The Sunday Collect
Published: 15 Feb 2015
Clear margin - Adrift beats First Seal in the Light Fingers Stakes at huge odds
Lazy, but effective. Jockeys usually have to jostle for position, sneak into gaps and save every bit of energy to get a win in Saturday grade.
Not yesterday at Royal Randwick though.
Jason Collett simply sat out in the middle of the track on Heart Testa, and Tye Angland followed suit on Adrift and Thump. The strong track bias made it a sit and steer job for those lucky enough to draw out wide.
Stuck in the mud
Not all jockeys were as lucky as Jason and Tye. Glyn Schofield must have missed the memo about the track conditions when he drove Field Marshall straight along the rails in Race One.
He was the first of a few gallopers that got 'stuck in the mud'.
- Field Marshall (Race 1)
- Georgey Aeroplane (Race 2)
- Driefontein (Race 4)
- Hot Snitzel (Race 4)
- Winx (Race 5)
- Snippets Land (Race 8)
Forgive these at their next start. Especially Winx, who made it mission impossible by missing the start too.
Pilot error - Glyn Schofield never got off the rails in Race 1
Gai got us
There were a few pennies bet on the Light Fingers Stakes and the Waterhouse clan took all the chips in the pot this time.
A well planned raid and a big betting move left punters scratching their heads and Gai jumping for joy.
100/1 into 40/1 is nice work. She got us!
Happy winner - Gai was over the moon after Adrift's big win
Stamping their class
Dissident bounced back with a bang in the C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield and Contributer showed he is a serious Weight-For-Age star in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick.
They both dominated and you can't split their performances on times and ratings. Lets hope we get to see them clash in the Autumn.
Back with a bang - Dissident hit back after a poor first-up run
First shot fired
The Aussie sprinters are usually top-notch, but things are getting ridiculous in 2015. Chautauqua fired the first shot on the racetrack at Caulfield, winning the Rubiton Stakes in the final bounds after stable-mate Deep Field had trialled like a superstar a few days earlier.
Add in Terravista, Lankan Rupee and the three-year-olds and you've got some serious 1,200 metre power going around.
It's just a shame the big girl Black Caviar isn't here to put it to them!
Looming large - Deep Field makes his return to the track soon
Godolphin's princess steps out
The Race Guide on-track team couldn't get over how good Ottoman looked on debut. There are a bunch of fast youngsters in royal blue heading for the Golden Slipper and she just might be top of the list.
After a good warm-up trial, she will start on the path to the big one in the Silver Slipper next week.
The form from her first win is stacking up, with Pride of Dubai running a huge race on Saturday.
The $8 on offer could look like value in a week! (get odds here).
Serious filly - Ottoman looms as a big Golden Slipper danger
For the full Analyst review of Royal Randwick, from the Yard to the Post, click here