SUMMARY/ FORGIVE FILE – Orr Stks Day CAUL / WFM – 10th Feb

 

 

 

 

Racing was at CAULFIELD on Saturday on GOOD-4 track, it was upgraded to GOOD-3 however the times were not fast on the day so be very careful when comparing this meeting to, say, this track two weeks back (when it was a ‘’fast day’’). There was no bias/ pattern evident.

 

 

Well, I didn’t know there to look for this one, to be honest, you can make a case for about ten or more! Thanks to those who voted (twitter handle: @gatorgately) and after near 700-votes it was HOLY SNOW (36%) who had the nod over OOHOOD (31%)…

 

HOLY SNOW’s win in the Autumn Stks was excellent, he was 1st-up and only into his second campaign and sat back before produced ing big burst of speed to win by a decisive margin. Early speed was solid but far from electric. They went 48.32 1st-800m with PREVAILING WINDS setting said speed, he would have been leading Thronum in the G1 Orr Stks by near 5L with 600m to travel. He gave a great sight but was swallowed up that last 100m. Runner-up MER SO AND SO was back with the winner but had to wait for him to ‘’go’’ before easing over his heels (1-2L off now) and rushed home, his 11.82 last 200m was race-fastest (winner 11.89). ASTORIA was wide/ good off the back of his good trial form and held third with LEVENDI working home well but even race-shape (quinella came from behind him) he was sound, but a few were simply better. He did have 58kg so note that. VILLERMONT hit line 12.24 with limited luck and made the Forgive File. Overall time 1-24.89

 

So we can compare these 3yo’s with the G1/WFA ‘’stars’’ in Orr Stks. This race was slowly run (49.24 1st-800m – as mentioned, around 5L slower 1st-800m than 3yo race) and they ran 1-24.79 (still faster time but you would expect that). Winner was HARTNELL who was not as brilliant as he was at the start of last prep but he showed great will to win after covering ground and arrived on the line! There were at least six hard luck stories behind him and there was 3.4L first to last with the limited (but honest) JESTER HALO being beaten only 3.1L so there has to be a query on the race, in saying that, these are our top-level WFA horses with Winx in Sydney. Runner-up was SINGLE GAZE who railed, was held-up then drove through on rail to just miss. BRAVE SMASH was just off winner Hartnell mid race but was tightened-up straightening and wine pinched a length on him, he hooked out and motored that last 100m, loved that finishing speed! That’s the way to ride him!! THRONUM led until about the 10m mark and somehow missed a place!? LORD OF THE SKY missed the kick then worked up (albeit on slow speed) and was still there swinging late. ABBEY MARIE may well have beaten them all with luck. MIGHTY BOSS (3yo – so that ties them all in) was in a bumming duel and many saw him as the unlucky runner, for mine, others were stronger over the line though. MR SNEAKY loomed but just didn’t finish off. SHILLELAGH worked home in 11.77 last 200m so she did more than enough. BRAVE SMASH was the sectional star here running 11.63 last 200m. He was 35.06 last 600m with SINGLE GAZE 34.92 fastest. ABBEY MARIE was 11.86 home untested mostly.

 

To the 2YO divisions:

 

Race 2 – Fillies: ENBIHAAR sat up second on 29.86 1st-500m and took over 100m out to hold off OOHOOD who really motored late despite being forced wide on turn (whilst others saved ground), Her 34.54 was clearly fastest last 600m in both divisions as was her 11.57 last 200m. SEABROOK was badly blocked behind them and clearly should have won. LAKE DISTRICT GIRL gave a sight (led the winner) and LA PARVA was solid but did have her chance, like the Preview it was a busy finish for the girls with just 1.6L over first five runners (Preview had 1L over 5 of them). Overall time: 1-5.22

 

Race 3 – Boys: They went a bit quicker early running 29.24 1st-500m (say 3-4L) and bit quicker overall 1-4.98. Winner WRITTEN BY sat third 3-out and collared leaders before going on to score in strong style beating PLAGUE STONE who was just off him but 4-deep, he kept closing and missed by .5L and these two had 1.5L on third NATIVE SOLDIER who ran home well (12.57 last 200m). SEBERATE was fourth and ran home sweetly (12.18) from well back, he was ridden along a way out and clearly wants at least 1200m off that run. RUN NAAN worked home well without threat also (12.26) and they beat rest easy… It was not dynamite closing speed this race which has me a little worried.

 

Race 5 saw the return of some smart fillies (I really rate this crop of 3yo fillies) and BOOKER controlled the race leading in 36.51 1st-600m and raced away to win well, she ran 1-11.11 overall so lining this race up against older (and some G1 mares in R9) they rated well. R9 the older mares led in 35.27 (so over 6L quicker early yet ran similar time – 1-11.04 on improving track). Booker scooted home 34.57/ 11.54 and beat LEATHER ’N’ LACE who went super even said slow early tempo, she hooked out widest straightening and ran a slick 11.14 400m-to-200m then was 11.49 home and beat third OK, that third horse was SEE ME EXCEED who sat in behind the leader inside and chased her (Booker) home (no match). TULIP was next, she was an OK return but doubt that slow speed was any help to her !!

 

Easy to see how these fillies have measured up given SHOALS (who was bit disappointing on Saturday) has beaten older mares at WFA and TULIP was not beaten far in an Everest !

 

The Rubiton Stks was Race 6 and, again, they went slow. 30.26 1st-500m means leader FLAMBERGE would have had both 2YO divisions leading him (clearly) with 600m to travel, he was entitled to kick-on, and he did, he was only collared on the line by SUPER CASH who escaped in the nick of time from her pocket. MERCHANT NAVY made a great return running home hard in clear air, his 33.85 last 600m was the day’s fastest. RICH CHARM had no room 250m-to-50m yet still recorded equal-fasters last 200m running 11.49 with winner Super Cash and gun 3yo Merchant Navy. HELLBENT was 1/100ths of second behind them with his 11.50 split. Overall time 1-4.54 further evidence of the ‘’slow day’’…

 

 

PLOT THE COURSE (ironically, ran into dead-end !!), SEABROOK (stiff !!), PURE ELATION (back/ wide – Still ran 11.98 home), CROSSING THE ABBEY (not much room late), HIGH RATIO (too keen/ slow recovery), THE RUNNING MAN (throat abnormality), HALVORSEN (heat stress), BEN HERCULES (never clear), WYNDSPELLE (bad start/ race over), MAGNESIUM ROSE (attacked lead 3-wide a way out), ULTRA SMART (wide), RICH CHARM (no room most of straight!), CANNYESCENT (internal bleed), PREZADO (upside/ down), VILLERMONT (held-up/ slow recovery), WEAPON (ran out of room), ANDAZ (throat abnormality), BRAVE SMASH (bit stiff), ABBEY MARIE (very stiff), MIGHTY BOSS (quite stiff), TOSEN STARDOM (forget ran/ thumps!).

 

 

In Sydney it was WARWICK FARM and track went from SOFT-5 to GOOD-4 so just be a little careful with your relative times on the day. Rail was True and most avoided the inside lanes in straight from early on!

 

Not much need for a vote here in my humble… KEMENTARI made a spectacular return! Yes he had the good run but he exploded past his rivals winning eased-up by near 3L and the clock backed him up big time. He ran 1-9.69 overall off 35.96 1st-600m and ran 33.75 (last 600m) with closing splits of 11.05/ 11.33. Lining this race up with gun older mares in the next race, on an improving track, they look fabulous. Prompt Response sat off a strong speed (35.15 1st-600m) and stopped the clock at 1-9.72, so, were actually 3/100ths slower than Kemetrai overall. Said winner probably should have won that G1 Myer remember.

 

Runner-up was SIEGE OF QUEBEC who was no match at all but did a good job to hold second as he spent some mid race juice sitting 3-wide on-speed (rail off) and held BRAVE SONG (same task as winner but kept finding line) for minor end. ASSIMILATE missed the kick then recovered and wasnt far off winner 500m out, he hooked wide and kept closing himself, his 34.13 last 600m was good work, there is a nice race in him!

 

PROMPT RESPONSE is such a genuine racehorse, she had good run tracking that strong speed but held EGYPTIAN SYMBOL comfortably the end, in fact her last 200m split of 11.72 was .08 sucker than that of runner-up. DANISH TWIST needs another win but she ran home hard here fresh and recorded race-fastest 11.68 final 200m. SLIGHTLY SWEET warmed up nicely late, she ran 11.71 home.

 

SHE WILL REIGN returned in style winning well enough without raving. She certainly ran good time of 1-3.63 on a then still Soft rated track. She led in 29.71 and ran home 11.08/ 11.67 and beat ACQUME who is in for a good prep, liked the trial before this return and she ran 10.98/ 11.61 to get within 1L of She Will Reign despite the 42-point differential in ratings points.

 

2yo SANDBAR did well to beat the fave SATIN SLIPPER as they both used some petrol before the turn. Leader OXFORD TYCOON led in 29.75 (so similar split to that of She Will Reign) and winner stopped the look 1-4.33. Closing fractions were quite good relative to the day, winner was 11.65/ runner-up 11.68, BURBANK was good late from way back and had 11.58 (race-fastest) last 200m.

 

The other 2yo race was won by THE ENZO who was given great ride whilst runner-up SANCTIMONOIUS had to be used up a bit wider before the home turn, he was probably the best run in the race! PEMBROKE CASTLE ran home nicely for third. SNICKI MINAJ held on well after being involved in a bit of a speed battle. The leaders went 35.4 1st-600m. The closing speed was not flash here, the overall time was 1-11.41. Quinella running low 36’s for last 600m so, not sure.

 

OSORNO (worst ground), MAKE ‘EM CRY (amiss), GREAT GLEN (heat stress), LIMBO ROSE (heat stress), CONNIVING (signs of Colic), O’LORDY (wide), NOW OR NEVER (in worst ground), BUCKLE UP BABY (checked/ ended up inside and worst ground), BALLISTICA (too keen/ pressured), TA CHANSON (wide on-speed), I STOLE YOUR LOVE (bad check), SUNFIGHTER (lame), ASSIMILATE (good after start), GOODFELLA (wide run), BONNY O’REILLY (chased speed/ tight/ check 200m), ARTLEE (tardy/ railed/ worst ground), DAL CIELO (took no part !!).

 

 

– Gator