The weather may still be warm but the stars are starting to return for Autumn. During the week the class horses have begun to step out at the trials in preparation for the upcoming Autumn carnival including Anamoe, In secret and Aft Cabin.
This year promises to be an exciting carnival with all the spring stars returning and many questions to not be asked and answered. Will Nature Strip return to his best and claim his 4th TJ Smith Stakes or will the baton be passed on? Will Anamoe continue his dominance over middle-distance racing and then go on to conquer overseas challengers? And will the star horses return from injury, like Incentivise, Hitotsu, and Think it Over return to their dominant best?
All these questions and more will be answered in what is set to be a blockbuster 3-month carnival and despite it being difficult to pinpoint exactly which horses will run where we are going to take a look at four races that are simply must-see TV throughout the upcoming carnival.
QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (2000M Randwick, 8th of April)
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The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is seen by many as one of the biggest races in the NSW racing calendar with the best middle-distance horses doing battle on Day 2 of the Star Championships. Last year the race was run on a bottomless track with Nash Rawiller giving Think It Over arguably the ride of the year as he came to the grandstand rail in search of dryer ground to just run down Zaaki in the shadows of the post.
Assuming Think It Over returns at full health, both he and Zaaki will likely do battle once again, while Cox Plate champion Anamoe will also be aimed up at the race with last year’s instalment his only proper fail in his career with the heavy track blamed for the poor performance. Going off of his Spring performances, however, he will likely be one of the horses to beat, although the chasing pack isn’t far away. Both El Bodegon and I’m Thunderstruck were a little unlucky getting too far back in the Cox Plate yet they still took late ground from Anamoe.
Other injured horses Incentivise and Hitotsu will likely be aimed at the race should they return to full health and both have shown that they have an extreme ability to win big races and light up the clock in doing so. Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip may also contest the race and has shown he is an extremely tough horse winning the Melbourne Cup and just being nosed out in the Caulfield Cup, carrying the top weight on both occasions, he was also unlucky in the Cox Plate, cluttered up between horses back towards the inside.
The real X factor in the race, however, provided he goes this way, may be international import Alenquer who is a group one winner in Ireland over 2112 metres and we know how far superior British horses can often be over the middle to long-range distances. If he is able to acclimatise well to the Australian way of going, he may be the one to beat. Either way this field is set to be absolutely stacked ensuring that it will be one of the races of the year and must-see television!
TJ SMITH STAKES (1200 M Randwick, 1st of April)
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Well, all eyes will be on the big boy Nature Strip on Day 1 of the Star Championships at Randwick as he looks to become the only horse to win this race four times as he currently holds the joint record with the ‘Grey Flash’ Chautauqua with three.
He will be trained to the minute for this event by Chris Waller and we know how well Waller is able to get his horses to peak on the big day and will get the services of the best jockey in the world James McDonald. His job won’t be easy though with Giga Kick, Private Eye and Mazu, the Everest trifecta, the three horses that beat him that day, set to face off against the world champ once again and it is fair to assume that they may even have further improvement to come.
Lost and Running will also likely line up and I believe has been a little forgotten about since his flop in the Nature Strip Stakes. He was seen by many as the main danger to Nature Strip in the Everest before being scratched and a few form analysts even had him beating the champ the way that the race panned out. If he was there he would’ve gone extremely close. Exciting Godolphin sprinter In Secret is unlikely to, but may also contest the race by stepping up from races against its own sex and can add some X factor to this race and the Godolphin polish and professionalism.
This race will be the pinnacle of the sprint races throughout the Autumn in a blockbuster clash with Nature Strip aiming for a 4th TJ against exciting talent and Everest winner Giga Kick as well as other young talents In Secret and Mazu, and class speedsters in Private Eye and Lost and Running.
ALL STAR MILE (1600 Moonee Valley, 18th of March )
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The All-Star Mile has become a feature of the Victorian Autumn Carnival in recent years with the concept of horses with the most votes getting into the field. It creates a sense of buzz around the race as racing fans can engage with the race in a whole new way and feel more a part of the action.
Such a concept always ensures there are quality horses within the field. The 2022 quinella – Zaaki and I’m Thunderstruck will most likely contest again and be highly competitive. The 1600 metre circuit, particularly around Moonee Valley may be tailor-made to a horse like Alligator Blood who is starting to really hit his straps again after a large injury lay-off and the controversy around his ownership. Alenquer may add some international flavour to the race along with Waller import El Bodegon who has already had a run around the Valley when running 3rd in the Cox Plate.
Fresh Waterhouse and Bott import Alcohol Free could be another interesting overseas runner that aims up at the race, as well as My Oberon who has a dominant Moonee Valley win on the resume. Anamoe is unlikely to run however another Godolphin galloper in Cascadian could line up and is always competitive in class races and is sure to be storming home late.
Golden Eagle winner I wish I Win may well find herself in this field and find himself a live chance with his blistering turn of foot. The consistent Mr Brightside is yet another A-grader that is set to make this year’s instalment of the All-Star mile one to watch and will ensure the Valley will be buzzing on the 18th of March!
GOLDEN SLIPPER (1200M Rosehill, 18th of March)
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The only one of the 4 ‘majors’ that takes place in the Autumn, the other 3 include Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Just being mentioned in the same breath as such races shows just how big and how prestigious this race is and is held in high regard by trainers, jockeys and owners alike and is the premier two-year-old race of the year. The Slipper is worth a lazy $5 million and is what every quality two-year-old is aimed at meaning it is the best of each year’s crop going head to head.
This year the race will likely be headlined by dominant debut winner King’s Gambit and undefeated Godolphin galloper Barber who will look to keep their unbeaten records intact. Magic Millions aspirants Platinum Jubilee and Empire of Japan will also likely take their place in the field and if either can replicate their dominant debut wins they will be extremely hard to beat, while other Magic Millions aspirant Sovereign Fund will be competitive after starting their career winning 2 from 2.
The Waterhouse and Bott trained The Instructor has flown into calculations after a dominant 3-length win at Pakenham while the unraced Snowden colt Don Corleone and Godolphin filly Apres Ski both have a big buzz around them.
The Golden Slipper is always an open race and takes a quality horse, often an extremely mature horse, to win the race and is no doubt going to be one of the highlights of the 2023 Autumn Carnival!
What race are you most looking forward to in the Autumn Carnival? And who wins it?
Let us know in the comments!