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Race Day: Royal Randwick on Saturday, 14 April 2018
The atmosphere at Royal Randwick was as much rock concert as it was race meeting, many of the racegoers tapping their feet to the early acts before jostling for position near the stage as the star arrived.
It was all about WINX and her Black Caviar-equalling 25th straight win in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the anticipation all week leading to an on-track moment that will forever be remembered. Cheering, celebrating then adulation filled the faces of over 25,000 racegoers, a crowd that was disappointing in number, but not a crowd that left disappointed.
There were plenty of other quality racehorses on show too, which readers of The Race Guide will know too well. HIYAAM and UNFORGOTTEN staged another great duel in the Australian Oaks, HIYAAM setting a good gallop in the lead and only passed 100 metres from home, despite racing head-on into a stiff breeze that resulted in so many leaders tiring on the day.
ALIZEE sprinted straight past her older rivals in the Coolmore Legacy Stakes and PURE ELATION kept her winning run going in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes.
The hard luck story of the day was VIRIDINE, who was locked up behind a wall of horses the entire straight in the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint. And the heart-warming story of the day was WHO SHOT THEBARMAN, Waller's veteran stayer storming home down the outside to win the Group 1 Sydney Cup by a nose.
Check out a race-by-race review below.
photo: @atc_races
