The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Winners of the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival

Expert
12th November, 2013
2

Trackside, we often see ecstatic owners and trainers showing the rawest of emotions. So across the spring carnival, who were the biggest winners?

1. The Buffering team
Coming into the carnival, there was no horse in the country more deserving of a Group 1 win than Buffering.

Having competed at Group 1 level 18 times before the season, Buffering had yet to score at the highest level due to racing at the same time as Black Caviar and Hay List.

As a six-year-old, a decline in form was inevitable and serious doubts were raised, questioning whether ‘The Buff’ would ever win that elusive Group 1.

Running first-up in the Group 1 Moir Stakes as the favourite, Buffering was comprehensively beaten, four lengths behind Samaready, and doubts were becoming reality.

Unperturbed, trainer Robert Heathcoate and regular jockey Damien Browne remained steadfast in their belief of Buffering’s talent as the best sprinter in Australia.

They pushed on to the Group 1 Manikato Stakes where they would meet Samaready again and global superstar sprinter, Lucky Nine.

And that’s when they broke through. A masterful ride by Browne timed to centimetre perfection saw Buffering finally get the win.

Advertisement

Overcome with emotion, Heathcoate had to hold back tears in his post-race interview.

Two week later, with the pressure off him, Buffering cantered away with the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic in the best performance of his career to make it two Group 1’s in a row.

2. Chad Schofield
A 19-year-old apprentice jockey winning the Cox Plate on a maiden? Anyone who claims to have seen that happening at the start of the season is drunk.

Schofield’s victory in the Cox Plate was the epitome of taking advantage of rare opportunities.

Schofield was first given an opportunity by David Hayes to ride for his stable, where he established himself as a promising apprentice.

Danny O’Brien then had the faith in Schofield to partner Shamus Award to victory in the Cox Plate.

It turned out to be Shamus Award’s first ever win and Schofield’s first Group 1, which amazingly came in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship.

Advertisement

Despite still being an apprentice, Schofield has now earned the respect of a senior rider and the Cox Plate was just the beginning of what will be a fruitful career.

3. Wez Hunter
Before the carnival, few had any idea who Wez Hunter was. But in the space of seven days, he has emerged as one of racing’s most talented young trainers.

Hunter has just seven horses in training and brought two of them, Bel Thor and Smokin’ Joey, to Flemington.

Before taking out his training licence, one of Hunter’s jobs was to chauffeur Nash Rawiller to the races.

His first success during the carnival came in the final race on Derby Day. He ruined everyone’s quaddies when Smokin’ Joey won the Group 3 Chatham Stakes as a $41 chance.

On Stakes Day, Bel Thor lined up in a $100,000 benchmark 96 race and won with ease to give Hunter two wins from two runners.

But it was the Group 1 Emirates Stakes that Hunter achieved his greatest success as a trainer.

Advertisement

With a dashing run in the Chatham, Hunter made the call to back up Smokin’ Joey off a short break for a crack at the Emirates.

Although he may not have won, Smokin’ Joey ran a brilliant second to finish a nose behind Boban and still took home a $180,000 pay check.

With just seven horses in training, Hunter flew the flag for country trainers across Australia by matching it with the multi-million dollar metropolitan stables.

4. Polanski
Horse racing is supposedly the sport of kings. A thoroughbred racehorse with high quality pedigree cannot be found for anything less than six figures.

But racehorse ownership is a thrill for many and winning a maiden at Mildura can be just as thrilling as winning a Melbourne Cup.

Polanski provided the season’s rags-to-riches story, which keeps the hopes and dreams alive for every potential horse owner out there.

Purchased for $4,000 by trainer Robbie Laing, he knew there was something special about Polanski but never dreamed of winning a Group 1 with him.

Advertisement

Working through the grades, Polanski worked his way up to the VRC Derby, where he started as a $5 chance and stayed the journey better than any other three year old.

The win landed a $917,000 cheque to bring his career winnings to $1.17million, or a 29150% return on investment to date.

Dreams do come true.

5. Peter Snowden and Darley
Peter Snowden and his Darley operations dominated the Caulfield carnival by taking out the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, with Long John and Group 1 Thousand Guineas with Guelph.

The two of them are countries most exciting three-year-olds, with Guelph probably the better of the two.

Having won the Group 1 Flight Stakes before coming to Melbourne, Guelph may be the most promising horse in the nation, having now won four Group 1s from 11 starts.

As a gelding, which is rare among promising Darley horses, we may get to see what Snowden can do with Long John since he has no breeding value and will not be retired anytime soon.

Advertisement

It will be a rare pleasure for Snowden, who loses his best horses when owner Sheikh Mohammed jets them overseas to race and breed.

While Snowden may not be winning Melbourne or Caulfield Cups, there should be no doubt that he is the best trainer of three-year-olds Australia has to offer.

close