Since the famed Northerly/Sunline rivalry, Australian racing has not seen a comparably competitive set of horses.
The rivalries of Black Caviar/Hay List and Pierro/All Too Hard were far too lopsided when they clashed (and in the case of the latter, cut short), leaving something to be desired in the way of a truly competitive rivalry.
Luckily for Australian racing fans, the reinvigorated Sydney autumn carnival is likely to bear witness to two great emerging rivalries.
Fiorente versus It’s A Dundeel
Triple Crown winner It’s a Dundeel was short of claiming glory in the Cox Plate last spring, yet was still highly impressive in being the only horse to lower the colours of the great mare Atlantic Jewel.
Meanwhile, Gai Waterhouse’s Fiorente enjoyed a campaign that culminated in a much deserved Melbourne Cup win.
Some questions remain as to whether Dundeel can match it with Fiorente, who impressed many with his return in Saturday’s Peter Young Stakes, flying home to win over 1400m.
There are no queries as to Fiorente’s ability on Sydney’s clockwise tracks with a scorching finish to come third in last year’s All Aged Stakes. Will It’s A Dundeel be fully recovered from the injuries that impeded his Spring campaign?
Importantly, Fiorente and It’s A Dundeel could potentially clash up to three times, in the Ranvet (G1 2000m weight-for-age), the BMW (G1 2400m WFA) at Rosehill and the now $4 million QE (G1 2000m WFA) at Royal Randwick.
There will be plenty of opportunities for either horse to establish their superiority.
Trainer Murray Baker has confirmed It’s A Dundeel will feature at these three WFA events, while Waterhouse is still undecided.
Still, with Fiorente seemingly primed for a WFA campaign it is likely we will see these two heavyweights of Australian racing clash at least twice.
I know it is the opinion of The Roar‘s racing expert Justin Cinque that It’s A Dundeel is the best horse in Australia. Is this the ultimate litmus test for the four-year-old?
Zoustar versus Buffering
Two of the country’s most impressive sprinters are expected to battle it out in one of the most highly anticipated TJ Smith Stakes on day one of The Championships.
Zoustar was utterly dominant against his own age group in the spring, claiming wins in the Golden Rose and Coolmore Stud Stakes. This secured a lucrative stud deal for the colt.
Meanwhile, Buffering shook off his Group 1 jinx with wins in both the Manikato and the VRC Sprint Classic, establishing himself in the minds of many as the best sprinter in Australia.
The stage is set for an epic grand final between the two in the TJ Smith (G1 1200m WFA). Should Zoustar succeed in his first attempt at WFA in the Canterbury (G1 1300m) on Randwick Guineas day, expectations will continue to mount on the colt.
Like any great rivalry, the repercussions of the results will have long-standing effects.
If Zoustar dominates the autumn, can he mix it with the best at Royal Ascot? If Zoustar fails to deliver in the TJ (or for that matter other WFA races in the Autumn) this calls the hefty sum of his stud deal into question.
And if Buffering can conquer the talented colt and claim even more Group 1 glory when do the comparisons with other sprinting greats begin?
It’s not only fans of racing who will be hoping for these two rivalries to live up to expectations. In the inaugural year of The Championships, such rivalries would consolidate the validity of the concept and provide a tremendous boost for the profile of the competition.
All in all, it can only be a win-win.
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