Newcastle plays host to Group 1 racing on a Monday, not something you’d expect to see very often but after Saturday's washed out Rosehill meeting was relocated, that is where we are at this week. We have a quick preview of the six stakes races.
G1 Vinery Stud S., $500,000, 1850m
This race will be run over a shortened 1850 metres, the most suitable distance Newcastle can accommodate and has a fine history to follow on from.
Taking out the last eight winners who are still too young to have been given a fair chance at stud and looking at the first 35 winners, 15 of them have produced stakes winners with three of them being Group 1 producers - English Wonder (Twig Moss {Fr}), dam of Dr Grace (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Asia (Danehill {USA}), Savannah Success (Success Express {USA}), dam of Savabeel and Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) dam of Stay With Me (Street Cry {Ire}).
Six of the race's winners have produced more than one stakes winner and another five are the dams of stakes placegetters. Making this race a very interesting one to watch... which high-class broodmare of the future will we be seeing in action on Monday?
The 2021 edition sees exciting Queenslander, the unbeaten Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}), taking on fillies with outstanding Sydney and Melbourne form. David Vandyke has guided the filly to five-straight, with this shaping as a major jump in class.
Hinged (Worthy Cause), winner of the G1 Surround S. two starts ago, leads a trip of Chris Waller chances in the races. She loves wet tracks, while Fangirl (the Sebring filly whose grandam Special Harmony by Spinning World {USA} won this race in 2004) would appreciate a drying surface.
The third Waller contender is Pretty Amazing (American Pharoah {USA}), who progresses off a good win in the G3 Kembla Grange Classic.
There is plenty of class in the race with the Group 1 winners Yearning (Snitzel) and Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) taking their place alongside the Group 2 winner Mokulua (Redoute's Choice).
G1 Kia Tancred S., $1,500,000, 2400m
This race has been won by some of the greats of the turf... Hyperno (NZ) (Rangong {GB}), Kingston Town (Bletchingly), Bonecrusher (NZ) (Pag Asa), Octagonal (NZ), Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Makybe Diva (GB) (Desert King {Ire}).
The G1 Australian Cup looks to be the main form reference with the first three home in that 2000 metre Flemington contest again taking each other on Duais (Shamus Award), Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) and Spanish Mission (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}).
Spanish Mission is already a 2400-metre winner and he did look as though there was room for improvement when contesting the Australian Cup at just his second run this time in. Duais is all but proven over this distance range on the back of her dominant G1 Queensland Oaks victory over 2200 metres and her game G1 ATC Oaks second at the trip.
She's Ideel (Dundeel {NZ}) was disappointing when 10th in the Australian Cup but she can bounce back in a race in which she was second to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) last year.
Adding interest is the first Australian appearance since last year's G1 Melbourne Cup of the classy and gutsy New Zealand galloper The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) who has drawn a much better gate than when he was trapped wide throughout last year.
G2 Yarraman Park Tulloch S., $200,000, 1850m
It is worth noting that this race - named after one of the true greats of the Australian turf - has proven to be a solid form reference for the G1 ATC Derby in recent years. However, with a five-day turnaround and the race shortened to 1850 metres, it does change the profile a bit.
Strongly fancied is Character (Teofilo {Ire}), who is one of those who will likely back-up. He cannot be begrudged having had so much go wrong when contesting the G1 VRC Derby.
New Zealand trainer Murray Baker has several Tulloch S. trophies in his cabinet and with training partner Andrew Forsman he saddles up the top two runners. The G1 New Zealand Derby placegetter Regal Lion (NZ), whose sire Jakkalberry (Ire) sired last year's Derby hero Explosive Jack (NZ), and White Noise (NZ) (El Roca). While some of the favoured runners come off form in lesser races, Sword Point (American Pharoah {USA}) and Paternal (NZ) (Savabeel) up in class but promising.
G2 Canadian Club Emancipation S., $200,000, 1500m
Named after one of the greatest mares to grace the Australian turf, this year's Emancipation S. features a host of progressive mares.
There is the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Annavisto (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), who was a completely dominant winner of the G3 Frances Tressady S. last time out. She is headed towards the G1 Queen of the Turf on Saturday week and could prove very hard for her rivals to run down in this race.
The John O'Shea-trained Promise Of Success (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has been closing off stylishly in her three runs this campaign, including her fourth in the G1 Coolmore Classic last time out and looks an obvious challenger, while the ever-consistent Nimalee (So You Think {NZ}) won this race last year and was a second in the G3 Newcastle Newmarket H. last time out.
Expat (NZ) (Makfi {GB}), fifth in the Coolmore Classic and a winner of the G2 Millie Fox S. before that, looks capable of being in the finish as does Krone (Eurozone), who won the G1 Coolmore Classic last year before finishing seventh in this race.
G3 ACY Securities Doncaster Prelude, $160,000, 1500m
This is a race which has only once been won by a subsequent G1 Doncaster H. winner and that was not even in the same year - Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) successful two years ago, going on to win last year's Doncaster.
Can one of this year's runners buck the trend and take out the double? None of the contestants are high up in Doncaster betting but they are a nice bunch of horses nevertheless led by the determined G2 Ajax S. winner Just Folk (Magnus), who is trained by Josh Julius.
Fellow Victorian Our Playboy (Sebring) is also strongly fancied off his good first-up run in the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue S. at Flemington. Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock) and Special Reward (Demerit) are nicely placed down in class having contested Group 1 races at their most recent outings while Mr Mozart (Snitzel) was good dictating terms in the G2 Phar Lap S.
G3 E Group Star Kingdom S., $160,000, 1200m
A race won by some very handy sprinters over the years, the 2022 edition of the Star Kingdom S. shapes as a very open contest.
Current favouritism is held by a horse who is fifth emergency, the Kacy Fogden-trained Maotai (Not A Single Doubt), who comes off a benchmark win at Randwick and then a freshen-up, which has included a huge trial win.
Godolphin gelding Gravina (Sebring) was third behind subsequent Group 1 winner Shelby Sixtysix (Toronado {Ire}) last time out and this looks an ideal race for him. Splintex (Snitzel), Quantico (I Am Invincible) and Exoboom (Exosphere) are all in the market as well and that trio look to be the main threats to the top two in the market.
