Royal Symphony Has Emerged As One Of The Better Two-Year-Olds Of The Season
Now unbeaten in three starts, he overcame difficulties to take out the Taj Rossi Series Final (registered as Gibson Carmichael Stakes) (Listed, 1600m) at Flemington on Saturday, again producing impressive sectional times.
After a slow beginning in the 12-horse field, Dwayne Dunn did well in improving the colt’s position to settle him in seventh place on the rails, before racing away in the straight to score impressively by four and a quarter lengths.
Tracking a solid pace which saw the leader, the Chris Waller-trained filly Madame Moustache (Hinchinbrook) clock a fast 58.66 from the 1200 metres to the 200 metres, Royal Symphony showed his quality in winning easily in an overall time of 1:35.58 at his first attempt at 1600 metres.
Royal Symphony’s 200 metre sectional breakdown was also impressive.
Clocked from the 1200 metres, the colt ran 11.69, 11.72 (400m in 23.41), 11.57 (600m 34.98), 11.25 (800m in 46.23), 11.20 (1000m in 57.43) and 11.78 to give him a final 1200 metre time of 1:09.21.
Royal Symphony featured in this column a fortnight ago after advancing from his debut win in a Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1200m) at Pakenham on 25 May to score a very smart win at Flemington on 24 June in a 1400 metre lead-up to Saturday’s Taj Rossi Final.
The talented colt has now confirmed that potential and will be given a let up ahead of a spring campaign, with the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) as his main objective.
The runner-up to Royal Symphony on Saturday was the lightly raced Darren Weir-trained two-year-old filly Anchor Bid (High Chaparral) and she deserves acknowledgment.
Having only her third start, the stoutly-bred filly is still a maiden but she demonstrated sufficient potential to suggest that she could be a VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) prospect.
She raced back in ninth place and kept running on well in the straight, albeit for a distant second, but her effort was full of merit.
Anchor Bid also produced good sectional times with her last 1200m in 1:09.96, last 1000 metres in 58.15, last 800 metres in 46.40, last 600 metres in 34.92 with her final 400 metres in 23.43.
Another filly to go well on Saturday was the Godolphin-raced Manicure (Exceed And Excel) who showed promise in coming off a fast tempo to win the Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m) at Warwick Farm.
Manicure began well but after being forced wide, settled in fourth place before setting out after the leader, the Joe Pride-trained filly Brook Magic (Hinchinbrook) in the straight.
She then showed determination, running on to beat her rival by a short-neck at the post in 1:09.73, a good time for the 1200 metre journey on the Soft 5 track.
A feature of the win was the fact that the leader Brook Magic was timed to run the first 1000 metres in a fast 57.92 and Manicure did well in coming off a pace like that to score.
It was only her third race start and she was stepping up in class after taking out a Two-Year-Old Fillies’ Maiden (1100m) at Canterbury on 21 June.
A quick early tempo however was not the case in the A R Creswick Series Final (Listed, 1200m) in another of the features at Flemington’s Finals Day.
The winner of that race, the Lindsay Park-trained colt Highland Beat (Exceed And Excel) needed to show a quick turn of foot from back in the field to overcome the moderate pace in that race which saw the first 600 metres being run in only 36.83 (12.27 200m rate).
Highland Beat raced in sixth place, in the centre of the track, before Beau Mertens asked the colt for his effort on passing the 400 metre point.
The colt then accelerated smartly, took the lead at the 50 metres before going on to score his first stakes win by a long neck.
Highland Beat was timed to run his last 600 metres in 33.22, last 400 metres in 22.51 with his final 200 metres in 11.52 – quick closing times.
In the All Victorian Sprint Series Final (Listed, 1200m), the Robert Smerdon-trained gelding Ability (Reward For Effort) also came off a slow early pace when the leaders over covered the first 600 metres in 36.60 (12.20 200m rate).
Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, Ability was not that far off the lead, racing in fourth place before taking a gap to sprint to the lead in the closing stages and then go on the score well by a length in a time of 1:09.65.
Ability came home with some very quick closing times with his last 600 metres in 32.81, last 400 metres in 21.99 with his final 200 metres in 11.31 to record his sixth win in 15 starts and remain unbeaten in three runs this preparation.
In the Winter Championship Series Final (Listed, 1600m) the highly consistent Tasmanian-trained gelding Tshahitsi (Clangalang) took his record to 11 wins from 24 starts in winning in good style.
After a good beginning from his outside barrier (12), Tshahitsi was a handy third but deep in stages, took the lead at the 300 metres and showed gameness in fighting off challengers to score by a neck in a time of 1:35.47.
In a truly run race with the leaders clocking 60.24 (12.04 200m rate) for the first 1000 metres, Tshahitsi was timed to run his last 1000 metres in 58.70, last 800 metres in 46.66, last 600 metres in 35.12 with his final 200 metres in 12.24 in a very honest effort.