The Stars Align for The Cleaner –Moonee Valley Racing Review

The Cleaner with trainer Mick Burles poses for photos after winning the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes

If you follow astrology, it really wasn’t all that much of a surprise when Tassie cult hero The Cleaner took out the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes for a second time. We are currently under the sign of Virgo, whose attributes include a compulsion to clean up and set things in order.

The Cleaner won in fine fashion just as he did at this time last year, leading from the start to the finish and putting enough of a break on the horses in pursuit that they couldn’t catch him. He won by 1¾ lengths from Bagman with Dibayani two lengths behind running third.

All that happened later in the afternoon, but there were three interesting races before it was scheduled to run.

I arrived at Moonee Valley in time to see Race 4, the Craig Opie Cup, a race over 1600 metres and observed the runners in the parade ring before they went out to the track. The Lloyd Williams stable had two imported Irish stayers in the race and they ran the quinella, the unfancied Chance To  Dance winning narrowly over his stable mate The United States, who started as favourite.

Chance To Dance on his way to the starting gates

The United States in the parade ring

Race 4  towards the finish line – Chance to Dance leads narrowly over The United States with third place getter Abbasso (lime green silks) just behind.

In the stalls area, some of the horses I had come to see were either walking around or in their stalls…

The Cleaner

Miss Finland’s daughter Stay With Me

Sistonic

Back on the lawn, old Subzero was hanging around having a day out at the racetrack…

Dear old Subzero on the lawn

Race 5 was the Atlantic Jewel Stakes for three year old Guineas bound fillies. Of most interest among the contenders were Pasadena Girl, Stay With Me and Jameka.

 
Pasadena Girl on her way to the gates

Stay With Me on her way to the gates

Jameka on her way to the gates

Stay With Me was the popular favourite, but I fancied Pasadena Girl who was at unusually attractive odds. Stay With Me won by 1½ lengths from Pasadena Girl who stormed from the rear of the field in an eye catching run to just miss out. Jameka ran third. These three fillies were the best of the field and a natural trifecta.

Race 5 down the straight – Stay With Me leads & Pasadena Girl is just in the picture on the outside two lengths behind on the outside.

Stay With Me returns to scale after winning the Atlantic Jewel Stakes

Fell Swoop, the winner of Race 6 was also nominated for a race in Sydney, but his connections opted to run him at Moonee Valley. They made the right choice, for he was a dominant winner of the Listed Cup Club Stakes. He seems to have come from nowhere to be a force to be reckoned with, having 7 wins for 9 starts on his CV.

Fell Swoop on his way to the barriers

He defeated Beach Front by 1½ lengths with Griante running third.

Fell Swoop leads comfortably down the straight

And so we come to the feature race…

Here are some of the main contestants in the parade ring and on their way to the barriers

Bagman

Mourinho

Foreteller

Contributer

The Cleaner

Contributer was the hot favourite, but failed to make any headway in the straight, given every chance. Perhaps he doesn’t take to Moonee Valley. Mourinho seems to have attracted the PB Lawrence Stakes curse, which indicates that the winner of the aforementioned race will not win again in the season.

The Cleaner is several lengths ahead of the rest of the field  heading to the finishing post.

The Cleaner poses for photos with his owners after the race

The next race was as keenly anticipated as the Dato Tan, owing to the resumption of star sprinter Chautauqua contesting it. Another Group 2 competition, the Mitty’s McEwen Stakes is run over 1000 metres and is a speed test, generally run at rattling pace.

Sistonic and I’m All The Talk fought out the lead through most of the race and both finished at the tail of the field. Chautauqua was well back and came wide just past the turn into the straight, sailing past Furnaces who had snatched the lead with Flamberge going with him. It was a sensational win by Chautauqua and a natural trifecta between the first three home. Flamberge finished second and Furnaces hung on for third.

Chautauqua charges for home down the straight

Chautauqua in the winners rug posing for the photographers

The weather was an improvement on last week, and considerably warmer, so it was a pleasure to be outdoors in the muted sunshine, and the racing had that spring fever edge which only comes with talented horses pitted against other talented horses.

Next week the racing action is at Flemington featuring the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes. Looking at the nominations it appears to be a fascinating race with several more classy horses starting their spring campaign - Fawkner, Alpine Eagle, Mongolian Khan along with Boban and the usual suspects.

Also Petits Filous is nominated for the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes and we’ll all be hoping that she can win it.

Oaks Day & the Carnival Finale

Kirramosa in the winner’s rug after the Crown Oaks

Oaks Day at Flemington is touted as being one for the girls, and certainly attracted quite a number of the fair sex, dressed in their finery and extravagant headgear, but it seemed to me there were as many blokes present as women.

I must have been the roughest dressed lady at the track – a sparrow among the peacocks - as I have no interest in fashion and wouldn’t be seen dead in a fascinator.  So I went in my usual jeans and t-shirt and sensible shoes. I’m not there for the fashion, I’m only there for the horses.

This was the first time I have attended the Oaks meeting, and I must admit I enjoyed it. Perhaps backing a winner in my first of  two bets on the day gave it that extra sparkle. Anyway, it wasn’t as crowded as it was on Derby Day so it was easier to move around and it certainly was colourful. The ladies below – tatts and all -  sitting on the public lawn, are a veritable rainbow.

I got to Flemington just before Race 3 and watched from my usual spot on the fence by the path to the mounting yard. It was the Heritage Stakes, a 1200 metre race for three year old fillies. It was won by 10/1 shot Melrose Place, with the equally long odds Sense of Hite and Fare Well running the minor places.

Melrose Place returns to scale after winning the Heritage Stakes

I was really interested in the next race, the Group 3 G H Mumm Stakes, because Dystopia, a Sydney mare I have been following for years, was making a rare appearance in Melbourne.  She’s part of the Chris Waller stable, and gave Chris Waller his third win of the day with her victory in the Mumm Stakes.  His other winners were Marmelo in the first race, and Multilateral in the second.  Myself, I was delighted that Dystopia won as I’d bet on her at fairly good odds. Shamal Wind ran second with She Can Skate taking third place.

Dystopia returns to scale after winning the Mumm Stakes

The final race in the Subzero Challenge was the next on the cards, and old Subzero led the large field of grey horses out to the mounting yard. This was the race where the winner’s strapper got king hit by a stable hand (I have since read it was a domestic matter). I did not witness the incident, but I did photograph the winning horse Black Cash returning to scale.

Black Cash returning to scale after winning the Subzero Challenge

Race 6 was the feature race of the day. The Crown Oaks is a race for staying fillies run over 2500 metres.  Dear Demi won it last year and previous winners have also been the top fillies of their time – Miss Finland, Samantha Miss and  Mosheen for example.  This year the favourite was Wakeful Stakes winner Kirramosa. I must admit I had not heard of her before as she has done most her racing in Sydney.

I decided to reinvest my winnings on Dystopia in a boxed first 4 of Kirramosa, May’s Dream, Solicit and Zanbach.  May’s Dream let me down and surprisingly finished out of the first four. Curses! I should have boxed them for a trifecta instead, as Kirramosa prevailed, narrowly winning from Zanbach and Solicit.

Kirramosa on her way to the track

The rest of the race card wasn’t all that interesting, so I headed home after the Oaks, pretty happy with my afternoon at the track.

I will return to Flemington tomorrow for the finale of the Melbourne Spring racing carnival. Emirate Stakes Day features two Group 1 events, and several interesting Group 2 & 3 races.

The first of the Group 1 races is the VRC Sprint Classic. It was known for years as the Patinack Farm Classic, but as Patinack  is no longer the sponsor,  the name has been changed. It’s run over 1200 metres and has been won by champion sprinters, most notably by Black Caviar in 2010 and 2011.

This year’s edition has a crack field that includes Hong Kong star Lucky Nine, Buffering, Epaulette, Sessions and Rebel Dane. Buffering finally won his first Group 1 in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley in late October, narrowly beating Lucky Nine with Sessions running third. Lucky Nine didn’t really handle the tight corners at Moonee Valley, so will appreciate the long straight at Flemington and will most probably turn the tables on Buffering this time.  Buffering has had two previous attempts at winning this race and finished 8th last year, and 2nd in 2011 behind Black Caviar. He may have a hope of beating Lucky Nine if the track degrades to slow. Currently that is unlikely as there has been not enough rain in Melbourne today to really affect the ground.

The other Group 1 race is the Emirates Stakes, which is run over 1600 metres. It has resulted in some long shots winning in past years. The underrated Happy Trails won it last year, and Albert The Fat the year before and famously the 100/1 shot Tears I Cry in 2007.

The Chris Waller trained Boban will start as favourite, and rightfully so, looking at the picket fence of wins next to his name on the form guide. Also in with a chance is his stablemate and Doncaster winner Sacred Falls, and Toorak Handicap winner Solzhenitsyn, and last start winners Smokin Joey, Toydini, Spurtonic and Mouro. Old favourite Linton also has a chance if he can repeat his Stradbroke Handicap performance. And for Country Music fans, there is a New Zealand horse called Nashville who appears to have excellent form in his home country. Overall it looks to be a doozy of a race.

Of interest is the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, a Group 3 race over 2600 metres. Puissance de Lune won it in spectacular fashion last year, which catapulted him into early Melbourne Cup favouritism.  This race is a sort of consolation prize for stayers who didn’t make it into the Melbourne Cup. So you’ve got Precedence, who just missed out, despite winning the Moonee Valley Cup and Kelinni who ran 4th in the 2012 Cup, as well as Shoreham, Sertorius and Forgotten Voice.

The most interesting runner however, is Makybe Diva’s little three quarter sister La Amistad, who will be trying to emulate her famous sister who won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2002 before going on to win the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Melbourne Cups. La Amistad has been very lightly raced, and now four years old has only run five times on country tracks, for two wins, a second and third.

So the grand finale of Melbourne’s spring racing carnival should see it out in fine fashion, race wise I mean. I’ve been getting good value out of my Flemington season’s ticket, which fortunately covers me for the 2014 summer/autumn racing season. I’m rather regretting now that I didn’t go to the Melbourne Cup, but perhaps I’ll make it next year.

Thousand Guineas/Caulfield Cup – The 2013 Spring Racing Carnival in Full Swing

Guelph on her way to the barriers before winning the 2013 Thousand Guineas

I wasn’t going to review the Thousand Guineas, but as the afternoon was quite interesting after all, and because I managed to snap some good photos, it’s worth writing about.

Arriving just before the Race 3, I was able to watch the running of the inaugural Subzero Challenge, the first of a series of three races restricted to grey horses.  The series is of course named after racing’s best known equine Community representative, 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero.

Old Subbie was there to lead the field out, looking quite spry for his age…

Subzero in the parade ring before leading the field to the track

The race is run over 1400 metres, and, if you were partial to greys, there were 15 to choose from. I opted for Specter, who ended up starting favourite.

Freshwater Storm was the winner, with Specter running second and High Kinczar taking third place.

Down the straight toward the finish line, Freshwater Storm has lengths on the rest of the field

Shortly after the Subzero Challenge, It’s A Dundeel was led to the mounting yard preparatory to his scheduled gallop on the course.

It’s A Dundeel in the mounting yard, James McDonald in the saddle with strapper Emily in attendance.

He galloped round the track, the mini event being screened live. Very few spectators were watching from the fence when he dashed down the straight, but I was there and snapped him in action. It was a change to see him running without blinkers.

It’s A Dundeel gallops down the straight between races 3 and 4

He looked spectacular, and certainly didn’t show any sign of lameness. Bring on the Cox Plate!

There were two more races before the main event, which weren’t that interesting, so I took myself off eventually to the parade ring to await the emergence of the fillies for the Thousand Guineas. 

As well as being keen to get a glimpse of star filly Guelph I wanted to see the Darren Weir trained May’s Dream. She is a daughter of  She’s Archie who ran second to Makybe Diva in the 2003 Melbourne Cup, won the 2002 South Australian Oaks and 2004 Stocks Stakes and was also trained by Darren Weir.

May’s Dream in the parade ring

May’s Dream has shown great promise in her short career and was considered one of the top chances for the race, and indeed threatened to overtake Guelph in the straight.

Guelph in the parade ring

Guelph lead the race from start to finish and even though May’s Dream did threaten her at one stage, she won easily in the end. The game May’s Dream finished second ahead of Gregers who ran third.

The Thousand Guineas finish – Guelph leads, with May’s Dream behind her and Gregers in third spot.

Guelph has now won four Group One races, a pretty good record for one of her tender years. Her dam, Camarilla was also a Group One winning mare, who won the Sires Produce Stakes and Blue Diamond Prelude in 2007, which interestingly were won this year by her daughter Guelph.

The Caulfield Cup

View of Caulfield finishing post from the mounting yard

As usual the Caulfield Cup is a puzzler in terms of trying to work out the likely winner. This year it is slightly easier, as I do recognise the names of all the eighteen horses in the field, and have some idea how they will fare in the race.

The only horse in the field whom I have not witnessed racing is the recently arrived British horse Dandino who is widely travelled, having won races in the UK, Hong Kong and USA.  Whether he has acclimatised to Australian conditions, or is able to handle the local racing patterns, is yet to be seen. Mindful that the Caulfield Cup has been won by European raiders in the past – Dunaden last year, All The Good in 2008 and notoriously, Taufans Melody in 1998 – it’s not beyond belief that Dandino can take home the prize, especially as Craig Williams is his rider. Craig Williams was the winning jockey last year and the year before. Can his luck extend to three consecutive wins this year?

Among the locals who have an excellent chance are the Chris Waller trained Hawkspur, who is my top pick, and Royal Descent. The former won the Queensland Derby and the latter the South Australian Oaks, so they can certainly handle the distance (2400 metres) and are in good form this spring.  New Zealand mare Silent Achiever is a good light weight chance, has been particularly aimed for this, and has the services of top jockey Glen Boss.

Of the imported stayers who have raced on Australian tracks with some success are Fawkner, the only representative from Lloyd Williams stable in the race, Jet Away who won a much easier race at Caulfield two starts ago,  Chris Waller’s other two runners Moriarty and Kelinni and Gai Waterhouse’s Julienas.

The field in fact is pretty evenly matched, but my thought is that the abovementioned have more chance than those not mentioned. I’ll be cheering for Hawkspur who is currently the deserved favourite.

I will not be attending the race in person, and I’m quite relieved that I’m not going. Racing carnival lag is threatening to set in, and besides the Caulfield Cup is scheduled as the last race of a ten race card, and will run at 5.45pm and I’m not keen to go through that experience again after last week’s Caulfield Guineas meeting.  The Cox Plate next weekend is of more interest to me, and that I wouldn’t miss.

It will be quite a change to watch the races on free to air TV, as I used to do in the past. Though not quite as exciting as being there in person, in truth the visuals of the entire race are much better on the box.

Update: Saturday Evening

Fawkner has won the Caulfield Cup. I was wrong about his origins above; he is in fact 100% locally bred from Reset by Dane Belltar. It all gets a bit confusing as Lloyd Williams has of late been importing his horses from overseas, and if you fail to check the pedigree, you draw false assumptions.

Dandino ran second and the ever consistent Dear Demi came third. Hawkspur ran seventh. However, I didn’t have any money on the outcome, so no loss, no gain.