jilette by a length with For Real Life running third.

Asfoora  (no 2) and Jilette fight out the finish in the Evergreen Turf Handicap

Race 4 was the Listed W J Adams Stakes, another sprint over 1000 metres. Only four contenders were set to run in this race, one of them Enthaar, who started as the hot favourite. I’ve at least seen her race a few times, including on Zipping Classic Day where she won the Listed Doveton Stakes  from Streetcar Stranger.

This time however she ran last, over racing early in the race to fade in the straight, whilst Streetcar Stranger went on to win from Mossman Gorge and Esta La Roca.

Streetcar Stranger challenges Esta La Roca with Mossman Gorge charging on the outside

It was a disappointing performance by Enthaar, but no doubt she’ll be back in the winners stall again sometime or other.

Calling it quits after the W J Adams Stakes, I headed home, the trains coinciding nicely, but I faced a hot and sticky walk home from Ivanhoe Station.

I survived, and overall was pleased by the rare outing despite the challenging weather.

Let’s hope that the rest of the Autumn racing carnival is run in more tolerable conditions.