The pressure was on early here with them six-deep past the post the first time in this G3 Open Handicap over 1800m. The field was well spread out staring down the backstraight on settling as the speed took a while to be backed off and then as is often the case runners lose position across the top as another wave of go forwardness occurs. Beefeater at his first try at the trip settled ninth relaxed and a fair way from the leaders early but then once swept up fifth deep across the top he maintained that move to lead turning for home. The 5yo gelding on the minimum of 53kg held on to win by a neck in 1:50.14, which is just under seven lengths inferior to the track record of 1:49 set in 2006. It was his sixth win in twenty-three starts and also he has been placed a dozen times so has a solid record and rarely goes a poor race. Scapolo under 59.5kg settled last on his own then moved wide across the top and turning for home the deepest runner. His sustained finish saw him reach second at the 200m and become a distinct threat at the 100m only for the winner to dig the deepest. Travimyfriend was stiff when third beaten just over a length and a half as he was midfield the outer early then kept losing position being in the middle column and was held up near the home turn. To add insult to injury he was hemmed in and held up at the 200m and needing clear air desperately. His finishing surge was strong to get third with 15m to go and this four-win gelding has now run two blinders in a row well out of his grade to be G3 placed twice. Brighton ran on well as he does from back and wide while Heavens Keep was a better fifth beaten over two and a half lengths than it can ever read. He was six-wide in the lead a lap out and crossed over to lead on the rail after 500m then once headed narrowly turning for home fought on well all things considered. Our King Sway ran on okay from well back for sixth while Gentil Tonton boxed on from the trail. Wait A Sec, as he can do, ran an ordinary race and in his last four runs has won at G1 under WFA then flopped then won at G3 and now flopped again. Watch This Space battled away as did Authentic Paddy but when you consider the former was a G1 second prior to today and the latter a G1 winner at WFA two runs ago prior to today they were shown up badly and their formlines cannot be trusted and are dubious. Seraphim ran a shocker and Tomelilla was used up twice (wide early on the pace and then moved up third wide across the top) so she had to weaken and did but will keep for bettors if ridden not so aggressively regarding expending energy. Nailed It stopped after holding the lead on the inside early then handing up before moving off the fence and sitting second the outer. This was run torrid early then they backed off midrace before it was on again nearing the home turn as wide runs came across the top. The first seven home were lightweights bar the runner up Scapolo, an 8yo so past his best, and therefore this is a tad dubious result and plus a couple of G1 winners at WFA (Wait A Sec and Authentic Paddy) ran ordinary to basically show their wins were borderline flukes. Less than nine lengths covered first to last in this event so that blanket of average ability applies to this lot and on any given day or due to manmade track bias they will have turns at beating each other. The 5yo trio of Beefeater (first), Travimyfriend (third) and Brighton (fourth) would be the takeaway trio from this in terms of age and racing years to come.
Previous Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GIRL OF MY DREAMS
(NZ)
5M GOLD CENTRE (AUS) - O'NOYOUDONT (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
DYLAN TURNER | 54.5 | N W TILEY | 10 |
|
KAWI
(NZ)
4G SAVABEEL (AUS) - MAGIC TIME (NZ) VOLKSRAAD (GB) |
J PARKES | 56.0 | A SHARROCK | 6 |
|
FORTUNE KNIGHT
(GB)
5G COMPTON PLACE (GB) - NIGHT KISS (FR) NIGHT SHIFT (USA) |
M C SWEENEY | 55.0 | TIM & MARGARET CARTER | 5 |
|
CAPONE
(NZ)
6G AL AKBAR (AUS) - GOOD HEARTED (NZ) KINJITE (NZ) |
N G HARRIS | 54.5 | DANICA GUY | 5 |
|
JETSET LAD
(NZ)
4G ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - JETSET LASS (NZ) JETBALL (AUS) |
S C SPRATT | 55.0 | J R WHEELER | 4 |
|
BRUCE ALMIGHTY
(NZ)
6G DEPUTY GOVERNOR (USA) - STRIKING ANGEL (NZ) STRAIGHT STRIKE (USA) |
P A TAYLOR | 53.0 | R S MANNING | 12 |
|
VICKEZZCHARDONNAY
(NZ)
4M DON EDUARDO (NZ) - OUR ROSALEE (NZ) CONQUISTAROSE (USA) |
B R LAMMAS | 53.0 | MURRAY & BJORN BAKER | 4 |
|
GALLIONS REACH
(NZ)
5G VICTORY DANCE (IRE) - DORINKA (NZ) STRAIGHT STRIKE (USA) |
P A TAYLOR | 53.0 | RICHARD YUILL & STEPHEN GOODIN | 8 |
|
ZILZIE
(NZ)
4M GENEROUS (IRE) - REGAL HALO (CAN) ALWUHUSH (USA) |
H S TINSLEY | 56.0 | ROSS ELLIOT | 6 |
|
MADAME SHINKO
(NZ)
5M SHINKO KING (IRE) - MADAME MAC (NZ) LANFRANCO (GB) |
A CALDER | 55.0 | JAMES WALLACE | 3 |
|
OUR FUJI MAK
(AUS)
5G FUJI KISEKI (JPN) - FEISTY KATE (AUS) MARSCAY (AUS) |
D G BRADLEY | 56.5 | P & N HURDLE | 6 |
|
I'M FIGHTIN
(NZ)
5G PRIZED (USA) - KAAPSTINE (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ) |
L H SATHERLEY | 52.5 | ALAN & BRETT MCDONALD | 2 |
|
ZAFAR
(NZ)
4G ZABEEL (NZ) - FAIR TAI (NZ) TAIPAN (USA) |
L A O'SULLIVAN | 53.0 | P O'SULLIVAN | 7 |
|
YARRADARNO
(NZ)
6G VAL D'ARNO (USA) - YARRA ROSE (NZ) ONE POUND STERLING (GB) |
N G HARRIS | 54.5 | D & C BOTHWELL | 6 |
|
GREENE STREET
(NZ)
6G ZABEEL (NZ) - SHADYSIDE (NZ) VICE REGAL (NZ) |
R J HANNAM | 55.0 | NOEL EALES | 4 |
|
PRAVDA
(NZ)
4M ZABEEL (NZ) - FOREIGN COPY (NZ) BOLD VENTURE (NZ) |
L A O'SULLIVAN | 53.5 | P O'SULLIVAN | 9 |