Race Results Australia

Wrapping up the Melbourne Spring Carnival for 2011 is Sandown Classic Day. Each year this meeting appears to get stronger after consolidating what used to be two meetings on consecutive Saturdays. Now it forms a fitting end to what has become one of the world’s great carnivals, with races such as the Zipping Classic, Sandown Guineas, Sandown Cup, Eclipse Stakes and Surround Stakes. Even the support card is strong, with the Kevin Heffernan Stakes and Champion Sire Stakes for two year olds.

This is our last chance to see some of the Melbourne Cup contenders before we drop into Summer racing and 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain is the lead act in the Zipping Classic. WFA conditions mean the field will carry a level weight of 59kg and following the huge task that was set for him in the Melbourne Cup by being asked to come from the tail of the field with top weight, he has been posted in early markets as a ’2-1 on’ chance. Despite there only being 5 runners, watching these high class runners compete will be a highlight.

The Sandown Guineas is an interesting edition with narrow Carbine Club Stakes winner Galah returning. With improvement he does look the leading contender, but beyond him it is a very even field that may prove to be a good form reference for the Autumn.

The weather looks ideal with 25 degrees and full sun forecast. A midweek deluge means the track is currently rated Heavy 8 a day out, but come raceday you would expect to see this raised dramatically, possibly into the region of Dead 5. With the rail in the True position and a straight of over 400m, every runner should get their chance to bring their A-game to the track, good punting!

Each year the final feature of the Flemington Spring Carnival, the 1600m Emirates Stakes, is an intriguing race that has even challenged champions such as Weekend Hussler. Every edition is highly competitive and being at the shorter end of the middle distance races, it brings together 1200m and 1400m horses that are looking to stretch their brilliance, as well as the proven 1600m and 2000m horses that are aiming to utilise their stamina credentials. The most alluring aspect is the reappearance of several Cox Plate contenders such as Jimmy Choux, Wall Street, King’s Rose and Secret Admirer.

In every running you could make a case for most of the contenders and this year is no different. Further to those four Cox Plate runners, the other strong form references come from the 1400m Betfair Stakes in Love Conquers All, Albert The Fat and Pinwheel. Similarly the TAB.Com.au Stakes 1400m provides Woorim. The Moonee Valley Crystal Mile provides Testa My Patience as a form runner, although his trainer pointed to the significant class rise coming into today’s race.

The most common factor from past years is the competitive finish that has often ensued and this year looks no different. With the rail out 9 metres, much will depend on where the runners are headed in the straight, however with fine weather and 30 degrees predicted, it would be expected to be quite an even surface.

In most years the VRC Oaks 2500m is the highlight and pinnacle for 3 year old fillies who have a propensity to run over a middle distance. This year is the exception however, as the two dominant fillies Atlantic Jewel and Streama have ‘pulled the plug’ early with the prospect of being prepared earlier for the 2012 Autumn. That leaves racing fans trawling through the formguides to match up inferior form lines.

The traditional lead up races include the Thousand Guineas, Manifold and Wakeful Stakes. With Atlantic Jewel being the convincing winner of the first and last of those, it’s now up to the placegetters to step up, particularly considering the extra ground that they have to cover in the Oaks. The Edward Manifold 1600m was won by Mosheen, who takes her place in the Oaks today after also being the runner up in the Thousand Guineas. Two other runners with similar claims are Dowager Queen and Bart Cummings’ Gliding.

Rahveel is one runner who looks suited breeding-wise. Being by Zabeel and having run second to Atlantic Jewel in the Wakeful, she appeals as the staying prospect, but it can be argued that she had peaked on her run behind Atlantic Jewel last Saturday. Alternatively, punters would be looking for the ‘unknowns’ that might provide a blow out chance. Of those, David Hayes has Flame of Lanka and Michael Kent has Pentimento and you can be assured both will be trying for their lives.

In the current environment of corporate bookmaking, where Melbourne Cup markets have been in operation for months prior, it may seem a little outdated to maintain the Call of the Card tradition. However, it remains as a final snapshot of where the field is headed betting-wise with only 24 hours to go. It’s also a great distraction for people obsessed with racing, who have to endure that last 24 hours like a 5 year old waiting for Santa!

More seriously, it is a chance for bookmakers to balance their books as they compete to offer the better odds. It’s also a chance for serious punters to make substantial wagers prior to the madness of Cup Day itself and it can be a great bonding time, as tables of mates combine resources to hold group bets.

This year was no different, most unfancied runners went for a bath and sizeable support came for choice runners that had either impressed in recent efforts, or were being spruiked by connections. The main action came for Americain, who as last year’s winner, had his quote expanded from the recent $4.80 to $5.50. Others supported heavily on the day were Lucas Cranach, Mourayan, At First Sight and Niwot.

At conclusion and in one of the foyers, a man with an Irish accent was overheard making a phonecall. At the other end was obviously someone wanting to know a little of what had gone on. He replied: “I don’t know, just seems like a bunch of blokes spraying their cash around to me.” This got a laugh from several of ‘the blokes’ in the vacinity, for in truth that’s probably the ‘snapshot’ of the ‘snapshot’.

Australia’s most historic race, the Victoria Derby, has lost it’s sheen somewhat on the Australian racing landscape, largely because breeding trends have shifted toward sprinting and middle distance targets. Once a sire making race, it is almost the opposite now, with winners being shunned when they retire to breed. Even so, it remains as one of the features on the racing calendar that trainers and owners want to win for the historic prestige and significant prizemoney.

In the current day environment, it is a race that is more often won by the dominant middle distance 3yo, who stretches to the staying trip, rather than a staying bred type. The favourite Manawanui fits this mould. He won impressively in the lead up to the Guineas series and has won since in the Moonee Valley Vase at the Cox Plate distance of 2040m. In that race he settled toward the rear of a small field, which gives the impression he will get the Derby’s 2500m, but this is a factor that you will not know for certain until the last 200m of the race on Saturday. It’s for this reason that he is a drifting short favourite and the press are starting to make a case for some of the other runners.

Of the others, Induna was an ultra-impressive winner of the Geelong Derby Trial held over 2200m. He cruised to the lead 200m from home, but it was over the last 50m that he really stretched the neck, convincing many that this is one galloper that will appreciate the longer trip. Having said that he is not really bred to get that distance, but as we considered earlier, do you have to be? His sire Elusive quality, is the same as the dominant sprinting 3yo Sepoy, however he is out of the famed mare Camarena, who was lauded as a dominant 3yo classic middle distance filly herself.

There are several chances beyond that in the form of Niagara, Sabrage and Sangster, however most punters would feel that recent racing has given them a line on their chances. Of those Niagara was considered desperately unlucky last time. Any way you look at it, by the end of Saturday’s race there will be a winner who has more than likely quashed his long term stud potential in this country. That is a great shame in the face of complaints from media and public that Australia is not producing enough stayers, go figure?