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The weekend's Group 2 racing: NSW and Victoria

(AAP Image/Hamish Blair)
Expert
3rd September, 2015
9

The first weekend of spring, and we’re greeted with quality racing in both Victoria and New South Wales as five Group 2 races between the two states are held.

It’s always a shame when we have races under the same conditions in each city, as we do with the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (Moonee Valley) and the Chelmsford (Randwick), both Group 2 WFA races over 1600 emtres worth $250,000.

How you rank the importance of each is probably dependent on which side of the Murray you live. Being a born-and-bred Victorian, I’ll kick things off with the Melbourne race.

The Dato is a good horses race, with most winners making their presence felt throughout the spring, but this year’s edition sees only three or four legitimate winning chances.

Contributor has had the tomato sauce slapped on his odds, which is fair enough given his impressive first-up record (6: 5-0-0), record in this country (5: 4-0-0), and stunning autumn campaign where he was undefeated in taking out the Apollo, Chipping Norton, and Ranvet.

The horse had his first look at the Valley earlier in the week, and worked stylishly like he was a veteran at the track. He deserves his short quote.

The two most obvious dangers are The Cleaner and Mourinho, both Moonee Valley specialists that have a combined record at the track of 18: 9-3-2. Indeed, they ran the quinella in this race last year, and are coming off the quinella in the PB Lawrence Stakes three weeks ago.

Both are tough honest gallopers, and if there’s any chinks in the armour of the favourite, one of them will find it.

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If there’s another chance in the race, it probably belongs to the horse than ran third in the PB Lawrence, Dibayani, who can easily find a couple of lengths improvement given the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig combination wasn’t tough in his training before his first-up run.

Selections
1. Contributor
2. The Cleaner
3. Mourinho
4. Dibayani

The McEwen Stakes is the other Group 2 on the Moonee Valley card, over 1000 metres, and also under WFA conditions.

Chautauqua is the prize horse in the race, proving himself one of Australia’s highest quality sprinters over the last 12 months, and is a hot, but easing, favourite in the early markets due to an air of vulnerability surrounding him.

He’s having his first start over the short-course of five furlongs, which may prove an issue for a horse that often either just gets there or just falls short over 1200 metres. It’s his first race at the Valley too, and his wide barrier is going to see him get right back to the tail. It’s a tricky assignment.

The record of Flamberge ties into that of Chautauqua, given there was nothing between them when both first-up last time, and they both beat Lord of the Sky into second place in their respective Group 1 victories in the autumn.

Kuro was a remarkably consistent three-year-old sprinter across three states, and also has Group 1 credentials. He’s drawn to get the run of the race from barrier two, and will look the winner at some stage.

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Sistonic is the interesting runner after making an impact in only a few starts last summer, but is right in the deep end here. It Is Written and The Quarterback are always thereabouts, the former at his favourite track, the latter at his specialist distance.

It also pays to be wary of the three-year-olds in these early spring WFA races, and Furnaces and Headwater must be conceded chances.

Selections
1. Kuro
2. Flamberge
3. Furnaces
4. Chautauqua

At Randwick, the Chelmsford has attracted the usual bevy of Chris Waller runners, but there look to be only four winning chances in the race.

Three of them are second-up after running in the Warwick Stakes, which was won by the hardy mare Royal Descent, a well-deserved victory after knocking on the door so many times.

She had the run of the race first-up, but put them away impressively all the same. Her recent second-up runs were beaten a lip in this race last year, and an excellent second in a deep George Ryder in the autumn. A huge threat again.

Pornichet will likely take up the running unopposed here, despite it not being his preferred option, and should be able to dictate the race. He’s returned in good order, and will be hard to beat in this sort of grade, but it remains to be seen how high he can climb.

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Kermadec was arguably the run of the race out of the Warwick Stakes, a closing fifth behind Royal Descent and Pornichet, but the wide barrier will make things tricky for Glen Boss. He probably can’t win if he goes right back, but going forward isn’t the horse’s natural racing pattern.

Hartnell produced a huge first-up run last campaign, coming from last to almost run down Contributor, and we know how strong that form proved to be through the Sydney autumn. I’m not sure he’ll be as wound up this time with the Melbourne Cup still over two months away.

Beaten Up looks the best of the rest.

Selections
1. Pornichet
2. Royal Descent
3. Kermadec
4. Hartnell

The Tramway is always a tough race to win, and often an even tougher race to pick. Most of the horses engaged are first-up, even though only two of the last nine Tramway winners have been resuming.

First Seal is the favourite, as usual, even if she doesn’t win enough to necessarily justify it. She’s been the punters-elect in her last four races, three of them odds-on, but with only one victory to her credit in that time.

Jumping from the widest barrier won’t make things easy, and she’s also coming off a minor hiccup after a foot abscess prevented her from resuming in the Warwick Stakes. She’s also taking on the older boys for the first time. There’s enough against her here to make her a risk at the price.

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Lucia Valentina won the race last year, and knows how to impress first-up, but has her share of weight against the boys. Messene is a good horse, but hasn’t won for a while, and will enjoy dropping back to a SWP race after a year of racing at WFA.

Sweynesse is too good to ignore, and his first-up autumn run behind Hallowed Crown in the Hobartville would be enough to win this. If he’s forward enough, he can win.

Arabian Gold has changed hands from David Vandyke to Gai Waterhouse, and must be taken seriously despite not being a noted first-up performer previously.

Rudy looks the value runner of the race given his Doncaster run and second-up record. Strawberry Boy can provide nuisance value up the front, and might even go on with it if he gets a classic front-running ‘Pumper’ special. Keep an eye on second emergency Malice, if he gets a run.

Selections
1. Sweynesse
2. Rudy
3. Messene
4. First Seal

The other Group 2 on the day is the Furious Stakes, over 1200 metres for the three-year-old fillies, with a handy field assembled.

Speak Fondly looks the one to beat with the winning run under her belt, when she led all the way in the Silver Shadow in a six-horse field. Lake Geneva raced flat behind her when second up, and could easily improve off it.

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There’s plenty of interest in some of the first-up runners, including Ottoman, English, Look to the Stars, Perignon and Calverite. Ottoman might be the best out-and-out sprinter of that lot, and could be too quick for these with a good trial under her belt.

Serene Majesty bolted in a mid-week maiden, and obviously has claims.

Selections
1. Ottoman
2. Speak Fondly
3. Lake Geneva
4. Serene Majesty

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