Day 1 of the Championships is upon us, and there are four big Group 1s on offer, none bigger than the famous Doncaster Mile, the 150th running of the event.
With the Sydney weather being as it is, we don’t know what the track will be rated, and nor how it will play.
Regardless, the field is jam-packed with depth and quality, with several Group 1 winners this campaign colliding, across a range of ages, sex and nationality.
Three-year-olds are always a story heading into the Doncaster, and rarely don’t see one at the top of the markets.
Hallowed Crown fits the bill this time around, with six wins from his eight starts, including the Golden Rose and Randwick Guineas, and dropping back from 2000m, another formula for success for victory in a big Randwick mile.
Sweynesse and Kermadec are two more of the age group, but as first and second emergency are sweating on a run. Kermadec’s form around Hallowed Crown and in the George Ryder ties him right in, and Sweynesse must bounce back from a failure in the Rosehill Guineas.
The Japanese are led by Real Impact, who led all the way to score in the George Ryder, but his record at 1600m isn’t as impressive as at the shorter trips, and his exposure to the soft is minimal.
Pornichet is peaking at the right time for Gai Waterhouse, and his recent history suggests this sort of race isn’t beyond him. Royal Descent deserves a win like this more than most, but isn’t weighted as well as others.
Happy Trails is the grand old campaigner that does seem well in, but will he still have the sprint in his legs to win over a mile after being set at the Australian Cup? Sacred Falls has won this the last two years, and will get his favoured conditions again, but surely isn’t going well enough.
Hooked races well in these sort of races, and isn’t the worse horse in the race at odds. It’s Somewhat can’t be discounted, knowing how the imports have taken a stranglehold on our big races in recent times.
Cosmic Endeavour won at Group 1 weight-for-age less than a month ago, and has won twice at the highest level in her last five starts. She’ll be $35 or thereabouts. It’s that sort of race.
Ninth Legion got beaten a length-and-a-half in the Epsom as a $10 chance back in October, and is going better heading into this, yet jumps at $51. That tells you about the depth of this classic Doncaster.
Leebaz has more than a fluker’s chance at great odds. Team Hawkes have been patient with this gelding, always believing he had Group 1 quality. He’s absolutely pitched in with 50.5kgs, and Glen Boss will give him the right steer.
Arabian Gold has a hope up from the Coomore, as do Diamond Drille and the winner Plucky Belle, but there do appear to be better options.
Suavito just keeps winning in Melbourne, and doing so with some authority and versatility. She’s in this up to her ears, capable of sprinting hard, and she has a strong 2000m win on her record which holds her in good stead.
It might be the deepest Doncaster of the last decade, and you could throw a dart at the form guide blindfolded and find the winner. Alternately, you could take half the field in a boxed trifecta and not get a leg.
Selections: 1. Leebaz 2. Kermadec 3. Suavito 4. Hallowed Crown 5. Pornichet
The T.J Smith, with its $2.5 million purse, sees defending champion Lankan Rupee once again taking on Terravista and Chautauqua, the third time the three of them are going to meet in a race.
Lankan Rupee has trailed the other two home both times, including last start in the Newmarket. He was too bad to be true that day, especially after his dazzling first-up win in the Lightning, so we can expect him to bounce back, and he’ll enjoy some weight relief too.
Chautauqua heads the market, and had half a length on Terravista in the Newmarket, but will that be negated or even overcome with the change in tracks?
Chautauqua is a noted Flemington straight-track specialist who has only seen Randwick once, while Terravista is four from four at the home of Sydney racing. The Joe Pride gelding also gets a kilo off the Hawkes grey.
Adding to the intrigue is the likelihood of a wet track, where both Lankan Rupee and Terravista have excelled in the past, but it’s been a while since the favourite has seen one.
The gallant Group 1 mare Sweet Idea is the best of the rest and will be sure to have admirers after her Galaxy win, giving weight to a host of smart males.
Fast N Rocking has been racing honestly in the handicaps at value odds, and Famous Seamus is another that could figure in the first four and provide a shot of value to the multiples if everything went his way.
Selections: 1. Terravista 2. Lankan Rupee 3. Chautauqua 4. Sweet Idea
What a day of racing it is when a $2 million AJC Derby has third billing. That said, it has attracted a disappointingly small field of dubious quality.
Preferment, looking to double up after his VRC Derby win in the spring, had been building unimpressively before recapturing his best in the Rosehill Guineas, narrowly going down to the Kiwi raider Volkstok’n’barrell in a grinding finish.
Fellow New Zealander Mongholian Khan was poor in that same race, but had the better of his country-mate both times in races above 2000m back home in February.
The Tulloch Stakes provides the other formline, in fact supplying the favourite in Hauraki, who isn’t from New Zealand, but whose naming has seemingly been inspired by our World Cup-losing cousins.
Hauraki’s Tulloch win was preceded by a two length second to Winx, who has been comfortably handled in the fillies division all campaign, and second place-getter in the Tulloch, Omerous, was only just out of maiden class. There has to be question marks on the form.
Perhaps Quick Strike or Ruling Dynasty could pop up after working home well last start, but the step up to 2400m for the first time might sort a few out.
Selections: 1. Preferment 2. Mongolian Khan 3. Volkstok’n’barrell 4. Hauraki
The two-year-olds are gathering to test out the Golden Slipper form for the first time in the Sires Produce, albeit only three from the mad scamper are taking their place.
Ready For Victory showed he was anything but when running right off the track in the Slipper at his second career start, throwing the race away. The seasoning will stand him in good stead.
English tried her best in the same race, and gave Gai Waterhouse the quinella, but was no match for the ultra-impressive and professional Vancouver.
Pride of Dubai has been targeted at this race since his Blue Diamond win.
Lake Geneva’s third placing in both the Diamond and Slipper suggests there’s not much between the two races, and Pride of Dubai has looked like a 1400m horse from the beginning. Will his fresher legs help or hinder? We can trust the Snowdens to get it right.
Pasadeena Girl is strong in the market, also up from Victoria, unbeaten in her two stakes races this campaign. I’m not sure the form behind her in those races would stand up here.
The Pago Pago form hasn’t been rated highly by the bookies for this race, despite Odyssey Moon running well from it in the Slipper. Tarquin won that race, remaining unbeaten, and looked like he had more to give, also being set for this race. He’s the clear value.
Selections: 1. Pride of Dubai 2. Ready for Victory 3. Tarquin 4. English
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