Once the Missile, better placed at Rosehill Gardens, the foundation venue, was a launch for the spring topliners, and every major event can have good and bad chapters.
Yes the old-time midweeks had withdrawals due to the circumstances but not 37 scratchings like Wednesday.
Could it be Peter V’Landys, the Mr Big of racing and rugby league, has taken his eye of the turf ball, focussed instead on New Guinea and West Australia?
The last two Saturdays did not give Sydney a fly at the season start, trailing behind Melbourne which featured last Saturday’s Group Three Aurie’s Star at Caulfield taken by Sydneysider King Of Roseau, a restricted class sprinter with a benchmark of 87. King Of Roseau beat outsider Bandi’s Boy, from Goulburn. Rosehill was drenched.
At least the Missile looked superior with Private Eye but trainer Joe Pride preferred a Warwick Farm barrier trial on Friday.
Schwarz notched the Missile last year and later scored in Group one grade but the last real topliner to win was Alizee in 2019.
Back in the good old days the sprint went to superior sprinters: Dance Hero, Lonhro, Campaign King (trained by Bart Cummings) who scored twice while stablemate Plus Vite wasn’t real good but had the benefit of a flag start, under Peter Miers, in 1984.
The memory returned when Goodwood last month was forced to revert to a flag start, a first for a Group One race in Britain, because of lightning during a heavy downpour. The barrier could not be used at Rosehill for Plus Vite due to the heavy ground.
Plus Vite was more this Saturday’s class but the honour roll makes you wonder what where the good horses have gone?
Anyway last season was particularly good, according to Dan O’Sullivan, expressed on Racing.com.
Horse Of The Season Via Sistina was responsible for “a breathtaking peak performance in the 2024 Cox Plate where she ran a wfa rating of 116, winning by eight lengths and smashing Winx’s track record by nearly two seconds.
“Via Sistina’s performance was unquestionably a top end of the elite world class ratings and one of the most dominant displays we seen in recent memory. On the day her run was on par with the very best of Winx and Black Caviar.”
With only 24 races to date, it is reasonable to expect more great performances from Via Sistina. Certainly her Randwick barrier trial on Thursday was strong. Nothing more or less than what was expected at a session that left the impression with others that a dazzling period is upcoming.
On Friday at Warwick Farm, Ceolwulf, finished in a manner behind Private Eye to indicate improvement on is autumn efforts.
Obviously Sydney racing will have the horse power, coupled with great trainers and jockeys, including the world’s best James McDonald and challenging rivals.
It’s a promoter’s dream.
Now the ATC administration of Tim Hale – Caroline Searcy must breathe life back into racing, sadly lost to the Rosehill sale sideshow.
We are paying the price for focussing on two year olds that don’t train on. We never again hear of the also rans in the Magic Millions or Slipper. Storm Boy was dominant as a spring and summer 2yo because of his precocity – he looked more like a 3yo but come the autumn he didn’t want to be at the races, the breeding barn was more attractive. Don’t expect things to change- the money men have a vested interest in flogging yearlings at ridiculous prices.