Perhaps it will not be the best All Aged Stakes that goes back to 1866 at Royal Randwick, with greats on the honour roll including Carbine, but promises, even with the untapped potential of Briasa, as being most competitive.
On their benchmark, or handicap ratings, there is four only points between the best, Sunshine In Paris (115) and nine others, getting down to New Zealander Gail Seeker (110) in the 14 horse weight-for-age line up.
With just nine starts for seven successes, Briasa (114), a four-year-old, should improve. To what degree will be tested. For one, three-year-old Broadsiding, conqueror of the outstanding filly Aeliana over 2000 metres, poses a conundrum. Can the colt come back to 1400 metres in Group one company?
Other considerations include the magic wand of Bjorn Baker on Belclare, a New Zealander he tuned to beat Magic Time at Rosehill last November. Belclare has lacked the same vitality in New Zealand subsequently.
Back with Baker the seven-year-old trialled well under Rachel King recently and the trainer has already left his mark on the first two days of The Championships which have lived up to the title this year.
Baker notched the Doncaster with the hairy Stefi Magnetica and completed a notable double in the Sydney Cup with Arapaho, a rising nine-year-old who confirmed King is no longer in the shadow of Jamie Melham as Australia’s top female hoop.
Magic Time, too, must be considered in the All-Aged. Prepared by Graham Begg, who maintains the family knack with fillies and mares, Magic Time triumphed in the sprint last year and while beaten by Briasa in the recent T.J.Smith was “slow to begin” that beset other rivals on Saturday, Jimmystar, and Joliestar.
Neville Begg, father of Graham, was one of the great trainers of fillies and mares with Emancipation being supreme. Emancipation notched the All Aged in 1984 downing Sir Dapper, a strong chapter but hardly as many chances as the current edition.
While Chris Waller may be stealing Neville Begg’s thunder with the once “weaker generation”, Emancipation was plucked out of a paddock, rough as guts, by the renowned thoroughbred authority Les Young, not some flash sale at Newmarket or Chantilly. Neville Begg transformed her into a remarkable equine warrior.
Like Emancipation, Briasa is a grey. The gelding is by Smart Missile about whom Glen Boss, the former great rider opined on a Tweet: “Smart Missile was always going to get a good one. Smart Missile also had an amazing turn of speed.”
With so little on paper between the field, the ride could be vital. From the four gate, Briasa with Tyler Schiller in the saddle is no drawback. Briasa has the benefit of John Hawkes, the Hall-Of-Famer, in the family training operation, another plus.
Being so many seemingly so equal the start will play a major role. Maybe Jimmystar, whose brilliance extends from 1100 metres in Group one to at least 1400 metres, is always tardy but “knuckled” when beaten a length and a half by Briasa in the T.J.Smith over 1200 metres and the extra 200 metres on Saturday is made to order for him.
Also Joliestar, the recent Newmarket at Flemington winner and Waller’s best in the race, was inconvenienced with a sluggish getaway in the T.J.Smith, ending in inferior ground, beaten just over two lengths by Briasa, given a pearl by Schiller. Reverse the runs?
Modern racing is smitten with anything but clean breaks out of the gates. Before barrier stalls jockeys milled in a melee waiting for the strands to rise looking for an edge. Starting positions were called but in the commotion often not followed.
Obviously races were won and lost early, but it’s now more vital than ever as technology nullifies the jump and what happens shortly after. Getting mounts mobile quick is a necessity.
Possibly Kimochi, beginning from 13, wasn’t beaten at the start before going down under two lengths behind Briasa in the T.J.Smith, but was three wide throughout, and a chance to reverse the placings in the All Aged, a situation Nash Rawiller will be out to rectify from the 10 stall.
Broadsiding from three, like Briasa, should get a sweet transit under the guidance of James McDonald in touch with the likely leader, Belclare, but the journey?
The colt scored in the Rosehill Guineas, a distance behind his best. Staying ability is speed extended. James Cummings has to bring him back. Decades of family know-how come into play. At the odds Broadsiding for mine.
As always thank you Max
Good luck and good punting Max. The races just aren’t the same without your ink on the SMH pages, which these days has replaced the races with a section written by the assistants to a red headed pirate extolling the virtues of non alcoholic yoga.