Group racing made its return to Sydney last Saturday with the running of the Group 3 Missile Stakes at Randwick.
Early signs of spring could be seen when looking at the field assembled for the Group 3 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last Saturday.
The nine horse field was comprised of as many Group winners, five of which had saluted at the top level.
A battle for favouritism ensued between the likes of Sweet Idea, Messene and Rebel Dane who were all expected to excel first up over the 1200m journey.
This proved correct with Sweet Idea making all ahead of Messene and Rebel Dane.
As honest as the day is long through her two and three-year-old seasons, Sweet Idea showed courage under fire on resuming in the Missile Stakes (1200m).
Sweet Idea was pestered on her outside by Thump on straightening while Messene snuck up along the Snitzel mare’s inside.
Despite Messene’s efforts, Sweet Idea maintained a slender margin over the lightly-raced Team Hawkes runner for her third Group win.
The Missile Stakes was clearly a career best win for the mare although the performance did come in below her master Timeform rating achieved in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) last autumn by three pounds.
Sweet Idea’s first up success in the Missile Stakes yielded a Timeform figure of 116, three pounds shy of the 119 she ran to when a brave second behind Steps In Time during the 2014 Coolmore Classic.
The quality of the Missile Stakes also appears on the improve with Sweet Idea’s performance coming in above the prior five year winning average.
Having proven herself capable over distances ranging from 1000m up to 1500m, Sweet Idea will now head to either the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 23 or the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.
Connections of Sweet Idea will be hopeful the 2014 Missile Stakes does in fact turn out to be a strong renewal with the winners over the past decade having for the most part struggled deeper into the spring.
The ever reliable Pinwheel claimed the Missile Stakes – Warwick Stakes double in 2012 while German Chocolate took out the Missile Stakes – Premiere Stakes double in 2007.
You need to go back to 2004 before finding a strong spring preparation launched with a Missile Stakes win where the Allan Denham-trained Spark Of Life delivered a Missile Stakes – Premiere Stakes – Manikato Stakes treble.
Regardless of what Sweet Idea produces through the remainder of the spring, last Saturday’s Missile Stakes means the mare is now a Group winner at two, three and four.
Outside of the winner, a new master figure yielded by Messene suggests the Team Hawkes-trained galloper is in store for a solid spring preparation.
The gelding measured up at Group level last preparation where he produced a career best win in the Ajax Stakes (1500m).
Team Hawkes have been patient with the gelding and in theory should be open to further improvement on that first up outing.
He will next contest the Warwick Stakes with an eventual spring goal of the Epsom Handicap (1600m) on October 4.
Favourite Rebel Dane was solid but may be at the stage now where seven furlongs is his optimum trip.
An even sectional race, the efforts of Boban and Weary are likely better than their bare form suggests.
Each will improve rising in distance further into their preparations.
Scissor Kick is well on track to confirm himself a stallion career after winning the Listed Rosebud (1200m).
It was a good, driving win by the blueblood son of Redoute’s Choice who stayed along the inside and edged clear of the promising Inkling for his first stakes win.
Better Land and Inkling filled the minor placings.
Only a stakes race for its past four renewals, the 2014 renewal of The Rosebud wasn’t considered overly strong with Scissor Kick returning a Timeform rating of 101.
Expect Scissor Kick to have one more start prior to the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) on September 13.
Better Land set some very fast early sectionals and along with Inkling, the way the pair stuck on over the concluding stages likely makes their performances better than what bare form suggests.
On the other hand, a strong tempo set the race up for a get back horse such as boom colt Sarajevo so his 1.2 length fourth can only be considered fair at best.
The colt will take benefit from the run though and should build on the display as he rises in trip.
