A Trio of Group 1 Events–Moonee Valley & Rosehill

Sheidel after winning the Oakleigh Plate – February 2017

Melbourne’s Autumn Group 1 racing season comes to a close this Friday night at Moonee Valley which features the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at its final night meeting of the autumn.

The race was won last year by Flamberge when he was trained by Peter Moody, who bowed out of racing on the same night.

Flamberge is now with the Darren Weir stable and is back in an attempt to win the race a second time in succession. He goes well fresh and with luck could succeed.

A rather good field of sprinters will be trying to deny him that victory, chief among them Rebel Dane, Sheidel, Hooked, Silent Sedition and three year old colt Star Turn.

Also of interest at Moonee Valley are races 4 and 6, the former being the the final heat of the Inglis 55 Second Challenge where Petits Filous is making a return to the track, after almost a year missing in action due to injury.

Race 6 is the Group 2 Sunline Stakes, a race for fillies and mares over 1600 metres.  Class acts among the acceptances are First Seal, Rising Romance and star filly I Am A Star who will probably start as favourite.

Rosehill on Saturday features two choice Group 1 races, the BMW a race for stayers over 2400 metres, and the Vinery Stud Stakes, one for three year old fillies, over 2000 metres.

The BMW has mustered a really interesting field of stayers, all with a good chance of winning. The leading contenders include the 2017 Australian Cup trifecta, Humidor, Jameka and Exospheric, along with  2016 Australian Derby winner Tavago who won the Sky High Stakes at his last outing at big odds, Ranvet Stakes winner Our Ivanhowe who loves heavy tracks, and tough staying filly Lasqueti Spirit who may run the rest of the field ragged with her ability to maintain top speed over a distance.

With a number of equally matched fillies in the field, the Vinery Stud Stakes also makes it hard to single out a winner. In contention are New Zealand filly La Bella Diosa who won the Surround Stakes on a heavy track, then finished last in the Coolmore Classic, Chris Waller trained Foxplay and Dawn Wall, both in winning form, and Melbourne based fillies Harlow Gold and Montoya’s Secret, each of them having good staying bloodlines.

The Rosehill track will be heavy again, but the Moonee Valley track will be good, despite a bit of rain falling this week in Melbourne.

Update Saturday Afternoon – The Girls Have It!

Interesting results all round after a night and a day of Group 1 racing.

The William Reid Stakes was won by the unfancied mare, Silent Sedition, who defeated Hellbent and Star Turn, giving female jockey Katelyn Mallyon her first Group 1 win.

I Am A Star won the Sunline Stakes by 3¼ lengths from French Emotion and First Seal. She’s a super filly who will surely go on to better things.

The BMW was won in spectacular fashion by the wonderful Jameka who beat Humidor by 6½ lengths with Exospheric running third – the same trifecta result (with first and second reversed) as the Australian Cup.

Melbourne based fillies dominated the Vinery Stud Stakes with Montoya’s Secret, Nurse Kitchen and Harlow Gold running the first three places.

Next week the racing action is at Randwick for Doncaster/ Derby Day – a great race meeting every year, featuring four Group 1 races.

Hey Doc Pockets the Guineas

Hey Doc winning the 2017 Australian Guineas at Flemington

Compared to Sydney, where the weather was miserable and wet with the races run on a heavy 10 track, Flemington last Saturday, gloried in a hot sunny day and an afternoon of  fast racing on a good 3 track.

Owing to the train timetable I was obliged to arrive at Flemington fairly early, so I made it in time to watch Race 3, the 3AW is Football Stakes, a race for two year olds over 1000 metres. The highly regarded Madeenaty was the firm favourite, but she was pipped at the post by her stablemate, Ploverset, having her first start.

Down the straight in race 3 – Madeenaty leads on the rail with Ploverset storming down the outside.

Ploverset returns to scale

Madeenaty returns to scale

The Australian Guineas was scheduled as Race 7 to run at 4.30 pm, so it was longish afternoon to fill and too hot to be out in the sun for extended periods.

I killed a bit of time in the stalls area getting photos of the Guineas field in their stalls in between watching the races.

Happily the Flemington stalls area is more photo friendly and better lit than at Caulfield.

Here are few of the Guineas field…

Hey Doc

Prized Icon

Harlow Gold

Fuhryk

Inside Agent

Back trackside, race 4, the Mitty’s Handicap was due to start. It’s an open class race over 1600 metres.

It resulted in Show A Star, leading all the way,  defeating favourite Portman with Divine Mr Artie running third.

Show A Star on the fence leads with Portman trying to overtake down the straight


Show A Star returns to scale

Portman & Divine Mr Artie return to scale

Race 5 was the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes, a race for fillies and mares over 1400 metres.

Turbo Miss, unfancied in the betting, won the race from Rising Romance with Jalan Jalan running third.

A wall of horses approach the finish line – Turbo Miss (gold cap) is about to overtake Jalan Jalan (red cap) & Diamond Baroness (fence) Rising Romance is just in the picture on the left.

Turbo Miss returns to scale

Rising Romance returns to scale

Jalan Jalan on her way to the barriers

He or She who was in the three horse race Caulfield Stakes last spring won by Winx, scored his first win for a year in Race 6, the Group 3 TAB Rewards  Stakes.

He was one of the few favourites to win on the day, beating home Hooked and Zebrinz in the 1400 metre race.

He or She & Hooked cross the finish line in the TAB Rewards Stakes

He or She on his way to the barriers

Hooked on his way to the barriers

Zebrinz on his way to the barriers

In between the Flemington races I managed to watch the Group 1 races in Sydney on the drenched track.

In the Canterbury Stakes, Chautauqua showed his old spirit, fighting out the finish with Le Romain, to lose by a nose.  And Inference, a son of So You Think, won his sire his first Group 1 in the Randwick Guineas.  Invincible Gem, the sole filly in the race, ran second with Comin’ Through filling third place.

Back at Flemington the feature race was next up and soon the field was filing onto the track.

Hey Doc started from Barrier 1 and his jocky Luke Currie took full advantage of it, keeping Hey Doc close to the inside rail in fourth spot for most of the race as fillies Fuhryk, Legless Veuve and colt Attention set the pace. When a gap appeared near the 400 metre mark Currie eased Hey Doc through and he sped to the lead and maintained it to the line, winning from a fast finishing Prized Icon by ¾ length with Snitzon a further length back in third.

Australian Guineas down the straight approaching the finish line

Hey Doc in winners rug in the mounting yard post race

Prized Icon on his way to the starting gates

Snitzon on his way to the starting gates

I have been following Hey Doc since last Spring, first seeing him in action on Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes day at Moonee Valley in early September, so I’m delighted he finally won a Group 1 race.

Prized Icon was the good looker of the day, a splendid black colt worth following in future.

Speaking of good lookers, pretty boy Turn Me Loose has been retired to stud, so we won’t have the pleasure of seeing him race again. He injured his knee in the Futurity Stakes which accounts for his poor performance in the race.

The Melbourne autumn racing carnival basically winds up next Saturday at Flemington where the Group 1 Australian Cup is the feature race, along with the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.

The roses will be in full bloom for the day, though they were already looking fabulous last Saturday.

Rose hedge near where I stand to photograph the races

It will be my last Saturday of attending the races for a while, but the Sydney Championships will be in full swing from then on to keep my interest up.

Derby Day 2016

Sacred Elixir – current favourite for the Victoria Derby

I’m looking forward to returning to the wide open spaces of Flemington this coming Saturday for a super Derby Day featuring four Group 1 races and several other choice Group 2 and Group 3 events.

The weather is forecast to be warm and sunny with a light wind, so it will be in stark contrast to the Cox Plate meeting last weekend. And no doubt the crowds will be out in force as well for this first day of Flemington’s Spring Racing Carnival, which runs over four days with the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, the Oaks on Thursday and culminating with the Emirates Stakes on the following Saturday.

The first of the Group 1 races is the Coolmore Stud Stakes for three year olds run over 1200 metres. A very classy field will contest it, with the likes of Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, up against Blue Diamond Stakes and Moir Stakes winner Extreme Choice, Golden Rose winner Astern, and Russian Revolution who beat both Astern and Capitalist in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes and is so far unbeaten in four starts. Throw in Star Turn as well who beat the older sprinters recently in the Group 2 Schillachi Stakes.

First Seal, who proved she was well and truly back in contention when she won the Group 3 Tristarc Stakes on Caulfield Cup day, will be aiming to add a second Group 1 to her CV in the Myer Classic, a race for mares and fillies over 1600 metres.

Her main opposition comes from fellow mares Don’t Doubt Mama, Dixie Blossoms, Pearls and Rising Romance and fillies Whispering Brook and I Am A Star.

The Victoria Derby often throws up long shot winners, and favourites rarely win, though Tarzino was the favourite last year and won.

The current favourite for this year’s edition is Sacred Elixir who won the AAMI Vase last Saturday at Moonee Valley, which race has yielded quite a few Derby winners among its contestants. Last year it was won by Jameka who went on to win the 2015 Victorian Oaks and this year’s Caulfield Cup.

Sacred Elixir has good staying blood, his great grandam being Horlicks who famously won the Japan Cup in 1989 and was also the dam of 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew.

Another beautifully bred contender is So Si Bon who is a son of So You Think and Lonhro mare Black Minx. He is highly favoured by some pundits, though he has only one win from six starts. He does have the qualification of finishing third in the Vase, the same position Tarzino ran last year.

Although none of the big field of the Derby has won over 2500 metres, several have scored over 2000 metres and have the breeding to run the distance. High Chaparral  has sired quite few Derby winners and runners up, and there are four of his sons in the race – Silvera, Wine Bush, Highlad and Shine Tak Star. 

Or will perpetual bridesmaid Rocketeer, who always runs an honest race, finally have his moment of glory?

The final Group 1 is the Cantala Stakes run over 1600 metres.

Originally this race was known as the Mackinnon Stakes and run over 2000 metres. It has been renamed the Emirates Stakes and will be run on Emirates Stakes day the last meeting of the Flemington carnival of racing.

A field of fine milers will be contesting the Cantala Stakes and include Palentino, The United States, He’s Our Rokkii, Bon Aurum, Thunder Fantasy and Voodoo Lad. What a field! And hard to pick the winner.

A Weir Quinella–Makybe Diva Stakes Review

Palentino beats stablemate Black Heart Bart to win the 2016 Makybe Diva Stakes

The Darren Weir machine rolls on with remarkable success,  the Ballarat based trainer scoring his second Group 1 win for the season.

No other Victorian trainer gets a look in when it comes to the major races these days, though that may change as the spring racing carnival progresses and the Sydney stars come to Melbourne to challenge for the riches on offer.

My afternoon at Flemington began early where I got to the course in time to watch race 2, the Cap D’Antibes Stakes, a Listed race for three year old fillies run over 1100 metres.

Down the straight in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes – eventual winner Kentucky Miss is on the far left of the picture

The trouble with taking photos of sprints down the Flemington straight is that the field generally splits into two sections, one moving to the grandstand side, the other staying on the inside or in the middle. It’s hit or miss, depending on which side you are focussing on, whether you will get a photo of the winner crossing the line.

Such was the case in the Cap D’Antibes Stakes where the winner, Kentucky Miss came down the grandstand rail and I was concentrating on the inside rail.  So I got a nice shot of fourth placed Super Too and missed the winner and runners up, Beyond The Dream and My Country who  ran down the middle of the track.

Kentucky Miss returns to scale

Race 3, the Starlight Express Room Stakes was a 1400 metre race for three year olds and less complicating to photograph, the runners sticking to the inside of the track.

Approaching the finish line in race 3 – Detective (dark green silks) has the edge over Tessera (blue silks & blinkers) and Throssel (blue & white silks)

Detective returns to scale

In between the races, as usual, I tramped back to the stalls, about six times in all, so I got plenty of exercise over the afternoon.

The Living Legends special guest was Paris Lane who was being polished up in his stall, preparatory to parading in the mounting yard.

Paris Lane in his stall having his hooves polished

To refresh your memory, Paris Lane won the 1994 Caulfield Cup and MacKinnon Stakes, and ran second in the Melbourne Cup. He’s now 26 years old, looking pretty spry none the less.

It was a bit early in the day at this time (1.3opm) for the Makybe Diva Stakes field to have arrived, but  I pleased to see New Zealand colt Saracino in his stall. He was entered in Race 5, the Danehill Stakes, scheduled to run at  2.50pm.

Saracino

Alpine Eagle had arrived early, and was in the stall next to Saracino.

Alpine Eagle

Back trackside, it was pleasing to see Bon Aurum take out race 4, The Sofitel (aka Tontonan Stakes), a Listed race over 1400 metres. I’ve been following Bon Aurum for awhile, and he hadn’t won a race since winning the Guineas Prelude in late September last year.

Bon Aurum wins The Sofitel from Ulmann & Hi World

Bon Aurum rugged in the mounting yard posing for photos

Ulmann on his way to the barriers

Hi World on his way to the barriers

The first of the Group races was next on the program. This was the Group 2 Danehill Stakes for three year olds over 1200 metres.

I keen to see how Saracino would go in this and he exceeded expectations leading the field from start to finish, scoring by a narrow margin from Archives and Samara Dancer.

 
Down the straight in the Danehill Stakes – Saracino (yellow & green stripes) just ahead of Archives (blue silks) with Samara Dancer (blinkers) behind him.

Saracino returns to scale

Archives returns to scale

Back in the stalls area, most of the Makybe Diva field had arrived, so I cruised through to get snaps.

The Weir mob were in neighbouring stalls…

Palentino

Black Heart Bart

Prince of Penzance

Nearby were Happy Trails and Rising Romance…

Happy Trails

Rising Romance

It was certainly a case of handsome is as handsome does in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality, race 6 on the program. 

New Zealand stallion Xtravagant is a stunner to look at, but he disappointed, finishing last. His jockey Damian Oliver stated that the horse raced on his wrong leg, and refused to respond to any urgings to race on the right leg. Perhaps he needs to corner as he obviously doesn’t like the long Flemington straight, or maybe his mind is on other things judging by his tumescent state when leaving the mounting yard.

I photographed the contenders in the mounting yard and leaving for the track.

Under the Louvre

Xtravagant

Durendal

Tivaci

Faatinah

We’ve Got This

The race was won by Faatinah from Tivaci and We’ve Got This. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of Faatinah before, but he’s done most of his racing in Adelaide.

Down the straight in the Bobbie Lewis Quality

Faatinah returns to scale

The excitement was building for the next race which of course was the feature Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes.

As it was a pretty even field it was hard to single out a winner, other than Black Heart Bart who started as the warm favourite, despite there being a question mark over his ability to win over a mile.

It ended up with Palentino and Black Heart Bart fighting out the finish down the straight, the stablemates winning the quinella, Palentino scoring by a length from Black Heart Bart with He Or She three lengths behind in third place.

I got some nice photos of the field in the mounting yard and going to the barriers…

Prince of Penzance

Happy Trails

Black Heart Bart

Alpine Eagle

Palentino

Rising Romance

Tarzino

Maykybe Diva Stakes finish – Mark Zahra celebrates Palentino’s win

Palentino returns to the mounting yard

Alpine Eagle was again disappointing, finishing at the tail of the field. Like Xtravagant, perhaps his mind is on other things. Rising Romance raced on the pace, but faded to finish seventh.

As I’d been at the track since 12.45pm  I decided to head home after the feature race. I didn’t have any bets on the day, and having hardly sat down all afternoon, I was somewhat tired.

The afternoon was mostly overcast with the sun rarely showing its face, but the time as usual passed really fast. And I seem to have solved the Nikon’s light problem, the exposure compensation settings doing the trick. Despite the overcast day, I didn’t get any dark photographs.

Next week the only Group 1 race is in Sydney at Randwick where the feature race is the George Main Stakes which is now strangely called the Colgate Optic White Stakes. Anyway, Winx will be making her second appearance for the spring in this race and so far only six other competitors have nominated, which makes it look like a walkover for the wonder mare of Australia.

The racing in Melbourne will be at Caulfield and the feature race is the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes, a race over 2000 metres for Caulfield Cup bound horses.

And finally…

The news today was of the death of 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope. She apparently passed away in her sleep during the night. She was 29 years old.

As well as the Melbourne Cup, Let’s Elope won the 1991 Caulfield Cup and MacKinnon Stakes and in 1992 won the Turnbull Stakes, Australian Cup, Orr Stakes and St George Stakes.

She was a great race mare and I was pleased to see her grand-daughter Let’s Make Adeal win The Bart Cummings last year at Flemington in early October.

Sign at Flemington – Turnbull Stakes Day 2015