Derby Day– All Hallows Eve at Flemington

Tarzino – current favourite for the Victoria Derby

The Melbourne Racing Carnival has only a week left to run, but culminates in suitably spectacular fashion with a concentration of race meetings at Flemington – Derby Day and Emirate Stakes Day book ending the Melbourne Cup and the Crown Oaks over four days.

No doubt the roses will now be in full bloom for Derby Day which kicks off the Flemington Racing Carnival on Saturday.

There’s a wonderful program of racing on the cards, with every race being at Group level, and four at Group 1 level.

The feature race of course is the Victoria Derby, and the other three Group 1 races are the Coolmore Stud Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes and the Myer Classic.

The first of these to run is the Coolmore Stud Stakes for three year olds over 1200 metres. I’m really looking forward to seeing top Sydney colt Exosphere in the flesh for the first time. He has done all his racing in Sydney and won his last three starts, including the Group 1 Golden Rose, so he is the short priced favourite to take out the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Trying to beat him is a fairly classy field, the most likely contenders being Singapore colt Super One and the local boys Keen Array and Ready for Victory. The omen bet of the day, considering it is All Hallows Eve tomorrow, is Hellbent who could run a place if not win.

Thankfully, the VRC start their race meetings early - the first race is run before midday – and finish at a reasonable time, the feature race being run at 3.50pm and the last race at 5.20pm.

That’s a refreshing change from Caulfield and Moonee Valley whose meetings go on into twilight. It encourages me to get to the track early to watch Race 2, the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes for Oaks bound fillies, run over 2000 metres.

1000 Guineas winner Stay With Me will be taking on the older mares in the Myer Classic, so that leaves a chance for fillies such as Dawnie Perfect and My Poppette  to win some prize money for their connections. Others with a chance are Beluga Blue and Ambience.

Race 5 on the program is the Group 2 Lexus Stakes, the last chance for a free ballot into the Melbourne Cup.  The best chances are Excess Knowledge who has run second in his last two starts, Ruling Dynasty and Junoob.

The Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000 metres) has attracted a quality field of tried and true stayers and middle distance runners that include Happy Trails who is due for his annual win, Pornichet who ran fourth in the Cox Plate, the ever consistent Stratum Star who already has a Group 1 victory ( Rupert Clark Stakes) to his credit, Metropolitan winner Magic Hurricane and mares Rising Romance and Set Square.

And so to the Victoria Derby.

Tarzino is the race favourite, though he hasn’t won a race since September and was beaten last start by the filly Jameka and also failed to run a place in the Caulfield Guineas. Favourites rarely win the Victoria Derby so there are plenty of other smart colts to consider.

I rather like the Western Australian colt Kia Ora Koutou, who has had four starts for four wins in his home state, the last against older horses. His sire Blackfriars won the Victoria Derby in 1999, so he certainly can run the 2500 metres distance.

Others with a chance are Lizard Island, Shards, Get The Picture and Ayers Rock.

The final Group 1 is the Myer Classic for fillies and mares, run over 1600 metres. Some classy mares have won this over the ages, Typhoon Tracy, Appearance, Forensics, Red Tracer, to name a few. Bonaria won it last year from Sweet Idea and Catkins.

Royal Descent is the class mare in the race. It has been some time since she last ran against her own sex, but she has placed many times in Group 1 races in first class open fields and deserves another Group 1 win to go with her ATC Oaks victory in 2013.  If she wasn’t gutted by her run in the Caulfield Cup, she will surely be in the finish.

Her greatest rival in the Myer Classic is 1000 Guineas winner Stay With Me who has an 8 kg weight advantage and has bypassed the Wakeful Stakes to run in this race.

However, fillies have a poor record in the Myer Classic, so other mares who have the class to win are last start winner, La Passe, along with Fenway, Miss Rose De Lago, Solicit and Politeness.

The weather in Melbourne tomorrow is forecast to be overcast and humid, with showers and a possible thunderstorm.  Hopefully the weather will discourage the once a year crowds from taking up all the space on the front lawn.

Last year the weather was similarly damp and it was not quite as crowded as the year before when it was hot and sunny.

It’s sure to be a great day of racing whatever the weather, but it will have to be exceptional to surpass the racing at Moonee Valley last weekend.

Tatts Tiara–The Last Group 1 of the Racing Year

Catkins – Derby Day – Flemington 2014

As one of my favourite racehorses, the sweet grey mare Catkins, is running in the final Group 1 of the Australian racing year, I thought I’d pen a post about the event.

Run this year on the Gold Coast when it is normally hosted by Eagle Farm, the Tatts Tiara (formerly run as the Winter Stakes) is a race over 1400 metres for mares and fillies.  I’m hoping that this year Catkins can finally win her first, well deserved, Group 1 race. She has contested quite a few and has always come up wanting, running second or third in most of those.

The Tiara has attracted a very nice field of classy mares and a few well regarded fillies, and Catkins main rivals are Srikandi who won the Stradbroke Handicap at her last start, Hazard  who beat Catkins in the Dane Ripper Stakes recently and Najoom, a spruiked filly trained by Gai Waterhouse, if she gains a start – she’s currently 2nd emergency. Others with a chance are Real Surreal, Solicit and Avoid Lightning. Naturally I’ll be barracking for the bonny grey mare –cross fingers, touch wood, she’ll win.

In the UK, the annual Royal Ascot meeting is in train. Several Australian horses are entered in various events. Two have already run – Criterion and Shamal Wind. They both finished unplaced, Criterion performing the better of the two finishing 5th in the Prince of Wales Stakes.

This weekend two more Aussie horses are to race in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes run over 6 furlongs (approx 1200 metres) on Sunday. Three Australian horses in the recent past have won this race – Choisir, Starspangledbanner and, most notably, Black Caviar.

This year’s great Australian hopes are the handsome Brazen Beau, who won the Group 1 Coolmore  Stud Stakes and Newmarket Handicap, and Australian Guineas winner Wandjina. Both are quality gallopers, who if they have acclimatised after travelling to the UK, could well do Australia proud.

Alas we will not see Brazen Beau in action in Australia again as he is to retire to stud after running in the UK. The same goes for Wandjina and quite a few of the Spring and Autumn stars over the 2014/2015 racing season, such as Dissident, Sweet Idea, Silent Achiever, Hallowed Crown, Adelaide, Earthquake and others who don’t spring to mind at the moment.

The racing scene in Melbourne doesn’t start to get interesting until late July in the build up to the Spring racing season’s early Group races.

Update Saturday

Speaking of Australian horses who have been successful at Ascot, the news came today that the “people’s champ” Takeover Target passed away this morning. euthanised after a paddock accident. He was 15 years old.  He cost his humble taxi driver trainer a mere $1400 and won over $6 million in prize money.  He won races everywhere, at Royal Ascot, Singapore, Japan and all over Australia. His record stands at 41 starts for 21 wins, 8 of which were at Group 1 level & 10 places. 

The archetypal “rags to riches” story, Takeover Target will live long in Australian racing memory – a very talented sprinter.

And the Tatts Tiara resulted in Catkins running unplaced, being forced back through the field early in the race.  Srikandi scored a rare double (Stradbroke/ Tiara) with a solid win, holding off Avoid Lightning and Lumosty who ran the minor placings.

Further Update Sunday

Brazen Beau just missed winning the Diamond Jubilee at Ascot early this morning.  He gets a second chance in the July Cup at Newmarket on July 11.

Donny-Derby Day–The first day of The Championships

Sacred Falls at Caulfield 11 October 2014 – Can he win his third Doncaster?

Easter Saturday used to be known by racing fans as Doncaster- Derby day, but the two races in question have, for the past ten years or so,  been run on different days. This year they return on the same day, along with two other Group 1 races at Randwick on Saturday.

It’s the first day of Sydney’s pompously named The Championships, which continues over the following two weekends, culminating with the All Aged Stakes Day on 18 April.

You have to admit that this first day of The Championships offers a fabulous line up of races with top class fields. Unfortunately the track will be most likely rain affected, but you kind of expect that during the Sydney autumn racing carnival.

The first of the Group 1 races is the Inglis Sires, a race for two year olds over 1400 metres.  It has attracted a cracking field that includes Blue Diamond Stakes winner Pride of Dubai, Golden Slipper runner up English, Melbourne filly Pasadena Girl who has won her only two starts and Always Allison, who looked very promising in her first two starts before going amiss in her last start. She does however have  “Magic Man” Joao Moreira  in the saddle, which gives her a distinct advantage.

The Sires is followed by the Australian Derby, a 2400 metres race for three year olds. The New Zealand pair Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell look the top picks, along with Victorian Derby winner Preferment, who finished second to Volkstok’n’barrell in the Rosehill Guineas. Also in with a chance is Hauraki who won the Tulloch Stakes (2000 metres) by 2.5 lengths. He’s part of the Godolphin team who have been very successful of late, winning most of the races last Saturday.

Lankan Rupee, Chautauqua and Terravista meet again in the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes, a sprint over 1200 metres. Lankan Rupee won this race last year on a heavy track, so I’ll be hoping he can do it for a second time and finally get the better of his two classy rivals. Sweet Idea is also likely to be in the finish, and with a 2kg weight advantage, could well beat the boys. 

Sacred Falls won the Doncaster Mile in both 2013 and 2014 and will be trying to create history by becoming the first horse to win three times consecutively. He has to carry top weight 58kg and beat a full field of 20 runners to do so.  One thing in his favour is that he performs well on soft ground, after all he won both the 2013 and 2014 Doncaster on bog tracks. He’ll be starting at pretty good odds too, as he has not inspired confidence with his runs so far this autumn.

One of the favourites will probably be the Japanese horse Real Impact, who so impressively won the George Ryder Stakes a fortnight ago, and there is a lot of support for three year old Hallowed Crown who has a light weight advantage, though has drawn the outside barrier. There’s also a bit of hype on French import Pornichet who won a Group 3 race last Saturday at Rosehill.

I reckon Royal Descent and Cosmic Endeavour both have a good chance of taking out the race for the fair sex, the former with her excellent form on heavy tracks and the services of Joao Moreira as her jockey, whilst Cosmic Endeavour , despite her poor performance in the Ryder Stakes, is too good to overlook.  There’s also Melbourne mare Suavito who is currently on a run of wins in her home state that included the Group 1 Futurity Stakes.

In Melbourne Caulfield’s Easter Saturday meeting looks interesting enough to attend, with the popular front runner The Cleaner being one of the attractions. He’ll be running in the Easter Cup, a much easier race than the last few he’s contested, so will most likely be the winner. He’s also had a change of gear – blinkers off, visor on, so that he can see other horses overtaking him, which apparently spurs him on.

Also racing at Caulfield on Saturday is Western Australian star three year old, Disposition, last seen finishing second to Wandjina in the C S Hayes Stakes in February.  He’s entered in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap.

I’m also keen to set eyes again on Prince Harada who has been out of action for over a year and was gelded in the interim.  He’s entered in a 1100 metre sprint, which is probably a little short for him.

Super Saturday at Rosehill

Signage at Rosehill Racecourse

Last year at this time I went to Sydney for Mystic Medusa’s Astrological New Year dinner, and whilst there attended the Ranvet Stakes meeting at Rosehill on the Saturday afternoon.

This year I’ll be home in Melbourne, but will be watching with keen interest the tremendous race card at Rosehill Racecourse.

The meeting last year was relatively low key, with only two Group 1 races, but NSW racing has rearranged their autumn program, so that this year several Group 1 races which used to be run later in the season, have been rescheduled and added more glitz to the third Saturday in March.

The feature race this year is the Golden Slipper Stakes, the richest race for two year olds in the world. Last year it was run on a bog track and fillies filled the first seven places with Mossfun defeating Earthquake and Bring Me The Maid.

Mossfun at Rosehill 22 March 2014

It appears this year’s version of the Slipper will be dominated by the colts, the Gai Waterhouse trained Vancouver in particular. His 3½ length win in the Todman Stakes recently was spectacular. However he has drawn the extreme outside barrier, which gives his rivals a slight chance of beating him. Furnaces and Headwater ran second and third in the Todman Stakes, so have to have a chance, but Exosphere who won his last start by 4 lengths is probably Vancouver’s main rival. I rather fancy Haptic who is yet to be beaten, but wonder if he has the same class as the favourite.

Fillies have won the last two Golden Slippers  (Mossfun 2014 & Overreach 2013) and the girls with a chance this year are Fireworks, Ottoman, English, Reemah and Lake Geneva (the latter two ran second and third in the Blue Diamond).

The Golden Slipper is scheduled as Race 7, but the first of the Group 1 races will  be the Ranvet Stakes, run over 2000 metres as Race 4.   Silent Achiever won it last year pipping the Queen’s horse Carlton House at the post. It would be great if she could win it a second time and she has good chance if she can beat the in form Contributor who has won his two starts this autumn and is the hot favourite. The Ranvet has a really intriguing field with stayers from Hong Kong (Dominant), Japan (Tosen Stardom) and New Zealand (Fast Dragon) here especially for the Sydney Championships, plus familiar  locals like He’s Your Man and Lucia Valentina.

Race 5 is the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas also run over 2000 metres, but for three year olds. 

Randwick Guineas winner Hallowed Crown is the one to beat. Trying to do so will be the unbeaten New Zealand Derby winner Mongolian Khan, Victorian Derby winner Preferment and runners up in the aforementioned races  - Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ Derby) and Sweynesse (Randwick Guineas).

As opposed to the small field for the Rosehill Guineas (7 runners), the Group 1 Galaxy has attracted a full field of 14 starters.  It is a sprint over 1100 metres and I’m delighted to see Miracles of Life and Rubick in the field.  Deep Field who had his colours lowered in the Lightning Stakes, and was further humiliated at his last start where he was beaten by the lowly Target In Sight, is also one of the contenders, as are the smart Sweet Idea, Avoid Lightning and Melbourne mare Chloe in Paris who has won her last three starts. I’m hoping little Miracles of Life can add some more Group 1  glory to her CV.

The final Group 1 race on the program is the George Ryder Stakes (1500 metres) which has attracted a full field of middle distance runners, many of them winners at Group 1 level. Super mare Cosmic Endeavour who won the Canterbury Stakes at her last start, will no doubt start as favourite. Other familiar names in the mix are Sacred Falls, Criterion, Moriarty, Weary and Royal Descent. Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win and Kermadec, the unsuccessful favourite in the Australian Guineas, have bypassed the Rosehill Guineas to run in this and could easily be in the finish.  There are also two Japanese horses, World Ace and Real Impact who it is unwise to ignore completely.

The weather in Sydney is supposed to be cloudy with little rain, and the track is reported today as being good surface wise.

Update Sunday:

My speculations on the likely outcomes of the five Group 1 races were fairly accurate, even if I do not specify tips.

The Ranvet Stakes was won by Contributer – no surprise – with the Japanese horse Tosen Stardom running second and Lucia Valentina  taking out third.

Volkstok’n’barrell stormed home to win the Rosehill Guineas from Preferment and Hallowed Crown.

Sweet Idea won her first Group 1 in the Galaxy at long odds with Kuro running second and Miracles of Life doing well, after a pretty torrid run, to run third.

The favourite Vancouver confirmed the wraps around him with a stunning win in the Golden Slipper with the filly English giving Gai Waterhouse the Golden Slipper quinella. Lake Geneva ran third.

Finally, Japanese horse Real Impact held on narrowly  to win the George Ryder Stakes from Criterion. Three year old Kermadec ran third.

The Roses Will Be Blooming - Derby Day 2014

Flemington Roses

The 2014 Spring Racing Carnival has only a little over a week to run, and then it will be all over for another year.

But to take it out in grand fashion, Flemington hosts four days of spectacular racing excitement, the first of these being Derby Day on Saturday.

Last year I attended Derby Day for the first time, and despite the crowds found it quite enjoyable, so I intend to brave it for a second time and get some value from my Flemington season’s ticket.

How can I resist, when such a fantastic racing card is programmed, with many of my black book horses scheduled to run. There are  four Group 1 races – Coolmore Stud Stakes, Mackinnon Stakes, Victoria Derby & Myer Classic – and all the other races are at either Group 2 or Group 3 level.

The first race is at 11.30am, but as it’s going to be a long day I don’t intend to arrive at the track until slightly later, in time for the first of the Group 1 races, the Coolmore Stud Stakes, scheduled at 1.30pm.

And what a great field it has! A race for three year olds over 1200 metres it has the cream of this year’s 3yo crop in the field, such as Rich Enuff, Scissor Kick, Rubick, Earthquake, Eloping, Brazen Beau and Kuro as the main contenders. Who to choose?  Rich Enuff will no doubt start as favourite, but I’d like to see Rubick or Earthquake take the prize. At least they’ll probably be at good odds for a change. Whatever, it looks a doozy of a race.

The Coolmore Stud Stakes is followed by the Group 3 Lexus Stakes  (2500 metres) and is for stayers hoping to gain entrance into the Melbourne Cup.  Top contenders are Geelong Cup winner Caravan Rolls On, Big Memory who won the Herbert Power Stakes,  Lord Van Percy and Marksmanship, aspiring Internationals, and well connected mares La Amistad (Makybe Diva’s half sister) and Let’s Make Adeal (Let’s Elope’s granddaughter).

Next up is the second of the Group 1 races, the Mackinnon Stakes, run over 2000 metres. It has a super field as well, with a number of the usual suspects aiming for more Group 1 glory – Happy Trails, Foreteller, Moriarty, Hawkspur, Brambles and Criterion – all seen recently running in either the Caulfield Cup or the Cox Plate. Also in the picture is Rising Romance who ran second to Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup and Sydney stayer, He’s Your Man, who won the Epsom Stakes at his last start.  Last year the race was won by International visitor Side Glance who is scratched due to lameness this year. However there are two mystery British horses – Farraaj and Amralah – who could steal it this year. I’ll be barracking for Rising Romance who deserves a win after running a close second at her last two starts.

The Victoria Derby has always been a real puzzle of a race, with any of the field likely to take out the prize. Gai Waterhouse has great confidence in her entry Hampton Court who is the favourite after he won the Spring Champion Stakes in emphatic fashion at his last start. However, favourites have a bad record in the Derby and it has mostly been won by an outsider or secondary favourites. So who else has a chance? For a start there’s Moonovermanhattan who won The Vase at Moonee Valley last Saturday, and Atmosphere who ran second  (whom I fancy a lot), Royal Standing who I just noticed is a half brother to Super Cool, and the other “cool” customer Magicool, who beat Atmosphere earlier in the season at Flemington in an 1800 metre race.

The final Group 1 race is the Myer Classic for fillies and mares, run over 1600 metres. Red Tracer beat her stable mate Catkins last year in this. Red Tracer is no longer on the scene having been retired to stud, but Catkins is still around and is part of the excellent field. Top pick is Sweet Idea who won the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes at her last start with Girl Guide running second and Catkins third. The favourite however is May’s Dream who is yet to win a race this spring, but is due for a win. Also in with a good chance is Star Fashion who has won her last two races and Forever Loved who has winning form at Flemington.

A sprint over 1200 metres, the Group 2  tab.com.au Stakes is the last race on program and is worth sticking around for, due to the presence of boom Sydney horse Deep Field in the field. He is unbeaten in four starts and broke a course record at one of his latest outings at Canterbury. Trying to ruin his party will be the rejuvenated Bel Sprinter who dead heated with Miracles of Life in the Caulfield Sprint earlier this month and Adamantium who loves the Flemington straight.

The weather is expected to be somewhat damp tomorrow in Melbourne. Even though today is a hot 30°C, a change is forecast to pass through overnight. If it is wet, at least it might deter the party goers from spreading their blankets all over the public lawn, and maybe even discourage them from attending at all.  I live in hope.

The Stars Will Be Shining at Moonee Valley On Friday Night

Lankan Rupee & Angelic Light fight out the finish of the McEwen Stakes 6 September 2014

As much as I dislike night racing (mostly because it is awful for taking photos), I’m really tempted to go to Moonee Valley’s first night meeting this Friday, where the feature race is the Group 1 Moir Stakes, a sprint over 1200 metres.  Unlike last year, the feature race is scheduled at the reasonably early hour of 8.15pm rather than as the last on the card at 10.00pm as was the case then, where the bulk of  patrons departed before the race was run. Wise move MVRC!

As well as the feature race, there is a top class support card with two Group 2 and Group 3 races on the program.

Commanding Jewel and Dear Demi meet again in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600 metres), so if I do attend the meeting, I’ll have to get there early enough to witness it.  These two are the top contenders, meeting last in the Let’s Elope Stakes, where Commanding Jewel prevailed narrowly over Dear Demi. Of the other five in the field, Solicit appears as the next best chance. Last year Commanding Jewel’s big sister Atlantic Jewel won the Stock Stakes, so it would be nice if Commanding Jewel could keep it in the family.

The Moir Stakes is the fourth race on the program. A small field of five acceptors will compete for the prize money, chief among them Lankan Rupee who will be out to redeem his reputation after his shock defeat to Angelic Light in the McEwen Stakes in early September at this course.  Angelic Light is one of the five contestants along with Buffering and Rebel Dane. I’ll be cheering for the horse with a heart.

Hot on the heels of the feature race is the Group 3 Champagne Stakes, a race for three year old fillies over 1200 metres. It has a doozie of a field as well with Eloping and Tawteen being the main chances. Eloping finished third in the McEwen Stakes after battling out that race with Lankan Rupee and probably contributed to his defeat. Tawteen is on a winning roll, her last victory being at Moonee Valley on Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes Day, where she won by over 3 lengths.

The Cleaner makes a welcome return in the Group 3 JRA Cup which is run over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres. No doubt he’ll take up the running as is his style ala Vo Rogue. Can any of the rest of the field run him down in the short straight? It’s a big field of 13 contestants, mostly stayers. Old Precedence has a good record at Moonee Valley and could mount a challenge. Others with a chance are Big Memory who finished second to Brambles at Flemington recently, Mourinho who ran second to The Cleaner in the Dato Tan and won this race last year, and Signoff who has been recently placed in weaker races and has won at the track in the past.

The seventh race is the Group 2 Stutt Stakes for three year olds run over 1600 metres. It is seen as a match race between local hero Chivalry and Sydney colt Almalad, both of whom were beaten at their last starts and will be out to prove themselves. Also in the picture are Zebulon, Kumaon and  Caveka.

There is no major race meeting in Melbourne on Saturday with the AFL Grand Final dominating the sporting arena locally, however in Sydney racing is as normal with two interesting Group races.

The first of these is the Stan Fox Stakes, a race for three year olds over 1500 metres. Top chances are Scissor Kick who narrowly lost the Golden Rose to Hallowed Crown and Shooting To Win who ran third in that race. 

Catkins continues her Spring campaign in the Group 3 Golden Pendant (1400 metres) against her own sex. No doubt she’ll start as hot favourite and could well prevail.  Her main opponents appear to be Arabian Gold and My Sabeel.

A second Group 1 race will be run at Caulfield on Sunday, that being the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes, run over 1400 metres.  Dissident will be aiming for his third win in succession and could well do so, even if he is racing back in distance. He faces Sweet Idea again who was runner-up in the Memsie Stakes. Others with claims are Atlante, Cluster, Late Charge and Trust In A Gust who all won their last starts.

Also on the program on Sunday are two Group 2 Guineas Preludes, one for fillies and the other for colts and geldings, which have both attracted really good fields that I don’t feel like analysing here. 

Finally on a breeding note…

There was news today about the pure white mare The Opera House, who is a three quarter sister to Might And Power, who had a short but not very successful racing career a couple of years ago. She was retired to the breeding barn after an injury and has had several foals since. However, her latest foal by High Chaparral is a duplicate of herself – a rare, pure white filly. Read the story (with photo) here.