In its brief existence, this race has done an outstanding job off getting the best two-year-olds to comeback as early three-year-olds as quickly as possible. It is a big race with a huge amount of prize money and it is ideally placed as to allow horses that compete to refresh before the Caulfield Guineas and the VRC Derby.
The race has been won in the past by horses that have both gone on to be very successful in that particular spring and also in subsequent springs. Duporth, Denman and Toorak Toff are all previous winners of this race and they have gone on to be sold for huge prices to Australian Stud farms. The Hawkes / Snowden trained Forensics won the race in 2008 and she went on to win several Group Ones as an older mare. Fellow Snowden trained galloper Epaulette won the race last year and he is the horse that pushed Black Caviar the most in her career and he is a subsequent Group One winner in Brisbane also.
The race this year is just so even. Gai Waterhouse has five in the race and they are at an average price of $31. Prince Harada was a certainty beaten at his last start and he would not be in Sydney if he had not come through the race well. Autumn and winter stars Zoustar and Sidestep have question marks on them about how they have retuned as three-year-olds as does Criterion. Cluster is a bit of a ‘boom’ horse but he has not really done anything at this stage of his career and the likes of Drago and Windjammer appear as if they will be better suited come VRC Derby time. Fast ‘n’ Rocking was a good winner last start but that race was set up for him by Miracles of Life who bolted very early. That leaves Dissident, Eurozone, Thermal Current and Into The Red; these four horses are all well performed but they have just marginally dropped off in the classier races to date.
Whatever horse you like, you are guaranteed to get good odds. When was the last time Gai had five in a race at an average price of $31? Sidestep was touted as a future superstar and he is at $11. The favourite Prince Harada has had a big spruik on him since his debut and he will be close to $5. If the track is playing fair, the $11 about Drago look good value because it is almost certain that he will be running on late.
4th. Pitcrew. It could have easily been another of Gai’s in Bull Point for 4th, but Pitcrew just has a certain touch of class about him plus an ideal barrier. At his last start he was locked away on the rails at Warwick Farm and he never really had a chance to run down a stablemate. Before that the gelding was unbeaten and he was showing plenty in his runs. $31 is supreme value and he always gives his all, so if he is thereabout then just maybe?
3rd. Sidestep. This horse can find trouble where it barely exists. He bucked the rider off in a big race as a two-year-old and most recently he ran last in the Run to the Rose. He does have talent; a stack of talent and he showed this as a two-year-old with more racing. He is fit now and has been aimed at this race for a while so he should be spot on. He has barrier three and he should sit just behind a fast tempo and given even luck he might just have a turn of foot that is superior to his rivals.
2nd. Aussies Love Sport. This colt has turned around his form in terrific fashion and he is tough. He is backing up which is a good sign for a colt that has just hit form, and last week’s win will have him ready and firing for this race. Last week he won over the 1400m and two starts back he won at this course and trip. Yes he has a very wide barrier but it appears as if he might get some cover or even get close to the lead. The way he has reversed his form is very indicative of a colt that is fast improving and he would only have to improve slightly to be very competitive in this race.
1st. Prince Harada. Barrier one and H. Bowman to go with a tonne of ability and a high level of excitement factor. Prince Harada is one of the ‘boom’ horses of the spring and his natural talent alone might have been enough to get him over the line here, but the jockey and the barrier certainly adds to his chances. His father Haradasun came to Sydney and won his first start in NSW in a Group One race; there is nothing really to indicate his best son to date will do any different.
By Zeb Armstrong
