3 minute read
Timeform recap the 2017 Makybe Diva Stakes won by Humidor for trainer Darren Weir and jockey Damien Lane.
Humidor went into the Makybe Diva rated 125 and came out rated 126, so it's not that we now know a great deal more about how talented the Australian-Cup winner is, but we can confidently say that he is at the top of his game at the top of the spring - and that ain't a bad thing.
A rating of 126 makes Humidor the highest-rated winner of the race since Weekend Hussler who ran to 128 - the highest rating in the modern history of the race. Also noteworthy is the fact that Humidor's overall time 1:35.35 is the fastest in the race since Jeune beat Mahogany in 1:35 flat back in 1995.
We saw something similar when looking back at Vega Magic's Memsie - Which you can read here - which also rated on the high side of recent history.
In fact, the 2017 spring is blooming like few have before it. Up the highway in Sydney Winx is dominating the headlines but others like Menari and Redzel are up and firing as well.
Fast tracks, fast horses and a $10 million dollar reason to be up and going early. The question could be asked - is this the best start to a season in recent memory?
Going back to 1995, widely considered a golden year for Australian racing, there has been on average 10 winners rated 120 or above by Timeform in the first two months of the season.
With a handful of big meetings still to come before the opening two months are up - including the Golden Rose and Epsom meetings in Sydney and the Moir meeting in Melbourne - we have already hit that average in 2017 with three at Saturday's Flemington meeting alone. Humidor (126), Redkirk Warrior (122+) and Almandin (121+).
It was back in 1995 that the first two months produced the most 120 and above winners with 13 breaking the mark before September was out. They included Jeune, Octagonal, Chief De Beers, Strategic and the blistering Our Maizcay who had already smashed the mark four times (had won 5 races) and was 14 days away from doing so again in the Caulfield Guineas!
It will be a big ask for the 2017 spring to produce another three unique 120 winners in the next two weeks but it has certainly been a lively start to the spring.
Away from the heavy hitters up above 120 the three-year-old scene started to take more shape in Melbourne. We're seeing much stronger figures up in Sydney so far, but that is typically the case with the warmer winter and the early target of the Golden Rose, but Royal Symphony and Catchy are a strong 1-2 punch down south.
Both are rated 116 off their two-year-old form but neither had to hit that mark to win on Saturday.
Royal Symphony pulled out all the stops to win from what looked an impossible position but only had to run to 111 to beat inferior rivals. A high pressure race did mean that the visual was probably a touch flattering - in terms of pace he ran his race more efficiently than those beaten - but another good overall time points to him being as well credentialed for the Guineas as any at this point.
Catchy also found some early trouble, squeezed up coming out of the barriers, but she won coming away at the end. We've yet to see her beyond 1200m but there is plenty to suggest that she will be at least as good at 1400m and a mile.
