The mid-March autumn carnivals continue to deliver extraordinary racing across Victoria and New South Wales, with huge feature meetings taking place this past weekend (March 14). This wrap-up covers the major Group 1 action from Rosehill Gardens, the VOBIS Gold and Peter Young Stakes day at Caulfield, key results from around Australia, and a look back at the historic results from Flemington’s Super Saturday the week prior (March 7).
š Rosehill Gardens: Coolmore Classic Day (March 14)
Lazzura and J-Mac Steal the Show in the Coolmore
At Rosehill, the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) saw Lazzura deliver an incredibly gutsy win, securing trainer Chris Waller his fourth consecutive victory in the prestigious fillies and mares feature (following Lady Shenandoah, Zougotcha, and Espiona).
Carrying the top weight of 58kgāthe most carried by a winning mare since the legendary Sunline lugged 60kg in 2002āLazzura ($5.00) came from off the pace to hold off Arctic Glamour by a short neck, with Vivy Air third.
The win was monumental for jockey James McDonald, marking his 128th Australian Group 1 victory and leaving him just one win shy of the all-time national record held by the retired Damien Oliver.
What They Said:
- Jockey James McDonald: “Itās a funny feeling because āOllieā (Damien Oliver) is so great, I don’t feel like I should be in that echelon just yet. I feel very privileged to be in the position where Iām getting there slowly. It wasnāt me, it was her just really biting down on the mouthguard and having a really decent crack. I thought she was all-out with one hundred metres to go, but that will to find the line, itās something you canāt teach them, you canāt train in them.”
- Trainer Chris Waller: “Sheās been running around against some very good horses without a lot of luck going her way. We had her a bit underdone first-up and rode her a pair too close. Today, we didnāt panic from the draw. We went back, got cover three-wide. I thought, following that run last start, you’re going to fold up that last hundred, but she was strong.”
Golden Slipper Lead-Ups (Group 3s)
- Pago Pago Stakes: One-time Slipper favourite Warwoven ($2.70) secured his place in the Slipper field. Given a brilliant ride by Rachel King for trainer Bjorn Baker, he sat on the speed and proved too strong for Outspan and Central Europe.
- Magic Night Stakes: Queensland trainer Tony Gollan successfully raided Sydney with Pembrey ($2.00). Ridden by James McDonald, she led all the way to secure her place in the Slipper field after a previous defeat in the Sweet Embrace.
š Caulfield: Peter Young Stakes & VOBIS Raceday (March 14)
Birdman Soars into Australian Cup Calculations
In the Group 2 Sportsbet Peter Young Stakes (1800m), Birdman announced himself as a serious autumn contender. Ridden by Ben Melham for Chris Waller, the five-year-old gelding proved too strong for the Hayes stable duo of Apulia (2nd) and Bankers Choice (3rd). The dominant 1.8-length victory firmly places Birdman in the calculations for the upcoming Australian Cup at Flemington.
Big Wigs Causes an Upset in the $1M Showdown
The $1 million TBV VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m) provided a thrilling finish as the Phillip Stokes-trained Big Wigs ($3.70) stormed down the outside to nab the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott trained favourite, Miss Chanel ($3.10), right on the line.
The victory was a masterclass from jockey Lachlan Neindorf, continuing an incredible purple patch of form that has thrust him into Victorian premiership calculations (more on this below).
VOBIS Gold Sprint and Dash Highlights
- VOBIS Gold Sprint: Jigsaw reminded everyone of his immense talent, winning the Sprint under Logan Bates for trainer Cindy Alderson. He comfortably defeated She’s Bulletproof and Ndola.
- VOBIS Gold Dash: Nostra Bella took out the Dash for K. Tindale ahead of Toronado Queen.
- Two Bays Farm Vobis Gold So Si Bon (1400m): Harry’s Yacht prevailed under Jamie Melham. Co-trainer Leon Corstens praised the horse’s maturity, noting he dropped the bit beautifully in the run despite a history of being difficult to manage, suggesting a Brisbane campaign could be next.
š Around Australia: Ascot & Queensland Highlights (March 14)
Ascot (WA): J.C. Roberts Stakes
The Listed Schweppes J.C. Roberts Stakes (1800m) at Ascot went to the Sean & Jake Casey trained Aberdeen Flyer ($3.20). With Chris Parnham in the saddle, the three-year-old gelding edged out the Grant & Alana Williams trained Sentimental Legend (ridden by Willie Pike) by 0.6 lengths, with The Crimson Pirate back in third.
Queensland: QTIS Jewel 3YO
At the Gold Coast, the feature QTIS Jewel 3YO went to the Rob Heathcote-trained Fabulantes ($5.00). Given a spectacular ride from near-last by Daniel Moor, the gelding rounded up the field to secure a brilliant win over Call Da Vinci and Dragonne Rouge.
š± Social Media Highlights & News Chatter
- Premiership Race Heating Up: Following his massive win on Big Wigs at Caulfield, jockey Lachlan Neindorf has become the talk of the Victorian racing scene. The win marked his 8th victory in the month of March alone and brought his season tally in Victoria to 70 wins, placing him in second and trailing current premiership leader Jamie Mott by just 6 wins. Neindorf admitted on Racing.com’s The Verdict that he is beginning to seriously entertain a run at the title.
- @7horseracing (Channel 7 Racing): “G1 #128 FOR J-MAC š He lifts Lazzura over the line to give Chris Waller his fourth straight Coolmore Classic! James is now one win away from Damien Oliver’s G1 record š² @mcacajamez @cwallerracing”
- @RaceQLD: “FABULANTES gets it done from near last! The in-form galloper takes out the 3YO Jewel for Rob Heathcote and Daniel Moor, what a run! #QLDisRacing”
š® Looking Ahead to Upcoming Big Races
- George Ryder Stakes (March 21): All eyes will be on Rosehill next Saturday. James McDonald has the opportunity to equal Damien Oliverās record of 129 Group 1 wins when he rides the unbeaten star filly Autumn Glow.
- Golden Slipper (March 21): The final field is taking shape following Warwoven and Pembreyās automatic qualifying wins.
- Australian Cup (March 28): Chris Waller’s Birdman has rocketed into calculations for Flemington’s 2000m weight-for-age feature following his impressive Peter Young Stakes win.
- Doncaster Mile (April 4): Current futures markets have Sheza Alibi as the heavily backed favourite ($2.30), followed by Autumn Glow. After his March 7 heroics, Tom Kitten’s odds have been slashed to $15.00 for the famous Randwick mile.