The Black Caviar Lightning 2022

Nature Strip at Flemington 2020

Ten years ago unbeaten mare Black Caviar won her second Lightning Stakes. She would win it again in 2013 when the race was renamed in her honour to the Black Caviar Lightning.

Last year due to Covid restrictions the general public were not permitted to attend the meeting, so I missed seeing Nature Strip, under the guidance of top female jockey, Jamie Ka, win the race.

Jamie Ka will be riding Nature Strip tomorrow, his regular jockey James McDonald opting to ride three year old Home Affairs in the race.

The 2022 Black Caviar Lightning is being touted as the best ever edition of the race owing to the field of nine top sprinters all kicking off their autumn season at the same time. My heart will be with the beautiful Nature Strip, but he faces stiff competition from regular rivals such as Eduardo, Masked Crusader and Gytrash. Throw in wild cards like The Inferno and three year old speedsters Home Affairs and Profiteer and you’ve got a thriller of a race.

I’m glad that I will be at Flemington tomorrow to witness the event.

It has been almost a year since I was last at Flemington, so I’m looking forward to getting back to the big track for first class racing action again.

Happily the weather  is forecast to be mostly sunny and a pleasant 24°C with light winds.

As well as the Black Caviar Lightning there are two Group 3 races, these being the Vanity Stakes for three year old fillies and the C S Hayes Stakes for three year old colts and geldings.

I intend to arrive at Flemington in time to watch the two year old babies contest the  Listed Talindert Stakes.

Unlike last week it won’t be an overlong afternoon at the races, the Black Caviar Lightning being scheduled as Race 7 and run at 4.25 pm, which gives me plenty of time to catch the first train back to the city at 4.51pm.

Happy Retirement Probabeel!

Probabeel at Caulfield 2021 on her way to winning the Group 1 Futurity Stakes

The disappointing news this week was that wonderful New Zealand mare Probabeel has run her last race and has been retired after suffering a suspensory ligament injury.

She was a grand race mare who raced in top company and won four Group 1 races, beating first class fields.

I’m glad I got to see her win her final race last week, but she will be missed as she always  added a bit of class to any race day where she was set to run.

We can always look forward to seeing her progeny racing a few years hence.

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.

Orr Stakes Day–10 years on and counting

Black Caviar – Orr Stakes Day 2012

The first time I ever attended a race meeting at Caulfield was on Orr Stakes Day 2012, where Black Caviar was the main attraction. It was her first and only attempt at racing over 1400 metres.

Of course she won the 2012 Orr Stakes easily, leaving one to wonder how she would have fared racing up to a mile (1600 metres). I suspect she would have handled it just as well.

The Orr Stakes is the first Group 1 race of the Autumn Racing Season, so naturally I will be in attendance for what looks a super race day with the Blue Diamond Preludes also being on the program, and the rest of the rest of support card being quite interesting.

As I’m intending to arrive in time for the Blue Diamond Preludes (races 3 and 4)  and stay for race 9, the Bellmaine Stakes to see favourite mare Probabeel attempt a back to back win, it’s going to be a long afternoon trackside.

Probabeel winning the 2021 Bellmaine Stakes

Fortunately the weather is forecast to be warm and sunny tomorrow; a bearable 29°C with light winds.

The feature race is scheduled as Race 8 and has attracted a classy field with the likes of I’m Thunderstruck, Behemoth, Tofane, Sierra Sue, Inspirational Girl and Lighthouse all in the mix. I’m looking forward to seeing once again in the flesh the handsome Peter Moody trained colt Lightsaber. 

Irish import Sinawann is the current favourite with Behemoth highly fancied as well.

Group 1 Glory –The Cox Plate 2021

Winx on her way to winning her Fourth Cox Plate in 2018

Alas, despite Melbourne’s extended lockdown finishing today, nothing really goes back to normal, and that includes attending my favourite race meeting.

Yes, the Cox Plate is the feature race at Moonee Valley tomorrow and I’d love to be there to witness Zaaki and Verry Elleegant fighting out the finish, if indeed that scenario plays out.

Whatever the result, it is a Must See race – the small field of nine contenders being most interesting with a number of winning chances outside the two obvious top picks.

Zaaki will start as favourite no doubt, and is probably  the one to beat, this time regaining the services of James MacDonald as his jockey, after his shock loss in the Caulfield Stakes, where he was ridden by Craig Williams.

The Caulfield Stakes (now renamed the Might and Power) was won by wonderful New Zealand mare, Probabeel who is also one of the field in the Cox Plate and if the track stays dry would feature in the finish. However, if the expected rain arrives, and the track is downgraded to slow, that more than likely stymies her chances as she is less effective in soft conditions.

Heavy/slow tracks really play into Verry Elleegant’s favour as she thrives in such conditions.

Mo’unga who beat Verry Elleegant in the Winx Stakes surely is worth consideration being ridden by Hugh Bowman, experienced in the vagaries of the Moonee Valley racecourse after riding Winx to her four victories and Mugatoo in the All Star Mile earlier this year.

There are two three year old colts in the field – Caulfield Guineas quinella Anamoe and Captivant – both light weight chances, and two International contenders in Irish horse State of Rest and well credentialed New Zealander Callsign Mav.

So who will win Group 1 Glory this weekend? I’m leaning towards Zaaki, though would love it if Verry Elleegant or Probabeel wins.

UPDATE SUNDAY

What  a disappointing Cox Plate it was this year.

Zaaki was scratched early in the day and favouritism was shared between Verry Elleegant and Anamoe.

Irish horse State of Rest ended up the winner, fighting out a controversial finish with star three year old Anamoe and surviving a protest. Verry Elleegant tried to her best to catch the leaders and ran third. Mo’unga ran fourth and Probabeel finished fifth.

Mud & Mugatoo – All Star Mile Review

Mugatoo and Russian Camelot fight out the finish in the All Star Mile

It was wet, it was bucketing down, it was an unremitting deluge on Saturday at Moonee Valley, though when I set out at around 12.00pm it was warm and humid and I wondered if putting on shoes and socks would make me too hot.

When I reached Moonee Valley the rain had not yet started so I was able to get a good photo of the new Winx statue, in pride of place in the new Tote Park which leads to the main entrance to the track on McPherson Street.

Winx statue in Tote Park on McPherson Street

It’s a wonderful statue, miles better than the Black Caviar statue at Caulfield, and I was pleased that I came across it as I headed for the entrance gate.

Once inside Moonee Valley, my Zone 2 ticket permitted me to hang out on the Burston Lawn, so there I headed and found my photographer friend George already ensconced in the prime fence position closest to the finishing post.

There we stayed for the rest of the soggy afternoon, perhaps foolishly, considering how wet it got.

Getting a race book involved standing in a bar queue for at least 15 minutes, but I got two (one for George) at a discount price as the barman was confused.

Other freebies were paper flags for every runner in the All Star Mile, a red Ladbrokes Cap, and if you were lucky, a rain poncho.

Unfortunately, even though I grabbed two sets of the flags, they got damp, being impossible to protect in the circumstances. I should have forethought to take a plastic bag, but how was one to know such freebies were up for grabs.

So Bec, if you’re reading this, you are welcome to a set of water damaged flags if you want them. At least you can prove they are the genuine article.

My arrival at the Valley was in time for Race 3, the Xtreme Freight Handicap. run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres.

As the rain hadn’t arrived at that time, my photos of the race are OK , but photographic conditions for the rest of the day were challenging in the extreme.

Race 3 was won by Persan, one of the few on the day to zoom from back of the field, and seized the lead close to the line to beat Irish Flame by a narrow margin.

Persan about to overtake Irish Flame as they charge to the finish line

The next race was sprint over 1200 metres, and Ancestry was the warm favourite. He led from the start and won by over two lengths in the end, from Riddle Me That and Dollar For Dollar.

 
Ancestry flashes up the straight in the Ranvet Abell Stakes

Of more interest than the previous races, Race 5 the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes was up next. Also run over 2040 metres. it was pleasing to see Jameka’s little brother Grandslam blitz the field and win by over six lengths, leading from the start. Jameka was a grand race mare in her time, winning the Victorian Oaks in 2015, and the Caulfield Cup and BMW in 2016.  Grandslam obviously has some of her talent and seems to appreciate soft tracks as she did.

Grandslam burns up the straight in the Alister Clark Stakes

Jamie Kah brings Grandslam back to scale

The rain had settled in by this time, and it was in vain that we hoped for a break. George had not come prepared for the weather, wearing only a T-shirt, so got considerably more drenched than myself, who had a raincoat and an umbrella. A kind person took pity on him and gave him a poncho in the end.

There were two more races to run before the All Star Mile, the first of these being the Australia Country Mile, won by Fontein Diamond, and Race 7 was the Gold Reef and won by Air Defence.

Air Defence on his way to the barriers

Before the All Star Mile was run there was a bit of razzamatazz in the form of flag bearers, drummers and dancers up in the grandstand. Obviously this part of the pre- race entertainment was meant to happen on the track, but the rain stymied that option. The track stage technicians looked disgruntled as the rain continued unabated, so their equipment remained unpacked and they drove their vehicles off the track.

By this time the track had been downgraded to a soft 6, which favoured the All Star contenders who appreciated a soft track, such as Russian Camelot, Sir Dragonet and Mugatoo among others, but not my particular favourite Probabeel.

Here are some of the field (or those whose photos turned out OK) on their way to the starting gates.

Mugatoo

Probabeel

Regalo di Gaetano

The Harrovian

Lunar Fox

Russian Camelot

Shout the Bar

Still A Star

Sir Dragonet

Streets of Avalon

Mr Quickie

Fifty Stars

The All Star Mile, as a race, lived up to the hype. It was an exciting competition, fiercely fought by the contenders. Hugh Bowman, no stranger to the peculiarities of the Moonee Valley track skilfully guided Mugatoo to a memorable victory, outfoxing Damian Oliver on Russian Camelot to win on the line. Behemoth finished third.

Hugh, as was his wont when Winx won her Cox Plates, paraded Mugatoo  up the straight and back along the fence for the benefit of the crowd . An explosion of blue and white streamers billowed from the Grandstand.

Hugh Bowman parades Mugatoo along the fence

Mud bespattered Hugh Bowman & Mugatoo closeup

Mugatoo in the winners rug

It was a pity that the weather was so awful. A sunny day would certainly have been preferable, but George and I soldiered on at the fence when everyone else had fled to drier places. By the time the All Star Mile had been run and won, we had been standing (or sitting in my case, after I liberated a stool) for over two hours and I was wet through despite my raincoat and umbrella.

I squelched up to Moonee Ponds Junction and caught a tram back up Pascoe Vale Road to the 510 (Essendon to Ivanhoe) Bus Stop.

When I got home a full change of clothing was in order.  My camera was wet, as well as my bag and step. Luckily, so far I don’t seem to have come down with an ague.

I’m not sure if I’d undergo another extremely wet afternoon at the races again.

A Comedy of Errors–Blue Diamond Stakes Day Review

Blue Diamond Stakes – the charge to the finishing post

It was all a bit Shakespearean.

Not a tragedy, but several of the Bard’s comedy titles have been running through my head since attending the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting at Caulfield last Saturday.

But first some background…

Confirmation email header

Both my friend Rebecca and I are casual members at Caulfield, so we could register to attend the Blue Diamond meeting in advance. This I did in early February over the phone and booked Rebecca in at the same time.

With the five day Covid 19 lockdown occurring in the interval it was touch and go that racing fans could attend the meeting.

MRC worked out a Covid 19 Plan whereby 9000 persons were allowed on the course, separated into three zones of 3000 people.

One had to wait until the night before the race meeting to find out which Zone one was allocated to. An anxious wait for a confirming email ensued. It finally arrived in my inbox at 8.45 pm on Friday night and I learned that we were booked into the Members Spritz Lawn in Zone 3.

As Rebecca hadn’t received a separate email, I forwarded my confirming email on to her, so she would know where to go.

I was rather intrigued by being allocated the Members Spritz Lawn, as normally those sorts of places are for Full Members only.

Travelling to Caulfield as usual by public transport I received several distressed texts from Rebecca who had already arrived at Caulfield, and said that Zone 3 was the hoons section with a crowd of noisy drunken yobbos giving her second thoughts of staying the course.

No wonder, she was in Zone 2 with Joe Public.

Luckily she hung on until I got to Caulfield around 2.00pm, where I discovered that the Spritz Lawn was the place to be, and had no trouble entering it with my casual membership  card.

After all this ado Rebecca and I settled into Zone 3 which even had access to the fence for photographs, somewhat further away from the finishing post than we normally managed, but who was complaining.

The Members Spritz Lawn was spacious and civilised, compared with Zone 2, which I admit looked horrific – unmasked crowds of drunken noisy patrons.

Race 3 had just been run when I arrived at Caulfield, so Race 4, the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes was the first race I witnessed. It’s a race for fillies and mares run over 1400 metres and West Australian mare Perfect Jewel was the favourite. Sovereign Award was the race leader with Perfect Jewel nicely placed behind her in second place. In the straight Rich Hips overtook the leaders, with Perfect Jewel giving chase. Rich Hips held on to win by a half length.

Rich Hips overtakes Perfect Jewel (pink) and Sovereign Award (orange)

It is very rare for a filly to win the Group 2 Autumn Classic, but this year’s edition resulted in a fillies quinella. Khoe Khoe started as favourite but he was outclassed by Parure and the peculiarly named Butter Chicken and finished third

Parure leads with Butter Chicken (nose band) overtaking Khoe Khoe

Parure bounds up the straight

Butter Chicken on her way to the barriers

Probabeel currently is my favourite race horse and she starred again in the first of the Group 1 races, the Futurity Stakes which was up next.

It was a wonderful race with a super field of contenders. Three year old Crosshaven led the field for most of the race.  Probabeel raced mid field out wide and seized the lead  halfway up the straight, sailing past Behemoth and Streets of Avalon. Arcadia Queen flew from the tail of the field to challenge Probabeel but she held her off to win by half a length with Mr Quickie  running third two lengths behind. Arcadia Queen and Probabeel face off again in the All Star Mile.

Probabeel holds off a challenge from Arcadia Queen to win the Futurity Stakes

Probabeel on her way to the barriers

Probabeel burns up the straight

After the excitement of the Futurity Stakes, the feature Blue Diamond Stakes could have been ho hum, but wasn’t – it never is no matter who the winner may be.

I fancied class filly Enthaar, but though she led the race from the outset  at a rattling pace, she tired to finish 6th as she was swamped by colts Ingratiating, and Artorius who flew from the back to snatch victory . Ingratiating finished second and Anamoe ran third. Artorius was unfavoured in the betting, yielding a $15.00 dividend.

Enthaar still leads, but Ingratiating (blue) is about to overtake her

Artorius on his way to the barriers

The final Group 1 race, the Oakleigh Plate resulted in a dead heat between Portland Sky and West Australian mare Celebrity Queen, a rare event in a Group 1 race.  A feral child was hanging on the fence next to me shrieking his support for race favourite Ancestry as the race was run.  I felt like hitting him he was so annoying and shrilly loud, and was glad that Ancestry finished fourth last.

Portland Sky and Celebrity Queen overtake Ancestry to go on to fight out the finish

Celebrity Queen on her way to the barriers

It had been an enjoyable afternoon at the races, and the weather in general had been kind, somewhat humid but not oppressive. The sun even came out later in the afternoon, though earlier there was a sprinkling of rain.

Next Saturday the racing is at Flemington for Australian Guineas Day.

Initially I was not going to attend as individual General Admission tickets were not available. However, all that changed today when I visited the VRC website and saw that Unreserved GA tickets were on sale this morning. So I booked  Zone 2 Unreserved General Admission tickets for both Guineas Day and Super Saturday.

I’m looking forward to returning to the big beautiful open spaces of Flemington and hope that Zone 2 covers my favourite position for taking photos.