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.

Dazzling Jewel Wins Again – Caulfield Guineas Day Review

I Won! Atlantic Jewel celebrates her easy win in the Caulfield Stakes

There were girls dressed to the nines, sailors in sailor suits, young swanks posing as extras from the Great Gatsby movie, and the usual range of punters, drunks, kids and hoi polloi of the racing world.

The perfect sunny day drew them all to Caulfield racetrack to try their luck on Caulfield Guineas Day.

I arrived at the track just as the runners in the second race were being loaded into the barriers, and made it to a position on the fence towards the top of the straight to watch the race.  Warm favourite, Queensland filly Missy Longstocking, won it easily.

 
Missy Longstocking gains the lead before powering to win comfortably from Anatina and Bulbula

The Blue Sapphire Stakes was next up, so I grabbed a spot on the very limited fence space around the mounting yard to watch the parade. This was one of the races I was keen to see due to the presence of glamour filly Miracles of Life.

Miracles of Life – forelock all over the place.

She had a bad hair day – even worse in fact, as she was discovered to have bled internally after the race and will be out of action for the rest of the spring. It goes without saying that she didn’t win, being blocked for a run in the straight and having no hope of catching the winner Lion of Belfort, let alone Safeguard who came second.

Safeguard on his way to the barriers

Blue Sapphire finish – Villa Verde (grey) leads Safeguard, with Lion of Belfort (white blinkers) just behind and ready to pounce. Miracles of Life is on the fence behind a wall of horses.

Arriving so early at the course, meant a long day hanging around for the main races, which were scheduled in the late afternoon. It was quite warm and crowded, though not oppressively so, but there were shady places to relax in peace.

The most interesting race was of course Race 6 the Caulfield Stakes, starring Atlantic Jewel with co stars Super Cool and Foreteller. Green Moon didn’t run, being scratched on Saturday morning due to an elevated temperature. So Atlantic Jewel only had to contend with four other rivals.

I watched the parade in the mounting yard, arriving in good time to find a spot on the fence.

Atlantic Jewel in the mounting yard

 
Foreteller in the mounting yard

Super Cool in the mounting yard

The race was run in a casual fashion. Led by Spacecraft, they raced in single file until the 800 mark, when Atlantic Jewel started to make her move. Super Cool joined her briefly at the lead, but she powered away down the straight to win easily by four lengths from Foreteller with Super Cool running third.

Any doubts as to her ability to run 2000 metres were certainly quashed and she is now hot favourite for the Cox Plate over It’s A Dundeel.  Whether he would have beaten her on Saturday, we’ll never know, but they meet again in the  Cox Plate, which is promising to be a doozy.

Atlantic Jewel returns to scale to face a barrage of press photographers.

Atlantic Jewel in the winners rug, obligingly turning her head in my direction for this photo.

The Group Two Herbert Power Stakes was the next race of interest for me. This race gains the winner automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup.

This year’s edition was taken out by Sea Moon, a win where he could keep the prize money after losing out in the Bart Cummings in a protest.

First time down the straight – Oasis Bloom leads with Sea Moon on her outside.

Sea Moon, head high, takes the lead in the final run down the straight

Oasis Bloom held on for second and Simenon (no 2 saddlecloth) ran third.

For the last two races I decided to take up a different position to watch the action.

At the far end of the stalls area there is a raised area overlooking the racetrack just past the finishing post. I basically went up there because I couldn’t be bothered returning to the public lawn and fighting my way through the crowds. It turned out to be an OK spot for taking photos of the runners as they proceeded to the barriers, and returned after the race.

So I watched the Group One Toorak Handicap up there and snapped the following photos of the contestants.

Solzhenitsyn – the winner on his way to the barriers

Speediness on his way to the barriers


Luckygray on his way to the barriers

Linton on his way to the barriers

Solzhenitsyn won the race for a second time in succession. French horse Trevieres came second and old Blackie ran third. I was disappointed that Linton failed to run a place.

Past the post – Solzhenitsyn leads the charge


Solzhenitsyn returns to scale, his jockey being interviewed by a Channel 7 representative.

Finally, it was time for the feature event, the Caulfield Guineas, at the ridiculous hour of 5.45pm. It had been rather tiresome trying to kill the five hours I had been at the track, so I gritted my teeth and stayed for the event, watching it from the hill above the stalls.

 
Divine Calling – he ran second

The highly fancied Eclair Big Bang – unplaced

My favourite – Prince Harada – unplaced

The winner – Long John

 
Shamus Award – third place

Past the post – Long John leads with Divine Calling a length or two behind.

As I wasn’t inclined to bet on the race, I didn’t have to wait around for correct weight, or collect winnings, so I made my way home post haste. Fortunately the trains were again running like clockwork, so it only took a little over 30 minutes to get home.

I’m going back to Caulfield this Wednesday for the Group One Thousand Guineas, for which I booked a ticket some months ago. The race will be run mid afternoon, so it won’t be as tiring as Saturday. And the added attraction is that It’s A Dundeel will gallop between races three and four. I’m also looking forward to seeing Guelph run in the main event; she is regarded as the best three year old filly of the season.

Jewel, Cool & Miracles – Caulfield Guineas Day

Prince Harada – Caulfield 31 August 2013

As the Melbourne Racing Club, draws towards its spring finale, the Caulfield Cup – which is only a little over a week away - they host a fabulous day of racing this Saturday, featuring the three Group One races –  Caulfield Stakes, Toorak Handicap and the Caulfield Guineas.

I went to this meeting last year and enjoyed it enormously. It certainly has a considerably better race card than Caulfield Cup day which I will not be attending, though I really will have to go along to it one of these days, as I’ve never seen it in person.

There are ten races scheduled and the Caulfield Guineas is, as is the new fangled way, the last race of the day and will be run at 5.45pm.

But fortunately there is a solid support card that includes the Group Two  Schillaci Stakes and Herbert Power Stakes, the first being a sprint over 1000 metres and the second being a distance contest over 2400 metres.

I intend to arrive at the course in time to see Miracles of Life compete in the Blue Sapphire Stakes. She faces a field of both colts and fillies.  She actually should be at pretty good odds this time, after so far failing to win this spring.  Her greatest opposition comes from colts Safeguard, Iconic and Diamond Oasis and filly Villa Verde. I am not going to make extravagant statements as to her chances of finally cracking a win, but certainly my heart will be with her all the way.

The first of the Group One races on the program is the Caulfield Stakes. It was formerly known as the Yalumba Stakes and has been won by well known champions – last year’s Cox Plate winner Ocean Park, dual Cox Plate winners So You Think, Northerly and Kingston Town, and other notable Cox Plate winners like El Segundo and Bonecrusher - the list goes on.

It was supposed to be a highly anticipated rematch between Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel, but unfortunately the latter is still recovering from a hoof abscess, so will not compete. Atlantic Jewel will be there with bells on, along with her stable mate Super Cool, who raced last week in the messily run Turnbull Stakes and finished out of a place.  The  small field of six should give Atlantic Jewel all the advantages. Super Cool looks to be her main danger, along with Foreteller and Green Moon who are the other top class horses in the race.  There are those who say Atlantic Jewel is vulnerable over 2000 metres, even though she has won over the distance in the past. The track on Saturday should be in the good to dead range, so she won’t have to plough through churned up turf this time.

The Toorak Handicap is run over 1600 metres, and has a good field of tried and true milers. The top picks are old favourite Linton and last year’s winner Solzhenitsyn. One interesting runner is the French horse Trevieres, having his first start in Australia. He has excellent form in Europe, but whether this will translate to a win in our fair land is yet to be seen. Others with a chance are Speediness and Budriguez, who dead heated with Puissance de Lune back in the autumn.

Sea Moon, after showing his credentials last week with a technical win in the Bart Cummings, gets another chance to take first prize in the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes. He is definitely the one to beat and his main opposition will come from Kesampour and other dour imports Simenon and Verdant, as well as sole mare Let’s Make Adeal. 

So, the Caulfield Guineas…

It’s not as cut and dried a race as it was last year, even though All Too Hard surprised everyone with his victory over the hot favourite Pierro in that edition. This year’s Guineas field is wide open with any number of chances.  Sentiment leads me to favour Prince Harada, though there are doubts as to his likelihood of taking out the race. He has stiff competition from the likes of Long John who is the current favourite, Divine Calling who has won his last two starts, Eclair Big Bang who also was a last start winner and Cluster and El Roca who were close up placed against the aforementioned winners. Still Prince Harada, with luck on his side and with Damien Oliver in the saddle, may steal the prize despite not racing for a month, after his failure in the Golden Rose.

The last Group One in the Sydney spring carnival is the Spring Champion Stakes and will be run at Randwick on Saturday.  It was won by It’s A Dundeel last year. It is for three year olds and is run over 2000 metres.  None of the 14 in the field have raced over the distance before though a few, mostly notably Savvy Nature, Complacent, Drago  and Rock Hero have won or placed over 1600 metres and 1800 metres, so are the ones most likely to take home the prize. Anyway, that’s my theory and I reckon the winner will be one of those mentioned above.

Farewell Hay List

Hay List photographed heading to the barrier before winning the McEwan Stakes at Moonee Valley on 11 September 2010

Racing news yesterday reported that champion sprinter Hay List has been retired. About time too, I think, as it has been quite painful and saddening to see him racing of late, trying his heart out as usual, but being unable to find his former brilliance.  I watched his last race the Premiere Stakes last Saturday on a small screen in the Bookies area at Flemington, and he failed to finish the race. I exchanged glances with a fellow spectator of the race, and we both agreed that it was time Hay List was retired.

If the career of super mare Black Caviar had not been contemporaneous with that of Hay List, he would have been the top sprinter in Australia and possibly the world. He chased Black Caviar home six times in all, and put her to the test on more than one occasion. He was the only horse, other than Moonlight Cloud in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot, who ever came close to beating her.

I first saw him race at Moonee Valley on Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes day on 11 September 2010, where he easily won the Group 3 McEwan Stakes. He won the Manikato Stakes that year as well.

He ended up racing 28 times for 15 wins and 5 places.  Three of his wins were at Group One level - but he would have won more if Black Caviar had not been on the scene – two Group Two and Three races apiece, plus six other quality races in Perth, Melbourne. Brisbane and Sydney.

So ends a brilliant career. Here’s hoping he enjoys his retirement, though his trainer John McNair has said that he was horse who was easily bored and enjoyed racing, and grew discontent in the paddock.

Happy Trails & Tribulations – Turnbull Stakes Review

Happy Trails returning to the mounting yard after winning the Turnbull Stakes

No doubt there was much to celebrate in the Happy Trails camp after the bargain basement gelding pipped the favourite, Puissance de Lune, at the post in the Turnbull Stakes. And I’m sure there was tribulation aplenty among the losers, particularly for Fiorente and Super Cool connections. I was disappointed that Super Cool was unplaced and somewhat chagrined that Puissance de Lune was once again denied his first Group One on the line.  But as they say, that’s racing.

Weatherwise, it couldn’t have been a better day for spending time at the track, with the sun blazing down all afternoon, after a rather uninspiring overcast morning. The only drawback was the strong wind buffeting the wide open spaces of Flemington racecourse.

The famous Flemington roses are not quite out, no doubt perfectly timed to bloom during the four big days of the VRC Spring Racing Carnival. However, pretty blossoming trees lined the alley that leads to the back area of the stalls…

…where I wandered as usual to catch the equine stars in their stalls or perambulating in the Parade Ring.

I was delighted to see that old favourite, Apache Cat had ventured from Living Legends to be present for the occasion. I even got to give him a pat this time.

Apache Cat hanging out in the stalls area

Whilst in the area I took a few photos of the Turnbull contestants

 
Dear Demi in her stall

Fiorente in the parade ring

Hawkspur in his stall – he has an interesting white crescent  moon on his forehead.

Hawkspur’s stablemate Royal Descent in her stall

Super Cool in the Parade Ring

Knowing how unreliable the form is betting on horses at Flemington, I refrained from wagering most of the afternoon and only outlaid on the Turnbull Stakes on my two favourites, Super Cool and Puissance de Lune, though I did watch several races before the feature event out of interest.

Race 5 was the listed Tavern Stakes for four year olds and up over 1410 metres.  It was won by Molto Bene from British General and Goldslick.

Molto Bene returns to scale after winning the Tavern Stakes

The next race on the cards was The Bart Cummings, one for stayers over 2520 metres, and of interest due to the general curiosity on how Sea Moon would go. He finally won, but lost out to an upheld protest from the rider of the second horse Araldo. Gotta Take Care ran third.

Sea Moon returns to the mounting yard after technically winning The Bart Cummings

The Edward Manifold Stakes – race 7 on the card - was the first of the Group races to be run. It’s a Group Two race for three year old fillies run over 1610 metres.  Politeness was the hot favourite, but she ended up unplaced. Se Sauver won it from Star Fashion with Solicit taking out third place – all were at double figure odds.

Se Sauver returning to scale after winning the Edward Manifold Stakes

Race 8 was the one we’d spent all afternoon waiting for, so I grabbed myself a good possie on the mounting yard fence to see the parade…

Saddlecloth no 1 – Manighar

 
Saddle cloth no 16 – Royal Descent

Saddle cloth no 14 – Dear Demi

…then moved to the side to see the field file out onto the track.

Puissance de Lune and Glen Boss

Fiorente and Nash Rawiller

Happy Trails and Dwayne Dunn

Jet Away and Daniel Moor

Silent Achiever and Stephen Arnold

Glencadam Gold and Vlad Duric

It was somewhat of a messily run race, with some horses being blocked for a run when it counted. When Puissance de Lune flashed past down the straight, those of us watching thought he had it won. But Happy Trails overtook him just before the post, and the glory was all his. Fawkner beat the rest of the field home into third place, though there was a protest raised against him from somewhere behind claiming interference.  The protest was eventually dismissed, so I could  collect my winnings on Puissance de Lune and head home.

Spending an afternoon at Flemington racecourse seems to be much more exhausting than at the other racetracks. When you consider that the straight is 1200 metres long, and you walk that distance several times during the afternoon, you probably clock up a couple of miles.

I’m still tossing up whether I’ll go to the Derby, but before that there is a fabulous race card at Caulfield next Saturday with three Group One races, featuring the Caulfield Guineas. I pre-booked a ticket a couple of months ago and saved $20.00 on the gate price, so I’ll be there with bells on.

Atlantic Jewel and It’s A Dundeel may clash again next Saturday in the Group One Caulfield Stakes. It’s A Dundeel is under an injury cloud with a hoof abscess, so he may not start. The news today was that the abscess had burst, so fingers crossed, I hope he recovers quickly.

Staying The Distance – The Turnbull Stakes

Super Cool at Caulfield 31 August 2013 prior to running in the Memsie Stakes

Coming up this Saturday are four Group One races, three at Randwick in Sydney, and one – the Turnbull Stakes – at Flemington.

You can tell it’s getting closer to the big three races, as the distance in the major races lengthens.  The Turnbull Stakes is contested over 2000 metres, and will hopefully offer some enlightenment as to likely chances in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, as well as the Cox Plate.

Thirty one horses were nominated for the Turnbull Stakes and a full field of 16 acceptances plus 4 emergencies has been assembled.  Several of my favourite black bookers are part of the field – Super Cool for one, and Puissance de Lune for another. There’s also a group of very classy Sydney horses – Hawkspur, Royal Descent, Glencadam Gold and Fiorente principally, and the usual suspects of Manighar, Happy Trails, Mr O’Ceirin and Dear Demi. One interesting runner is Jet Away, former UK stayer, now with the David Hayes stable.

I’m of course hoping that either Super Cool or Puissance de Lune will win, but whatever eventuates it is sure to be a fascinating race.

There’s quite a good support card at Flemington with 10 races in all scheduled. Fortunately the VRC has not followed Moonee Valley and Caulfield in running the feature event last, so the Turnbull Stakes will happen around 4.25pm.

At Randwick, Sydney’s spring racing carnival all happens on one day, with three Group One races on the cards.

First up you’ve got the Flight Stakes for three year old fillies run over 1600 metres.  A small field of 6 fillies will contest it. Multiple Group One winner Guelph appears to have the race at her mercy, having returned from her winter break in excellent form.  She did however lose out to Bound For Earth in her first up run in the Furious Stakes, though turned the tables on her in the Tea Rose Stakes at her last start. Arabian Gold ran third in the Tea Rose, so will probably be in the finish again, having excellent form in the autumn on slow tracks.

The Epsom Handicap is also run over 1600 metres, and is open to all comers. Looking at the form, there appear to be a number of top chances. The Chris Waller trained Boban, Riva de Lago and Sacred Falls are all sure to be in the picture somewhere. But Streama who won the George Main first up, is the one to beat. Gai Waterhouse has a high opinion of her runner Ecuador, and Rekindled Interest, who has been missing in action since running last in the 2012 Cox Plate, could have a chance judging by his close second at his first start this spring.

One for the stayers, the Metropolitan Handicap is run over 2400 metres, and has attracted a field of mostly imported stayers. Top picks are Moriarty, Julienas and Prince Cheri who all have won at their last starts.

There are any number of Group 2 and Group 3 races with really interesting fields at both race meetings, but I’m not going to analyse them here.

Of course I’ll be at Flemington on Saturday to witness the Turnbull Stakes and whatever else is happening, camera in hand to catch the atmosphere.

I’ve also entered once again in the Sky Racing’s Star Stable competition. It’s free to enter, challenging and great fun. Fingers crossed for my stable’s first round on Saturday.