Forget those Group 1 races in Brisbane. The best race and the best ride in Australia on Saturday were in the $100,000 Stayers Cup at Royal Randwick.
The ride of the day belonged to rising apprentice Taylor Marshall, even though he ended up finishing second. What a brave second it was.
Jaded punters at Moonee Valley lifted their eyes to the TV screens as they started to notice a horse trying to do the impossible – to set up such a huge lead in a long race that the other horses couldn’t catch him.
‘Doing a Vo Rogue’ is what the burly men who used to be lads in the 1980s called it as they watched over their beers. The veterans among us invoked Scotch and Dry with Pat Hyland at Flemington in the 1972 Hotham Handicap, and even Sir William and Pat Glennon in the Mackinnon Stakes back in 1956.
What made us sit up and take notice was a real horse race. Great sprints have their place in racing, as all fans of Black Caviar can tell you, but there is something extra in the drama of a great staying race. It wasn’t, as some might have thought, sheer recklessness to take 80-1 chance Astro Avalanche to a 40-length lead early in the race, on a heavy track.
Taylor Marshall has been mentored by his father. John Marshall was a champion jockey with a rare capacity to rate horses – to know exactly the pace he should be going – in long distance races.
John Marshall’s timing was superb, as on Beau Zam when he won the 1988 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Canberra. He won the Melbourne Cup eleven years later on Rogan Josh after having nearly won the race on two previous occasions.
On Saturday, Taylor Marshall rated his horse perfectly through the race, not caring how far behind him the more cautious group of jockeys had bunched. He still held a formidable gap as they reached the home turn but it was narrowing, and we all know that Randwick has an uphill straight.
And we all expected Astro Avalanche to give up and be caught, but the jockey rode him with such vigour that only Joshua Parr on favourite Destiny’s Kiss got past him in the final metres.
They ran 3 minutes 32.85 seconds, more than 12 seconds slower than the track record. But it wasn’t a bad pace under the conditions, if you take a line through Eigelstein’s win over half that distance in Race 8. That good galloper won his 1600 race – half the distance – in 7 seconds outside the course record.
The Brisbane Cup on a dusty Eagle Farm track was all very well, but it’s hard to see it now as anything more than another 2400-metre gallop. When it was over two miles in what we can officially call the Good Old Days, it used to be part of a very special bracket of feature races that added brio to the best of all, the Melbourne Cup.
Now it disappears into the ruck. It is not just sour grapes on my part that Historian finished last.
Talking about recklessness puts us in mind of that popular stayer of 1977. Reckless, trained by Phar Lap’s pal Tommy Woodcock, uniquely won the Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane Cups in the one year, came so close to beating Gold and Black in the Melbourne Cup, then finished third while carrying an injury in the Perth Cup.
All those races were then 3200-metre contests. They were in a league of their own, mutually supporting the attractiveness of staying races. Today only the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Cups maintain the distance – and their magic.
It always pays to look behind the recent form. Astro Avalanche had run just about last in four starts since coming to Australia more than a year ago. But he is not the first horse, or person for that matter, to arrive from Ireland putting the past behind him.
If you look for the horse behind the name, you’ll find a bay colt born in 2009, sired by Galileo from a mare called Lady Lahar. At two and three years he ran at Leopardstown, Killarney, Bellewstown and The Curragh, and even at England’s Newmarket, but in those days he went under the name of I Have A Dream. He scored three wins in those preparations.
He’s part of the new fad for Australian buyers to look for ready-made European stayers as a short-cut to finding a Melbourne Cup winner. Maybe they have found one – keep a watch on this Astro boy.
As for Taylor Marshall, the secret is already out. He’s been race riding for barely a year. At his first attempt at Saturday metropolitan racing at Rosehill four weeks ago he rode four winners including the Lord Mayor’s Cup on Zephyron.
Such are the vagaries of racing that Zephyron under Glen Boss went on to finish third in the Brisbane Cup won by the six-year-old mare Floria. But the race that will stay in my memory from June 7, 2014 will be Astro Avalanche trying to steal the biscuits over two miles on a heavy track at Royal Randwick.
patrick mchugh
Guest
Did "Scotch and Dry" win a race that resulted in the jockey's on the following horses being dragged into the stewards room for a tongue lashing because they never chased? Did "Scotch and Dry" set up such a big margin that the other jocks thought he would come back to them, but he kept going?
Medo
Guest
Hey there, on one sunny wednesday aetornfon i placed an angle park quaddie, just a lazy $20.In the 1st leg i had the favourite straight out, no big surprises theirin the 2nd leg i had the 1st 3 favourites, the 2nd fav past the post 1stBut in the 3rd leg i had the $2.5 fav and a 20-1 pop named Dynamik Girl, after pinging the lids she jumped straight to the lead and never looked back, at this stage the quaddie was looking very nice,In the 4th i had the $2 fav and another 16-1 pop, as they jumped the 16-1 jumped into 2nd and was far to strong for the other rank outsider just holding on in front of the fast finishing $2 shot. all in all i had 1.62x a quaddie that payed 1733 and won a handy 2808.Cheers for listening hopefully this week i can be the punter of the week
The best ride i ever saw was Ron Quinton aboard Emancipation in the George Ryder Stakes of 1984 when in the straight, he just sat there and sat there holding Mick Dittman in a pocket on Sir Dapper, who clearly should have won the race. Mick Dittman sure had the vigor in the 80's but clearly didn't have the smarts to beat a jockey like Ron Quinton. Was a great race and a super ride! This is the reason we're seeing two gun apprentices in Taylor Marshall and Sam Clipperton...both Ron Quinton's boys.
Sammy
Guest
It was an entertaining race . I don't query that but….. The reality is 1) Taylor clearly lost control of the horse & 2) it didn't win. Its one thing to be positive and not fight the horse if it wants to roll forward but the real art is to bring an over racing horse "back underneath " them. I guess as an 80/1 no one cared but if it was a odds on favourite he might be spending time on the sideline.. The lesson the apprentice should take from that race is if he managed to bring a genuine stayer like Astro Avalanche under neath him by only maybe 20%….he wins. He should watch Chad Schofield's ride in the Cox plate. He let Shamus Award roll forward, but was always in charge and judged it perfectly to how much juice Shamus Award had in the tank to the finnish.
Bradman
Roar Rookie
If you like seeing a horse run out to a big lead over a long way check out last years Great Northern Steeplechase over 6400 from Auckland. One of the best races I've ever seen and undoubtedly the toughest horses I've seen too. It was a cracking race!
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
It is a good article with a good point. The point being that it was great front running ride.
Andrew Lemon
Expert
You are largely missing the point, Mark. It's not about champion frontrunners, but rather about the spectacle of horses who open up a 20 length-plus break in the running. Punters and the other jockeys don't know if the horse is bolting, if the rider has gone mad, or if it's part of a cunning plan. Might And Power's sensational 7-length win in the 97 Caulfield Cup is one of the all-time great victories, but he did not start going more than a length in front of the rest till they got to the home turn. Then he took off. Sunline with her 32 wins was also one of the greats, but never raced beyond the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres. A pregnant Black Caviar (furthest win 1400m) would have won only the first lap of the 3200 Stayers Cup. Astro is no champ yet, but it was a fine try and a clever ride by a new jockey. In my view the correct odds for all hopefuls this far out from the Melbourne Cup is 1000 to one.
Mark from Derby
Guest
Best frontrunners I've ever seen were Sunline and Might and Power. Bit of a lemon they didn't crack a mention. Both used to clear out by 3 lengths and defy running down. A class above the crab you were raving about. I'd say that 1000 to one for Astro Avalanche in the Melbourne cup would be about the right price. A pregnant Black Caviar would have one that race by the length of the straight. It was the weakest field of the weekend. Not worth writing about in my opinion.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
This was an absolute belter of a race Taylor Marshall is fast becoming a star of the track.
Andrew Lemon
Expert
I wrote on Harness Racing and on Coursing (long-forgotten parent of modern 'speed coursing' or 'tin-hare' greyhound racing) in the 'Oxford Companion to Australian Sport' (1992, 1994, 1997) only because the social and political histories of these sports overlap. Otherwise my passion is for the thoroughbreds.
Bondy
Guest
Michael Steel I remember Maltese Beauty he may have also gone for a Grafton Cup . Those rides in the Stradbroke were nicely judged pace wise I though Temple would lead but expected him to get swamped but they controlled the speed well , I backed Srikandi Boss was fourth the fence after 300 mtrs from gate 13 in a million dollar sprint race, I'll cop that as a punter ..
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
I was about to back Astro Avalanche when they jumped but didn't get on. My reasons were that It stayed the same weight as his previous race and the horses from that race were going up 2.5 or 3 kgs .Plus it had the claiming jockey. But I watched When he took off I got really excited The further ahead he went the more excited I was considering I had no money on him, and when he hung on for second I just thought GREAT. In recent years we had a horse Sir Clanagalang who was a 10 length leader and Maltese Beauty used to get 20 lengths ahead in Brisbane and on the Northern Rivers. Brian York took many horses to a 4 or 5 length lead and Christian Reith has done some very good front running riding as well as apprentice Lester Grace. Bart Cummings in his autobiography says in hindsight he regrets trying to teach Stylish Century to settle back in his races. My feeling is that if Bart trained him to be a front runner he'd now be considered a champion. There were two great rides in Brisbane on Saturday Damian Oliver sitting outside Temple of Boom and eventually winning when he should have been the first horse beaten and Tegan Harrison for taking Temple of Boom from an outside gate to go to the lead on Temple of Boom only to beaten by D Oliver in the last 50 metres. Good article Andrew.
Norwich
Guest
Thanks Andrew. Do you occasionally cover the Trots and Greyhounds, or just the thoroughbreds?
bilbo
Guest
Thanks Andrew ,its good to see some racing stories on the roar,the Marshall boy almost pinched it.
Bondy
Guest
I didn't have a bet in the Stayers Cup although it quickly caught my eye racings a funny or fickle game, the boy Marshall extricated a phenomenal performance from the beast to run a brave second , if he was beaten by 5 lengths he'd doing time right now. Has anyone seen Precedence ?.
andrew
Guest
nisbets ride on vain queen was very good. held out of early speed battle and then edged into race from 800, even though a bit wide and no cover. riding the valley when the rail in true is often a challenge for app riders, as it is a real case of having momentum up and clear air from the 600m, travelling wide not such a disadvantage. I think mick price instructed berriman on fast n free to hug the rails,. its amazing how many times you see a meeting where the 'rail is declared off' and every one scouts wide covering more ground, only for the winner of the last to get up on the rails. thank god it did, my only winner for the day.
Andrew Lemon
Expert
Try www.racingnetwork.com.au - look under FORM AND RESULTS for Race Replay Search. Find Randwick for 7 June, and look for race five.
Norwich
Guest
Is there a link to the race replay? I couldnt find it anywhere.
Andrew Lemon
Expert
Here’s a nice twist: The Best Australia in the Race. I forgot to mention that Australia won the English Derby at Epsom on Saturday – that is, Australia by Galileo (sire of Asto Avalanche) out of English and Irish Oaks winner Ouijah Board. Trained by Aidan O’Brien (his third Derby in a row, his fifth in total), owned by Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, ridden by Aidan’s son Joseph O’Brien – the Coolmore team that used to be behind I Have A Dream before he came to Australia (the country) and turned into Astro Avalanche.
Andrew Lemon
Expert
And thanks for the welcome: I'm hoping to write for The Roar from time to time as we move into Spring. Winter is the season for apprentices to shine in metropolitan racing in both Sydney and Melbourne. We saw well-judged wins on Saturday at Moonee Valley by apprentices Kayla Nisbet (on Vain Queen) and Jackie Beriman (on Fast and Free) - and it's a sign of the times that we are now seeing female jockeys riding well for top trainers such as John Sadler and Mick Price.