Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill Gardens has featured greats since 1925 — but few chapters as intriguing as Saturday’s.
Maybe it’s infatuation with classics, three-year-olds with staying potential, rather than green youngsters racing fast and loose.
Again, progeny of The Autumn Sun, Autumn Boy promises to maintain the stallion’s prominence supported by Journeyman another with unlimited potential.
Alas the Hobartville is only Group two status like the two-year-old sprints the Silver Slipper at Rosehill and Caulfield’s major attraction, the Blue Diamond.
With 20 acceptors, having won 12 races, the $2 million Blue Diamond is more attractive in numbers than the Silver Slipper, if not future quality with stablemates, Hidrix and Confederation, under the Chris Waller banner.
Still the Silver Slipper only drew 10 acceptors, winners of five races including one at Scone, hardly stirring the enthusiasm like the Hobartville that goes back to Amounis in 1925. Amounis made the Hall Of Fame.
Like all top events, episodes vary in class. Recent winners being Anamoe (2022), The Autumn Sun (2019), Peiro (2013) and Lonhro (2002). My first and best Hobartville was Todman (1957), but later Baguette (1970), Imagele (1973), and Sir Dapper (1980) kept the label prominent.
Obviously Golden Slipper victors maintained quality for the Hobartville, which moved from spring to autumn in 1978 alongside the AJC Derby.
Races get credit for being stallion producers and the Hobartville this year has six out of the 10 acceptors whose sire notched the event: Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), Attica (Lonhro), Shangri La Boy (Pierro), Ninja (Farnan), and Journeyman (The Autumn Sun).
Waller has taken blinkers off Autumn Boy, the Group one Caulfield Guineas winner last October. A maestro in action, gear tinkering like the Master? Autumn Boy is the best credentialled on Saturday but rivals are ready to explode to new heights.
Also prepared by Waller, Wodeton hasn’t peaked. Third and lacking the acceleration of Tempted, the colt was comfortably beaten in the Eskimo Prince, 1200 metres, when resuming. Waller doesn’t seem confident about him on Saturday. But I am terrified about Wodeton producing one of those upsets for the stable when I am not on him.
“The Autumn Sun is doing an awesome job,” Waller decreed on the stallion. “It’s as simple as that. He gives his horses athleticism, great movement, great temperament … Autumn Boy has all those attributes. Look out.”
And Wodeton:
“We were going to the Newmarket and just changed our thoughts after his first-up run. It wasn’t bad, but we are thinking maybe he deserves his chance at getting to a mile, rather than the straight six. I want to see him improve, but he has a tricky draw.”
But the Waller pair have strong opposition: the toughest being Napoleonic, Ninja and Journeyman.
What about Spring champion winner Attica? Attica must improve to score over 1400 metres but Joe Pride is just the trainer to achieve this.
Primed with the wings, grafted by Michael Freedman, Ninja was incredible in the north last month. Described in Best Bets as the “win of the year” taking the Vo Rogue at Eagle Farm the gelding was then downed at the Gold Coast getting a “sick beat of the year” from the publication regarding the defeat.
Freedman has taken the lugging bit off Ninja, a ploy to make him more tractable and progress even further?
However the strength of the opposition was questionable, hardly up to the Group one standard of Autumn Boy and Attica. And the same doubts arise about Journeyman, so good but erratic winning at his Warwick Farm debut but in maiden company. Still the esteemed Dan O’Sullivan tagged him capable of black type. Just how much will Journeyman improve at his second attempt?
Yes, Shangri La Boy will up, off and away with the Gai Waterhouse – Adrian Bott tactic while others position. Napoleonic is untapped too. But not his navigator Zac Lloyd.
Punt-wise I am looking for odds. Review “Play The Exotics”.
Two-year-old scrambles do little for me and the Blue Diamond is littered with probabilities. How does Melbourne form compare with Sydney and the Gold Coast?
Waller’s Fireball, under a James McDonald, whip breaching but magnificent, downed Ghana’s Akan in the Millenium at Rosehill recently. It was a strong win. Reverse the rides Ghana’s Khan wins.
The Hobartville will be worth Burke and Wills problems that arise from Woy Woy train station getting to the races on Saturday. Insiders rate Rosehill tougher.
