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This Saturday is arguably shaping up to become the Race Day of the year. With every race attracting a star-studded field, with horses such as last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Americain, Manawanui, New Zealander Jimmy Choux, Secret Admirer, Helmet and not to mention the superstar Black Caviar.
Schweppes Stakes
There is one horse that everyone in Australia is talking about, from your local corner shop attendant to your Aunty and Uncle, she comes in the form of Black Caviar. She is the star nomination for this year’s edition of the race and arguably the star nomination for the Cox Plate Race Day.
Like she usually does, Black Caviar has scared away a lot of her competition, with only 8 nominations for the Schweppes this year Black Caviar may just run at her shortest price thus far.
If you are silly enough to waste money and try to bet against this amazing mare, Scenic Blast looks the closest thing to competition in this race. If Scenic Blast can find the form that got them the win in England in one of the world’s most prestigious King’s Stands Stakes, she quite as embarrassed as the other competitors in the race.
Look for Karuta Queen to again set the pace for the race and try to gain a big enough lead for her to keep the lead, then reality will kick in and Black Caviar will come strolling past and yet again claim another winner’s cheque. Taking her amazing total to 15 from 15.
The Crystal Mile
There is one thing that will be certain for this race, it is going to be a stack of talent going round after the barrier gates open. There are a number of horses that have also been nominated for both the Crystal Mile and the premiere weight-for-age event. Avienus, Blackie, Fast Clip, Luen Yat Forever and Torio’s Quest all fit that bill and they will all need to wait until the final field announcement to see where they will all sit.
However, there are plenty of other horses that are also in contention to take out the Group 2 mile event including; More Strawberries, Testa My Patience, Red Tracer, Little Surfer Girl and Triple Elegance. As you can see these are not exactly horses that can be taken lightly.
At the moment there have been 24 horses nominated for a maximum field of 15. Obviously there will be a number of horses that will not make the final cut, with a number of possible runners dropping from the nominations of the Cox Plate there is sure to a cracker of a field, making the 2011 Crystal Mile one of the toughest ever.
This means that the winner of the race is going to have to be at the absolute top of their game and be able to run out the 1600m in one of the best races of their career.
Moonee Valley Cup
This race is by far one of the most important races of the weekend, it will certainly take a back seat behind the weight-forage Cox Plate and the fact that Australia’s super mare Black Caviar is running, but this race will have a massive impact on the rest of our Spring Carnival. For many of the competitors in this event it will be the last time we see them before The Race that stops our Nation. There will also be a number of connections vying for that much needed boost in prize-money or the ballot exemption, and a win in the Moonee Valley Cup is exactly what they are looking for.
There has been a large number of high profile horses nominated to compete in the 2500m race around the tight Moonee Valley course and with first place collecting a massive $150,000 cut of the $250,000 prize money, a win here could be the difference in making the final field or not.
The nominations list proves how much quality has been thrown into contention for this event, most notably last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Americain. This will be his first start on the Australian soil this Spring as connections are trying a different approach towards the Melbourne cup this year, after nominating Americain for the Moonee Valley Cup instead of sending him back to defend the Geelong Cup which he won on his way to last year’s Melbourne Cup, meaning he will have 3 less days to recover before the gates open in this year’s Cup.
However, while all the talk is the resuming of Americain, there are plenty of other horses ready to give this race a real shake. While this Spring has been predominantly about the international horses here to compete, Shewan and Linton will be racing as Australia’s best chances in the race. However, Shewan, the Herbert Power Stakes champion, will be Australia’s best chance taking on the foreign horses.
Other horses to be weary of include; Mourayan, Red Eye Special, Swooper and last weekend’s Caulfield Cup place-getter Tullamore.
Stay tuned for your preview of the Special Weight-For-Age Race
Schweppes Stakes
There is one horse that everyone in Australia is talking about, from your local corner shop attendant to your Aunty and Uncle, she comes in the form of Black Caviar. She is the star nomination for this year’s edition of the race and arguably the star nomination for the Cox Plate Race Day.
Like she usually does, Black Caviar has scared away a lot of her competition, with only 8 nominations for the Schweppes this year Black Caviar may just run at her shortest price thus far.
If you are silly enough to waste money and try to bet against this amazing mare, Scenic Blast looks the closest thing to competition in this race. If Scenic Blast can find the form that got them the win in England in one of the world’s most prestigious King’s Stands Stakes, she quite as embarrassed as the other competitors in the race.
Look for Karuta Queen to again set the pace for the race and try to gain a big enough lead for her to keep the lead, then reality will kick in and Black Caviar will come strolling past and yet again claim another winner’s cheque. Taking her amazing total to 15 from 15.
The Crystal Mile
There is one thing that will be certain for this race, it is going to be a stack of talent going round after the barrier gates open. There are a number of horses that have also been nominated for both the Crystal Mile and the premiere weight-for-age event. Avienus, Blackie, Fast Clip, Luen Yat Forever and Torio’s Quest all fit that bill and they will all need to wait until the final field announcement to see where they will all sit.
However, there are plenty of other horses that are also in contention to take out the Group 2 mile event including; More Strawberries, Testa My Patience, Red Tracer, Little Surfer Girl and Triple Elegance. As you can see these are not exactly horses that can be taken lightly.
At the moment there have been 24 horses nominated for a maximum field of 15. Obviously there will be a number of horses that will not make the final cut, with a number of possible runners dropping from the nominations of the Cox Plate there is sure to a cracker of a field, making the 2011 Crystal Mile one of the toughest ever.
This means that the winner of the race is going to have to be at the absolute top of their game and be able to run out the 1600m in one of the best races of their career.
Moonee Valley Cup
This race is by far one of the most important races of the weekend, it will certainly take a back seat behind the weight-forage Cox Plate and the fact that Australia’s super mare Black Caviar is running, but this race will have a massive impact on the rest of our Spring Carnival. For many of the competitors in this event it will be the last time we see them before The Race that stops our Nation. There will also be a number of connections vying for that much needed boost in prize-money or the ballot exemption, and a win in the Moonee Valley Cup is exactly what they are looking for.
There has been a large number of high profile horses nominated to compete in the 2500m race around the tight Moonee Valley course and with first place collecting a massive $150,000 cut of the $250,000 prize money, a win here could be the difference in making the final field or not.
The nominations list proves how much quality has been thrown into contention for this event, most notably last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Americain. This will be his first start on the Australian soil this Spring as connections are trying a different approach towards the Melbourne cup this year, after nominating Americain for the Moonee Valley Cup instead of sending him back to defend the Geelong Cup which he won on his way to last year’s Melbourne Cup, meaning he will have 3 less days to recover before the gates open in this year’s Cup.
However, while all the talk is the resuming of Americain, there are plenty of other horses ready to give this race a real shake. While this Spring has been predominantly about the international horses here to compete, Shewan and Linton will be racing as Australia’s best chances in the race. However, Shewan, the Herbert Power Stakes champion, will be Australia’s best chance taking on the foreign horses.
Other horses to be weary of include; Mourayan, Red Eye Special, Swooper and last weekend’s Caulfield Cup place-getter Tullamore.
Stay tuned for your preview of the Special Weight-For-Age Race