Spring Racing Review: Future Group 1 stars emerge

Glenfiddich
Trainer Peter Moody has outlined his Cox Plate ambitions for Bill Stutt Stakes winner Glenfiddich.

It was a weekend full of quality Australian racing over Friday and Saturday, which saw three Group 1s run and won. New favourites have been installed in races such as the Caulfield Guineas and the Melbourne Cup. We dive into the big winners and losers in a bid to help you find your next winners.

Glenfiddich dominates at Moonee Valley

Friday night saw Group 1 racing return to The Valley, and we think we might have seen two future Group 1 winners emerge. In the Stutt Stakes over 1600m for three-year-olds, Glenfiddich was a dominant winner when beating home Cherry Tortoni and Holyfield. Alycone was the VRC Derby favourite heading into the race, but he finished last and was subsequently wound out to around $14. We didn’t think it was too bad a run, however; he didn’t handle The Valley, wasn’t suited by the tempo and will be better over further and deeper into the campaign, so he gets a pass mark from us.

Pippie won her second Group 1 in the Moir Stakes after running them into the ground. She was suited by Fabergino, Hey Doc and Bella Nipotina all settling further back than expected. One runner that caught our eye was Valley specialist Brooklyn Hussle; she was last on turning and flashed up the inside to grab fourth, just missing a spot in the numbers. While she got the much needed run and took the short way home, she hit the line full of running and should be suited by 1200m in the Manikato Stakes in a month’s time. Trekking was also really good into second and should be given an Everest slot off that run.

Another big win for Russian Camelot at Caulfield

Russian Camelot made it Group 1 win number two in the 1800m Underwood Stakes. He started a very short priced favourite and was too good for Humidor and Arcadia Queen. After settling closer to the speed than expected, Damien Oliver came wide on the turn and put the small field away, going on to win by nearly two lengths. The four-year-old import looks to have come back in fantastic order and appears to have a stranglehold on some of our big races. At this stage, he’s headed towards the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup and will take a power of beating in both. While he looks the one to beat, he is too short to back all-in at this moment.

Crosshaven made it back-to-back wins in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude. Daniel Stackhouse sat outside the leader and presented the colt in the straight, and he was far too good for his rivals over the 1400m. He made it four from five to date and looks to be one of the leading Victorian seeds for the Caulfield Guineas in a fortnight. Amish Boy was good from the back again to run second, and Aysar really hit the line well and will appreciate stepping up in trip.

Instant Celebrity maintained her unbeaten record with a bullish win in the Thousands Guineas Prelude. Craig Williams rode the filly a treat on her first Victorian start, settling closer and in the best part of the track before they raced away with the prize. She was fairly strong through the line and is a deserving favourite in the fillies’ classic in two weeks’ time, but there were two others who we thought raced really well and will appreciate further. Coolmore-owned Personal has promised to be a genuine miler for a while now and stamped herself as a terrific chance in the Thousands Guineas and the Oaks, while Sydney filly Rock My Wand also threw her hat in the ring with a brilliant third. She is a horse that does her best racing on softer tracks, so we are hoping that the rain stays around in Melbourne and gives her something to work with on Guineas Day.

Danny O’Brien may have unearthed another star European import in Saracen Knight. The son of Camelot was having just his second Australian start after a 721-day spell due to injury. The rise in trip to 2000m was just what the doctor ordered, with Damien Lane producing a brilliant ride to get the gelding home in the nick of time ahead of Irish Flame. The race was run to suit and they didn’t come home in overly quick time, but he did make up a lot of ground. Whether or not he can measure up this year in the Melbourne Cup is a query, but there will no doubt be a few nice races for him this spring.

Ole Kirk wins Golden Rose as Rothfire comes up lame

North of the border at Rosehill Gardens, it was a thriller in the Golden Rose, but not the Thriller from Chinchilla that Queenslanders were hoping for. Tommy Berry and Ole Kirk combined to win it, edging out North Pacific. They ran quick time out in front when Mamaragan served it up to the race favourite, Rothfire, which suited the three placegetters as they turned in last, second last and third last. Rothfire faded to finish fourth and was found to be 3/5 lame with a fractured sesamoid, which rules him out of The Everest and the next 12 months.

Love Tap made the step up to Group 3 level in the Gloaming Stakes and justified his short price with a tough all-the-way victory. The grey colt is now four from four and finds himself as the even-money favourite in the Spring Champion Stakes. Runner-up Street Dancer wasn’t beaten all that far in what was a four-way go between second and fifth after he sat behind the winner in the run. Favreau jumped out of the ground late to grab fourth and has been wound in from $51 to the $8 fourth line in the Spring Champ. We aren’t convinced that this is the race to follow towards next month’s Group 1, however, given the fillies seem to be a little bit better at this stage.

Best futures bets for 2020 Spring Carnival

Caulfield GuineasGlenfiddich @ $6.50 Sportsbet
Cox PlateGlenfiddich @ $21 Sportsbet
Thousand GuineasRock My Wand @ $15 Sportsbet

Horses to add to your black book

  • Alcyone
  • Aysar
  • Brooklyn Hussle
  • Glenfiddich
  • Personal
  • Rock My Wand
  • Saracen Knight
  • Trekking

Topics: featured, Glenfiddich, Ole Kirk, Pippie, Rock My Wand, Rothfire, Russian Camelot, Saracen Knight

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