Many of our racing champions get labelled “the people’s horse”, but two that come immediately to mind did great things in the Doncaster Handicap, now known as the Doncaster Mile.
Super Impose and Sunline both won two Doncasters, the former back-to-back in 1990-91, the latter in 1999 and 2002.
So it is somewhat fitting that the ultimate people’s champion, Black Caviar, has been retired in the same week the Doncaster will be run.
Peter Moody’s mighty mare never ran over the famous Randwick mile, or any distance over seven furlongs much to the dismay of many, but she did grace the turf of Sydney headquarters for her most memorable victory in this country, as well as in her final appearance this Saturday just gone.
The greatest mare of our time, and who would have thought we’d be saying that so soon after Sunline and Makybe Diva, will be fittingly paraded at Caulfield on Saturday, drawing the attention of many racing fans.
But, like all sports, as fans we have to move on. As one star fades, another rises.
Out: Black Caviar…
In: Pierro.
Doncaster Mile
The Doncaster is the most prestigious 1600m race in this country, and like the Newmarket for sprinters and Melbourne Cup for stayers, it is run under handicap conditions.
Pierro is one of the marquee three year olds in a year full of quality. He’s looking to break the weight-carrying record for a successful three-year-old in this race, at near enough to even money.
Weekend Hussler was one kilo off the top, as Pierro is here, when he won his Newmarket, and Fastnet Rock carried top weight to an Oakleigh Plate, both as three-year-olds, so you can win a big Group 1 handicap under some heft.
The Gai Waterhouse gun is still yet to taste defeat racing clockwise, and is coming off two impressive Group 1 weight-for-age wins. If looking for a little knock, his winning margins in three starts this campaign only total 1.3 lengths, and his weight allocation shouldn’t be dismissed lightly.
Appearance has been pitched in at the weights for a three time Group 1 winner (Myer Classic, Coolmore Stakes, Queen of the Turf), all won in her last five starts.
No horse is in better form right now, and she just continues to get the job done at double figures odds, as she’ll be again.
Norzita deserves to be second favourite coming off a Group 1 win of her own, albeit in fillies grade, and an eye-catching third behind Appearance in the Coolmore.
The three-year-old males have been dominant against the older horses this Autumn, and she now get her chance to represent the fairer sex.
Sticking to the mares theme, and why not in honour of Black Caviar, Secret Admirer looks a value runner at odds, especially for place backers. She’s one of the most consistent horses in the land at the elite level, is a dual Group 1 winner of this track and distance, and looks to be peaking nicely for this.
Shoot Out is tough, honest and underrated, so he can be around the mark. I’m not sure there’s much else to get excited about in this field.
Selections: 1.Secret Admirer 2.Pierro 3.Appearance 4.Shoot Out
Australian Oaks
The Oaks is the forgotten Group 1 race of the Doncaster card, and perhaps rightly so considering the winner seldom goes onto to greater heights as an older horse.
Habibi is the favourite, but a false favourite for mine. She was a well beaten third behind Norzita in the Stormqueen, which admittedly was the first run in the country for this New Zealand filly.
She’s been up for a lifetime, and while she’s obviously a nice horse. I’m not sure we’re going to be seeing any improvement from her in this. I won’t say she can’t win, but I wouldn’t be backing her at double the $3.30 she currently is.
It’s hard to believe we’re getting $6 with Sportsbet about Dear Demi. Talk about an open invitation to mine your own gold for a horse that, at over $1.2M, has won more than twice the prizemoney of the next best horse in the field, and was a dominant Oaks winner in the Spring!
On paper, her last two starts look unflattering, but she had excuses for not finishing closer.
Taking on the older horses in the Coolmore, Jim Cassidy had her posted fifteen wide in a fourteen horse field for basically the entire trip. She was never going to be able to make ground, but still finished within five lengths of Appearance.
In the Stormqueen, there was no option for Pumper but to drag her back to last from the widest barrier. She was no chance of securing the win from that point on, especially in the slow conditions when the winner had the easy run just better than midfield.
Longport’s good runs this campaign allow us to draw a line between the two favoured fillies. She beat Habibi by near on three lengths last start, and Dear Demi took care of the Patinack filly by the same margin in the Surround.
This race is a no contest, and I can’t wait for 3.35pm on Saturday to come around.
Selections: 1.Dear Demi 2.Longport 3.Habibi 4.More Than Sacred
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