Royal Symphony’s Fast Sectional Times Confirm He Is A Quality Colt With A Bright Future
After an easy win on debut in a Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1200m) at Pakenham on 25 May, Royal Symphony advanced to city class in impressive fashion in the Gippsland Region Two-Year-Old Handicap (1400m).
Dwayne Dunn rode the colt quietly from barrier nine and remained last in the 12-horse field before going widest of all on turning for home.
Royal Symphony then showed a great turn of foot, putting in a quick run to hit the front within 200 metres before racing away to score, seemingly with plenty in hand, by three and three quarter lengths.
The performance was impressive visually and subsequently confirmed with some outstanding sectional times.
Racing on a Good 4 track, Royal Symphony was timed to run his final 1200 metres in 1:08.83, last 1000 metres in 57.29, last 600 metres in 33.28, last 400 metres in 22.14 with his final 200 metres in 11.35.
The colt’s sectional breakdown from the 600 metre point being especially noteworthy with 200 metre fractions of 11.14, 10.79 (when he went from last to first) and 11.35.
Royal Symphony is likely to have one more two-year-old start before being set for three-year-old stakes races in the spring with the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) now becoming a realistic target for the progressive colt judging by Saturday’s success.
Feature racing last weekend was at Doomben, and the Queensland Winter Carnival approaches its end with the running of the last Group One race of the season, the Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1350m) for fillies and mares.
Victory went to the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained mare Tycoon Tara (Written Tycoon), the rising seven-year-old showing a return to form under the weight-for-age conditions to take out her first Group One race.
A winner previously five times at Group level, Tycoon Tara had been unplaced in her prior four runs this preparation, but after a quick beginning from her good barrier (3) she was always going to be hard to run down after Kerrin McEvoy was able to dictate a reasonable early tempo.
With her first 750 metres clocking 44.62 (11.80 200m rate), equivalent to the first 800 metres in 47.59, Tycoon Tara grabbed a break rounding the home turn and although tiring nearing the post, she had enough in hand to win narrowly.
She held on to defeat the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Prompt Response (Beneteau) by a long head with the favourite In Her Time (Time Thief) three quarter lengths away third, staging a game run after a difficult wide trip.
Tycoon Tara sprinted home in quick time on the Good 4 track, with her last 600 metres in 34.72, last 400 metres in 23.26 with her final 200 metres in 11.93.
The effort of the runner up Prompt Response was particularly good considering the sprint home conditions of the race, that filly coming from eighth at the 600 metres point with a late run after finally getting a split halfway down the straight.
In the previous race at Doomben, opposite tactics were applied by Hugh Bowman aboard the highly consistent six-year-old gelding Religify (Choisir) in the G H Mumm Open Quality (Listed, 1615m).
After working from his outside barrier (10), Religify was taken to the front mid-race, ensuring a strong tempo before fighting back gamely under his 60.5 kilogram top weight to win by three quarters of a length from the mare Payroll (Not A Single Doubt), whom he conceded 6.5 kilograms.
Time for the 1615 metre journey on a Good 4 track was 1:37.35 (12.05 200m rate), equivalent to 1600 metres in 1:36.44 (first 1000 metres in 61.34 and final 600 metres in 35.10).
Religify has now won 13 of 30 starts and the win was the Chris Waller-trained gelding’s third Listed success in four starts this preparation, all during the Queensland winter carnival.
In the W J Healy Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) the James Cummings-trained gelding Burning Passion (Northern Meteor) advanced from winning a Benchmark 95 (1200m) at Eagle Farm on 27 May, when having his second run this preparation, to take out his first Group race in 21 starts.
After beginning well from his inside barrier, Burning Passion enjoyed a good trip in fourth place on the rails before getting through to take the lead at the 300 metres. He then fought back to score well by a half length from the outsider Irish Constabulary (Flying Spur).
Time for the 1200 metre journey of 1:09.06 was smart in the Good 4 conditions with the 200 metre rate of 11.60 being the quickest of the day.
The first 600 metres clocking 34.42 with the last 600 metres being run in 34.64, last 400 metres in 23.58 with the final 200 metres in 12.07.
The win took Burning Passion’s consistent career record to six wins (with seven placings) in 21 starts, the gelding now joining the Mark Newnham stable with James Cummings about to take up the position as Godolphin’s Australian head trainer.
Earlier in the Doomben program, the Peter Robl-trained, Segenhoe-raced two-year-old gelding Curdled (All Too Hard) staged a promising effort in taking out the Winning Edge Stakes (Listed, 1350m).
After placings at four of his first five starts, Curdled broke through for his first win, doing so narrowly but well, stepping up to Listed class.
Curdled tracked a good tempo, racing in fifth place, before moving up nearing the home turn. He challenged at the 200 metres and then after quite a battle he gained the decision by a nose from the Sunshine Coast-trained filly Marseille En Fleur (Swiss Ace).
Time for the 1350 metre journey was 1:20.64, on a track rated at that stage of the program as Soft 5. That represented a 200 metre rate of 11.94, equivalent to 1400 metres in 1:23.62 (first 800m 48.01 and last 600m in 35.61).