The opening Group 1 of the season was the platform for the best horse in the country to show she is getting better. While Autumn Glow, and Sheza Alibi shone, others disappointed and a young trainer from Brisbane got the biggest win of his career.
Hits
Autumn Glow
The star mare is the only place to start any list of this nature this weekend. She was dominant against a quality field. Her acceleration in the straight made Group 1 horses look like benchmark company. She is still getting better, which is not surprising given it was only her 13th start and she is in the Chris Waller stable. The discussion has suddenly turned from who is the best horse in the country to where she will run next.
Sheza Alibi
The biggest step up in racing is for three-year-old fillies to race in weight-for-age company as a spring four-year-old. She might have been beaten comfortably into second in the Winx Stakes, but she still had a couple of lengths on the rest of the field of Group 1 winners. She will be better at a mile and it will take something special to beat her in the Golden Eagle, her goal for the spring.
Craig Williams
He proved a punter’s pal with his four winners at Sandown, three of them well-backed favourites. But Williams would have had his biggest believers’ cursing when blocked for a run for most of the straight on Cavalry Girl in the Carlyon Stakes. There would have been a couple of deep breaths waiting for the inside run to open by Williams before he took it, passing the furlong stick to make a winning charge.
Todd Pollard
He only took out his own licence this year but has already won a couple of black type races with Midnight In Tokyo. She was a two-time Listed winner before he got but Pollard found the right race for the seven-year-old mare on Saturday. Midnight In Tokyo made all in front to add a Group 3 to her resume. Pollard indicated there will be at least one start before next month, in the Sheraco Stakes, before she heads off to be a mum.
Misses
Campione D’Italia
The Sires Produce Stakes winner only beat one home in the Show County Stakes and the betting told the story on raceday. Favourite all week, and as short as $3.30 in the morning, Campione D’Italia couldn’t find a price late – starting $5.50. He never raised hopes of backers settling back and not getting into the race. He will probably head back to three-year-old company now, but needs to lift.
Incognito
Michael Freedman chose to head down to Melbourne with the son of Stay Inside first-up, but had to be disappointed. Mark Zahra reported to stewards that the colt never handled the heavy conditions. However, the Breeders’ Plate winner hasn’t run a place in six runs since, and it might be time to drop him back out of stakes grade to get some confidence.
Aeliana
She is a stayer, but for the past couple of preparations she has been more than competitive at 1400m first-up. She was runner-up in last year’s Winx Stakes to Via Sistina and second to Autumn Glow in the Apollo Stakes in the autumn, so to run last beaten more than 10 lengths on Saturday was very disappointing. Nash Rawiller said she was never on the bridle in the solidly-run Winx Stakes. The jury is out with her but expect improvement when she gets to beyond a mile.
