Superconstellation will go down in the record books as the winner of the first race at Caulfield Heath.
All-Star Mile combatants Enver Jusufovic and Ben Allen will go down in the history books as the first winning combination on the new track in Melbourne – Caulfield Heath.
The pair combined with Superconstellation in the Sportsbet Make It Look Easy Plate (1200m) on Wednesday before they team up again on the larger Caulfield track with Pinstriped in the All-Star Mile (1600m) on Saturday.
Superconstellation is raced by Jusufovic and Melbourne-based journalist Danny Power.
The pair raced the gelding’s dam Antares, who retired a maiden after three starts, and was sold as a broodmare.
Power said a phone call from Racing Victoria alerted Jusufovic that Antares was with the RSPCA and faced an uncertain future, so pair elected to get the mare back and put her to Squamosa, which resulted in Superconstellation.
Allen said Superconstellation was unlucky not to win at his first start when held up and was in an awkward position again on Wednesday after slipping at the start.
“We slipped coming out of the gates and we got a bit further back than we anticipated,” Allen said.
“He travelled into the race well and I thought we would struggle to get out, but I was lucky enough a gap appeared and to his credit he has a very good turn of foot, and he made it.
“The track was a bit wet coming down that hill, but for the rest of that race, it rode beautifully.”
The colours of former Cox Plate winner El Segundo were seen victorious later in the program when Tolpuddle took out the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Handicap (1800m).
Tolpuddle is part-owned by Colin Little, who prepared El Segundo, and was a trainer at Caulfield for around 50 years before it’s closure to build Caulfield Heath.
Wednesday’s meeting was given the green light earlier this month after a series of gallops, jump-outs and trials after some minor realignment of the running rail.
The meeting, transferred from Sandown, was also used as a dress rehearsal for the Melbourne Racing Club ahead of Saturday’s All-Star Mile meeting and gave the club the opportunity to use the new mounting yard, horse stalls and scales precinct under race day conditions.
