Spring Champion Stakes

Balciano
2014 October 05 22:43:04 
Just wondering why this was moved to the week after Epsom Day a year or 2 back.

With the Norman Robinson/Caulfield Classic now worth $750K surely running the race on Epsom Day would be the ideal scenario - not only would the 2 week lead into the Caulfield Classic then 2 week break to the Derby be suitable, it would also strengthen Sydney's biggest meeting of the Spring.

Instead we now have 3 Group 1's for 3 Yr olds within the space of an hr or 2
on the same afternoon.

Thoughts?

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2 Comments

geelong63

2014 October 09 23:47:19

First Seal is outstanding. Built like a tank. First try over ground but I don't think they'll see which way she went.

Todman

2014 October 10 12:00:18

Best Case starts the day with money for jam.

Not real keen on most races - probably spoiled

I am going with Sweynesse as he has been targeted at this race. First Seal may have the class to overcome the back up and the renewed target. Panzer Division could be the spoiler.

Neena Rock looks to be another money for jam bet.

Drago is the interesting runner - will save each way on him, Law from the outside alley for mine.

I am off to Caulfield on Saturday, so these are my early thoughts.

Rambo

2014 October 10 15:03:51

First Seal just wins, she is a superstar! I haven't been this impressed by a horse's acceleration in a long time. Her Dam won two Oaks races, so I'm not concerned about the distance.

Watch out for Chintz, she was better than Neena Rock in NZ and didn't have a lot of luck last start.

Tontonan

2014 October 06 10:34:10

It's ridiculous programming and the ATC is becoming famous for it. They have been sabotaging their own Spring carnival for a long time now.

In 1974 a standard metro handicap was worth $5,000. The Epsom was worth $100,000. So was the Doncaster and the Derby. That is to say the Epsom was worth 20 times a standard metro handicap and it used to draw milers from everywhere.

Today the Epsom is worth $500,000, which is about 6½ the value of a standard handicap. All the eggs are in the Autumn basket. They have surrendered the Spring.

In 1978 the Craven Plate was the principal WFA race at the Randwick Spring meeting. It had an honour roll to rival any race in the country. To 1978 more hall of fame horses had won the Craven Plate than the Caulfield Stakes and Cox Plate for example.

In 1979 the pattern system was introduced and the Caulfield Stakes was given a Group 1 classification. The Craven Plate wasn't, because the AJC, for reasons best known to themselves, shelved the race. They brought it back in 1984 as a listed handicap. These days it is a Group III WFA race run on the same day as the Metropolitan.

When they moved the Derby to the Autumn they had the opportunity to make the Craven Plate the centrepiece of the Spring meeting. Instead they canned it. Go figure.

A couple of weeks ago we saw them run a 1600m WFA race on the same card as a 2000m WFA race.

The only initiative that has added to the Sydney Spring program has been the Golden Rose, and as usual the initiative was taken by the Sydney Turf Club. The STC was a progressive club and god only knows what would have become of Sydney racing without it, but its gone now, swallowed by the one big club.

Curiously, more rational programming was one of the arguments for the merger.

Tontonan

2014 October 08 13:38:19

Well, egg on my face.

The ATC have pulled off a minor coup by not only attracting Sydney's top filly through the Flight Stakes they have done so despite a richer and weaker alternative race in Melbourne.

Good luck to them.

Now its the MRC who look like they have shot themselves buy moving the 1000 Guineas to the same card as the Caulfield Guineas instead of doing the more sensible thing and moving it to Caulfield Cup day.

Caulfield Cup day is where the 1000 Guineas used to live, and when it did fillies like Wiggle, Lady Sybil and Storm Queen attempted to win it after they had won the Caulfield Guineas the previous week. That can't happen now because they are on the same card.

And the very sort of filly that might be attracted to attempting such a double is racing in the Spring Champion instead.

Weight Special

2014 October 09 22:47:39

Pretty good field including the filly. Some nice 3yos coming thru.

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