Listed Lightning S. - the 2- and 3-year-olds clash
The traditional end of season Adelaide clash of the 2- and 3-year-olds - a race first run as the Dermody S. (the name change coming about in 2011) in 1970 - has been won by a number of classy sprinters.
Several of whom have gone on to Group 1 glory - Clay Hero, Street Ruffian (Raffindale {GB}), Redelva (Romantic Hope), Viddora (I Am Invincible) and Nature Strip (Nicconi) who beat a rather handy one in the shape of Sunlight (Zoustar) when successful in 2018 (there was 6l to her and another seven back to the third-placed Fancy Rumble {Reward For Effort}).
The youngsters dominate the market this year with Exploring (Brazen Beau) and Outback Miss (Rubick) fighting out favouritism despite having both drawn out wide.
Gallery: The current favourites for the Listed Lightning S. at Morphettville
The former - a G2 Blue Diamond Prelude winner earlier in the year - looked good leading throughout at Flemington when resuming whilst the latter has created a big impression winning her first two starts with plenty in hand.
A number of talented 3-year-olds will give that pair some competition including Declared (Churchill {Ire}) and Wally West (Rich Enuff) who don't know how to run a bad race, La Danseuse Rouge (Manhattan Rain) who has always been competitive at stakes level, Bubble Palace (Rich Enuff) who has plenty of pace.
Todd Pannell won this race aboard Extremely Lucky (Extreme Choice) last year and has another chance with Sweetened (Zoustar) who has not been having the best of luck of late. Her co-trainer Will Clarken has also already tasted success in this race with Beau Rossa (Unencumbered) two years ago.
Listed Ryder S. - last chance for juvenile black type
A group of promising 2-year-olds line up to contest this Listed feature over 1200 metres at Otaki; the last chance for juvenile black type for the season.
Two debutants take on eight horses who have already faced the starter with two of those being last-start winners - Itza Charmdeel (Charm Spirit {Ire}) impressive charging home at Arawa Park after drifting back from a wide gate and Quirky Habits (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) powering through the heavy going at Pukekohe Park last month.
Another five of those to have already raced have been in the placings including Medatsu (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) who was a tad green but game when a close up third behind Quirky Habits, Crickets Chirping (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) who showed good fight with her Awapuni debut second and Tonia's Dragon (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) who raced in restricted room when third at Ruakaka.
The two debutants are Wal (NZ) (Staphanos) from the family of the G1 Auckland Cup winner Ligeiro (NZ) (Lanfranco {GB}) and Let's Get Loose (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) out of the stakes-placed five-time winner Moirai (Not A Single Doubt).
First-season sire action
The first two races at Moonee Valley on Saturday are for the juveniles with two first-season stallions represented - Aquis Farm's dual Group 2-winning Zoustar horse Lean Mean Machine and the former Swettenham Stud Group 1-winning Scat Daddy (USA) horse Sioux Nation (USA).
Sioux Nation's daughter Talk Of Dakota resumes in the following race having won a recent Cranbourne jump-out.
Sioux Nation (USA) | Standing at Coolmore Ireland
Taking on 12 other contenders is Lean Mean Machine's son Title Fighter who debuts off two jump-out victories. Both his sire and dam (If Not Now When by Artie Schiller {USA}) won their first starts so he has genes on his side!
In Adelaide Border Visage by the late National Defense (GB) heads to the races for the first time having had a number of jump-outs whilst the Listed Ryder S. in New Zealand sees Novara Park Stud's well-travelled stallion Staphanos (Jpn) represented by Medatsu (NZ) and Wal (NZ).
Staphanos (Jpn) | Standing at Novara Park Stud
That same race sees Weowna Park's triple Group 2-winning Zabeel (NZ) horse Ocean Emperor represented by Jetalal (NZ) who has trialled nicely since an encouraging debut fourth and The Oaks Stud's U S Navy Flag (USA) by Ride Sally Ride (NZ) who is due a win having tried hard when third at stud number four just last weekend.
King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. - a high-class edition of a time-honoured contest
One of the UK racing public's favourite races, this Group 1 weight-for-age 12-furlong feature always attracts a classy field and that is certainly the case for the 2023 which sees two outstanding 3-year-olds taking on the older horses.
Since finishing first and second in the G1 Epsom Derby - Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and King Of Steel (USA) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) have won, the former taking out the G1 Irish Derby and the latter the G2 King Edward VII S.
Auguste Rodin (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
The duo are the most favoured to defeat Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) who has won nine of his 14 starts including, at his first run since June last year, the G3 Brigadier Gerard S.
Last year he bolted in with the G1 Coronation Cup during the Epsom carnival, on that occasion leaving in his wake Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) who again takes him on this weekend.
Resuming with a tough G2 Hardwicke S. victory at Royal Ascot, that 6-year-old seeks to add his name to an illustrious list of multiple winners of this race having caused a bit of an upset saluting last year as equal outsider of the field.
Others to have won this race on more than one occasion include Dahlia (USA) (Vaguely Noble {Ire}), Swain (Ire) and Enable (GB), daughter of the 2011 winner Nathaniel (Ire) who is also represented by Desert Crown (GB) who had his first taste of defeat when second to Hukum in the Brigadier Gerard.
Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) also boasts great form lines having at her most recent outing running into the exciting up-and-comer Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}).
The Ascot meeting - Australian stallion representation
Opening a race book at Ascot is not unlike reading a list of Flemington runners these days, so strong is the representation of Australia stallions at feature overseas race meetings.
And this weekend's big meeting is no different with some nice chances by horses we all know well.
Such as Starspangledbanner whose daughter Soprano (Ire) is favourite - on the back of a debut win and a gutsy G3 Albany S. third - in the G3 Princess Margaret S., a race in which another strongly fancied runner is Kairyu (Ire) by the speedy former Darley shuttler Kuroshio who now stands at Starfield Stud.
Starspangledbanner | Standing at Coolmore
That stud's evergreen Exceed And Excel is represented by Ameynah (Ire) who was not far away in the G1 Thousand Guineas off a dominant maiden victory at Newmarket. She comes back in class and distance to contest the G3 Valiant S.
Both Exceed And Excel and Starspangledbanner also have runners in support races as does Zoustar whilst the stakes races on the card also see a number of horses by stallions currently shuttling to Australia.
Namely Blue Point (Ire) with two chances - Needlepoint (Ire) and Dazzling Star (GB) in the Princess Margaret as well as longshot Rosallian (Ire) in the Listed Pat Eddery S., Harry Angel (Ire) with Cadeau Belle (Fr) in the Valiant S., Wootton Bassett (GB) with King Of Steel (USA) in the feature and Too Darn Hot (GB) with the smart Salisbury debut winner Alyanaabi (Ire) in the Pat Eddery.
The horses to keep an eye on - the first uppers and the local debutants
It is that time of year when black-type horses start to reappear off their winter breaks and there are a handful of promising sorts kicking off their campaigns on Saturday.
Such as the imported stayer Interpretation (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained 5-year-old who has been gelded since failing to fire in last year's G1 Melbourne Cup.
Interpretation (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
A Listed winner of the Vinnie Roe S. in Ireland, he ran nice races in the G3 Bart Cummings S. and the G3 Geelong Cup before not actually finishing the course on that big Tuesday at Flemington.
Interpretation resumes over 1600 metres in the Travis Harrison Cup, the seventh race on the Moonee Valley program. Earlier in the day the last-start Listed Tasmanian Derby placegetter Cable Dancer (Cable Bay {Ire}) - in Race 3 - resumes as does the G3 Blue Diamond Preview runner-up Zousuko (Zoustar) - in Race 2 - who has been trialling nicely.
Meanwhile at Randwick Athabascan (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) - in Race 9 - kicks off over a mile; his staying form including a Listed Canberra Cup third back in March. He is a longshot first-up whilst more strongly fancied - in the Listed Lightning S. at Morphettville - is La Danseuse Rouge (Manhattan Rain) who has been close up in a number of Group races in Melbourne.
Athabascan (Fr) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
And at Belmont a couple of stakes winners resume - the consistent Feels Playful (Playing God) who won the Listed Challenge S. in February lines up in Race 9 and It'sarayday (Winning Rupert), winner of the 2021 Listed Fairetha S., lines up in Race 2.
Also of interest on Saturday are three imported gallopers making their local debuts. Urban Oasis (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) is being kept very safe in the Travis Harrison Cup having found the line well in a Flemington jump-out. A member of the Nick Ryan stable, he has not raced since June last year but has won four of his last five in Ireland.
Kris Lees saddles up Inver Park (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the eighth race at Randwick. A five-time winner in the United Kingdom, he is another who has caught the eye at the trials. As has a horse contesting the following race - the Annabel Neasham-trained Caprice Des Dieux (Fr) (Declaration Of War {USA}) who won five of his 12 starts in France jumps in Race 9.
