The Championships came to a close with yet another well above average performance from a three-year-old filly.
TREASURETHE MOMENT took out the G1 ATC Oaks (2400m) but the victory wasn’t without some anxious moments. Matt Laurie’s filly was still 1.3L off them at the 200m and the leaders weren’t stopping courtesy of a lead speed that was 16L below standard!
It might’ve looked a narrow and somewhat unconvincing win but the clock is suggesting TREASURETHE MOMENT has pulled something pretty special out to win this.
Here’ some perspective. FANGIRL has one of the best turns of foot in our weight-for-age ranks. She outsprinted VIA SISTINA first-up and on Saturday won another G1 off a slow tempo when taking out the Queen Of The Turf Stakes over 1600m.
Well, TREASURETHE MOMENT clocked a faster last 200m than her. That’s what this Victorian filly had to pull out to win the Oaks. Damian Lane was doing his best Hugh Bowman impersonation – think Winx and the 2018 Turnbull Stakes when Hughy forced every punter on course to change their underwear after really, really, really leaving his run late on the $1.10 pop.
We’re a long way from comparing TREASURETHE MOMENT to WINX but this filly is virtually unstoppable from 1400m to 2500m on a fast tempo or a slow one. They just can’t beat her.
But she’s one of four fillies – AELIANA, LADY SHENANDOAH and AUTUMN GLOW (who was unfortunately a late scratching from last Saturday’s Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint due to an elevated temperature) that can measure up to our best WFA horses in the spring.
Speaking of best WFA horses, VIA SISTINA was superb in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) when overcoming a chequered passage form the 600m. Again, we saw this mare absorb pressure like no other currently in racing. Its not often you see a horse in a fast run race gets stopped at the top of the straight but pick itself up to come back underneath its rivals and win. But she did it, and she did it easily. Her winning time was 5L above standard and if they press on to the Cox Plate this year then she is clearly the one to beat.
This weekend marks the final Group 1 2YO contest in Sydney for the season – Champagne Stakes over 1600m. NEPOTISM is clearly the one to beat but if the speed map indicates some pace in the race then I wouldn’t be putting the pen through MICHELANGELO just yet. Last Saturday’s Fernhill Handicap was a farcically run affair and this son of TRAPEZE ARTIST lacks acceleration and is desperate for a fast run race.
I see SIR DELIUS trialled for Gai and Adrian yesterday with Tim Clark in the saddle. This son of FRANKEL cost plenty of coin when they plucked him from a sale overseas last year. I’d suggest he will be given a European-style Melbourne Cup preparation, which hopefully means you will see him in Queensland over the winter. I say hopefully because for the last few years all my futures punting on the Melbourne Cup is on horses that raced through our winter. They don’t need to run more than 2 or 3 times but enough to keep them reasonably fit as it means they don’t need to be pounded with work in the early part of the spring. When I was in the UK in 2016, I had the privilege or attending a trackwork session at Newmarket through the Cumani team. When I asked one of the greatest trainers of stayers we’ve seen why their horses race for months before coming to Australia, I got a swift reply – “Its easier to keep an older horse in the zone than to get an older horse in the zone”.
Proven Thoroughbreds’ week started with the highly promising FLYING BANDIT, who was second-up at Hawkesbury on Wednesday. He contested the BM78 1800m event and was run off his feet early with the race tempo around 2L above standard through the first 1200m. Fortunately, the field came home their last 600m more than 4L below standard, which meant FLYING BANDIT only had to clock 35.52 for his last 600m to win. Interestingly, it wasn’t until his last 200m the son of TRAPEZE ARTIST really smashed benchmark figures, this section of his race was 2L above standard and clearly his best section. It shows he will relish even further in time.
On Friday at the Gold Coast TINTAURA stepped out for just the second time in her career and not a lot went right for the daughter of SPIRIT OF BOOM. She didn’t begin particularly well and found some rump steak at the top of the straight. She posted flat sectionals indicating she will appreciate further. I’d be keeping an eye on her as I think you’ll get a good price when she wins.
Then it was over to ICONIC TREASURE at Newcastle on Saturday. With 61.5kg and 3.5 weeks between runs, he found it too much when labouring for 6th beaten 3.5L. His last 200m was poor ranking 2nd last in his race and around 2L below standard. It was his worst performance this campaign but we know he’s better than that so watch for improvement next time.
Nic Ashman is a form expert who has developed his own times rating system to assess races. He is the host of The Beaten Favourite podcast and appears on several other racing media outlets.