A Harbinger of Spring–Racing at Moonee Valley

Tawteen kicks off her Spring at Moonee Valley tomorrow.

Though you wouldn’t know by the weather, Spring is just round the corner and it means that a new season of first class horse racing is impending.

Tomorrow is the birthday of southern hemisphere racehorses, and a quite interesting race meeting is scheduled at Moonee Valley to mark the occasion.

Having renewed my Moonee Valley Season pass, I have a hankering to return trackside to take in some racing action. The weather will most likely be awful, but I don’t intend to spend all afternoon there.

The most fascinating race on the card in fact is Race 1, the United Refrigeration Handicap for three year old fillies over 1000 metres.

I’m keen to get a glimpse of Petits Filous who won her first race at the Valley a fortnight ago on a heavy track by 6 lengths.  Shades of Black Caviar you’d think, but it’s really too soon to tell how good she really is. Tomorrow will give us some insight no doubt. She’s up against some other class fillies in The Big Dance and Haybah, the former winning her first race at Bendigo by a good margin, and the latter already with a Group 3 win under her belt. Stream Ahead also looks a chance having, like The Big Dance, won her debut race at Bendigo by 2 lengths.

Tawteen, who I have been following kicks off her spring campaign in Race 6, the Ranvet Handicap (1200 metres). She goes well fresh and has won at Moonee Valley several times so should be in the finish.

Speaking of classy fillies I’m looking to the return of Fontiton and Sistonic, who looked very promising early in the  autumn, but sustained injuries which ruled them out for the rest of the season. They’re not running tomorrow, but should appear in the near future.

Many of last spring and autumn stars are now retired to stud, so one is left scratching around for class acts to follow. Lankan Rupee will be back on the scene later in the spring, and his great rivals Chautauqua and Terravista  are also expected to return.  Also I’m really keen to see how Western Australian filly (now mare) Delicacy goes this spring. She has the rare distinction of winning two Derbies (WA & SA) and two Oaks (WA & SA) in the same season. Unfortunately she won’t be racing in Melbourne, but will be kept to her home state.

Other horses  I plan on following for the Spring are Alpine Eagle, Rich Enuff, Vancouver, Pride of Dubai, First Seal, Cosmic Endeavour, Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell, along with old faves like The Cleaner, Catkins, Fawkner and Lucia Valentina. No doubt others will catch my fancy as the season progresses.

Sunny Melbourne, Rainy Sydney

Sertorius – winner of the Easter Cup – in his stall

Sydney experienced a downpour on Saturday that resulted in the cancellation (or postponement) of the Group 1 race meeting at Randwick. It is being run today instead.

By contrast, Melbourne on Saturday was mild and sunny and the track at Caulfield was good and speedy.  It was perfect weather for spending an afternoon trackside, despite the hordes of children in attendance hyped to eyeballs by chocolate treats. There was even an Easter egg hunt for the junior racegoers.

I took my time getting to Caulfield as the races I was most interested in watching were scheduled for mid to late afternoon. So I arrived just after 2.00pm in time for race 4, the Jack Elliott Handicap, an open race over 1400 metres. It was won by Bel Rhythm.

Race 4 – down the straight – Bel Rhythm (no. 8) is about to overtake the leaders

My main reason for going to Caulfield was to see The Cleaner, Disposition and Prince Harada and the only one of the three that won was Prince Harada, having his first start for a year. The break and his gelding obviously did him good, for though he only won by a short margin he looked good doing it.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Race 5 was the Geoff Murphy Handicap for three year old fillies over 1400 metres.  I observed the contenders in the mounting yard.

Japhils who ran second

Sea Spray – ran third

Samartested – the winner

Samartested is a half sister to the 2012 Blue Diamond winner Samaready though she has not shown the same talent as her big sister so far.

Race 5 down the straight – Samartested is about to overtake Japhils

Prince Harada’s race was next on the card, TheShark.com.au over 1100 metres.  He was the short priced favourite and as reported before he won narrowly from early leader Boomwaa with Agent running third.

Prince Harada being difficult in the mounting yard

Boomwaa on his way to the barriers

Agent on his way to the barriers

Race 6 – down the straight – Boomwaa leads with Prince Harada zooming down the outside.

As expected, The Cleaner took the lead in the Easter Cup, but he couldn’t maintain the pace and was overtaken by Escado, Sertorius and Shoreham. Sertorius ended up the winner, finally scoring some cred for himself after trying and failing in harder races.

The Cleaner in the mounting yard

Sertorius in the mounting yard

Race 7  finish – Escado leads with Sertorius in hot pursuit

I felt tempted to go home after the Easter Cup, but decided to stay for race 8, the Victoria Handicap, a Group 3 race over 1400 metres. I was interested in seeing how Disposition would perform. Ironically a fellow Western Australian horse, Waterman’s Bay, won the prize from The Peak and Sistine Demon. Disposition ended up finishing fourth.

Waterman’s Bay in the mounting yard.

Whilst I’ve been writing this post, I’ve been intermittently watching the races in Sydney. The track was heavy, but the results of the  Group 1 races were not all that surprising.

Pride of Dubai won the Sires from outsiders Odyssey Moon and Rageese who dead heated for second.

The Derby was won by New Zealand Derby winner Mongolian Khan with Hauraki splitting him and fellow New Zealander Volkstok’n’barrell.

Lankan Rupee, though given every chance was unable to feature in the finish of the TJ Smith. Chautauqua won by a nose from Lord of the Sky with Terravista running third.

And the Doncaster was won by three year old colt Kermadec from Japanese horse Real Impact with Royal Descent finishing in third place.

Donny-Derby Day–The first day of The Championships

Sacred Falls at Caulfield 11 October 2014 – Can he win his third Doncaster?

Easter Saturday used to be known by racing fans as Doncaster- Derby day, but the two races in question have, for the past ten years or so,  been run on different days. This year they return on the same day, along with two other Group 1 races at Randwick on Saturday.

It’s the first day of Sydney’s pompously named The Championships, which continues over the following two weekends, culminating with the All Aged Stakes Day on 18 April.

You have to admit that this first day of The Championships offers a fabulous line up of races with top class fields. Unfortunately the track will be most likely rain affected, but you kind of expect that during the Sydney autumn racing carnival.

The first of the Group 1 races is the Inglis Sires, a race for two year olds over 1400 metres.  It has attracted a cracking field that includes Blue Diamond Stakes winner Pride of Dubai, Golden Slipper runner up English, Melbourne filly Pasadena Girl who has won her only two starts and Always Allison, who looked very promising in her first two starts before going amiss in her last start. She does however have  “Magic Man” Joao Moreira  in the saddle, which gives her a distinct advantage.

The Sires is followed by the Australian Derby, a 2400 metres race for three year olds. The New Zealand pair Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell look the top picks, along with Victorian Derby winner Preferment, who finished second to Volkstok’n’barrell in the Rosehill Guineas. Also in with a chance is Hauraki who won the Tulloch Stakes (2000 metres) by 2.5 lengths. He’s part of the Godolphin team who have been very successful of late, winning most of the races last Saturday.

Lankan Rupee, Chautauqua and Terravista meet again in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes, a sprint over 1200 metres. Lankan Rupee won this race last year on a heavy track, so I’ll be hoping he can do it for a second time and finally get the better of his two classy rivals. Sweet Idea is also likely to be in the finish, and with a 2kg weight advantage, could well beat the boys. 

Sacred Falls won the Doncaster Mile in both 2013 and 2014 and will be trying to create history by becoming the first horse to win three times consecutively. He has to carry top weight 58kg and beat a full field of 20 runners to do so.  One thing in his favour is that he performs well on soft ground, after all he won both the 2013 and 2014 Doncaster on bog tracks. He’ll be starting at pretty good odds too, as he has not inspired confidence with his runs so far this autumn.

One of the favourites will probably be the Japanese horse Real Impact, who so impressively won the George Ryder Stakes a fortnight ago, and there is a lot of support for three year old Hallowed Crown who has a light weight advantage, though has drawn the outside barrier. There’s also a bit of hype on French import Pornichet who won a Group 3 race last Saturday at Rosehill.

I reckon Royal Descent and Cosmic Endeavour both have a good chance of taking out the race for the fair sex, the former with her excellent form on heavy tracks and the services of Joao Moreira as her jockey, whilst Cosmic Endeavour , despite her poor performance in the Ryder Stakes, is too good to overlook.  There’s also Melbourne mare Suavito who is currently on a run of wins in her home state that included the Group 1 Futurity Stakes.

In Melbourne Caulfield’s Easter Saturday meeting looks interesting enough to attend, with the popular front runner The Cleaner being one of the attractions. He’ll be running in the Easter Cup, a much easier race than the last few he’s contested, so will most likely be the winner. He’s also had a change of gear – blinkers off, visor on, so that he can see other horses overtaking him, which apparently spurs him on.

Also racing at Caulfield on Saturday is Western Australian star three year old, Disposition, last seen finishing second to Wandjina in the C S Hayes Stakes in February.  He’s entered in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap.

I’m also keen to set eyes again on Prince Harada who has been out of action for over a year and was gelded in the interim.  He’s entered in a 1100 metre sprint, which is probably a little short for him.

Pride of Dubai– The Prince of Diamonds

Pride of Dubai parades after winning the Blue Diamond Stakes

You might as well throw away the form guide, as favourites in the Group 1 events at Saturday’s meeting at Caulfield were all rolled.

Despite the disappointing results it was an enjoyable day at the races with the weather being kinder than the week before, a pleasantly warm day with alternate cloud and sunshine.

I arrived at the track around 2.00pm, in plenty of time for Race 3, the Angus Armanasco Stakes, where last start winner Sabatini was the warm favourite and was successful again, beating Fontein Ruby by a length with Samartested running third.

Sabatini on her way to the barriers

Fontein Ruby being difficult on her way to the gates – a clerk of course eventually took her in hand

Race 3 down the straight – Fontein Ruby leads with Sabatini on the outside about to pass Samartested.

In my preview in my last post I completely overlooked Alpine Eagle in my assessment of Race 4, the Caulfield Autumn Classic. He is a South Australian colt with excellent form -  three wins from four starts – and very well bred by High Chaparral from a Zabeel mare Zephira .  He started as favourite, and running from the back of the field with an amazing burst of speed, narrowly won from Minnesinger and Firehouse Rock.

Race 4 down the straight – Firehouse Rock leads with Alpine Eagle still three lengths behind on the outside.

The first of the Group 1 races was next on the program, it being the Futurity Stakes. Dissident was the hot favourite, but he only managed to run third, rather stymieing his chances early in the race keeping up with race leader Driefontein and was flat at the finish. Smart mare Suavito swooped down the outside late and  went on to win by a length and a bit from Smokin’ Joey.

Dissident on his way to the barriers

Smokin’ Joey on his way to the barriers

Race 5 down the straight – Dissident leads with Smokin’ Joey and Suavito about to overtake him on the outside.

Suavito returns to scale after winning the Futurity Stakes

There was a great deal of interest in the next race, the Peter Young Stakes, due to the presence of 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist in the field. He’s a real good looker…

Protectionist in the mounting yard.

…however, despite starting favourite he failed to run a place, the race most probably being too short for him.

Mourinho who is in excellent form this autumn took out the race from the stalwart Happy Trails with Akzar running third.

Mourinho on his way to the barriers

Happy Trails on his way to the barriers

Akzar on his way to the barriers

Race 6 down the straight – Mourinho hits the front.

The Oakleigh Plate also ended in an upset with the speedy Shamal Wind winning her first Group 1, with the unfancied Under The Louvre running second and Fast N Rocking taking out third spot. I was hoping Earthquake, who started as favourite, would win, but she was very disappointing and finished 10th. She was wearing blinkers this time, the first time I’ve seen her do so.

Earthquake in the mounting yard

Race 7 down the straight – Shamal Wind is five lengths from the lead on the outside in  the
red silks with white hearts.

Shamal Wind’s owner, dressed in a red suit with white hearts (to match the silks), was over the moon with her win as she paraded in the mounting yard.

Shamal Wind returns to scale after winning the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate

The afternoon sped by and before too long it was time for the feature, the Blue Diamond Stakes.

Either it was the late afternoon sun or my camera inadvertently changed its setting, but my photos of the Blue Diamond contestants are somewhat dark.  I did however, manage to get a few good photos of the eventual winner Pride of Dubai. It was not all that surprising that he won. He had the services of top jockey Damian Browne who rode Earthquake to victory in last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes and impressed with his run in the colts Blue Diamond Prelude only narrowly losing to Of The Brave.

Fontiton, the warm favourite, was disappointing, failing to fire in the finish. Subsequently it was revealed that she was slightly lame after the race with bone chips in her off front fetlock, and will be spelled until Spring.

100/1 outsider Reemah almost stole the race, but just missed catching Pride of Dubai losing out by a neck. Lake Geneva ran third.

Pride of Dubai in the mounting yard

Blue Diamond finish – Pride of Dubai leads down the straight, Reemah in hot pursuit

I headed for home after the Blue Diamond Stakes – it had been a long afternoon. I was disappointed with the results as far as my favourites were concerned, but at least public transport was trouble free this time.

In Sydney, Contributor won the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes with Hartnell running second and He’s Your Man took third spot.

And on Friday night at Moonee Valley, Sistonic had her colours lowered, failing to run a place in the Typhoon Tracy Stakes. She engaged in a speed battle with Eloping in the early stages of the race and ran out of steam in the straight. 100/1 shot Written Dash won the bikkies.

Next Saturday it’s back to Flemington for the Group 1 Australian Guineas. Through some bizarre programming, the Group 1 Randwick Guineas will be run on the same day, splitting the fields and no doubt weakening them as well.