Punt Drunk: Is the new Melbourne Cup favourite any bloody good?
On this Friday’s edition of Punt Drunk, we have a look at some of the racing which is happening at York this week. A champion galloper made it 10 wins from as many starts, while the winner of the Grand Voltigeur Stakes stormed into Melbourne Cup favouritism – but is it an overreaction? Plus, we cast our minds back to the first Winx Stakes without the great mare.
THE FIRST WINX-LESS WINX STAKES
On the eve of the 2022 Winx Stakes, we though we’d take a trip back in time to the 2019 edition of the race. Formerly known as the Warwick Stakes and run at Group 2 level, in 2018 the Randwick feature was granted Group 1 status renamed in honour of the great Winx, who then went out and won it for a third consecutive year.
The 2019 edition was the first in four years without the race’s namesake. A star-studded field including Happy Clapper, Avilius, Kings Will Dream, Verry Elleegant and Le Romain went into the race, all with live chances, but it was a bold front-running ride by Tim Clark aboard $41 outsider Samadoubt that spoiled the show. In his autumn campaign that year, the Bjorn Baker-trained galloper reigned supreme in the Canberra Cup (2000m) before finishing five lengths away in the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) – a far cry from a 1400m Group 1 of this calibre. Could we see something similar this time around?
Samadoubt for @BBakerRacing and @ClarkyHK has caused a boilover and taken out the G1 Winx Stakes @royalrandwick… pic.twitter.com/KlghpK9xT9
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 24, 2019
A NEW CUP FAVOURITE
This time of year is always exciting for racing fans, especially if you like an early bet on the Melbourne Cup. With the recent announcement of the nominations for the 2022 running of the race that stops the nation, we’ve been able to start doing our research on the international runners. This week is the famous Ebor Festival at York, with races like the Grand Voltigeur Stakes and Ebor Handicap often proving to be strong form references for the Melbourne Cup.
On Wednesday, Deauville Legend romped in to win the Grand Voltigeur, subsequently firming into outright favouritism for the big one on the first Tuesday in November. He’s a Northern Hemisphere three-year-old, so he fits the mould of past winners Cross Counter and Rekindling, but is the move into favourite an overreaction? We think so.
There is still plenty of water to go under the bridge before the first Tuesday in November, so should anything really be $13 this far out? Without a doubt, local mare Duais is the leading Aussie chance, but she too is only $15 and we haven’t even seen her race yet. Should she run a slashing race like we expect in tomorrow’s Winx Stakes, might she then firm back into favouritism? Fair dinkum, futures markets are cast.
Deauville Legend powers clear of the field in the Group 2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes and is more group success for James Ferguson and Daniel Muscutt. 🥇@SkyBet @jamesferguson89 @D_Muscutttt pic.twitter.com/pNpEB8nJFR
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) August 17, 2022
PERFECT 10 FOR BAAEED
There’s a bit of international flavour about this Friday’s Punt Drunk, but a horse like Baaeed deserves the recognition. The William Haggas-trained galloper has won all 10 of his career starts and is quite simply the best racehorse in the world. His win in Wednesday’s Juddmonte International at York was one of his best yet, putting paid to last year’s winner, Mishriff, in a dazzling display of speed and power.
While he is clearly better than anything around these days, there is always that little thought in the back of our heads: is he the best ever? In recent years, we have been blessed with some middle-distance superstars in both hemispheres, namely Frankel and Winx. If the three of them were in a winner-takes-all match race, who would take the money home? Frankel would be the lamplighter, and Baaeed would be serving it up to him and sustaining his incredible speed, while our little girl Winx would be out the back, waiting to pounce. Who would win? We’ll leave that to you to decide, but one thing is for sure: it would be three champions of the turf going toe-to-toe for a bloody long way.
🔵⚪️ Baaeed – a perfect 10/10
🏆 G1 @JuddmonteFarms International
🏆 G1 Qatar Sussex Stakes
🏆 G1 Queen Anne Stakes
🏆 G1 Lockinge Stakes
🏆 G1 QEII Stakes
🏆 G1 Prix du Moulin
✅ 10 furlongs – no problem@JimCrowley1978 | @ShadwellStud | @hissa_hamdan | @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/STZFWxSJzS— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 17, 2022
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
