3 minute read
The great Bill Collins left us with Goodness Gracious Me when Dandy Andy upset two heroes in Vo Rogue and Bonecrusher in 1988.
That call lives long in the memory. Less then 20 years later we heard a call as good when Greg Miles got Lonhro home when all seemed lost. Let's recall some memorable Australian Cups including the closest of finishes last year.
• 2006 – ROMAN ARCH 7g (Archway x Celestial Option) ($51)
Jockey: Craig Newitt, Trainer: Robbie LaingBarrier: 8, Weight: 58.0kg
Gross Time: 2:02.87, 600m Sectional: 33.39Margin: 0.2L, Track: Good, Starters: 12
2nd: Candy Vale (55.5kg), 3rd: Our Smoking Joe (58.0kg)In the preceding decade we'd gone through the like of Saintly, Octagonal, Northerly, Lonhro and Makybe Diva – some of the princes and princesses of the turf. All WFA regulars and all capable of winning anything they contested. And then we come to Roman Arch. He too came off the well worn path being the Orr and St George but he was beaten a total of over 20L. So where did this run come from? Craig Newitt bounced him from an inside gate and he was exactly where you'd like to be – if you were running in a handicap but not necessarily in a WFA race. But maybe that was exactly the reason he was competitive – was this WFA class. The field included a lot of young and old handicappers and considering Candy Vale charged home and would have won in two more bounds, the quality of WFA horses across the country was brought into question. While racing through until this year's Brisbane Cup, he hadn't won since that extraordinary day at Flemington.
• 2007 – POMPEII RULER 4g (Genuine x West With Night) ($5)
Jockey: Craig Newitt, Trainer: Mick PriceBarrier: 2, Weight: 59.0kg
Gross Time: 2:01.53 (Caulfield), 600m Sectional: 34.20Margin: 1.3L, Track: Good, Starters: 13
2nd: Marasco (59.0kg), 3rd: Tawqeet (59.0kg)Here was a horse deserved of the accolade of G1 winner and he took it in one of the biggest races on the calendar. Pompeii Ruler was injury prone but laden with talent. His placing in the Cox Plate to Fields of Omagh showed he could mix it very easily with the best around. Underdone in the Orr, he got back into racing mode when he stuck his head out to win the St George. Running the race at Caulfield posed different issues, the most being the shorter run to the first turn. Casual Pass got moving to the front but surprisingly Maybe Better took it up. Newitt put the Ruler into a fantastic place one out, one back and considering favourite El Segundo was near last and Marasco nearby with Aqua D'Amore worse than midfield, Newitt just had to hold his nerve. On the turn he could wait no longer, lighting the fuse and establishing a 4L margin. By inducing those to chase, he took the sprint out of them and held a nice 1.3L at the winning post. He would then have one start in 18 months.
• 2008 – SIRMIONE 4g (Encosta de Lago x World Guide) ($3.75)
Jockey: Peter Mertens, Trainer: Bart CummingsBarrier: 8, Weight: 59.0kg
Gross Time: 2:00.82, 600m Sectional: 35.60Margin: 4L, Track: Good, Starters: 10
2nd: Princess Coup (56.5kg), 3rd: Casino Prince (59.0kg)Back in November, Bart had pulled one right out of the box when a completely out of form Sirmione scored a dynamic 60-1 win in the Mackinnon Stks. Seems you only need to get to Flemington for the great man to get his pulse's racing. The natural progression for Cummings was to set Sirmione for the Australian Cup over the same course and distance. Yet again it was the Orr and the St George as the lead ups. But while his main danger, the kiwi mare Princess Coup was his conqueror at Caulfield, things had the prospect for change at the bigger track. Teranaba came over and surged strongly over Rubiscent and Coalesce. At her final start, Miss Finland was caught three wide while Princess Coup was near the tail inside Sirmione. Entering the straight and the Arrowfield mare hit the front but she was thinking elsewhere while Damien Oliver took an 'interesting' decision to go back underneath the field at the same time Peter Mertens rollicked out wide. Sirmione literally had used the percentages but he trotted in, at one stage getting 8L on the kiwi mare. She rattled late to jag 2nd spot. While 2nd, 3rd & 4th have won G1s since, the winner hasn't won a race.
• 2009 – NICONERO 6g (Danzero x Nicola Lass) ($8)
Jockey: Craig Williams, Trainer: David HayesBarrier: 10, Weight: 59.0kg
Gross Time: 2:03.14, 600m Sectional: 34.99Margin: 0.1L, Track: Good, Starters: 12
2nd: Theseo (59.0kg), 3rd: Zagreb (59.0kg)Niconero was in the best form of his career. He'd just come off his usual trip out West where he scorched home from near the rear to win the Kingston Town Classic. After the Orr he won that sad Futurity before heading to Flemington where he had a slight doubt about the 2000m. Funnily enough since Makybe Diva's win, the last few Australian Cups have not scaled the heights but that has co-incided with a weakening of the WFA horses. When you consider that the BMW, Ranvet, George Main and Mackinnon winners came out of it, it wasn't as weak. But to run the trip and win Niconero needed to save ground and Williams rode him perfectly. Theseo led but Pre-Eminence crossed him under the whip. Theseo took over at the 400m after fighting off Road to Rock looked set to win but then the Hayes pair came at him. Niconero charged late and bobbed on the line to win. He would run a career best fourth in the Dubai Duty Free before injuring himself in Hong Kong in what ended his racing days.
• 2010 – ZIPPING 8g (Danehill x Social Scene) ($6)
Jockey: Nicholas Hall, Trainer: Robert HickmottBarrier: 12, Weight: 59.0kg
Gross Time: 2:03.69, 600m Sectional: 34.55Margin: 0.1L, Track: Good, Starters: 14
2nd: Sirmione (59.0kg), 3rd: Moatize (59.0kg)Rarely has there been a more deserving G1 winner than old Zipping. He had been placed in Cox Plates amongst other top races and won three Sandown Cups. Well they even made him wait an extra week with the storms and maybe that is what he needed as he may not have gone so well on the wet. Barbaricus and Divine Rebel took it up from Zarita and Heart of Dreams with good pace. The old marvel made his move under N Hall moving out four wide with cover but under pressure. Hall used the whip a 'few' times in the straight and it sure worked. Sirmione ranged up and looked the winner but he got out bobbed by Zipping giving Danehill another G1 winner long beyond his stint on this earth. None of this can have done him any harm as he had his best prep yet in the Spring.
RACE PROFILE
o Smallish fields have impacted on the importance of the barrier draws as it's a long run from the 2000 shoot at Flemington.
o Since the race settled on being a WFA 2000m contest in 1987, mares haven't figured prominently winning four times.o Looking at that period, 3yos have gone even worse winning only once (Saintly).
o Almost every winner in the last decade, ran in both the Orr Stks and the St George. Those that didn't run in both, invariably at least ran in one.o Last 10 Winners Most Prevalent Age of winner – 4yo (4 times)
o Last 10 Years Winningest Barrier Range <5-8> - 4 timeso Last 10 Winners Average Price of winner – $10
o Breakdown of winners – 8 geldings, 1 entire & 1 mareo Last 10 Years St George Stks / Australian Cup double – Pompeii Ruler ('07), Lonhro ('04), Northerly ('03)
o Last 10 Years CF Orr Stks / Australian Cup double – Lonhro ('04)o Last 10 Years Carlyon Cup / Australian Cup double – Northerly ('01)
o Last 10 Years Railway Hcp / Australian Cup double – Northerly ('01)SUMMARY & SELECTIONS
We have a $1m G1 WFA race which effectively contains one in form WFA horse. Not much of a say for the older brigade but with So You Think's absence something must step up to the plate.
However we should get a genuine tempo in it with Ginga Dude, Mourayan, Lord Pyrus and maybe the 3yo wanting to get rolling and not make it a stop, start affair.
It almost has a distinct Herbert Power Stks feel about it with the first four home in that event in October being right in the markets here.
Given the speed likely to be on, going to go for the horse who has had the lovely lead up, done no work and can work into the race when needed as previous Cups have been.
Precedence might not be a typical WFA horse but as stated it's not a typical WFA race. His third up record, his Flemington record and his 2000m record are all in play here.
He's also trained by Bart – who has won 13 of these if you don't mind.
Linton could be the wildcard back to the big track which suits. His Lexus run was fantastic as was his Guineas effort at three.
The stable lost Zipping during the week and the big grey could be a degree of compensation.
Can the 3yos finally show some bottle? Playing God clearly looked flat footed and more a grinder in the Guineas than being able to ping. That is not as dramatic over 2000m and perhaps would enjoy more open spaces than B Prebble was able to give him off an inside gate.
Heart of Dreams probably starts favourite but not exactly enamed with his 2000m form.
Selection: (5) PRECEDENCE
Hardest to Beat: (10) LINTONBest Roughie: (15) PLAYING GOD