THE SATURDAY REVIEW: ROSEHILL, CAULFIELD, EAGLE FARM AND THE GOLD COAST
By Matt Moore | Sunday, April 4, 2021
THE SATURDAY REVIEW
It was another brilliant day of racing for Easter Saturday around the country. Meetings at Rosehill Gardens for the third week of the Sydney Autumn Carnival, the traditional Easter Cup meeting at Caulfield in Melbourne and some impressive performances in the Sunshine State with meetings at Eagle Farm and the Gold Coast.
Here are the highlights from all 4 meetings.
ROSEHILL GARDENS
After a fantastic day in Parramatta last weekend for Golden Slipper Day, the western suburbs venue in Sydney turned on another cracker of a day for Tancred Stakes Day. This along with the Vinery Stud Stakes were the 2 Group 1’s features that headlined the nine race card. We also had several other Group races as runners and connections prepare for The Championships, beginning next weekend, and the remainder of the carnival.
The first of the Group 1 features was The Vinery Stud Stakes over the mile and a quarter for the three-year-old filles. The Mark Newham trained Harmony Rose was well backed and was the favourite when the markets opened, but it was Hungry Heart claiming the prize to give Group 1 win 121 for Chris Waller with Kerrin McEvoy aboard to claim his 78th Group 1 winner.
McEvoy and his mount drew a great gate in 5 but made the decision in this race to head to the back of the field. They gave the leader Harmony Rose a 14 length start across the back straight. The pair were still last coming into the turn and had to go wide to find clean air in the run home. Earlier in the day the rail was the place to be as the jockeys were reporting that nothing was running on, but McEvoy showed that wasn’t the case here, being the widest on the track in the home straight to chase down Harmony Rose.
Margin – Neck. Time 2.02.06. Last 600m 37.50.
Waller was happy the tempo upfront was quick as it “gave the backmakers their chance,” but with 300m to run “there was a lot of ground to make up, but her last 100m she really fought hard and got there quite well”.
The Tancred Stakes over the mile and half was the feature. After his win last week in the George Ryder Stakes aboard Think It Over, the little master Glen Boss made it 2 Group 1s wins in as many weeks with Sir Dragonet.
The favourites leading into this race were the the Cox Plate winner and the superstar from New Zealand in Melody Belle. Questions were asked of these two in the lead up as both prefer the sting out of the ground and that was evident in the market. Both were drifting further and further out up until jump time. She’s Ideel was backed in after her impressive run in the Epona Stakes seven days earlier along with Toffee Tongue.
Boss pulled off the fence at the 600m, had a glance over his shoulder coming around the turn and was five wide as they straightened. The race was over at the 350m as the pair hit the lead and pulled away to win in convincing style.
Margin – 2.3L. Time 2.28.78. Last 600m 35.65.
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher admitted “the back-up (from last week’s Ranvet Stakes) was the only query” and also added “you could see in the yard today he relaxed well in the yard. He was a little bit fresh last week.”
Boss said post-race that he and Maher “trusted the process” in the lead up which ultimately handed the 3 time Melbourne Cup and 4 time Cox Plate winning jockey his 90th Group 1 winner.
Ones to follow - Stick with She’s Ideel. She was magnificent last week when she found room to hit the line well and she did it again in this race. Miami Bound is the other one. An exceptional ride by Rachel King who had to combat some traffic at the top of the straight, but another one that stormed home well when clear.
Victorian jockey Craig Williams rode a double and got the day off on the perfect note. He rode the Team Hawkes runner Saif to victory in the opening event on the card – The Group 3 Schweppervescence over the 1400m. The equal top weight jumped from the inside gate and sat in behind the speed for majority of the run. Williams pulled his mount off the fence at the 200m mark to pass race leader Converge at the 50m mark.
Margin 1.8 lengths. Time 1.23.85. Last 600m 35.44.
Co trainer Michael Hawkes was full of praise for his colt and Williams’ ride. “He had the gun run, 3rd the fence and Craig just had to wait until the gap came,” Hawkes said. He continued by adding that Saif is “still a baby, he’s still learning. Barriers do give you a massive advantage…especially in two-year-old racing”.
Hawkes also mentioned they plan to geld him early and he’ll “be a magnificent three-year-old.”
Williams’ other win was in the last of the Group races on the card - The Group 3 Doncaster Prelude over 1500m. He partnered with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to ride Yao Dash. Jumping out from Gate 1 and leading from start to finish, Williams and Yao Dash were never troubled, powering away at the 150m mark to win by the biggest margin of the meeting.
Margin 3.5L. Time 1.28.34. Last 600m 35.29.
James McDonald also rode a double and he claimed victory in Race 2 - The Group 3 Neville Selwood Stakes over the 2000m aboard the five-year-old gelding Shared Ambition for Chris Waller. McDonald crossed over beautifully from Gate 8 to share the early lead with Albury Gold Cup winner Entente before pushing to the lead after the first 2 furlongs. That is where the pair stayed for the entire race, holding off the chasers Entente, race favourite Master Of Wine and Aliferious in the closing stages.
Margin 1.8 lengths. Time 2.02.19. Last 600m 33.89 (quickest of the day).
Race 5 on the card was the Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m). Between Godolphin and the Snowdens, they had half of the field and it was one the Snowden runners in Signore Fox getting the win and give James McDonald his double. JMac drew the pole and settled on the fence three pairs back. It was a near perfect ride as he had to come off the fence at the top of the straight to round the four runners in front of him and hitting the front at the 100m. McDonald has now ridden him 5 times for 5 wins.
Margin – 1.3L. Time 1.09.99. Last 600m 34.45.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden outlined the fact they try and get James McDonald “on as much as we can” due to the “rapport” he has with the horse.
McDonald added that he had trailed “beautifully” in his three trails coming into this race and was “ready to come here today and perform like he did.”
One to watch from this race is Roheryn. Damien Oliver was aboard for James Cummings and Godolphin and he motored home to run 3rd.
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CAULFIELD
A spectacular day in Melbourne town greeted the Easter Cup meeting at Caulfield. The Group 3 feature was also joined by the other Group 3 race on the card, the Victoria Handicap. The Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes was the third Black-Type race on the nine race card.
The Snowden’s sent Najmaty down to Melbourne from their Randwick stable to compete in the Redoute’s Choice Stakes for the two-year-olds over the 1100m. The trip paid off with John Allen aboard to make it back to back wins from her two career starts.
Trapped three wide the entire trip and coming into the turn 3rd last, Allen put the filly the widest runner and kicked into gear at the 300m to put the rest of the field away in an impressive display.
Margin 2.8L. Time 1.03.87 Last 600 35.03.
Co trainer Peter Snowden admitted after winning her maiden last start, it was a “big ask and daunting task to take on the horses that have been racing in Group level and racing competitively, so it was a bit of ask of her to come here, especially Caulfield, first start this way at that level” adding she “did a few things wrong, but just shows how much talent she has.”
The Easter Cup was taken out by Dan Stackhouse aboard the Mick Moroney runner Hang Man over the mile and a quarter. Having won two of his last three runs coming in, they needed to overcome the widest gate. All the money coming was for the two favourites in Persan and Le Don De Vie with Hang Man on the 4th line of betting.
Settling at the back of the field and trailing Persan from the gates, Stackhouse continued to trail the Maher/Eustace runner into the turn and found himself the widest runner as the straightened up. The pair went up quickly to join the 6 runners on their inside but Hang Man charged late to make it 3 wins from his last 5 runs.
Margin. Half A Length. Time 2.00.33. Last 600m 35.69.
The Victoria Handicap over the 1400m was the last of the features with the top weight Mr Quickie with Ben Allen aboard taking it out for Phillip Stokes. Like Hang Man, he needed to overcome a wide gate and settled back in the run and connections would have been confident. It was pretty much an identical race shape to the Easter Cup, with Mr Quickie three wide majority of the run and coming around the home turn the widest runner with Ben Allen getting the five-year-old going at the 300m.
Margin – Neck. Time 1.22.73. Last 600m 34.88.
One To Watch – Galaxy Raider. This eight-year-old jumped at $61 and was stone cold last the entire run and was 2 lengths off the 2nd last runner the majority of the race. He had to cross over outside Mr Quickie into the turn which gave up crucial space, but once Michael Dee got him outside the winner at the 300m, he powered home and made ground in the last 150m, finishing half a length off the winner.
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EAGLE FARM
It was a day out for jockeys Stephanie Thornton, Michael Rodd and trainer Rex Lipp at Eagle Farm on Saturday with all claiming doubles.
Thornton kicked things off in the opening race on the card (over 1400m) with Secret Tales for Steven O’Dea and Matt Hoysted. The filly was on the quick back from an 18-length victory at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast 7 days earlier. It was a brilliant ride by Thornton, sitting on the fence behind race leader Kenny Boy and sticking the to the steel to hit the lead in the last 200m to claim victory.
Margin - 1.8L. Time 1.25.02. Last 600m 35.16.
One to follow from this race is the Rob Heathcote trained Seefeld. Ben Thompson settled him at the back of the field, but he impressed the way he hit the line to run 3rd.
Thornton’s other win came in the seventh event on the program over 1400m where she partnered up with the Rex Lipp trained, eight-year-ols gelding In His Stride to cause an upset over well the fancied runners Wren’s Day and She Za Boss. It was a four horse dash for the cash at the 200m mark with the winner holding out race Wren’s Day, Junction and Akage who came from last on the turn, sticking to the fence.
Margin – Half A Length. Time 1.24.52. Last 600m 35.00.
Lipp described his gelding as “the head of the stable” to claim his first win in nearly a year and hinted the win may be his swansong.
The win also gave Lipp a double after winning the 5th event with Tycoon Evie.
Rodd’s first winner came in Race 3 (1200m) on the favourite in Clearance Sale for Bryan and Dan Guy. Rodd settled his mount at the back of the field on the fence. On the approach to the turn it looked like Rodd was going to have to ride for luck. The rest of the field pulled off the fence with Rodd sticking to it and it was the right move. He pipped Hidden Eyes on the line.
Margin. Neck. Time 1.11. Last 600m 34.52.
Trainer Bryan Guy said post-race he thinks his runner is a 1400m or miler but his next race will most likely be in a three-year-old quality in 2 weeks.
Rodd’s double came in Race 6 of the card over 1400m where he combined with Robert Heathcote and the top weight in the race Alpendurada. A slight drifter in the market close to jump time in the small field of 6 showed no concerns. Settling third pair back and two off the fence, Rodd bought the five-year-old gelding the widest in the home straight and he showed a powerful turn of foot in claiming the win.
Margin. 2.8L. Time 1.25.21. Last 600m 34.99.
Heathcote admitted post race that he had concerns about the horses future 4 or 5 runs back due to things “weren’t going his way, he was getting back, slowly run races, tracks that didn’t suit” and added, “it’s fair to say he’s certainly picked up as he’s got deeper into his campaign.”
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GOLD COAST
Jockeys Jag Guthmann- Chester and Kyle Wilson-Taylor featured in the winner’s circles heavily with trainers Tony Gollan and Gold Coast local Michael Costa also amongst the winners.
Guthmann-Chester rode a treble with wins in Race 2 aboard Banjo’s Voice for Donna Grisedale, Examples in Race 4 and Axe in Race 9 both trained by Costa.
Wilson-Taylor rode a race to race double in Race 6 aboard Shamaton and Race 7 with War’s End. Both geldings are trained by Tony Gollan who made it a treble taking out Race 8 with Mr Cashman ridden by Georgina Cartwright.
It was also great to see “The King” Noel Callow ride a winner in Race 3 aboard the Spirit Of Boom gelding Fire In The Hold for trainer Matt Dunn.
All eyes will be on Royal Randwick over the next 2 Saturday’s as The Grand Finals of Racing are here – The Championships.
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