A Sunny Super Saturday

Sunlight wins the Newmarket Handicap

The sun was shining and the roses were in full bloom for Super Saturday at Flemington last weekend.

With two super Group 1 races on the program it was a must attend event, and delivered accordingly.

Best of all was the win of three year old Sunlight in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap, the first filly to achieve this since Alinghi saluted in 2005. Interestingly, Alinghi was sired by Encosta De Lago, who is Sunlight’s great grand sire.

Due to the train timetable I was obliged to get to Flemington fairly early, so arrived as Race 2 was in progress. I saw the runners flash past but didn’t get any photographs. I’d successfully smuggled my step through security so stowed it in the usual spot before heading to the stalls area.

The rampant roses of autumn stymied photographing the runners in their stalls, though I did manage to get a rose free snap of Sunlight.

Sunlight in her stall

Giving up on that idea I returned to the prime spot just past the finishing post on the West Lawn.

Flemington was in party mode. In fact the theme for the day was The Big Garden Party and a large section of the West Lawn was taken up by Pop Up restaurants, wine bars and the like.

The  artistes who were insectoid stilt walkers the previous Saturday were dressed as flowers this time…

…and the three piece band whom I’ve seen wearing various costumes in the past, including as Christmas presents, were clad in floral suits for the occasion.

The most ridiculous entertainment on offer was a rotating selfie stick, where patrons had the chance to preen and pose for photos whilst being whirled on a platform. It was vastly amusing for this cynical spectator who wouldn’t be seen dead on such a contraption. Besides, I’d probably fall off.

Rotating selfie stick – picture one

Rotating selfie stick – picture two

At the far end of the West Lawn, dubbed The Elms, a band was playing covers. I heard their rather good version of the Bee Gees classic Staying Alive sometime during the afternoon.

Back to racing, Race 3 was the Furphy Ale Handicap, a race over 2000 metres and not terribly interesting as races go.

It was won by the aptly named Hang Man (from Windsor Knot/Halliard) who fought out the finish with Valac. Race favourite,  Thunder Cloud finished third.

Hang Man (outside) head to head with Valac

Hang Man returns to scale

The Group 1 races were scheduled as Race 6 (Newmarket) and Race 8 (Australian Cup), so the earlier races were good for photography practice and a moderately interesting way to kill the time.

Having a step is an advantage, not only for surmounting the high outer rail, but also allowing some flexibilty in placement, when official photographers or the roses block one’s point of view.

Race 4 was the Incognitus Stakes, a sprint for three year olds over 1100 metres. 

Sunset Watch started as favourite, but was outclassed by Anjana who won by over a length.  Fine Dane finished third.

Anjana has a good lead racing to the finishing post

Anjana returns to scale

The Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes, a race for two year olds over 1400 metres was the fifth race on the program.

South Australian colt Dalasan was the tote favourite, but Godolphin filly La Tene denied him victory, winning by a narrow margin with outsider Fling running third.

Sires Produce Stakes finish – La Tene still leads with Dalasan in second place

La Tene returns to scale

Dalasan on his way to the barriers

Regarded as one of the best in recent years, a huge field of 22 runners started in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.  It included such quality sprinters as Redkirk Warrior who has the rare distinction of winning the race consecutively in 2017 and 2018. He was aiming to win it a third time, but ran out of a place. Other Group 1 winners in the field were Santa Ana Lane, Booker, In Her Time, Brave Smash, Voodoo Lad and of course Sunlight.

Sunlight carried the featherweight of 50.5kg, which ruled out her regular jockey Luke Currie who couldn’t comfortably meet the light weight, so her rider was Barend Vorster, a mystery jockey to most Australian followers of the turf. He was born in South Africa, but spent many years riding in Singapore, only recently becoming a stable jockey for Tony McEvoy.  His career in Australia has certainly started out well and he rode Sunlight a treat.

Sprints down the straight at Flemington are generally problematical to photograph, where big fields often split in two, racing on both sides of the track. Fortunately in this year’s Newmarket they raced in a bunch down the middle of the track, so I did manage to get several reasonable photos of the finish.

Leading from the start to the finish, Sunlight remained strong to the line, winning by almost a length from race favourite Osborne Bulls with Brave Smash finishing a narrow third.

Sunlight strolls back to scale

Osborne Bulls returns to scale

Sunlight’s next assignments are apparently the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on 22 March and the T J Smith Stakes at Randwick on Derby Day in early April.  She may very well succeed in winning them both.

Sandwiched between the two Group 1 events, the Group 2 Kewney Stakes was up next. A race for fillies over 1400 metres,  it resulted in a win for Spanish Whisper who defeated Victory Kingdom and race favourite Angelic Ruler by a narrow margin.

Spanish Whisper & Victory Kingdom hit the line together

Spanish Whisper returns to scale

The must see race of the day in Sydney was the Randwick Guineas, starring The Autumn Sun.  Watching it on the big screen from  a distance it seemed that The Autumn Sun couldn’t win, with super consistent filly Fundamentalist stealing a big lead down the straight. With an amazing turn of foot, rather reminiscent of his famous stablemate Winx, The Autumn Sun caught up with Fundamentalist on the line to win by a head.

That was a fine segue into the Australian Cup at Flemington.

Avilius was the hot favourite to take out the Australian Cup, but finished out of a place. Harlem’s last win was in the Australian Cup last year and he repeated that feat, winning at big odds from the game Shillelagh who looked to be the winner, and race leader Trap For Fools.

Australian Cup finish – note angle of shot is deceptive

Harlem returns to scale

Shillelagh returns to scale

Trap For Fools on his way to the barriers

I was hoping to get a photo of 2017 Melbourne Cup winner, Rekindling, but he whizzed out onto the track so fast I missed the shot. Ditto with him returning to scale. However, as he finished last I inadvertantly managed to capture several shots as he crossed the finish line well behind the rest of the field.

Rekindling at the tail end of the field

The Lloyd Williams horses, Rekindling and stable mate Almandin, 2016 Melbourne Cup winner, are something of an enigma.  Why were they in the field?  Both finished well back and never threatened the leaders.  Alamandin hasn’t raced for almost a year and Rekindling’s last race was the 2017 Melbourne Cup.  They both were nominated for next Saturday’s All Star Mile and were first and second emergencies until they were withdrawn from consideration.

Normally, Super Saturday at Flemington marks the last Saturday of Melbourne’s Autumn Racing Carnival, but this year the oxymoronic All Star Mile next Saturday rounds off the season.

A new fangled concept race worth $5 million, the All Star Mile field was assembled through a public vote, with four wild card entries selected by the organisers.  Far from being All Stars, half the field are 100/1 chances.

Whatever, it should be an interesting race, which I’m looking forward to seeing in person.

Blue Diamond Stakes Day 2019

I Am Immortal – Blue Diamond Preview

Saturday’s racing at Caulfield features the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes as well as two other Group 1 races – Futurity Stakes and Oakleigh Plate.

I first attended the Blue Diamond Stakes back in 2012. I remember the day as being a hot 40° C and that the Blue Diamond winner was Samaready.

This Saturday the weather is forecast to be in the mid 20s and sunny, a perfect for a day at the races.

So who will win the Blue Diamond Stakes?

Having watched all the build up races, several stand out as likely chances; colt I Am Immortal, and fillies Catch Me, Brooklyn Hustle, Lyre and Loving Gaby who was the early race favourite. It being a race for two year olds anything could happen, so one of the other four colts or five fillies could steal the show.

The first of the Group 1 races scheduled to run is the Futurity Stakes, a race over 1400 metres, comprising the usual suspects such as Hartnell, Redkirk Warrior, Land of Plenty, Le Romain and Brave Smash. Early favourite is Sydney mare Alizee who started her Autumn with an impressive win in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes. She is also favourite for the All Star Mile, the new race on the block that will be run on the 16th March at Flemington.

Also in the Futurity picture is Orr Stakes winner Manuel and talented three year old Ringerdingding.

Speedster Nature Strip takes on a huge field in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate that include such talented sprinters as Viddora, Eduardo and Booker.  Nature Strip looks the logical pick and should win if he has recovered from his dazzling win in the Rubiton Stakes a fortnight ago.

I intend to get to the track around 1.30 pm. Fortunately trains will be running as normal.

Doncaster– Derby Day 2018

Kementari – Doncaster Favourite photographed at Rosehill 24/3/18

The first Saturday of Sydney Racing’s  pompously named The Championships takes place this weekend at Randwick racetrack and features four Group 1 races -  the time honoured Doncaster Mile and  Australian Derby as well the Inglis Sires and T J Smith Stakes.

There’s something for everyone in the schedule with the Inglis Sires being a race for two year olds over 1400 metres, the Derby, a 2400 metres race for three year old stayers, the Doncaster a top class 1600 metres competition for middle distance runners, and the T J Smith a sprint over 1200 metres.

The first of the Group 1 events to run is the Inglis Sires and has attracted a field of 12 colts/geldings and 3 fillies. I’m interested in seeing how Encryption performs and whether he can emulate his ancestors and take home the Group 1 prize. His dam Guelph won the Sires in 2013, his granddam Camarilla in 2007 and his grand sire Octagonal won it in 1995. So it would be fitting if Encryption could do the family proud.

He’ll have to beat classy fillies Oohood and Seabrook, the former in particular who ran third in the Blue Diamond Stakes and second in the Golden Slipper at her last start and surely deserves a win.

The Australian Derby has been won over the past three years by New Zealand invaders  - Jon Snow (2017) Tavago (2016) and Mongolian Khan (2015) so it’s quite likely that Kiwis will take home the prize this year.

There are 7 New Zealanders in this year’s  Derby with the Murray Baker trained New Zealand Derby winner Vin De Dance being the pick of them. He’s one of the few runners to have won over the distance. Victoria Derby winner Ace High has been a tad disappointing so far this autumn, but he is proven over 2400 metres so has to be the best of the locals, along with Levendi, and Tangled and Furore who ran second and third in the Rosehill Guineas.

Redzel, who narrowly lost to Redkirk Warrior in the Lightning Stakes, is the top pick for the TJ Smith Stakes. Chautauqua won the race the last three years in succession, but is not part of the field, after he refused to leave the barriers in several trials recently, and has subsequently been sent for a long spell.

Despite Chautauqua’s absence it looks a classy field with mares, In Her Time, Global Glamour and English being Redzel’s main rivals. Also in with a chance is Brave Smash and Trapeze Artist, both with good recent form.

Happy Clapper, Humidor and Kementari are the three top chances in the Doncaster Mile, though one of the other runners such as Tosen Stardom, Lanciato or Prized Icon could steal the show. The last three year old to win the Doncaster was Triple Honour in 2008, so can the beautiful Kementari, with a generous weight advantage over the older horses, succeed ten years later?

It looks a great day of racing, run on a good track, which I shall watch at home with interest. 

*Update Saturday Evening*

As expected is was an interesting race meeting with one sensational result, when 100/1 shot El Dorado Dreaming took out the Inglis Sires, winning by a nose from the favourite Oohood, with 50/1 shot Outrageous finishing third.

Ace High, fighting out a thrilling finish in the Derby, was defeated by a nose by Levendi with Tangled several lengths behind running third.

Redzel was rolled in the TJ Smith by the three year old Trapeze Artist. In Her Time ran third.

And the Doncaster was won by the tough Happy Clapper from Comin’ Through and Arbeitsam.

So my analysis above was not all that out except for the Inglis Sires.

Seeing Double - Blue & White Stripes to the Fore

Harlem wins the 2018 Australian Cup

The training team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig certainly had a good day last Saturday, winning both Group 1 races with imported horses.

Redkirk Warrior accomplished a rare consecutive win of the Newmarket Handicap and Harlem, unfancied in the betting, won the Australian Cup at big odds of 60/1.

Despite the extreme heat of the day, it was worth making the effort to attend, though it seemed to me to be a long drawn out afternoon, and it was with relief that I climbed onto the train after the running of the Australian Cup.

Being obliged by train timetables – the last Flemington train was at 12.30pm – I arrived at the course as horses engaged in Race 2 were filing onto the track.  I didn’t bother photographing the action, but noted that Kings Will Dream notched up his fifth win in succession.

I headed for the stalls and dallied there, missing  Race 3 as well, as it didn’t strike me as all that interesting. It was almost impossible to get photos of the horses in their stalls owing to the rampant roses, and besides many of the Group 1 runners had not yet arrived.

Rose hedge around the stalls

Might and Power and Efficient were the special guests from Living Legends so I did manage to snap a shot of old fave Efficient.

Efficient

The Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes was the fourth race on the card, so I trudged up the public lawn to my favourite spot at the access gate on the west lawn. As the rail was out 4 metres, it was difficult to get shots without the outer rail intruding. I’d normally move further up the west lawn to get clear photos of horses going to the barriers, but this area was blocked off by a wine and food pop up facility.

A race for two year olds over 1400 metres, it was won by the unfancied Not A Single Cent, having only his second start.  Favourite Seberate ran second with Akkadian running third.

Sires Produce Stakes finish – Not A Single Cent is about to overtake Seberate

Not A Single Cent returns to scale

As it was far too hot in the sun, between races I sought out shade in various spots around the public lawn, and only returned to the access gate when the runners in the next race were leaving the mounting yard for the track. I don’t know why I bothered taking photos with the rail being a problem, but I suppose it was a distraction from the relentless sunshine.

Race 5 was the Group 2 Kewney Stakes for three year old fillies and is run over 1400 metres.  The so far unbeaten Summer Sham was the starting favourite and led for most of the race, but she was outclassed over the distance and finished well back in eighth place.  The winner Bella Martini raced just off the speed in third place and toughed it out to beat Shokora and Palazzo Vecchio.

Bella Martini wins the Kewney Stakes

The Newmarket Handicap was the next race to jump, so I pegged out a rose free spot on the mounting yard fence for the pre-race parade.

Here are some of the main contenders.

Brave Smash

Redkirk Warrior

Merchant Navy

So Si Bon

As is the norm in sprints down the long Flemington straight, the field split into two, one on the inner rail and the other on the outer. As a result, Redkirk Warrior who was brushing the roses on the outer fence, defeated Brave Smash on the inner fence by a half head, with Merchant Navy running third.

A distant shot of the Newmarket halfway up the straight with split field

Outer fence view approaching the winning post

Inner fence view approaching the winning post

Redkirk Warrior returns to scale

The first of the Group 1 races at Randwick, the Canterbury Stakes,  was scheduled shortly after the running of the Newmarket Handicap, so I sauntered closer to the big screen to watch it and found a place to sit down, albeit in the sun.

The rose hedge was splendidly in full bloom…

Rose hedge close to the Clock Tower

Anyway, the Canterbury Stakes resulted in a win for Happy Clapper with Global Glamour running second and Invincible Gem third.

Back at Flemington, Race 7 was the Group 3 Schweppervescence Trophy, a race for fillies and mares over 1600 metres. Spanish Reef was one of the few favourites to win at Flemington on Saturday. She defeated Samovare by three quarters of a length with Jester Halo two lengths back running third.

Spanish Reef wins the Schweppervescence Trophy

As I was fed up with trying to get rail free photos, I decided to go back to a spot opposite the finish line where the horses returning to scale enter the path to the mounting yard. It’s not a bad spot for taking photos from a different angle, with the bonus of the winning post in the background.

Spanish Reef returns to scale

Samovare returns to scale

Jester Halo returns to scale

Before the Australian Cup field assembled in the mounting yard, I watched the Randwick Guineas on the big screen. Kementari was the outstanding winner.  Pierata ran second and Trapeze Artist third.

I’d been at Flemington for four hours, so I was thankful the feature race was finally ready to race.

Here are some of the major contenders in the mounting yard…

Harlem

Gailo Chop

Single Gaze

Ventura Storm

It was reported in the racing press that Lloyd Williams, who had three horses entered in the Australian Cup (Almandin, The Taj Mahal and Homesman)  had advised that he would recommend that The Taj Mahal and Homesman be ridden positively (i.e. on the speed) and Almandin ridden quietly. This all sounded as if he was using the former two horses as pacemakers for Almandin, and a challenge for Gailo Chop who likes to lead.

That plan unravelled when The Taj Mahal and the Gai Waterhouse trained Supply and Demand fought out the lead for most of the race, only to fade and finish well back. Harlem raced handy in fourth spot on the fence, then was blocked for a run, but he found a gap and went on to beat Gailo Chop by half a length with Ventura Storm another length back running third. Almandin ended up running fourth.

Harlem returns to scale

Gailo Chop and Homesman return to scale

And that was another Australian Cup run and won.

I was contemplating going to the Blamey Stakes meeting at Flemington next Saturday ostensibly to see 2017 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling who was nominated for the feature race, but owner Lloyd Williams has decided not to run him this autumn after all.

Anyway, next Saturday is forecast to be as hot as the previous one, so I’m glad not to attend.

As for Melbourne’s autumn carnival, as I’ve mentioned before, it has been underwhelming with very few highlights that I can think of, though of course I can say I saw Redkirk Warrior win both the Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap. 

Group 1 racing continues on in Sydney and we have Winx next race to look forward to on 24 March.

Australian Cup 2018

Australian Cup finish 2017 – Humidor pips Jameka at the post

Truth to tell, the Melbourne Summer/Autumn racing carnival has been somewhat underwhelming and tomorrow’s Super Saturday at Flemington promises more of the same.

The feature races are the Group 1  Newmarket Handicap, a sprint over 1200 metres, and the  Group 1 Australian Cup for middle distance runners over 2000 metres.

The Newmarket is the first of the Group 1 events to run and has a large field of 15 runners competing. It’s a mix of tried and true older sprinters and young up and comers.

Top picks of the older brigade are Redkirk Warrior who won the Black Caviar Lightning first up at his only start so far this autumn and loves the Flemington straight, Brave Smash who won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield at his last start, but has not raced at Flemington, Rich Charm who does love the Flemington straight, having won there over the distance twice.

Best of the younger set is Merchant Navy, Booker and Catchy, all with a weight advantage over their older rivals.

Many great champions of the Australian turf have won the Australian Cup such as Lonhro, Northerly, Makybe Diva, Octagonal and Saintly to name a few, so who will go down in the record books this year?

The 12 strong field is mostly made up of imported stayers such as Hartnell, Almandin., Homesman, The Taj Mahal and Gailo Chop who are the top chances.  Of the few locals it would be nice if the ever reliable Single Gaze got her moment of Group 1 glory. The interesting runner is Japanese import Ambitious having his first start in Australia.

In Sydney, at Randwick the most interesting race of the day is the Group 1 Randwick Guineas, where a crackerjack field of three year old colts and two geldings will be vying for the prize. Kementari who has won his only two starts this autumn is the top pick.  Victorian Derby winner Ace High is also a good chance though is probably better over a longer distance than the 1600 metres of this race. Others worthy of consideration are Golden Rose winner Trapeze Artist and Peaceful State who ran second in the Australian Guineas last week. Peaceful State interestingly is a brother to Weekend Hussler who won the Randwick Guineas, among several other Group 1 races, in 2008.

The weather in Melbourne tomorrow is predicted to be fine and sunny again, so slathered in sunscreen I’ll venture to Flemington tomorrow for another Saturday at the races, maybe the last for a while.