Golden Slipper & Winx

Written By – can he win the Blue Diamond / Golden Slipper double?

As I’ve previously mentioned the Melbourne autumn racing season was disappointing overall, but in Sydney this weekend the race card at Rosehill looks excellent by contrast.

It’s Golden Slipper Day and it features five Group 1 races that include wonder mare Winx in the George Ryder Stakes.

As I had a concert to attend on this coming Saturday night, I originally planned not to attend the Golden Slipper meeting. That’s all changed as B, who was attending the concert with me, decided he didn’t want to go as getting to the venue (Palais Theatre in St Kilda) would be difficult in the extreme. With all the roadworks in progress between the northern and southern suburbs, it would be a pain to drive through. I have seen the artist Jason Isbell several times before, so don’t really mind missing the show. I sold the tickets on Gumtree in no time flat as the seats were actually very good.

Anyway, with the concert no longer an obligation, I decided I’d  go to Sydney for the Golden Slipper after all. So I’m Sydney bound again and hope things go more smoothly than the last time I travelled there.

Besides the Golden Slipper and George Ryder Stakes, there is also the Rosehill Guineas, Ranvet Stakes and Galaxy, all attracting quality fields, so it promises to be excellent in terms of good racing.

Winx faces five rivals in the George Ryder Stakes,  and should win it easily, especially as the track is likely to be on the slow side.  Her biggest threats are Happy Clapper and three year old star colt Kementari.  Hopefully the unthinkable will not happen and that Winx will clock up her 24th win in succession and 17th Group 1 victory. Go Winx!

The Golden Slipper has a field of 16 runners and comprise equal numbers of colts and fillies. Top picks of the colts are Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By who is yet to be beaten having won his four starts, Santos and Aylmerton who have both won their last two races, and the Chris Waller trained Performer who was the early Golden Slipper favourite.

Of the fillies the standout is Sunlight who has a picket fence of five wins from her last five starts against her name, winning the Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic back in January , and the Group 2  Silver Slipper Stakes and Group 3 Magic Night Stakes at her last two starts. She certainly looks special. Other fillies with a chance are Enbihaar, Estijaab and Seabrook. As it’s a race for two year olds, anything can happen and often does.

The Ranvet Stakes (2000 metres) is the first of the Group 1 events and has a small field of familiar contestants that include the 2018 Australian Cup trifecta  Harlem, Gailo Chop and Ventura Storm along with Single Gaze and The Taj Mahal and 2016 Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon. The last mare to win the Ranvet Stakes was Silent Achiever back in 2014 , the only time before next weekend that I  have been to Rosehill. Does that bode well for the honest Single Gaze?

As for the Rosehill Guineas eight of the eigthteen strong field are New Zealanders with good NZ form and it’s understandable that NZ trainers would send their young stayers to Sydney in the autumn, as quite few Kiwis have won the Rosehill Guineas and Sydney Derby.  Last year Gingernuts won the Rosehill Guineas, and before him there was  Volkstok ‘n’ Barrell (2015) and It’s a Dundeel (2013). My sentimental pick is Ace High, so I hope he wins, but he’ll have to beat New Zealand Derby winner Vin De Dance, trained by the canny Murray Baker, and the in form Cliff’s Edge among several other challengers.

Sydney weather on Saturday is forecast to be partly cloudy and 28°C, though as it has rained there over the past few days, the track should be rated soft, which will suit the mighty mare.

Anyway, here’s hoping for good fortune in Sydney on Saturday and that I am not cursed by public transport, as I was yesterday when I went to Victoria Market and chose to catch the 250 Bus. Just near Rushall Station (my old stamping ground) the bus driver advised that he had been ordered to terminate the bus trip. So I plodded to Rushall Station and caught the train for the rest of my journey to the city.

Petits Filous Gunning for Group One Glory

Petits Filous at Moonee Valley 1/8/15

Tonight Moonee Valley Racecourse hosts their first Group 1 race meeting of the season.

The feature race is the Moir Stakes a Group 1 sprint over 1000 metres. It has attracted a quality field of sprinters and includes Buffering who won the race last year beating Lankan Rupee and Rebel Dane. He also won the race in 2012.  He’s been off the scene for almost a year recovering from an injury and this is his first start for the 2015 Spring.

Also in the field is unbeaten filly Petits Filous facing the hardest test so far in her brief career.  Can she win?  Considering her tactical speed it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that she will add another picket to her fence of wins.  If she does so, we’ll know that she really is something special.

Her main competition possibly comes from fellow filly Fontiton who won her first three races in fine fashion including the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude, before failing in the Blue Diamond Stakes. She has been out of action with an injury since then, so it will be interesting to see how she performs first up, thrown in at the deep end in a Group 1 race. 

Angelic Light, who has the distinction of defeating Lankan Rupee in Spring last year, is also worth consideration, as is old Buffering who will most likely lead and may take some catching.

The support races at Moonee Valley are top notch with the Group 2 Stocks Stakes for mares over 1600 metres being a race worth watching, so too the Group 2 Stutt Stakes, also over 1600 metres for three year olds, and the Group 3  JRA Cup run at the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres that was won by The Cleaner last year.

In Sydney, race fans who have no interest in the AFL Grand Final, can spend Saturday watching three Group 1 events and a quality support card at Randwick Racecourse.

The first of the Group 1 races is the Epsom Handicap run over 1600 metres. Top picks are Lucia Valentina, Sadler’s Lake, Winx, Entirely Platinum, Ecuador and Silver Ball.

The Group 1 Flight Stakes, also a 1600 metres competition, is for three year old fillies. Speak Fondly, who ran second to Exosphere in the Golden Rose has to be the top pick along with Pearls who won the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes. Others with a chance are Flamboyant Lass and Kimberley Star, whose recent form has been good.

The Metropolitan is third of the Group 1 races at Randwick and is for stayers, run over 2400 metres. It appears to have an open field with no real standouts, the best form horses being Magic Hurricane, Beyond Thankful, Orbec, Chance To Dance and Maurus.

The Turnbull Stakes (2000 metres) at Flemington on Sunday is the final of the Group 1 races of the weekend.  Amazingly four Oaks winners are part of the field – Rising Romance, Gust of Wind, Set Square and Royal Descent.  Of these the one with the best chance of winning is Rising Romance who finished second to Fawkner in the Makybe Diva Stakes and you can never dismiss the ever reliable Royal Descent who rarely misses a place.

Also in the field are the usual suspects, Happy Trails, Alpine Eagle, Volkstok’n’barrell and Weary, plus Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist and Who Shot thebarman who won a couple of races at Flemington last Spring and ran third in the Melbourne Cup. However,  BMW winner, Hartnell, is probably the one to beat, though Alpine Eagle is currently the favourite.

Moonee Valley beckons tonight, even though I’m not that keen on night racing, but my interest in Petits Filous insists that I put up with the hassle of getting home and attend.

With fine weather across Australia over the weekend, the tracks will be good, even in Sydney.

I’m also looking forward to returning to Flemington on Sunday. As an added bonus 2007 Melbourne Cup winner, and one of my old favourites, Efficient ,will be the Living Legends representative for the day. He won the Turnbull Stakes in 2009.

Back to Caulfield Again–Underwood Stakes Day

2014 Underwood Stakes finish – Foreteller hits the front

Saturday is expected to be warm and sunny, perfect in fact for another fine afternoon of racing as the Spring Racing Carnival, literally and figuratively, heats up.

There are two Group 1 races on the program – Underwood Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes – plus two Group 2 Guineas Preludes, one for the boys, the other for the fillies.

The fillies Thousand Guineas Prelude is scheduled as Race 5. It is run over 1400 metres and has a fabulous field of classy fillies. The main contenders are Pasadena Girl, Stay With Me, Jameka, Miss Gunpowder and Alaskan Rose. The first three above ran the trifecta at Moonee Valley in early September  in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes, with Stay With Me being the victor on that occasion,though Pasadena Girl’s run was the most eye catching.  Miss Gunpowder ran third to Petits Filous in the Quezette Stakes, then won her next race at Morphettville in her home state. Alaskan Rose is unbeaten in two starts and is highly regarded. It looks to be a doozy of a race.

Race 6 is the colts and geldings Guineas Prelude run over the same distance. It’s time for pretty boy Ready For Victory to live up to his name, after running second and third in his first two starts this season behind Gold Symphony on the first occasion and Kinglike in the second. Neither of these colts are entered for the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, so Ready For Victory has a very good chance of winning this time. However he’ll have to beat the Chris Waller trained Metallic Crown  who has two wins under his hat so far this season, and the Ciaran Maher trained Bon Aurum, also a last start winner . New Zealand colt Dal Cielo, trained by the wily Murray Baker, Snoopy who was unlucky in his start and Tulsa, could also feature in the finish.

The first of the Group 1 races on the program is the Underwood Stakes run over 1800 metres. Last year it was won by Foreteller from Happy Trails and the year before was the memorable duel between Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel with the latter being the victor.

It’s always a great race and a fab field has been assembled this year.  Fawkner is the top pick, if he can defy the Makybe Diva Stakes hoodoo and beat The Cleaner, who has drawn Barrier 1 which will enable him to take the lead without expending any energy. Who knows, the Longford Lion could leave them all in his wake, and at least assure an honestly run race. 

Contributer failed to impress at his last start running fifth behind The Cleaner in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Perhaps he didn’t enjoy the tight Moonee Valley track, but could show his true colours at Caulfield. Whatever, dismiss him at your peril. The same goes for Dibayani who has run third behind The Cleaner in his last two starts.

Four year olds have a good record in this race and both Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell are in that age bracket and have as good a chance as any in the field, though the Khan would prefer it longer. I’m interested to see how they go.

The Group 1  Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is now incorporated in the program of Underwood Stakes day, previously being run on the Sunday after the AFL Grand Final. It makes more sense to run it with the Underwood Stakes and adds to the quality of the meeting.

It is run over 1400 metres and has a super field of middle distance runners.  As we’re now in the sign of Libra (ruled by Venus), you would think that Charmed Harmony is the perfect name for the Astrological season.  He has won his last four races leading boldly from start to finish, but faces much tougher opposition in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes with classy gallopers like Disposition, Cosmic Endeavour, Rich Enuff, Amicus, Strawberry Boy and Under The Louvre all being in the picture. The Venus influence could spread to Amicus and Amorino  with their names reflecting the Latin for love (amor).

In Sydney, everyone’s favourite race mare, Catkins, is having her second start for the season in the Golden Pendant in which she ran second to Arabian Gold last year. That mare is also in the field, as is Amanpour who relegated Catkins to second place twice in the autumn.  Cross fingers for Catkins to beat them this time round.

The Equinox on September 23, as well as heralding the warmer weather, also marks a royal birth. Black Caviar delivered her second foal on the night of the Equinox, a colt by Sebring.

There are some lovely photos of the new foal here.

They’re Racing at Flemington–Makybe Diva Stakes Day

Fawkner – Cox Plate Day 2014

A super race meeting is coming up this Saturday and it is Flemington’s turn to host the first of its Spring meetings.

The feature race is the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600 metres) and a full field of smart middle distance runners and stayers has accepted.

Several are having their first outing to the racetrack (other than trials) for the spring. Notable among them are 2013 Caulfield Cup and 2014 Caulfield Stakes winner Fawkner, Australian Derby winner Mongolian Khan, Australian Guineas runner up Alpine Eagle, and ATC Oaks winner Gust of Wind.

They will be racing against others who already have a run under their belt, such as Boban who will be aiming to emulate Dissident’s effort of last year by winning the Memsie Stakes/Makybe Diva Stakes double. He could well accomplish this as he showed two weeks ago that he had returned to form and will no doubt be the favourite.

Fawkner ran second in this race last year, so is a good chance to go one better this year, and Entirely Platinum, whom I tend to overlook, and was runner up in the Memsie Stakes and could prevail this time around.

Apparently there is a bit of a hoodoo, similar to the curse on the PB Lawrence Stakes,  in regard to the Makybe Diva Stakes, where winners of the race tend not to win anything else during the season. There are exceptions of course but they are rare.

I’m really keen to lay eyes on Mongolian Khan for the first time and see the handsome Alpine Eagle and poster boy Volkstok’n’barrell again.

I’ll have to get to Flemington early, as Petits Filous is racing in the first race of the program and I really wouldn’t miss her for the world. She is racing against a field of 14 fellow fillies and there are a few that could give her a run for the money – My Poppette and Strykum are her main threats.

It is going to a long day, so it’s fortunate that the race card is interesting with three Group 2 events as well as the Makybe Diva Stakes.

For instance, Race 4, the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200 metres) has a super field of three year olds, mostly colts and geldings with one filly.

You’ve got Headwater, the Silver Slipper Stakes winner,  Ready For Victory who just missed out on winning the McNeill Stakes, and the exciting Black Vanquish who is resuming after showing considerable promise in the autumn. 

The sole filly is none other than Reemah who was runner up in the Blue Diamond Stakes behind Pride of Dubai and has one win under her belt this spring.

Also in with a chance are recent winners Well Sprung, Kinglike, Brockoff and Puritan.

There are two other Group 2 races, the second these being Race 6, the Bobbie Lewis Quality over 1200 metres.  It has attracted a quality field  with Group 1 William Reid Stakes winner, Lucky Hussler being the top pick.

Rich Enuff will be aiming to redeem his loss to Bounding in The Heath recently. That was run on a soft track, but with Saturday forecast to be warm and sunny, the track will be very good and he could fly.

Others worthy of consideration are Riziz, Gregers, Jabali and Setinum.

The Let’s Elope Stakes, scheduled to run after the Makybe Diva Stakes is worth hanging around for. It is a Group 2 race for mares over 1400 metres. Classy mares like Cosmic Endeavour, Amicus, Vezalay, Tawteen, Noble Protector, Fenway and Madam Gangster are all in the field. A super race is in store, but I’ll be hoping Cosmic Endeavour can show her true colours this time.

In Sydney at Rosehill the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes is the feature race. There are nine starters and the top picks are Exosphere (who won the Run To The Rose recently) Press Statement (winner of the Group 1 JJ Atkins in winter), and sole filly Speak Fondly who is backing up this Saturday after winning the Group 2 Furious Stakes last weekend.

Catkins also resumes this Saturday at Rosehill in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes, which she won first up last year. However she will have to beat Bounding who thrashed Rich Enuff  by 4 lengths at her last start.

As previously mentioned the weather in both Melbourne and Sydney will be fine and warm; an indication that Spring has finally come. Both Rosehill and Flemington will have good rated tracks, and I fully expect the racing to be first class across the board.

Chill & Thrills–Memsie Stakes Day

Boban parades after winning the Memsie Stakes

Weatherwise, it was a terrible day for going to the races, with intermittent rainy periods, a cold wind and generally miserable conditions.

I’ve been to the races where it was 40° + and still had a good time, so last Saturday the weather was not enough to dampen my spirits as the racing was pretty interesting throughout.

Reaching Caulfield half an hour before race 4, the HDF McNeil Stakes, so had some time to cruise through the stalls area to see who had arrived.

Unfortunately the misty rain made taking photos rather difficult, but surprisingly most of my snaps turned out alright.

Trackside, most of the front lawn had been fenced off for a special equestrian event running concurrent with the racing program. This featured ex racehorses in an off the track Triequithon competing in trials, including dressage, cross country and show jumping.

Triequithon competitor over the jumps

The horses in this event were beautifully turned out and made a pleasant spectacle to watch between races.

The HDF McNeil Stakes was the first of the Group races on the program and was won by Gold Symphony registering his second win in succession for the season.

Gold Symphony in the mounting yard

Ready for Victory ran a close second with Demonstrate filling third place.

Gold Symphony hits the front 100 metres to go.

Returning to the stalls area I found several of the horses I had come to see, Cosmic Endeavour among them.

Cosmic Endeavour in her stall

And the Chris Waller contingent were there as well.

Weary snuggling up to his strapper

Boban in his stall

For the fifth race I decided to go up the hill and photograph the runners as they returned to scale.

The Shark.com.au Stakes featured Rich Enuff resuming from an injury induced break. He was one upped by former New Zealand mare Bounding who won by 4 lengths. Miss Promiscuity ran third a further 4 lengths behind.

Past the post – Bounding (white silks) is outside Rich Enuff (hot pink silks)

Bounding returning to scale after winning the Shark.com.au Stakes

Miss Promiscuity returns to scale

Back in the stalls area Volkstok’n’barrell was being walked. He’s a lovely looking animal – quite the poster boy.

Volkstok’n’barrell posing for admirers in the stalls area.

In the mounting yard, the runners for race 6, the Hocking Stuart Handicap, were parading.

Charmed Harmony - the winner

Jacquinot Bay – runner up

Awesome Rock – third place

Charmed Harmony led from start to finish and didn’t look beatable at any time, more than validating his favouritism for the event. This race was a sort of consolation prize for him as he was originally entered in the Memsie Stakes. As third emergency he failed to make the field.

Charmed Harmony zooms down the straight with Jacquinot Bay & Awesome Rock in pursuit.

It was freezing cold track side, so I took shelter in the Norman Robinson building and relaxed with a drink before the next race.

The Triequestrian was still in progress and I watched a bit of that while waiting for the mares to assemble in the mounting yard for race 7, the William Hill Sprint Series Heat 1 Stakes.

Triequithon contestant

Soon enough the mares arrived in the mounting yard.

Cosmic Endeavour – finished 7th

Madam Gangster – the eventual winner

Hazard – second place

Vezalay – third place

Madam Gangster was underrated in the betting with Vezaley starting as favourite. The race ended in a three horse finish with Vezalay, Hazard and Madam Gangster hitting the line together. The gangster lady got the nod.

100 metres to go and Vezalay is in the lead. Madam Gangster (centre) and Hazard (white blaze) are closing in

Race 8 was the feature Group 1 Memsie Stakes and finally the contenders were assembling in the mounting yard.

Boban

Rising Romance

Stratum Star

Entirely Platinum

Dandino

Volkstok’n’barrell

The sun briefly emerged as the Memsie Stakes was run and it resulted in another three horse finish with Entirely Platinum, Stratum Star and Boban hitting the line together. Boban snuck in on the inside to win with Entirely Platinum, who led for most of the race, hanging on for second with the fast finishing Stratum Star running third.

Memsie Stakes up the straight – Entirely Platinum leads with Boban on his inside and Stratum Star just behind them.

I’d had my money on Volkstok’n’barrell and Weary, so didn’t have a collect. I picked the wrong Waller horse.

It is remarkable that Chris Waller has had so many wins at Group 1 level, so it was not surprising that Boban won his stable yet another one.

Will Chris Waller go on to be a great of Australian Racing History like the late great Bart Cummings?

Bart Cummings statue at Flemington Racecourse

There has been plenty written about Bart Cummings since his death on Sunday morning, so I’m not going to add to it.

He was indeed an Australian treasure and a great trainer of stayers and will be remembered, like Don Bradman, for many years to come. Rest in Peace Bart.

Next Saturday the racing action in Melbourne is at Moonee Valley and features the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes. Looking at the nominations it looks a higher quality field than was contested last year, and includes last year’s winner and runner up The Cleaner and Mourinho.

Spring Stars Rising–The Memsie Stakes

Rising Romance – Derby Day 2014

After what has seemed a long wait during an exceptionally cold and miserable Melbourne winter, the promise of Spring brings keen anticipation of  a brand new racing season, along with the warmer weather.

It kicks off this coming Saturday at Caulfield with the Memsie Stakes, the first Group  1 race of the Spring.

A full field will contest the event and includes seven Group 1 winners. Fawkner, originally an acceptor, has been scratched after drawing Barrier 18. I’m disappointed, as I was looking forward to seeing him again. He’ll start his season now a fortnight hence in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

The main contenders with Fawkner out are:

- Boban who redeemed an otherwise uninspiring autumn by winning the Doomben 10,000 back in May then followed that up by running second in the Stradbroke Handicap.

- New Zealand bred, Volkstok’n’barrell, winner of the Rosehill Guineas, and fellow New Zealander, Rising Romance, the sole mare in the race, who ran second to Admire Rakti in the Caulfield Cup, and won the 2014 ATC Oaks.

Then there are the old stalwarts like Happy Trails, Temple of Boom, Smokin’ Joey and smart young things like Magicool and Hi World and the other Waller runner Weary.

It being their first start for the season for most of the runners, the result could likely surprise.

As the Memsie Stakes is being run as Race 8, I plan on delaying my arrival at the course until Race 4, otherwise it’s an extra long afternoon.

Fortunately there are several interesting Group 3 events in the interim and the first of these is Race 4, the HDF McNeil Stakes for three year olds run over 1200 metres. Gold Symphony who won the Vain Stakes at his last start has to be one of the main chances as well as Top Me Up who ran second in that race, and Demonstrate who started favourite, but had a torrid run that dashed his chances. But they’ll have to beat the so far unbeaten Prince of Brooklyn kicking off his spring campaign.

However, the sole filly in the field, Stream Ahead, could well trump the boys. At her last start she ran second to the speedy Petits Filous and will have a 2 –4 kg weight advantage over the boys as well.

Race 5, theshark.com.au Stakes sees the return of Rich Enuff who won three successive races in Spring last year before fighting out the finish in the Caulfield Guineas with Shooting To Win, losing by a nose. By all accounts he has trialled really well, so is expected to win this race. He faces seven other competitors, all older and more experienced, the biggest threats being The Bowler and the two mares Bounding and Miss Promiscuity.

I’m really looking forward to seeing dual Group 1 winning mare Cosmic Endeavour making a rare appearance in Melbourne in
Race 7, the Group 3 William Hill Sprint Series Heat 1 Stakes.  She’s up against some smart mares resuming as is she. These include Vezalay (if she gets a run) Madam Gangster, Hazard, Jessy Belle and Griante. 

Yesterday the rain bucketed down on Melbourne, and more rain is expected on Saturday, so the track could well be on the soft side, which makes analysing the form all the more difficult.

In Sydney the track will certainly be on the heavy side after the drenching the State received earlier in the week. The feature race is the Group 2 Run To The Rose, for Golden Rose bound three year olds. Japonisme will be aiming to add a fifth win in succession to the picket fence against his name. However, he faces the unbeaten Press Statement winner of the Group 1 JJ Atkins Handicap, so it looks like it could be a fine battle between these two. I like the name of  Raphael’s Cat a colt from Gai Waterhouse’s stable, who has some claims on form.

Last week’s feature race in Sydney, the Warwick Stakes was won by Royal Descent who thoroughly deserved the win, after being so consistent, placing in a number of Group 1 races in the past.