Last week was a bit of disaster with the postponement of Rosehill and Doomben but we’re back on track this week with five to follow.
We’ll start with Royal Randwick where it’s Day 1 of The Championships.
Evaporate has been solid in all three runs this preparation and the Lindsay Park trained gelding looks well placed to get the job done this Saturday in the Carbine Club Stakes. He made the trip across to ditch to Ellersie last start to contest The Kiwi and was shuffled back on the point of the turn but charged home late into second.
Luckless when resuming in the Autumn Stakes, he was then caught three deep without cover when contesting the Futurity Stakes but stuck on gamely to hold fourth. The slight rise to the mile here will suit, he’ll relish a bit of give in the track and draws to get the gun run under Blake Shinn.
Aeliana has been terrific in all three runs this campaign and there’s no doubt that with clear running, she would have won the Rosehill Guineas last start. Settling midfield on the rail, the filly looked to be tracking into the race beautifully but 250m out had a tiring horse fall back in her lap which halted her momentum, and she then had to pick up again and charged late to get within a nose of Broadsiding on the line.
A daughter of Castelvecchio, she has continued to improve, and she looks a genuine staying filly. The rise to 2400m in the ATC Derby will suit, she’s unbeaten in two starts on soft tracks and draws to get a cosy throughout.
One that’s caught my attention is Ironton and he lines up at Caulfield this Saturday in race 2. Prepared by the Hawkes team, this son of Lope De Vega returns to the races off a lengthy spell, he’s been gelded since his last raceday appearance and his performance in a recent jump out suggests he’s come back in top order.
A winner over 1250m on the Kensington on debut back in January of last year, he then stepped out over 1400m at Rosehill but was never on the track and despite enduring a tough run, he stuck on gamely to finish only 1.4 lengths from the winner. He looked good in a Rosehill trial back in September but didn’t make it to the races and with such a long time off, he’s obviously had an issue but the team look to have him back on track and I think he’s one to follow.
Superazi is a horse I’ve always had a lot of time for. He’s yet to win a big race but he’s as honest as they come and he’s continued to perform well as he’s worked his way up to stronger races. His last start effort in the Newmarket Handicap which was his first appearance at Group One level, was simply superb.
Sent out at a big price, the Super One gelding settled back at the rear and didn’t have a lot of room but move but when the gaps appeared he sprinted strongly to claim fifth. With a month since that run, he’s been given a 1000m trial and he’ll relish stepping out to 1400m.
I thought there was plenty of merit in Mighty‘s most recent run as finished off strongly after being shuffled right back and racing a tad ungenerously. It was her first appearance since returning to the Tony Gollan stable and I expect to see a big improvement from her as she steps out at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The well named mare had spent the previous twelve months down in Victoria under the care of Peter Moody and Kath Coleman where she performed well against solid company. A winner on 1000m on the Sandown Lakeside before returning home, she just found herself too far back over the 1100m at the Gold Coast but powered home down the outside to finish fifth. She drops back in grade and has great record over this shorter trip.