Monday, November 19, 2012
Cup Goes to Best Sprinter
Although the Cup continues to build momentum largely around a growing international audience, it has been slightly tared as a competitive contest in recent years by a brush of rather lenient handicapping, poorly thought out qualification races and some suspect track irrigation practices.
Therefore when one of the strongest fields in Cup history faced the starter this year, hopes were high for a contest befitting some of the classic staying contests seen in the races iconic 152 year history. Sadly a farcical race tempo rather spoiled this years event as a contest, although many Australians at least will have been buoyed that the winner Green Moon was locally trained.
Green Moon won this year's Cup in 3.20.45, well outside the race record of 3.16.30 set by Kingston Rose in 1990 on a similarly fast track - this year's track which started the day a Dead 4 but was upgraded after race 2, saw a number of fast times recorded in the supporting races.
From seventh on the turn the Cup winner ran home in 33.6/22.6 and 11.66 with his last 1000 in 57.94.
Little wonder that those back of mid-field failed to play any part in the finish. The efforts of Jakkalberry and Mt Athos were outstanding. Jakkalberry closed off in 59.58, while Mt Athos, who received a check at the top of the straight and had a slightly more interrupted passage than the third place-getter, ran home in sectionals of 57.96/33.55 and 11.46.
If you ever doubted how difficult a race the Cup is to win then spare a thought for the English trainer Luca Cumani. His charge Purple Moon runs second to one of the best Cup winners in recent memory in Efficient; two years later in 2009 his next runner Bauer is beaten a nose, then he does a wonderful job of getting Mt Athos into this years contest with a winnable weight, only to strike interference during the running and a race pattern best suited to Lightning Stakes performers.
In all 21 of the 24 starters broke 1 minute for their last 1000m so any horse that made ground over the closing stages did very well.
Sure the Cup eve Yarra Valley wine tour played it's part in the authors demise but no amount of study would have unearthed this years Cup result.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Pussiance De Lune: Justified Hype
In a week littered with beaten short priced favourites and where the media focus had drifted to the sordid underbelly of the sport, it took until the second last race of the Carnival and a washy grey with little real physical presence and lead-in form of a win and a second placing in the country -the placing coming at the sleepy Victorian coastal hamlet of Warnambool - to ignite the 2012 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Whichever way you look at it, Pussiance De Lune's win in the Group 3 2600m Queen Elizabeth Stakes was impressive.
Jockey Glen Boss must be seeing a cranial osteopath this week so prounced where the twists of his neck as he looked back on at least three separate occasions at the opposition over the last 300m. And while Boss can be prone to hyperbole, his statement that he felt like he was riding a Newmarket Handicap winner has validity when you consider PDL's sectionals; despite being eased up appreciably by Boss over the closing stages the four-year-old stallion ran his last 600m in 34.17 and his last 400m in 22.14.
Amidst all the media hype from the win, one journalist, arguably only doing his job properly, questioned PDL's form, including the strength of Saturday's field. He raised these points he said simply because he felt the level of improvement in PDL from his French form and since his arrival in Australia was too difficult to comprehend. Methinks it was more scare mungering in light of the current publicity around illegal performance enhancing practices in Australian racing.
A closer look at PDL's background reveals some insight into his improvement. Purchased for 100,000 guineas from a tried racehorse sale in France by Australian bloodstock agent Robert Roulston, who also bought Americain for PDL's owner Gerry Ryan, the story goes that despite a promising enough record - a win and a second from just three starts - his connections were less than enthusiastic about his young Mike Tyson like personality, so decided to quit him.
He was only a three-year-old when sold, so physically and mentally he was open to considerable improvement. Darren Weir his new trainer, has a very good reputation as a horseman, especially with stayers, and it is conceivable that Weir's satellite stable base at Warnambool, with its ready access to the beach has done wonders to help PDL's attitude towards life.
Almaraad, Kingston Rose, Jeune and more latterly Manighar are just some examples of stallions relocated to Australia from the northern hemisphere whose race performances improved out of sight under local conditions.
On paper the Queen Elizabeth form this year was strong. While it has been won by Might and Power and the incomparable Maykbe Diva - the year before her first Cup win - it tends to draw the second tier stayers as the Cup itself is run four days prior.
But most of the best second tier stayers lined up on Saturday. Last years winner the consistent Ironstein was back to defend his crown, while Folding Gear, Vatuvei and Shahwardi were all coming off stakes wining performances at the Spring Carnival, with the later considered unlucky by many good judges to have missed a start in the Cup.
On reflection it is conceivable that Shahwardi and Folding Gear did not run to their best form on Saturday but there is no hiding from PDL's sectionals. The days of Kotare Chief running hard from the jump seem a thing of the past. The key attributes for winning the big Cups now are an ability to relax on the speed and reel off Oakleigh Plate sectionals.
The way Glen Boss carried on post race gave one the feeling that PDL only has to turn-up to win next years Cup. Boss maybe racings equivalent of Graham Norton but as his assessment of Ocean Park proved, he knows the feel of a good horse.
Following last Tuesday's result Qantas were going to have to charter extra flights to Great Britain and France for all the Australian owners wanting to check out potential Cup contenders. PDL's performance on Saturday may mean they will have to build airports near Newmarket and Chantilly as well. What impact will this have on our sales at Karaka? A lot will depend on how greedy the British and French are I suspect.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Maggie Made a First Class Fool Out of Me
It's a pretty good achievement for a broodmare to supply two Saturday winners but that was record of the O'Reilly mare Maggie O'Reilly on Saturday 18 August. Showing Off (Savabeel) beat a strong Rating 75 field over 1400m at Te Rapa, then less than half an hour later, last seasons Listed Matamata Cup winner No Excuse Maggie (No Excuse Needed) took an Open 1600m contest at Otaki.
Unfortunately it's not an event with a silver lining for the owners of Maggie O'Reilly, Masterton's famous thoroughbred nursery Te Parae Stud. You see, since purchasing Maggie O'Reilly for $5,000 at the 2009 National Broodmare Sale at Karaka the owners have netted proceeds of just $2,800, but more significantly they are fighting to keep the debilitating hoof disease laminitis from claiming the fourteen-year-old O'Reilly mare.
Despite the trials and tribulations since contracting the disease back in May she is still carrying her 2011 service to No Excuse Needed, which makes the in utero foal a valuable full sibling to No Excuse Maggie.
Maggie O'Reilly was just another mare when I inspected her for her current owners at the 2009 Broodmare Sale. My Sale notes read " rangy, rather plain mare, nice girth but lacking strength behind saddle". Just as well Te Parae overlooked my analysis and relied on the better judgement of Sam Williams, studmaster at Little Avondale Stud and cousin of Te Parae principal Tom William's daughter Angela, who now runs the old Wairarapa breeding institution with her husband, Masterton police sargent Simon Irving.
Purchased in foal to No Excuse Needed, Te Parae offered the resulting colt at the 2010 Karaka Weanling Sale where he was bought by Canterbury nursery Berkley Stud who then reoffered the grey gelding at the 2011 South Island Two-Year-old Sale where he was snapped up by the astute Lisa Latta for $41,000. Maggie O'Reilly missed to Rios in 2010 before she held a service at her third attempt to No Excuse Needed.
If she is to overcome laminitis and even if she is able to deliver a healthy foal this year, Maggie O'Reilly will more than likely be rested this season as the weight of a pregnancy would be too restrictive to her full rehabilitation. Hopefully Te Parae will have a fit and healthy Maggie O'Reilly for a truly commercial mating in 2013.
Footnote: Maggie O'Reilly delivered a healthy grey filly early on 30 September. The value of this foal has increased further with Showing Off winning impressively over the Hastings Spring Carnival and No Excuse Maggie winning the Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Taranaki Breeders Stakes on 13 October. Showing the same courage as her offspring Maggie O'Reilly is continuing to fight the lamanitis.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Volksraad: A Dying Breed
The passing of Windsor Park stalwart Volksraad last week may have closed a chapter in New Zealand thoroughbred breeding. Prior to the arrival here of the unheralded son of Green Desert in 1993, our studmasters still had something of a reputation in the breeding world for their ability to find highly successful stallions from humble backgrounds, but in more recent times the art seems to have been lost, or just not pursued, as the realities of the modern world seem to have woven their way into thoroughbred breeding.
It was a balmy windy Waikato day in late August 1993 when I first laid eyes on Volksraad. He was been paraded at his new home at Mapperley Stud as part of a stallion tour organised by the local branch of the NZTBA. Although it was his first public parade - he had only been in the country a month I recall -most of the seventy or so breeders in attendance seemed far more interested in Stylish Century, who was about to embark on his second breeding season.
Ignoring the wind which had clearly unsettled his three barn-mates, and showing no real interest in the crowd of breeders, the strongly made bay walked with a looseness and a sense of purpose and confidence that almost bordered on arrogance. My admiration for the stallion increased even further when the Mapperley studmaster, Irishman Patrick Connell, who was compering his quartet, explained to us how through an association he had with the horses Newmarket stable, he was aware how highly the yard rated the horse before he succumbed to the leg injury which bought about his sale at auction.
The Timeform Racehorses of 1992 annual had this to say about Volksraad:
Stocky, powerful colt: type to carry condition: very good mover: half-brother to
1m winner In Unison (by Bellypha): dam 10.6f winner out of Welsh Garden, top
2-y-o filly in Ireland in 1975: operated on for knee injury in spring 1991: odds
on, won minor event at Ascot in September later that year in workmanlike fashion by 1½ lengths
from Fairy Flax, leading over 2f out: second favourite, 3½ lengths third of 7 to
Mystiko in Challenge Stakes at Newmarket 3 weeks later, soon under pressure but
keeping on really well: should be better suited by 1m: sold 23,000 gns
Newmarket December (1992) Sales.
Armed with some inside knowledge and more than a little bit of Irish gumption one imagines, Connell and his new employers purchased Volksraad, however despite the relatively cheap price, a budget is always a budget and there were a few anxious moments at the auction, as Windsor Park's Steve Till recounted to me last year. As the story goes, the auction took place in the middle of the night our time and Connell, who was ringside and bidding, rang Till, who sleepily sat on the end of the phone as the bidding crept up in 500 guinea increments almost from the start. Apparently on at least one occasion the anglo Irish/New Zealand partnership thought they had missed out on the young entire, only for fresh bidders to disappear as quickly as they had entered the bidding.
And so spawned from humble beginnings, a wonderful stallion career that has delivered to date, eight New Zealand Stallion Premierships and 14 individual group one winners, including two in Australia at 1200 and 1400m - a rare achievement for a New Zealand stallion. While he never truly commanded the same commercial appeal as the likes of Zabeel, O'Reilly, Pins, Montjeu, or even Pentire and Stravinsky, he became a favourite cohort for the fledgling mares of a lot of astute breeders, who recognised the stallion's ability to consistently sire winners and stakes performers - often at an early age - a great fillip for the profile of a young broodmare.
Standing the likes of a Volksraad at stud these days in New Zealand where the stallion is going to get a level and type of mare that at least gives him a starters chance is getting more and more difficult. The larger commercial operations focus is rightly or wrongly on the sale ring, where the competition is intense and the marketing budgets of some are equivalent to a small pacific nations GDP. Yes a truly prepotent stallion should be able to make it next to anywhere, but the significantly reducing number of opportunities domestically will mean that almost all of the potential heir apparent's to the likes of Volksraad, Sir Tristram, Noble Bijou, War Hawk II, Pakistan II and many famous names before them will sadly never be in a position to contribute to our breeding industry.
Footnotes: 1.Shares in Volksraad were offered for sale at the stallion parade, for $10,000 if I recall correctly, and I spent most of my trip back to Auckland later that day trying to work out how I could coerce my father into "investing" in a share. Alas it was not to be as our broodmare pool numbered exactly zilch and after dads only previous dabble into thoroughbred breeding had concluded in less than salubrious circumstances at a Claudelands winter Sale post the sharemarket crash, it was an argument I was never destined to win.
2. In an irony many participants in the thoroughbred industry will be accustomed, Stylish Century's stud career and life ended courtesy of a spider bite suffered at Queensland's Valentine Park in 2002, the black stallions fourth home since departing Mapperley Stud in 1997. Stylish Century left just four stakeswinners in his ten seasons at stud.
It was a balmy windy Waikato day in late August 1993 when I first laid eyes on Volksraad. He was been paraded at his new home at Mapperley Stud as part of a stallion tour organised by the local branch of the NZTBA. Although it was his first public parade - he had only been in the country a month I recall -most of the seventy or so breeders in attendance seemed far more interested in Stylish Century, who was about to embark on his second breeding season.
Ignoring the wind which had clearly unsettled his three barn-mates, and showing no real interest in the crowd of breeders, the strongly made bay walked with a looseness and a sense of purpose and confidence that almost bordered on arrogance. My admiration for the stallion increased even further when the Mapperley studmaster, Irishman Patrick Connell, who was compering his quartet, explained to us how through an association he had with the horses Newmarket stable, he was aware how highly the yard rated the horse before he succumbed to the leg injury which bought about his sale at auction.
The Timeform Racehorses of 1992 annual had this to say about Volksraad:
Stocky, powerful colt: type to carry condition: very good mover: half-brother to
1m winner In Unison (by Bellypha): dam 10.6f winner out of Welsh Garden, top
2-y-o filly in Ireland in 1975: operated on for knee injury in spring 1991: odds
on, won minor event at Ascot in September later that year in workmanlike fashion by 1½ lengths
from Fairy Flax, leading over 2f out: second favourite, 3½ lengths third of 7 to
Mystiko in Challenge Stakes at Newmarket 3 weeks later, soon under pressure but
keeping on really well: should be better suited by 1m: sold 23,000 gns
Newmarket December (1992) Sales.
Armed with some inside knowledge and more than a little bit of Irish gumption one imagines, Connell and his new employers purchased Volksraad, however despite the relatively cheap price, a budget is always a budget and there were a few anxious moments at the auction, as Windsor Park's Steve Till recounted to me last year. As the story goes, the auction took place in the middle of the night our time and Connell, who was ringside and bidding, rang Till, who sleepily sat on the end of the phone as the bidding crept up in 500 guinea increments almost from the start. Apparently on at least one occasion the anglo Irish/New Zealand partnership thought they had missed out on the young entire, only for fresh bidders to disappear as quickly as they had entered the bidding.
And so spawned from humble beginnings, a wonderful stallion career that has delivered to date, eight New Zealand Stallion Premierships and 14 individual group one winners, including two in Australia at 1200 and 1400m - a rare achievement for a New Zealand stallion. While he never truly commanded the same commercial appeal as the likes of Zabeel, O'Reilly, Pins, Montjeu, or even Pentire and Stravinsky, he became a favourite cohort for the fledgling mares of a lot of astute breeders, who recognised the stallion's ability to consistently sire winners and stakes performers - often at an early age - a great fillip for the profile of a young broodmare.
Standing the likes of a Volksraad at stud these days in New Zealand where the stallion is going to get a level and type of mare that at least gives him a starters chance is getting more and more difficult. The larger commercial operations focus is rightly or wrongly on the sale ring, where the competition is intense and the marketing budgets of some are equivalent to a small pacific nations GDP. Yes a truly prepotent stallion should be able to make it next to anywhere, but the significantly reducing number of opportunities domestically will mean that almost all of the potential heir apparent's to the likes of Volksraad, Sir Tristram, Noble Bijou, War Hawk II, Pakistan II and many famous names before them will sadly never be in a position to contribute to our breeding industry.
Footnotes: 1.Shares in Volksraad were offered for sale at the stallion parade, for $10,000 if I recall correctly, and I spent most of my trip back to Auckland later that day trying to work out how I could coerce my father into "investing" in a share. Alas it was not to be as our broodmare pool numbered exactly zilch and after dads only previous dabble into thoroughbred breeding had concluded in less than salubrious circumstances at a Claudelands winter Sale post the sharemarket crash, it was an argument I was never destined to win.
2. In an irony many participants in the thoroughbred industry will be accustomed, Stylish Century's stud career and life ended courtesy of a spider bite suffered at Queensland's Valentine Park in 2002, the black stallions fourth home since departing Mapperley Stud in 1997. Stylish Century left just four stakeswinners in his ten seasons at stud.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Summer Six
Three-year-old's feature in this years Summer Six. Our three-year-old male and female ranks look to have genuine depth this season and any number could have made the cut. Once again the focus is not necessarily on the established pattern horses but rather on those who have signalled they can take the step to better company. Here is the select field and for those of you who like your ante post betting, many of these selections are currently at attractive odds for some of the cups and classics.
Green Supreme: Looks to have recaptured the form he showed here in the spring of his three-year-old year when he ran a fast finishing third to Eileen Dubh in the Group One Levin Classic. In fact he was well in the Derby market but departed for Hong Kong where he failed to show any form in two light campaigns. Yet to race further than 1600m but his fast finishing style looks suited to at least 2000m and the son of Oasis Dream is a genuine lightweight chance for the big cups if he can run the trip. For a out and out sprinter himself and being a son of Green Desert, Oasis Dream has been something of a revelation with the number of high class middle distance performers he has left. With Rainbow Quest as his dam sire, Green Supreme's pedigree is unlikely to stop him running a strong middle distance.
Nashville: Another promising type from the first crop of Darci Brahma. Backed up a win on debut at Riccarton during Cup week with a second to the promising Jerico at Trentham on Captain Cook Stakes Day. His Trentham run was full of merit: he got back and pulled due to the lack of early pace, then mounted a wide run from the 600m and despite running greenly in the home straight, was still finding the line strongly at the end of the 1400m event. Stable has a good record of producing quality runners from limited representation and they have knocked back big overseas offers for Nashville to chase races like the Derby.
Lady Kipling: Always a good looking type and more strongly made than many of the stock of her sire, she has come back at four looking even more robust and raced accordingly. To her credit she looked extremely talented last season but often spoilt her chances by being very tardy from the gates. Stable has obviously worked hard to rectify that problem and this season she is getting away on terms. The field she beat to win the Cal Isuzu was of genuine group two standard and the form from it should hold-up strongly over the summer. Had genuine excuses for three failures at 2000m last season and with her style of racing and maturity, looks well capable of playing a leading role in the weight for age 2000m races throughout the summer months.
Ocean Park: Boxing Day's Group Two Great Northern Guineas looks set to be a cracking contest, featuring many of the pretenders to the mantle of our leading three-year male, and while the lightly raced Ocean Park will give away experience to many of his fellow runners, don't be surprised to see the son of Thorn Park extremely competitive against the likes of Burgandy and co. Connections have indicated he may leave for Hong Kong before the Derby but the odds of 21 to 1 are still tempting.
Pero: Well related four-year-old son of Storming Home whose patient handling is starting to pay dividends. 1.35 is rarely broken for 1600m at New Plymouth yet Pero did it easily earlier this month at his first start since a successful Christchurch trip for the Cup Carnival. Although he has won well in good times at 1400 and 1600m, he has always raced as if staying would be his forte, galloping with a real stayers stride and a low head carriage. From a stable that trained the high class stayers Mr Brooker and Aerosmith, Pero has the right credentials to make into a very exciting staying prospect.
Silent Achiever: Has a similar profile to another O'Reilly filly Annie Higgins, who last season only started racing just prior to Xmas in rating races but who became highly competitive in stakes company by Xmas with her strong finishing style. Silent Achiever hinted she was well above average, when she stormed home to run second on debut at Te Aroha. That performance saw her start a very warm favourite for her latest start, a 1600m maiden contest at Ellerslie last week which she won on her ear. Just a medium sized filly, typical of many of the better O'Reilly females, Silent Achiever's ability to really sprint when asked will hold her in good stead for her step to age group racing.
Best of luck.
Green Supreme: Looks to have recaptured the form he showed here in the spring of his three-year-old year when he ran a fast finishing third to Eileen Dubh in the Group One Levin Classic. In fact he was well in the Derby market but departed for Hong Kong where he failed to show any form in two light campaigns. Yet to race further than 1600m but his fast finishing style looks suited to at least 2000m and the son of Oasis Dream is a genuine lightweight chance for the big cups if he can run the trip. For a out and out sprinter himself and being a son of Green Desert, Oasis Dream has been something of a revelation with the number of high class middle distance performers he has left. With Rainbow Quest as his dam sire, Green Supreme's pedigree is unlikely to stop him running a strong middle distance.
Nashville: Another promising type from the first crop of Darci Brahma. Backed up a win on debut at Riccarton during Cup week with a second to the promising Jerico at Trentham on Captain Cook Stakes Day. His Trentham run was full of merit: he got back and pulled due to the lack of early pace, then mounted a wide run from the 600m and despite running greenly in the home straight, was still finding the line strongly at the end of the 1400m event. Stable has a good record of producing quality runners from limited representation and they have knocked back big overseas offers for Nashville to chase races like the Derby.
Lady Kipling: Always a good looking type and more strongly made than many of the stock of her sire, she has come back at four looking even more robust and raced accordingly. To her credit she looked extremely talented last season but often spoilt her chances by being very tardy from the gates. Stable has obviously worked hard to rectify that problem and this season she is getting away on terms. The field she beat to win the Cal Isuzu was of genuine group two standard and the form from it should hold-up strongly over the summer. Had genuine excuses for three failures at 2000m last season and with her style of racing and maturity, looks well capable of playing a leading role in the weight for age 2000m races throughout the summer months.
Ocean Park: Boxing Day's Group Two Great Northern Guineas looks set to be a cracking contest, featuring many of the pretenders to the mantle of our leading three-year male, and while the lightly raced Ocean Park will give away experience to many of his fellow runners, don't be surprised to see the son of Thorn Park extremely competitive against the likes of Burgandy and co. Connections have indicated he may leave for Hong Kong before the Derby but the odds of 21 to 1 are still tempting.
Pero: Well related four-year-old son of Storming Home whose patient handling is starting to pay dividends. 1.35 is rarely broken for 1600m at New Plymouth yet Pero did it easily earlier this month at his first start since a successful Christchurch trip for the Cup Carnival. Although he has won well in good times at 1400 and 1600m, he has always raced as if staying would be his forte, galloping with a real stayers stride and a low head carriage. From a stable that trained the high class stayers Mr Brooker and Aerosmith, Pero has the right credentials to make into a very exciting staying prospect.
Silent Achiever: Has a similar profile to another O'Reilly filly Annie Higgins, who last season only started racing just prior to Xmas in rating races but who became highly competitive in stakes company by Xmas with her strong finishing style. Silent Achiever hinted she was well above average, when she stormed home to run second on debut at Te Aroha. That performance saw her start a very warm favourite for her latest start, a 1600m maiden contest at Ellerslie last week which she won on her ear. Just a medium sized filly, typical of many of the better O'Reilly females, Silent Achiever's ability to really sprint when asked will hold her in good stead for her step to age group racing.
Best of luck.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Ellerslie 7 December: Talent on The Track Too
Last Wednesday evenings Ellerslie meeting looks to have unearthed yet more three-year-old talent.
These twilight meetings have a habit of proving difficult for punters, and with rain around and the running rail out 12m, upsets again looked the order of the night, especially after Redemption saluted in the first at odds of nearly 20 to 1.
However strong winning performances from two well supported three-year-old fillies reinvigorated punters confidence and saw that a small parcel of the $200,000 Pick Six was struck.
Following her strong last start finish for third over 1400m to subsequent group one placed Randall, the step to 1600m looked ideal for the Towkay filly Chicharita. Allowed to settle back from a wide draw on Wednesday evening, she made a sustained run through the field from the 600m, eventually striking the front with 150m to go, before holding off the fast finishing Poste Restante more comfortably than the long neck margin suggests.
Chicharita is not overly typical of her sires stock and looks to have thrown more to her dam sire Sir Tristram. Tall and strongly made with good bone, the filly reminds me on type somewhat of the Towkay filly Sahara Flight who ran third in the 2005 New Zealand Oaks. Interstingly', like a number of Towkay's better performers, she has Fair Trail blood in her distaff.
Although nearly a second slower than Chicharita's winning time for the same distance, Silent Achiever, having just her second start, was every bit as impressive. The feature of the O'Reilly filly's debut performance for third was her fast closing 200m, and once again she displayed rare acceleration, sitting a little bit closer in the running than Chicharita, before picking up the leaders in a matter of strides with 150m to go, then coasting to the line.
Chicharita runs to the line strongly and will be suited in pattern company at 2000m and further, while Silent Achiever also has the class to be competitive in races like the Eight Carat Classic.
Saturday's Eulogy Stakes underlined the current depth of our three-year-old fillies. The return of Planet Rock and Annabandana to join the emerging talent of Xanadu and Silent Achiever will ensure a fascinating conclusion to the Filly of the Year title.
These twilight meetings have a habit of proving difficult for punters, and with rain around and the running rail out 12m, upsets again looked the order of the night, especially after Redemption saluted in the first at odds of nearly 20 to 1.
However strong winning performances from two well supported three-year-old fillies reinvigorated punters confidence and saw that a small parcel of the $200,000 Pick Six was struck.
Following her strong last start finish for third over 1400m to subsequent group one placed Randall, the step to 1600m looked ideal for the Towkay filly Chicharita. Allowed to settle back from a wide draw on Wednesday evening, she made a sustained run through the field from the 600m, eventually striking the front with 150m to go, before holding off the fast finishing Poste Restante more comfortably than the long neck margin suggests.
Chicharita is not overly typical of her sires stock and looks to have thrown more to her dam sire Sir Tristram. Tall and strongly made with good bone, the filly reminds me on type somewhat of the Towkay filly Sahara Flight who ran third in the 2005 New Zealand Oaks. Interstingly', like a number of Towkay's better performers, she has Fair Trail blood in her distaff.
Although nearly a second slower than Chicharita's winning time for the same distance, Silent Achiever, having just her second start, was every bit as impressive. The feature of the O'Reilly filly's debut performance for third was her fast closing 200m, and once again she displayed rare acceleration, sitting a little bit closer in the running than Chicharita, before picking up the leaders in a matter of strides with 150m to go, then coasting to the line.
Chicharita runs to the line strongly and will be suited in pattern company at 2000m and further, while Silent Achiever also has the class to be competitive in races like the Eight Carat Classic.
Saturday's Eulogy Stakes underlined the current depth of our three-year-old fillies. The return of Planet Rock and Annabandana to join the emerging talent of Xanadu and Silent Achiever will ensure a fascinating conclusion to the Filly of the Year title.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Ellerslie 3 December: David and Miss Goliath
I headed to Ellerslie primarily to see Xanadu as I had not seen her since she was a foal at Little Avondale. The maiden race also had a number of first starters, quite a few of them well bred and with trials form.
Watching Xanadu parade was like looking at a high school first XV run onto the field, and there suddenly in the middle of the teenagers is Brad Thorn or Andy Haden. She is some physical specimen; tall and long but very athletic with the most fantastic gaskin. She had just the right amount of mental alertness, on toe, and keen to get on with it, but observant and confident.
Craig Gryll's knew he was on the best horse in the race and rode her accordingly. The stakesplaced Vincent Street got away with cheap sectionals in front but despite Xanadu finding the home turn tricky, as many visiting Ellerslie for the first time do, she outsprinted the Darci Brahma gelding more comfortably than the margin suggests.
Knights Tour paraded acting colty and it will take a good training effort to get him through to the Derby with his manhood intact.
The Maiden 1200m presented a totally different challenge. Apart from the O'Reilly colt Miami Provocateur and the Falkirk filly Springtime, the field lacked types. But as the saying goes, beauty's only skin deep and my eye kept coming back to the little Keeper gelding St Yazin Chris McNab was walking around beneath the trees in the parade ring.
His best supporters will tell you that he has had some very good males in Hong Kong but Keeper is one of those stallions whose fillies are distinctly superior to his colts. Often he can leave a a big type of colt and they can tend to be a bit one-paced. Keeper's only stakeswinner in Hong Kong, Special Days, is not a big horse.
Lucky to be 15.1 hands, St Yazin may have thrown to his damsire Montjeu - making a promising start as a broodmare stallion - for he was still a neat and well balanced type. But is was more his eye that I took a liking to, it looked at you and reeked of honesty and courage. Could he gallop?
He sure could. The Savabeel three-year-old gelding Have No Mercy - a good type for a Savabeel -showed high gate speed to get across early from a wide gate and then sprinted clear early in the straight. Little St Yazin had got back in the early rush and was having difficulty extracting himself from traffic with 300m to run, but once he did he really knuckled down and picked-up Have No Mercy, right on the line.
Xanadu will go onto better things than anything else on yesterdays card but between St Yazin and Have No Mercy, I think one of them will win a nice race one day.
Watching Xanadu parade was like looking at a high school first XV run onto the field, and there suddenly in the middle of the teenagers is Brad Thorn or Andy Haden. She is some physical specimen; tall and long but very athletic with the most fantastic gaskin. She had just the right amount of mental alertness, on toe, and keen to get on with it, but observant and confident.
Craig Gryll's knew he was on the best horse in the race and rode her accordingly. The stakesplaced Vincent Street got away with cheap sectionals in front but despite Xanadu finding the home turn tricky, as many visiting Ellerslie for the first time do, she outsprinted the Darci Brahma gelding more comfortably than the margin suggests.
Knights Tour paraded acting colty and it will take a good training effort to get him through to the Derby with his manhood intact.
The Maiden 1200m presented a totally different challenge. Apart from the O'Reilly colt Miami Provocateur and the Falkirk filly Springtime, the field lacked types. But as the saying goes, beauty's only skin deep and my eye kept coming back to the little Keeper gelding St Yazin Chris McNab was walking around beneath the trees in the parade ring.
His best supporters will tell you that he has had some very good males in Hong Kong but Keeper is one of those stallions whose fillies are distinctly superior to his colts. Often he can leave a a big type of colt and they can tend to be a bit one-paced. Keeper's only stakeswinner in Hong Kong, Special Days, is not a big horse.
Lucky to be 15.1 hands, St Yazin may have thrown to his damsire Montjeu - making a promising start as a broodmare stallion - for he was still a neat and well balanced type. But is was more his eye that I took a liking to, it looked at you and reeked of honesty and courage. Could he gallop?
He sure could. The Savabeel three-year-old gelding Have No Mercy - a good type for a Savabeel -showed high gate speed to get across early from a wide gate and then sprinted clear early in the straight. Little St Yazin had got back in the early rush and was having difficulty extracting himself from traffic with 300m to run, but once he did he really knuckled down and picked-up Have No Mercy, right on the line.
Xanadu will go onto better things than anything else on yesterdays card but between St Yazin and Have No Mercy, I think one of them will win a nice race one day.
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