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Serious form lines to be matched in Cadbury Guineas |
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3/10/2006 9:31:06 AM |
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 The $750,000, Group I, Cadbury Guineas (1600m) to be run at Flemington on Saturday might have lost some of its intensity through the attrition rate and redirection of some of the three-year-old crop, but there is still the prospect of an absorbing contest.
Jet Spur was retired through injury, Written Tycoon returned to the paddock to overcome his injury, as did Pendragon, Flying Pegasus and Racing To Win stayed in Sydney for next weeks Group I Thrifty Royal Randwick Guineas, Paratroopers has gone to the Newmarket Handicap to commence his autumn, as with Stratum, Gonski returned to Sydney, Futurity Stakes winner Snitzel has done likewise, and Serenade Rose stayed with her peers in the fillies division.
However, Melbourne has turned on a splendid weekend and as far as the radar can see a monsoon such as arrived over Caulfield on February 25th, Futurity Stakes race-day, will not arrive. A level playing field it should be for those taking part with temperatures reaching 24c on Friday, and a warm 33c on Saturday.
The major question to be answered in the race are effectively around God’s Own showing his Caulfield Guineas form again, and where does New Zealand’s Darci Brahma stand around that.
God’s Own was superlative in the Caulfield Guineas in the spring and then returned with a second in the Lightning Stakes over the 1000m sprint course at Flemington that defied what should have been a difficult task for a middle distance colt.
He then was dumped upon in the Caulfield monsoon in the Group III Schweppes Cup (1400m), and being a big horse he simply found the ground too hard to get traction on. Apache Cat was on hand to give God’s Own his second defeat by the Lion Caven gelding, both on slow and heavy tracks.
Back on ‘terra firma’ at Flemington God’s Own has being working well and reports from earlier in the week suggest that the Bart Cummings trained strapping colt will strip in fine order for the Cadbury Guineas. Danny Nikolic rides.
Darci Brahma arrives from Matatmata with an excellent record with the only blemish being a second in the Group I Waikato Sprint (1400m) on February 11th. However, the Danehill colt could be excused that as pilot Michael Walker lost the compass and measuring stick as to the task he gave the colt on that day.
Without that Darci Brahma would have arrived with a winning streak of six in succession from his Group I TJ Smith (1600m) victory at Eagle Farm on June 13th.
No amount of form comparison can defy that sort of record, but it is test match time for Darci Braham with the inevitable step up to face God’s Own and his spring form. Michael Walker rides.
Another colt who is still here after the spring is the Mick Price trainer Red Ransom colt Red Dazzler. After winning the Group II Bill Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley in the spring the Red Dazzler was unplaced in the Caulfield Guineas and Price immediately spelled him.
Red Dazzler has since finished second twice behind Minson in the listed Zedative Stakes and Fields Of Omagh in the Group I Futurity Stakes. He was fourth in the listed Wellington Racing Club Stakes on a good track. Blake Shinn rides.
Then there is the ‘giant killer’ Apache Cat who just knows how to run and has no concern as to reputations. The Greg Eurell trained gelding has won at Flemington, and won over the distance, and beaten God’s Own twice, as mentioned, but on slow and heavy tracks.
He will not want for horsemanship with Noel Callow aboard and God’s Own and Nikolic will not want to give Apache Cat and Callow too much of a start as they just might not pull them back.
It is hard to see the others in the nine horse field matching these four.
The winner, though, will have a decent claim to trumpet about as they will have cracked some serious form lines.
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