Autumn Carnival in Review
Published: 21 Apr 2016
Carnival champion - Lucia Valentina won the feature $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Six weeks of Autumn action has come to an end, star mares WINX and LUCIA VALENTINA leaving us memories to savour in the Doncaster and Queen Elizabeth. Two of many wins that sent shivers down the spine.
The 'big grey' CHAUTAUQUA produced an incredible last-to-first victory in the TJ Smith Stakes and CAPITALIST showed he is the fastest two-year-old in the land in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill. And don't forget the Kiwis, who stole both three-year-old classics, the Derby and the Oaks
So much to look back on... We review all 18 Group Ones below.
Rosehill Gardens 12th March to 26th March
Coolmore Classic Day 12th March
COOLMORE CLASSIC 1500m
PEEPING had shown her liking to Rosehill and jockey Sam Clipperton put Ron Quinton’s girl into the perfect spot from a wider draw. She came to the outside and sprinted best to beat AZKADELLIA, who kept chasing and was very good too. Together, they ran down the brave leader SOLICIT who in turn had worn boom filly GHISONI into the Rosehill turf with a long sprint for home. LUCIA VALENTINA was the eye-catcher of the race, flying home to just miss a place.
Golden Slipper Day 19th March
RANVET STAKES 2000m
THE UNITED STATES and HAURAKI staged a great old-fashioned duel to the line with the former running on up the inside late to hold off the challenge. These were the two fit and in-form horses, and that proved to be the difference, with many questions on the fitness of others including CRITERION and MONGOLIAN KHAN who didn’t appear to be at their best. DIBIYANI was also in the market, but didn’t seem to stay the 2,000 metre journey.
CHINA HORSE CLUB GEORGE RYDER STAKES 1500m
Once again the wonder mare WINX showed her superiority as she cruised up and was too good late. There were a few questions asked as her SP price drifted, however these were answered with authority. KERMADEC was the only other runner who even looked a threat running on up the inside. He was very good not too far behind.
SKY RACING ROSEHILL GUINEAS 2000m
The VRC Derby winner TARZINO showed his superior strength as he surged through and kept lifting to the line and asserted himself as a serious stayer. Jockey Craig Newitt rode a great race and used the barrier to his advantage to make sure he wasn’t out-sprinted at the back. MONTAIGNE was brave after making his run nearer the inside and showed improvement with each start, while filly JAMEKA fought on bravely too.
LONGINES GOLDEN SLIPPER 1200m
After being the long standing Slipper favourite, CAPITALIST remained solid in the market on race day and bounced back from a shock lead-up defeat to claim the richest juvenile race in the world. He moved up and peeled wider before quickening to the lead and showed trainer Peter Snowden still had a had a lot more in the locker after his prior race. YANKEE ROSE was ever so brave in chasing and stormed home late, as did TELPERION weaving through, while Melbourne-raider FLYING ARTIE fought on nearer the inside. Mick Price’s other runner, the favourite EXTREME CHOICE, was ever so unlucky missing the start.
BANJO GALAXY 1100m
Luck plays a major part in racing and it turned around for GRIANTE after being one of the unlucky runners in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at her prior race start. Others unlucky horses from the Oakleigh Plate also ran well here, including FELL SWOOP and DOTHRAKI. SHIRAZ was as always brilliant over Rosehill’s 1,100 metres.
BMW Day 26th March
VINERY STUD STAKES 2000m
It was a girl’s day out as jockey Kathy O’Hara brought up the first Group 1 win for trainer Nick Olive as SINGLE GAZE peeled out after being ridden into the perfect spot. There were some emotional scenes in the enclosure after the race that resonated long after the win. Good runs in the race from VALLEY GIRL who fought on nearer the inside, while HAPPY HANNAH stormed home late. Others to finish off the race well were HONESTA and ASINARA, while Kiwi CAPELLA took off too early in the run and fought on OK.
THE BMW 2400m
Jockey Hugh Bowman went for home at the 600 metre mark aboard PREFERMENT and hit the front rounding the turn, bringing up another big staying race win for trainer Chris Waller. He held off the challenge of stablemates WHO SHOT THEBARMAN, who chased hard, and GRAND MARSHAL, who was there till the end. MONTAIGNE had a nice trail and lost no admirers finishing just behind the placegetters. He was sold for an undisclosed figure to Hong Kong investors after the race.
Royal Randwick 2nd April to 16th April
The Championships Day One 2nd April
INGLIS SIRES' 1400m
Both YANKEE ROSE and TELPERION had produced impressive Golden Slipper runs a couple of weeks prior and they dominated here, with David Vandyke’s warrior looming up and surging clear from Godolphin’s big colt to give the trainer his first Group One victory. In what is considered a remarkable training effort, the filly has come a long way in a very short amount of time. FARAWAY TOWN showed stamina late, while OMEI SWORD is a big, leggy filly that never looked comfortable back on the inside of the pack.
BMW AUSTRALIAN DERBY 2400m
In what is becoming more expected, the Kiwis ran away with our Derby yet again, this time with TAVAGO, who was far too good in a sprint down the Randwick straight. He’s a light lean type that skipped through the conditions while the favourites struggled. JAMEKA lost no admirers as the only filly in the race beating home TALLY who finished ran on well. The well backed $1.65 favourite TARZINO over-raced slightly and wobbled as he came wider and could only manage 4th, a few lengths behind.
DARLEY T J SMITH STAKES 1200m
The big grey swamped them in 2015 and did it again in 2016! Tommy Berry steered CHAUTAUQUA to the outside a long way off them on the turn, before producing a devastating final 300m to maintain his tag as the highest rated sprinter in the land. On-track race caller Darren Flindell again yelled “boom” and the crowd cheered as he swamped them on the line. Big runs in the race came from on-pacer FELL SWOOP and ENGLISH, who ran on from the back. Up-and-coming colt EXOSPHERE struggled late and was retired to stud soon after, reported as sore and lame after the race.
THE STAR DONCASTER MILE 1600m
The darling of the Australian turf WINX was officially crowned Australia’s champion racehorse as she ran on best under 56.5kg to hold off the challenges of two up-and-comers in HAPPY CLAPPER and AZKADELLIA, who each sliced their way through their pack with their light weights. No other horse in Australia can produce the same finishing surge as the she can! They gapped the rest of the field and this one will surely go down as a famous racing memory.
The Championships Day Two 9th April
JAMES BOAG'S PREMIUM AUSTRALIAN OAKS 2400m
SOFIA ROSA was yet another Kiwi that floated through the testing track in style under the urgings of Hugh Bowman to keep her going straight. He described her as one of the most tough to handle from the moment he jumped on board, all the way through the line. The favourite JAMEKA was ridden quietly in what appeared strange tactics in a race which there was only a steady tempo. She ran home well with CAPELLA, clearly the two unlucky runners in the race. Unfortunately SINGLE GAZE and Kathy O’Hara came crashing down after a bump from the much bigger JAMEKA. Thankfully both walked away from the incident.
SCHWEPPES SYDNEY CUP 3200m
Light-weight chance GALLANTE showed his wet track ability from France to give team Williams a deserved Sydney Cup win. The change in conditions from the start before enabled him to keep lifting and hold off the challenge of Waller’s trio of favourites. LIBRAN and GRAND MARSHAL filled the placings, while top-weight WHO SHOT THEMARMAN faded in the later stages. These were clearly the best four horses over the distance journey and they all had their chance.
THE COOLMORE LEGACY STAKES 1600m
She looked great in the yard after the Doncaster a week earlier when running 3rd to Winx, and AZKADELLIA proved her dominance in mares grade. She dashed up the inside for a much-deserved Group One win. Both HEAVENS ABOVE and NOBLE PROTECTOR picked up well in the testing conditions. The sticky wet track was too much for horses like MISS ROSE DE LAGO to handle on the day.
LONGINES QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2000m
In a race worth a staggering $4 million, little LUCIA VALENTINA crowned herself pound for pound as the best horse in the country. Her strong heart and determination were displayed as she was beaten for speed early on before dashing straight past them all out wide for an easy win. THE UNITED STATES ran on solidly and HAPPY CLAPPER put in an enormous run at Weight For Age suggesting that 2000 metres and beyond could be his future. Conditions on the day got the better of HAURAKI and BMW winner PREFERMENT, both noted dry track types.
All Aged Stakes Day 16th April
MOËT & CHANDON CHAMPAGNE STAKES 1600m
James Cummings took PRIZED ICON from a maiden win in the Fernhill a week earlier to Group One success in the Champagne after not even being nominated on the Monday prior to the race. The now valuable son of More Than Ready didn’t have to tackle Yankee Rose who was the well backed favourite prior to coming out. A few of the unlucky runners included FARAWAY TOWN was stuck wide and JAWS OF STEEL who was badly blocked.
SCHWEPPES ALL AGED STAKES 1400m
The top three ENGLISH, BLACK HEART BART and KERMADEC fought out a determined finish in what proved to be a tactical affair, with ENGLISH sprinting best to win. This was also to be three-year-old PRESS STATEMENT’S finale before being retired. He started favourite, settled wide up on the speed and disappointed in the straight
