Ahoy, Roarers. Hopefully you’re all getting thirsty (responsibly) for the long weekend, and it has been a fabulous weekend of racing. I’ll focus on the Group 1 races, starting off on Friday night at Moonee Valley with the Moir Stakes (1000m).
The doubters were well and truly out in force against the Queensland bulldog that is Buffering. On face value it was hard to know where he was at because he hadn’t trialled publicly, but the market support late was strong.
In the end that push proved correct when the nine-year-old produced a stunning on speed win to claim his third Moir. He was pushed hard to lead and copped pressure in front while the hot pot Petits Filous was parked in the 1/1, but she was the first horse beat on the turn.
It was left to a swooper in Angelic Light and the horse who had the charmed run behind Buffering, Ball Of Muscle, to try and grab victory but jockey Damian Browne lifted the old marvel home.
While the win was outstanding, he won’t be getting away with that again. Petits Filous is a listed and Group 3 sprinter and why she nearly came into odds on amazed me. When Buffering goes to races like the Manikato and Darley Classic, he’ll have horses like Terravista and Chautauqua camped on him and ready to pounce. But take nothing away, the win was enormous.
The first Group 1 on Saturday at Randwick was the feature event, the Epsom Handicap (1600m), and it was won in classy fashion by star mare Winx, who came from well back on the turn and let down powerfully to win with real ease.
The weights were compressed, and given she was a Group 1 winner she did look the one to back and that proved correct.
The run of the race for mine was Sons Of John. He proved that his awesome run behind Winx in the Theo Marks was no fluke. He was only getting a kilogram off Winx here, and yet for a few moments he looked the winner. Jason Attard has got this horse absolutely flying and surely he comes to Melbourne for the Emirates.
The best filly usually wins the Flight Stakes (1600m) and that proved right once again when Golden Rose runner-up Speak Fondly got the job done, albeit narrowly. The ride of Tommy Berry won the filly the race. He knew he was on the best filly in the race, and he could have pushed the button at the top of the straight, but he waited for as long as he could and that’s what won the horse the race. She held on to beat Honesta, who looks the perfect Oaks type and will come on as the distances increase.
It was a big afternoon for Godolphin and the stable ended the day with a high five thanks to Magic Hurricane, who was given a peach from James McDonald to bolt up and win the Metropolitan (2400m). He looked beautifully weighted on form and he showed his class.
Beaten Up improved on the firmer track and worked home well for second, just ahead of the stablemate of Magic Hurricane, Havana Cooler. You can’t really say much about the rest. They had their chance but they were simply no match for the winner.
The final Group 1 of the weekend came at Flemington in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m), and Preferment stamped his credentials with a superb win. It was all thanks to a lovely steer from Hugh Bowman, who tracked up wide with cover before peeling out and letting down strongly to beat home stablemate Royal Descent, who is just racing so well at the moment but can’t quite crack it for a Group 1.
Set Square was strong late, as was Dandino, Gust Of Win and Hartnell in what was a race similar to the Makybe Diva, where most horses could have got a pass mark. Forgive Rising Romance, who was three and four wide no cover for the entire trip.
Three horses to follow
1. Sons Of John
2. Hartnell
3. Jessy Belle
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