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Ahoy Roarers! The Championships concluded Saturday at Randwick, highlighted by the $4 Million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
The race looked wide open with the non acceptance of Winx, but it was left to another mare, Lucia Valentina, who produced an unbelievable performance. Lucia Valentina produced the run of the entire Sydney Autumn Carnival to get the job done in the showpiece of Sydney racing.
The Kris Lees trained mare sat a clear last in the run and then on the home turn, she copped severe interference, but Oliver got her into the clear and we know she has a lethal turn of foot on wet ground, and she produced on the biggest stage.
She dashed past her rivals in a couple of strides and won with just class and authority, beating home The United States, who confirmed his status as a WFA star for the Spring. Happy Clapper was just fantastic in third, backing up seven days later after a gut buster in the Doncaster (1600m) seven days prior.
It was just reward for Lucia Valentina, who has perhaps been put in the backburner in terms of whether or not she is a top class mare. She did start favourite in both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup a couple of years ago and produced one of the runs of the afternoon on International Day at Sha Tin last year. She is a top class mare and this confirmed it.
Another top class mare is Azkadellia and she won what could be the first of many majors when she blitzed her rivals in the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (1600m). She had to come home near the inferior ground yet just showed an electric turn of foot when asked and won with authority. Got her deserved Group l and can go right on with it in the Spring.
I have said for a while she could be a Cox Plate horse and she isn’t leaving me with any doubts about that.
Heavens Above was well backed at odds in that race and ran accordingly, running home well for second ahead of Noble Protector, who improved sharply from her last start and ran as well as expected. You can say what you like about the beaten brigade; the winner was just dominant.
Lloyd Williams loves a Sydney assault during the Carnival time and he got another feature when his stayer Gallante lapped up the soft track to lead all the way in winning the Sydney Cup (3200m). Kerrin McEvoy gave him a beaut on speed steer, controlling the race from the front and then kicking on strongly when challenged by Libran and Grand Marshal to win.
Libran tried hard and was given a peach from Avdulla, but the winner just packed too many punches, while Grand Marshal ran his honest race again but just couldn’t quite run it out strongest. Who Shot Thebarman was very disappointing. His best racing is at Melbourne. Never back him Sydney.
Sofia Rosa was backed as if unbeatable in the Australian Oaks (2400m) and despite doing everything she could to throw the race away, the Kiwi filly toughed it out best to land another blow for our friends across the ditch and it was another great ride from Bowman.
Ambience improved sharply with give in the track to run a narrow second ahead of Believe, who sat on speed and was fighting until the end. The interesting run was Jameka. She was back near last in the run and just had too much to do from where she was positioned.
The disappointment for mine was Honesta, but I think she ran her race behind the barriers given she was in a foul mood and ran accordingly. If there was a horse to watch, it could be Alaskan Rose. Go back and watch her run. She should have finished much closer and will be highly competitive if she progresses to Adelaide or Brisbane for another Oaks tilt.
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