Summary/ Forgive File: CAUL CUP DAY 2016

Racing was at CAULFIELD on Saturday for a huge Cup Day and the track was GOOD, the rail was 6m, and the track itself played very well, the most telling factor here was the wind, there was s significant headwind ‘’down the side’’ so from around the 800m-to-400m if you were facing the breeze you were in strife! Only ONE winner led all day.

It was quite tight this week but you voted for SCOTTISH (38% of the vote) over JAMEKA and hard to argue… SCOTTISH was a hue run in the Cup after being tardy away he worked up to be fourth at the 1600m mark then pressed on to lead at the 1200m, he faced that breeze from that point until the line and, yeah, enormous effort !

Hard to pot the win of JAMEKA though, she overraced for about 1600m but found a good spot, she joined in strongly and powered to the line (third straight time she has been as strong as anything over the wire) and won by 3L. EXOSPHERIC kept closing and sustained closing speed (47.42 last 800m/ 12.15 last 200m), winner Jameka was 47.2 for last 800m (last 200m 12:05). ALMOONQITH was held-up turning then rushed home in a lovely Melb Cup trial, his 11.92 last 200m was race-fastest. REAL LOVE was next and super tough/ genuine given she was ridden bit upside/down! OUR IVANHOWE ran home 12.16 and was sound, he just wants some rain! VENGEUR MASQUE should have finished closer, he was behind a wall until inside the 200m yet ran 12.19 home and DE LITTLE ENGINE (12.27) went super for easier. Time: 2-28.88 off 1-53.16 1st-1800m split, for the record, last year Mongolian Khan ran 2-27.76 off 1-52.45 1st-1800m in a high-rating year but given the wind this day, it is tough to compare.

To Race 9 and OUR BOY MALACHI was slow out and sat back wide with cover then ran over them all, his 11.26 last 200m was the day’s fastest and he gave runner-up FAATINAH 3kg, he ran well though, FAATINAH given he was up outside lead facing the breeze and LANKAN RUPEE pleased everyone I fancy, held-up a touch (and it is tough to quicken with 61kg !!) then battled very well when the gap came. ORUJO went super for easier. WILD RAIN was just fair today and watch RUETTIGER for something easier, he was held-up then hot the line super! His 11.61 last split was bettered only by the winner. They ran 57.72 for 1000m off 34.95 1st-600m.

Back to Race 2 and wow, was this a messy event! Slow early speed (1st-800m 50.20) and winner PEACOCK had nice run in behind leaders with cover, he secured inside runs and just lasted over VIOLATE who swung wide and powered late off that slow speed, his 11.66 was race-fastest. ACATOUR was arguably ridden a bit close and he did face breeze up second, he went well. VALLIANO led and battled well. MORTON’S FORK was a horror watch for those on, INSIDE AGENT worked home well remembering on-pace runners here ran 1st, 3rd, 4th. Time: 1-25.86

Race 4 was the Ethereal and ELEANORA had the sweet run and joined in at the right time to win quite well, in saying that, TIAMO GRACE was a good thing licked, shuffled back, checked straightening then flew at the wire in 11.80, clear race-fastest. SAVVAN did some early work, took over straightening and was only collared 100m out, he went very well. MOQUEEN was sound. SEBRING DREAM was set a task, she ran 12.11 home despite being forced very wide from mile back. They went 1-16.42 early and ran 2-05.31 overall for 2000m

The other 3yo 2000m race was G2 Caulfield Classic and GOOD STANDING led in 1-15.85 (so a good 3L quicker than Ethereal), steadied then gave a huge kick, he held on and the win had plenty of merit given he was the only leader to win all day! ROCKETEERwas shuffled back a touch midway then rushed through running 11.58 home. INFERENCE also ran home well (11.66). Love the run of BEACH LIFE who was asked to sustain a long, wide run with no trail into it, he kept coming! Time: 2-04.37 so around 6L quicker overall than Ethereal.

The Coongy was run at a strong speed. 1-12.74 1st-1200m means The Cleaner and TOM MELBOURNE would have been leading Good Standing some 18 Lengths with 600m to run, Tom Melbourne’s effort to run .5L second and gap third some 3L was excellent. Winner VANBRUGH had the right run but loved the chase out to 2000m. IT’S SOMEWHAT didn’t quicken with 59kg and raced tight before working home quite well, there were good gaps behind this race and certainly trusting the form. They ran slick 2-02.17 on the day.

The Tristarc was Race 7 and the class of FIRST SEAL shone through, she gave them weight, sat off them and rounded them up running 1-25.14 off 49.97 1st-800m, she nailed leader TYCOON TARA (had easy lead but faced breeze/ she made winner really work to beat her and was gallant). PEARLS sat 1-1 and gave her all beating DENMAGIC (had chance) for third, best closer was DANISH TWIST who ran home 11.44 off that modest tempo from to far back, winner was 11.47 for the record. No shock the Sydney-siders ran 1,2,3,4,5 here…. Best of locals was FRENCH EMOTION who was, sound, but no match, home 11.51.

SYLPHEED (worked early into wind), SKYLIGHT GLOW (wide/ no cover), RATHER SILKY (bled), EXILIA MISS (luckless), MORTON’S FORK (stiff !), TRENCHANT (no luck again), MOUNT PANORAMA (never clear), NIKITAS (4-wide/ no cover), SIMPLY INVINCIBLE (also wide), CHLOE IN PARIS (little room), FLIPPANT (checked badly straight), ALMIGHTY GIRL (about to launch when luck ran out), BELSAPPHIRE (also luckless), TIAMO GRACE (as mentioned), SEBRING DREAM (ditto), AROHATA (wide), VON RICHTER (bad check), HIGHLAD (too wide), LARRIKIN (amiss), SHILLELAGH (nearly fell), SIR ISAAC NEWTON (pulled too hard), REAL LOVE (mentioned), VENGEUR MASQUE (mentioned), RUETTIGER (only clear very late/ good), VIDDORA (no luck), DAN ZEPHYR (3-wide) and HOPFGARTEN (clear too late/ ran well).

There was some quality any RANDWICK on Saturday. Track was GOOD rail True and there looked to be no mad pattern/ bias evident.

Straight to SPIETH and his win in the last, it was excellent, he blew the start, recovered then was in traffic before working clear and powering at the line running 33.45 last 600m doing it. He heads to Melbourne. Runner-up KAEPERNICK charged home (ridden colder!) and bake 33-last 600m, he has group-class closing speed no worries. LE CORDON BLEU went back from bad gate but ran home almost as well as Kaepernick, good ! NINTH LEGION with his weight was a pleasing return here. They ran 1-3.24 off a solid 28.49 1st-500m

Race 8 saw the classy EGYPTIAN SYMBOL prove too strong, she was well ridden rolling forward early on modest tempo (36.34 1st-600m) and broke away to beat ARTISTRY who had covered ground, she kept closing and was backed here fresh-up. In for good prep! RULE THE RIVER was a sound third and doubt things played out ideal for her however she was up near that modest tempo. KIMBERLEY SRAR and ONEMOREZETA closed well. Time: 1-10.61.

The 1200m race for 3yo’s prior (race 7) was won impressively by SPRIGHT in a sizzling 1-8.79. So how do they run 1.82 (near 10L) faster then Egyptian Symbol? Well, these leaders went hard, in fact they scorched along 33.24 1st-600m so would have had roughly 18L on those girls mid race… Wow! Loved the win though! STAR OF MONSOON from the tail ran home hard as did FARAWAY TOWN from way back and wide, no shock the swoopers dominated this one. GUARD OF HONOUR Was best of those nearer the speed, good run! EL DIVINO worries me…

MAGICUS (no room/ he lives in this file), CAPED CRUSADER (lame/ amiss), SOUCHEZ (didn’t pan out right), SLIGHTLY SWEET (tempo dead-against/ ran race-fastest 11.12 home), SAVOUREUX (back and wide), FITOU (blew start), NANCY (pulled stupidly), THAT’S A GOOD IDEA (wide), FINE MIST (wider), KINGLIKE (bled).

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– Gator

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