This week sees the first Group 1 of the New Year in Australia with the running of the weight-for-age C.F.Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. The action doesn't stop there with the babies again stepping out in the Blue Diamond Preludes with Melbourne's feature event for two-year-old's just a fortnight away. Throw in the Group 2 weight-for-age Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm and we are in for a bumper weekend's racing.
There's also been plenty to digest and dissect in the last seven days both on and off the track so without further ado let's look at all that is now, all that is gone and all that's to come and everything under the sun. (Apologies to Pink Floyd)
LOOKING BACK
We've been focusing on the juveniles of late and that will continue this week with the Blue Diamond just a fortnight away and the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill to be run in two months time.
Metastasio looked good in winning the Listed Chairman's Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield last weekend and seemed to have a bit in reserve. She's still not nominated for the race, but like current favourite Miracles of Life, connections are likely to pay the late entry fee. If the latter does run, apprentice Lauren Stojakovic will retain the ride.
Aussieslovesport has been a costly conveyance getting beaten again at a relatively short price in the two-year-old race in Sydney, but he missed the start and seemed to labour a bit on the Heavy 10 so maybe we can't sack him just yet. In fact I think the form coming out of that meeting will be questionable due to the track condition. Time will tell.
Last week I identified David Hayes and Dwayne Dunn as guys to watch because of their impressive strike rates and they continued their respective good runs with victory by Gregers in the 1000m juvenile race at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Well tried first starters Casquets, Politeness and Berrichon didn't figure in the finish.
In other news Gai Waterhouse's filly Overreach will bypass the Blue Diamond. She was on the sixth line of betting at $21. In her only start to date she ran second to current Golden Slipper favourite Villa Verde in the Debutantes Stakes. Fourth favourite Thermal Current was nominated for the Prelude this weekend but did not accept with connections hoping his current prizemoney will be enough to see him make the final field. Crack a Roadie will have his final hit-out at Mornington on Wednesday in the Inglis Premier (1200m). He is currently on the fifth line of betting at $13. The full market can be found here.
In other news Gai Waterhouse's filly Overreach will bypass the Blue Diamond. She was on the sixth line of betting at $21. In her only start to date she ran second to current Golden Slipper favourite Villa Verde in the Debutantes Stakes. Fourth favourite Thermal Current was nominated for the Prelude this weekend but did not accept with connections hoping his current prizemoney will be enough to see him make the final field. Crack a Roadie will have his final hit-out at Mornington on Wednesday in the Inglis Premier (1200m). He is currently on the fifth line of betting at $13. The full market can be found here.
Black Caviar breezed through her exhibition gallop at Caulfield and looks primed for the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington next weekend, while Hay List could resume as early as March 16 in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Warwick Farm.
Paul Beshara has abandoned plans to take Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) winner Happy Trails to Dubai for an assault on the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night. The Adelaide trainer says the long trip and stringent quarantine requirements make the exercise too difficult, and the five-year-old gelding will instead campaign in Sydney with his major goals being the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and Doncaster Handicap (1600m).
Lastly, in breeding news a full brother to the world's top rated galloper Frankel (Galileo-Kind) has been born at Banstead Manor Stud. Recently retired, Frankel will serve his first mares at the same Newmarket stud next week. Meanwhile three-time Group 1 Breeder's Cup Mile winner Goldikova has given birth to her first foal, a colt, also by Galileo.
LOOKING FORWARD
CAULFIELD
Orr Stakes (Group 1, 1400m, w-f-a)
Obviously most interest will focus on the three-year-old All Too Hard, having his first start back following a big Spring Carnival where he claimed the Caulfield Guineas (below) and was a courageous second in the Cox Plate. He's now owned by Vinery Stud and is being aimed at the Australian Guineas to enhance his breeding prospects, but with that in mind they wouldn't want him to be losing many races so you'd think he'd be pretty forward in his preparation. The Hawkes stable does have a habit of producing horses to win fresh too. The obvious danger is the Kiwi King Mufhasa who, on paper, should get a soft lead although La Remas and Callanish will probably push forward. The latter is above average having won all eight of his career starts including three first-up and two at this distance and looked very forward in winning a recent trial. Pinwheel has race fitness on his side and was unlucky last time out.
Selections
9 All Too Hard
4 Pinwheel
6 Callanish
Autumn Stakes (Group 2, 1400m, 3-y-o set weights plus penalties)
High Shot could be one out of the box, judging by his debut win at Cranbourne last start. It had to be seen to be believed. I can't wait to see him over more ground too, because being by High Chapparal (So You Think, Shoot Out, Monaco Consul) out of a Sir Tristam mare you'd think he'd stay all day. The obvious danger is Darley's Knoydart and it may pay to forgive his last run. Several VRC Derby runners are resuming such as Fiveandahalfstar (1st), Supercool (2nd) and Hvasstan (4th) but logic suggests they have bigger fish to fry further down the track and will need the hit out. Red Inca and Mulaazem have been tried in early markets.
Selections
10 High Shot
8 Knoydart
6 Mulaazem
Blue Diamond Prelude - Colts & Geldings (Group 3, 1100m, 2-y-o set weights)
Dissident and Kuroshio look like they will battle it out for favourtism the way they battled out the finish in the Preview a fortnight ago. The former is attempting to emulate the feats of Sepoy (2001) and Bel Espirit (2002) who took the trifecta of Preview/Prelude/Blue Diamond and I'm tipping him because he looked stronger on the line and gives the impression the extra 100m will suit. He'll need to improve his racing manners though as he nearly threw it away last time out when he wanted to weave all over the place in the straight like a bloke who's had more drugs than an Essendon player competing in the Tour de France. The Bowler is an interesting runner too. He's been specked in Blue Diamond betting and is the only runner yet to race who is under $31 in the market. Gai Waterhouse's unbeaten colt Marseille Roulette can't be dismissed.
Selections
4 Dissident
7 The Bowler
3 Kuroshio
Blue Diamond Prelude - Fillies (Group 3, 1100m, 2-y-o set weights)
The Snowden trained Guelph will likely start a very short priced favourite after her impressive recent win in Sydney. She was ridden like a good thing, they kept her wide and out of trouble to ensure she had a clean run, and even after covering ground without cover she rounded them up quickly in the straight even though she wasn't ridden out to the line. Kerrin McEvoy will take the ride while Craig Williams picks up the ride on stablemate Montsegur whom McEvoy guided into sixth place behind Miracles of Life in the Preview two weeks ago. I'm not reading too much into that though, as I think it was the stable's decision and not the hoops. Kerrin just rides the horses he's told to ride. Peter Moody's filly Quest for Peace (not to be confused with the international who contested last year's Melbourne Cup) is the only other runner under double figures. More than Ameira is well bred, by hugely successful sire of juveniles More Than Ready out of the very good race mare Afraah who won six of her first eight race starts from 1200m to 2000m, including the 2005 Group 3 Frank Packer Plate during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Selections
1 Guelph
3 Quest for Peace
8 More than Ameira
Others
Koonoomoo (Race 9 #1) was hitting the line strongly last start when fifth in the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago. This is a significant drop in class and returning to a race restricted to mares she does looks well in this at the set weights plus penalties with just three kilos over the minimum.
WARWICK FARM
Expressway Stakes (Group 2, 1200m, w-f-a)
Happy Galaxy dominates early betting after stringing together three successive victories. Former NZer Tougher Than Ever makes his debut for the Waller stable and has two wins and a placing from three goes at the trip. Danleigh has been given a day pass from the Old Peoples Home to allow him to compete, but unfortunately if he wins he won't be able to hang around for the presentation because he won't get back in time to receive his meds and watch Wheel of Fortune.
Centennial Park goes well fresh but hasn't won at this track in six attempts. Judging by his trial Albert the Fat will need the run and Skytrain isn't hopeless. If you are looking for a roughie for your exotics Willy Jimmy is trained on course and has two wins and a placing from five starts here. He recently showed that despite a 14 month layoff he hasn't lost his zest for racing with a slashing run first-up in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford in early January. Lumping the topweight of 59kg he was last to the turn before storming home to finish fourth beaten just over two lengths. He conceded the three placegetters four to five kilos.
Selections
10 Happy Galaxy
9 Tougher Than Ever
5 Willy Jimmy
Others
Charge Account (Race 5 #11) isn't really a betting proposition as he is likely to start around $1.70 but I'm keen to see how he performs because his effortless seven length win last time out stamped him as a potential Black Type winner in the making.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
It's such a lovely day. Why don't we take the convertible and leave the roof down?
- John F. Kennedy, Dallas, 22 November 1963
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