Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) ran bang on average Everest-winning time when she took out Saturday’s $20million feature at Randwick.
Ciaron Maher became the first trainer to win The Everest and Caulfield Cup on the same day and Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won’t run in the Melbourne Cup despite his Caulfield triumph.
While all this was going on, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi again protested against horse racing. Fortunately, the public is learning to ignore this out of touch politician, who also preaches the end of negative gearing despite doing it herself with multiple investment properties in NSW.
The renaissance of racing
Randwick was a sell out and Caulfield’s crowd was the best we’ve seen in years. Racing is back. Cop that Mehreen.
Many praised Bella Nipotina’s toughness after the 7-year-old charted a wide course. I don’t want to take anything away from her win but it’s worth noting only one of the 10 winners at Randwick made its run inside lane five suggesting the fence was off. That adds merit to Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) and Joliestar (Zoustar), who were the closest to the fence in The Everest. The latter clocked the best last 200 metres of the race and surely looks a lovely prospect for the G1 Champions Sprint on Stakes Day at Flemington?
Hopefully some of you followed our blackbooker from three weeks ago in Lekvarte (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), won the G3 Angst S. (1600 metres) second-up on the weekend?
“Lekvarte is worth keeping an eye on. She ran the best split of the race for each sectional from the 800 metres to the 200 metres before her condition gave out.”
She’s worth following again too. She clocked the fourth fastest last 600 metres and 400 metres of the day and her late data suggests she will improve again. The $21 about her in the Empire Rose on Derby Day is one for the futures punters.
The G3 Reginald Allen (1400 metres) might have produced a filly of the future. Aeliana (Castelvecchio) went from BM72 grade to winning at Group 3 level with 45 days between runs. This is not an easy feat. She clocked 1.23:04, which is 0.7l slower than the class average but it was her late splits that suggest she could be beyond this grade. She produced the best last 200 metres of any winner on the day. It ranked fifth for the meeting and was in excess of 3l faster than the Group 3 benchmark.
Please note, the Reginal Allen Quality has been nominated for an upgrade to Group 3, but this is yet to be ratified.
Down at Caulfield we heard little discussion about the track after social media took it to task following Guineas Day a week earlier. You might recall last week I had a decent crack at the keyboard warriors aka ‘citizen journalists’, who speak before obtaining facts.
Well, let’s double down on that.
On Caulfield Guineas Day, five out of the 10 winners settled within the first four positions during the race, with eight of the 10 winners racing in lanes one to four. On Caulfield Cup Day, eight of the 10 winners also settled in the first four, but this time they used lanes four to nine. While Cup Day seemed like an on-speed day, it may not have appeared that way because the winners were outside the first four lanes.
Key performers to watch from Caulfield
I loved the win of Lady In Pink (Pariah) in the G2 Tristarc S. (1400 metres). She got the favours with a lovely trailing run but the way she put them to the sword clocking a slick 23.48s for her last 400 metres, the second fastest of the day. For a horse with a profile indicating her ideal distance is between 1600 and 2000 metres, this performance signals the potential for a major campaign ahead.
Lofty Arch (Sniztel) won the Listed Gothic S. (1200 metres) in average time producing flat sectionals indicating he might improve with an extra 200 metres in his races. He’s the type of 3-year-old that could run in a Group Handicap race against older horses and be competitive with his on-pace racing style.
In terms of beating the class benchmark, no race rated better than the Listed Alinghi S. (1100 metres). The winner Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace), ran 1.04:19, which is 9l faster than Listed benchmark. She needs her races spaced, somewhat of a redundant point for a sprinter that is unbeaten first-up.
Estriella (I Am Invincible) found herself back in the winners’ circle with an all-the-way victory in the G2 Millenium Sprint (1000 metres). She had her own way in front and was able to come home with her last 600 metres more than 5l faster than the Group 2 benchmark making it near impossible for her rivals. Rey Magnerio (Magnus) clocked the best last 600 metres and 400 metres of the day but still couldn’t reel her in.
The staying 3-year-olds did battle in the Sportsbet Classic and Ethereal S. both run over 2000 metres. The boy's version was barely a race, with the first 1400 metres almost 15l slower than the benchmark. Dundeel (NZ) colt Kingofwallstreet got the cash, but China Sea (Fastnet Rock) had a chequered path and looks a big improver out to 2500 metres with his last 400 metres and 200 metres the best of the race.
China Sea is trained by John Sargent and ‘Sarge’ has one I’m keen to follow into the Oaks. Inevitable Truth (Fastnet Rock) had to go back to last in the G3 Ethereal S. but produced the best last 200 metres of the race to grab fourth. A better draw and you can expect her to settle a closer when she gets to her grand final during Cup week.
Finally, Duke De Sessa beat the average Caulfield Cup time by 2l. The narrative that this year’s edition was below par is not completely wrong as Duke De Sessa and Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock) beat the rest by around 6l.
Buckaroo ticked the 2400-metre box and given he produced the best last 200 metres of the race off a fast tempo, he surely has to be a live Melbourne Cup chance?
