Look forward to the video replay, Cyc. Won't give away the exact result (which only just came up on RP), other than complete no-show from mine (so much for ratings!). Should have stuck with my favourite Aussie jockey! Ah, I see you have just put it up. Many thanks, Cyc, much appreciated! Later: Wow, what a ride by Kerrin McEvoy!
Chautauqua finished like a steam train again. Last coming off the bend he was only beaten just over a length. Amazing finishing section from him again.
Yep, he's been crying out for more ground for a while now Oddy, but the lure of The Everest has kept him at the shorter distances. It's hard to get a horse of that age to ping as they did in their youth. I hope they now get him out to 1400m -1600m on a big, wide open track. It's painful watching him trying to get it done at 1200m.
Canada's premier race, the G1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes, was run yesterday at Woodbine over the mile and a half trip. What a win.
Also on the same program was the G1 E. P. Taylor Stakes over one and a half miles. Of the 7 runners, 3 were from the UK.
As the Autumn Carnival in Melbourne gets into full swing, I suppose a few races race replays might open up some insights into the big clashes to come. Firts up the G1 Toorak Handicap. The ex Japanese horse Tosen Stardom who was sent to Australia about a year ago, has a handy win. He's wide and three parts of the field back. Blue, white horse shoe, black & white checked sleeves and cap.
$2,000,000 G1 Caulfield Guineas 1600m. Kementari, Catchy and Royal Symphony were expected to fight it out, but Big Boss at 100-1 caused a huge boil over. Kiwi jock Michael Walker rode a sensational race. Fourth last on the fence, he drives Mighty Boss along that rail without going to the outside of a single horse. No 17 in the yellow and red. 5 star ride.
$1,000,000 G1 Ladbrokes Stakes. 2000m. Maybe something out of this race can figure in the big ones to came. Bonneval, Hartnell, Gailo Chop and Johannes Vermeer (in that order) were the top three in betting.
The $400,000 G2 Herbert Power over 2400m can sometimes unearth a real chance in the Melbourne Cup. Charlie Appleby had Kidmenever in the race. The UK raced, but German bred Lord Fandango bought by Australian interests got the win. No.11. Yellow and black bands, white sleeves and blue cap. Drawn barrier 2. You might have to sigh in with Facekbook or Google. Race 4. https://www.racing.com/form/2017-10-14/caulfield/race/4/results
The $3,000,000 G1 Caulfield Cup 2400m run today. The winner Boom Time is in the white green sash, black sleeves and cap. No. 13 and starts 3 from the inside and was ridden a treat by young Cory Parish. It's his first G1 win, and to have it come in the Caulfield Cup nearly brought him to tears.
The US$2,160,000 Japanese St Leger was run today in Kyoto. The G1 Kikuka Sho brought together a field of 18 to do battle in terrible conditions. The 3000m race turned into a real torrid affair. The favourite Kiseki proved too good in the drive for the line. He's No. 13, green with white band and sleeves, and orange cap. They breed 'em tough over there.
For the last month or so I'd been looking forward to the US$1,000,000 G1 Yonkers International Trot, but when it finally came around about 10 days or so back, I'd forgotten about it. It's a wonderful race that usually pits some of the best from both the USA and Europe over the 10 furlong trip. The Italian super star Twister Bi went into the race as a screaming hot favourite and made an one act affair of the race. He stopped the clock in an amazing 2.22.2, a world record on a half mile course. No.4 in black and white. When asked about the winning time, his trainer Jerry Riordan quipped. "Time is only important when you go to jail."
The 3200m G1 New Zealand Cup for pacers is just around the corner, it'll be run on the second Tuesday in November, the same date as that other race in Melbourne. New Zealand's best pacer Lazarus will be looking to win the event for the second year running. Yesterday he lined up in the 2400m G2 Flying Stakes, a pipe opener for the big race. Lazarus is pretty much acknowledged as the best horse in NZ, but some are firmly in the camp of a pacer called Heaven Rocks. Yesterday they clashed. Heaven Rocks who spotted them a huge advantage after missing the start, was doing his best work in the last 100m and will be better suited by the 3200m of the Cup. Another nice run in the race came from Have Faith In Me who gave them an even bigger start. In the replay he looked to have finished about 15m from the winner. Heaven Rocks and Have Faith In Me are the two out the back at the start. https://harness.hrnz.co.nz/gws/ws/r...&Arg=RaceVideo&Arg=hrnzg-RacehdrID&Arg=244447
That's a great trotter, Cyc, goes like the wind. However, with all its speed, I thought he looked a bit ungainly at times, and even thought he'd break stride once or twice? That's his style, I guess, but this Twister Bi is something else. Great quip by the trainer btw... The 5-y-o is of course an entire, and will be worth a fortune in the future as a stallion: http://www.worldclasstrotting.com/TRAVHASTAR/TwisterBi.htm
Twister Bi's dad Varenne was some sort of animal Swanny, some say among the best ever. Two time winner of the Prix d'Amerique, three time World Cup Trot champion, twice winner of the Elitloppet and just about every thing else, makes Twister Bi very valuable mate, as you said. Have a look at the world record he ran in 2002. Amazing stuff.
Oh my goodness, poetry in motion, the perfect Trotter! Thanks for clip, Cyc. Varenne could well be the greatest harness racer of all time, my God what a horse, this clip brought tears to my eyes!
