I’m up and about like a Brisbane Lions fan who has recently found his faded 2003 premiership cap as Group 1 racing returns to Royal Randwick this Saturday.
The feature event of the day is the Winx Stakes – named after a horse who I’m told was quite handy in her day.
I have assessed the first Group 1 of the new season, as well as the full nine race program here.
Outta Reach was beaten just over a length by a pretty smart one in Stronger on debut at Kembla Grange and considering that horse has gone on to win at Group 3 level that shows the fillies talent. She broke through for an impressive two length win at Goulburn before running second at her next two. She makes her own luck on the speed and has drawn perfectly in barrier three.
Travancore couldn’t have been much more impressive when he stormed over his rivals at Warwick Farm last start to record a 2.8 length win. He finds a very similar race here and the 1600m looks his ideal distance. I can’t see why he can not repeat his last start performance.
It was an enormous effort by Lucicello in the Listed Rosebud last start behind Dawn Passage. The grey I Am Invincible filly was dead last on the turn and kept finding right to the line to be narrowly denied. The step up to 1300m is a slight concern however she is a nice price in a competitive race.
It was a peach of a ride by Brenton Avdulla on Our Candidate last start however I think the market may have over reacted to the win and he is very short.
His stable mate Attention Run can be forgiven for a flat effort in just her second run in Australia at Randwick last start. I thought she found the line really well and she has drawn well in barrier four.
It’s hard to go past Libertini if you saw her most recent trial. The problem is, no one has missed her and she will start this race a short favourite. She is already a black type winner however she looks to have come back even bigger and stronger. Chuck her in your multis.
Bon Amis is such a little professional. He has missed a place in just five of his 18 race starts and he has been extremely well placed in his career to date. This again looks a very winnable race for the horse and he has opened at nice each way odds. This is a hot little race however his last win in the July Sprint suggests the horse is going well enough and will be there about yet again.
If we were to list the highest rating performances of the Autumn carnival than besides the dominant wins of the Superstar Winx, Happy Clapper’s first two runs of his campaign would have to feature prominently. He was extremely brave first up in the Apollo Stakes before giving the great mare a big scare in the Chipping Norton. This is ‘The Clapper’s’ opportunity to show just how good a racehorse he is and it would be fitting if he could would the Winx takes inboxed her absence. He maps to get a lovely run in transit from barrier five and his big frame will carry him a lot way to victory.
Mizzy’s first and only win came in a Maiden only four starts back at Canterbury however she is a mare with an enormous amount of upside. After winning that maiden, she was thrown into the deep end in Group 1 company in the Surround Stakes where she was beaten less than half a length by Nakeeta Jane. Anthony Cummings has a high opinion of the mare and her recent trial leading into this first up assignment suggests she is ready to perform fresh.
Roheryn looks a very talented young race horse. He has now won three of his four starts including a dominant race in this grade last time out at this track. He rises to 1400m for the first time in his short career however everything suggests to me that he will handle it with aplomb. He is a horse that can continue to rise in class and there may even be a black type win in him in the future.