Ahoy Roarers! Hopefully you’ve all enjoyed the winter spell, but now we have to get stuck into the spring, and it all started on Saturday at Caulfield with the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).
Boban, despite being on the worst part of the track and on a rain affected surface, which he hates, produced an amazing finish to grab Entirely Platinum right on the peg to win the major.
It was a peach from Glynn Schofield, and the ride won the horse the race. The two eye catchers for mine were Prince Of Penzance, who produced a lovely warm-up for his Caulfield Cup assault, and Happy Trails, who went to the line under a hold and should have finished much closer.
Gold Symphony had the edge in fitness over his main rivals in the McNeil Stakes (1200m) and that proved to be the winning edge with a narrow win, aided by a peach from Bossy. He was solid in winning, but the black booker was clearly Ready For Victory, who is my early pick for the Guineas.
He was unbelievable in defeat and his last 75 metres was excellent. As for stablemate Prince Of Brooklyn, he lost the plot a bit on the turn and at the top of the straight, but he worked home OKnlate.
Bounding, in my opinion, could become the best sprinter in Australia this spring. Her trials have been unbelievable, and she lived right up to those with a donkey licking of her rivals in the Heath 1100 Stakes (1100m), aided by an absolute peach from Kerrin McEvoy. She proved far too good for her rivals, and I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t win a Group 1 this Spring.
While all that was happening at the Heath, at Rosehill, Exosphere stamped himself as the main threat to Vancouver after a dominant win from last to claim the Run To The Rose (1200m). Sam Clipperton gave him an absolute peach, and the Godolphin colt savaged the line to win with real purpose.
Press Statement was excellent in running second, Holler was brave, as for the hot favourite Japonisme, he simply didn’t handle running 1200 metres on a wet track. I still think he is above average, so don’t be surprised to see him freshened up for a crack at the Roman Consul/Coolmore double, similar to that of Brazen Beau and Zoustar.
Three horses to follow from the weekend
1. Bounding
2. Ready For Victory
3. Scarlet Billows
andrew
Guest
set square settled last in race 1, and came through the field, to go under a head. magnapal won the last settling on the rails and taking an inside run ,noting iggimagcool lost a few lengths searching for this so called better ground out wide, whilst iggimacgool was covering more ground out wide, magnapal went inside of it for a run. in the 3yo race, demonstrate went around them looking for the better ground, but ended up getting beaten home by ready for victory who stuck nearer the inside. add in boban.....and the placegetters behind bounding, and that vezalay only got beaten a neck in the mares races closer to the inside, and in my view, we have enough examples of on-pacers, swoopers, those who raced on-pace near the inside, those who raced on-pace but scouted wide, swoopers coming home out wide and swoopers comign through nearing the inside to suggest it was 'fair' - or atleast determined on a basis of other factors (wet track ability, tempo of race, fitness, barriers and overall class) not simply whether you were close to the rail or out wide.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Taking aside Boban and Charmed Harmony, no horse made significant ground on the rail for the entire program. The horses who made up significant ground came from away the rail which is why I thought the win of Boban was massive. He hates rain affected ground
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Completely agree Scuba. Not a Group l horse, but could easily pick up a Stakes race during the carnival provided the track isn't too firm.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
The betting account agrees
andrew
Guest
was the inside off ? the track played very fairly. i thought the memsie result was surely indicative of this where 3 hit the line locked together who all had different runs in transit. we saw horses lead, horses swoop, the last race was domianted by those on pace and nearer the inside. just because 2 jockey in about race 3 or 4 streer away from the rail, doesnt mean as a question of scientific fact that the 'rail is off'. later results in the day proved this. as always, caulfield produced a very fair racing surface.
Scuba
Guest
May's Dream ran a cracker second up from injury in the mares race - won't be 100/1 again for a while.
Aransan
Guest
Do you need that much insurance?
Adam Page
Roar Guru
A peach a day keeps the bookmakers away
Aransan
Guest
Four peaches is three too many.