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** Official Cricketweb Horseracing thread **

Molehill

Molehill

International Captain
The_CricketUmpire said:
Dubai Honour got beaten in the G1 Champions Stakes at Royal Ascot...yet comes to Australia and wins two G1s, including beating Anamoe.

Once again and quite rightly it puts into question what Anamoe was beating. Answer = not much. There isn't depth/quality in numbers in Australian racing currently and for the past decade at least at 1600m+

Oh well..
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He's a solid Group 2 horse in Europe, but not really Group 1. I don't think that was even the strongest renewal of the Champion Stakes, the soft ground was even in Honour's favour too. King Of Steel was well beaten by Auguste Rodin last time but made for a great story as Frankie's final ride at Ascot (assuming it is).

Performance of the day though was Big Rock in the QE2. I know it was soft, but not seen a mile field stretched out like that since a Frankel demolition. He hadn't really ever indicated he had a run like that in him and it seems he may have got away with one from the front, appeared to be going too fast but clearly wasn't. That was the highest quality field of the day too and he destroyed them.
 
The_CricketUmpire

The_CricketUmpire

U19 Vice-Captain
Molehill said:
He's a solid Group 2 horse in Europe, but not really Group 1. I don't think that was even the strongest renewal of the Champion Stakes, the soft ground was even in Honour's favour too. King Of Steel was well beaten by Auguste Rodin last time but made for a great story as Frankie's final ride at Ascot (assuming it is).

Performance of the day though was Big Rock in the QE2. I know it was soft, but not seen a mile field stretched out like that since a Frankel demolition. He hadn't really ever indicated he had a run like that in him and it seems he may have got away with one from the front, appeared to be going too fast but clearly wasn't. That was the highest quality field of the day too and he destroyed them.
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Exactly. Australian racing is not strong in terms of depth in numbers at 1600m+...hasn't been strong for at least a decade. G2/G3 horsed from Europe come to Australia and win G1s..
 
Molehill

Molehill

International Captain
The_CricketUmpire said:
Exactly. Australian racing is not strong in terms of depth in numbers at 1600m+...hasn't been strong for at least a decade. G2/G3 horsed from Europe come to Australia and win G1s..
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Yes, i think Addeybb was another who did it - he did win a Group 1 here but he was more a Group 2 horse.

It's why I always struggled to take Winx seriously. She was obviously a very good mare, but she needed to come to Europe to really prove she was out of the top drawer. That she didn't probably shows what the trainer knew/feared.

Feels like it's been a while since we've even seen an Aussie sprinter come to Europe.
 
_Ed_

_Ed_

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Artorius (hardly the cream of the Aussie sprinting crop) also ran third in two Group Ones there last year and fourth in this year's Jubilee.
 
Molehill

Molehill

International Captain
_Ed_ said:
Artorius (hardly the cream of the Aussie sprinting crop) also ran third in two Group Ones there last year and fourth in this year's Jubilee.
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Yep, it's funny that sprinting in Europe never seems to be as strong. We occasionally get the superstars, recent ones would be Blue Point or Battaash, but generally pretty average (certainly have been since Battaash retired). Shaquille was looking decent until he totally flopped in September. My all time fave was Dayjur, pretty certain I'll never see a sprinter that good again.

_Ed_ said:
Meanwhile, I was sad to see this news:
www.racingpost.com

Derby hero Desert Crown put down after failing to recover from serious injury

Last year's Derby winner Desert Crown has had to be put down after failing to recover from the serious fetlock injury he suffered on the Newmarket... Read More
www.racingpost.com www.racingpost.com

His Derby win was spectacular.
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Very sad, but injury prone throughout his career. I think he only ran 4 times in 3 years, but he did look a really decent Derby winner.
 
The_CricketUmpire

The_CricketUmpire

U19 Vice-Captain
Spanish Mission has a suspensory injury has been retired....not in Melbourne Cup. Was due to run in Geelong Cup on Wednesday but was scratched.

Below - Melbourne Cup Order of entry as of today 24th October...just take out Spanish Mission. I assume Racing Victoria will send updated Melbourne Cup Order of Entry later in week

2023-10-24-lexus-melbourne-cup-elimination-order-2nd-acc-oct-24-1-3.pdf
 
The_CricketUmpire

The_CricketUmpire

U19 Vice-Captain
The Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) today. This race has been a good guide to the Melbourne Cup: for those who like Melbourne Cup trifectas and quartets: since 1999 there has been 9 out of 23 years where the Geelong Cup winner has finished top 4 in the Melbourne Cup, that's an average of every 2.5 years and in 3 of those years the Geelong Cup/Melbourne Cup double was achieved.
 
_Ed_

_Ed_

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I don't expect it to be a strong form race this year - a 10-year-old just won it at odds upwards of 30-to-one.
 
Molehill

Molehill

International Captain
Dettori picked up a whip ban at Ascot on Saturday meaning he cannot now ride in the Melbourne Cup. Not sure who he would've ridden (maybe Absurde) but he won't be making the flight now.
 
_Ed_

_Ed_

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That was a fantastic Cox Plate. Would have given me another couple of hundred dollars' worth of stories to write if the photo had gone the other way, but it was awesome to watch either way. Great training performance to lift the winner to that level after a pretty lacklustre Australian debut in the Turnbull.

And Imperatriz is just a freak. That probably wasn't the strongest Manikato field ever, but she destroyed them and had plenty in reserve.
 
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