There was another fantastic day of racing across Australia, highlighted by the 10-race card at Caulfield with the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) the feature.
To put it simply, the best ride won the Caulfield Guineas. Hugh Bowman seized the initiative and pinged Press Statement over to lead, and from there it was painless if you backed him.
The first 800 metres in around 50 seconds sealed the fate of the rest. Three back the inside, Lizard Island, ran second, while the horse behind the leader, Ready For Victory, ran third. I wouldn’t touch Press Statement in a Cox Plate. Not sure he would run the most brutal 2040 metres in racing.
Criterion stamped himself as the new Cox Plate favourite with a barnstorming win in the Caulfield Stakes (2000m). First up after a European stint, Michael Walker produced a peach to get the Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner home, narrowly ahead of Happy Trails and Mongolian Khan.
Based on what I saw, nothing from here will turn the tables on Criterion in the Cox Plate. He was enormous in winning given the speed was a crawl. Kermadec sat last in what was a negative ride from Glen Boss. If he was going to be a genuine Cox Plate horse, he would have run through the line, but he just plugged. Mongolian Khan was fabulous and he is one of the hardest to beat in the Caulfield Cup next week.
After a luckless effort in the Sir Rupert Clarke (1400m), the Darren Weir-trained Lucky Hussler got another Group 1 win by taking out the Toorak Handicap (1600m). He proved too good for Disposition, who had his chance, just ahead of Stratum Star, who was excellent in defeat chasing a hot speed set by Strawberry Boy. Not really much else to say; the winner was too good.
Stay With Me emulated the deeds of her famous mother by scoring a dominant win in the Thousand Guineas (1600m). Dwayne Dunn gave her a lovely steer, saving ground near the inside before getting a split at the top of the straight and dashing clear late. Pasadena Girl was the clear forgive run. She was wide no cover out the back for the entire trip and did a remarkable job to finish as close as she did.
There was only one Group 1 at Randwick, the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m). Vanbrugh was an alarming drifter in betting but his class was too good for his rivals, though for jockey Glyn Schofield it looked a nightmare 600 metres out when a couple of horses took off around him. But he waited, got out and the horse did the rest. I’m Belucci was the unlucky runner, had he got a clear crack at the top of the straight, he would have strongly challenged Vanburgh.
The day started off on a terrible note for punters when Lankan Rupee was rolled as an odds on pop in the Schillaci Stakes (1100m). Despite a comfortable run on speed, the five-time Group 1 winner was pretty ordinary in the straight and Alpha Miss, who was making her Victorian debut, swept past the hot pot, then held off the fast finishing Cashed. Put the line through Lankan Rupee. He won’t be winning the Manikato or the Darley Classic.
Three horses to follow
1. Mongolian Khan
2. Pasadena Girl
3. Amralah
Have you ever tried your skills in a Racing daily fantasy competition? Put your best picks to the test for one day and see if you can scoop the pot with Draftstars. Looking for great odds on racing and sport? PlayUp is your best bet. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Without a Fight completed the rare Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double on Tuesday as star jockey Mark Zahra went back-to-back in the big one after…
The race that stops the nation is upon us again. Every horse in the Melbourne Cup has reasons they can win, and reasons they…
Those who want to have a really big collect on Australia’s greatest race, without risking too much, have to look at the exotic bets.
While most of the attention is on Ciaron Maher and David Eustace's Gold Trip, there's no reason why stablemate Future History cannot upstage him.
Champion jockey Damien Oliver is quietly confident his Melbourne Cup mount Alenquer will be passed fit to give him a farewell ride in the…
Melbourne Cup day is here again, and it’s never anything less than exciting. The Cup itself will of course be full of drama and…
