A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

Never has a topliner notched a Group one at Royal Randwick, or possibly anywhere, with such a coarse coat as Stefi Magnetica, triumphant in last Saturday’s Doncaster.

Usually, the health and well-being of the recipient can be assessed by the exterior and 99 percent of the thoroughbreds on Day One of the Championships glowed as expected for such important and lucrative engagements.

At her previous start, the George Ryder at Rosehill, Stefi Magnetica was described as looking like a “hairy goat”, and improvement anticipated.

Again the mare was an affront to the eye, perhaps the hair was trimmed but still a thick, hardly refined, crop. With the assistance of Jason Collett navigation, taking full advantage of a muddling tempo, Stefi Magnetica overshadowed her shining rivals, prompting memories of similar types. Rough Habit, another with a New Zealand influence, and Vo Rogue come to mind.

As his name indicates Rough Habit looked better suited to a cart than a racecourse. But under the awkward appearance, transformed to beauty in full flight, trainer John Wheeler produced equine gold with muscle and condition.

And Bjorn Baker, son of Murray Baker, one of the New Zealand greats when it came to fit thoroughbreds, has gained a similar result with Stefi Magnetica.

Mind you Kiwis once had a habit of making horses look common before performing good for the reason of betting odds which hardly applied to the likes of Rough Habit and Stefi Magnetica.

Vo Rogue had the development of the eccentric Vic Rail, a trainer who had no qualms about chewing on a handful of horse feed to test the quality. He believed in keeping his string as close to nature as possible, ruling out beauty aids like shampoo. Dull in the coat took nothing away from Vo Rogue’s dazzle in front.

Perhaps Stefi Magnetica will not appeal as one of the Doncaster greats but featured in an excellent program before 15,153, miniscule compared to those who saw Tontonan, a three-year-old, score in 1974.

On Saturday Linebacker, also three, has received accolades for going down with 49kg by a length and quarter to Stefi Magnetica.

Tontonan had 56kg and ran to the outside fence in circumances never seen at Randwick previously. Earlier two streakers traipsed up the straight. Many figured Tontonan was distracted by them. Jockey Roy Higgins, though, later clarified Tontonan had “gone in the knee”.

As the streakers attempted to leave the course proper, they were denied entry to the member’s enclosure by the “green coats”, an elderly band who policed Randwick at the time, because they didn’t have a ticket.

The renowned racecourse photographer Ron Bickley snapped the streakers which became an artifact under a heading “the colt won by a length”.

Tontonan’s Doncaster also resounds because the Bart Cummings prepared gelding beat Toltrice, prepared by a youngster from Adelaide, John Hawkes, who became a Hall Of Famer. Toltrice was a better mare than Stefi Magnetica.

Mostly Randwick was good but Ryan Moore hardly enhanced his reputation as the “world’s best jockey” with three strongly fancied mounts, Desert Hero (Chairman’s), Wodeton (Sires) and Clean Energy, the $2.50 favourite in the P.J.Bell, given wide and bumpy courses.

Desert Hero, owned by “The King and Her Majesty” and trained by the astute William Haggas, went like he required a tow truck rather than top hoop and faded badly after being wide but with more polished assistance, Wodeton and Clean Energy would have finished closer.

Wodeton was beaten around a length when fourth after being wide, without cover from the 900 metres, and, according to stewards “brushed with Rivellino on several occasions”.

Clean Energy raced three wide and “got its head up and raced keenly when steadied to obtain cover”. Clean Energy was another only beaten a length.

The benefit of “fly in” jockeys from Europe, regardless of reputation, when so many locals tuned to Sydney conditions is questionable. The memory of Frankie Dettori lingers. Tom Marquand gets an exemption.

Current form of these highly tuned saddle athletes plays a role, but Damian Lane, one of our finest at present, doesn’t agree.

“I’m not riding in the best form of my life,” he commented on Saturday. “I’ve ridden well for a long time. You just slowly build up to these opportunities.

“The cattle, doesn’t matter how good you ride, if you don’t have the horse underneath you, you can’t produce it.”

Yes, it could be deduced Aeliana, the impressive Australian Derby winner on Saturday, didn’t need Lane’s expertise but his confidence and guile brought the best out of her.

Incidentally The Rating Bureau’s Dan O’Sullivan assessed Aeliana (103.3) as the highest ATC Derby winner since Tavago in 2016.

“Positioned just off a genuine tempo set by Plymouth, Aeliana was clearly superior in the final 200 metres, still extending her lead as she approached the finish line.

“Typically, when a horse sits near a genuine pace, some of the chasers coming from back off the speed will post faster closing splits, even if the winner is dominant. Aeliana defied that trend, tracking the speed yet finishing stronger.”

Again the jockey sized Jai Gray showed his worth for the Mighty Rabbits against The Roosters last Friday, a great result but ugly.

As usual Latrell Mitchell gained the headlines. Sure, he had a strong game, involved more than usual. Some wise guys figure his final and winning pass was forward.

Alas the first half was appalling, smitten with Rooster mistakes and South Sydney lacking attacking flair. Does any team spread the ball less and run one out more than the Rabbits?

Still when exhaustion kicked in Gray moved tall. Despite his size he took the ball up like a forward, hitting the line hard, indicating the South Sydney spirit, once described as a flagon port on the Redfern Oval hill, is still alive even if coming with a Queensland vintage.