With the baby Natural Fling a hot topic in the Moir Stakes, a Group One at Sandown, fillies and mares promise to dominate a weekend launching a spring of much content.
Yes, and Ka Ying Rising, a gelding and the world’s best sprinter, who will attempt to again conquer the Everest, contributes at Sha Tin on Sunday. The New Zealand mare Well Written, meanwhile, will be chasing an eighth straight win, in the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie.
Going to plan, Well Written is Sydney bound and should add to the mare quality against Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi, but the gender is strong Australia-wide on Saturday.
Apart from the horses, and those that make them, administrators are producing a good vibe.
Steve McMahon, the livewire Australian Turf Club CEO, has promoted the possibility of a showdown in Sydney between Ka Ying Rising, Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi, producing the recollection of Jim Fleming, the most adventurous Sydney Turf Club chairman.
Also Tabcorp CEO Gillon McLachlan, in super-charged mode, decreed confidence in the “increase liquidity for punters and create greater price stability” when announcing the name change to “One Pool” with the imminent launch that combines NSW TAB, UTAB and STAB.
But the budding topliners, particularly fillies and mares, take the spot light with world champions out to show their class.
Ka Ying Rising holds the world title as does James McDonald, in action at Royal Randwick on Saturday, but certainly is riding no better than Zac Purton with Nash Rawiller who goes where others fear to tread. Hot on their hooves are Rachel King, Tim Clark, Tom Berry and a bevy of others. Sydney riding ranks have never been stronger.
Down south Blake Shinn and Craig Williams are reminiscent of the greats in Melbourne, Roy Higgins and Pat Hyland, in the era that females, particularly as good as Jamie Melham in the saddle, could not be imagined.
Natural Fling is a filly who just turned three, foaled on August 28. Some say she is in light with 50kg, a weight Melham rides strong. Being so young with only three starts to her credit she doesn’t deserve a particle more against tough, seasoned Group One opposition.
Co-trainer Tony McEvoy, a master horseman, rates her with his best three-year-old fillies under his wing and Sunlight was brilliant. McEvoy attempted weight for age with her as a three-year-old in the Lightning at Morphettville in 2015 under Jamie Melham, then Kah.
She finished second with daylight separating her and the winner, Nature Strip. Still Natural Fling is not opposed to a Nature Strip although Giga Kick, a danger, has notched an Everest.
Craig Williams handles Cavalry Girl, successful at her last three, against them and is a plus to the speed factor with Natural Fling out wide. Maybe the Chris Waller factor will kick in with Generosity, good fresh but a magnet for misfortune.
But Waller is cobra-like on a chosen target. Consider Lindermann, under Rawiller, in the Chelmsford at Randwick. Beaten 7.38 lengths last start when resuming after a spell in the Winx Stakes recently is not a flash credential. Unless it is considered the gelding was downed 7.87 lengths in the Winx last year and subsequently won the Chelmsford.
Gifting Rawiller with his own leading is tactical suicide but Waller also has Fangirl in the event and his uncanny knack with the gender is renowned. Fangirl is eight, though. But she has J-Mac.
Waller in the Tramway will not oppose Tempted, possibly the weekend’s best performed mare. With outsider Striking Alibi could Waller have surprise resistance to the favourites, Pembrey, Chilly Girl and Chayan?
Chilly Girl is unbeaten in two attempts, Pembrey scored in a manner last start to prompt Everest aspirations and Chayan is an example of the yearling gamble being a four-legged lottery.
Chayan was purchased for $250,000, resold for $5.6 million and became Golden Slipper favourite, went bad, while Pembrey had a reserve of $20,000 at her first sale appearance and Striking Alibi made only $10,000 in Adelaide.
Forgive the Golden Slipper — Chayan is talented and Pembrey produced good figures winning last start. Alas she did not ring any bells for me, perhaps dulled with bad judgement. Chilly Girl did what the astute Gerald Ryan does so well: gets them prime fresh. Will Chilly Girl be so dominant second up?
Waller picked up Striking Alibi from Perth after two starts: a win and a failure. She has been scratched from Sydney events recently. Barrier trials indicate ability, an attribute of McMahon, who is injecting life with Flemington flair into the ATC.
Fleming instructed staff to come up with a new promotion every Monday. Bean counters will grimace at the innovations: the first international races in Australia when the STC imported overseas stayers to take on the locals as well as the STC reintroducing hurdle racing in a guest capacity to Sydney. Both were financial, if not profile-raising, flops.
Obviously, McLachlan is injecting life into the Tab, rusting with mediocrity. Is he a shiner, briefly in the limelight with “liquidity” and “stability” or can he produce a worthwhile dividend for horse players.
