2014 Coolmore, Ranvet, William Reid: Group 1 preview and tips

There’s plenty of black type racing over a 24-hour period starting tonight at Moonee Valley, with three Group 1s on offer.

The Coolmore Classic is the feature one across the weekend, a $600,000 event that is the most prestigious non-weight-for-age mares race in the country.

Catkins is the hot favourite to the extent that she was the only horse to open in single figures once the first market was up. She has shortened considerably since.

She’s carrying the equal top weight of 58 kilograms, but with the scale having been raised 1.5kgs, she’s still well in.

She has looked every inch the Group 1 horse in her two wins last campaign and is destined to claim victory at the highest level this prep.

Barrier 14 could be sobering for those one the borderline of backing her, but she is the best horse in the race by quite a way.

Steps in Time has found herself second favourite, meeting Catkins 2.5 kilograms better off from just being nosed out by her first up. Catkins has had the extra run and is more suited at 1500m than Steps in Time, who is still unproven beyond 1400m.

Royal Descent ran some nice races in the spring, culminating in being less than two lengths off the winner in the Caulfield Cup.

She worked home okay first-up, and her second up ran last time was arguably the best of her campaign, lumping 58 kilograms against the boys in the Tramway and coming from near-last to just fail. She’ll be doing her best work late at the very least.

Dear Demi is a proven mare, albeit at her best over further, and she ran some mighty weight-for-age races in the spring so is well up to this grade. She gets nice weight relief from her third to Catkins in the Wiggle, and must be respected among the chances.

Sharnee Rose ran second in that race and put the writing on the wall with her closing sectionals. She’s become a different horse since settling in Sydney, and will rightly have her admirers.

Arinosa flopped badly down in Melbourne, but has had a freshen and returns to a track where she’s been a dominant figure with two wins and a second from her three starts.

She’s one to be taken on trust, but if she produces her best, she’s extremely well in at the weights and is a very attractive price.

Bonaria brings the best of the Melbourne mares form to Sydney, a dual Group 3 winner already this campaign. Capable of sitting handy or saving herself for one run, Tim Clark will have options from a middle barrier.

Her other run was a close-up unlucky third to A Time For Julia, who has since proven herself to be a tough horse to beat the Sydney way of going.

The latter’s win last week in the Roy Higgins Tribute was full of heart. Little went her way from a wide gate, yet she was still able to pick up from well back and beat a smart field. She’ll take beating, and should get a softer run this time around.

Hana’s Goal brings the overseas X-factor from Japan. We’ll need our international experts to leave a comment to give us an insight into her chances. She’s obviously a very capable miler.

Sweet Idea has her work cut out as a three year old with 54.5 kilograms, but is coming off her first ever time finishing out of the placings, in the Surround, so is as honest as they come.

Real Surreal ran second behind Thump in that race, but was a length behind Sweet Idea in the Light Finger. Gypsie Diamond and Lucia Valentina are bringing the same formlines and there doesn’t look much between these three year old fillies.

I’m not sure they’ll be featuring at the business end of this race.

Fire Up Fifi has her share of talent, but seems to be a level below the absolute best. Scorpio Queen ran the race of her life to finish not far from the good horses in the Wiggle, but would need to find another level again to feature in the places.

Longport is inconsistent and will be a price accordingly.

This looks a tough competitive race, and many connections will fancy themselves of a breakthrough Group 1.

Selections
1.Catkins 2. A Time For Julia 3. Sharnee Rose 4. Bonaria

The Ranvet Stakes brings together Fiorente and It’s a Dundeel for their third ever meeting, after they first clashed in the Memsie Stakes last August and the Cox Plate in October.

There was nothing between them in the Memsie, and there is not much between the two horses in the market for tomorrow, but Fiorente rightly holds an edge with the bookies a day out from the race.

The last six times we’ve seen Fiorente at the races, he’s claimed four wins (Feehan Stakes, Melbourne Cup, Peter Young Stakes and Australian Cup) and been beaten by a combined length in his other two outings (an unlucky fourth in the Turnbull and a tough third in the Cox Plate).

He could easily be unbeaten in that time.

It’s a Dundeel has only been seen sparingly since his triple crown triumph as a three year old, but only has one victory to his name in that time, albeit a significant one – his Underwood Stakes win, stalking Atlantic Jewel the entire race, was the only time the superstar mare tasted defeat.

It’s a Dundeel was good enough first-up to suggest he’ll be a major player heading toward the Championships, and was just bloused in the Chipping Norton by a Boban rediscovering his best as a racehorse.

Fiorente has had the extra run, of course, and not a bad one it was either, a comprehensive but not wide margin at Group 1 weight-for-age level.

Foreteller was third behind Fiorente in the Australian Cup and is going as well as ever. If there’s going to be a boilover, he’s perfectly placed to cause it, as usual.

Hawkspur and Moriarty were both outstanding in the Chipping Norton, the former putting in his best performance since last year’s Turnbull Stakes, while the latter is flying this campaign and just needs to find his right race. A Doomben Cup strikes as a winnable option for either of these Waller runners.

Carlton House has now been seen three times in Australia and is gradually getting better, but now needs to step up to the highest level. He’s a watch runner, but couldn’t be a legitimate threat.

Sertorius faces his stiffest test yet in a career that has seen him impeccably placed to progress through the grades. Nothing went right for him in the Blamey Stakes last start, yet he still managed to find his way into third. Ryan Maloney might decide to take up the running this time around, or at least lob right behind whatever speed there is.

Silent Achiever is a Group 1 mare who always runs well, and is was pleasing to see her win the New Zealand Stakes last start, comfortably like the good horse that she is. There are worse horses in the race, that’s for sure, and Gondokoro is certainly one of those.

This will be a fascinating race, and the winner will stamp themselves as the clear horse to beat in the Queen Elizabeth a month down the track.

Selections
1. Fiorente 2. It’s a Dundeel 3. Moriarty 4. Foreteller

The final Victorian Group 1 for the season, the William Reid Stakes, will be run at Moonee Valley tonight, the highlight of a decent card to start a cracking weekend of racing.

The Newmarket Handicap is the key form race for this event, providing the first three horses in the market along with a few others.

Spirit of Boom has only been beaten by Lankan Rupee so far this campaign, running second to him in both the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket. It’s the sort of form that demands your attention, even though he is back to weight-for-age racing now.

Few horses in racing deserve a Group 1 more.

Shamexpress was disappointing at face value, but still ran a decent fourth and beat home a lot of quality gallopers. He knows how to run well at the Valley and is still to be respected as a high level competitor.

Samaready holds favouritism tonight, more off the suspicion that she reserves her best for around a corner rather than down the straight.

Her Moir Stakes win over the track and distance in the Spring is still a contender for sprint win of the season, but she doesn’t appear to be going quite as well at the moment. It’s something of a d-day for her.

Fillies racing at weight-for-age always add an intriguing element, and we’ve got two of them here.

Gregers has returned in fine style, close-up to Lankan Rupee and Spirit of Boom first-up, and then got going just a bit late under 58 kilograms back to her own age and sex. She’s a real Valley horse, and will take some shaking.

Thump mixes her form, but is coming off a 25-1 win in the Surround, and was an impressive winner of the Champagne Stakes back in September on her Valley debut.

Connections obviously feel 1400m is right on her limit, and have chosen to drop back in distance and travel down south rather than tackle the Coolmore.

It will be nice to see Fawkner, the reigning Caulfield Cup winner, have a clean-out run before being set for the spring once again, and he’ll catch the eye late down the outside no doubt. Fontelina is a good sprinter having his first look at the Moonee Valley circuit, and will struggle at weight-for-age.

Unpretentious is still looking for the right race after being set on the Group 1 path, and might need to look at something easier, and It Is Written is racing well in the lower grades but faces a massive task tonight.

Gig will likely watch it all unfold, and be powerless to do anything about it.

Selections
1. Spirit of Boom 2. Gregers 3. Shamexpress 4. Samaready

It’s only two weeks until the Golden Slipper and all the main favourites are running in the Todman or the Riesling.

We’ve got the Blue Diamond trifecta all here (Earthquake, Jabali, Cornrow), the Magic Millions quinella (Unencumbered, Oakleigh Girl), not to mention the new juvenile on the scene, Slipper second favourite Mossfun.

Add in Memorial, Risen From Doubt, and three Gai Waterhouse runners and the excitement is palpable.

What a day of racing we’ve got before us, and a pretty handy night as well.