Racing is so good at the moment across our classic distances that it’s making for an unmissable spring season.
And we don’t even need to rely on Winx to find great performances at 1600m and beyond.
The likes of the ‘H’ horses has been one of the talking points across the past weekends – starting with Hartnell a few weekends ago, followed by high-calibre performances from Humidor and Harlem.
Harlem ran close to track record time, while Humidor showed he has improved considerably from the autumn. The pair go into the Caulfield Cup as hot hopes.
Combine that lot with Almandin’s sizzling performance in the Japan Racing Association Trophy at Flemington, Bonneval in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam, and with Gingernuts in New Zealand winning a Group 1 over 1600m and like a real Kiwi danger, we seem to have more horses with their hoof on the ’till than in quite some years.
The Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday will shake out the best of the Sydney stayers, and will aid comparisons with the Melbourne horses.
Four Victorians have made the trip north, although all of them are short of their best at the moment. Team Williams has sent Amralah and Foundry to contest, while Darren Weir’s pair of Big Duke and Loresho will also line-up and hope for the handicap conditions to beat Chris Waller’s Libran, Antonio Giuseppe, and Life Less Ordinary.
(AAP: Julian Smith)
Amralah hasn’t done a thing this preparation, while Foundry has been ok but is taking a big step up, even in a handicap. If Loresho wins for Darren Weir I’ll give up, but stablemate Big Duke is a decent hope. He had been building up before a fairly plain run last time, and is backing up from last week. But on class and ability alone he’ll be kept safe. I’d keep Chocante in mind if it rains, though the forecast doesn’t look good for him there.
We also get a bonus of two city meetings in Victoria across the Friday/Sunday split around the AFL grand final on the Saturday, and Cam Rose will touch on the big Moir Stakes sprint in his column tomorrow.
Between the Sydney races, Moonee Valley JRA Cup, the Underwood Stakes, Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and a 1700m Handicap on Sunday, we will see plenty of good horses, and a few Cup hopes go around as well.
The best duel looks set to another battle between Hartnell and Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m). The pair were upstaged by Humidor last time, and could be again with the low-flying Bonneval in the race.
James Cummings did talk about giving Hartnell a rest off his tough run in the Makybe Diva but he must’ve pulled up well to be back after just a fortnight. Bart won this race last year by a good margin and is kept very safe accordingly. Hartnell was undone by a crazy early pace in the Makybe Diva, and we shouldn’t see that tempo here.
There are a few Cup hopefuls who will be looking at least to be hitting the line well – the likes of Canberra’s Single Gaze, Team Hawkes’ Inference, and Abbey Marie, backing up from an average run in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m).
The Arc
There’s also the little matter of a certain Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Chantilly this weekend, with two days of strong racing just north of Paris. The Roar will have preview of the main race from an Aussie perspective closer to the race.
Johnybulldog
Guest
Oh how I loved Mahogany Kv,won me good money back when i was a paper boy..also loved tinys finitio & Maxy Lees mare from about the same time...hmmm what was her name...anyway enjoy ur racing mate,gota love it!
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
Wow what a race,thanks for the trip down memory lane!
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
W
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
W
kv joef
Roar Guru
Never forget ... one of the best AJC derby fields ever assembled - First 5 over the line Octagonal, Saintly, Filante, Roysyn (NZ Derby winner) , Nothin' Lieca Dane ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1nnX8SeCak ... VRC/AJC Derby winner Mahogany winning Lightnings FU and just being nutted in the Cox by Octagonal :-) ... a forgotten champion.
Kangajets
Guest
The period around saintly octagonal etc was an epic time for racing if anyone is old enough to remember.
Not so super
Guest
I agree No one, only a small field and average. The Rupert Clarke is annually a joke of a g1
no one in particular
Roar Guru
I liked the bottom one in the Epsom as spec bet at 100/1. Has been leading and winning with big weights, drops 9-10kgs here. Rolls to the front and had to run down. Unfortunately scratched
Razzar
Guest
Some of the wins in the group races have been rather devistating. That has set the racing public alight, with anticipation going forward. Harlem, Humidor really impressed, and will be interesting to see if they can repeat the dose, in impressive style again. I like the Epsom this year, and most years. Plus it looks a tricky race, potentially sit/sprint scenario. I rated Happy Clapper $4.50 chance. He's a tough durable galloper and looks to posie handy, with moderate pace. He's Our Rokkii is fitter now, handicap suits, likely to get nice run. $9 rating Egg Tart will sit back, only 2nd up, meeting strong company here, still may have to work to win. $6.50 Coming Through jumps in class, but has weight compensation, should work for forward position, goes into race with wins on the board. $6.50 rating. Good luck punters
kv joef
Roar Guru
we don't disagree often but the Epsom is a genuine G1 handicap. you have 5 horses in this race capable of running a 94s Randwick mile with another 2 having positive question marks. while happy clapper is public elect, he is No.4/5 in my current thurs Good3 book but i can still see how he can win. i can see why GRyan runs Red Excitment in the Epsom instead of the Hill ... this is going to be one-hell-of-a-race.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Thankfully the classic distances are good. The Epsom this week is poor, but it looks like a Cox Plate compared to the Rupert Clarke
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
Can't wait for the weekend,there's certainly money to be won!
kv joef
Roar Guru
i certainly can't remember so many points of interest each week. The early verbal fisticuffs between NSW / Vic has amounted to nought. Both jurisdictions have provided several highlights every week for the last six weeks and is set to continue for another couple of weeks in Syd and Melb before Vic showcases the best of our spring racing as it has always done. thought the Hill Stakes would fall over on the same day as the Epsom but it has ended up adding a good race and colour to the card. it maybe only a borderline G2 but good enough to be there. the metrop is back to being a good race ... i think VicRacing should make a big deal of yesterday's Derby and Oaks trials in future years. Great idea for the Wednesday card at this time. Not only did they turn out to be revealing high quality races but it gives stables plenty of paths to the Derby. That's the spirit VicRacing.