The 2015-16 Australian racing season is drawing to a close, so what better time to review those races that captured the imagination, produced spine-tingling finishes or broke the mould.
The decision is that six is the magic number. Why six? Grab a six-pack! Six is also the most Group 1 wins by any one horse in a single season, held equally by Kingston Town and Weekend Hussler.
So here they are, the most memorable Group 1 races of the past racing season.
Prince of Penzance – Melbourne Cup
It was the story of the racing year, if not the story of the sporting year. It was a fairy-tale that had all the elements of a feature film – with production already in preparation.
Who could forget the post-race speech of Michelle Payne after becoming the first female to ride the winner of the Melbourne Cup? The official Cup barrier draw where Stevie Payne the strapper of Prince Of Penzance and brother of Michelle saying that he would like to draw gate one or two and that is exactly what happened.
The dream run along the rails to hit the front and take the Cup at 100-1 to the thunderous applause of the Flemington masses.
Trainer Darren Weir, the bush larrikin from Berriwillock in Victoria’s Mallee who has gone on to post a Commonwealth training record this season, completes the wonderful story. A trainer who does things a little differently, there is no denying that Weir is a man of the people and this trait has helped endear him to racegoers and punters alike.
Yes, there is no way that the 2015 Melbourne Cup can be surpassed as the highlight of the Group 1 racing year.
Chautauqua – Lightning Stakes
The striking grey gelding had a season to remember, finishing the term as a four-time Group 1 winner. In the 2015-16 season, the gelding put together the formidable figures of 8: 6-1-1 while amassing $4.1 million in prizemoney.
With figures like that it is easily argued that it would be hard to pick a highlight. His win in the Lightning Handicap in February was spine-tingling stuff.
Still two lengths off Terravista at the 100m he sprouted wings to grab the win right on the line. It signalled that the Team Hawkes galloper was back … and back with a bang.
Taken to Hong Kong for the Chairman’s Sprint at Hong Kong he produced an absolutely staggering win. Looking to be in an impossible position as the field turned for home with a forlorn task ahead of him, the Thunder Downunder unleashed his booming sprint to land a victory.
As the field swung into the straight, the striking grey was not even on camera he was that far back and wide from the field. That win would be the pick of the pack if International performances were included, leaving no doubt that it could arguably be the Group performance of the year worldwide.
Exosphere – Golden Rose
The Godolphin Owned colt had a much maligned career that perhaps asked more questions than it answered. Successful at five of ten career starts, the colt with the million dollar looks will long be remembered by punters for his misses rather than his hits. For that reason, the 2015 Golden Rose win of Exosphere makes the six-pack of memorable moments.
The win was his lone Group 1 success and it was a good effort, sprinting his closing sectionals in quick time and defeating three subsequent Group 1 winners in Speak Fondly, Holler and Press Statement.
That win had many pundits suggesting that the colt would catapult into contention for many features following a two-year-old season that on reflection set the tone for his short career, where he bolted in to a four length win in the Skyline Stakes before failing badly as the second favourite in the Golden Slipper.
After winning the Golden Rose, his next start was in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes where he was a dominant three length winner at what would prove to be the last win of his career, despite opening favourite at his final three starts, two of those against Chautauqua in the Lightning and the T J Smith Stakes.
Winx – Cox Plate
A winner of six races from twelve starts before the start of the season, there is no denying that the wonder mare Winx had a breakout season in 2015-16.
In a season that realised seven wins from seven starts and $5.6m in prize money, the four-year-old mare quickly elevated herself into the realm of champion status. There were two wins in her season that stood out – the Cox Plate and the Doncaster. Making the six-pack is her win in the Cox Plate.
The wonder mare joined two champion mares in Sunline and Makybe Diva by winning the Australasian weight for age championship when starting as the favourite.
After racing just behind the speed, the charmed run presented when the leader rolled away from the fence and Winx was able to shoot through along the rails and run clear to record a four and three quarter length victory, making it the biggest winning margin since Sunline’s demolition job in the 2000 edition when posting a seven length victory.
After as much as $7 was available when markets first opened for the 2016 Cox Plate, Chris Waller’s trained super mare has firmed to be under $3 to join some greats of the turf to win back-to-back Cox Plates. If successful the name Winx would join So You Think, Northerly, Sunline, Kingston Town and Phar Lap as winners of the Plate in successive years.
Palentino – Australian Guineas
In a career that only started on September 30, the Darren weir trained Palentino has endured a roller-coaster ride to his first season of racing.
First past the post in the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes the colt was stripped of the race in the stewards room when the ‘Stipes’ deemed that the interference caused at the 900m was sufficient enough to reverse the decision. The Australian Guineas loomed as Palentino’s chance at redemption and the race was building towards an epic showdown.
There was the rematch against Tivaci that had successfully taken the race on protest the fortnight earlier. Defending Victoria Derby champion Tarzino was looking to solidify his autumn targets and there was sex on hooves. The New Zealand colt Xtravagant was given that title by his connections and the boom colt then had his Guineas preparation thrown into disarray when his original flight was cancelled.
Palentino was first across the line in the Guineas. However in a terrible case of de ja vu, the siren sounded as the field returned to scale, indicating there was a protest. Craig Newitt on second placed Tarzino was objecting to Palentino being declared the winner, citing interference at the 600m and again in the home straight.
Surely lightning could not strike Palentino twice in a fortnight! Given the result from the protest in the Hayes this looked a 50/50 call. For those on the Weir-trained colt, they were safe this time, the protest was dismissed and the placings remained.
Under the Louvre – Stradbroke Handicap
The Robert Smerdon-trained entire had never won a race higher than Listed level in 28 starts across four seasons of racing, but was able to make the breakthrough in 2016.
Having started at the elite level four times prior to tackling the 2016 Stradbroke Handicap, Queensland’s and arguably Australia’s toughest sprint handicap would prove to be the defining moment in the five-year-old’s career.
Leading into the Stradbroke Under The Louvre had placed third in the Bel Esprit Stakes at Listed level and then in the Group 1 The Goodwood at Morphettville could not find a clear run and was finishing fast to be beaten a half-length behind the Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart.
Heading to the Stradbroke, Under The Louvre and Black Heart Bart cleared out from the field to stage the greatest two horse battle of the season. Heads up, heads down, it was a ding dong finish over the closing 125m with the result being reversed from their previous meeting in The Goodwood.
Adding to the mix of making it a memorable race, The Virginian having just his fourth race start was able to secure third placing.
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