Super Guineas Day

Super Seth parades in the mounting yard after winning the Caulfield Guineas

A mild partly sunny day made it a pleasure to head to the track for Caulfield Guineas Day,  featuring four Group 1 races, each of which was closely contested.

I arrived shortly before the running of Race 3, the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes, a race for three year old fillies over 1200 metres.

As I was in the stalls area when the race was about to start, I watched from the hill and snapped the finish, where California Zimbol beat hot favourite Loving Gaby by over two lengths with Don’ttelltheboss a further two lengths behind running third.

California Zimbol still ahead of Loving Gaby past the finishing post

For the rest of the afternoon I joined my friend Rebecca on the front lawn, preferring these days to photograph the action down the straight.

Manicure was the starting favourite for Race 4, the Group 3 Bass Straight Beef Steaks (nice pun); a race for mares over 1200 metres.

Tofane, unfancied in the betting,  stormed from the tail of the field to beat Manicure by a length, with Sweet Scandal running third.

Tofane (yellow cap) overtakes Manicure in the straight

A number of International runners, here for the Melbourne Cup, were part of the field for the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, including Prince of Arran who ran third in last year’s Melbourne Cup and also third in the 2018 Herbert Power.

Race favourite was the Irish bred import Steel Prince. who was dramatically scratched at the barriers, after kicking out in the gates and hurting a hind leg.

I was delighted to see New Zealand bred, Murray Baker trained, The Chosen One win the race from Prince of Arran with fellow New Zealander Sully running third. The Chosen One with his win gained ballot free entry into the Caulfield Cup.

The Chosen One (pink cap) & Prince of Arran head to head down the straight

The first of the Group 1 races was the Thousand Guineas for fillies and run over 1600 metres.  Flit was the favourite and won by a very short margin from Missile Mantra and Southbank .

Southbank leads with Flit just behind and Missile Mantra on her outside

Thousand Guineas finish line shot

Flit parades in the mounting in the winner’s rug

The beautiful Avilius was the warm favourite for Race 6, the Group 1 Ladbroke’s Stakes, but racing at the tail of the field he was left wanting at the finish, and ended fourth. Old Black Heart Bart looked to steal the race as they approached the finish line, but the unfancied Cape of Good Hope stole the prize by a nose at the post in a photo finish. Harlem ran third.

Black Heart Bart is about to overtake Gailo Chop, with Cape of Good Hope on the outside

Cape of Good Hope on his way to the starting gates

Black Heart Bart on his way to the barriers

Harlem on his way to the barriers

Avilius on his way to the barriers

The feature Caulfield Guineas was up next and again resulted in a photo finish. Alligator Blood stole a march on the rest of the field from the top of the straight and looked the winner up until the last second, when Super Seth bounded from the tail to overtake him and win by a nose.  Groundswell finished third over two lengths in arrears.

The burst mode on my camera showed over ten frames with just Alligator Blood in the picture, until the last few frames.

Alligator Blood burns up the straight

Super Seth looms to tackle Alligator Blood close to the finish line

As the afternoon was getting late, I didn’t stay for the final Group 1 race, the Toorak Handicap which was won by 18/1 shot Fierce Impact from Night’s Watch and Age of Chivalry.

I also missed the Schillaci Stakes, the final qualifier for a place in The Everest. Trekking won the honours.

Next Saturday is the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne and The Everest will be the feature race at Randwick, to be run one hour before the Caulfield Cup.

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.