Spring Fever– Makybe Diva Stakes & Golden Rose

Foreteller returns to scale after winning the 2013 Makybe Diva Stakes

The Spring racing season is rather like a fever that infects keen followers of the turf every year about this time.  Like the season itself, the racing carnival quickens and warms up as the quality of the racing builds towards the grand finale at Flemington in November.

Flemington in fact hosts their first race meeting for the season this coming Saturday with a fabulous line up of races,  the feature being the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes.

Run over 1600 metres, the Makybe Diva Stakes, now being scheduled a week later than it was previously, with a fortnight separating it from the Memsie Stakes, it’s not surprising that several of the Memsie Stakes contenders are part of the field. The surprise winner of the Memsie Stakes, Dissident, will start as favourite – no more good odds on him this time. However, there could be challenges from other contestants. Spillway finished second in the Memsie and could turn the tables on Dissident this time. I’d love it if Puissance de Lune could finally win a Group 1. He narrowly missed out in this race last year with Foreteller pipping him at the post. Boban also will be out to redeem his reputation and has a good record at Flemington having won here last spring over the same distance. The 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon, and 2013 Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner both start their spring campaigns in this race, but as they are aiming for the bigger races down the track it would be surprising if they won first up. And lastly I can’t not mention my old favourite Super Cool, who I hope acquits himself better than he did in the Memsie Stakes.

Before the feature is run, there are several really interesting races, the first of these being the Listed Living Legends Stakes, a race for three year olds over 1400 metres.  McNeil Stakes winner Chivalry is one of the contestants, so I’m looking forward to seeing him in action again. Also I’m pleased to see the regally bred  Divan is in the field. He is a son of wonderful New Zealand mare Seachange by Zabeel. He’s only had two starts, his last a lowly race at Sandown, where he impressed with a swooping run from the tail of the field to win the race.  Others with a chance are Merion who won at Flemington on Anzac Day this year, Silent Whisper and Zebulon.

Commanding Jewel returns to scene of her last win in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes, a race for mares over 1400 metres.  Commanding Jewel won it last year from Catkins, before suffering an injury that ruled her out of autumn. It has attracted an excellent field of smart mares that include Cockram Stakes winner Gregers, Dear Demi, New Zealand Group 1 winner Viadana, Solicit and Bonaria. 

The Danehill Stakes, a Group 2 sprint over 1200 metres for three year olds also has a great field that includes Guelph’s little brother Ghibellines who I witnessed winning the Todman Stakes at Rosehill in March.  His only run after that was in the Golden Slipper Stakes where he ran eighth.  He’s one of a number of Sydney colts avoiding the heavy tracks that seem to curse the Sydney racing scene. These include the Group placed Brazen Beau and Nostradamus (if he doesn’t run in the Golden Rose in Sydney). The highly regarded sole filly in the race, Go Indy Go looks the top pick however and will most probably start as favourite and I suppose I should mention the so far unbeaten though lightly raced Get The Nod and last start winner Rich Enuff.

In Sydney the aforementioned Golden Rose is the feature race at Rosehill this Saturday. A Group 1 race for three year olds over 1400 metres, it has always been an intriguing contest and it has generally been won by the classiest runner in the field.  Zoustar won it last year and previous winners include Manawanui, Denman, Forensics and Epaulette.

So who is the classiest runner this year?

Peter Moody filly Bring Me The Maid is currently the favourite for the race. She’s in great form having won first up a fortnight ago on heavy going. Her greatest rival appears to be Hallowed Crown who romped home in the Group 3 Run To The Rose on a bog track at his last start. Better Land son of Amelia’s Dream by Sharmardal is another who has claims, as has Scissor Kick who has won his last three starts, and Almalad the only Group 1 winner in the field, would be unwise to overlook.

I’m also very interested in other races on the Rosehill card, particularly the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000 metres) where Makybe Diva’s little sister La Amistad will be kicking off her spring campaign. Whether she can win the race first up is questionable, but I’ll be watching to see how she fares.

One of my favourite race mares Catkins also resumes at Rosehill this weekend in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes a race for fillies & mares over 1200 metres. Heavy tracks don’t worry Catkins and she goes well first up, so she is likely to win this.

Naturally I’ll be heading to the big track tomorrow to try my fortune in the forecast sunshine and experience what will no doubt be a great day of racing, with the added bonus of two Living Legends – Apache Cat & Paris Lane – being part of the attraction.

Smelling the Roses – Derby Day Review

Hugh Bowman expresses his delight  as Polanski returns to scale after winning the 2013 Victoria Derby

If you have never visited Flemington Racecourse, you would not have experienced the overwhelming wonder of the roses, luxuriantly in bloom over the period of the Spring racing carnival. The mounting yard is surrounded by a hedge of roses, as is the fence all the way down the straight, and the mounting yard gates have yellow climbing roses entwining the ornate wrought iron gate posts on each side.

Rose hedge where I was standing when watching the races

As expected the crowds were overwhelming as well, but despite that I managed to find a good position on the fence next to the pathway where the horses leave the mounting yard for the track, so was able to photograph the horses as they went out to the track and returned.

I planned to arrive at the track in plenty of time to see Race 4, the first of the Group 1 events, and arrived early enough to witness Race 3, the Group 3 Lexus Stakes, a distance race over 2500 metres.  It was won by Irish invader Ruscello who gained  entry into the Melbourne Cup with the win. Granddaughter of 1991 Melbourne Cup winner Let’s Elope,  Let’s Make Adeal ran second with Araldo filling third place.

Ruscello after winning the Lexus Stakes

By contrast to the public lawn and the rest of the course, the stalls area was sparsely populated as is usually the case, so thence I went to catch the parade of contenders for the Coolmore Stud Stakes. Zoustar, the hot favourite was being saddled up…

Zoustar in his stall being prepared for the race

Divine Calling in the Parade Ring

Fast N Rocking in the Parade Ring

Returning trackside I found a position on the fence beside the mounting yard path and was able to photograph the runners as they made their way to the track.

Lion of Belfort

Missy Longstocking

Not Listenin’tome

Zoustar was sensational and won by a length from Not Listenin’tome with Lion of Belfort running third.

Zoustar returns to scale after winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes

The next race on the card was the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes and Jet Away was the favourite. I decided to have a bet on this race, my first for the afternoon, and went and queued at the nearest bookie to have a wager on Dear Demi, whose odds were quite good.

Back on the fence, the runners eventually moved out onto the track…

Dear Demi

Pakal

Cox Plate International invitee Side Glance, who ran sixth in that race, made the trip worth while by winning the Mackinnon Stakes, from Dear Demi and Moriarty. He’s a very good looking horse I must admit.

Side Glance returns to scale after winning the Mackinnon Stakes

The feature race was next on the program, so I made sure of my position well before the field left the mounting yard.

Complacent

Polanski

Criterion

Polanski, a horse that only cost $4000, won the race easily. A feel good story if ever there was one. My pick Complacent ran second and 30/1 long shot Thunder Fantasy took out third spot.

The final Group 1 race of the day was the Myer Classic for fillies and mares. I was keen to see how Catkins would go in it against her classier stable mate Red Tracer. Catkins led practically from start to finish and was only beaten by Red Tracer on the line – by a nose. Fire Up Fifi ran third.

Nash Rawiller celebrates his win on Red Tracer in the Myer Classic

Catkins returns to scale – certainly not disgraced.

I didn’t bother staying for the last two races, so after collecting my winnings on Catkins I headed for the station.

So that was my Derby Day. My trepidations about the huge crowd were largely correct, but despite that it was fairly easy to move through the masses and also escape them in the stalls area. The queue to get a drink was long and the wait was tedious, but as I had one beer all afternoon I only had to endure it once.

Crowd scene

And I was pleased that my previous explorations of Flemington racecourse had equipped me to find the best spots for taking photos under the circumstances. I was surprised the spot I found on the fence was unoccupied before each race.  This was probably due to the area directly in front of it being taken up by broadcasting equipment and camera persons, which obscured the view of the big screen. I didn’t mind as I could see enough to gauge the pattern of the race. The below photo is of the press corps. The lady with long blonde/red hair and huge camera is Bronwen Healy, who takes wonderful photos of racehorses that make mine look amateurish which I freely admit they are.

The next race meeting is the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. I have decided not to attend it, but will probably go to the Oaks on Thursday and Emirate Stakes day next Saturday.

I’ve rushed this entry, as I wanted to get it posted tonight. Tomorrow I’ll post my thoughts on the Melbourne Cup.

All The Pretty Horses – Derby Day at Flemington

Complacent – photo from Racing & Sports

Flemington this Saturday launches its Spring racing festival, the first of four big days of first class racing, and what a fantastic line up there is on the cards. Every race is at a Group level and includes four Group One contests.

The feature race of course is the Group One Victoria Derby, where a field of sixteen young stayers will be vying for a share of the $1.5 million in prize money.  It’s a funny race, in that it is not all that surprising for a long shot chance to win it.  And remember the race is run at Flemington, where recently favourites have not been particularly successful.  However, in assessing the form, you have to consider the favourites; Savvy Nature who won the Mitchelton Wines Vase at Moonee Valley last weekend,  Complacent who won the Spring Champion Stakes at his last start,  Criterion who ran second to Complacent on that occasion, Polanski who won the Norman Robinson Stakes and runner up in that race San Diego, all have form on their side.  Savvy Nature, Complacent and Criterion have all drawn wide gates, which may prove disadvantageous, but in a distance race may not make much of a difference at all.

The Derby is run as the seventh race on the program, but before that happens, there are two other Group One races, the first being the Coolmore Stud Stakes, a race over 1200 metres for three year olds. The top pick is Golden Rose winner Zoustar, racing in Melbourne for the first time.  Also in the picture is Fast N Rocking, Divine Calling, Lion of Belfort and smart Queensland filly Missy Longstocking.

The Mackinnon Stakes is the last chance for horses who have not qualified for the Melbourne Cup to gain an automatic start. It is run over 2000 metres. Those vying for a place in the Melbourne Cup are pitted against already qualified horses like Dear Demi, who has a good chance of winning this race. Also in the picture are Jet Away who finished fourth in the Caulfield Cup and needs to win to gain entry to the Melbourne Cup. Solzhenitsyn last seen winning the Toorak Handicap has not won beyond 1600 metres, but if he can manage 2000 metres is a top chance. 

The Myer Classic is run after the Derby and is a 1600 metre Group One race for fillies and mares. Two of my favourite mares Red Tracer and Catkins are entered in this. Red Tracer has slightly more class than Catkins, but has yet to win over a mile. Catkins handled the mile at Moonee Valley last weekend with aplomb, so has a decent chance to win her first Group One.  Her main opposition will be from Red Tracer naturally, and also Fire Up Fifi, Sharnee Rose, Molto Bene and New Zealand mare Zonza, who are all in good form.

I am heartily glad that the VRC has not followed the example of MRC and MVRC in staging its feature race last, so it won’t be such a tiring day at the track. All the Group One races are run consecutively from 1.30pm, so I envisage arriving at the track at around 12.45 pm.

With a fine and sunny forecast, there is sure to be a huge crowd in attendance, so I hope my familiarity with the Flemington layout will enable me to obtain a good view of the races, and snap a few photos.