Brilliant Sunlight & Kings Will Dream

An ecstatic Jye McNeil brings Kings Will Dream back to scale after winning the Turnbull Stakes

Though last Saturday was nowhere near being brilliantly sunny, the racing action was pretty interesting, in particular the two main races, the Gilgai Stakes and Turnbull Stakes.

As trains to Flemington were running all day, there was no imperative to arrive early, so I got to the track around 1.45pm and had plenty of time to cruise through the stalls area before Race 4 was scheduled.

Most of the main horses had arrived and were in their allotted stalls.

Mystic Journey

Sunlight

Santa Ana Lane

Finche

Hartnell

Kings Will Dream

Zoutori

I’m glad I took my step stool as the rail on Saturday was out by 9 metres, so it would have been impossible to get rail free shots without standing on it.  There is a new mounting yard fence that is considerably higher than the old one, so the step came in handy for photos there too.

Race 4 was the Group 2 Blazer Stakes for mares, and run over 1400 metres.  Fidelia was the tote favourite, but the Chris Waller trained Haut Brion Her who had run second in her first two starts in Melbourne, took a liking to the Flemington big track and won comfortably after leading throughout. Another Sydney mare, Pohukutawa, having only her second start in Melbourne, ran second with Angelic Ruler filling third place.

Haut Brion Her wins the Blazer Stakes from Pohukutawa

Next up was the Listed Super Impose Stakes, an 1800 metre race for Derby bound three year olds.  It had a large field of 13 runners, few of whom I had ever heard of before.  It resulted in 15/1 shot Warning winning easily by 2 lengths from Independent Road and Huntly Castle.

Warning wins the Super Impose Stakes

Warning returns to scale

Independent Road on his way to the barriers

Huntly Castle returns to scale

Race 6 was the keenly anticipated Group 2 Gilgai Stakes where Santa Ana Lane and Sunlight were set to  face off in a 1200 metre sprint down the long Flemington straight.  Sunlight started as favourite and didn’t disappoint, leading from start to finish to win by ½ length from Santa Ana Lane who zoomed from last to second place. Zoutori finished third a short way behind.

Sunlight flashes down the straight

Sunlight wins the Gilgai Stakes from Santa Ana Lane & Zoutori

Sunlight returns to scale

Santa Ana Lane returns to scale

Zoutori retirns to scale

Both Santa Ana Lane and Sunlight are assured of a start in the Everest at Randwick on 20 October, along with a number of other top class sprinters. I’m glad I got to see both of them in the flesh before that event.

In between the Melbourne races I watched the Sydney races on the big screen, where Chris Waller horses won all three of the Group 1 races – Flight Stakes (Funstar), Epsom (Kolding) and Metropolitan (Come Play With Me). Verry Elleegant, now with Chris Waller, also won last Saturday.

Chris Waller made racing history on Saturday by training four Group 1 winners, including the Turnbull Stakes with Kings Will Dream winning the prize.  A former Darren Weir trained horse, Kings Will Dream fractured his pelvis in the Cox Plate last year and almost died from the injury. He was nursed back to health and remarkably won a Group 1 in his third run back in action. Finche, also trained by Chris Waller, ran a close second and the evergreen Hartnell was third.

Disappointingly Mystic Journey finished out of a place. She raced at the tail of the field and then got hampered in her run up the straight, so did well to finish 5th less than two lengths from the winner.  Such is the curse of winning the PB Lawrence Stakes.

Turnbull Stakes finish – Kings Will Dream holds off Finche & Hartnell as they thunder to the finish line

Kings Will Dream in the mounting yard

Finche in the mounting yard

Hartnell in the mounting yard

Mystic Journey on her way to the barriers

I did not stay for the Bart Cummings, where the winner gets ballot free entry into the Melbourne Cup. Surprise Baby won the privilege, and is now a great hope for a locally bred runner to steal back the Cup from the International raiders. He’s by Shocking who won the Melbourne Cup in 2010, so he’s not without a chance.

Flemington on Saturday was nowhere near crowded, but it will be a different case next Saturday at Caulfield for Caulfield Guineas Day, which features four Group 1 races and is generally well patronised.

Black Hearts & Alligator Blood–Underwood Stakes Day Review

Black Heart Bart on his way to winning the Underwood Stakes

The winners of two races on Sunday gave me the opportunity to create a dramatic- you might say piratical – title for this blog post.

With the AFL Grand Final the dominant sporting event on Saturday in Melbourne, the feature Underwood Stakes meeting was held on  Sunday at Caulfield.

Arriving at the racecourse around 1.20pm I was in plenty of time for Race 3 of the program.

This was the not terribly interesting Le Pine Funerals Handicap, a race over 1700 metres.

Having his first start in the East, the West Australian horse Pushin’ Shapes outclassed the locals by winning at big odds (60/1) by 1½ lengths from Masculino and Vassilator.

Pushin’ Shapes overtakes Masculino racing to the finish line

Pushin’ Shapes on his way to the barriers

Masculino on his way to the barriers

As the races were being run at 30 minute intervals, the afternoon flashed by very quickly, so Race 4, the Beck Probuild Handicap contestants were soon heading to the barriers.

Rox The Castle started as favourite and led throughout until he was overtaken by second favourite Admiral’s Joker in the straight and beaten by a length. Waging War ran third.

 
Admiral’s Joker about to overtake Rox the Castle as they head for the finish

The next three races were more interesting than the preceding two, these being the Group 3 Guineas Preludes and the feature Group 1 Underwood Stakes.

I must admit I’d never heard of Alligator Blood, the winner of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude.  That’s not surprising as he’d had all his previous starts (which he’d won) in Queensland.  He was well fancied by punters, but Dalasan started as the favourite and finished second, out gunned by Alligator Blood who won by ¾ length.  Early in the race Your Deel lost his rider and joined the race riderless, though didn’t cause any intereference.

In case you’re curious about Alligator Blood’s name, it’s a Poker term where the player ignores all risks and fearlessly goes for broke.

Alligator Blood zooms up the straight

Alligator Blood on his way to the barriers

Dalasan strolls to the barriers

Three Godolphin fillies – Lyre, Flit and Tenley - were the fancied runners in the Thousand Guineas Prelude, but none of them featured in the finish. The first three home were at big odds and the trifecta paid a fortune – over $21,000 in fact.

Acting was the winner, defeating Southbank and Barbie’s Fox by 1½ lengths, after leading from the start.

Acting leads from Barbie’s Fox and Snapdancer (4th place)

Acting in full flight down the straight

It certainly wasn’t a day for favourites to win, with only two winning on Sunday, and such was the case in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, where Black Heart Bart won at 100/1.  He’s now nine years of age and was retired in October 2018 after running 16th in the Toorak Handicap. However, he was brought back into training recently with a new trainer, but his form was nothing to write home about. He was given no chance and I thought he was past it.

In his heyday back in 2016/2017 he won six Group 1 races including the 2016 Underwood Stakes, so he was one of the better qualified horses in the 2019 Underwood Stakes.

Homesman was the hot favourite, but couldn’t catch Bart who won by a head. Gailo Chop  finished third and old trooper Hartnell ran fourth again.

Black Heart Bart on his way to the starting gates

Homesman on his way to the barriers

Gailo Chop on his way to the barriers

Black Heart Bart returning to scale a happy Brad Rawiller on his back

The weather on Sunday was fairly kind, mild and mostly overcast though the sun shone quite regularly on the track.

Next Saturday it’s back to Flemington for the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes. Winx was the big attraction last year, and the year before, but this time around we have Mystic Journey and Avilius to look forward to. And Sunlight, who finished a very creditable third in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley last Friday night, will hopefully be taking on Santa Ana Lane in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes.

Mother’s Boy Comes Good in the Rupert Clarke Stakes

Begood Toya Mother on his way to winning the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

When I left home to go to Caulfield Racecourse, the rain was bucketing down, and the weather promised to be iffy for the rest of the afternoon.

There’s nothing worse than feeling damp for the stretch of an afternoon, so I’m glad B obligingly gave a lift to Ivanhoe station.

By the time I finally reached Caulfield the rain had abated and the sun was emerging from the clouds, though a stiff breeze was blowing directly head on to horses racing down the straight.

I stuck to the public lawn for all five of the races I watched over the afternoon, having taken my step to facilitate snaps from the fence near the finish line. Besides, I take far fewer photos from that postition than if I was on the hill above the stalls area, so it’s less tedious to sort the photos next day.

The first of the races I witnessed was Race 3, the Living Legends Plate for three year olds, run over 1000 metres. I was interested to see how I Am Immortal would fare. In autumn he won both the Blue Diamond Preview and Blue Diamond Prelude, though finished 7th in the Blue Diamond Stakes. This was his first start since then, and he started as favourite.

I Am Immortal on his way to the barriers

The race was won by South Australian trained Garner who won by a nose from race leader Sartorial Splendor with Lucifer’s Reward half a length running third. I Am Immortal missed the start and ended up finishing seventh.

Garner overtaking Lucifer’s Reward close to the finish line

Sartorial Splendor on his way to the barriers

Haut Brion Her, last seen at Moonee Valley on 7 September where she narrowly lost to Tofane, again started as favourite for the Fight Cancer Foundation Handicap, but despite fighting out the finish with Fabric, lost by  overa length at the post. She is not as comfortable running the Melbourne way (anti clockwise) as she is the clockwise Sydney way.  One More Try finished third.

Fabric and Haut Brion Her head to head down the straight

Race 5 was the Group 3 How Now Stakes, a race for mares over 1200 metres.  Pippie was the hot favourite, but she failed to feature in the finish after leading early in the race.  Godolphin mare Manicure was the eventual winner,  defeating Angelic Ruler by 1½ lengths.  Dawn Dawn ran third.

Manicure takes the lead from Dawn Dawn in the straight

Angelic Ruler out runs the rest of the field heading for the finishing post

The MRC Foundation Cup (formerly known as the Naturalism Stakes)  was the next race to jump. The winner gains a ballot free entry into the Caulfield Cup and the Chris Waller trained Brimham Rocks achieved this quite impressively, winning easily by 1¼ lengths from stablemate So You Win with Sikandarabad 2 lengths behind in third place.

Brimham Rocks holds off So You Win as they thunder down the straight

The afternoon had grown considerably darker by this time and the lowering clouds looked ominous, threatening a downpour for the feature Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

However, the rain held off and the race was run without drama.

Begood Toya Mother was the warm favourite and didn’t disappoint his many fans, winning by 1¼ lengths after racing on the speed in second place behind Iconoclasm,  taking the lead at the top of the straight. Age Of Chivalry finished second and Widgee Turf ran third.

Begood Toya Mother on his way to the barriers

Begood Toya Mother returns to scale in the mounting yard

I called it quits after the Rupert Clarke Stakes and made it home without getting drenched by the rain that eventually arrived in the late afternoon.

Next Saturday is AFL Grand Final Day in Melbourne, so the feature Group 1 Underwood Stakes meeting at Caulfield is held on Sunday.

Moonee Valley kick off their night racing season on Friday night with the Group 1 Moir Stakes, which has attracted a super field that includes Sunlight and Nature Strip.

In Sydney the feature race is the Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill.

Mystic beaten but not disgraced – Makybe Diva Stakes Review

Makybe Diva Stakes finish – 100/1 shot Gatting outguns Mystic Journey

Let’s hope that the Spring Racing Carnival does not continue as it started, with long shot winners stealing the prize from the more fancied runners.

Truth to tell, so far the racing  in Melbourne has been somewhat underwhelming, but hopefully it will be more interesting as the season progresses and the Sydney stars venture south to vie for Group 1 glory.

Last Saturday dawned into a lovely warm sunny day, so it was a pleasure to head to the big track at Flemington for an afternoon of racing action.

Due to the Flemington train timetable I was obliged to get to Flemington quite early and arrived as Race 1 was in progress, but as the feature race was scheduled at the relatively early time of 4.10pm, it wasn’t a particularly long day.

I missed watching races 2 to 5, hanging out in the stalls area awaiting the arrival of Mystic Journey, so I could get a good photo of her without blinkers or ear muffs.

Whilst waiting, I wandered around to see who had arrived and came across the special Living Legends equine guests, 2015 Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance and Who Shot Thebarman, a grand old stayer who won the Sydney Cup in 2018.

Prince of Penzance

Who Shot Thebarman

Mystic Journey  turned up at last and looked bright and bouncy as she was led to Stall 32.

Mystic Journey – black and beautiful in stall 32

Race 5 was the Group 2 Danehill Stakes for three years run over 1200 metres, so I headed for my usual spot just past the finishing post with my step stool to photograph the action.

South Australian based Dalasan started as the race favourite and raced on the speed behind race leader Dubious then overtook him close to the line to win by ¾ length, with Express Post running third.

Danehill Stakes finish – Dalasan overtakes Dubious close to the post

Dalasan returns to scale

Named to honour the great staying mare of the early 1990s, the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes had attracted a field of classy mares, that included South Australian Oaks winner Princess Jenni, Fundamentalist and Aloisia.  Pretty grey mare Fidelia, who was kicking up her heels in the birdcage walking ring earlier in the afternoon, started as favourite.  The winner however was Spanish Whisper who battled out the finish with Miss Siska, to prevail by ½ length. Fidelia flew late along the rail to finish third.

Let’s Elope Stakes finish – Spanish Whisper & Miss Siska head to head with Fidelia charging along the rail.

Whether it was the curse of winning the P B Lawrence Stakes, or maybe me jinxing her by getting Adam Trinder’s signature in my racebook,  Mystic Journey, though trying her hardest, failed to catch runaway winner Gatting at the finishing post.  The margin was ¾ length with Mr Quickie a further ¾ length running third.

At least Mystic Journey  avoided the double curse of winning the Makybe Diva Stakes, which has as bad a record as the P B Lawrence Stakes, with winners of that race failing to win again during the season.

Gatting on his way to the barriers

Mystic Journey in the mounting yard

Mystic Journey returns to scale

Mister Quickie on his way to the barriers

It was disappointing that Mystic Journey didn’t win, but we hope she will be successful in the next race she tackles, by all acounts the Turnbull Stakes in early October.

Apropos Mystic’s trainer Adam Trinder, I read that he was relentlessly trolled on Social Media by ignorant anonymous users. Let me just say that Adam Trinder is a gentleman and a very nice person to speak to. I love his old fashioned way of expressing his thoughts.  He says demeanour instead of nature, for instance.

Gatting’s win  took everyone by surprise as he came in at over 100/1 and paid a fortune in dividends. He’s another West Australian horse who was having his first start in the East.

Speaking of former Western Australian horses, it was interesting to see the superstar of the West, Arcadia Queen, take out the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill.

Next Saturday the racing action returns to Caulfield where the feature race is the Group 1 Rupert Clarke Stakes. Fortunately this time there will be no public transport disruptions.