First taste of spring puts a hurdler in majors spotlight

The first Group day of racing for the season probably didn’t unveil the Cup winner but it put into place the first puzzle pieces of the spring.

There were disappointments.

Hathras, who was sent off a leading player when seventh in this year’s BMW (2400m, Group 1 weight-for-age), didn’t fire a shot in his seasonal resumption, while Happy Trails, the reigning Emirates Stakes (1600m, Group 1, handicap) winner was the victim of a poor ride when fifth in the Spring Stakes (1200m, Group 3, weight-for-age) in Adelaide.

Last year Happy Trails used a first-up Spring Stakes victory as a launching pad for a spring that brought a second in the Memsie (1400m, then Group 2, weight-for-age), a victory in the Dato Tan Chin Nam (1600m, Group 2, weight-for-age) over Green Moon and that Emirates victory.

Third in the Spring Stakes in 2012, turning in an eye-catcher, was Southern Speed, who then went on to win the Makybe Diva (1600m, then Group 2, then set weights and penalties), before finishing a closing fifth in the Cox Plate (2040m, Group 1, weight-for-age).

There wasn’t the same quality in this year’s renewal of the Spring. The victor Just Discreet recorded her greatest victory and will likely be kept to a comparable Group 3 level for the remainder of her preparation.

And while a conservative ride from Jason Holder denied Happy Trails clear galloping room and his best shot at victory, he was just okay in fifth.

The sirens that sometimes ring out in the immediate aftermath of a race, to indicate imminent second-up redemption, weren’t sounding in my ears. If Happy Trails wants to repeat his Group 1 success of last spring, he will need to improve off that performance.

Undoubtedly, the most interesting performance of Saturday came via 100/1 winner Tuscan Fire, who knocked everyone out of the Flemington quaddie with an incredible come-from-behind win in the 1410m Open handicap.

The former hurdler, placed fourth in last year’s Galleywood (3200, Open hurdle) behind Black and Bent, is exempt from the Caulfield Cup (2400m, Group 1, handicap) ballot because of his 2013 Mornington Cup (2400m, Listed, handicap) victory and will be sent on a campaign that could culminate in the 2400m major.

For the past few seasons the Mornington Cup winner has won ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup, and while those horses haven’t made their presence felt in October, it is a fantastic initiative from the Melbourne Racing Club.

The performance of former jumpers on the flat can be intriguing. Dual Melbourne Cup winning trainer Dermot Weld, for example, travelled ex-jumpers Vintage Crop in 1993 and 1995, and Galileo’s Choice last year from Ireland for the Melbourne Cup (3200m, Group 1, handicap).

The impact of Tuscan Fire this spring is unlikely to be great but as an improving stayer, his ceiling is quite high. When he was transferred to hurdling, he was a benchmark 82 winner at Caulfield.

Six months later, when he was transitioned back to the flat Tuscan Fire eventually reeled off consecutive Open handicap victories before a three-length win in the Mornington Cup.

Before Saturday, Tuscan Fire hadn’t won at a distance of less than 1850m. Now, he is an Open winner over 1400m.

He is lengths better for his jumping sojourn. And I wonder if it’s a pattern we’ll see in years to come.

In 2011, the champion jumper Black and Bent was sent on a Melbourne Cup campaign but he was too slow. He finished ninth in the Naturalism (2000m, Group 3, handicap) and seventh in the Bart Cummings (2500m, Listed, handicap) before being spelled in early October.

Sadly, in the current climate, the chances of an Australian-trained ex-hurdler making it to the Melbourne Cup are slim. But that doesn’t mean the jumping caper can’t be used to rejuvenate a stayer’s career. The owners of Tuscan Fire are enjoying the full benefit.

The feature at Flemington was the Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m, Group 3) that was won by Broken.

Good sprinter Temple of Boom was placed second with Cavallo Nero third.

The race saw career highlights achieved for both Broken and Cavallo Nero. And Temple of Boom is close to a win this campaign. It wasn’t a vintage running of the Aurie’s Star but the form should hold well through the remainder August at least.

But I was taken, however, with the return of Pelicano, who charged home for fourth. Fans of the Tony McEvoy camp would not have been surprised with the performance. As I was reminded by one of them last weekend, the stable always has their horses primed to perform first-up.

The Parramatta Cup (2000m, Listed, handicap) winner is entered for the Caulfield Cup but I think clever programming can see the McEvoy-trained stayer taste multiple Group success this spring.

I don’t think Pelicano can threaten in the Caulfield Cup because 2400m has almost always been a bridge too far.

But Group 3 contests like the JRA Cup (2040m, handicap) and Naturalism are well within his capabilities.

And, should Pelicano fulfil his potential, an end of campaign tilt at a Caulfield Stakes (2000m, Group 1, weight-for-age) or Mackinnon (2000m, Group 1, weight-for-age) could be entertained with the aim of taking home some minor prize-money.

I also thought Ferlax, the reigning Australian Guineas (1600m, Group 1, three-year olds) winner was sound in sixth. He didn’t have the best luck in transit but will be competitive at a similar level through the early-to-middle parts of the spring.

At Randwick, the star of the show was five-time Group winner Rain Affair, who waltzed away to a six-length victory in the Group 3 Missile Stakes (1200m, weight-for-age). This was a sub-standard field and the six-year old was always going to win by panels of fencing with even luck.

Even so, I was taken by the performance and expect the six-year old to make his presence felt in Group 1 races like the Memsie, Moir (1200m, Group 1, weight-for-age) and Manikato (1200m, Group 1, weight-for-age).

In the major Golden Rose (1400m, Group 1, three-year olds) lead-up the unbeaten Eurozone kept his record intact with an impressive victory in the Rosebud (1200m, Listed, three-year olds).

The son of recently-deceased stallion Northern Meteor was strong to the wire in an unfamiliar pace-making role and looks set to be a big player in the Rose.

I’ve been on the Eurozone bandwagon from day one and it’s been pleasing to see this colt fulfil his potential. The exciting thing is that trainer James Cummings believes there’s plenty of improvement to come.

I suspect Eurozone will be even better ridden with a sit and he should also appreciate a faster tempo to accelerate off. So far, in his three races, he has been involved in walking races.

Out of the Rosebud, I thought runner-up Dissident was good in defeat. First-up off a seventh-placed finish in the Blue Diamond (1200m, Group 1, two-year olds), the Peter Moody colt saved ground from last to challenge.

It’s another boost to Miracles of Life’s Blue Diamond form. Already we’ve seen potential superstar Guelph (ninth) win two Group 1s after the Blue Diamond, while Gregers who was fourth, was outstanding when winning a benchmark 72 three-year old fillies race over 1000m at Moonee Valley last weekend.

And there will be plenty of interest in today’s trials at Morphettville because Miracles of Life is set to make her resumption to the track. She could be the story of the spring.