September 22, 2018
by Ross Stanley
One aspect of thoroughbred racing in this State that has stood the test of time is the beneficial impacts of its winter climate.
The exacta in last Saturday’s $1 million Golden Rose (Group 11400m) at Rosehill replicated the result of the $611,386 BRC J.J. Atkins Stakes that was decided at Doomben in June when The Autumn Sun and Zousain were the first pair home.
The Chris Waller-trained colts joined a long list of gallopers who followed up a podium placing in the glamour mile event for juveniles with glorious deeds early in their sophomore season.
Way back in 1976, Surround ran third to Romantic Dream and Family of Man in the important Eagle Farm contest.
Four months later, the grey filly saluted in the Cox Plate.
Other examples to score in the spring include Luskin Star (1978 Caulfield Guineas), Scomeld (1978 VRC Oaks), Cossack Prince (1982 Sandown Guineas), Kinjite (1991 Spring Champion Stakes), Slight Chance (1992 Flight Stakes, VRC Oaks), Al Mansour (1997 Schweppes – now Moir – Stakes), Mossman (1998 AAMI Vase), Show A Heart (2000 Caulfield Guineas), Darci Brahma (2005 NZ 2000 Guineas), Zoustar (2013 Golden Rose, Coolmore Stud Stakes), Brazen Beau (2014 Coolmore Stud Stakes), Press Statement (2015 Stan Fox Stakes, Caulfield Guineas), Sacred Elixir (2016 Caulfield Guineas Prelude) and Aloisia (2017 One Thousand Guineas).
Meanwhile Red Anchor (1984 Caulfield Guineas, Cox Plate, VRC Derby) and Mahogany (1993 Caulfield Guineas,VRC Derby, Cox Plate runner-up) were outstanding as Spring three-year-olds.
Of course, a number of the Atkins Stakes’ placegetters such as Dr Grace and Flotilla thrived in the Autumn.
The likes of Chief de Beers, Prince Salieri, Prince Frolic, Freemason and Zedative were classy as older competitors.
There was good news for Queensland at Caulfield last Saturday when Winter Bride, the promising Not A Single Doubt mare from Toby Edmonds’ Gold Coast stable, picked up the bouquet after the Group 3 How Now Stakes was run.
* * *
An Epsom Omen?
Invictus Prince, the Dansili (GB) gelding that was known as Mainstream when it sported the livery of her breeder, Her Majesty The Queen in Britain, did not compete at the famous Epsom course.
The bay is around 25/1 for Saturday’s rich Randwick mile that was named after the home of the English Derby.
The change of monicker for the import was very deliberate.
Geoff Grimish, a war veteran, has an involvement with the Invictus Games.
Accordingly, he also races Invictus Salute and Invictus Warrior.
Invictus Prince ($151) was runner-up, beaten two lengths by Winx, in the Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last month.
Although he was not disgraced in the Ritchie Handicap over the same course and distance a fortnight ago, a longer trip is more his caper.
If the hustle and bustle of the Epsom Handicap is a bridge too far for Invictus Prince, the Craven Plate (2000m) to be staged when Prince Harry is in Sydney for the Games could be a right royal occasion in more ways than one.
Later this year, Grimish will journey to Belgium for the commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the end of the World War I.
* * *
Bits And Bridles
- There are no Eastern Downs or South East Queensland country meetings set down for this weekend. Hannah English’s schedule embraces Rockhampton, Doomben, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast. Capricornia is Hannah Phillips’ focus. She has engagements lined up for Rockhampton and Clermont.
- English and Phillips are in form. Recently, the former booted home Implacable at Toowoomba for Shane and Adam Barling while the latter prevailed on her Nanango winner, the Patrick Sexton trained Ask Audrey, at Dalby.
- Canid just cannot crack a decent draw in the city. He was out in the boondocks in the Battle Of The Bush and has to jump from an outside gate in the large field in Saturday’s BM 75 company at Doomben. The 1050 metre starting point offers only a short run to the first turn so English and the plucky veteran will need some luck.
