Hartnell stamped himself as the second best horse in Australia behind Winx with a stunning win in his return to Melbourne when spanking his rivals in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Sunday. Here are our ratings for the 2016 Turnbull Stakes.
1. Preferment:
Finished: 4th
Summary: Sat around midfield on the rail. Was under pressure a fair way out but his last 250m was pretty solid from a Cups perspective.
Rating: 6/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Cox Plate/Melbourne Cup
2. Tarzino:
Finished: 6th
Summary: Sat on the rail and looked to be going okay but again, he didn’t finish the race off and was quite disappointing.
Rating: 3/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
3. Happy Trails:
Finished: 5th
Summary: Sat near the back away from the rail, peeled wide and I didn’t mind his finish at all. He will be competitive in whatever he contests.
Rating: 7/10
Spring Target: Cox Plate/McKinnon Stakes/Emirates Stakes
4. Hartnell:
Finished: 4th
Summary: Had the dream sit off the speed, peeled out at the right time and really, it was just Black Caviar like. The win of the Spring, and by some distance.
Rating: 10/10
Spring Target: Cox Plate/Melbourne Cup
5. The United States:
Summary: SCR
6. Our Ivanhowe:
Finished: 8th
Summary: Was in the second half of the field on the rail, off the bit before the turn but grinded home okay. Ticking over well for the Cups but needs rain.
Rating: 5/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
7. Set Square:
Finished: 10th
Summary: Sat last outside De Little Engine before peeling the widest on the turn. Couldn’t let down at all and was disappointing. Another not handling the firm track.
Rating: 2/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
8. Tally:
Finished: 3rd
Summary: Followed Second Bullet across to set the tempo and though beaten a fair way, he stuck to the task very gamely.
Rating: 7/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
9. Jameka:
Finished: 2nd
Summary: Had the back of Hartnell all the way and was there, but just simply no match. He gapped her, she gapped the rest. Very good run.
Rating: 8/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
10. Sofia Rosa:
Finished: 11th
Summary: Pressed forward to sit near the lead, came off the bit before the turn and perhaps wasn’t in the best ground, but to my eye was off. Firm track maybe?
Rating: 1/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
11. De Little Engine:
Finished: 7th
Summary: Sat last on the rail and didn’t really fire a shot in the run. Not a Caulfield Cup horse.
Rating: 4/10
Spring Target: Unknown
12. Second Bullet:
Finished: 12th
Summary: Pushed to the lead from a wide gate, ran along in front. Beaten before the turn and simply outclassed.
Rating: 0/10
Spring Target: Unknown
13. Raw Impulse:
Finished: 9th
Summary: Sat worse than midfield outside Our Ivanhowe. Never a winning threat but was okay to the line without being spectacular.
Rating: 4/10
Spring Target: Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup
