From Randwick and Moonee Valley to Kempton, spring campaigns continue
The Chelmsford Stakes, Feehan Stakes and September Stakes are all set to play their part in shaping feature markets
Races on both sides of the Murray River and on opposite sides of the world will play an important role in shaping markets for the upcoming spring features in Sydney and Melbourne when they unfold in the coming hours.
The Randwick meeting features horses right across the card that look set to play a part during the spring. The Chelmsford Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and the Tramway Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) are full of horses bound for Group 1 races over the coming weeks, while the Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) appears the first stepping stone towards the world’s richest race on turf, the $15 million The Everest (1200m).
The Chelmsford Stakes has been won by Chris Waller five of the last eight years, including with champion mare Winx (Street Cry) in 2017, and the trainer sends out nine of the 15 runners, including New Zealand Group 1 winners Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) and Miss Sentimental (Reliable Man).
Standing in their way, according to the TAB market, are Godolphin’s classy Avilius (Pivotal) and last year’s Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Angel Of Truth (Animal Kingdom), who sit one-two at the head of affairs.
Angel Of Truth steps out for the second time since joining the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes stable earlier this year.
He returned with an eye-catching second in the Spring Preview (1400m) behind Man Of Peace (Zariz) and he looks set for a big campaign as he seeks his first win since his Derby success.
“They say a change is as good as a holiday sometimes,” raceday rider Tommy Berry said. “It just changes their training routine around and sometimes it can spark a little bit of life back into them.
“He is no oil painting to look at and same to ride, he’s a no-nonsense sort of horse. But the way he let down the other day really impressed me.”
Down in Melbourne, the Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley offers a ballot-exempt position in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
While the field may not include the calibre of previous winners like Fiorente (Monsun), El Segundo (Pins), Fields Of Omagh (Rubiton), Northerly (Serheed) and Sunline (Desert Sun), the eight runners include a Cox Plate placegetter in Humidor (Teofilo), Group 1 winner Streets Of Avalon (Magnus) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) favourite Surprise Baby (Shocking).
The only trainer to have multiple runners in this year’s Feehan is Nick Ryan, who rode in the race twice and also prepared Mahamedeis (Magnus) to run second to Homesman (War Front) in this event last year.
The Cox Plate was a race in which Ryan was quoted as saying, “I’m dying to get a ride,” when asked by The Age in 2005. While that ride never came, it is clear that the jockey-turned-trainer still harbours a desire to win the race often labelled Australasia’s weight-for-age championship – a journey that can begin today when he sends out Mahamedeis and Sircconi (Nicconi) in the Feehan.
“I couldn’t get a ride in the Cox Plate. It would be something special to have a runner in it so I would give it serious consideration,” Ryan said, indicating that Mahamedeis was a stable favourite.
“He finished second in the race last year at his second run back from a break. He’s freshened up really well. He was from my first crop of yearlings I bought. He’s been our banner horse.”
Also daring to dream of a Cox Plate berth is trainer Matthew Brown, who sends out Exasperate (Tough Speed) in today’s Feehan.
Exasperate finished third in a 1600-metre open handicap at Caulfield last start and has become a model of consistency over the last year. The six-year-old filled the same position at a big price in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) at Sandown last November, giving his trainer the confidence to be able to target races like the Feehan.
“Half the reason why we thought we’d have a throw at the stumps is that every time I’ve raised the bar, he’s gone out and produced,” Brown told Racing.com. “I think he’s come back better than he was last preparation, which is always a bit of a worry when they’re in such good form, whether they come back up or improve.
“From the way he ran first-up and what we’ve seen from him at home, we’re pretty confident that he’s going even better than he was last time. We were happy with his work going into the Caulfield run but everything since has been a lot better, a lot sharper and you can certainly tell that he’s had a run because he’s tightened up.”
Exasperate was originally down to run in the Heatherlie Handicap (Listed, 1700m) last week, but Brown decided to wait a week after he drew barrier one in the Caulfield feature.
“With everything that has gone on this year, there were a lot of unknowns about what horses were going to be going to the Cox Plate so we thought we’d throw a nomination in,” he said. “The original plan was to run him last week and, if he ran really well, back him up this week but when he drew barrier one last week, which isn’t the ideal barrier for him, I thought we’ll just scratch and save him and have a crack at this race.
“If anything, it’s much of a muchness as last week’s race as far as strength goes.”
Surprise Baby is favourite for the Feehan, heading the market at $3 with TAB last night; Harbour Views (Le Havre) is a $4 hope, while Sircconi sits at $4.60.
Hours later, Prince Of Arran (Shirocco) will gear up for his third trip to Australia by taking in the September Stakes (Gr 3, 1m 4f) on the Kempton all-weather.
Charlie Fellowes’ stable star is the second–favourite in betting at 8-1, but he faces a seemingly insurmountable hurdle in the form of champion mare Enable (Nathaniel), who has her final start before next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m).
“Prince Of Arran had a holiday straight after Royal Ascot, he has had a bit of a different year to last year,” Fellowes said. “I was really keen after Saudi Arabia to have another crack at the Gold Cup. James (Doyle), when he rode him in Saudi, just said he was staying on well at the line and that maybe two and a half miles would be worth a crack, but sadly it rained.
“Australian soft ground and English soft ground are two completely different things. I wondered if we should have a go and see if he would handle it, having run well in two soft ground Melbourne Cups, but it just wasn’t for him and Stradivarius hacked up.”
Prince Of Arran remains a maiden on turf in the UK, although he has registered two wins, two seconds and two thirds from six starts in Australia on grass. However, he has a far stronger record on synthetic surfaces, including three wins on the Kempton all-weather and a third in the September Stakes last year.
“He’s had a little break since Royal Ascot and he is now back in good form,” Fellowes continued. “I was really looking forward to going and hopefully winning the September Stakes, until I heard that Enable was going to run there and that has slightly dampened our hopes. He is going to run there whatever, it will be a prep run for Australia.
“He loves Kempton, I want him to go and have a nice run. Enable will be impossible to beat, but hopefully he can go and have a proper blow, get some fitness into his legs and go down to Australia 80 or 90 per cent fit. A run in Australia before the Melbourne Cup should then put him spot on.”
The September Stakes jumps at 11:35pm Australian Eastern Standard Time tonight.