Doncaster–Derby Day 2017 Edition

I Am A Star – can she emulate Sunline and win the Doncaster Handicap at her tender age?

Doncaster – Derby Day at Randwick is one of the great days on the Australian racing calendar.  A few years back the two main events were run on different Saturdays, but these days they are featured along with the T J Smith Stakes and the Inglis Sires.

There’s something for everyone – a first class sprint (T J Smith), a race for two year olds (Sires), a middle distance nail biter (Doncaster Mile) won by many champions in the past, most recently by wonder mare Winx, and the ATC Derby for three year old stayers.

The first to run is the Inglis Sires, which is run over 1400 metres, where a full field of 16 runners have accepted. Quite a few of the contestants ran in the Golden Slipper with varying results. Slipper winner She Will Reign is not in the field, but the runner up Frolic and third placed Tulip are top chances. 

Melbourne based horses have been very successful in Sydney this autumn season, so they could dominate again, for instance Sircconi who won the Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes at his last start.

New Zealanders are often successful during the Sydney autumn racing season, so it would be unwise to ignore Summer Passage, who won a Group 1 race in New Zealand at his last start.

Two New Zealand stayers are entered in the ATC Derby, Gingernuts and Jon Snow, both recent winners in Sydney, the former winning the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas, the latter victorious in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes. Both have competed against each other across the Tasman with Gingernuts getting the better of Jon Snow in the New Zealand Derby.

Of the locals Prized Icon, Inference, Anaheim and So Si Bon have the best chance of defeating the Kiwis.

The grey flash Chautauqua has a chance to redeem his reputation and make history by winning the T J Smith Stakes for the third time in succession, a feat never before accomplished in its twenty years of running.

He’s sort of back to his old self, and back to his favourite distance of 1200 metres after finishing a distant third in the George Ryder Stakes which of course was won by Winx.

The usual suspects are his rivals; Malaguerra, Fell Swoop, Japonisme, Terravista, Spieth and Rebel Dane, with three year old colts Astern and Russian Revolution, representing the greatest threat with a weight advantage.

As previously mentioned the Doncaster Handicap is a race for champions. You aren’t anyone in the annals of middle distance racing until you’ve won it. You only have to look at the list of previous winners to see what a prestigious race it is. Sunline won it twice as did Super Impose and Sacred Falls. Other top class milers who’ve won it are More Joyous, Haradasun, Private Steer and of course Winx.

This year’s edition has a super field with a good mix of quality milers and three year old aspirants. Of the older contestants, the top chances are Le Romain, Redkirk Warrior, Tosen Stardom, Happy Clapper and Palentino, whilst talented youngsters like I Am A Star and Hey Doc might well challenge their elders, having a weight advantage in the handicap conditions and with a bit of luck in the running.

For a change the Randwick track may not be as heavy as the recent Rosehill race meetings, with little rain falling this week in Sydney. It might even make it the better side of slow, though the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie that devastated North Queensland looks to be headed south and may rain on Sydney’s parade.

Update Saturday Evening

The undoubted star of the day was the grey flash Chautauqua, winning the T J Smith Stakes with a stunning finishing sprint from a no win position. We’ve see it all before, so it was great to witness the big grey back to his best and make history into the bargain, becoming the first horse to win the T J Smith three years in succession. He won by a neck to English, with Fell Swoop running third not far behind.

Favourites failed to feature in all the Group 1 events of the afternoon, even Chautauqua paying $6.00, unheard of odds a year ago.

The Inglis Sires trifecta was taken out by the boys and the highly fancied fillies were missing in action. Invader won, upstaging New Zealand colt Summer Passage and Trapeze Artist ran third.

New Zealand colt Jon Snow won the Australian Derby from outsiders Harper’s Choice and Hardham. Favourite, Gingernuts, left his run too late and finished fifth.

And the Doncaster Mile was taken out by 40/1 shot It’s Somewhat who beat Happy Clapper with 50/1 longshot, Sense of Occasion running third.

Next week is the Group 1 Sydney Cup, Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Australian Oaks and Queen of the Turf Stakes, which, god willing, I will be present to witness in person.

Bart Bags the Booty - Orr Stakes Day Review

Black Heart Bart returns to scale after winning the Orr Stakes

The Sydney races at Randwick were cancelled last Saturday due to the extreme heat and will be run today (Monday) instead, so we’ll get to see Winx race in the Apollo Stakes at 5.40pm this afternoon.

In Melbourne the weekend weather was very pleasant, Saturday being a partly sunny day with a light breeze – perfect for an afternoon turfside.

As planned, I arrived at Caulfield in plenty of time for the first of the Blue Diamond Preludes and had time before the race to cruise through the stalls and check out who had arrived.

El Divino (Winx little brother)

The grey flash Chautauqua

The beautiful Turn Me Loose

I’ve given up trying to take photos from the public lawn, the hedge is so high I can barely see over it to get a clear shot. So I spent most of the afternoon on the hill above the stalls area, which was remarkably uncrowded.

Soon enough the fillies were assembling for their Blue Diamond Prelude and Catchy started favourite with Limestone being the second pick.

The race ended with Catchy and Limestone fighting out the finish, Catchy winning by a nose. Arctic Angel finished third, 1.35 lengths behind the leading two.

Catchy (outside) & Limestone still head to head just after the post.

Catchy returns to scale

Limestone returns to scale

Arctic Angel returns to scale

Sydney colt Pariah was the starting favourite for the colts and geldings Blue Diamond Prelude, but he was outgunned by Property, who has now won the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude double. Can he add the actual Blue Diamond Stakes to his wins?  The last horse to do so was Sepoy in 2011. Wait For No One finished third.

Colts Blue Diamond Prelude finish just past the post

Property returns to scale

Pariah returns to scale

Wait For No One in the parade ground – a real good looker

Race 5 was the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes, run over 1200 metres,  for three year old fillies.

Fuhryk, who I admit I had never heard of, started favourite and  scored a good two length win over Oregon’s Day and Savanna Amour.

Kevin Hayes Stakes finish – Fuhryk (blinkers) has the advantage

Fuhryk returns to scale

Chautauqua was the star attraction in Race 6, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes where he started as top weight and warm favourite.  However, he didn’t win, finishing third after leaving his run too late.  Victory went to rank outsider Super Cash with I Am A Star running second. Chautauqua’s connections were left scratching their heads and came to the conclusion that he is looking for longer races these days.  So they are going to try him over 1400 metres next.

Rubiton Stakes finish just past the post

Super Cash returns to scale

I Am A Star (inside) and Wild Rain return to scale together

Chautauqua returns to scale

Finally it was time for the feature event, the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes and a fine field had turned up for it. Black Heart Bart held narrow favouritism over Malaguerra at race start time and didn’t disappoint his supporters with a grand win, overtaking race leader Turn Me Loose close to the post and winning by a length. I was delighted to see Turn Me Loose show that he is back to the form that won him two Group 1 races in spring 2015 (Emirates Stakes) and autumn 2016 (Futurity Stakes). His main aim this autumn is to win the Futurity Stakes for a second time. 

The Gai Waterhouse trained Ecuador ran third and Jameka and Palentino dead heated for fourth.

Orr Stakes finish – Black Heart Bart , Turn Me Loose & Ecuador are the leading three.

Brad Rawiller salutes riding Black Heart Bart back to scale

Turn Me Loose on his way to the starting gates

Ecuador returns to scale

Jameka returns to scale

Palentino and Turn Me Loose returning to scale

Calling it quits after the Orr Stakes I headed for the station and home having enjoyed another pleasant afternoon at the races.

Next week the Group 1 action is at Flemington with the feature race being the Black Caviar Lightning.

Later…

Just watched the running of the Apollo Stakes and Winx won like the champion she is, notching up her 14th win in succession. Go Winx!

Sunshine & Roses–Derby Day Review

Flemington roses against intense blue sky

No two race days could have been so dissimilar, weather wise, as Derby Day and Cox Plate Day, with Saturday’s race meeting at Flemington being held under blue skies and bountiful sunshine. There wasn’t even much of breeze, though when it blew across the wide open spaces of the big track, it was refreshing and a welcome change from the heat of the sun.

I had not dressed for the day, unlike the majority of the huge crowd in attendance, and felt overdressed in my jeans and sensible shoes and socks, but not overly uncomfortable.

The crowd may have been huge, but they were cheerful and friendly and my services as photographer were called upon quite few times to take iPhone photos of various young persons posing in front of the finishing line.

It was easy to get my favourite photographing spot on the gate just past the finishing post as it is an access gate for punters in the expensive enclosures on the other side of the track to enter the main area of the racecourse.

All I had to do was wait until the gates were closed and slip into position.

I was there shortly after arriving at Flemington to witness race 3, the Group 3 Sensis Stakes, a sprint for mares over 1100 metres.

As usual with sprints down the Flemington straight, the field splits into two sections, one on the inside rail, the other on the outer rail.

Fortunately I had my camera focussed on the outer rail and caught the actual finish with the winner in the picture, in this case Sheidel who beat Wild Rain by a nose with Private Secretary running third.

Sensis Stakes finish – Sheidel is on the far left

Sheidel returns to scale

Having established that it would be no problem getting into my favourite spot, I wended my way through the throng, taking the short cut via the bookies ring to the stalls area, where all was calm and relatively uncrowded.

One of my aims for the day was to get Winx trainer Chris Waller’s signature on my two Cox Plate racebooks (2015/2016) so I hoped to catch him in the stalls area, saddling up his runners. 

Though I did not manage to run into Chris Waller, I asked one of the stable strappers to get the signatures for me. I’d come prepared with pen and markers in the relevant pages, the books enclosed in a plastic bag.  This ploy worked and my racebooks were signed when I dropped back later in the afternoon to collect them.

Whilst in stalls area I did get photos of some of the main Group 1 race contenders.

Extreme Choice – Coolmore Stud Stakes

Flying Artie – Coolmore Stud Stakes

Star Turn – Coolmore Stud Stakes

Sacred Elixir – Derby

Tumultuous – Derby

Wine Bush – Derby

First Seal – Myer Classic

Failing to make it back in time to photograph the runners in race 4, the Group 3 Lexus Stakes, I was trapped on the east side of the mounting yard, so decided to stay there and photograph the winner, Oceanographer, coming back to scale.

Between heads I got a few snaps of the horses leaving the mounting yard for the track and they actually captured the crowded precinct.

Oceanographer on his way to the track

The Lexus Stakes gives automatic entry into the Melbourne Cup for the winner and is a race for stayers over 2500 metres.

Oceanographer was the favourite and one of the few top fancies to win on the day. He overtook tearaway leader Tom Melbourne to win on the line with Tally running third.

Oceanographer returns to scale after winning the Lexus Stakes

I eventually got back to my prime spot and pretty well stayed there for the rest of afternoon, deserting my post only to get a drink and collect my signed Cox Plate race books. It was while returning with them that I tripped over a step and overbalanced,  thankfully not taking a tumble, but strained my left calf muscle. It didn’t hurt much and it was only on Sunday that I felt the full effect.

Race 5 was the first of the Group 1 events, the Coolmore Stud Stakes for three year olds over 1200 metres. 

Astern started as the favourite, but he was beaten into second place by the Mick Price trained Flying Artie. His stable mate Extreme Choice was disappointing and finished fifth, the excuse being that he didn’t take to the Flemington straight, having a preference for the cornering on other tracks. Star Turn finished third.

Coolmore Stud Stakes finish – Hugh Bowman salutes Flying Arties’s win (pink silks), Astern (blue silks) is on his inside and Star Turn (blinkers) is in the centre

Flying Artie returns to scale

Star Turn returns to scale

Extreme Choice returns to scale

As the Group 1 Myer Classic was a 1600 metre race, the horses leave the mounting yard and head west, past the finishing post on their way to the starting gates, so you can photos of the runners as they pass.

Rising Romance

Dixie Blossoms

Don’t Doubt Mama

French Emotion

I Am A Star

Denmagic

The lightweighted filly I Am A Star proved too good for the older mares winning narrowly from long shots French Emotion and Denmagic. First Seal disappointed and finished way back in the field.

First Seal returns to scale

Myer Classic finish

I Am A Star returns to scale after winning the Myer Classic

The feature race, the Victoria Derby was up next and it resulted in a win for Bart’s grandson, James Cummings when the unfancied Prized Icon won the race by 2½ lengths from favourite Sacred Elixir with Inference running third.

Prized Icon wins the 2016 Victoria Derby

Prized Icon returns to scale

Sacred Elixir returns to scale

Inference returns to scale

The last Group 1 race on the program was the Group 1 Cantala Stakes and it was anyone’s guess who would win, with The United States being the 6/1 favourite.

The Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman combo resulted in a win for longshot Le Romain over stablemate McCreery with Tivaci running third. The trifecta must have paid a fortune!

Le Romain wins the Cantala Stakes

Le Romain returns to scale

McCreery on his way to the barriers

Tivaci on his way to the barriers

The United States on his way to the barriers

Palentino on his way to the barriers

I called it quits after the Cantala Stakes and headed for the station and home. With my left leg feeling the effects of my stumble, it was a relief to sit down after an afternoon on my feet.

Back on home turf walking from the station I came across one of the local ravens rummaging around on the nature strip of the first house on my street. Fortunately I had the camera handy and got some photos from close up without it flying away.

Raven – one of  the locals

Photography conditions were much better at Flemington in the sunshine, so most of my images turned out fine, though the security guards on duty at the access gate impeded my view when they stood at the fence on the other side of the gate.

Somehow, though it had been an interesting and enjoyable afternoon at the races, and a perfect spring day, it was missing that special magic of Moonee Valley last week in the wind and rain.

I’ve been writing this post while waiting for the running of the Melbourne Cup. There’s only half an hour to go before it’s on, but I’ll update this post later with the result.

And it has just started pouring down with rain!

UPDATE - Melbourne Cup Result

The Lloyd Williams imported stayer Almandin won the 2016 Melbourne Cup by a nose from Heartbreak City with Hartnell running third 4 lengths behind.  Not a totally surprising result after all and I’m pleased that I mentioned all three place getters in my Melbourne Cup preview.

As for the punt, my Sportsbet online account was down to $35.00 so I had only enough money to bet $5.00 each way on three horses and included Almandin as one of them, the others being Jameka and Oceanographer who both finished unplaced.

Almandin’s payout doubled my outlay, so the account is looking healthy again. It’s about time my luck changed!