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The internationals were at it again at Moonee Valley. This time boom Coolmore youngster Adelaide recorded one of the great Cox Plate (2040m) triumphs.
Circling the field from about the 1000-metre mark from last, sitting at least three wide with cover, then coming seven, maybe eight wide on the turn ala Makybe Diva in 2005, Adelaide charged to the front 100m out.
Adelaide held out a great WFA horse in Fawkner and a gun mare in Silent Achiever ala the 2005 finish with Lotteria and Fields Of Omagh.
The Cleaner took care of the bias factor by going at a very strong tempo given that Wandjina, Side Glance and Almalad kicked up underneath him for the first 800m of the race – really making sure that the petrol tank was near empty with the ‘Lion of Longford’.
800m out, Arnold did his usual thing with the Cleaner and cranked it right up, which forced Nick Hall on Fawkner to ease wide and do the chasing, with Royal Descent, Silent Achiever and Adelaide all hot on his tail.
Coming to the turn, The Cleaner was under pressure. Wandjina, Fawkner, Silent Achiever and Adelaide were all coming with their runs while the likes of Side Glance, Foreteller and Happy Trails all looking for runs behind them. In a driving finish, Adelaide got the nod ahead of Fawkner and Silent Achiever.
Looking at the replay, I think the unlucky runner was Foreteller. Tommy Berry rode him and Jamie Spencer rode Side Glance, and at the top of the straight, there was a one-horse gap between Fawkner and Wandjina.
Side Glance with his big frame eventually got the run, but had Foreteller got it, gee he would have gone close to winning.
Side Glance, Happy Trails, Sweynesse, The Cleaner and even Wandjina were great in defeat. Sacred Falls doesn’t run 2000m in Melbourne and Royal Descent is past her winning days. e
Three things I learnt from the Cox Plate:
1. Once again, Australian breeding had it’s pants pulled down;
2. It’s my shout for scrambled eggs. You’ll find it on my face (again);
3. Ryan Moore has redeemed himself with Australians.
Lumosty did little work to take care of her rivals in the Drummond Golf Classic (1600m). Ridden positively by Nick Hall, the filly jumped well and sat outside the speed, set up by Tender.
Those two dominated the first 1000m of the race before Hall put the leader to bed on the turn without really pressuring her before the filly strode clear in the straight to win quite comfortably from Tahni Dancer with Berimbau working home well late for third ahead Singularity.
The big question is what do you do with Lumosty? Does Phil Sly go towards the Myer Classic (1600m) and take on the older mares or does she stick to her own age and sex in the Crown Oaks (2500m)?
I’d have a crack at the Myer given she only carries 50kg. I don’t think she has enough brilliance to run a strong 2500m and beat her stablemates, Fonetin Ruby and Crafty.
Prince Of Penzance gave himself every chance to sneak into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) with a strong win in the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m).
Aided by a brilliant ride from Michelle Payne, who made amends after last weeks howler on Azkadellia, the Darren Weir-trained stayer travelled at the back of the field before pinching runs near the rail then angling into the clear on the turn and letting down strongly to win over Le Roi and the leader, Au Revoir.
All three place getters stayed near the rail and cleared right out from the rest. The likes of Precedence and Opinion had no hope when they peeled wide and both can be forgiven. I wouldn’t sack Opinion from a Melbourne Cup point of view.
Hooked jumped to near the top of the betting for the Emirates Stakes (1600m) after a determined on pace triumph in the Schweppes Crystal Mile (1600m). Craig Williams got the horse out of the gates well before sitting outside Havana Rey, who made sure that the speed was more than genuine.
500m out, Hooked quickly beat off the leader and was left a sitting shot, but Williams failed the horse up superbly and never looked like getting beat, holding a comfortable margin on Bull Point, who was outstanding in defeat, with Desert Jeuney a close margin away in third.
Hooked and Bull Point are the two clear horses to follow looking ahead towards the Emirates. Hooked showed great fight sitting outside a hot speed while Bull Point came wide and from the back, so his run was enormous.
Moonovermanhattan made sure that punters don’t rule him out after he scored a tough victory in the Dilmah Exceptional Teas Vase (2040m). Craig Newitt shot the horse out from the widest gate to sit outside surprise leader Zululand, who was backed at odds.
Newitt put him away on the turn, then held off his rivals to win by just on a length from Atmosphere, who was good coming wide, with Go Indy Go the real eye catcher, coming home from a mile back to run third.
Despite a couple of bumps on the turn, Chivalry was disappointing and might be best saved for the mile in the Autumn or perhaps the Australian Guineas. As for Zululand? Deary me. He’d struggle to win a Class 4 at Singapore.
From a Derby perspective, follow Atmosphere because he will be much better at Flemington, as will Go Indy Go in the Oaks.
Three things I learnt from Moonee Valley on Saturday
1. I have never seen a Cox Plate Day track play so disgracefully;
2. Go Indy Go is the one to beat in the Oaks;
3. Fontition could be in the big one this time next year.
He had to fend off his rivals both on the track and in the stewards room, but the world’s highest rated sprinter, Lankan Rupee, showed superb grit and determination to win the Manikato Stakes (1200m).
Craig ‘Froggy’ Newitt had been hounded by all on his two rides on the star this Spring, but he took the bull by the horns as soon as the gates opened, shooting the horse of the year to the front and running the first 600m in a blistering 34.25 seconds. He was there to be beaten on the turn when under pressure, but like champions do, and much the like the horse that the race is named after, he found when required and held on to win.
Now where do we start with the beaten brigade? I’ll start off with the horse I was keen on, Buffering. He began well, but Lankan Rupee just jumped too well and had the necessary early speed to cross.
Buffering is not a chaser and if you backed him, like I did, then your money was gone after Lankan Rupee crossed. He also got on the wrong leg upon straightening but still did a remarkable job to finish a half length away from the winner.
Angelic Light finished second, and while connections protested, it was always going to be dismissed. In saying that, she copped a bad check about 150m after the start, nearly fell and lost all momentum. For her to get as close as she did was enormous, as was the case with Famous Seamus, who copped the worst of the interference and was a clear last on the turn. Tim Clark could not have ridden the horse any better given the circumstances and I’d say he was the unlucky runner.
But, there were many unlucky runners. Rebel Dane got held up near the fence and only got beat a head, Terravista got a pair further back than what they would have liked, but another couple of strides and he probably wins.
And the old marvel Temple Of Boom was unbelievable. He was three wide no cover on a hot speed yet was still there on the line. Iconic was also unlucky given he never really got a clear crack at them and was beaten 1.5 lengths.
What I learnt from Moonee Valley on Friday night
1. Chautauqua will be winning the Darley Classic and the $3.50 a few weeks ago was a gift;
2. Given it was the second, possibly the third biggest program for the MVRC, the track played disgracefully;
3. Follow Black Jet in the Subzero Challenge. He was very good under the circumstances.
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