The Great Horse Raceday–AKA Lightning Stakes Day

Terravista in winners rug

Because the feature race was named for the triple winner of the Lightning Stakes, i.e. Black Caviar, the raceday was advertised as The Great Horse Raceday and ten of the Living Legends were present to celebrate the occasion.

They were all next to each other in stalls 72 to 81.

In stall 72 was the popular champion sprinter Apache Cat who, among his other achievements, won the Lightning Stakes in 2008.

In stall 73 was the 2000 Melbourne Cup winner Brew

In stall 74 was three time Sandown Classic winner Zipping

In stall 75 was Efficient who won the 2007 Melbourne Cup

1994 Caulfield Cup winner Paris Lane occupied stall 76

In stall 77 was 1997 Caulfield & Melbourne Cups & 1998 Cox Plate winner Might And Power

In stall 78 was Rogan Josh who won the 1999 Melbourne Cup

Hong Kong champion Bullish Luck occupied stall 79

Another Hong Kong star Good Ba Ba was in stall 80

Winner of 17 successive races in Hong Kong, Silent Witness was in stall 81

It was great to see so many of the old gentlemen of the turf together, particularly my old favourites Apache Cat, Efficient and Brew.

I arrived at Flemington earlier than I anticipated just before race 2 in fact.

No sooner had I stepped out onto the public lawn than a heavy shower of rain plummetted down which sent the crowd  scurrying for cover. I took shelter under a beach umbrella with several other cheery souls.

The shower passed quickly so I made my way up to my usual spot just past the winning post to watch the Japan Racing Association Trophy, a not terribly interesting race, but good for photography practice.

It was taken out by Zebrinz with Sadaqa and Duke of Brunswick filling the minor placings.

Japan Racing Association Trophy finish

Zebrinz returns to scale

The inner rail was out 9 metres, so it was hard to get photos of horses clear of the outer rail.

After Race 2, I wandered up to the stalls area, which was where I came across the Living Legends all together. I dilly dallied there for so long I didn’t have time to get back to my spot on the fence for Race 3, the Singapore Turf Club Trophy.

It was won by Well Sprung from Boomwa and Kirani.

With Race 4 being the Talindert Stakes the racing action grew more interesting, so I was back in my spot for the race, where nearby the ponies for children’s rides were grazing on the lawn.

Ponies for children’s rides

Up further there appeared to be some sort of martial arts demonstration going on to loud music, but I didn’t bother going there to see it.

Ducimus started as favourite for the Talindert and won by a whisker to Taking Aim, with Sanadaat a further length behind running third.

Talindert Stakes finish

Ducimus returns to scale

The first of the Group 3 three year old races were up next, the fillies Vanity Stakes being Race 5. Legless Veuve was understandably the starting favourite, but she finished unplaced.

Kenedna was the long shot winner, beating the more fancied runners by over a length. Extra Olives finished second ahead of Harlow Gold.

Kenedna overtakes Extra Olives close to the finishing post

Kenedna returns to scale

Extra Olives on her way to the starting gates

Harlow Gold on her way to the starting gates

I was pleased when Hey Doc was victorious in the C S Hayes Stakes, winning easily from long shots Malaise and Land of Plenty.

C S Hayes Stakes finish – Hey Doc leads

Hey Doc poses for the press in the winners rug

Malaise on his way to the barriers

Land of Plenty on his way to the barriers

Throughout the afternoon, brief showers of rain passed through causing a rush for shelter. It was also quite chilly, so I was glad I’d worn a jumper and put on shoes and socks.

There was only one more race to go before the feature event, and this was the Ascot Racecourse Trophy, a race over 2000 metres for stayers.

A great many in the field were unfamiliar to me, so I had little interest in the outcome. Post d’France was the narrow winner to starting favourite Hursley with Annus Mirabilis running third.

A blanket finish in the Ascot Racecourse Trophy – Post d’France is the widest in blinkers

Post d’France returns to scale

It had been a long afternoon, and I’d got plenty of exercise into the bargain, so it was relief when the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes was set to run.

High drama at the barriers delayed proceedings, when The Quarterback became agitated in the stalls, reared and flipped over, getting trapped under the stalls, collecting a few horses in the stalls next to him.

It resulted in The Quarterback, Fatinaah and Oruju all being scratched. Fortunately none of them were seriously hurt.

So a depleted field of nine finally started, all of them racing in a bunch down the middle of track. Heatherly, Illustrious Lad and Star Turn led the rest until close to the finish line where Terravista broke through for a well deserved win. Spieth finished second and Star Turn hung on for third.

BC Lightning finish – Terravista (orange silks) is about to overtake Star Turn(green cap) Spieth (yellow cap) & Illustrious Lad (lime green cap)

Terravista returns to scale

Spieth returns to scale

Star Turn returns to scale

Flying Artie started as the race favourite but finished third last, reportedly over racing and ruining his chances. 

Terravista finished an unlucky second in the BC Lightning last year to Chautauqua.

With the Lightning Stakes done and dusted I headed for the station and home, avoiding the centre of the city altogether, which was gearing up for White Night.

Next Saturday the racing action is back at Caulfield for the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting, featuring three Group 1 races. And in Sydney. wonder mare Winx will be contesting the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.

Iron Horse–Chautauqua Strikes in the Lightning

Chautauqua parades in the mounting yard after winning the Black Caviar Lightning

Personally, I prefer Melbourne’s summer/autumn racing season to the overhyped spring carnival. For a start the race meetings are not overcrowded and secondly the silliness of the spring carnival is not as glaringly obvious. 

The Melbourne autumn racing carnival may be the poor cousin to the spring carnival as far as the media is concerned, but the racing action is just as thrilling as was observed on Saturday afternoon at Flemington.

Having attended the excellent Dave Rawlings Machine concert the night before, I was feeling a tad bleary as I set out for Flemington, but once arrived that wore off and I was keen to see the two year olds strut their stuff in the Talindert Stakes.

In 2012 I witnessed All Too Hard win the Talindert at his first start, and we know how good he turned out to be.

So you wonder, as you watch the young things parading, which of them could be future stars of the turf. 

I was interested in seeing two of the fillies in the race, the first, Conscious, being one of the first crop of So You Think’s progeny to hit the track. The other, Clockwork Orange, is the daughter of multiple Group 1 winning mare Private Steer. They were both having their first start. As you can see in the photos below they are lovely looking fillies.

Conscious

Clockwork Orange

Clockwork Orange started as favourite but only managed to run sixth.

Conscious did better, running 1.5 lengths second to Weatherly, over three lengths in front of third placed Jackson.

Weatherly & Conscious on the grandstand side of the track run first and second.

Weatherly returns to scale after winning the Talindert Stakes

Race 3 was the Auckland Racing Club Trophy, a sprint over 1000 metres.

It was won by the favourite Estaminet, with Scratchy Lass and Afleet Esprit running second and third.

Estaminet wins the Auckland Racing Club Trophy

You certainly get plenty of exercise at Flemington, as the walk to and from the prime photo spot just past the winning post to the stalls extends almost the length of the straight.

In the stalls several of the main contenders for the Group events had already arrived, as had the Living Legends representatives, Bullish Luck and Silent Witness.

Bullish Luck in the pre-parade ring

Silent Witness in his stall

Speaking of legends, there was a special ceremony on Saturday afternoon for the late Red Cadeaux whose ashes are buried in the stalls area near where he was stabled.

Unfortunately he died from complications after suffering an injury on Melbourne Cup  Day last year. If he had survived he would have joined the old boys at Living Legends.

A plaque has been installed on a bench near where he is buried.

Red Cadeaux Plaque in Stalls Area

Back trackside, Race 4, the Japan Racing Association Trophy (2000 metres) was about to start.

This was also won by race favourite, Pemberley, from Word of Mouth and Falago.

Pemberley on his way to the starting gates

Word of Mouth (no 7) and Renew on their way to the starting gates

Falago on his way to the barriers

Race 4 finish – Pemberley wins easily by 2.8 lengths to Word of Mouth

Tramping back once again to the stalls area, I was keen to get photos of the feature contenders…

 
Chautauqua – BC Lightning

Bon Aurum – CS Hayes Stakes

Delectation – BC Lightning

Japonisme – BC Lightning

Exosphere – BC Lightning

Perfect Reflection – Vanity Stakes

Sacred Star – Vanity Stakes

Terravista – BC Lightning

Race 5, was the first of the feature races, the Group 3 Vanity Stakes for three year old fillies over 1400 metres.

Unbeaten Western Australian filly Perfect Reflection started as favourite but both she and Jameka were upstaged by Don’t Doubt  Mama.

Don’t Doubt Mama wins the Vanity Stakes from Egypt and Perfect Reflection

Don’t Doubt Mama returns to scale

Egypt returns to scale

Perfect Reflection returns to scale

Jameka who ran fourth returns to scale

The C.S. Hayes Stakes was next up. Also graded as Group 3, it is one for the colts and is run over 1400 metres as well.

The Darren Weir trained Palentino was the warm favourite and he did indeed win, before losing out to an upheld protest by the rider of second placed Tivaci for interference. Tivaci’s stablemate Tulsa ran third.

Palentino (wide white blaze) technically wins the CS Hayes

Palentino on his way to the barriers

Tivaci on his way to the barriers

Last year on Lightning Stakes day, a storm passed through just before the feature race. Appropriately lightning flashed and a smattering of rain fell on Flemington.

Not so this year, as the afternoon was sunny with a cool southerly wind keeping the temperature at a comfortable level.

I was fortunate enough to personally witness Black Caviar win two of her three Lightning Stakes, so it was almost a blast from the past to see her colours decorating the finishing post.

Finishing post detail with Black Caviar sign

Her walk of fame was back on the public lawn with two extra posters, showing her with her first two foals.

This year’s edition of the Black Caviar Lightning was just as exciting as you’d expect. Chautauqua’s connections must have nerves of steel to be able to watch their champion sprinter compete, as he races at the back of the field then nail bitingly launches his brilliant finishing burst at the last minute. He looked in a no win situation with only 50 metres to go, but somehow overtook Terravista and Japonisme, who were fighting out the finish, to win by a nostril.

Only six started in the race, Kinglike being scratched early in the morning. After leaving the barriers Terravista, Delectation, Japonisme and Chautauqua headed for the outside grandstand side of the track, leaving Va Pensiero and Exosphere running a separate race on the inside.  Exosphere didn’t look at all comfortable and was all over the place. His trainer blames the track bias for his failure to place, but his jockey admitted that he made the wrong call as far as the horse was concerned and stated that he would have performed better with the bunch on the grandstand side; ie having horses to race against.

I doubt if we’ll see Exosphere in Melbourne again, especially not at Flemington.

Lightning Stakes finish – POV distorts the actual finishing order which was Chautauqua, Terravista (orange silks) Japonisme (pink silks) & Exosphere (blue silks)

Chautauqua returns to scale

Terravista returns to scale

Japonisme returns to scale

Exosphere returns to scale

As the trains departing Flemington for the city did not start to run until 4.45 pm I decided to stay and watch Race 8, the Ascot Racecourse Trophy, mostly because Divan was in it. 

He ran a great race, doing it tough racing wide throughout to run second to the favoured Dan Zephyr over the unsuitable distance of 1400 metres.

Divan in the mounting yard

Dan Zephyr in the mounting yard

The trip home by train was without incident and avoided the crowds streaming into the city for White Night. I was home in 40 minutes, the trains coinciding neatly at Southern Cross Station.

I managed to either hear or watch the feature Sydney races.  The Silver Slipper Stakes was won by Astern from Defcon with Mount Panorama running third. First Seal signalled that she had returned fighting fit, when she won the Millie Fox Stakes. Catkins lacked her usual zip and finished last. It looks like she may be retired. Telepathic ran second with I’ve Got The Looks taking third place. And Press Statement easily won the Hobartville Stakes from Le Romain and Montaigne.

Next Saturday I’ll be heading back to Caulfield for the Blue Diamond Stakes meeting, which has three Group 1 races on the program, the aforementioned Blue Diamond Stakes, plus the Oakleigh Plate and Futurity Stakes.