MATT MOORE'S SATURDAY WRAP

By Matt Moore | Sunday, March 14, 2021

THE RECAP FROM ALL STAR MILE, COOLMORE CLASSICE AND JEWEL RACEDAYS

What another fantastic day of racing yesterday. The All-Star Mile day at the The Valley, day 1 of the Sydney Autumn Carnival with the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill and the Jewel Raceday at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast.

THE VALLEY

The predicted rain didn't get to Melbourne until Race 7 and it turned out to be a typical Valley track. With the rail in the True position, pace setters or those sitting on speed on the approach to the turn ended up winning all 9 races. Track Conditions went from a Good 4 to a Good 3, then to a Soft 6 in between races and ended on a Soft 7.

The first feature was Race 2 on the program - The Listed Valley Pearl over the 1200m – and it was taken out by the favourite in Scotched Earth. Olly settled her 2nd pair back, 2 off the fence to join leaders Dio and Predetermined at the top of the straight. The filly hit the lead at the 100m to score by 3/4 of a length.

Race 4 was the Abell Stakes at Listed Level where we saw another favourite in Ancestry prove too strong. From the 2nd widest gate, Michael Poy was quick to get him out of the gates and he crossed over to set the tempo. Poy toyed with the field and at the 200m he kicked away, riding hands and heels to bolt in by 3 lengths.

Race 5. The Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes over the Cox Plate trip with Jamie Kah winning aboard the Maher/Eustace runner in Grandslam. Another one to jump out quickly and lead from start to finish. It was a beautifully controlled tempo. When Kah asked him to go at the 600m mark, he did so and stormed away to win by 5 lengths.

Race 6 and the rain arrived. Race 5 was ran on a Good 3. This race on a Soft 6 so it shows how much rain Melbourne copped in 30 mins. This race was the Country Mile Series Final won by Fontein Diamond at a big price. Patrick Maloney shot the mare to the lead but ended up settling in the 1-1. As we know, the 600m mark at the Valley is where you make your move and Maloney joined leader Astraues with Daniel Moor aboard her and Dean Yendall aboard Intellective joining the pair on the outside. Maloney kicked away at the 150m to win by just over a length.

Down to the big win. Race 8 - The $5m WFA ASM. We woke to the news that red favourite Arcadia Queen was scratched in the morning on vet’s advice making Probabeel the race favourite. When the rain arrived and with the track in the Soft range, everything was in her favour. Enter Mugatoo and Russian Camelot who were 3rd and 4th picks in the market.

The field were quick to jump with Behemoth, Shout The Bar and Greysful Glamour settling out front. Mugatoo settling 3rd group back on the fence. Russian Camelot trailing him. And what a race. Bowman at that 600m mark made his move trialling the Queenslander in The Harrovian who went up to join the leading trio. Olly aboard Russian Camelot still trailed Mugatoo then moved to his outside on the approach to the turn. You could see Bowman looking to his right looking for a gap and eventually at the top of the straight it did open. He stormed past Behemoth and The Harrovian with Russian Camelot on the outside of the Team Edmonds runner. And it was a sprint to the finish with the Kris Lees runner holding out Danny O'Brien's champion.

A fantastic day with the Ciaron Maher/David Eustace camp training 3 winners on the day.

ROSEHILL

Day 1 of the Autumn Carnival and what a day. We were expecting a rain affected track. It never came. What we saw was similar to the Valley. On pace runners dominating the day.

The first of the Black Type races was the 2nd event on the card. The Group 3 Magic Night Stakes won by Arcaded for James Cummings and Godolphin. James McDonald bought her back to form after that forgive run in the Blue Diamond. She's now won 3 of her 4 career starts. It gave JMac an early race to race double after taking out the opening event aboard Welsh Legend.

Race 3. The Group 3 Pago Stakes with the 2yo Magic Millions winner Shaquero returning to the winner’s stall. Three wins now from 6 career starts and has the option of going into next week's Golden Slipper.

Race 4. The Group 3 Sky High Stakes. Aussie Tom Marquand getting up in a photo aboard Toffee Tongue. He bucked the trend a touch settling midfield, 2 off in this small field giving the leader Spirit Ridge a 5 length lead, but then moved up to sit outside Mustajeer at the 1200 who was trialling the leader. Robbie Dolan hit the button aboard Spit Ridge at the top of the straight and looked home all the way. But Toffee Tongue dived on the line to get the win.

Race 5. The Group 3 Maurice McCarten Stakes. With the track in the good range, it was a disadvantage for pre-race favourite Wandabaa who would have relished the predicted rain and Soft track. The Snowden runner California Zimbol arrived at the gates the favourite and didn't disappoint, settling midfield and storming home outside to win by 0.5 length in a cracking time.

Race 6. The Phar Lap Stakes. Another winner for Chris Waller and James McDonald. This time with Hungry Heart. She settled at the back of the field and was still last at the top of the straight. But once McDonald found her galloping room at the 300, there was no stopping her as she overcame The Irishman to win by 0.5L.

The Group 1 Coolmore Classic (race 7) and what a result for Queensland. Krone … the winner of the fillies and mares race at the Magic Millions and paying $41 that day backed it up at Randwick her last start winning the Group 2 Guy Walter. Trainer Tony Gollan said he wasn't confident when he boarded the flight to Sydney yesterday on a Good track and it was "a free throw at the stumps in the Autumn down here" and it paid off giving Queensland's leading trainer his 4th Group 1 win. As was the case in the Guy Walter, Tim Clark remained aboard. Clark put the mare just off the rail sitting just off the pace and was desperately looking for a gap on the approach to the 300. She showed a devastating turn of foot at the 125m to power away to win.

The Group 2 Ajax Stakes (Race 8) and another with for Kerrin McEvoy and the Snowdens with I Am Superman, settling 3rd in the run to chase down Greysful Glamour and Buffalo River.

A massive day for Chris Waller training 4 winners. James McDonald and Kerrin McEvoy riding 3 winners each.

AQUIS PARK

An extremely tough day to find winners on a Heavy 9 surface. Chatting with jockeys Michael Rodd and Robbie Fradd before the 8th race, the inside of the track was where you didn't want to be. Andrew Spinks took out the last race with Akage running near the outside rail in the straight and said it was almost of Soft 5 out on that part of the track.

Race 6 was the 2yo Jewel feature taken out by red hot favourite Sweet Dolly. That makes her career record 4 from 4 and she's arguably the best 2yo in the country.

The 8th event was the 3yo Jewel feature won by Steph Thornton aboard Simply Fly. Unbeaten this prep from 3 runs, she proved far too strong with the wet track record the key.


The Golden Slipper is next Saturday at Rosehill Gardens along with Pimms Girls Day Out at Eagle Farm and Mornington Cup Day for the Melbourne Racing Club.

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