Surprise McNeil Stakes winner Native Soldier returns surprisingly fast sectional times
Having his first run since resuming with a third in the Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield a fortnight earlier, Native Soldier started at odds of $15 but his performance in overcoming the outside barrier (15) and a hectic tempo, will not see him at such generous odds in the future.
“I didn’t see that coming. I thought he’s made a bit of improvement from his first-up run but I didn’t think he’d made that much improvement,” commented his trainer Darren Weir.
After a very fast beginning, Native Soldier showed great pace to cross to the lead. He then ran along at a really solid tempo, was pressured approaching the home turn, but despite those early efforts, he dashed clear on turning for home and went on to score by almost three lengths.
The time for the 1200 metre journey was 1:09.70 on a Good4 track, affected during the day by some heavy showers, while the sectional times did not appear to have been deadened by the conditions.
Native Soldier’s early sectionals (from the 1000 metre point) being best demonstrated by the 200 metre breakdown: 10.45, 11.08 (400m in 21.53), 11.49 (600m in 33.02), 11.28 (800m in a very fast 44.30) and 12.03 to give the colt an impressive final 1000 metre time of 56.33.
He is now a winner of three of seven starts, Saturday being his first stakes victory but a repeat of that effort would see Native Soldier remain most competitive in black type events with next month’s Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) looking a likely target.
The Darren Weir stable produced another winner earlier in the day, the New Zealand-bred gelding Night’s Watch (Redwood) who not only won in impressive fashion but also recorded fast closing sectionals in taking out the Jockey Celebration Day Handicap (1400m).
Also having his second run this preparation after his promising first-up second to the in-form Theanswermyfriend (High Chaparral) at Flemington on August 11, Night’s Watch came from back in eighth place to score easily by just over two lengths in a time of 1:23.25.
Tracking a reasonable early tempo, Night’s Watch showed a great turn of foot to score, producing fast closing sectionals of 1:08.94 (last 1200m), 57.31 (last 1000m), 45.74 (last 800m), 34.02 (last 600m), 22.42 (last 400m) and 11.51 for his final 200 metres.
Night’s Watch is now the winner of seven of 15 starts, none at stakes level as yet, but the stable obviously felt that he is up to the task and he is to back-up in tomorrow’s Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley and judging by Saturday’s victory he will acquit himself well despite the rapid rise in class.
The leading stable capped a memorable day later in the program when another New Zealand-bred in Humidor (Teofilo), also having his second run this preparation, raced more tractably and produced a strong finish to take out the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
In a another somewhat surprising win at odds of $21 in a race generally considered a bit short of his best distance, Humidor came with a late run from ninth to grab a short-head victory over Kementari (Lonhro) in a time of 1:23.29.
Humidor clocked fast closing sectionals with his last 1200 metres in 1:08.88, last 1000 metres in 57.46, last 800 metres in 45.65, last 600 metres in 34.08, last 400 metres in 22.62 with his final 200 metres in 11.55.
Now a triple Group 1 winner, highlighted by his 2017 Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) victory, the now six-year-old Humidor is far from a spent force with more Group 1 victories now being a firm possibility.
Another to impress on the watch, in the Memsie Stakes was the winner’s Darren Weir-trained stablemate Kings Will Dream (Casamento) who ran on strongly from last in the 11-horse field for a close-up third.
Kings Will Dream clocked 1:08.83 (last 1200m), 57.23 (last 1000m), 45.42 (last 800m) 34.02 (last 600m), 22.51 (last 400m) with his final 200 metres in 11.51.
The Irish-bred Kings Will Dream has a highly consistent record with six wins and three thirds from ten starts and he is shaping as being well-worthy of his early favouritism for next month’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m).
In The Heath (Gr 3, 1100m), the Joe Pride-trained eight-year-old Ball Of Muscle (Dubawi) produced one of his best performances, appreciating the somewhat affected conditions, with a strong on-pace victory despite his rising years and suspect feet.
After a brilliant beginning Ball Of Muscle led throughout, holding on gamely to score by a length from the recent Aurie’s Star Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible).
Ball Of Muscle’s 200 metre breakdown (from the 1000m) was: 10.65, 10.76 (400m in 21.41), 11.40 (600m in 32.81), 11.11 (800m in 43.92) with his final 200 metres in 11.75 to give him a fast final 1000 metres in 55.67.
The runner-up Voodoo Lad, who came from second last at the home turn, clocked fast closing sectionals with his last 1000 metres in 55.18, last 800 metres in 44.27, last 600 metres in 33.30, last 400 metres in 22.13 with his final 200 metres in 11.31.
Fifth-placed Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega), a slot-holder for next month’s $13m The Everest (1200m), resumed and came from the tail of the field, clocking 55.26 (last 1000m), 44.30 (last 800m), 33.20 (last 600m), 22.13 (last 400m) with his final 200 metres in 11.28.
Another The Everest aspirant, Redzel (Snitzel), winner of the inaugural Everest last year, showed he is on target for a successful defence at Randwick next month, with a most impressive first-up victory in the Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Saturday’s Randwick meeting.
Having his first start back from a spell, Redzel raced outside of the speedy and talented mare Invincible Star (I Am Invincible) and then proved too good despite his 60.5 kilogram top weight and torrid early tempo to win comfortably in a fast 56.19 for the 1000 metre journey.
And Redzel’s sectional times really took the eye, his 200 metre breakdown (from the 800 metres) being: 10.36, 10.70 (400m in 21.06), 10.70 (a very fast 600m in 31.66) with his final 200 metres in 11.71 to give him a brilliant last 800 metre time of 42.83.