Melody Belle’s Debut One Of The Bright Moments On A Lamentable Day At Eagle Farm
Racing on a Heavy 8 track, despite clear skies and basically no rain for a week, Eagle Farm’s controversial track presented racing far removed from the days when it was widely regarded as one of the best in the country.
To understand what has resulted in seeing quality horses, many proven performers on affected tracks, fail dismally appears a mystery at this stage but the fact remains that it is clearly odd in the extreme to see horses beaten so far, 20 lengths plus in a number of races and 80 lengths plus in the Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 2200m).
Even the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Prized Icon (More Than Ready) looked nothing like a dual Group One winner when he dropped out from the home turn to finish 11th, beaten 27 lengths in the Grand Prix Stakes.
Hopefully a solution can be found to return Eagle Farm to somewhere near the standard it was renowned for, in the meantime the remainder of the feature Brisbane meetings has been transferred to nearby Doomben.
But some horses did manage to cope with Saturday’s track and Melody Belle was clearly one of them winning by four and three quarter lengths, claiming favouritism for tomorrow weeks’ J J Atkins Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) in the process.
After beginning quickly, Opie Bosson eased Melody Belle to travel in fourth place before racing away in the straight to score brilliantly, handling the conditions very well.
Time for the 1400 metre journey was 1:25.66 with the first 800 metres in a solidly run 48.29 with the last 600 metres in 37.37.
Racing And Sports rated times for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes as being 0.41 (per 200m) slower than average – the adjusted times therefore being 1:22.79, with the first 800 metres in a quick 46.65 and the last 600 metres in 36.14.
Melody Belle showed her quality in coming off a solid early pace and ran the 1400 metre journey out strongly suggesting that the Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained filly should be suited by the longer 1600 metres of the J J Atkins Stakes.
The win was Melody Belle’s fourth from six starts to date, which includes the Karaka Million (RL, 1200m) at Ellerslie on 29 January and the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Awapuni on 1 April.
The feature race at Eagle Farm meeting, the Kingsford Smith Cup (Gr 1, 1300m) was taken out impressively by the Kris Lees-trained Clearly Innocent (Not A Single Doubt).
After racing back in third last place in the 13-horse field, behind a good pace, Clearly Innocent made a wide move approaching the 600 metres and after hitting the front at the 100 metres, he raced away to win easily by three lengths.
The leader and noted wet-tracker Jungle Edge (Dubawi) held on for second with Counterattack (Redoute’s Choice) three and three quarter lengths further back and multiple Group One winner Blackheart Bart (Blackfriars) fifth, beaten 9.1 lengths, in the testing conditions.
Time for the 1300 metre journey was 1:19.09 (12.16 200m rate) equivalent to 1400 metres in 1:25.17.
Racing And Sports rated the Kingsford-Smith Cup as being 0.39 slow (per 200 metres) and the adjusted time for the 1300 metres was 1:16.55 (11.77 200m rate) equivalent to 1400 metres in 1:22.44.
While Queensland staged the feature meeting last weekend, metropolitan racing in Sydney was at Randwick and Sandown Lakeside in Melbourne where two juveniles provided some respective highlights.
The Godolphin-raced colt Kementari (Lonhro) could not have been any more impressive in taking out the Two-Year-Old Plate (1400m) at Randwick.
Having only his second race start, Kementari after a quick beginning, settled in third place on the rails before easing into clear running at the 300 metres. He then sprinted quickly and really took the eye with the way he dashed away over the closing stages to score by four lengths.
Time for the 1400 metres was 1:24.83 on a Slow 6 track and a feature of the win was Kementari’s closing sectional times which stamped him as a quality colt.
Kementari was clocked to run his last 200 metres in 22.98, last 600 metres in 34.70 – which was the fastest of any winner on the card for that section, last 800 metres in 47.04 and last 1000 metres in 59.30.
They are good times on a firm track but very good times on a Slow 6 track, which was rated by Racing And Sports as being 0.58 slow (per 200m) on average when measure against their Standard Time.
Initially it was indicated that the Godolphin colt would head to Brisbane for the upcoming J J Atkins Stakes but the stable subsequently advised that Kementari would now be spelled with the spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne in mind.
The other juvenile to indicate his potential was the Darren Weir-trained colt Cliff’s Edge (Canford Cliffs) who was an impressive all-the-way winner of the Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m) at Sandown Lakeside.
Also having only his second race start, Cliff’s Edge went to the front before lifting the pace significantly from the 600 metres point. He grabbed a break shortly after straightening and went on to score by a length and a quarter in a time of 1:11.01 on a Good 4 track.
Cliff’s Edge’s closing sectional times were very good with his last 400 metres in 22.72, last 600 metres in 33.38, last 800 metres in 45.26 with his final 1000 metres in 56.96.
Both Cliff’s Edge and especially Kementari are two late developing colts that look set for better things in the spring.