There has never been a better time in Australian racing’s history to have a top class 1400m horse.
Its amazing how 1400m (or seven furlongs) has become the ideal distance for a horse to specialise in. In recent years, the Winx Stakes, Memsie Stakes and even the CF Orr Stakes (if you’re prepared to go back to 1993) have been elevated to G1 status. We already had G1 WFA 1400m races in the All Aged Stakes and Futurity Stakes. So now we have five G1 WFA 1400m races on the Australian calendar – no other distance has that. On top of this, we have two G1 1400m handicaps – Sir Rupert Clarke and Stradbroke Handicap to cater for those horses on the way through.
JIMMYSTAR well and truly announced himself as Australia’s premier WFA 1400m horse with a highly rated victory in the G1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Ciaron Maher’s charge won the G1 Oakleigh Plate earlier this autumn before trying to come from the tail on a leader-dominated Moonee Valley track when 3rd in the G1 William Reid Stakes – his first go at G1 WFA.
A trip up the Hume Highway saw JIMMYSTAR again the subject of misfortune when he produced the best late splits of the race in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) behind BRIASA on Day 1 of The Championships. He atoned brilliantly last Saturday despite the slow tempo with the step up to 1400m ideal for him, not so much his rivals. His overall time was bang on G1 average but his last 200m was more than 2L above standard indicating a faster tempo would’ve seen JIMMYSTAR rate better.
NEPOTISM won the G1 Champagne Stakes with a jaw-dropping last to first victory in the 2YO feature. But the clock says this was another below par G1 for what is looking like an ordinary bunch of juveniles. The tempo was fast but the overall time was only average and even though NEPOTISM looked great storming down the outside, the fact is he was running past horses that weren’t going fast.
I thought the G3 James HB Carr Stakes was a race to follow. LILAC was good winning but she was one of four leaders to win on the day. MORE TERRITORIES produced the best last 200m of the race and is desperate for a 1400m contest with fast tempo. If she gets that and a run on track then she’ll finally land another win. But the filly to follow out of the race is Nathan Doyle’s girl, CHURCHILL’S CHOICE. She was resuming after winning all three starts last prep that culminated in a BM72 victory at Randwick over 1600m. No doubt she was conceding race fitness yet finished 1L off the winner.
This Saturday we have the SA Oaks and Robert Sangster Classic over in Adelaide. Here’s a stat to remember while doing your form – 12 of the last 17 SA Oaks winners won their previous start and only one of them, INVEST (2012), missed a place when she finished 4th. Make sure your filly is in form.
Back home and Proven Thoroughbreds started their week with LITTLE COINTREAU at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. The gelding was first-up in a BM72 that rated as the race of the day with the winner MEDIA WORLD beating standard time by 6L. No doubt LITTLE COINTREAU will strip fitter and the consensus at home is he’ll be better suited out to 1400m.
The team had some scratchings over the weekend with progressive galloper FLYING BANDIT withdrawn from the JRA Plate at Randwick on Saturday. He’ll now be running either Friday or Saturday and is well worth watching.
Easter Monday saw IN FLIGHT resume at Canterbury and she did a terrific job to finish second to the talented PISANELLO, who won during the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington. It was the fastest of 4 x 1100m races on the day and clearly the best last 600m of that quartet. What this mare needs is some rain and she’ll be back in the winners circle in no 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.