In the lead up to this spring carnival we’ve heard endless bleating from the media about the lack of Australian bred stayers and how it’s all the fault of a breeding industry obsessed with speed and making a quick buck off the disposable juvenile, but with Aussie bred horses winning the Melbourne Cup, Derby and Oaks – are we really doing that bad a job?
There was a nose in the finish of this year’s Melbourne Cup as the Bart Cummings trained five year-old entire Viewed defied the challenge of European raider Bauer (IRE), but it was a nose of great significance for the breeding industry which is seeking to retain some credibility for producing something other than speedy squibs, albeit world class ones.
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Fillies Dominate Early Juvenile Standings
Spring juvenile racing has already produced a number of smart types with fillies faring particularly well and including five of the top seven rating youngsters on the Racenet Ratings Juvenile Top 20.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Choisir filly Horizons is at the top of the list, showing sharp improvement on her debut second to Our Joan of Arc to win the open juvenile event at Randwick on October 18 by nearly two lengths in the slick time of 57.23 seconds.
As the only Group One event for three year-olds over 1200 metres, the VRC Coolmore Ascot Vale Stakes has always been anticipated to become a sire making race and with victory this year going to the Encosta de Lago colt Northern Meteor, the theory is well on the way to being tested.
A genuinely exciting horse with a lethal turn of foot, Northern Meteor has made a meteoric rise up the Breednet Sire Prospect Tracker to the extent he would now be rated the number one prospect in the country.
TARA MADGWICK
Melbourne Race 8 No. 3 EL DAANA
Ran close fourth to Forensics last Saturday with not a lot of luck and looks suited at the 2000 metres.
CRAIG TOMPSON Melbourne Race 7 No. 10 ALLSILENT
Half of a plan has come together. No reason they can't have their cake and eat it too. DEALER PRINCIPAL could make for some value at odds.
