Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
G1 Winterbottom S. - two in a row for Overpass?
Some very nice horses have won this $1.5 million 1200-metre contest on two occasions, the first of those being Asteroid back in 1953 and 1955. The feat was again achieved in the early 1970s by La Trice (Matrice) and by another talented mare in Belinda's Star (Tudor Warning {GB}) a few years later.
It was not until 2002 and 2003 that another horse was able to win the race two years in a row, Hardrada (Marooned {GB}) going on to add the G1 Railway S. to his record. The globe-trotting mare Ortensia (Testa Rossa), whose breeder Len Rhodes passed away just this week aged 96, won the race in 2009 and 2011 whilst the popular Queenslander Buffering (Mossman) enjoyed success in 2013 and 2015; four months after his second win able to secure a memorable victory in Dubai.
Overpass (Vancouver) attempts to add his name to that list on Saturday and he is favourite to make it two in a row, racing in similar form as he was this time last year. He does have a trickier gate this time around, jumping from barrier 10 last year whilst drawing 16 on Saturday.
Overpass, the current favourite for the G1 Winterbottom S. at Ascot | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Four of his 2023 rivals again line up though they are all roughies; Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man), Hot Zed (Red Hot Choice), Man Crush (Manhattan Rain) and Snowdome (Rommel).
Paulele won the race two years ago for an eastern state trainer and visitors again play a large role with Grahame Begg saddling up Maharba (Pride Of Dubai) who dug deep to win the G3 Rising Fast S. at Flemington on Derby Day whilst fresh from their success in last weekend's Railway S. with Port Lockroy (Better Than Ready), the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable have Lady Laguna (Overshare) who is proven in Group 1 company.
The locals will prove hard to beat though, including the first three home in the G3 Colonel Reeves S.; Rope Them In (Playing God), Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Saloon Bar (Sessions). As well as Bravo Centurion (National Defense {GB}) who has been in flying form winning six in a row.
The Winterbottom S. was first contested as a principal race in 1952 and as Group 2 race from 1979 until 2010; this running its 14th as a Group 1. It boasts a proud record of having been won by high-class speedsters, those on its honour roll including Placid Ark (Arkenstone), Takeover Target (Celtic Swing {GB}), Viddora (I Am Invincible), Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) and Hey Doc (Duporth).
Gallery: Some of the high-class speedsters who have won the G1 Winterbottom S., images courtesy of Sportpix
G2 Sandown Guineas - a Sandown Classic at Caulfield
The name is somewhat of a misnomer with this 1600-metre contest run at Caulfield these days, but the race continues to be an interesting end of spring carnival event for the 3-year-olds.
It is a race in which Woodlands and then Darley have enjoyed good success in but James Cummings is yet to cheer home a winner; getting his chance to do so on Saturday with Pisces (Frosted {USA}) coming off such a nice win in the G3 Blue Sapphire S. at the same track.
Pisces, the current favourite for the G2 Sandown Guineas at Caulfield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
He is one of the five last start winners due to face the starter, others including Cachink (So You Think {NZ}) who has looked good winning his last two in easier company, Somewhere (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) who recorded a soft debut victory at Ballarat and Snitzanova (Snitzel) who was too good in the G3 Spring S. despite covering ground.
Bittercreek (Snitzel) brings Group 1 form into the race, not disgraced taking on the best of the 3-year-olds in the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and the older horses in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S.
French Ruler (Nicconi) is one of the up-and-comers of the field, finishing off well to go close to the prize in the Spring S. at Newcastle.
First run in 1957, the Sandown Guineas has some classy horses on its honor roll, won by the likes of such as So Called (NZ), Light Fingers (NZ) (Le Filou {Fr}) and Taj Rossi. It has, however, been a while since one of its winners went on to success at Group 1 level, the latest being the 1999 winner Over who took out the following year's G1 Doncaster H.
Bittercreek | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
It has been won by a Group 1-producing mare since then though, the 2002 winner Dextrous (Quest For Fame {GB}) so well-represented by her Group 1 son Skilled and daughter Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}) whilst her grandson Traffic Warden (Street Boss {USA}) was in good form over the spring.
The 3-year-old fillies the Twilight Glow, the Mode and the O'Learys
There are three races enabling 3-year-old fillies the chance to secure valuable black-type on Saturday, the Listed Twilight Glow S. over 1400 metres at Caulfield, the Listed Mode S. over 1200 metres at Doomben and the Listed O'Learys Fillies S. over 1340 metres at Wanganui.
The fourth race on the Caulfield card, the Twilight Glow sees She's Got Pizzazz (Zoustar) open favourite on the back of her unlucky fifth in the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. where she did a good job finishing close up having been held up until the 200 metres.
She's Got Pizzazz, the current favourite for the Listed Twilight Glow S. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Grinzinger Pod (Calyx {GB}) also found trouble in that race, finishing fourth whilst On Display (Fastnet Rock), a $1.1 million yearling, caught the eye running on strongly for third when having just her second start. Meanwhile Supercilious (Written Tycoon) is down in class and back in trip having not quite seen out the mile of the G1 Thousand Guineas.
I Found You (I Am Invincible) is the most strongly fancied of the 15 Mode S. runners, the half-sister to Shooting To Win and Deep Field solid when resuming in the G3 Red Roses S. down the Flemington straight.
Overfull (Overshare) also comes to the race off good Melbourne form whilst Scripted (Written By) attempts to remain undefeated after a dominant Lismore debut victory and a tough Doomben win off a wide run.
Break Free (Capitalist) is up in class but did impress with her easy Sunshine Coast win at her first start and another with upside is Surprise Honey (Extreme Choice) whose trainer Tony Gollan boasts a good record in this race.
Celestial Wonder (Xtravagant {NZ}) and Connello (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) dominate discussion leading into the O'Learys S., the former bolting in at just her second start whilst the latter is down in class after finding trouble (still managing to finish fifth) in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
G3 Summoned S. good mares race in a race named after a good mare
Named in honour of the wonderful Angus Armanasco-trained broodmare whose 37 stakes-winning descendants include the classy sprinter and stallion Zeditave, this 1600-metre contest is traditionally the last race on this card.
Last year taken out by Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) who has won another three Group races since, it has attracted a full field of 16 talented mares plus an emergency with Running By (Impending) well-fancied.
Appreciating the step up to the mile when taking out the Inglis Bracelet at Flemington last time out, the consistent (five wins and four seconds from 14 starts) 5-year-old has always promised to win a good race having been stakes-placed on three occasions.
Her trainer Ciaron Maher, with David Eustace, won this race in 2021 with Steinem (GB) (Frankel {GB}) whilst her jockey John Allen won it the year before that aboard Missile Mantra (Smart Missile).
Running By, the current favourite for the G3 Summoned S. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Peter (with Paul) Snowden has struck a purple patch of form in this race taking out three of the last four two runnings with Revolutionary Miss, My Whisper (Frankel {GB}) and Missile Mantra. He has another chance on Saturday with Queen Of Dragons (Pierro) who wasn't far away behind Running By last start, doing well in a race not really run to suit.
The same can be said for Mollynickers (Pierro) who was sixth in that same race who got back, racing a touch keenly, in a race run to suit those closer to the pace. And running an even nicer race that day was the runner-up So Glamourous (So You Think {NZ}) who is a big chance to go one better.
Serasana (Snitzel) won the G2 Sandown Guineas on this day last year, looking nicely primed at her third run in. Also chances in a typically even mares race are the last start winners Electric Impulse (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Regal Vow (Swear), the latter being a promising member of the in-form Charlotte Littlefield stable.
The 2-year-olds juvenile black-type action
There are two feature contests for the juveniles on Saturday, the Listed Merson Cooper S. over 1000 metres at Caulfield and the Listed Phelan Ready S. over 1110 metres at Doomben.
The second race at Caulfield, the Merson Cooper was won last year by Eneeza (Exceed And Excel) who went on to run nice races in the G1 Blue Diamond S. and the G1 Golden Slipper S. before a G2 Percy Sykes S. victory over Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon).
The year before that won by the subsequent Blue Diamond winner Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}), it was taken out in 2020 by an even better horse, Darley's nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe.
First run in 1946 it has some other smart ones on its honour roll, namely Pago Pago, Star Affair, Biscay, Vain and Dual Choice (Showdown {GB}).
Only one of the youngsters contesting this year's runners has already raced and he has opened favourite, the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon).
Tycoon Star, the current favourite for the Listed Merson Cooper S. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Several others have winning jump-out or trial form; Usain Boss (Street Boss {USA}), Imzada (Alabama Express), Palm Angel (Starspangledbanner), Point Barrow (Blue Point {Ire}), Salty Pearl (Tagaloa), Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and She's Loaded (Capitalist).
There are more experienced horses in the Brisbane race with four of the nine starters having already raced including the winners Secret Sort (Tassort) and Cuddles For Kimmy (Spirit Of Boom).
The most expensive purchase in the race is the Doomben trial winning $800,000 colt Lockyer (I Am Invincible). Others with winning trial form are Insta Worthy (Farnan) and Hi Barbie (I Am Invincible).
Hi Barbie as a yearling, the current favourite for the Listed Phelan Ready at Doomben | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
There is also a 2-year-old race at Rosehill, one which sees the debut of the $1.9 million colt Fermoy (Zoustar). The favourite is Icarian Dream (Blue Point {Ire}) who won nicely at her Warwick Farm debut before finishing on the heels of the placegetters in the Golden Gift at Rosehill.
Good horses across the country - other stakes race highlights
There is good racing across the country on Saturday and a number of talented horses are worthy of mention.
Such as the Robert Heathcote-trained pair Rothfire (Rothesay) and Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom) who contest the G3 George Moore S. at Doomben. Tony Gollan has won the last three runnings of that 1200-metre contest and has three of the eight runners this time around; Zarastro (I Am Invincible), Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready) and Millane (Zoustar).
Gallery: The Robert Heathcote pair who will contest the G3 George Moore S. at Doomben, images courtesy of Michael Mcinally
Roth The Listed Starlight S. at Rosehill brings together a nice group of sprinters such as Front Page (Magnus), Our Kobison (Kobayashi), Pereille (Fastnet Rock), In Flight (Flying Artie), Fire Star (Deep Field) and the dual stakes-winning New Zealander Aberlour (NZ) (Mongolian Falcon).
The G3 Festival S. is the next race on that card, the class runner of the field being the topweight Private Eye (Al Maher). He has a tricky outside gate to deal with and some up-and-coming rivals such as the in-form St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and Xidaki (Deep Field).
The Listed ATC Cup is the third of Rosehill's stakes races. The lightly raced Townsend (Dundeel {NZ}) is being kept safe whilst State Of America (American Pharoah {USA}) has been in flying form.
There are some promising 3-year-olds such as Wind And The Lion (Written By), London's Image (Headwater) and Six Shooter (Shooting To Win) in the Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic in Perth whilst one to keep a close eye on in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic is Bonjoy (Maschino) who resumes off good trial form having won four in a row last time in.
Gallery: Some of the promising 3-year-olds in the Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic in Perth, images courtesy of Magic Millions
Topweight in the Listed Doveton S. at Caulfield, I Am Unstoppable (I Am Invincible) is back from tackling Group 1 company, tackled by the last start stakes winners Fancify (NZ) (Niagara) and Cottee (Merchant Navy).
The G3 Eclipse S. also has a horse back from elite-level competition, New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) favourite on the back of a somewhat unlucky and very good sixth in the G1 Cantala S. behind Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars). Already a Group 1 winner Tuvalu (Kermadec {NZ}) is also down in class in the G3 Kevin Heffernan S., his lead up run a nice fifth in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S.
And the G2 Zipping Classic sees one of Victoria's favourite gallopers in Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) vying for a second win in the race he took out two years ago.
