Saturday Post Mortem with Chris Scholtz

by Chris Scholtz
6 years ago 3 minute read

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Chris Scholtz reviews racing around Australia and elsewhere on March 3.

THE STARS

WINX! WINX!...and WINX!: The scribes have run out of superlatives to describe this wonderful mare. Just marvel at the statistics as she goes about her job in such superb style. Let’s hope the world gets to see her at her best…..Go on Chris Waller – take them on!

MICK PRICE: Some days are diamonds! Grunt gives him a third win in the G1 Australian Guineas and a super return by classy mare Secret Agenda make up a black type double at Flemington while Seabrook clinches a Golden Slipper start with a G2 win at Randwick in the Sweet Embrace Stakes.

DAMIEN OLIVER: The champion jockey makes it 109 G1 wins with a superb ride on Grunt for his third Australian Guineas victory. He’s now passed Roy Higgins and needs just 10 more to equal George Moore as Australia’s greatest G1 winning rider.

JASON COLLETT: A fine treble at Randwick shows again that he is clearly one of the top form riders in Sydney this season. Patience and timing are his hallmarks – watch the Crack Me Up replay.

ANTHONY FREEDMAN: The stable is ticking over quite nicely thank you with a G1 win at Randwick with Shoals and a Flemington victory with stable favourite Nozomi. The quiet one of the family just goes about getting the job done with no fanfare.

MURRAY BAKER/ANDREWFORSMAN: The all-conquering Kiwi stable lands another classic with Vin De Dance in the NZ Derby at Ellerslie. He is Sydney-bound for the ATC Derby along with stablemate Mongolian Marshal, also an impressive winner on the Derby program. Watch out!

TALKING POINTS

LOOKING AHEAD: The Golden Slipper picture came into focus with solid wins by Santos and Seabrook at Randwick but they left the impression that the race still revolves around Sunlight, Performer, Written By and perhaps Estijaab.

Seabrook was visually the more impressive of the pair on Saturday with a lot to like about her strong surge in the last 100 metres to clock faster time than Santos. In his defence he is a bombproof colt with the ideal racing style for a Slipper as he can hold a forward position and kicks off the pace.

Winx aside, the win of the day came from Crack Me Up who left no doubt he is a big player in the Doncaster Mile with a super first-up win in the Liverpool City Cup. And not many would have missed the first-up run of Egg Tart behind him – they are clearly the pair going forward out of this race. Note connections have already pulled the plug on the Doncaster for Care To Think to concentrate on a Stradbroke Handicap campaign.

Will the Australian Guineas form stand up in Sydney? You would think so given that it was a hard run mile (note how the leader Cliff’s Edge was gassed by fast early sectionals) and the winner Grunt looks made for 2000 metres in the Rosehill Guineas.

And watch out for the Kiwis! Murray Baker has done it again with another Derby winner Vin De Dance at Ellerslie and he’s now bound for the ATC Derby – Baker’s classic record speaks for itself!

BOUQUETS AND BRICKBATS

CLARE CUNNINGHAM: What a debut season by this talented trainer. Lands her first win on a Saturday metro program with Just Shine at Randwick to make it 18 wins since August 1, the majority ridden by her partner Jason Collett. They have become a lethal team with a big strike rate.

FLIPPANT: There are reversals and then there’s Flippant! Just shows that seven days in racing is a long time.

JASON COLLETT: For all the praise there is always a downside. Will know when he watches replays that he should have stayed on the rails on the luckless Aide Memoire.

REGAN BAYLISS: Copped a big suspension for reckless riding in the Australian Guineas. It’s no consolation for those who backed the victim Aloisia.

RON QUINTON: You have to admire the job he does with his top mares Dixie Blossoms and Daysee Doom to turn them out every preparation ready to perform at their best.

COLIN LITTLE: A satisfying win for the veteran Caulfield trainer at Flemington with Big Sur. Keeps it in the family with Big Sur being a half brother to his Cox Plate winner El Segundo.

MR MARBELLOUZ: Marbellouz by name, marvellous by ability – bolts in at Doomben by seven lengths for his fifth win from six starts with his winning margins adding up to a staggering 30 lengths, none less than three lengths! Made up half of a winning double for Toowoomba trainer Kevin Kemp as well.

KRIS LEES: No joy at Randwick but a treble at Wyong brings up 100 wins for the stable for the season, including a victory in the Provincial Championship Qualifier with Just Dreaming.

QUADE KROGH: First Brisbane win for this bush apprentice since joinging the Chris Munce stable after two years riding out of Rockhampton.

MATT McGILLIVRAY: Took the honours at Doomben by landing three winners on a the huge 11-race program.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Five of them didn't have a crack in that race...are they terrified of being made to look like a mug? Grow a set, go out and have a crack." – Peter Moody with some no nonsense advice for the beaten riders in the second race at Flemington.

THEY SAID IT

• “This is unbelievable, its surreal. It is a huge privilege to be representing our sport and think it is possible that the love of the fans grows for Winx. She is a great story and represents the right way to portray our sport.” – Chris Waller and his love for Winx.

• “To see her come back like this is pretty special. She is better now than when she was a four-year-old. She knows it's her job, she enjoys her job, she enjoys going home and being another horse." – more of Waller’s admiration for Winx.

Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

• “I’d have to say they are immortals now. I don’t know where you go from here but they are at the top of their game and going to be there for a long time yet.” Winx’s part-owner Peter Tighe.

• “I was just in the middle of the track all on my own with her — I could enjoy the moment.” – Hugh Bowman after the Chipping Norton Stakes.

• “Can I protest, please? She gave me a cold at the furlong. She is a great champion but full credit to Prized Icon, he has run out of his skin. It’s tough when you are chasing home these freakish horses.’’ – Glyn Schofield after finishing second on Prized Icon.

• “We’ve run third to one of the all-time greats, I’m happy with that,’’ – Classic Uniform’s trainer Gary Moore.

• "I'm mindful that he's going to be a really good four-year-old. He's not light, but he's not furnished yet. I like getting colts to be Group One winners and making sires of them – Grunt’s trainer Mick Price.

• "We got her a bit wrong first-up. She had a month off and she blew right out, she was probably a little bit fat first-up." - Sam Freedman’s report on Shoals and her form improvement to win the Surround Stakes.

• It's never nice for someone's misfortune to become my good fortune ... it's uncanny how it works, the pick-up ride will often win," – An apologetic Josh Parr after picking up the ride on Shoals for his third G1 win of his career.

• "He arrived at 5.07 on Thursday morning. He turned up looking magnificent and he raced accordingly." - Bjorn Baker's stable representative Jack Bruce on the arrival of Crack Me Up from Brisbane trainer Liam Birchley.

• ‘‘The best thing was done for the owners. The process was handled very well and we are just happy to be here winning another race. We are looking forward and not back.’’ - Crack Me Up’s part-owner Russell Heritage.

• "He is a serious colt but he's still learning his craft. He has a beautiful action. He is so smooth the way he glides.” – Gai Waterhouse on her Slipper hope Santos.

• "He's a lovely old horse. He's a stable favourite. They've said to me 'whenever you're ready to retire him, just do it' but I said I think he deserves another preparation." trainer Anthony Freedman on Nozomi, the only horse he is training for Godolphin.

• “It’s a special win, made even better with Jason in the saddle - I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to ride my first Saturday winner.” Just Shine’s trainer Clare Cunningham and her love for her partner Jason Collett.

THE SACK FILE

TSHAHITSI: Gassed again.

MELODY BELLE: They should be checking flight schedules back to New Zealand

SATIN SLIPPER: Won’t be wearing any golden slippers!

ADDICTIVE NATURE Doubt he's as good as some think.

BLACKBOOKERS

VIRTUAL INSANITY: Impressive debut.

AIDE MEMOIRE: Luckless run. Big improver.

EGG TART: Lovely first-up trial for what’s ahead.

RAIMENT: Very game after a tough three wide run.

CONSOMMATEUR: Nice teaser first-up. More ground will suit.


tags

Grunt Secret Agenda Seabrook Crack Me Up Shoals Nozomi Vin De Dance Mongolian Marshal Santos Sunlight Performer Written By Estijaab Winx Egg Tart Care To Think Cliff’s Edge Just Shine Flippant Aide Memoire Aloisia

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