Yard to the Post | Kensington

Race Day: Kensington on Wednesday, 22 March 2023


The small crowd at Royal Randwick enjoyed an afternoon of good quality racing around the Kensington inner track today. Temperatures had dropped in the days leading up to Wednesday and the horses were noticeably cooler in the yard than recent meetings as a result.

Race 6 over 1,550 metres was one of the most exciting as Zac Lloyd let LUVOIR 'off the leash' again. He strode five lengths clear of his nearest chaser mid-race before starting to tire over the final furlong as well-backed import UNSPOKEN (IRE) charged from the pack. The plunge didn't come off though as LUVOIR made it back-to-back wins with almost half a length to spare.

And in the final race of the day the Waterhouse Bott stable managed to get AIR TO AIR out of the barriers with the pack, ending her bad habit of missing the start for now. Jockey Tim Clark guided her home out wide for an impressive first-up win for her new trainers.

A complete review by Mike Wood is provided below.

 

 



Track Info

Rail+4 metres
ConditionsGOOD 4
WeatherOVERCAST
Biasslightly OFF RAILS (2W+)

Race 1 CHC POWERING THE CHASE HANDICAP

strong tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Kimochi Gary Portelli Zac Lloyd 3 58.0
2 Kristilli Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Tom Marquand 7 56.5
3 Dipsy Doodle James Cummings Nash Rawiller 9 56.5

In The Yard

A quiet midweek yard and a nice temperature for the horses, around 25 degrees and a touch humid. KIMOCHI was on her toes and the market responded by pushing her price out. She's a nice solid robust type though and her strength would carry her through. PIER PRESSURE a bit fizzy the yard too.

In The Running

DIPSY DOODLE rolled in the lead from KIMOCHI in a nice trailing spot (4th 2W WC). CAPTAIN AMELIA wide no cover in midfield.

The Result

KIMOCHI (1st) moved up and was much too strong. KRISTILLI (2nd) ran down the outside to grab DIPSY DOODLE (3rd) late for a place.

The Interest

This was all about the winner, a nice type of filly that should measure up in better grade now, especially when she settles down a touch more in the yard. DIPSY DOODLE was confidently backed before the race and should improve as she matures and learns to conserve more energy in her races.


Race 2 YES YES YES FIRST YEARLINGS HANDICAP

fair tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Libertad Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Chad Schofield 8 56.5
2 The King Peter & Paul Snowden Brett Prebble 12 56.5
3 Capital Heart Matthew Dale Tom Marquand 5 57.5

In The Yard

LIBERTAD presented as a nicely proportioned type with dapples in his coat on debut. THE KING a very classy looking colt too, parading with his head on his chest. GREYT THINKER perhaps not quite fit and he was fizzy in the yard.

In The Running

CRITIQUE led from CAPITAL HEART. LIBERTAD in a nice midfield spot (7th 2W WC) blending in wider as they turned. LOS PADRES wide no cover in midfield.

The Result

LIBERTAD (1st) quickened and went clear for a big win from THE KING (2nd) running on late. CAPITAL HEART (3rd) fought on for a place.

The Interest

Two Russian Revolution colts from the same ownership produced two very nice debuts here. LIBERTAD was supported in betting and proved to be much too good, while the stunning THE KING looks to have upside over a touch more distance. CAPITAL HEART the best of the on-pacers, a horse that deserves a win soon.


Race 3 RANVET PLATE

slow tempo : long sprint
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Queen Yuna Anthony Cummings Joshua Parr 1 57.0
2 Himalaism Chris Waller Nash Rawiller 2 58.5
3 Allasandra David Payne Brett Prebble 12 56.5

In The Yard

QUEEN YUNA had some solid form, but she didn't look an obvious winner from the yard. A lighter-framed mare that was anxious as she did laps of the Royal Randwick parade. OCEAN HONOUR a touch anxious too, walking around very quickly first-up.

In The Running

QUEEN YUNA jumped to the lead and dropped anchor, racing keenly under a hold with LALAGUNA to her outside and BESPANGLED very keen out 3W NC on-pace. HIMALAISM in the box seat behind the eventual winner.

The Result

QUEEN YUNA (1st) kicked strongly and held off HIMALAISM (2nd) running on nearer the inside. A gap back to ALLASANDRA (3rd) warming up late.

The Interest

She had done a few things wrong in her two starts to date, but QUEEN YUNA clearly has talent and she enjoyed the step up to 1300m with a very easy lead. HIMALAISM continues to be a horse that quickens and doesn't fight hard enough to win. ALLASANDRA a nice return off a tempo that didn't suit.


Race 4 EXCEEDANCE'S FIRST YEARLINGS HANDICAP

steady tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Airman Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes Zac Lloyd 1 57.0
2 Crosswinds Peter & Paul Snowden Brett Prebble 7 58.0
3 Headwall Matthew Smith Blake Spriggs 4 59.0

In The Yard

AIRMAN a strong well-balanced type that had a shining coat in the yard and looked close enough to full fitness first-up. Most looked like sprinters apart from SAQUON, who lacks the power of the others.

In The Running

CROSSWINDS got control in the lead with AIRMAN (3rd rails WC) in the box seat and HEADWALL restrained to be last on the rails (5th rails WC). HEADWALL taken wider around the heels of SAQUON to be a clear last early in the straight.

The Result

AIRMAN (1st) ran down CROSSWINDS (2nd) who gave a kick. HEADWALL (3rd) stormed home down the outside late.

The Interest

AIRMAN with a nice return and can improve again to 1200m, but the best run came from HEADWALL. Spriggs veered wider as the top two kicked and gave himself far too much work to do.


Race 5 FURPHY HANDICAP

fair tempo : long sprint
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Silent Agenda Joseph Pride Nash Rawiller 5 57.0
2 Biscayne Bay Ciaron Maher James McDonald 11 61.0
3 Decadent Tale Jason Deamer Tim Clark 3 55.0

In The Yard

SILENT AGENDA one of the most "nuggetty" horses in racing, a very robust type that paraded in good shape deep into this campaign following a freshen and trial. BISCAYNE BAY a classy-looking mare on the improve second-up. BON VIVANT a big solid type that was walking around timidly.

In The Running

GOOD OMENS led from MAYFAIR SPIRIT on her outside. SILENT AGENDA (5th 2W WC) in a nice rhythm midfield.

The Result

SILENT AGENDA (1st) ran on best from BISCAYNE BAY (2nd) running on down the outside. A clump in the finish with only 2.5L between 1st and 9th.

The Interest

SILENT AGENDA is a reliable type and he got the nice ride to win. BISCAYNE BAY looks like the best horse in the race though and she might have won if not for losing some momentum around the turn and laying in slightly down the straight. BON VIVANT warmed up OK and may have benefited from more room outside horses.


Race 6 YARRAMAN PARK HANDICAP

strong tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Luvoir Jason Attard & Lucy Keegan-Attard Zac Lloyd 1 57.0
2 Unspoken Peter Snowden Joshua Parr 8 60.0
3 Pretty Amazing Chris Waller James McDonald 3 57.5

In The Yard

LUVOIR a neat type that looked well deeper into the campaign. The import UNSPOKEN (IRE) first in the yard and looked very well first-up.

In The Running

LUVOIR jumped to the lead and rolled along clear of the field.

The Result

LUVOIR held on from UNSPOKEN (2nd) and PRETTY AMAZING (3rd) running on late together.

The Interest

The Richard Freedman stable tried to train LUVOIR to settle, but new trainers Jason Attard and Lucy Keegan-Attard have taken a different approach with good effect. LUVOIR with back-to-back wins when allowed to stride along in the lead. UNSPOKEN and PRETTY AMAZING have clearly come back in good shape and should be winning soon.


Race 7 ARROWFIELD - A TRADITION OF GREATNESS HANDICAP

fair tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Watch The Clock Ron Quinton Sam Clipperton 7 57.0
2 Hawaii Five Oh Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Nash Rawiller 9 58.0
3 Cool Jakey Joseph Pride Tyler Schiller 16 59.5

In The Yard

WATCH THE CLOCK was shining in the yard first-up, a mid-strength type with a solid hindquarter. Both favourites HAWAII FIVE OH (powerful) and COOL JAKEY (strong balanced) in great shape too. ATMOSPHERE lightly-framed and seemed to be fitter than his stablemate SANDPAPER, who had more condition and was warm in places.

In The Running

COOL JAKEY urged to lead after a slow jump with MASTER SHOWMAN on his outside. HAWAII FIVE OH stalked in midfield (5th 2W WC) with WATCH THE CLOCK on his back (7th 2W WC).

The Result

WATCH THE CLOCK (1st) and HAWAII FIVE OH (2nd) swept home together in a close finish.

The Interest

Strong runs from the top three, all horses that are worth following into their campaigns. WATCH THE CLOCK off a nice recent trial and was shining in the yard. COOL JAKEY just as good as the top two after having to work around the pack to lead early. You can see why HAWAII FIVE OH prefers dry tracks, a big powerful type in the yard.


Race 8 TAB HANDICAP

fair tempo
Bias: 2w+

Place Silk Horse Trainer Jockey Gate Kgs
1 Air To Air Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 13 59.0
2 Miss Hellfire Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald Chad Schofield 10 58.0
3 Eye See Things John Thompson Kerrin McEvoy 12 57.0

In The Yard

AIR TO AIR paraded in good shape a nicely proportioned mare with enough strength and condition. HIGHLY AMBITIOUS and MISS HELLFIRE both fit and well.

In The Running

MORE THE MERRIER took up the running a touch keenly on the inside. AIR TO AIR out very wide midfield (6th 4W NC) after jumping with them this time.

The Result

AIR TO AIR (1st) ran on best from MISS HELLFIRE (2nd) following her home and EYE SEE THINGS (3rd) flashing late after being held up

The Interest

AIR TO AIR has been an enigmatic mare that often misses the start, which new stable Waterhouse and Bott have clearly been working on. She jumped better in the trial and stayed in touch out wide today before running on best. MISS HELLFIRE followed the winner home and EYE SEE THINGS came from an almost impossible position at the back after being held up.



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