Part two of our 2012 racing year in review kicks off at Rosehill where it is Golden Slipper Day. The first of the majors was the Vinery Stud Stakes. All eyes were on the two big guns; Mosheen and Streama…and the race certainly lived up to the hype. Mosheen led the field at a slow pace while Streama was off the pace. 800m out, Dan Nikolic, on Mosheen, puts the foot down and it proves to be the winning the move, although he almost threw it away by sitting up the last 50m, with Streama finishing a long neck away from the gun Victorian filly.
The next major was the BMW…and if you backed Americain, you don’t want to remember the race. Ridden in extraordinary fashion by Gerald Mosse, the horse was no closer than three wide for the entire 2400m of the race, while the eventual winner Manighar was perched up near the speed and ready to pounce. On the home turn, Manighar pinched a handy break and Americain was flat. But on the line, Amercain got within a length of the winner. The ride from Mosse is regarded by some as the worst ride ever in a Group l.
Another fillies and mares race, another Group l for More Joyous. She started $1.60 and never ever gave her supporters an ounce of concern, blitzing her rivals in the Queen Of The Turf (1500m) to record her sixth career Group l success. Miss Keepsake and Kings Rose filled the placings.
Nine colts, six fillies and one gelding took their place in the richest race in the world for two year olds, the $3.5 Million Aami Golden Slipper (1200m). Blue Diamond winner Samaready was the hot favourite after a dominant win in the Reisling Stakes (1200m) a fortnight prior. But six months prior, a colt named Pierro won the Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick. Trainer Gai Waterhouse declared after the race that he would win the Golden Slipper…and she was proven right when the big bulldog got up inside the leader and eventual runner up Snizterland to take out the prize. Samaready was close up in third.
But the most thrilling finish came in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m). On the line, there were about five horses spread by a long neck gap. However, Metal Bender stuck his nose out where it mattered and got the verdict over Rekindled Interest. Secret Admirer was third, a breath away.
Rosehill had its turn…now it was time for Randwick. The first of the big ones was the T J Smith Stakes (1200m). It was built up as a race between boom sprinter Rain Affair and crack youngster Foxwedge…but they both were upstaged by the talented Master Of Design, the second outsider in betting. He got up in the last stride to beat Rain Affair. Hallowell Belle was third and should have bolted in, but had zero luck in the straight.
40 minutes later, one of the great match ups of the season on paper was set; Pierro, the Golden Slipper champ, up against All Too Hard, the younger brother of Black Caviar, in the Sires Produce Stakes (1400m). The latter started $1.50 after a couple of stylish wins and given who he is related to. But we witnessed one of the great wins of the year when Pierro dashed to the front and kicked on powerfully to beat All Too Hard and Limes. The Gai and Nash show rolled on.
Then the feature race came around…The Australian Derby (2400m). Silent Achiever was the favourite, just ahead of Laser Hawk. But it wasn’t to be a race for the favourites when Ethiopia, who was having just his fourth start, sprouted wings from near last to grab Polish Knight right on the post to claim another big race for Pat Carey. Laser Hawk ground away for third.
The Group l action wasn’t just in Sydney. Ascot hosted the WATC Derby (2400m). Local galloper Rohan scored a popular win for trainer Vaughn Sigley and rider Glenn Smith. The Mike Moroney trained Flashy Fella finished second, with The Social Network in third. Unfortunately we haven’t seen Rohan since June due to unknown reasons.
Next Saturday saw the running of the best mile race in Australia, the Doncaster Mile (1600m). The week leading up to the race was involved in drama due to the fact that connections were contemplating scratching hot favourite More Joyous due to wet weather worries. But by the time the race was set to run, the track was a dead4 and the champion mare started a $3.80 favourite…and she didn’t disappoint her backers yet again with a superb, gritty win from Shoot Out and Yosei, who continued her streak of bobbing up in big races when you least expect it. Happy Trails was unlucky and caught the eye for fourth.
90 minutes earlier, star filly and eventual New South Wales horse of the year Streama showed her class by winning the Australian Oaks (2400m). She didn’t quite run the distance out, but the vigour of Bowman and her experience in the big races showed over the last 100m. Aliyana Tide and Thy filled the minor placings.
The Sydney Autumn Carnival wrapped up the following week with Sydney Cup Day. The feature event was taken out by the handy Team Hawkes stayer Niwot. Ridden a treat by Dwayne Dunn, Niwot staved off the challenge of the evergreen warhorse Efficient. Central Coast galloper Nextanix worked home strongly for third.
The Group l’s that day kicked off with the third leg of the juvenile triple crown, the Champagne Stakes (1600m). Champion colt Pierro, who won the first two legs, was at his brilliant best again and claimed the hat-trick with a dominant display, beating home Dear Demi and Tatra. This took the colts career earnings well past the $3 Million mark.
Star three year old filly Atlantic Jewel was at prohibitive odds to claim the All Aged Stakes (1400m), but after a few nervous moments for punters, her class kicked in and she gobbled up Rain Affair to record her second major. Ofcourseican got to the line nicely for third. It was to be one of the rare highlights for Mark Kavanagh and Michael Rodd during the Carnival.
The doubters questioned whether or not More Joyous could run 2000m. Well the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) provided all the answers when the champion mare led the field and never looked like getting beat, destroying her rivals and contiued the domination of Gai and Nash during the Carnival. Manighar and Secret Admirer filled the placings.
But most of Australia’s eyes were fixed on Morphettville racecourse and the Robert Sangster Stakes/Sportingbet Classic (1200m) because the great one, Black Caviar, was making her Adelaide debut. And as usual, she toyed with them. It was breathtaking to watch and it was matched by a rare outstanding call from Hilton Donaldson.
Clarry Conners and Peter Mertens combined earlier in the afternoon to win the Schweppes Oaks (2000m) with Invest, who proved too strong over the concluding stages from the luckless Our Miss Jones and local filly, and rank outsider, Essence.
