Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) looks set to take all before her this autumn after a fast win in the G1 Surround Stakes last Saturday at Randwick. Headquarters in Sydney played “off-rail” with 9 of the 10 winners making their run in lane 6 or wider.
Lady Shenandoah clocked a sharp 1.20:36s for the 1400 metres, almost 3s faster than Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) in the G2 Guy Walter Stakes, albeit the latter was run about 20l slower overall.
Still, that overall time is almost 6l above standard, and her last 200 metres was also above standard. Figures like these suggest the galloper is well above the grade she's running in. This would essentially make her a G1 WFA horse. She should be winning the G1 Coolmore Classic at her next start, and then they’ll decide whether she has a crack at the G1 Doncaster Mile or stays against her own sex in the G1 Queen Of The Turf.
Amelia’s Jewel shines first-up, but distance a question
Circling back to Amelia’s Jewel, this was a J-Mac special. The market knew ($2.10 - $1.80) she was going forward in a slowly run race. She had the best speed figures, but it was a question on how she can show that first-up at 1400 metres. She’s come home in 10.88s, the third fastest closing sectional of the day.
This is the perfect first-up race shape, but it comes with a caution – be wary of backing her if she goes up in trip. That’s because she mightn’t have the foundation for a fast run 1500 metres (hello again, Coolmore Classic). Would prefer to see her in a G2 Emancipation Stakes or better still, stay at 1400 metres somewhere.
Tempo suits Via Sistina, Rivellino shines
Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) was aided by a faster tempo second-up in the G1 Verry Elleegant Stakes on Saturday. Her resuming run in the G2 Apollo Stakes was run too slowly for her preferred race shape. Here, her main rival Fangirl (Sebring) was peaking on her run at the 150-metre mark, which gave Via Sistina the chance to kick and hold her off. Fangirl no doubt goes back to 1500 metres in the G1 George Ryder Stakes, while Via Sistina gets that 2000-metre run under the belt in the G1 Ranvet Stakes before her autumn goal – the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. It's hard to envisage how anything will beat her in either. For mine, she had a flat run on Saturday and still beat them.
Without doubt, the pick of the 2-year-old races was the colt Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who extended his unbeaten record to three. Yes, the overall time of 1.10:20s was almost a full second slower than Within The Law’s (Lucky Vega {Ire}) 1.09:32s, but if you stopped the vision at the 600-metre mark, the girls would’ve been 14l in front, such was the difference in race shape. That means the boys took more than 8l off the girls over the last 600 metres. Of course, they’re entitled to take some ground but not that much.
The fillies, off a fast tempo, were unable to break standard time and I couldn’t have anything from this race winning a Golden Slipper. Rivellino, however, keeps winning and his last 200-metre time was identical to Amelia’s Jewel. His figures aren’t off the charts, but they’re consistent and he’s got a lot of race sense for a juvenile. Runner-up in the G2 Skyline Stakes was Skyhook (Written Tycoon), who clocked the best last 200 metres of the day and was a tad closer to the fence than ideal in lane 3. He’s still a maiden and you’d think a good thing if they go back to that grade next start.
Feroce claims Australian Guineas, All-Star Mile awaits
Down in Melbourne Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) took out the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington. In an evenly run contest, Dom Sutton’s 3-year-old took advantage of the pattern for the day, where all winners in races over 1400 metres used lanes 3 to 7, and was able to mow down Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel). The time of 1.35:32s was almost a full second slower than Marble Arch’s (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) G2 Blamey Stakes win, but still more than 1l above standard for this race.
Just on Marble Arch, who backs up in the G1 All-Star Mile, the key to her performing this upcoming weekend is how well she cops the brutal run last Saturday. The first 1000 metres of the Blamey was run about 7l faster than the Guineas, but the 3-year-olds could only peg 1l off the older horses over the last 600 metres, a stat some ratings experts I talk to will hold against Feroce in his All-Star Mile bid. But I form a different opinion. Feroce carried 57kg in his Australian Guineas triumph whereas Marble Arch only 53kg in the Blamey, which means when they meet this week, he’ll meet her 5kg better at the weights. This is roughly 3l in the 3-year-olds favour - plus, he was only second-up and surely improves?
