WINNERS & LOSERS
Even without All Too Hard, the vintage three-year-old crop promises to climb, emphasised by It's A Dundeel in the Randwick Guineas at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
A decision on the immediate future of All Too Hard is expected this week.
However, despite the moderate effort of the visitor Ferlax at the Farm, the Victorian form looks particularly strong. After all, It's A Dundeel was beaten twice down south by Australian Cup winner Super Cool, now out until the spring, but the recent runner-up to him, Fiveandahalfstar, the Victorian Derby winner which left the diminutive New Zealander well in his wake at Flemington, is still a contender for Sydney autumn honours.
Also Hvasstan, fourth in the Victorian Derby , scored in the 2040-metre Alister Clark at Moonee Valley on Friday, prompting trainer Peter Gelagotis to say the Australian Derby distance of 2400m would suit. ''I'm sure he'll go good in Sydney,'' jockey Craig Newitt said. ''The further he goes, the better he gets and Pete's assured me the wetter the better, too.''
Rivals behind It's A Dundeel did enough to indicate they will also be better over journeys longer than Saturday's 1600m.
On the sprint front, Pierro remains king, but what about the dynamic three-year-old filly Snitzerland in the Challenge on Saturday?
And don't sack Rebel Dane as a top-liner on his Guineas fourth. Caught in the clag on the inside, up front, isn't his comfort zone. Give him another chance back in the field and down the outside.
Next time, Jimmy
Blow-hard Jim Cassidy offered a million to one about the protest concerning Tremec and Permit being upheld at Warwick Farm on Saturday. Fortunately he is a better judge of pace than protests. Enticed by the odds, I accepted $10 million to $10 and he demanded, in a most unsporting manner, the stake. Chief stipe Ray Murrihy conceded minor interference, the margin was a half-head, but didn't seem to place any significance in the fact that Permit had 59 kilograms, so any trouble or hesitation was going to take a toll. Had the right decision been made, Cassidy's Galston property would have been claimed, a call made to the Terrigals, and a gas-mining licence secured. It would have reaped a fortune if the all hot air of recent times is any indication.
What's $700m?
A public flogging wouldn't be out of order, or perhaps a stint on the rack, for the $188 million error by me for Bob Ingham's chicken empire in the Form on Friday. It goes beyond the puny excuse of a typographical or the more relevant senior's moment. The figure wouldn't pay for the original chook pen at Casula. It should have been for about $888 million, plus change. (The subeditor also apologises for his gross display of ineptitude.)
Import quandary
Jet Away , the David Hayes import making his Australian debut, produced one of the best performances for the weekend when winning the Golden Mile at Bendigo.
A $200,000 buy, Jet Away made minced horse meat out of Wall Street, which had finished much closer to boom European Puissance De Lune a week earlier in the Blamey at Flemington.
The bloggers say Hayes pointed out that Jet Away was declaring his stallion attributes, usually dimmed by ice, in a bold manner. ''He's had it out all afternoon,'' Hayes beamed, wrote ''stevez'' on Racenet.
Jet Away could come to Sydney for the Queen Elizabeth and the trainer is enthusiastic to enhance his rating for the spring cups. Critics figure imports get a more lenient assessment in Victoria than in NSW, which comes against them being a more attractive racing proposition here.
Incidentally, Fraar, an import winner of the Caulfield Cup for Hayes, died recently. Fraar was the sire of Monte Rosa, dam of the flying Snitzerland.
Planets align
History repeats itself on corresponding race days, not only for horses and trainers, but jockeys. Take Brenton Avdulla, who rode a Warwick Farm double, handling All The Talk and Arinosa, on Saturday.
Making a name as a strong hand on a difficult horse, Avdulla had a double when the meeting was run at Randwick last year and in 2011 triumphed in the Randwick Guineas on Ilovethiscity.
Tremec gave John Thompson his third successive Randwick Stakes winner on Saturday but Shane Dye holds the best winning sequence by a jockey in the event, notching four straight from 1994.
Horse to follow
Jade Marauder gave a long start in the slowly run (1.37.54) Aspiration Quality at Warwick Farm on Saturday, went very wide on the turn and was beaten less than a 1½ lengths when fifth to the pacemaker Thy in an event presented to her on a plate.
Disappointing
Assail, the $1.85 favourite, ended up sixth in the Sweet Embrace at Warwick Farm on Saturday, again confirming the folly of backing horses wearing bar plates, particularly those starting at short prices.
No comments:
Post a Comment