Last Saturday we saw the running of the first Group 1 on the Australian racing calendar, and it was a controversial ending to the CF Orr Stakes at Sandown. We had Group racing across both of the Sandown and Randwick programs, supported by Listed racing at Morphettville and Ascot.
With the rail being pushed out to the +10m position at Sandown, we saw a number of horses struggle to get a clear run in the home straight due to the restricted racing room. Meanwhile, at Randwick, the rain earlier in the week hampered the inside three or four metres of the home straight and it chopped up early in the day, proving to be the inferior ground for most of the meeting.
Nevertheless, we have found two runners from Sandown and one from Randwick to follow in the coming weeks.
Sandown Hillside – C.F. Orr Stakes Day
Track rating: Good 4
Rail position: +10m entire circuit
Race 2: Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) | Time: 1:24.42
- Horse to follow: Amenable (2nd)
The second race of the day at Sandown was the Group 2 Autumn Stakes, where Amenable from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr yard returned to the races for his autumn preparation. This three-year-old colt ran third in the Group 3 Guineas Prelude and sixth in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, before going out for a four-month spell. On Saturday this colt was very unlucky and should have won the Autumn Stakes, however, he had to weave a passage in between slowing horses and he ran out of time. Once Damien Oliver got this colt through a gap and he started to let down, he took two or three lengths of the leader in the final 150m, but ultimately 1400m was a touch too short.
When to bet: Amenable has returned in great style this preparation and he looks to be on a Randwick Guineas or Rosehill Guineas path and possibly pushing onto an Australian Derby, as he holds nominations for all three of those races. With the likelihood of him running into the likes of Aft Cabin, Golden Mile and Jacquinot in both of the Guineas, we will be backing him at his next start. He will most likely go to 1500m or 1600m and have one more run before the Guineas where he would be very hard to beat in a similar field.
Race 6: Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) | Time: 1:02.87
- Horse to follow: Chain Of Lightning (3rd)
The Rubiton Stakes saw the return of the Peter Moody-trained mare Chain Of Lightning, who has only missed the placings once in her career, which was in the $10 million Golden Eagle at her last start in the spring. The four-year-old daughter of Fighting Sun was returning at 1100m, which is much shorter than her best distance, but she was very good even though she was extremely unlucky. Jamie Kah looked to have her mount in the perfect position on the home turn, sitting a couple of lengths off the leaders in and with cover. However, Kah didn’t get any luck at all in the home straight and she eventually had to bump Generation on her outside to get out of a pocket and let down in the final 100m of the race. It was a horror watch for punters, but anyone who wasn’t on this girl first-up could see that she should have won, and she has returned in great style.
When to bet: Chain Of Lightning is nominated for the All-Star Mile, Doncaster Mile and Queen Of The Turf Stakes later next month and in April, so there is a chance that Peter Moody and his team will space this mares runs so that she can still be at her peak come the first weekend of April. Wherever this mare goes next, we will be backing her and she will go very close to winning.
Randwick – Inglis Millennium Day
Track rating: Good 4
Rail position: True entire circuit
Race 8: Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) | Time: 1:22.71
- Horse to follow: Fangirl (3rd)
One of the feature races on the Randwick card this Saturday was the Group 2 Apollo Stakes, where we saw a number of Group 1 winners return to the races after their spelling post their spring campaigns. One of those returning runners was Fangirl from the Chris Waller yard. This four-year-old mare settled at the rear of the field and Kerrin McEvoy chose to take her to the inside of the field – into the inferior ground – and she made up a stack of ground to finish third by just over a length. When you consider that she was in the worse ground and she ran home in the meetings second fastest last 600m (33.00 seconds), it shows that her run was much, much better than it looked on Saturday.
When to bet: With Fangirl kicking off in the Apollo Stakes on Saturday, there is every chance that she will meet a similar field at her next start, which could see her clash with Anamoe, if both Chris Waller and James Cummings choose to head to a race over 1600m next start. However, on February 25 the Group 2 Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbred Stakes over 1400m will be run for mare aged four-years-old and up. If Waller chooses to take Fangirl to the Guy Walter instead of the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes over 1600m on the same day, we will be following her and she will be very hard to beat against her own sex.
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