The Sunday Collect
Published: 26 Jan 2015
Game old boy - Mourinho stole the show at Moonee Valley on Saturday
What a massive long weekend! Saturday racing followed by an Australia Day packed with black-type events officially put to bed both the school holidays and racing "off-season".
The racing only gets better from here.
It wasn't all roses for one of our Carnival champs on his return though. The very tough Dissident just couldn't muster the speed needed to take out the Group 2 Australia Stakes on Saturday. Moonee Valley sprung to life as the Gelagotis boys kicked off Australia Day celebrations early, their "old boy" Mourinho stealing the show at big odds.
Stormin' Norman
For those that read the Race Guide video comments on the Form Guide page, you might have liked this one.
"Missed start badly (15L) (9th rails) (fair tempo), tacked on widest and flew home late (finished 3rd)"
Nope, it wasn't a typo!
The horse that did it, Norman Rules, came out and despatched the field in Race 3 at Moonee Valley. He's a stayer on the rise.
The Man for the Champs
With the good races just around the corner, the Kiwi genius James McDonald laid down a marker riding four winners at Randwick on Saturday.
He might have looked a bit sheepish fashioning the Australian flag silks, but that didn't stop him from teaching the locals a lesson.
Many would argue he's now the best rider in Sydney. Word is that trainers are already scrambling to book him for The Championships.
In form - James McDonald is one to follow heading towards The Championships
Hard Luck Ale
The last race at Randwick saw a few bruised and battered punters stare at the replay screens a few times over in dismay. Waller's popular Harrier Jet copped a lot of interference and Cleansing Ale didn't get a run in the straight.
That's not where the bad luck stories ended either. If you backed Zin Zan Eddie, the punting gods gave you one back on Saturday.
Rub him for luck - Zin Zan Eddie got all the favours in a messy race
Classy Training Duo
O'Shea is getting a lot of attention given his all-conquering herd of two-year-olds in royal blue, but he's not the only local kicking goals for the Godolphin operation.
If you'd forgotten that the Freedmans have a couple of Godolphin horses too, you were given a sharp reminder at Sandown today.
Reparations delivered another win, while the youngster Java dominated again.
They haven't got close to the three-year-old son of Medaglia D'Oro this preparation. He's a seriously underrated horse.
Flying the Flag - The Freedman duo scored another win with Reparations
Outplayed
The Quarterback had won a couple of good off-season sprints in the lead up to the W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m) today, but he was taking on a different league of sprinter this time.
First-up specialist Shamal Wind sprinted with force over the last furlong, leaving the field in her wake.
It's a step down in class and up in distance next on the agenda for The Quarterback.
Didn't find the speed - The Quarterback was found out against better sprinters
Able, but not Interested
Able Friend has been destroying Group One fields in Hong Kong and his trainer had a big choice in where to take him next. Randwick was on the radar for a while, but it's looking like Dubai is the warm favourite now.
"The Doncaster is a handicap so we don't know how much weight he will get," Dr Cornel Li, Able Friend's owner.
We would love to see him, but the Analyst Team reckon they have made the right choice. He's a big horse that needs rhythm and a dry track. Royal Randwick at Easter time just isn't a good bet!
Easter rain - Sacred Falls won the Doncaster last year on a bog track
To read the full Analyst review of Royal Randwick, click here
Quote above from the SCMP