Great stuff Cyc - hard to believe how long he was on the snaff in a Guineas and then just hands and heels
The Saudi Sprint. What a race. The US trained New York Central snatches the race in the last few strides.
The premier sprint race in Australia, the G1 1200m Newmarket was run today at Flemington over the straight course. It went to the Cummings trained, Godolphin owned Bivouac, in the usual all blue. This was the first run in open company by the promising 3 year old. Talk of a Royal Ascot trip is in the air already. He might be a bit too young though. It was a big win.
The Sydneysiders are putting the final touches on their two year olds as they search for a Golden Slipper win in two weeks time. The G2 Todman Stakes brought together one of the best colts in NSW, Farnan, and the Victorian visitor and Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa.
And the fillies put it on the line in a G2 lead in race for the Slipper as well, but didn't look as impressive as Farnan.
And some of the best sprinters in the land contested the G2 Challenge Stakes. The winner on most days is unbeatable, but every now and then he puts in a shocker. He's won 13 of 22 with a couple of seconds and is another who's been mentioned as a possible visitor to Royal Ascot. They scorched earth over the 1000m.
The GBP 2,210,000 G1 Hong Kong Derby, the third leg of the Four Old Classic Series, will be run in a few hours at Sha Tin. The odds on favourite Golden Sixty will be out to make a clean sweep of the series. He's already won both the Hong Kong Classic and the Hong Kong Classic Cup. He looks a really nice horse who possesses a nice turn of foot when the button is pushed. He's had 9 wins from 10 starts. Golden Sixty, Champions Way and More Than This, the first three home in the Classic Cup, will probably fill the placings today. The Classic Cup replay run 3 weeks ago.
The G1 Golden Slipper, the be all and end all of Australian two year old racing was run and won yesterday in Sydney. Farnan gave Gai Waterhouse her seventh win in the event.
On the same program, the British import Young Rascal at 15-2 lumped the top weight and out stayed the 4-5 favourite Mugatoo in the 2400m G2 Manion Cup.
The G1 Ranvet Stakes over 2000m went to the imported UK galloper Addeybb, a horse beaten less that a length when second behind Magical in Ascot's G1 Champion Stakes. They bet 5-2 about him. Not bad odds.
The 1500m G1 George Ryder went to Dreamforce, an honest old bloke who's earned his owners AU$2,000,000 at an average of 60 grand per start over the couse of his career.
G1 1100m Galaxy proved to be a real blowout. The first 4 paid $126,982.00. Anyone who cracked it will remember the winner's name forever. 25-1. 30-1. 15-1. 17-1.
That Golden Sixty is some animal, has all the gears, top class acceleration got the jockey out of trouble last 2 wins. 10 from 11 now I think from 6f to 10f.