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Spring notes – second edition
A summary of the weekend’s racing and how the results will influence the rest of the spring carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney.
In Sydney, at Warwick Farm, they raced on a boggy, cow paddock of a track, so the form as a spring reference must be treated with guarded respect.
Ploughing through the Farm
It’s not hard to be impressed by Manawanui, who easily won the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m, Warwick Farm). The Ron Leemon-trained gelding sprinted quickly from the back of the field to beat Queenian by 4.3 lengths. As much as I like this horse, I am reserving my enthusiasm until I see him tested against better opposition – Queenian and Detours are B-graders. I don’t think he beat much on Saturday and I didn’t like the way he got his head up under pressure. I concede that he is still learning the caper.
His chance will come in the next few weeks, and let’s hope we can get some better tracks in Sydney as these quality 3YOs prepare for next month’s Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m, Rosehill).
From a breeding buff’s point of view, Manawanui’s sixth dam is the great mare Wenona Girl. His third dam, Vain Explorer, is by Vain, who clashed with and thrashed Wenona Girl’s brilliant daughter Special Girl in the 1969 Golden Slipper.
Pane In The Glass ran up to her best autumn form to win the Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m). The fillies’ race was stronger than the Up And Coming. Pane In The Glass is a typical daughter of Testa Rossa – small with a long, economical stride. She is definitely the benchmark for the remainder of the Princess Series in Sydney.
Elite Falls was ordinary – finishing a weakening fifth after making ground through the inside on the bend (not really the place to be). There were rave reviews from the stable and the track watchers about her work at Randwick, but she struggled when the pressure went on. The heavy track could be an excuse, but the filly has shown a liking for the wet in the past. Jockey James McDonald offered a pert “disappointing” after the race.
The runner-up Florentina looks a filly with a big future. She didn’t look comfortable at all in the wet, but she kept giving under pressure despite switching legs a couple of times in the straight.
Ilovethiscity’s second behind Pinwheel in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) was an encouraging return for a horse that is expected to be a serious contender in races around 1600 metres, especially the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m, Randwick) on October 1. The wet track and fitness cost him the win against a seasoned campaigner. Interestingly, trainer Peter Snowden doubted Pinwheel is an Epsom Handicap horse despite his record of 10 wins from 24 starts. “I think we will aim him for the Chelmsford Stakes (Group 1, 1600m on September 3)
December for October?
There is a lot of hype about the Mark Kavanagh-trained import December Draw and he was backed ($2.80 into $2.15) as if unbeatable in the final event over 1550 metres at Moonee Valley. December Draw ran bravely but ran into a tough and fit track specialist, Philda, who was too strong.
There is no doubting December Draw is a nice horse – he proved that by his two Flemington wins (1600m and 2000m) in May – but I’m not so sure about him beyond 2000 metres. We will know more about December Draw’s Caulfield Cup hopes as Kavanagh steps him up in distance and class in the next month.
Guineas hopes at the Valley
Peter Morgan spends a lot of time patching up other people’s good horses at his Whittlesea rehab centre, but he has found himself a decent prospect in the lightly raced and raw 3YO Amah Rock.
The gelding tracked the pace before unleashing a strong finish to beat Hot Spin and Secret Hills in the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1200m) – not a bad effort coming from a first-start maiden win at Echuca. Only very good horses successfully jump from maiden to Stakes company. Jockey Danny Nikolic believes he has found a Caulfield Guineas ride, so we must rate the performance if we rate Nikolic’s opinion – I do. While Amah Rock had a dream run behind the speed, some of the horses behind him got into a bit of trouble, so I wouldn’t discount this race has having a wider impact on better races through the spring.
Trainer Peter Moody gave his jockey Luke Nolen a “spray” for his ride on Huegill, also a colt with Guineas aspirations. Huegill ran into a bit of trouble, but finished the race off nicely, so I expect the son of More Than Ready to be a serious contender when he next steps out, especially with a set of winkers or blinkers applied – Nolen recommended the gear change to Moody, who may not have been listening at the time.
Of the others – Running Tall (6th) will be better on a bigger track when he can race nearer the lead; Zabillionaire (9th) ran very well for a colt at the start of a Victoria Derby campaign; while the promising Niconoise (7th) didn’t look comfortable at any stage.
Kneeling, winner of the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1200m) looks a filly of tremendous promise. She’s a stylish daughter of Encosta De Lago and she has a heap of improvement in her. I just like the way she travelled behind the speed and then produced a brilliant burst to run down a good filly in Hallowell Belle. Both fillies are Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) bound and they are serious contenders. Hallowell Belle was terrific in defeat as she had to do the work from barrier 12 to get outside the leader, so she is excused for tiring the last bit. Trainer Peter Moody also said he had been easy on the chestnut since her first-up win on heavy ground at Seymour.
Classic Elle, a promising daughter of Reset, ran on well along the rail for third. It was advantageous to be on the fence, but she looks a filly on the rise.
Kulgrinda is a contender
While Kulgrinda is an exciting sprinter, she is not in the class of her illustrious stablemate Black Caviar, although capable of winning any Group 1 sprint in Australian when Black Caviar is home in her box.
Kulgrinda opened up in the final 400 metres for an easy win in the Listed Printhouse Graphics Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley, prompting trainer Peter Moody to say the mare was on track for the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m, Moonee Valley) next month when she will be a more than able understudy to Black Caviar in a clash with the exciting colt Sepoy.
Runner-up Happy Angel hit the line very hard suggesting there is a minor race within her grasp in the coming weeks.
Americain in France
On face value, Americain’s 10th behind Jukebox Jury in the Group 2 Prix de Kergorlay (3000m, Deauville) was an ordinary effort considering he won this race last year on his way to winning the Melbourne Cup.
However, after watching the replay, Americain went quite well in what was a very unsuitable race – both in tempo and firm track surface.
Apart from the winner, who led and dashed away on straightening, most of the other runners were in a bunch. Americain more than held his own with the chasing pack despite knuckling badly at the start, which trainer Alain de Royer Dupre said put the horse out of his rhythm, and also copping a squeeze early in the straight. de Royer Dupre said full steam ahead for the Cup, and from what I saw, Americain looks to be nicely on track.
Luca Cumani’s Manighar, seventh in last year’s Cup, ran a terrific race for fourth after tracking just off the pace three wide without cover, while another possible Cup contender, Dunaden (11th), trained by Mikel Delzangles, held his ground well after racing four wide without cover for the entire race.
Greys ghosts at Geelong
The grey colts Chase The Rainbow and Specter fought out the finish of the 3YO 0-72 Inglis Bonus (1300m) at Geelong on the synthetic track on Sunday – the pair are headed for better races.
Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy believes Chase The Rainbow (by Dash For Cash from a Redoute’s Choice mare) is a Caulfield Guineas chance. “I trained Dash For Cash to win an Australian Guineas and Redoute’s Choice to win a Caulfield Guineas, so he’s bred to be a Guineas horse,” Hore-Lacy said.
Chase The Rainbow sat midfield, wide without cover, before unleashing a strong finish. Specter (by Nadeem) tracked the winner until the turn, but lost touch when he lost his balance swinging wide before powering hard to the line. Specter, a winner at Mornington at his only other start, is highly rated by trainer Anthony Freedman. Specter was clocked to run his final 600m in under 34 seconds, the fastest final sectional of the day at Geelong.
The breeding lines
Manawanui (b g 2008, Oratorio (IRE)-Lady Remlap, by Filante (NZ))
Pane In The Glass (ch f 3, Testa Rossa-Lyrics, by Bluebird (USA))
Florentina (b f 2008, Redoute’s Choice-Celebria, by Peintre Celebre (USA))
Pinwheel (b g 2005, Lonhro-Quilt, by Danehill (USA))
Ilovethiscity (ch h 2007, Magic Albert-Kensington Rose (NZ), by Kenfair (NZ))
Amah Rock (b c 2008, Fastnet Rock-Gainesville (CAN), by Afleet (CAN))
Huegill (b g 2008, More Than Ready (USA)-Trust Antonia (SAF), by National Assembly (CAN))
Kneeling (b f 2008, Encosta De Lago-Sunday Service, by Sunday Silence (USA))
Hallowell Belle (ch f 2008, Starcraft (NZ)-Belle Inez, by Beautiful Crown (USA))
Classic Elle (b f 2008, Reset-Mystic Elle, by Encosta De Lago)
December Draw (IRE) (b g 2007, Medecis (GB)-New York (IRE), by Danzero)
Kulgrinda (b or br m 2007, Exceed And Excel-River Crossing, by Bellotto (USA))
Chase A Rainbow (gr c 2008, Dash For Cash-Illusional, by Redoute’s Choice)
Specter (gr c 2008, Nadeem-Woman In White (FR), by Daylami (IRE))
Photo: Ilovethiscity
Nice summary Danny.
I was also taken with the run of Zabillionaire.
Triple Asset was game after doing plenty, and looked in the yard like she would improve with the run.
John, the trainer of Triple Asset felt she badly needed the run, so well spotted. She is a very good filly that is likely to make vast improvement from her first up run – and go around at juicy odds.