The Thrill Continues–Blue Diamond Stakes Day

Pride of Dubai on his way to winning the 2015 Blue Diamond Stakes

There are only three more Saturdays of Group 1 racing in Melbourne, before the focus shifts to the “Championships” in Sydney (as they call their autumn racing carnival).

This coming Saturday, Caulfield Racecourse hosts the 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes, which is supported by two other classy Group 1 races for older gallopers – the 1400 metres Futurity Stakes and the Oakleigh Plate, a sprint over 1100 metres. There are also a number of Group 2 races on the program.

As usual, it’s hard to predict the Blue Diamond winner, as it tends to be a messy race with 16 two year old contenders in the field.  This year there are nine colts/geldings and seven fillies contesting the race. Mick Price trained colts Extreme Choice and Flying Artie are the top picks. Unfortunately they’ve both drawn wide gates which gives other hopefuls a chance, such as Hell Of An Effort, Star Turn and fillies Samara Dancer and Concealer, to name a few of the better performed runners.

The Blue Diamond Stakes is scheduled as Race 7 at the latter end of the afternoon, so I’m going to take my time getting to the course, most probably just before Race 3 the Angus Armanesco Stakes, a Group 2 race for three year old fillies over 1400 metres.

Pasadena Girl is top weight. She hasn’t been seen since spring, where she was slightly disappointing. But then again, she had the misfortune to encounter superior fillies Stay With Me and/or Jameka in most of the races she contested.  She has a good chance of winning the Armanesco Stakes if she can hold out against the likes of Egypt, who ran second to Don’t Doubt Mama last week in the Vanity Stakes, or Mossin’ Around and Cana who ran second and third to smart New Zealand Filly Risque in the Kevin Hayes Stakes.

Race 4, the Caulfield Autumn Classic  is another Group 2 race for three year olds, this time run over 1800 metres.

Mahuta who has won his last 7 races and has been racing since October 2015 with very little break in between, is still the top chance in the Autumn Classic if he can run the distance.  Others who might threaten are Flying Light, Ayers Rock (who has won over 1800 metres) Hardern and Tally.

The Group 2 Peter Young Stakes is also run over 1800 metres and is a standard weight for age race for older runners.  Last year it was won by Mourinho who is again in the field, along with old stalwarts Fawkner and Happy Trails. Geelong Cup winner Almoonqith is also in the field along with Group 1 winning mares Rising Romance and Fenway.

The first scheduled of the Group 1 races is the Futurity Stakes, run over 1400 metres. Orr Stakes heroine Suavito won this race last year, and has a good chance of winning it a second time, facing the same horses she beat in the Orr Stakes – Turn Me Loose, Hucklebuck, Rebel Dane, Boban, Stratum Star, Trust In A Gust, Entirely Platinum - with the added talents of Politeness and Scissor Kick, thrown in for good measure.

It looks a ripper race as Suavito will most certainly be challenged by several of the above runners.

The Oakleigh Plate is the final Group 1 race of the day, scheduled after the Blue Diamond Stakes. This year’s edition has attracted a huge field of 18 runners. I’m delighted to see Canberra sprinter Fell Swoop is part of the field, having his toughest test to date.  He’s up against some smart ones in Bounding, Gregers, Heatherly, Headwater and Keen Array.  Heatherly will most likely start as favourite after her stunning five & a half length win in the Rubiton Stakes at her last start caught everyone’s eye.

Sydney racing is at Randwick and the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600 metres)  is the feature race.  Star mare Winx is part of the field and will most likely win it, the bulk of the field being stayers resuming.  It’s good to see that Caulfield Cup winner Mongolian Khan is part of the field. He was very sick with a colic attack which prevented him contesting the Melbourne Cup, but has recovered well by all accounts.

Spring Loaded–Caulfield Guineas Day

Bon Aurum  after winning the Guineas Prelude – can he win the Caulfield Guineas?

You can certainly tell that the Spring Racing Carnival is heading towards the peak of the season with what is on offer this weekend at Caulfield Racecourse.

There are four Group 1 races on the program and an equally exciting support card of black type races. There are ten races to be run and it looks like it will be a long day with the feature race, the Caulfield Guineas, scheduled at 5.40pm as the second last race on the program.

The weather is forecast to be warm and humid, with the possibility of thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Let’s hope that these do not occur until after the Guineas has been run, as I’m sure  all hell would break loose if a thunderstorm hit during a race.

As I’m keen to arrive at Caulfield to see Lankan Rupee in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, which is the second race of the day, it will certainly be a drawn out afternoon. However, the interval between races is only 35 minutes, so no doubt the time will flash by in a trice.

Lankan Rupee will face only five rivals in the Schillaci Stakes, run over 1100 metres, and will most likely prevail. The best of the competition is Sydney sprinter Shiraz who has 10 wins from 16 starts and won the Aurie’s Star at Flemington in August. Alpha Miss will quite likely be in the finish somewhere having good form against the likes of Winx and First Seal. She has not raced for over a year though, but has performed well first up.

The first of the Group 1 races is the Caulfield Stakes, run over 2000 metres. It has only 8 acceptances,  six of whom are multiple Group 1 winners – Fawkner, Happy Trails, Contributer, Mongolian Khan , Kermadec and Criterion.

It will be the first time this Spring that we have seen Kermadec and Criterion in Melbourne. Kermadec won the Group 1 George Main Stakes at his last start and also won the Doncaster Mile in the autumn.  He’s current favourite for the Cox Plate, and also favoured to win the Caulfield Stakes. He’ll have to beat the aforementioned regulars, Fawkner and Happy Trails in particular.

Criterion has just returned from an overseas jaunt where he raced competitively in Hong Kong and the UK without winning.  He won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the autumn before he left for England. A class horse, if he has recovered from his trip back to Australia, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he featured in the finish.

The Toorak Handicap is the second of the Group 1 races and is run over 1600 metres. A full field of eighteen horses will contest it. Disposition, Stratum Star, Lucky Hussler and Noble Protector are the main chances.

Fillies feature first in the 1000 Guineas (1600 metres) and the top picks are Pasadena Girl, Miss Gunpowder , Stay with Me, Jameka, Payroll and Badawiya.

The second top Sydney colt, Press Statement, is the hot favourite for the Caulfield Guineas.  He’s never raced in Melbourne before but he is with top trainer Chris Waller whose two Sydney runners ran first and second in the Turnbull Stakes last week.

However, favourites have a shocking record in the Caulfield Guineas, so others with a chance are Ready For Victory,wearing blinkers for the first time, which may sharpen him up, New Zealand colt Dal Cielo, last start winners Sovereign Nation and Bon Aurum, and the well regarded Tulsa who was runner up to Bon Aurum in the Guineas Prelude.

At Randwick in Sydney the last Group 1 race of their spring carnival is the Spring Champion Stakes for three year olds, run over 2000 metres.  The top chances are Vanbrugh, Devil Hawk (Hawkspur’s brother), Tatoosh and Queensland colt Too Good To Refuse.

Back to Caulfield Again–Underwood Stakes Day

2014 Underwood Stakes finish – Foreteller hits the front

Saturday is expected to be warm and sunny, perfect in fact for another fine afternoon of racing as the Spring Racing Carnival, literally and figuratively, heats up.

There are two Group 1 races on the program – Underwood Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes – plus two Group 2 Guineas Preludes, one for the boys, the other for the fillies.

The fillies Thousand Guineas Prelude is scheduled as Race 5. It is run over 1400 metres and has a fabulous field of classy fillies. The main contenders are Pasadena Girl, Stay With Me, Jameka, Miss Gunpowder and Alaskan Rose. The first three above ran the trifecta at Moonee Valley in early September  in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes, with Stay With Me being the victor on that occasion,though Pasadena Girl’s run was the most eye catching.  Miss Gunpowder ran third to Petits Filous in the Quezette Stakes, then won her next race at Morphettville in her home state. Alaskan Rose is unbeaten in two starts and is highly regarded. It looks to be a doozy of a race.

Race 6 is the colts and geldings Guineas Prelude run over the same distance. It’s time for pretty boy Ready For Victory to live up to his name, after running second and third in his first two starts this season behind Gold Symphony on the first occasion and Kinglike in the second. Neither of these colts are entered for the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, so Ready For Victory has a very good chance of winning this time. However he’ll have to beat the Chris Waller trained Metallic Crown  who has two wins under his hat so far this season, and the Ciaran Maher trained Bon Aurum, also a last start winner . New Zealand colt Dal Cielo, trained by the wily Murray Baker, Snoopy who was unlucky in his start and Tulsa, could also feature in the finish.

The first of the Group 1 races on the program is the Underwood Stakes run over 1800 metres. Last year it was won by Foreteller from Happy Trails and the year before was the memorable duel between Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel with the latter being the victor.

It’s always a great race and a fab field has been assembled this year.  Fawkner is the top pick, if he can defy the Makybe Diva Stakes hoodoo and beat The Cleaner, who has drawn Barrier 1 which will enable him to take the lead without expending any energy. Who knows, the Longford Lion could leave them all in his wake, and at least assure an honestly run race. 

Contributer failed to impress at his last start running fifth behind The Cleaner in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Perhaps he didn’t enjoy the tight Moonee Valley track, but could show his true colours at Caulfield. Whatever, dismiss him at your peril. The same goes for Dibayani who has run third behind The Cleaner in his last two starts.

Four year olds have a good record in this race and both Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell are in that age bracket and have as good a chance as any in the field, though the Khan would prefer it longer. I’m interested to see how they go.

The Group 1  Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is now incorporated in the program of Underwood Stakes day, previously being run on the Sunday after the AFL Grand Final. It makes more sense to run it with the Underwood Stakes and adds to the quality of the meeting.

It is run over 1400 metres and has a super field of middle distance runners.  As we’re now in the sign of Libra (ruled by Venus), you would think that Charmed Harmony is the perfect name for the Astrological season.  He has won his last four races leading boldly from start to finish, but faces much tougher opposition in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes with classy gallopers like Disposition, Cosmic Endeavour, Rich Enuff, Amicus, Strawberry Boy and Under The Louvre all being in the picture. The Venus influence could spread to Amicus and Amorino  with their names reflecting the Latin for love (amor).

In Sydney, everyone’s favourite race mare, Catkins, is having her second start for the season in the Golden Pendant in which she ran second to Arabian Gold last year. That mare is also in the field, as is Amanpour who relegated Catkins to second place twice in the autumn.  Cross fingers for Catkins to beat them this time round.

The Equinox on September 23, as well as heralding the warmer weather, also marks a royal birth. Black Caviar delivered her second foal on the night of the Equinox, a colt by Sebring.

There are some lovely photos of the new foal here.