ROSEHILL PREVIEW March 20, 2010 COOLMORE CLASSIC (1500M) Race 7, 4.10pm (Sydney time) A study of the history of the Group 1 Coolmore Classic suggests that the 3YO fillies have nothing to fear by taking on their older, seasoned rivals – 18 3YOs have won the Coolmore since Miss Personality won the first edition in 1973. Last year, the exciting 3YO filly Typhoon Tracy emerged as a genuine star by trouncing her rivals in the Coolmore Classic. Other 3YOs to win in recent years include Tuesday Joy (2007), Regal Cheer (2006), Shamekha (2004), Bollinger (2003) and Assertive Lass (1997). This year, Bart Cummings is set to continue his amazing Group 1 winning run with his emerging star Faint Perfume, a 3YO filly that the legendary trainer, even in his understated way, holds in very high regard. It won’t be easy for Faint Perfume, because she is coming back in distance (1600m to 1500m) from her impressive first-up win in the G2 Kewney Stakes at Flemington, and she has drawn awkwardly in barrier 16. Jockey Michael Rodd will ride Faint Perfume very conservatively, so expect her to be giving most of her rivals a long start on the bend. But Faint Perfume might be a 3YO right out of the box. In the spring, she emerged late to dominate at Flemington, winning the G2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) before a soft win in the G1 VRC Oaks (2500m). The ease of her Kewney win supports the theory that this is a filly on the improve and poised to join some of the great fillies from Cummings’ past.
SPEED MAP Predicted positions on settling
But she will need to be very good to beat a strong, even field of fillies and mares. I believe Grahame Begg’s Palacio de Crystal has matured into a top-flight mare and a win at Group 1 level is within her grasp if you take a line through her outstanding first-up third behind stablemates Danleigh and Rangirangdoo in the G2 Apollo Stakes (wfa 1400m) at Rosehill on February 20. Begg has given her time to get over the run, and the Danleigh form line is the best form line of the Sydney autumn carnival so far. Palacio de Crystal drops 4.5kg from that Apollo Stakes run at weight-forage and she gets a 1kg advantage over her younger rival. I expect Peter Moody’s filly Set For Fame to be very hard to beat despite her horror draw in barrier 17. Moody rates this filly very highly, so much so that he took on the colts and geldings in the G1 Australian Guineas (1600m, Flemington) last week and was stiff not the get the major prize – she beat them all except Cummings’ gelding Rock Classic after an interrupted run. Quality mares such as Neroli (3 from 4 at the distance), Alverta and Lady Lynette should run well, and punters should respect the Kiwi mare Ekstreme at long odds – the “roughie” Culminate was second last year after coming from NZ with a similar form line. The tips: Palacio de Crystal to beat Faint Perfume, Set For Fame, Lady Lynette, Neroli and Ekstreme.
TEMPO – GOOD Look wide for the on-pace runners, particularly Gold Water (barrier 18), who should come across to lead.
AND ALSO Let’s start with the weekend’s good thing – at a decent price, too – and then talk about an old favourite. Gran Sasso is the go, and $6 is available. For a sprinter just below the top notch who ran nicely in the G1 Oakleigh Plate and wasn’t too far from them in the looming storm that went with the G1 Newmarket, the Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) at Caulfield should be breakthrough time this campaign – fourth race in, and fourth with new trainer Mick Price after Brian Mayfield-Smith retired, and regular rider Chris Symons is on. That last factor could be important on a day when almost all the top jocks are off chasing G1s in Adelaide or Sydney. The rider exodus leads And Also to ask: who’s this D. (for Darren) Gauci in the formguide on Patinack’s runners in the first three races? Only joking? How could anyone forget “the Gauch”? Well, a lot of trainers and owners had, because the former golden boy, still a young 44, hasn’t exactly been flavour of the month in town – Racing Victoria’s website shows that only eight of his past 50 rides have been on Melbourne tracks, for one win (on Feb. 10). That makes him 5-42 elsewhere. Patinack Farm remembered him, and he just might get one of its runners home in races 1-3 – he’s on Originate ($26), Happy Hippy ($3.60f) and Middlemount ($15). He’s also riding Status Symbol ($18) in R4 and Ocean Challenger ($11) in the last. Take a punt on the short one and/or Ocean Challenger to complete a “Gran” day. Stephen Howell