Makybe Diva Stakes Day Review: Horses to Follow
- Sep 12, 2016
- 7 min read
Mark Zahra celebrates the win of Palentino in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Picture: Vince Caligiuri, Getty Images
It looked like being a great day of racing across the country yesterday and it certainly didn't disappoint. Palentino was an emphatic winner of the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes from Flemington and looks like being aimed towards the Cox Plate. In Sydney, Astern was devastating in winning the Group 1 Golden Rose and looks like heading to the Caulfield Guineas. There were plenty of other races of interest throughout the day and we've trawled through the replays and found some horses that we think will be winning races in the near future.
Flemington
Run of the Day: Palentino
Next Start Winner: Gabella
Best Late Splits
800m: Beyond The Dream - 44.44s
600m: Bon Aurum - 33.23s
400m: Bon Aurum - 22.20s
200m: Hi World - 11.45s
Race 3 1400m Starlight Express Room Stakes
Time - 1:24.40
1st 800m - 49.77s
This looked a tricky race on paper with quite an even bunch of horses engaged. Detective sat handy to the speed and after breaking through for his Maiden win last start he managed to go on with the job and win again here in good, tough fashion. Tessera was good on pace and should be nearing peak fitness now. Outside of the first two home, the two I want to be on in coming starts are Throssell and Awake In Grinzing.
Throssell was good again after his encouraging return, settling in the back half of the field and running home in the fastest 800/600/400m splits (46.09/33.91/22.87s). He will be ready to win 3rd up and out to 1600m. Awake In Grinzing settled down just behind Throssell and finished the race off very nicely late. He didn't sprint as sharply as Throssell, but his last 400/200m was very impressive (22.88/11.74s). His last 200m was especially good, running the fastest split of the race. He strikes me as a promising staying 3 year old and could be one to look at in early Victorian Derby markets, where he is currently $26 with CrownBet. When you watch the replay of this race and consider the that Throssell is $13 in early markets for the Derby, the price on offer for Awake In Grinzing seems tremendous value.
Race 4 1400m The Sofitel
Time - 1:23.42
1st 800m - 49.98s
Ulmann has been racing well this time in and was very good here. He was wide without cover throughout the majority of this race but still sprinted turning for home and was very good in running 2nd. Hi World was much better ridden more quietly here. He's proven he is a good horse in the past but has struggled to recapture his peak form for a while now. He was inconvenienced at the 350m mark and once he got balanced up he ran home in a race fastest last 200m (11.45s). Lee Freedman said following the race that they'll look to go to Sydney where the chance of a Soft track is higher as well as hoping to get up to 2000m. That should suit him nicely.
Although the aforementioned horses were good, the winner of this race, Bon Aurum, was outstanding. He was up in grade but well down in the weights here and showed why he was one of the favourites for the Caulfield Guineas last year with a dominant 2L victory. He ran clearly the best last 800m (44.87), 600m (33.23) and 400m (22.20) of the race and was quicker than all bar Hi World over the last 200m (11.48). Craig Williams was pretty soft on him over the last 50m as well. He looks in for a great prep and will be wining again soon.
Race 6 1200m Bobbie Lewis Quality
Time - 1:09.13
Faatinah was a fantastic winner in this event, running them off their legs with a 10.57s split from the 600-400m. He's come back in terrific order and will win again in this type of race. Under The Louvre ran his usual honest race. He gave 6kg to each of the top 3 place getters here which gives him performance plenty of merit. He ran his last 400/200m in 23.29/12.10 which was the 2nd and equal fastest respectively. When he finds the right conditions he is going to be very hard to beat.
I thought the run of the 3rd placed We've Got This was super. He stood in the stalls and missed the start slightly and settled last early before rattling off an 11.07s split from the 400-200m. He ran a race fastest last 400m (23.17s) and ran the equal fastest last 200m (12.10s). He races very well down the straight but certainly isn't limited to just that. He could be hard to beat stretching out to 1400m in the right race.
Race 9 1700m Spring is the Season Handicap
Time - 1:43.63
Outside of the winner, Royal Rapture, who is absolutely airborne at the moment, this race featured some good horses whose connections would be very happy with the way they went. Firstly, Tally followed up a good return in the Memsie with a strong performance here. He sat midfield and ran home soundly without being spectacular but will improve further again from that. Pilote D'essai has had absolutely no luck this time in, drawing the outside or near the outside on every occasion. Dwayne Dunn stated he felt the horse overraced in winkers for the first time and he was wide throughout again. He only tired a touch late so his run was full of merit. Howard Be Thy Name was sound in his return from a spell and can win shortly.
The two out of this race that I definitely want to be on in the future are Gabella and De Little Engine. Gabella settled back in the field and wasn't able to get out and build momentum until around the 300m mark, but once she got balanced up she hit the line really well. She ran home in a race fastest last 600m (34.74s) and was particularly impressive in the last 100m (last 200m split 11.92s). I'm very keen on her getting out to 2000m which is a trip she won at impressively during the Autumn in Adelaide. De Little Engine ran the 2nd fastest last 600m (34.76s) and reeled off an 11.85s for his closing split. He typically races best over 2600m+ and as such this was a very encouraging performance. Look for him once he gets out to a trip as it looks as though he's come back in superb order.
Rosehill
Run of the Day: Astern
Next Start Winner: McCreery
Race 5 2000m Kingston Town Stakes
Time - 2:03.80
Last 600m - 35.87s
This race looked very competitive on paper but quickly turned in to a one act affair. McCreery was given an absolute peach of a ride by Joao Moreira and made it back to back wins after taking out the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury last start. This was his first go beyond 1600m on European or Australian turf and he looked to relish it, taking over on the turn before bursting away inside the 200m to win easily. The winning margin of 1.5L is very flattering for those behind him as Moreira sat up with 100m to go. Whether he steps up in trip or stays at the 2000m next start he is going to be very hard to beat, especially while he's still down in the weights. The runner up, Sir John Hawkwood, was 1st up after a 2nd in the Group 1 Doomben Cup in June so he's no slouch either. That horse will take great benefit from that run and looks in store for a good preparation.
Race 6 1400m Golden Rose
Time - 1:23.91
Last 600m - 34.64s
As with the last race, what looked to be a tough race to find a winner in turned in to a demolition job. This time it was the Godolphin trained Astern who made a mess of a seriously good bunch of horses. He settled just worse than midfield from his wide draw and was pulled out to make his run at the top of the straight. When McDonald pushed the button he let down in electrifying fashion, running past his rivals like they were standing still and going on to win by 2.3L. He is set for a big Spring and looks to be the next big thing on the racing scene. Based on this, he shouldn't be worried by the step to 1600m and looks very hard to beat in the Caulfield Guineas.
From the beaten brigade, Omei Sword was very good in running 2nd. She had trouble gaining clear running until after the 250m mark and as we've seen from her previous runs she is a horse that needs some time to get in to top gear. It took her a while to steady up once she did find clear running, but when she got going she hit the line hard. She looks like the winner of the Flight Stakes over 1600m at this stage should they choose to go that way. Divine Prophet measured up against this grade. He was back in the field and struggled to get to the outside of runners but when he did inside the 200m he hit the line very nicely to be beaten 2.8L in to 4th. Stay with Yankee Rose as well. She was 1st up and I doubt she was suited by leading.
Race 8 1200m Iressistable Pools Sheraco Stakes
Time - 1:11.67
Last 600m - 34.67s
This looks to be a pretty good collection of fillies and mares that went around in this event and as such, there should be some winners out of the race. Firstly, the winner Heavens Above was brilliant. She ran 2nd to Azkadellia in the Queen of the Turf at the end of the Autumn at 1600m so the 1200m here was short of her best trip. She resumed at 1400m and dropped in distance here which is not a recipe that traditionally works. She's in for a great Spring and is definitely one to follow as she gets out in trip.
There were two others in this race that I liked heading forward. Denmagic was 1st up after 11 weeks off following a 2nd placing in the Queenslad Guineas. She drew 14 and ended up 13th at the 400m but balanced up and ran home very well to only be beaten 0.6L in to 4th. She's one to follow. Another closer from this race was Sold For Song. She was also 1st up following a placing in the Queensland Guineas and knuckled at the start and missed it by 2L, all but ending her winning chances. She was forced to go widest turning for home and took a while to warm up, but once she hit top gear she flew late. She ended up only 1.7L from the winner and had she not blundered the start who knows what may have eventuated. I'm really keen to see her get to 1600m and beyond this time in. Dixie Blossoms was one of my top picks in the race and had absolutely no luck in running and must be forgived.
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