He or She? Bart or Winx–Caulfield Guineas Day

Sacred Elixir – one of the main fancies for the Caulfield Guineas

Still my heart!

A fantastic day of first class racing is coming up this Saturday at Caulfield with four super Group 1 races on the program.

For a start, the best racehorse in Australia, the wonder mare Winx will be making her first appearance in Melbourne this Spring in the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000 metres). She’s scared off the opposition and will face only two other horses, Black Heart Bart and He Or She.

I can’t remember a Group 1 race with only three acceptances happening in my time, even when Black Caviar was racing, though I recall what seemed to be three horse races back in the 1960s when Tulloch, Lord and my old favourite Dhaulagiri competed against each other on several occasions, taking turns to win.

Anyway, Winx should shoe it in – perish the thought that she could lose.

The Caulfield Stakes is the first of the Group 1 races scheduled, and the second is the Thousand Guineas for fillies over 1600 metres and it has attracted a field of fifteen classy fillies. Sydney fillies Foxplay, Global Glamour and Smart Amelia will be taking on the local girls in what looks a great race.  La Luna Rossa, Legless Veuve, Harlow Gold, and Leotie all have good form at Caulfield and could deny the Sydney girls the prize.

Last year the Caulfield Guineas was run as the last race on the program, which made it an extremely long day. This year it will be run at the reasonable time of 4.30 pm.

Again it is a case of the local boys against the Sydney star colts Impending, Divine Prophet, Evacuation and Good Standing.

New Zealand colts Sacred Elixir and Saracino and local boys Hey Doc and Kaching all have a good chance to steal the show, particularly Sacred Elixir who won the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and previous to that the Group 1 J J Atkins over winter in Queensland.  I reckon Hey Doc has as good a chance as any. He’s been impressive the only two times I’ve seen him race and could be worth a small bet a good odds.

The Toorak Handicap is the last of the Group 1 races at Caulfield and is an open race over 1600 metres. It also has attracted a classy field that includes former Japanese galloper Tosen Stardom, Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes winner Awesome Rock , Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Bon Aurum, Royal Rapture who has won his last five starts in succession, and He’s Our Rokkii, also is in great form having won his last four starts. Any of the above could win.

The final race at Caulfield, which I will be sorely tempted to stay for, is the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, a sprint over 1100 metres.  Turn Me Loose, the Murray Baker trained stallion will be having his first start for the spring in this race. He is an exceptionally pretty boy, and also a multiple Group 1 winner in Melbourne, but the Schillaci may be too short for him, his best distances being 1400 to 1600 metres.

Also back on the scene is Fell Swoop, a very talented sprinter who  has excellent form in Melbourne.

Flamberge, the top weight, has a great chance to take out the Schillaci Stakes, his first up form being first class. He’s also a double Group 1 winner winning the Oakleigh Plate and the William Reid Stakes back in autumn.

Other class acts worthy of consideration are Hucklebuck, Malaguerra, sole mare Ocean Embers and three year old colt Star Turn thrown in at the deep end with a lightweight.

Sydney’s autumn racing carnival finale features the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, a race for three year olds over 2000 metres.  Top picks are Champagne Stakes winner Prized Icon and sole filly Yankee Rose backing up after running second to Global Glamour in the Flight Stakes last weekend.  Veladero also looks promising.

The weather on Saturday in Melbourne is forecast to be mild and possibly sunny, with a light wind, so it will be pleasant to venture once more to Caulfield to experience the thrill of Group 1 racing.

I don’t feel compelled to get there early, but anticipate arriving around 1.30 -2.00pm, so it won’t be as long a day as it was last year.

Spring Racing–Underwood Stakes Day

Lucia Valentina at Flemington - October 2014 - after winning the Turnbull Stakes

I’ve quite settled in to the Spring racing carnival, and  have become more enthusiastic as the action heats up and my familiarity with the runners develops.

Caulfield hosts the Underwood Stakes meeting this coming Saturday and features two Group 1 events – Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Underwood Stakes.

There is also the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude for fillies, and the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude for colts and geldings to warm up the crowd while waiting for the main events. They are both run over 1400 metres and the results will give a clearer idea of the likely good ones for the real Guineas.

The first to run of these is the fillies edition, and it has attracted a super field with the likes of Whispering Brook, I Am A Star and Leotie being top contenders along with New Zealand Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes winner La Luna Rossa, who beat stablemate Saracino in that race. She’s part of the Murray Baker stable so can’t be dismissed out of hand.

Sydney colts Sacred Elixir and Good Standing represent a challenge for the local boys in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude. Originally Golden Rose winner Astern was nominated for this race, but a spike in temperature discouraged his connections from risking the colt on a trip to Melbourne.

However, New Zealand colt Saracino, last seen winning the Group 2 Danehill Stakes at Flemington, could well test the Sydneysiders and steal the show.

The first of the Group 1 races on the program is the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is run over 1400 metres. Top picks are last start winners Voodoo Lad and Bon Aurum and the Chris Waller trained Counterattack.

Xtravagant is also entered in this race, so it will be interesting to see how he goes at Caulfield where there is a corner or two to turn before the straight. Reportedly he will not parade in the mounting yard but go to the barriers early, to keep him from getting over excited.

A field of eleven runners will contest the Group 1 Underwood Stakes. It is run over 1800 metres, so suits stayers and middle distance runners.

I’m hoping that the sole mare in the race, Lucia Valentina, can win. She has a good chance as she likes to have her races widely spaced and she hasn’t raced since finishing fourth to Winx in the Warwick Stakes on 20 August, and prior to that won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes in the autumn.  The stars are aligned favourably for her with the sun in Libra (ruled by Venus) conjunct Jupiter (good luck) on Saturday.

The usual suspects will be vying for the prize. Black Heart Bart is current favourite despite his loss to Palentino in the Makybe Diva Stakes. Palentino is not in the field, but old trooper The Cleaner is and will no doubt set the pace, even though he has drawn the widest barrier. Both Tarzino and Tavago will be aiming to restore their reputations and Awesome Rock who won the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at his last start could be a threat again.

Sydney has no Group 1 races this weekend, but a very nice program of Group 2 and Group 3 races excites some interest.

The feature race is the Group 2 Golden Pendant, a race for fillies and mares over 1400 metres. All eyes will be on First Seal making a return to racing after a longish break. Back in her three year old days, she beat Winx on two occasions, but has never found the same form since.  Her main rivals are Tycoon Tara who is in great form having beaten the boys in two of her previous races, Zanbagh and Heavens Above. 

The feel good racing story of the week was the news of the birth of Black Caviar’s third foal, a filly by Snitzel early Sunday morning. There are some nice photos of Black Caviar and her foal here.

Her first foal (by Exceed and Excel), also a filly, is reportedly soon to hit the track. She has been named Oscietra after an expensive type of Russian caviar.

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