Late Season Two-Year-Olds Impress With Their Smart Sectional Times
Lone Eagle, who was having only his third start, did not show much early pace and settled in third last place in the nine-horse field in the opening race, the Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
After going deep rounding the home turn, Lone Eagle then sprinted smartly to score by a head, appearing to do so with something in hand in a time of 1:11.32 on a Good 4 track, rated by Racing And Sports as being 0.39 seconds slow per 200 metres.
Clocked individually from the 1000 metre mark, Lone Eagle ran 200 metre sections of 10.85, 11.40 (400m in 22.95), 11.95 (600m in 34.90), 11.31 (800m in 46.30) and 11.64 to give him a smart final 1000 metre time of 57.15.
Using the Racing And Sports average standard time adjustment, Lone Eagle’s final 1000 metres equates to an impressive 55.20.
Lone Eagle clearly has a good turn of foot but he also hit the line in a manner to suggest that he is a colt that should appreciate further, indicating that he could develop into a sound prospect for the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in the spring.
Then at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday, the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained filly Smart Coupe (Smart Missile) followed her impressive debut win at Wangaratta on 22 June with another very good win in the Two-Year-Old Fillies’ Handicap (1200m).
After beginning well, she went to the front and after sprinting clear halfway down the straight, Smart Coupe went on to score comfortably by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:12.31 on a Soft 6 track, rated by Racing And Sports as being 0.32 seconds slow per 200 metres.
Clocked from the 1000 metre point, Smart Coupe ran 200 metre sections of 11.21, 12.27 (400m in 23.48), 11.19 (600m in 34.67), 11.57 (800m in 47.22) and 12.19 for a final 1000 metre time of 58.43.
Again using the Racing And Sports average standard time adjustment Smart Coupe’s final 1000 metres equates to a very smart 56.83.
Smart Coupe, now unbeaten in two starts, looks a filly with a good future.
At Rosehill on Saturday, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt Hualalai (Street Cry) put up a really good effort in winning the Two-Year-Old Handicap (1400m).
Having his fifth race start and his third run this preparation, Hualalai began quite well and was positioned more handily on this occasion in fourth place for Hugh Bowman.
After tracking a moderate early tempo, Hualalai moved up nearing the home turn and after taking the lead at the 200 metres, he was given an easy time by Bowman in the closing stages to win impressively by a length and a quarter.
Hualalai’s early times were moderate with his 600 metres, from the 1200 metres to the 600 metres, being only 36.74 but the pace picked up noticeably from that point, with the colt then clocking 34.62 for his last 600 metres and 22.95 for his final 400 metres.
Racing And Sports rated the track as being 0.53 seconds slow per 200 metres, adding further merit to those closing times.
In one of the features at the Rosehill meeting, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained sprinter Gold Symphony (Reward For Effort) returned after a sound sixth in the recent Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1350m) at Doomben to take out the Civic Stakes (Listed, 1350m) in good style.
Ridden by leading jockey Hugh Bowman, Gold Symphony was eased from his wide barrier (10) and after being suited by a solid tempo, he came from near last in the 13-horse field with a wide run to score an impressive late-closing win.
Racing on a Soft 6 track (rated as being 0.27 seconds slow per 200m), Gold Symphony was timed to run his last 1200 metres, 69.66, last 1000 metres in 58.24, last 800 metres in 46.74, last 600 metres in 34.88 with his final 400 metres in 23.10.
It was Gold Symphony’s sixth win from 20 starts and the four-year-old gelding’s second win at Listed level. He also won twice in Group Three class as a three-year-old when in the stables of now retired trainer Peter Moody.
In the following race at Rosehill, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old gelding Calanda (Snitzel) also returned after racing in Queensland and he ran some of the quickest closing sectional times of the meeting in taking out the Benchmark 93 Handicap (1100m).
After racing back in seventh place, Calanda came off a good early tempo and finished too well to score a very good win by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:04.59 (11.74 200m rate), equivalent to 1:10.46.
Racing on a track still rated as a Soft 6 (rated as being 0.29 seconds slow per 200m), Calanda was timed to run his last 1000 metres in 56.03, last 800 metres in 44.95, last 600 metres in 33.81 with his final 400 metres in 22.56.
The win was Calanda’s fourth from only ten starts to date, and Saturday’s victory suggests that he is an improving young sprinter capable of progressing and be effective at Listed and lower Group level.