Easter Weekends Racing

•      Well easter saturday saw two group 1s in Australia and they were both run on the diabolical Randwick track. ATC needs to get their act together and fix the track surfaces up. Its not showing thoroughbred racing off in a good light. The last time we saw a dry track in Sydney, was February 13th. If it wasnt for Winx and Chautauqua the carnival would have fallen flat. 

•      Anyway back to the racing and in the All Aged Stakes we saw Tivaci, a son of High Chapparal storm home over the top of the honest Hard Spun gelding, Le Romain. The entire, Tivaci is out of a Fastnet Rock mare, bred in the purple by the legendary Bart Cummings, at Coolmore, before he passed. Stud duties are beckoning and Waikato Stud in New Zealand has purchased his services. 

•        The big boy High Chapparal may have past in 2014 but his highest rated son So You Think stands at Coolmore in both hemispheres. He won 10 group ones in two hemispheres . Here in Australia he stands for $60,500. Check him out below.

 So You Think Coolmore 

•       Snitzel and High Chapparal progeny were standouts on the weekend and in the Japan Association Plate we saw Top of my List, one of his mares, take it out. The breed seem to need the larger tracks and being a Sadlers Wells son the High Chapparals dont mind the wet tracks either.  The other group 1 we saw the track play a big part as The Mission led all the way. The Choisir 2yo is out of the Redoutes Choice mare Lady Amelia. Finishing second was The Invader. The Snitzel colt tried hard but couldnt pick up the leader.  Other winners worth mentioning on the day were Untamed Diamond also by Snitzel, who won race two and this was a start of a race to race double, by the stallion as Redzel the Snowden trained colt, saluted in the Hall Mark Stakes.
•  Raiment won the second last race of the day, easily, and the Street Cry filly looks a promising type out of a Commands mare. Smart Amelia is a half sister to The Mission and came in third.

 Waikato Stud also stands Savabeel and Pins

•   In Melbourne we were at Caulfield and the star of the show, was the Show of Heart filly , Miss Vista. Her Apache Cat like markings have ensured, she has a large following at the track and on social media. She was out of the gates like a scolded cat over the 1100m and even though, getting tired late, held on to score her fourth win from five starts. After the race her trainer George Osbourne said she knows, she's not a normal racehorse, she wants to get the job done and perform so gets herself worked up. I believe in time she will get 1200m but not right now ,he said.

Miss Vista her first win 

•     Some of the other interesting winners, were Boom Time, such an honest gelding. When he controls the race from the front he is so hard to run down. The Flying Spur geldings owners are contemplating, having a shot, at the rerun Sydney Cup next weekend.The 3200m looks a bit far but with the track bias of late, he just might lead them a merry dance. 
•     The Bianconi mare Ma Jones got the day started at Caulfield with a win on protest. The 1600 metres is a distance they relish. Al Maher produced the second race winner with Al Passem.. This crop of his two year olds seem to hold some xfactor so i will be very interested how the go as three year olds because most of  the breed prefer the 1600 to 2000 metre distance, where they can bowl along out in front and use their tenacious fight, to hold off challenges just like Al Passem did today. In the fourth we saw Waterloo Sunset,the Fastnet Rock filly out of a Zabeel mare dead heat with Plenty to Like. I do think there is more in store for her over a little more ground maybe. 

  Al Maher stands at Emirates Park for  $16500

Al Maher by Danehill out of Dancing Show 

Dancing Show produced 11 foals before she past they included the two group winners and good stallions Umatilla and Hurricane Sky but her most important faol was the dam of Redoutes Choice her name Shanthas Choice. 

 

•      Special Notes for the day! Learnt something new about the Snitzel breed. They are barrier rogues the filly Snitty Kitty was almost scratched due to breaking through the barriers but still almost got the job done. She was just caught near the post by Merriest  The Darren Weir trained ,True Kisses another of the breeds barrier rogues finally got out of the gates at Warracknabeel on Saturday scoring her maiden win. She's a talented filly but had to be scratched twice over recent weeks refusing to load in the stalls. High Chapparals definately need the bigger tracks. 

•      The last race of the day at Caulfield was named after Greg Miles who called his last race after career of 37 years . A champion becomes a legend, its a blitz, its a Winx blitz and the call of Lonhro's Australian cup win will go down as classics. Greg said, that the horse that gave him his most fondest racing memories was a horse called Campaign King . He said when his wife and him were saving for a deposit for a home they had managed to scrape together 4000 dollars but needed around triple that amount so he ask his wife if she was willing to put the 4000 on the King at 2/1 . A nod in the affirmative saw 4 become 12 and they had their house but not before a very nervous call, as he won by a narrow margin. I just thought this was an interesting little tale and I myself have vivid memories of Campaign King and his enormous will to win.

Flashback to  Campaign Kings 
George Ryder Stakes win 1987