This Listed juvenile mile was a weak field for depth at this moment with just one runner having won a race so no surprise then that Qiji Phoenix scored comfortably. The track was an iffy slow and the times ordinary all day. Qiji Phoenix, an Australian bred juvenile, was unbeaten coming into this with a brace of wins and after sitting outside the lead today took control at the 300m and was clear at the 150m. The colt scored by two lengths in a sedate 1:37.71 and his hattrick has come from 1200m up to the mile and on good, dead and slow ground plus at both directions. The rival he beat home before today was again the quinella in Weather With You and the maiden Australian bred gelding tried hard from the trail but was farcically worse off today at blacktype level by 1.5kg. Scott Base, a maiden that has never paid a dividend before, ran on well for third after being tardy and a clear last early on. Miss Foxy Gal, the only other Australian bred juvenile in the field finished fourth but was seven lengths from the winner. The rest got beaten ten and a half lengths up to thirty-four lengths and many of them could not handle the always tricky Ellerslie footing when wet or are sprinters and not milers. No surprise that Qiji Phoenix won as this was as soft a Listed kill as you will find for the colt. Some of the runners in this may end up reasonable types but in time and as maidens at set weights today against an unbeaten colt they had little hope before the gates crashed open. Weather With You and Scott Base are winners in waiting if seen out again this season against maiden class but they both will be stronger in the Spring as 3yo runners.
Previous Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
ASTARA
(NZ)
2F DALGHAR (FR) - SVITA (AUS) SUCCESS EXPRESS (USA) |
SAMANTHA COLLETT | 54.5 | D LOGAN | 5 |
|
|
BRIGHTON
(NZ)
2G BUFFALO MAN (CAN) - GORE BAY (AUS) DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) |
L G INNES | 56.5 | N W TILEY | 11 |
|
|
CADUCEUS
(NZ)
2G LUCKY UNICORN (AUS) - FRENCH LION (AUS) LION HEART (USA) |
KELLY MC CULLOCH | 56.5 | PAUL SHAILER | 4 |
|
|
FAST DRAGON
(AUS)
2C FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - SECRET SILENCE (AUS) FUSAICHI PEGASUS (USA) |
P A TAYLOR | 56.5 | B WALLACE | 5 |
|
|
SWIPER THE FOX
(NZ)
2G ALIGN (AUS) - CANZANO (AUS) CANNY LAD (AUS) |
JASON COLLETT | 56.5 | LEO MOLLOY | 6 |
|
|
DOWAGER QUEEN
(NZ)
2F SAVABEEL (AUS) - DOWER (NZ) PINS (AUS) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 54.5 | GRAEME & DEBBIE ROGERSON | 3 |
|
|
LION TAMER
(NZ)
2C STORMING HOME (GB) - LIONESS (NZ) GENEROUS (IRE) |
M T COLEMAN | 56.0 | MURRAY & BJORN BAKER | 9 |
|
|
JOEY MASSINO
(NZ)
2G O'REILLY (NZ) - RATIONABLE (NZ) HOUSEBUSTER (USA) |
V A COLGAN | 56.0 | PETER MCKAY | 5 |
|
|
SUFFICIENT
(NZ)
2C ZABEEL (NZ) - FLEUR DE CHINE (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) |
L G INNES | 56.0 | B WALLACE | 6 |
|
|
CRUSOE
(NZ)
2G VOLKSRAAD (GB) - CASERIO (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ) |
B R JONES | 55.5 | RICHARD COLLETT & SHANE HAPETA | 5 |
