A fabulous day of racing was run and won on Saturday at Randwick, where the feature race was the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m). Kermadec took out the honours in awesome fashion.
Kermadec was wide no cover for the first little bit of the race before Schofield got him in on the back of Sweynesse, and from there it was easy to watch if you backed him.
For a few strides it looked as though Pornichet was going to pinch it, but he just felt the pinch late, with the very gallant mare Royal Descent pinching second.
Kermadec is currently the best horse in Australia and is clearly the horse to beat in the Cox Plate. He just oozes class and is still very lightly raced.
Sam Clipperton continued his brilliant Spring carnival when he steered smart filly Pearls to a win in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m). The close relation to Helmet had a lovely run behind Kimberley Star before peeling out, letting down powerfully then showing some ticker when fending off Honesta.
Honesta was fantastic and is the filly to beat for sure in the Flight Stakes (1400m). The likes of Ottoman and Lake Geneva were very plain.
Rebel Dane, first up after a wind operation, produced a brilliant finishing burst to nab Ball Of Muscle right on the peg in the feature sprint race, The Shorts (1100m). Brenton Avdulla, the form rider in Sydney at the moment, lifted the Group 1 winner late in a thrilling finish.
Ball Of Muscle could not have been ridden any better by Tim Clark while Shiraz and Hot Snitzel were solid also.
Riding honours early on went to Jim Cassidy, who started the day with a double, with the second leg being a pearler on Sadler’s Lake to win the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).
Pumper waited as long as possible before hitting the button and he gripped on to beat Rudy, who has had the perfect lead-up to the Epsom. He is my early pick there. Heart Testa, who was completely luckless last weekend, led and stuck on for third.
Three horses to follow
1. Honesta
2. Ruling Dynasty
3. Ulmann
BrisburghPhil
Roar Guru
Good to see people forgetting about Pornichet already. Let's see what happens when he hits a dry track. I think he resented it here and otherwise would have won. Just not convinced yet that Kermadec is better than him on a good surface. Ulmann was huge and it was repeat of what he did in his last race up here in Brisbane.
Adam Page
Roar Guru
Australian racing is without a genuine superstar. We have many A-graders, but none that scream out "Superstar"...I think Kermadec has the potential to be that superstar. He has already had a prep in Melbourne, so he knows what it takes to run well in big races, and there is just so much upside. Gotta prove it in the Caulfield Stakes, because 2000m is the box he needs to tick. If he ticks that box, then he is a very serious player in the Cox Plate. In saying that, I couldn't back him at $6.50-$8. Because as I said, he hasn't ticked the 2000m box. For mine, a horse like The Cleaner is a horse who I could have something each way on. The trainer has specifically targeted this race, and he gave the horse a relatively light Autumn, keeping in mind the Cox Plate. He will roll along in front, and Noel Callow does get the best out of the horse, and his riding style suits the horse perfectly.
andrew
Guest
conceded.
kv joef
Roar Guru
thought both the weight-for-age races in sydney were outstanding form races right down the list. probably only Hooked disappointed but maybe his FU effort caught up with him in a stronger race.
Nathan Absalom
Roar Guru
Funnily enough the last two horses to have a Spring prep in Sydney and win the Cox Plate went through three year-old races rather than weight for age. Would I be right in saying that Sunline would be the last horse to win the Cox Plate after racing in the George Main in the same prep? I reckon you'd have to go back as far as Kingston Town to find a horse that won the George Main and Cox Plate in the same season, although Viscount should have.
Scuba
Guest
Think you have to let NSW claim Savabeel Andrew
andrew
Guest
might and power last syd horse to win the cox plate. unless one tries to claim so you think who whilst trained by bart did all his racing in melb (bar his first 2 or 3 runs). agree on ulmann, up to a listed 1400m race on caul cup day or guineas day. i wont be jumping off the messina nymph when she comes over the border to vic and she can win again in mares grade (ie, politeness, griante, girl guide, type of grade) sacred eye was a huge run coming 2nd to dont doubt mamma at only its 2nd career start.
Scuba
Guest
"Kermadec is currently the best horse in Australia and is clearly the horse to beat in the Cox Plate." Sydney horses have a hopeless winning strike rate in the Cox Plate in recent years. I doubt he'll beat the greybeard Fawkner, let alone the international challengers.