Sydney Bound Again

Winx on her way to winning the 2018 George Ryder Stakes

I’m off to Sydney tomorrow afternoon to attend the super race meeting at Rosehill Racecourse on Saturday where wonder mare Winx will be running her second last race before retirement.

In my past two trips to Sydney I flew up on the Saturday, but this year decided to take the less stressful option of staying an extra night in Sydney to avoid the inevitable flight delays that result in fret and worry about arriving in time to get to the races.

So I can take it easy this year, staying overnight and being pretty well assured of an early arrival at Rosehill Racecourse.

Last year I was astounded by how easy it was to get a good position on the fence to photograph the races. This year I suspect it will be more crowded with Winx fans jostling for position. Anyway I’ll play it as it lays and hope for the perfect spot and good photographs.

As it has rained heavily in Sydney this week, the track is sure to be on the soggy side. This won’t faze Winx – she loves it wet.

There are five Group 1 races on the program and the first to run is the Rosehill Guineas, where I’m looking forward to seeing The Autumn Sun in action again.  He faces 12 rivals, the most threatening being New Zealand colts Madison County, Crown Prosecutor and Surely Sacred.

Winx will be gunning for her 32nd consecutive win in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, a race she has won easily three times already.  Six other runners will be vying for second place; the formerly Darren Weir trained Land of Plenty, So Si Bon and colts Ringerdingding and Brutal.

In the Ranvet Stakes Avilius will be out to redeem his reputation after his poor showing in the Australian Cup. Also in the picture are Chris Waller mares Egg Tart, Unforgotten & Shillelagh and classy New Zealand mare Danzdanzdance who has excellent wet form.

The Golden Slipper is a conundrum with no particular stand out performers, the field comprised of six colts and ten fillies. Top colts are Microphone, Yes Yes Yes and Cosmic Force whilst the top filly chances are Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre,  recent winners Tenley, Pin Sec, Exhilarates and Kiamichi.

I’m looking forward to seeing Nature Strip again in the final Group 1 of the afternoon, the Galaxy. Can he redeem his reputation after his dismal failure in the Oakleigh Plate?  He’ll have to beat a classy field that includes double Everest winner Redzel who loves the wet.

On Friday night Sunlight will be aiming for another Group 1 win in the William Reid Stakes. At her only other start at Moonee Valley under lights, she ended unplaced for the only time in her career, though had excuses when she missed the jump and was then blocked for running room.  She has drawn the widest barrier this time, but with Shoals and Champagne Cuddles scratched she faces only seven rivals, most of whom she has beaten in the past.

The Sun in Splendour – Caulfield Guineas Day Review

The Autumn Sun - winner of the 2018 Caulfield Guineas

Melbourne weather put on a spectacular warm and sunny day for the races on Saturday, and two races were won by horses with names reflecting the star that rules our galaxy.

Sunlight won the prize in race 3 and The Autumn Sun was the outstanding winner of the feature event, the Caulfield Guineas.

As mentioned in my previous post, it was a long day, but flashed by quite fast with plenty of racing action to stave off boredom.

I arrived at Caulfield in plenty of time for Race 1 the Debutant Stakes, where the star attraction Utzon, the pure white filly, was having her first start.

A fair crowd of interested spectators was outside her stall when I got there, but it was easy to get photos of the exceptionally pretty young thing.

Utzon in her stall being saddled up for the first race

Utzon in the pre-parade ring

Though she did not look likely to win, it didn’t help that she was stopped in her tracks when another horse careered across her path halfway down the straight, so she ended up finishing ninth.

The race was won by Champagne Boom from Biscara and Wedgetail.

Champagne Boom wins the Debutant Stakes

Utzon in action just past the the winning post

Utzon certainly stands out from the crowd with her pure white colouring and turned pink when she was hosed down after the race.  It must cost her connections  a fortune in sun screen as well as shampoo to keep her looking sparkling.

Utzon being hosed down

Fast forwarding to race 3,  the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes, it was pleasing to see speedy filly Sunlight win again, after leading from the start to the finish, despite drawing a wide gate.  She’s one tough filly having now won seven of her ten starts.  She won the Thoroughbred Club Stakes by over a length from Humma Humma, with Meryl a further length away in third place.

Sunlight returns to scale

Humma Humma returns to scale

Meryl returns to scale

The first of the Group 1 races, the Thousand Guineas was scheduled as race 6, so there were two races to watch before it ran. In race 4, the Cape Grim Beef Steaks, Queensland based filly Winter Bride registered her second win on the trot down south. scoring narrowly from Booker and Our Crown Mistress.

And in race 5, the Group 2 Schillachi Stakes, Ball of Muscle led from start to finish to win by ¾ length from Spirit of Valour with Missrock running third.

Smart Melody was the hot favourite for the Thousand Guineas, and though she raced on the speed for most of the race, she faded to finish 7th.  There was some doubt about her ability to run a solid 1600 metres, which was obviously the excuse for her failure.  Amphitrite, the eventual winner, on the other hand, came from last to first down the outside to win narrowly from 100/1 shot Fundamentalist with Seabrook a further length away running third.

Thousand Guineas just past the post – Amphitrite is the widest runner

Amphitrite on her way to the barriers

Fundamentalist on her way to the barriers

Seabrook (all four feet off the ground) on her way to the barriers

Over all, I’m really pleased with the photos I snapped last Saturday, especially those I took of horses heading for the barriers. My vantage point was the small section above the pre-parade ring , which I basically had to myself. It was however disadvantageous for getting photos of the finish, being a bit too far away from the action.

The second Group 1 to jump was the Toorak Handicap which was won by Land of Plenty, another who swooped from the back of the field to win by over a length from old trooper Hartnell and Siege of Quebec.

Just past the post in the Toorak Handicap

Land of Plenty on his way to the barriers

Hartnell returns to scale

Siege of Quebec on his way to the barriers

International invader Benbatl demonstrated that he could be the horse to test Winx’s mettle in the Cox Plate, his win in the Ladbroke Stakes causing a flutter in the hearts of Winx fans everywhere. Will he be the one that spoils her attempt at a fourth win in the famous race?  I fervently hope not.

The Chris Waller trained D’Argento and Unforgotten shared favouritism for the Ladbroke Stakes, but both finished unplaced, the firmish track being blamed for their uncharacteristic performance. Benbatl raced on the speed along with Homesman and fellow International Blair House, and fought the latter to the line to win by a whisker. Humidor came from the back of the field to score third place.

Just past the post in the Ladbroke Stakes

Benbatl on his way to the barriers

Blair House in the pre-parade ring

Humidor on his way to the barriers

D’Argento on his way to the barriers – a handsome grey!

Unforgotten on her way to the barriers

Having been at Caulfield since the first race, it was relief when the Caulfield Guineas was finally set to run. The afternoon had not been wasted as my friend Rebecca and I did manage to catch up with Chris Waller and get our Winx racebooks signed – it adds to their value should I wish to sell them (god forbid!)

Anyway, The Autumn Sun, another of Chris Waller’s stable stamped himself as a potential champion of the turf with his stunning win in the Caulfield Guineas. He raced three wide for most of the race, then overtook the leaders at the top of the straight to win by 4½ lengths from 100/1 outsider Vassilator with the filly Oohood running third.

Just past the post – James McDonald celebrates The Autumn Sun’s victory

The Autumn Sun still in full flight around the corner

Left to right – Oohood, Good ‘n’ Fast & Vassilator

The Autumn Sun returns to scale

Vassilator on his way to the barriers

Oohood on her way to the barriers

I did not stay for the final race on the program, the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, which was won by Yucatan from Brimham Rocks and Prince of Arran – all imports.

We did take time out to watch The Everest, run at 3.15pm, that resulted in Redzel winning it for a second time. Trapeze Artist and Osborne Bulls ran second and third.

Next Saturday is the first of the big Cups, the Caulfield Cup, which I’ll be attending of course, then it’s only a week to the Cox Plate.

Super Saturday–Caulfield Guineas Day

Mighty Boss wins the 2017 Caulfield Guineas

With fine and sunny weather forecast for Saturday, the Caulfield Guineas meeting promises to be a sterling afternoon of first class racing with four Group 1 races and a strong support card.

It’s going to be a very long day with the races run at 35 minute intervals early in the day, but longer intervals of up to 50 minutes from Race 7 to Race 9, to accommodate coverage of The Everest in Sydney.

I normally would take my time getting to Caulfield on Guineas Day but this year I’m keen to get a look at an unusual white filly running in the first race. Aptly named Utzon, she is a daughter of The Opera House,  a pure white mare who raced briefly without much success earlier this decade. I mentioned her in a blog post back then.

Exceptionally well bred, being a three quarter sister to Might and Power, The Opera House has produced three white foals and Utzon is the first hit the racetrack. Utzon trialled the other day and showed great promise, winning comfortably after leading throughout.

There is a plethora of quality racehorses performing at Caulfield on Saturday, several of whom I have not seen in the flesh, such as the Chris Waller contingent of D’Argento, Unforgotten and The Autumn Sun, all potential stars who have previously won at Group 1 level.

Then there are the Internationals having their first run on Australian soil, and personal favourites such as golden girl Sunlight who is one of a field of 13 in Race 3, the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes. Sunlight shares topweight with the talented Enbihaar who was the Blue Diamond Stakes runner up, so it looks a match race between these two fillies.  Others in the picture are Humma Humma and Meryl.

The first of the Group 1 races to run is the Thousand Guineas, the fillies equivalent of the Caulfield Guineas and a stellar field of talented girls will contest the 1600 metre event. Top picks are Smart Melody, Thrillster, Amphitrite, Fiesta and El Dorado Dreaming.

More class is on display in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, run over 1600 metres as well. Hartnell, the surprise Epsom Handicap winner is top weight and faces stiff competition from the likes of Rupert Clark Stakes winner Jungle Cat, Dollar for Dollar, Land of Plenty and mares I Am A Star, Shillelagh and Noire.

Two high class International race horses, out here for the Cups and Cox Plate, have accepted for the Caulfield Stakes (now called Ladbroke Stakes), these being Benbatl, a Group 1 winner in the UK and Thecliffsofmoher trained by the canny Aiden O’Brian from Ireland.  It will be interesting to see how they fare against the locals – Humidor, Night’s Watch, D’Argento and Unforgotten – and acclimatised imports such as Tosen Basil and Homesman. 

The Caulfield Guineas is scheduled to run at 5.15pm as Race 9, but is well worth hanging around for, having attracted an excellent field.  Last year rank outsider Mighty Boss won at 100/1 denying highly fancied Sydney colt Kementari the prize, and this year the top contenders are Sydney colt The Autumn Sun and the locally trained Native Soldier and Leonardo Da Hinchi.  Also in with a chance are the Hawkes trained contender Outrageous, the Mick Price trained Tavisan and sole filly, the ever honest Oohood.

In Sydney, The Everest,  the richest sprint race in the world is run at 4.15pm on a heavy track. There are many chances the best being last year’s winner Redzel, latest sprint sensation Santa Ana Lane, Vega Magic who ran third last year in the race, and speedy mares Viddora and Shoals.