Heady Brew–Australian Guineas Review

Palentino, hot & sweaty in the mounting yard after winning the 2016 Australian Guineas

We woke to an overcast sticky morning in Melbourne on Saturday and those conditiions prevailed for the rest of the day.

That suited me fine, as the lighting for photography was excellent -  not too bright or too dark.

I arrived at Flemington Racecourse earlier than anticipated, in time to watch  Race 2, the Listed  3AW News Talk Sport Stakes, a race over 1000 metres for two year olds.

It ended up with Selenia winning from Alter Call and Creativity.

Selenia returns to scale after winning Race 2

The Flemington roses were rampantly in bloom, particularly in the stalls area, where rose hedges surround the bird cage walking ring and the stalls. The bushes were so high that it was difficult to get clear shots of horses in their stalls and many a photographer looked as if they had been playing with feisty kittens after being in the area.

Living Legend Brew was the first horse I came across as I entered the lower stalls area and his kindly attendants brought him out for a pat. What a thrill!

Brew outside his stall

He’s a big boy, but gentle and friendly and I was delighted to meet him. I still recall vividly his Melbourne Cup victory in 2000 . That year my astrological analysis of the field led me to decide that a strong Cancerian influence was the main aspect of the day.  Brew’s name, signifying domestic duties, was spot on for Cancer.  It also helped that he had the breeding of a Melbourne Cup winner – Sir Tristram from Horlicks -  a blue blood indeed.

He started from Gate 24, and his saddle cloth number was 24 as well which made him a light weight chance. A very young Kieran McEvoy was his jockey.

Brew, sporting a yellow rose in his bridle

Whilst in the area I cruised through to see which Guineas contenders had already arrived.

The Darren Weir contingent were in Stalls 12 to 22, though not necessarily in the same stalls allocated in the race book.


Mahuta

Palentino

Perfect Reflection

Along with the three year olds, former Western Australian mare Real Love was there as well. She was favourite for Roy Higgins Quality scheduled as Race 4.

Real Love

Back track side, Race 3 was about to start, so I made my way to the prime spot just past the winning post to get action shots of the finish and the field returning to scale.

The Mrs Mac’s Bakery Sprint, for fillies and mares, is run over 1100 metres, and last start winner Estaminet started as favourite, but failed to fire, finishing well back in the field.  New Zealand filly Miss Seton Sands, having her first start in Australia, narrowly won over Exclusive Lass and Hijack Hussy.

Race 3 finish – please note camera angle looks as if Exclusive Lass is the winner.

Estaminet returns to scale

Miss Seton Sands returns to scale

Exclusive Lass returns to scale

Hijack Hussy returns to scale

The stalls area at Flemington is in two sections, the front stalls being easily accessible from just outside Carbine’s stall, but you have to walk down Crabapple Lane to access the back section.

More Guineas contenders were stabled there, including hyped New Zealand colt Xtravagant, who had quite a crowd of interested spectators outside his stall.

Xtravagant in his stall

Close by was Tarzino along with the other Mick Price runners, whom I failed to get photos of, or couldn’t identify.

Tarzino in his stall

Vanbrugh

Bon Aurum – very pretty

Jameka in her stall

Back  in the front stalls was Divan who was entered in the last race on the program, which I didn’t stay to watch.

He was being rather naughty in his stall, pawing the ground and tossing his head around, which I remarked to his strapper, who said that at home he was a lamb, but he got excited coming to the races.

Blue blood Divan – a handsome fellow

Back trackside the Roy Higgins Quality was the next race to run, and Real Love was the warm favourite.

She didn’t disappoint, finally winning her first race in the East after running a place in her last two starts.

Real Love wins the Roy Higgins Quality from Dandy Gent – Black Jag ran third three lengths behind.

Real Love returns to scale

After tramping back and forth from the stalls to the upper public lawn several times I felt like a break, so went a bought a drink and watched the Canterbury Stakes from Sydney on the big screen.  Holler, who was underestimated in the betting, won from First Seal with Kermadec running third.

The earlier Todman Stakes resulted in a boilover as well, when the Gai Watherhouse trained Kiss and Make Up rolled the highly touted short priced favourite, Capitalist.

Brew was parading around the mounting yard as I waited for the Canterbury Stakes to screen and grazing on the centre lawn whilst the Living Legends chief vet posed for photos with him.

Brew in the mounting yard

Only two more races were scheduled before the feature, and they were only of interest in helping the time pass.

There wasn’t much of a crowd, certainly not a spring racing levels, and the kids were kept well out of the way in the Kids’ Zone and entertained in various ways. I saw Peanuts characters wandering around and posing for photos.

Charlie & Lucy

Snoopy posing for photos outside the Phar Lap Club (Kids’ Zone)

Race 5 was the Group 3 TAB Rewards Stakes an open handicap over 1400 metres. It resulted in Red Bomber beating Burning Front and Puccini. It was Red Bomber’s first win in a year.

Race 5 finish – Red Bomber on the outside beats Burning Front (orange silks) and Puccini (inside)

Red Bomber on his way to the barriers

Burning Front on his way to the barriers

Puccini on his way to the barriers

In Race 6, the ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap, race favourite Malaguerra romped in by almost two lengths from Grane and Thermal Current.

Malaguerra wins the ATA/ Bob Hoysted Handicap

Malaguerra returns to scale

Grane returns to scale

Thermal Current returns to scale

The Randwick Guineas was scheduled to run 15 minutes before the Australian Guineas, so I wandered back towards the mounting yard to get a better view of the big screen to watch it.  Le Romain caused an upset, beating  hot favourite Press Statement, who was blocked for a run and couldn’t catch him in the straight.  Rank outsider Gold Ambition ran third.

A similar scenario occured in the Australian Guineas where Xtravagant was the hot favourite, but failed to run a place. He burst from the gates at lightning speed and led for most of the race. He was overtaken in the straight by a mass of horses and Palentino pushed through at the last minute to win from Tarzino and the filly Risque.

As happened when he won, then lost, the CS Hayes Stakes, there was a protest against him from second place, Tarzino’s jockey, alleging interference, but this time the protest was dismissed. A collective groan rose up when the protest siren was sounded – not again!

Australian Guineas finish

Palentino returns to scale

Tarzino on his way to the barriers

Xtravagant on his way to the barriers

Xtravagant has returned to New Zealand, his colours lowered considerably. 

Flemington roses – a plethora of brilliant colour all along the straight

I went home after the Guineas, not staying for the Frances Tressady Stakes or the Antler Luggage Trophy, where Divan ran second again to runaway long shot Tom Melbourne.

It’s back to Flemington next Saturday for Super Saturday which features the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap and the Group 1 Australian Cup, always a fabulous day of racing with  a quality support card.

The final Group 1 of the Melbourne Autumn racing carnival is the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on 25 March, which I may attend, even though it’s a night meeting.

Farewell Catkins & Australian Guineas Day

Catkins on Caulfield Cup Day 2015

It was announced earlier this week that Catkins has been retired. She was a much loved mare with a huge following during her sterling race career and I admit one of my favourites.

Known as the punters pal, she always ran an honest race and it’s a pity she never won a Group 1, though she finished second or third in quite a few of them. Her record stands at 16 wins from 38 starts, most of her wins being at Group 2 and Group 3 level.  I’ve followed her for several years and always looked forward to seeing her race. Enjoy your retirement sweet Catkins. I hope your babies are as pretty as you.

Meanwhile, the excitement of Group 1 racing continues this weekend at Flemington and Randwick and includes the ridiculous scheduling of two Guineas in two States – the Randwick Guineas in Sydney and the Australian Guineas in Melbourne.

Surprisingly both Guineas have attracted reasonable fields, the Melbourne Guineas being overall more classy in content.

The Randwick Guineas looks as if it will be a walkover by top colt Press Statement, who won the Caulfield Guineas in spring last year, and kicked off his autumn campaign in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes on 20 February with an easy win.

On that occasion he out ran Le Romain and Montaigne and most of the rest of the field contesting the Randwick Guineas, so you really can’t see him being beaten, unless Melbourne invader Tulsa or sole filly Stay With Me can mount a challenge.

Sixteen three year olds will contest the Australian Guineas at Flemington, and most of them are good enough to win the race.

You’ve got star New Zealand colt Xtravagant having his first start in Australia and recent results indicate that it is unwise to ignore the kiwi runners, Turn Me Loose and Risque for instance. Xtravagant makes a habit of winning his races by 8 lengths on good tracks. He’ll get a good track on Saturday as it hasn’t rained in Melbourne for ages, and none is forecast in the near future.

Risque is in the field along with talented former Western Australian filly Perfect Reflection, and Crown Oaks winner Jameka, challenging the boys. Several fillies have won the Australian Guineas, the most recent being Mosheen (2012) and Shamrocker (2011).

They have to beat some really talented boys; Mahuta, Tarzino, Vanbrugh, Palentino and Tivaci along with Xtravagant.

All in all it looks a fascinating race.

The Flemington support card is moderately interesting, but the Randwick card is much more classy with another Group 1 race on the program along with several choice Group 2 events.

The Group 1 Canterbury Stakes run over 1300 metres has a small but select field that includes top runners Criterion, Kermadec, First Seal, Our Boy Malachi and Holler.  Last year the Canterbury Stakes was won by Cosmic Endeavour from Catkins and Criterion, so that bodes well for First Seal, who returned from a long break with a stylish win in the Millie Fox Stakes .

Worthy of interest is Race 2 on the Randwick card,  the Todman Stakes, a Group 2 race for two year old colts and geldings over 1200 metres. It has a super lineup of six in form colts headed by Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic winner Capitalist, who is yet to lose a race from three starts. Trying hard to lower his colours will be Silver Slipper winner Astern and Talindert Stakes winner Weatherly, not to mention Tessera who has won two from two starts and Defcon who has run second to both Astern and Tessera and could well be in the finish again.

I’m looking forward to going back to Flemington on Saturday for the second last Saturday of the Melbourne autumn racing carnival. A bonus will be seeing the Living Legends representative, 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew.  He won me heaps of money that day when he romped in at big odds. He is regally bred, being one of super sire Sir Tristram’s sons, from champion New Zealand mare Horlicks who won the 1989 Japan Cup in world record time. I hope to give Brew a pat, and try to get a good photo.

Iron Horse–Chautauqua Strikes in the Lightning

Chautauqua parades in the mounting yard after winning the Black Caviar Lightning

Personally, I prefer Melbourne’s summer/autumn racing season to the overhyped spring carnival. For a start the race meetings are not overcrowded and secondly the silliness of the spring carnival is not as glaringly obvious. 

The Melbourne autumn racing carnival may be the poor cousin to the spring carnival as far as the media is concerned, but the racing action is just as thrilling as was observed on Saturday afternoon at Flemington.

Having attended the excellent Dave Rawlings Machine concert the night before, I was feeling a tad bleary as I set out for Flemington, but once arrived that wore off and I was keen to see the two year olds strut their stuff in the Talindert Stakes.

In 2012 I witnessed All Too Hard win the Talindert at his first start, and we know how good he turned out to be.

So you wonder, as you watch the young things parading, which of them could be future stars of the turf. 

I was interested in seeing two of the fillies in the race, the first, Conscious, being one of the first crop of So You Think’s progeny to hit the track. The other, Clockwork Orange, is the daughter of multiple Group 1 winning mare Private Steer. They were both having their first start. As you can see in the photos below they are lovely looking fillies.

Conscious

Clockwork Orange

Clockwork Orange started as favourite but only managed to run sixth.

Conscious did better, running 1.5 lengths second to Weatherly, over three lengths in front of third placed Jackson.

Weatherly & Conscious on the grandstand side of the track run first and second.

Weatherly returns to scale after winning the Talindert Stakes

Race 3 was the Auckland Racing Club Trophy, a sprint over 1000 metres.

It was won by the favourite Estaminet, with Scratchy Lass and Afleet Esprit running second and third.

Estaminet wins the Auckland Racing Club Trophy

You certainly get plenty of exercise at Flemington, as the walk to and from the prime photo spot just past the winning post to the stalls extends almost the length of the straight.

In the stalls several of the main contenders for the Group events had already arrived, as had the Living Legends representatives, Bullish Luck and Silent Witness.

Bullish Luck in the pre-parade ring

Silent Witness in his stall

Speaking of legends, there was a special ceremony on Saturday afternoon for the late Red Cadeaux whose ashes are buried in the stalls area near where he was stabled.

Unfortunately he died from complications after suffering an injury on Melbourne Cup  Day last year. If he had survived he would have joined the old boys at Living Legends.

A plaque has been installed on a bench near where he is buried.

Red Cadeaux Plaque in Stalls Area

Back trackside, Race 4, the Japan Racing Association Trophy (2000 metres) was about to start.

This was also won by race favourite, Pemberley, from Word of Mouth and Falago.

Pemberley on his way to the starting gates

Word of Mouth (no 7) and Renew on their way to the starting gates

Falago on his way to the barriers

Race 4 finish – Pemberley wins easily by 2.8 lengths to Word of Mouth

Tramping back once again to the stalls area, I was keen to get photos of the feature contenders…

 
Chautauqua – BC Lightning

Bon Aurum – CS Hayes Stakes

Delectation – BC Lightning

Japonisme – BC Lightning

Exosphere – BC Lightning

Perfect Reflection – Vanity Stakes

Sacred Star – Vanity Stakes

Terravista – BC Lightning

Race 5, was the first of the feature races, the Group 3 Vanity Stakes for three year old fillies over 1400 metres.

Unbeaten Western Australian filly Perfect Reflection started as favourite but both she and Jameka were upstaged by Don’t Doubt  Mama.

Don’t Doubt Mama wins the Vanity Stakes from Egypt and Perfect Reflection

Don’t Doubt Mama returns to scale

Egypt returns to scale

Perfect Reflection returns to scale

Jameka who ran fourth returns to scale

The C.S. Hayes Stakes was next up. Also graded as Group 3, it is one for the colts and is run over 1400 metres as well.

The Darren Weir trained Palentino was the warm favourite and he did indeed win, before losing out to an upheld protest by the rider of second placed Tivaci for interference. Tivaci’s stablemate Tulsa ran third.

Palentino (wide white blaze) technically wins the CS Hayes

Palentino on his way to the barriers

Tivaci on his way to the barriers

Last year on Lightning Stakes day, a storm passed through just before the feature race. Appropriately lightning flashed and a smattering of rain fell on Flemington.

Not so this year, as the afternoon was sunny with a cool southerly wind keeping the temperature at a comfortable level.

I was fortunate enough to personally witness Black Caviar win two of her three Lightning Stakes, so it was almost a blast from the past to see her colours decorating the finishing post.

Finishing post detail with Black Caviar sign

Her walk of fame was back on the public lawn with two extra posters, showing her with her first two foals.

This year’s edition of the Black Caviar Lightning was just as exciting as you’d expect. Chautauqua’s connections must have nerves of steel to be able to watch their champion sprinter compete, as he races at the back of the field then nail bitingly launches his brilliant finishing burst at the last minute. He looked in a no win situation with only 50 metres to go, but somehow overtook Terravista and Japonisme, who were fighting out the finish, to win by a nostril.

Only six started in the race, Kinglike being scratched early in the morning. After leaving the barriers Terravista, Delectation, Japonisme and Chautauqua headed for the outside grandstand side of the track, leaving Va Pensiero and Exosphere running a separate race on the inside.  Exosphere didn’t look at all comfortable and was all over the place. His trainer blames the track bias for his failure to place, but his jockey admitted that he made the wrong call as far as the horse was concerned and stated that he would have performed better with the bunch on the grandstand side; ie having horses to race against.

I doubt if we’ll see Exosphere in Melbourne again, especially not at Flemington.

Lightning Stakes finish – POV distorts the actual finishing order which was Chautauqua, Terravista (orange silks) Japonisme (pink silks) & Exosphere (blue silks)

Chautauqua returns to scale

Terravista returns to scale

Japonisme returns to scale

Exosphere returns to scale

As the trains departing Flemington for the city did not start to run until 4.45 pm I decided to stay and watch Race 8, the Ascot Racecourse Trophy, mostly because Divan was in it. 

He ran a great race, doing it tough racing wide throughout to run second to the favoured Dan Zephyr over the unsuitable distance of 1400 metres.

Divan in the mounting yard

Dan Zephyr in the mounting yard

The trip home by train was without incident and avoided the crowds streaming into the city for White Night. I was home in 40 minutes, the trains coinciding neatly at Southern Cross Station.

I managed to either hear or watch the feature Sydney races.  The Silver Slipper Stakes was won by Astern from Defcon with Mount Panorama running third. First Seal signalled that she had returned fighting fit, when she won the Millie Fox Stakes. Catkins lacked her usual zip and finished last. It looks like she may be retired. Telepathic ran second with I’ve Got The Looks taking third place. And Press Statement easily won the Hobartville Stakes from Le Romain and Montaigne.

Next Saturday I’ll be heading back to Caulfield for the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting, which has three Group 1 races on the program, the aforementioned Blue Diamond Stakes, plus the Oakleigh Plate and Futurity Stakes.