Summary/ Forgive File CAUL/ RHIL – 13th August

Racing was at CAULFIELD on Saturday on GOOD track, the rail was out 3m and track played quite well although the inside lanes did chop out of the day wore on.

Thanks to all who voted, note, for those on twitter you can vote each Saturday evening/ Sunday morning after I have posted the ‘’finalists’’ (twitter handle is @gatorgately).

With 32% of the vote the Run Of The Day winner was JAMEKA, and her return was terrific, off a tardy start she recovered to settle midfield in the Lawrence Stks and closed nicely to be right on the heels despite limited galloping room that last 100m… Also on the podium was MISS ROSE DE LAGO (31%) from I AM A STAR (20%).

MISS ROSE DE LAGO was strong winning the Lawrence as the tempo meant she was a sitting shot for swoopers late but she kept going too well for the match-fit JACQUINOT BAY who was every hope but certainly rock solid given the WFA scale was against him somewhat. Third was ENTIRELY PLATINUM who closed nicely fresh off the back of his nice jump out form. LORD OF THE SKY led in 48.05 1st-800m so he certainly set a solid (if not suicidal) speed and was only collared that last 150m, he ran well given it was tougher to lead as the day went on. Loved the run of MAGNAPAL who was outsped in fast-run 1400m and was building momentum beautifully when baulked, he still hit the line 12.09 last 200m which was bettered only by SET SQUARE who rushed home 11.85 from way back. Others of note: SUAVITO (home 12.12) and BERISHA (also home 12.12) did more than enough! Overall time was 1-24.85

The other 1400m race was Race 9 and although BM78 grade, it was a strong race given the trifecta have form around Group horses! Said trifecta was PRINCE OF BROOKLYN (great ride from wide draw and he was favoured drawing wider later in the day but, loved the chase and he ran down a handy one); MR INDIVIDUAL (led in 49.45 – so – Lord Of The Sky would have been around 8L in front of him with 600m to run – He was entitled to kick, he did, but had no answer for winner late) and VOSTOK (sat second and battled well but quinella were too strong – he beat fourth ok). Worth noting these three were the new season 4yo’s and time was not far off that of the Lawrence Stks (1-25.14) despite significantly slower 1st-800m, trusting this form! Others: WHEATSHEAF FLYER ran home in race-fastest 11.93 and was first home the older horses; SO DOES HE (home 12.04) was sound; CURRAGH KING was sub-12 home (11.95) and went very nicely himself.

To the 3YO races, first the boys:

VAIN Stks race R5 and RUSSIAN REVOLUTION was a bit too fast, he led in 30.14 1st-500m so had it easy enough then kicked strongly, he ran 11.36 400-to-200m then lasted to score and stopped the clock 1-5.14, as you will see, his time measured up well against fillies and older horses on the day. If there is a query on the race it has to be the fact that there was 2.6L over the first seven runners!?!? Time will tell. Runner-up HIGHLAND BEAT just lost touch (and around 1L) and a vital stage then had good run through and ran home hard (11.70 last 200m was race-fastest) with HARDHAM very good from the back too, he recorded 11.73 and was forced (arguably) a touch too close to those inside lanes? VALLIANO sat second/ leader won but was close-up and sound. WAZZENME had match fitness but ran home well also, he ran 11.93 that last fraction.

The QUEZETTE for the fillies was R6 and the winner was I AM A STAR who produced a big finish from well back just holding off LEOTIE who was run off her legs a bit early and couldn’t really keep up, she eased to the outside and flashed home in 22.7 and 11.49 (2nd-fastest of the day/ winner was 22.8/ 11.68) and they grabbed leader ATHENA LASS late! Said leader ran 29.81 1st-500m so would have led Russian Revolution roughly 2L with 600m to run, they ran 1-5.03 overall so .11 faster than the 3yo males. NAJMAAT was a sound/ every chance 4th here and SWORD OF LIGHT 5th, she had to carry the 57.5kg so was giving weight to all. SELENIA was the only other runner to break 12-seconds home (11.96) and her return was quite good.

The other 1100m race was for the older girls in R4 and OCEAN EMBERS impressed! She sat back off a 30.28 1st-500m (so leader SHAKESPEAREAN LASS was slower early than both 3yo races) yet swopped over them and recorded an 11.37 last 200m which was the fastest of the day! CANA sat handy and hit the lead but was no match for the winner’s finale, good return this girl though. GLENBAWN DAME was up on that modest tempo and held 3rd. They ran 1-5.03 so time was identical to the new season 3yo fillies in the Quezette, however, they were .47 (almost 3L) slower early.

The other key race was the Regal Roller R8 and VOODOO LAD was back to his best around a turn, with the weight relief, he did power away late from JUNGLE EDGE who had a cheap lead (36.47 1st-600m) and the ever-unlucky FAST N ROCKING. PALENTINO was solid fresh given he had a task as a new season 4yo with 60kg here, he ran home 11.97 but winner was too slick, too fit, and had 6kg less! Winner recorded 11.69 last 200m but the 400-to-200m split of 11.25 was significant when putting the race away. They ran 1-11.35 and it was not  away for fast times.

LILLY DAZZLER (little room/ was not hammered!), GIGI GIRL (throat abnormality), MOSSIN’ AROUND (looked big hope when luck ran out vital stage), MISS GIDGET (not much room/ late splits were good), REVOLVING DOOR (wide/ went early), ZANAHARY (wide/ green), SHE’S POSITIVE (wide no cover), MERRIEST (not much room/ chequered run/ back to inside), CONSCIOUS (way too keen), CONCEALER (ditto), MODERN WONDER (sore), MAHUTA (lame), GIRL GUIDE (slow recovery), GOLD SYMPHONY (upside/ down), DOWNHEARTED (3-wide no cover), HOKKAIDO (way back from bad gate/ late splits sound), TINY’S LEGACY (worst going) and FRESHWATER STORM (also in wrong spot).

In Sydney racing was at ROSEHILL on SOFT track. Rail was out 6m and track played well, winners led and swooped here.

The podium spots go to STAR TURN, SADLER’S LAKE and WE’RE SURE (with EXTENSIBLE getting an honourable mention)… Giving the ‘’gold’’ to WE’RE SURE narrowly, he produced an outstanding finale in the last to get up and score and was really the only horse this race to emerge from the back….

…It does add merit to the win given runner-up ENCOSTANATI sat handy, took over (maybe too soon?) and third horse CONARCHIE was right up on-speed also (did cover ground/ ran well). Fourth was DRAGON FLYER who made good ground from just off the winner mid race but was (obviously) no match at all. They ran 1-21.96 for 1350m here.

The feature was the San Domenico Stks STAR TURN ran up to his excellent trials with a terrific win, he sat handy on a moderate 30.50 1st-600m split and took over winning in 1-4.39 for 1100m, the time was exceptional when lining up with the other 1100m race on the day, that race, won by handy older sprinter HIS MAJESTY was won in 1-5.05 which was significantly slower than Star Turn despite the older horse’s race being run faster early (they went 30.17 1st-500m). Great sign for new season 3yo! San Domenico runner-up was TANGO RAIN who had led the winner, and had match-fitness on-side, third was KENTUCKY MISS who was clear in time but no match for the quinella, what she did do was beat Slipper winner CAPITALIST home, he tracked the winner and peeled out looking a big hope but didn’t finish his race off, worth noting he did have the 60kg here.

HIS MAJESTY’s win was very good in R8 by the way, back, baulked key stage then builds momentum and hit line hard beating another swooper in SARAJEVO who came to the outside and rushed home, they had both trialled very well leading in. Third was SAVOUREUX (yep, another swooper/ good return) from SNOOPY who certainly didn’t have much luck at the vital stage, DECISION TIME was fifth and there was .5L covering these five!

TREE OF JESSE (wide no cover and too close), EGYPTIAN RULER (little peace/ ran well), LOUD DEBATE (ditto), MORE THAN FABULOUS (bit wide), ROCK MYLADY (covered ground), DOUKHAN (lame), MR DARCY (found trouble), AURORA GLOW (not much room!), PIRATE BEN (wide no cover), GAME PIE (also not much room), CATON (badly blocked), SACRED MASTER (back and wide off slow speed), COSMIC CUBE (forced 3-wide), RULING DYNASTY (unsuited), SNOOPY (as mentioned), GRANDE PUNTO (held-up until 125m), KANGARILLA JOY (bled), EL SASSO (wide), EVER SO NATURAL (needed more room) and TAKEWING (raced in traffic also).

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