Historical Analysis of the VRC Sprint Classic
With a change in conditions, the VRC has made this into the main carnival sprint. Effectively the Salinger and other sprint swapped over and now this has the G1 status.
Let’s see what happens in the biggest Sprint of the carnival won in recent times by some grand sprinters in Buffering, Terravista, Miss Andretti but also twice by a legend in Black Caviar.
PROFILING THE RACE
o Comparisons are difficult with the change in conditions seven years ago.
o ‘Flemington straight track horses’ tend to run well in this race as we saw in 2015 and 2017.
o WFA types more to the fore now.
o Last 10 Winners Most Prevalent Age of winner - 5yo (4 times)
o Last 10 Winners Average Price of winner - $7.60
o Breakdown of winners - 8 geldings & 2 mares
o Races that the winner ran in prior - Moir Stks (2), Linlithgow Stks (2), Gilgai Stks (1), Manikato Stks (3), Schillaci Stks (1), The Everest (1).
RECENT WINNERS
Barrier: 9, Weight: 58.5kg, Gross Time: 1:08.74
Margin: 0.8L, Track: Good (3), Starters: 132nd: Terravista (58.5kg), 3rd: Impending (58.5kg)
Review: Some had questioned the form coming out of the first running of The Everest. Well when the winner takes out the big G1 sprint of the Melbourne Spring, it is hard to knock it then. Redzel had developed into such a reliable, genuine sprinter.
He’d run well in the Brisbane winter and then all the way to the $10m race but now he was chasing six in a row. Well once they bounced out of the gates and McEvoy had him controlling in front down the outside fence, he was hard to beat.
The main chances were close enough but he was rated so well and never looked like losing. What a horse he’d become.
2016 - MALAGUERRA 5g (Magnus x Tennessee Morn) ($9)
Jockey: Ben Melham, Trainer: Peter GelagotisBarrier: 11, Weight: 58.5kg, Gross Time: 1:10.25
Margin: 0.1L, Track: Good (3), Starters: 122nd: Spieth (58.5kg), 3rd: Fell Swoop (58.5kg)
Review: Firstly on the winner. Malaguerra had had a roller coaster of a 12 months. This time last year he won on Cup day and Finals day.
In the Winter he even won a G1 in the BTC Cup. But after an ownership dispute, he was changed to the Gelagotis team and resumed well in the Schillaci. In the race itself he was not that far away and was in a striking position.
Hitting the front at the furlong he looked the winner but the unlucky Spieth rattled home and should have won. However they pay over the line and he took his second major.
Barrier: 8, Weight: 58.5kg, Gross Time: 1:10.07
Margin: 0.1L, Track: Slow (5), Starters: 92nd: Chautauqua (58.5kg), 3rd: Terravista (58.5kg)
Review: For a horse quite often maligned as he’d done things wrong in the past, Delectation was a seriously good straight runner. He’d placed in the Coolmore Stud Stks 12 months back and was only a length back in both the Gilgai and Linlithgow Stks.
However the breaks went his way in the G1. While all the focus was understandably on Chautauqua, McDonald was able to ride the patient race with them all coming to the outside.
While Terravista got to the outside fence in a great bit of riding, the fav went toward the middle and yet never hit the front. Delectation drove through late and put his head out when it counted. Waller was on some roll.
