Some impressive performances last week and a lot of important news emerging throughout this week, both on the track and off.
We have a combination of races, trials and rulings to discuss as well as an above average weekend of racing to dissect so let's dive right in...
LOOKING BACK
Most focus was on the two-year-olds last weekend and rightly so with Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield just three weeks away. Miracles of Life was dominant in the fillies division of the Blue Diamond Preview and the girls went 0.72 seconds faster than the boys with a faster closing sectional for the final 600m off the back of a faster opening 400m. So the question now is will connections pay the late entry fee? She isn't nominated but still heads bookies markets and it's not hard to see why after seeing the way she won.
Thermal Current was the run of the race for mine in the colts & geldings edition after running into more dead ends than a learner driver. The Moody trained gallopoer had every right to throw up the white flag but he kept attacking the line the way I attack an open bar. His stablemate Dissident also looked good in winning despite being a bit wayward in the straight and you would think he will improve with race experience.
Sea Lord kept his unbeaten record at Moonee Valley in tact with victory in the below-par Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) on Friday. That's four from four now at the tight, turning circuit for the gelding.
Lastly, Shadows in the Sun broke through for his first win in nearly two years when victorious in the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm. His owners may have been forgiven for thinking this guy was a bit camera shy with his last victory coming in May 2011 in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville.
Meanwhile several of our topline sprinters are stepping out this week in the lead up to the big sprint races in Melbourne.
On Tuesday unbeaten Perth galloper Barakey breezed through a Belmont trial and Hay List showed he's on track for his first start since March last year with an exhibition gallop at Wyong yesterday.
Black Caviar will have her own hit-out between races three and four at Caulfield tomorrow.
In other news trainer Con Karakatsanis (Black Piranha, Howmuchdoyouloveme) has vowed to fight a nine month ban handed down for charges stemming from a raid on his stables on Derby Day last November. It is alleged stewards interrupted an attempt to stomach-tube Howmuchdoyouloveme ahead of a Group 2 sprint that afternoon. His father Tony, a registered stablehand, received a two year penalty for the same incident and has also said he will appeal the decision.
LOOKING FORWARD
Proceedings kick-off tonight at Moonee Valley and again all eyes will be on the two-year-olds with some Blue Diamond hopefuls stepping out for the first time in the Sportingbet Plate (1000m). The Robert Smerdon trained debutante Politeness will likely start an odd-on favourite and is currently an $11 chance for the two-year-old feature, the only horse under $26 in the market who is yet to race. Mark Kavanagh also has an interesting first starter in Casquets. He's currently second pick and a $26 chance in the Group 1. The full market can be found here.
The Moody trained Kona Breeze has been scratched from tonight's event and will instead contest tomorrow's Listed Chairman's Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, where he will again bump into last start conqueror Metastasio. The Snowden trained filly looked super impressive when winning on debut at Flemington a fortnight ago and appears to have been saved for this race after also being nominated last weekend. David Hayes and Dwayne Dunn combine on I Am Titanium who went under narrowly when well tried at his only start. Hayes and Dunn have the best strike rates of any trainer and jockey respectively in the Victorian Top 10.
Racing in Queensland and NSW will obviously take place on rain affected tracks in the aftermath of the big wet experienced in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald. Both venues anticipate some more rain in the next 24 hours so hold off on making your selections until the state of the track is finalised.
If racing does go ahead as anticipated then punters at Doomben may benefit from a Bart Cummings-like preparation as the 10 race card is sure to be a test of their staying potential. The feature event on the card is the Listed Nudgee Quality (1200m).
Rosehill sees the return of some above average gallopers with the Sydney carnival not too far away. Said Com resumes for Chris Waller in Race 5 and Race 8 sees the resumption of high class three-year-olds Better Than Ready, Ichihara and Raceway. The latter is having his first start since a gelding operation. Better Than Ready is being aimed at the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in three weeks time.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
This was not how I planned on spending the Easter long weekend
- Jesus of Nazareth, Calvary Hill, 33 A.D.
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