Saturday marks the beginning of the 2014 Sydney Carnival with the running of the Coolmore Classic and Ranvet Stakes. Here’s a preview of all the action.
Coolmore Classic – Group 1, 1500m, fillies and mares, handicap
The 2014 Coolmore Classic is a Group 1 handicap for fillies and mares with total prize money of $600,000. There are currently 26 horses on the entry list but only a maximum of 20 will make the final field.
Like most feature handicaps, it is historically a very competitive race. This is evidenced by the fact only four of the past 13 favourites have won.
This is one of two Group 1s for the females in the Sydney Carnival and the winner is ballot exempt from for the Group 1 Doncaster Mile on April 12.
One of the main lead-up races that is normally a good form guide for the Coolmore Classic is the Millie Fox Stakes. Red Tracer (59kgs) and A Time For Jullia (52.5kgs) ran the quinella in that race and will play a major role here.
It remains uncertain, however, if Red Tracer will back up on the weekend after Saturday’s third in the Canterbury Stakes.
Another important lead-up race is the Surround Stakes. This year’s winner was Thump (52kgs) at big odds. Second was Real Surreal (52kgs) with Kiwi filly Lucia Valentia (52kgs) finishing third.
They rise in class but are compensated by the kind handicaps. They also bring in solid form.
Catkins (56.5kgs), who is equal second on the ballot, is looking to make it three wins in a row and it would be a brave statement to say she can’t achieve the feat. It’s safe to assume she is yet to reach her career peak.
Catkins looks the likely favourite and should she win, it will be her first Group 1 victory.
Other runners of interest include Steps In Time (55.5kgs) who was a close second to Catkins first up over 1200m. She has since impressed in a trial.
Dear Demi, who finished off nicely to run third behind Catkins first-up, will probably be looking for more distance, but she could dash home to add some value to the exotics.
This is shaping up as a great race. The make-up of the final field and the barrier draw could both be game-changers.
Ranvet Stakes – Group 1, 2000m, weight-for-age
The Ranvet Stakes is the first 2000m weight-for-age race of the Sydney Carnival and each season it attracts a quality field.
This year is no exception, as we look forward to the prospect of a mouth-watering battle between superstars It’s A Dundeel and Fiorente.
At his resumption from a spell, It’s A Dundeel finished second behind Boban over the mile in the Chipping Norton at Group 1 weight-for-age. He will be better for the run and now steps up to a more suitable distance.
Fiorente hasn’t placed a hoof out of line this campaign, having claimed victory at both his outings. He was impressive in the Australian Cup, a race which shares the same conditions as the Ranvet.
The presence of It’s A Dundeel on Saturday means this race should be a stiffer assignment.
With the two big guns lining up it would easy to forget the other runners, but it’s not wise to do so.
Last year’s winner Foreteller, who also ran a fourth in last year’s Cox Plate, is expected to line up on Saturday. He worked home well to run a close-up third in Fiorente’s Australian Cup at his latest start. Foreteller very rarely runs a poor race.
Sertorius is interesting entrant. He has performed well in his first two starts this preparation and now steps out to 2000m. The extra will suit him better than the mile of the Blamey, in which he ran third. He is a solid chance on Saturday but this is definitely the hardest field he has ever met.
Of the other runners, both Hawkspur and Moriarty deserve a mention as they have both been finishing off well in their last couple of races and should appreciate stepping out to the mile and a quarter.
Hawkspur, in particular, proved himself to be at a comparable level to Fiorente when the duo were almost inseparable at the end of the Turnbull over 2000m last October.
The barrier draw for this race will be important because the 2000m start at Rosehill leaves a relatively short run to the first turn. Inside barriers are a distinct advantage and there are a lot of back-markers in this race.
When the field comes out of Wednesday, it will be interesting to predict the position of the key players in the run as well as the amount of early speed.
Tactics and mid-race positions could be crucial to the result of the race.
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