Despite the shine being dimmed on Autumn Glow, Royal Randwick’s second stanza of the Championships last Saturday lived up to the title despite two key scratchings.
Winx could have been effective from 1200 metres to 3200 metres but was placed to perfection by Chris Waller as was Black Caviar, under the guidance of Peter Moody, who did not race her beyond 1400 metres.
Waller took the fall for Autumn Glow, the 2000 metres in the Queen Elizabeth was too far, he maintained. Under the circumstances against the quality and staying power of Sir Delius, geared by the expertise of Gai Waterhouse, assisted by Adrian Bott, and saddle skill of Craig Williams, it was not her day.
Chasing 12 straight Autumn Glow could not even withstand the finish of the tenacious Lindermann with Nash Rawiller, all arms and legs breaching the whip rule, again showing why he is the best 50 plus jockey in the world and a match for the topliners.
Aeliana was a last-minute withdrawal. Unlike Autumn Glow she is proven over the distance and the demanding tempo would have suited her. Yet she was pulled out. Some say the mare only accepted with the possibility of starting if the going had become heavy. Also Waller reckoned she had not galloped to his satisfaction the previous Monday.
Earlier in the week Campaldino, from Tulloch Lodge, was scratched out of the Sydney Cup on veterinary advice: elevated “cardiac troponin levels”.
Campaldino was one of the strong fancies and on paper had a considerable advantage on the winner Changingoftheguard, who benefited from the good ground and blinkers.
Campaldino, though, is an upfront stayer, and under Tim Clark, Changingoftheguard, given an easy passage by Jason Collett, would not have got the slow sections that enabled him to score.
Ironically Sir Delius was scratched from his spring campaign, including the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, by the vets, a decision that was not copped sweet by the stable.
The Sydney Cup was hardly vintage but the Queen Elizabeth Stakes will be long remembered and the success of Tempted in the Arrowfield had wise guys maintaining she is Australia’s best sprinter although it was only Group Two status. Joliestar is still on top with me.
Randwick was GOOD as were the Swans versus the Gold Coast. Isaac Heeney is a superstar and Tom Papley approaching the boil.
But Souths against Canberra were BAD after losing Jye Gray, the energiser bunny and last line of defence which had periods of tissue paper resistance in his absence.
Yes, they had Latrell Mitchell, the apple of many a critic’s eye. To me brilliant or blunder. Others it’s sweet overcoming the sour.
“Last week I had a commuter-hell day,” not the whinger from the Central Coast but Charlie Brooks who has replaced Robin Oakley, much missed writing “The Turf” for “The Spectator”.
UGLY.
Brooks had an appointment at “the chic members-only watering hole Kensington Roof Gardens …. it was the timing of our meeting that had been playing on my mind throughout my cursed journey ….”
After all, meeting someone for a drink at 4pm?
“Too late for a post-lunch glass of port and too early for a cocktail,” decreed Brooks.
Mind you the cattle truck from Woy Woy last Saturday was memorable but not to be mentioned with port and cocktails.
Horse sense: “John Foyster passed away peacefully surrounded by family recently,” Robyn Foyster emailed.
Renowned as the “Fabulous Foysters”, the family made their pile out of mineral sands and sank a fortune into racing.
“John was the last of my Dad’s (Lloyd) brothers. He was the one who turned Guntawang into a horse stud. Owned John’s Hope, the Golden Slipper winner. Guntawang was where Planet Kingdom broke his leg just after we sold Gooree. The struggle to keep Planet Kingdom alive is now in the history books for veterinary medicine as it marked the first flotation tank being used in Australia. Dad donated money to Sydney Uni veterinary school as a result. I would like to think of the impact of my grandad (Jack) and my dad and uncles (John and Mark) was a positive one on the racing industry of Australia.”
