All placegetters in Vinery Stud Stakes impress with strong sectional times
The race saw Michael Dee obtain an uncontested lead with the Mick Price-trained filly Hiyaam (High Chaparral) and after some moderate early sectionals, he lifted the tempo significantly on passing the 800 metre point.
Hiyaam turned for home with a dominant lead, before holding on really well to score by just under two lengths from the late-closing Chris Waller-trained filly Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) with Aloisia (Azamour) also making good late ground for third.
Time for the 2000 metre journey on the Good 4 track was 2:03.52, which was 0.62 seconds faster than the colt Levendi’s (Pierro) 2:04.14, recorded earlier in winning the Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m).
Hiyaam covered the first 1200 metres of the Vinery Stud Stakes in a moderate 1:16.46 with a solid pace coming into the event shortly afterwards recording 200 metre sections of 11.90, 11.44, 11.66 and 12.00 to give her a final 800 metres in 47.00, last 600 metres in 35.10 and final 400 metres in 23.66.
Unforgotten, who was featured in this column recently after producing fast closing sectionals in winning the Phar Lap Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill, again impressed with her sectional breakdown in coming from near the tail of the field to take second.
She returned the best closing times for the race, Unforgotten clocking 45.84 (last 800m), 34.12 (last 600m) and 22.85 for her final 400 metres – fast sectionals.
The third-placed Aloisia, who had been forced to travel deep from a difficult barrier (13) before improving to be a distant sixth at the 600 metres, also recorded really good sectionals times.
Aloisia’s 200 metre breakdown from the 800 metres was: 11.73, 11.36, 11.47 and 11.87 to give her a final 800 metres in 46.43, last 600 metres in 34.70 with her final 400 metres in 23.34.
Crownbet now has Unforgotten at the top of their ATC Australian Oaks betting at $4.20 with Hiyaam at $6, sharing that price with the John Sargent-trained Luvaluva (Mastercraftsman) who runs in Saturday’s Adrian Knox Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) with Aloisia at $7.
Saturday’s Tulloch Stakes winner Levendi also runs on Saturday, advancing to tackle the ATC Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m).
The Peter Gelagotis-trained colt is now the winner of two Group races from nine starts and the Tulloch Stakes was his fourth run this preparation, suggesting further improvement is likely but he is yet to prove himself over the 2400 metre distance.
After being given a good trip by Mark Zahra, Levendi fought on well to defeat the Godolphin-raced colt Astoria (Medaglia d’Oro) by a short head.
Levendi returned the second fastest last 600 metres of the race at 35.06, the fastest being the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Belfast (Teofilo) who settled in last place from a wide barrier before running on in an eye-catching effort for fifth, beaten just over two lengths, clocking 34.33.
The feature race of the day, the H E Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m), saw the 2016 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Almandin (Monsun) prove the superior stayer after appreciating a solid mid-race tempo.
Almandin was ridden in a manner to capitalise on his stamina by Kerrin McEvoy and after moving up strongly nearing the home turn, Almandin then drew clear to score by just over a length from the Japanese-bred Ambitious (Deep Impact) with Who Shot Thebarman (Yamanin Vital) a half-head way third.
Time for the 2400 metre journey was 2:30.11, with the pace really coming into it from the 800 metres, Almandin clocking 47.28 for that final section with his last 600 metres in 35.61 and his final 400 metres in 23.92.
Surprisingly, some of the best closing times were recorded by the rising ten-year-old Who Shot Thebarman, whose performance and bright appearance pre-race suggest that he is far from a spent force.
Who Shot Thebarman clocked his last 800 metres in 46.93, last 600 metres in 35.48 with his last 400 metres in 23.68.
The Richard Freedman-trained, French-bred stayer Auvray (Le Havre) also made ground over the final 800 metres to finish sixth, beaten just over two lengths, clocking the quickest last 800 metres of the race in 46.80, with his final 600 metres in 35.26 and last 400 metres in 23.75.
Most of the H E Tancred Stakes runners will meet again in Saturday week’s Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) at Randwick but most on much different terms going from weight-for-age to handicap conditions.
Almandin will carry the 57 kilograms top weight and will be meeting Ambitious 1.5 kilograms worse, Who Shot Thebarman 2.0 kilograms worse, the fifth-placed Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt) 2.0 kilograms worse while he will be meeting Auvray 5.0 kilograms worse.
Auvray returned some of the best closing times in the H E Tancred Stakes, plus he was a dual Group winner over 3000 metres at Longchamp earlier in his career, factors that suggests that Auvray has very sound claims with only 52 kilograms in the Sydney Cup where Crownbet have him at $11.00.
