Three-Year-Old's: In Perspective

A well known racing website forum last week contained a post lamenting the lack of talent in our male three-year-old ranks. This seems a rather misplaced statement given the number of impressive performances already witnessed this season, the latest of these coming at this weeks Taupo meeting.

Justification for the post centered on last seasons Two-Year-old Free Handicap and the fact that there were four fillies ranked above the highest male, Al Strada - since sold to Hong Kong.

Aside from the fact that Rudd Awakening, Recite and Bounding happened to be as good a bunch of juvenile fillies as we have seen in years, the poster overlooks that there is rarely any relevance between those handicaps and three-year-old performance.

Last season's top rated three-year-old filly and colt, Habibi and Sacred Falls, had one raceday start between them as juveniles for a back-end season Te Rapa win for the O'Reilly colt.

Ironically this seasons male three-year-old ranks look to have more depth than they have had in some time.

Unfortunately Cauthen may have gone by the wayside, for a while at least, but the likes of the unbeaten Cosmic Cube, All Decked Out, Lord Turbo and El Roca, along with Salamanca, Franzac, Orion and Beauty's Beast, have all shown real potential.

The Taupo meeting may have uncovered some more contenders. Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly - Legs by Pins)who had some private reputation prior to two disappointing runs last season, showed that earlier confidence was not misplaced with a strong win over 1300m.

In contrast to Wolfwhistle, Sacred Park came into the new season with his reputation squarely intact following a very impressive win at his only run at two. And while he only managed third on Monday there was sufficient merit in his performance to suggest he can still figure in some of the better races this spring.

The Thorn Park colt seemed a little at sea around the undulating Taupo home bend, then he ducked to the inside rail after the leader and subsequent winner started racing greenly shortly into the home straight, before doing his best work over the last 50m.

This weekends three-year-old event at Ruakaka has the depth of quality to determine favouritism for the semi-classic the Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas which will be run on the last day of the Hastings Carnival. Last years Ruakaka quinella of the winner Sacred Falls and Southern Lord went onto quinella the Guineas in the same finishing order.

While form from Ruakaka is sure to again be relevant at Hastings, it is worth remembering that Tell A Tale when he won the Hawkes Bay Guineas in 2007 defeating Fully Fledged and subsequent Group 1 winner Altered Image, was coming off a single lead-in race, a second place finish in a Rating 70 1100m at Taupo. Very good trainers work to a program and form lines are about as relevant to many of them as a Free Handicap.