Inglis Sponsored Races Produce Talented Winners At Randwick
In the Inglis Sprint, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old gelding Calanda overcame a slow start, running fast closing sectional times to win in good style.
Calanda was still back in tenth place in the 13-horse field at the 400 metres, where Blake Shinn skilfully steered him though on the inner going to third at the 200 metres, before drawing clear to score comfortably by a length and a half.
Time for the 1100 metre journey was 1:05.33 (11.87 200m rate), which was quite respectable on a Heavy8 track, but it was Calanda’s sectional times that really took the eye.
Cocked from 1000 metres, he ran 200 metre sections of 11.04, 10.95 (400m in 21.99), 11.55 (600m in 33.54), 11.35 (800m in 44.89) with his final 200 metres in 12.03 to give Calanda a fast last 1000 metres of 56.92, an excellent time in the conditions.
Calanda, a $200,000 purchase by the China Horse Club at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, has not missed a place in his four starts to date, winning twice, and has now earned $214,025 in prize money.
In the Inglis Nursery, the Gary Portelli-trained filly She Will Reign was also slowly into stride but she soon recovered to take the lead.
She then dashed away to win brilliantly by four lengths and in the particularly quick time of 58.57, especially smart considering it was still early in the Randwick program when racing was on a Heavy8 track (later in the day it was upgraded to Soft7).
She Will Reign’s sectional times were also most impressive.
Clocked from the 800 metres, she returned 200 metre sections of 10.59, 12.27 (400m in 21.86), 11.23 (600m in 33.09) with her final 200 metres in 12.04 to give She Will Reign a fast 45.13 for her last 800 metres.
Purchased at the 2016 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $20,000 by Darby Racing, She Will Reign has now raced twice for as many wins for prize money earnings of $312,900 and is now the TAB’s $8.00 favourite for the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill on 18 March.
Acknowledgement is also deserving of the second and third placegetters in the Inglis Nursery, the Mark Newnham-trained colt Diamond Tathagata (Hinchinbrook) and the Bjorn Baker-trained filly African Rainbow (Foxwedge) who both performed well.
Diamond Tathagata came from seventh at the 800 metres to finish second clocking that distance in a quick 45.46 while African Rainbow ran on from 11th at the 800 metres to finish third and was timed to ran that distance in a very smart 45.16.
In the feature race on the Randwick program, the Villiers Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) the $31.00 surprise first up winner was the Kris Lees-trained Sense Of Occasion (Street Sense) who came from last in the 14-horse field to score by a half neck from the top weight Dibayani (Shamardal).
Sense Of Occasion was suited by a strongly run race which saw the leading pair High Midnight (High Chaparral) and Fabrizio (High Chaparral) clock a fast mid-race 1000 metre section of 58.93 before they weakened to finish 11th and last, respectively.
The overall time for the 1600 metre journey was 1:37.40, quite reasonable on the Soft7 track but certainly not quick due to steady closing times where the leaders only clocked 37.45 for the final 600 metres.
However, the winner Sense Of Occasion still staged a most noteworthy effort.
Sense Of Occasion was timed to run his final 1400 metres in 1:22.88, last 1000 metres in 59.29 with his final 600 metres in 35.73, impressive times in the conditions and he appears to be primed by trainer Kris Lees for a very good preparation.
There were also some excellent performances at Saturday’s Doomben meeting.
The standout being the effort of the highly promising Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old colt Winning Rupert (Written Tycoon) is now unbeaten in four starts.
After beginning well, Winning Rupert went to the front and then ran along at a quick tempo before drawing right away to win the Gold Edition Plate (Listed, 1200m) in the fast time 1:07.97, which was only 0.9 seconds outside of Takeover Target’s (Celtic Swing) track record that has stood since 2005.
Winning Rupert also returned fast sectional times with his last 800 metres in 44.46, last 600 metres in 33.48 and last 400 metres in 22.76.
In the Lough Neagh Stakes (Listed, 1350m), the Tony Gollan-trained Most Important (I Am Invincible) took his record to six wins and eight placings from 23 starts in taking out his second stakes success, also in quick time.
After having a good trip in third place on the rails, Most Important took the lead at the 200 metres and then fought back to win quite impressively by just over a length from the talented Too Good To Refuse (Rothesay) who came from last in the eight-horse field.
Time for the 1350 metre journey was a fast 1:17.16 (11.43 200m rate), which was only 0.7 seconds outside of Natural Destiny’s (Naturalism) track record of 1:17.09 set in 2006.
Most Important was timed to run his last 1000 metres in 55.88, last 800 metres in 44.98, last 600 metres in 33.72 and last 400 metres in 22.60 – impressive closing sectionals.
The other stakes race on the Doomben card, the Brisbane Handicap (Listed, 1600m) was taken out in good style by the Bruce Hill-trained four-year-old Man Of His Word (Lope De Vega) who took his record to six wins in 18 starts in scoring his first stakes win.
After settling back in second last place in the nine-horse field, Man Of His Word was skilfully steered along the rails by Jeff Lloyd on straightening, before getting a late split and drawing clear to win quite impressively by just over a length and three quarters from Cylinder Beach (Showcasing).
Time for the 1600 metres distance was a fast 1:34.34 (11.79 200m rate) and Man Of His Word clocked 1:08.35 (last 1200m), 56.88 (last 1000m), 45.40 (last 800m), 33.80 (last 600m) and 22.44 (last 400m) in a day of fast times at Doomben.
Doomben Sectional Times provided by www.dailysectionals.com.au