Legendary St Leger

       
           The VRC St Leger is a legendary race with so much history .  The St Leger was the principal  race on the opening day of the autumn meeting at Flemington until 1972. It was then that the race was transferred to Anzac Day . Since 1972 the VRC St Leger has steadily declined in importance but remains a race still carrying the historic St Leger name . It was a Group 2 race from 1980-1990 and Group 3 from 1991- 2005 and now is a Listed Race . The VRC St Leger in its golden years was won by some of Australia’s greatest champions including numerous Melbourne Cup winners.The notable winners on the VRC St Leger honour roll include Phar Lap, Grand Flaneur, Poseidon, Hall Mark, Tranquil Star, Tulloch, Comic Court, Delta, Gurner's Lane, Sailor's Guide, Martini-Henri, Abercorn, Prince Foote, Patrobas, Artilleryman, Furious, Spearfelt, Trivalve, Hua, Hydrogen, Prince Grant, Taras Bulba, Lord Dudley, So Called and Shiva’s Revenge. Bart Cummings trained seven winners of the VRC St Leger. Tommy Smith trained six winners . Yesterday, it was Tommy's daughter, Gai Waterhouse with her co trainer Anthony Bott who trained the winner, Runaway, who is out of  the Catrail mare Catshaan half sister to Abbey Marie . Runaway joined an honour roll which includes Phar Lap, Comic Court and Tulloch, the latter, trained by Waterhouse's Hall of Fame father. 

Gai Waterhouse has called on Victorian racing authorities to rejuvenate the VRC St Leger 2600m after claiming her third win in the past six editions of the three-year-old classic courtesy of the son of Manhattan Rain, Runaway, who led throughout in the staying feature at Flemington. Gai said yesterday "It's a wonderful race but keep it for three-year-olds only and increase the prizemoney and increase the status because I'm telling you, this is the exact stepping stone we need to go to the Melbourne Cup," "The St Leger is a time-honoured race all around the world but particularly in England and Australia."It's a great staying test for young horses but it's slipping under the radar and it really shouldn't.

 Runaway at the 2016 

Inglis Easter Yearling Sale

       An eye catching debut during the Anzac Day meeting at Randwick yesterday . An emerging colt with huge potential called Autumn Sun. A Queensland winter carnival campaign now looms for the Redoute’s Choice two-year-old after his commanding win in the Armistice Plate 1200m with the Group One JJ Atkins on June 9, his target . Despite being trapped three wide the trip and with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle ,he still had enough in reserve. He cost $700,000 as a yearling purchase and is out of the Galileo mare , Azmiyna. That leads to another winner i wanted to mention yesterday Milwaukee who is by Fastnet Rock out of the Galileo mare, Hummingbird scored in the 1200m race. The Fastnet Rock breed really do love that Flemington straight which is all a big positive for Merchant Navy's appearance down the Royal Ascot straight. The grand dam is Cashier who is by Danehill.  
 The continuing success of the So You Think's were displayed again yesterday with his filly, Think Bleue winning the 3yo Vobis Hcp in effortless fashion. Ridden by Damien Lane for Darren Weir , a big future is in line for this filly. The breed are really stamping themselves on the world stage and as they mature i can see many more victories in store. Once they step up to 1400m and beyond they show their inherited talent.

Giants Causeway and Smart Missile

 Randwick --The Kensington course last hosted a race meeting in November 2014, before this new rebuild. The first race on its return was won by the promising 2yo Godolphin filly Gododdin who is by Exceed and Excel. The filly debuted in October in a maiden but has then been given time to develop by the stable.“She’s just taken a little while to get back on track, it was very impressive to see her do that,” Godolphin assistant trainer Darren Beadman said. Jockey Glyn Schfield decided to roll forward on her and use her brilliance and that proved a winning move in the 1300m All Too Hard Vinery Handicap. 
        In the maiden over 1300m we saw a gutsy win by the Snitzel filly , Luskintyre Lass ridden by Corey Brown and trained by Bott/Waterhouse. She kept fighting after being headed to win. Warranty the All Too Hard filly scored again making it 3 from 6 starts. She is out of Encosta De Lago mare and is definately one to keep following. She was ridden by Blake Shinn in the 1100m event.  In a later race the Hawkes trained, Thaad, ridden by Tye Angland made it 3wins from 13 starts. The Smart Missile gelding is out of the Zabeel mare, Uneasy. He finished strongly down the outside to get up and beat Bravissimo in the 1300m Ranvet Hcp. Smart Missile is in third place behind So You Think and Sepoy for the Third Season Sires, title. That’s after heading last season’s Australian Second Season Sires' table by Winners 66 and Wins 93 and finishing third on the Earnings list with prizemoney of $3.2 million. He was announced as a new addition to the Twin Hills roster this spring .

Smart Missile will Stand at Twin Hills Stud

 

Sandown -- Galaxy Raider ridden by Jordan Childs for Graeme Begg stormed home to victory. Halfway down the straight in the BM70 over 1400m he looked like he might struggle to reel in the leader but then that big turn of foot clicked in and he was home in an inkling . He is by Hard Spun and is a very consistent galloper who suffers bad luck because of his racing style . 
Connery the gelding by Pierro out of the Cape Cross mare, Sean Baille Mor made it 2 wins from 8 starts in the benchmark 64, over 1600m. He was well ridden by Jordan Childs who is riding in super form right now. I wanted to highlight the breed here as 1600m is a pet distance for them. At Werribee on Thursday Coutinho a Pierro gelding, trained by Anthony Freedman, scored a convincing win sustaining a long run for victory in the maiden over 1600m. He is out of Footprints, the Redoutes Choice mare.

Latest News

Surgery for Levendi -- Australian Derby winner Levendi is to undergo surgery to remove bone chips putting his spring campaign in doubt.Trainer Peter Gelagotis has issued a statement advising of the procedure and alerting futures punters,the following. “Unfortunately Levendi will undergo arthroscopy surgery to remove bone chips and he will be in the best hands at Werribee Equine Centre and naturally this could put his spring campaign on hold depending on the recovery time required from this procedure,” Gelagotis said.

Death of Giants Causeway --  Jockey, George Duffield on Wednesday described Giant's Causeway as a horse that "just wanted to win" as he recalled their memorable victory over Kalanisi in the 2000 Coral-Eclipse Stakes. Giant's Causeway, whose death at stud in the United States was announced by Coolmore on Tuesday, was stepping up in distance for the first time after finishing runner-up in the 2,000 Guineas. Irish 2,000 Guineas and winning the St James's Palace Stakes. Kalanisi headed him inside the last furlong but Giant's Causeway, being the horse he was,fought back and beat him. At the end of an epic duel over the final furlong Giant's Causeway won the photo finish verdict by a head. The Eclipse was the only one of Giant's Causeway's six Group 1 victories, regular jockey, Kinane missed out on. Kinane said: "They called him The Iron Horse and that was very apt. He was tough as they come and always had something in the locker. He was special a hell of a good two year old and a very good three year old who went on to become a great stallion."

George Duffield winning the 

2000 Eclipse Stakes on Giants Causeway

Soliloquy --  Soliloquy took out the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket for team Godolphin becoming her sire's Dubawi 's, newest Group and Stakes winner. She sprinted from the gate and quickly gained the lead, kicking clear for a strong victory. Bred by Godolphin in England, Soliloquy is out of the multiple Stakes winner and G1 placed Dysphonia, a daughter of  Darley sire, and Australian champ, Lonhro.

Retirement of Dansili -- Dansili is a son of Danehill and was one of the leading sires in England and a top broodmare sire. The announcement from Juddmonte Farms came earlier this week. Stating he has been pensioned from stud duties due to declining fertility . He was out of the legendary mare Hasili, who died last month at the age of 27.

Casino Prince and Encosta De Lago

Sandown -- Written Tycoon double at Sandown today with Golden Script winning the first. It was a perfect ride from young Ben Allen, that got the job done for Darren Weir and the team. The second was Island Dream who made it two from two with a similar ride to get the money but this time it was Luke Nolen.

 Written Tycoon Stands at Woodside Park Stud

       This filly is out of a Delago Brom mare and is a horse to follow. I wanted to mention the broodmare sire here as the Encosta De Lago's, love Sandown and during the day, the breed cropped up in a number of pedigrees. The third horse in this race Dawn Dawn by All Too Hard got chopped out in the straight and should of pushed the winner. All Too Hard is by Casino Prince another breed that have always had a liking for Sandown and in the seventh event the BM70 over 1600m we saw All Too Hard's three year old gelded son Reflectivity, kick strong to win.

 All Too Hard half brother to Black Caviar 

Stands at Vinery Stud

        In the two year old over 1400m won by Secret Blaze who is by Snitzel"s son Sizzling, out of  a Galileo mare. There was a good run by a Fiorente colt, Hawkshot. He sat three wide the whole trip and still almost got the job done. He is out of an Encosta De Lago mare. A coming winner for sure. In the final race the BM78 over 1600m, Sunday Pray, led all the way like many of the winners did today. The gelding is by the Encosta De Lago stallion, Manhattan Rain.

      Some other noteworthy performances were the mare Corrs win over the 2400m she is by Mastercraftsman, definately a breed to follow over the staying distances beyond 2000m. While a couple of So You Thinks who ran into places, Ancient Echoes very honest with a touch of class and the recently gelded Think Babe.

Warwick Farm -- In the BM74 Rising Star Hcp over 1600m, the Waller trained, So You Think 3yo colt out of the Encosta De Lago mare, Dark Vision was successful .The 1600m trip is a pet distance for the breed. A noteworthy double by Street Cry with Molten winning the 1300m BM74 and Marsupial winning over 1100m. The former out of a Fastnet Rock mare the other out of an Exceed and Excel mare. I have seen the Street Cry's successful at Warwick Farm on a regular basis so worth noting. In the last over 1200m, the James Cummings trained Resin won. The filly is by Exceed and Excel out of a Lonrho mare.

Sandown Specialists

        Sandown and Rosehill

        Sandown has always been a specialist track and yesterday saw a couple of wins by progeny of Pins. Hectopascal who is a mare by Pins, sat three wide the whole 1400m trip but when Ethan Brown let her go, she kicked clear to defeat an always honest Tigidig Tigidig running on into second again.In the race prior, we saw Winkelman, a mare by Rip Van Winkle take a sit and then kick clear on straightening to hold the challenges off, on the post. Rip Van Winkle stands at Windsor Park in New Zealand. The Galileo stallion is out of a Stravinsky mare. This could be where the liking for Sandown comes from with the breed as the Stravinsky's have always performed well there or maybe its just that Winkelman is out of a Pins mare. She was first up over 1500m.

            Nureyev as a broodmare sire line there is none more important than 

Nureyev closely related to the great Sadlers Wells . 

Watch his female line at Sandown

       Some other good runs and horses to follow at Sandown were Dancing Tycoon in race 3. It was a good win by the Written Tycoon filly who fought hard to hold off Extreme Bliss over the 1400m. She is out of the Redoutes Choice mare, Tangos Choice. While the Fastnet Rock filly, Dental, battled on well in third and a win is close.
       A powerful finish in the second race over 1600m by the High Chaparral gelding, High and Dry ridden by Andrew Mallyon suggests more wins are in store over a longer trip and a big track like Flemington. He is out of a Stratum mare.
At Rosehill there was a 2yo filly by Pierro called I Like It Easy who ran a top race over the 1100m. She is from Gai"s Choice a General Nedyim mare. The Commands gelding Blazeray in race 2 pulled very hard so forget the run . The Chris Waller filly, Young Star ran on well into third over 1200m. She is by High Chaparral from a Danehill mare so a 200m further we could see her salute but remember the breed prefer larger tracks. In the 1400m BM 75 we saw a huge performance from the Street Cry gelding, Almighty Crown. He came from way back in the field to win right on the post. He is out of the Encosta De Lago mare, Sesenta.
    There were another two winners worth following Montrachet by Fastnet Rock and Marbles by Exceed and Excel who will more than likely continue on their winning way in the near future. Tenderely at Oakbank by Stratum is one to follow from that meeting.