Steve’s Travel Diary- PART TWO
It’s a pleasant winter’s afternoon – the weather akin to that of Sydney – as ‘we’ venture to the races on Saturday 1 July in Buenos Aires. The two cities are of similar latitude and climate.
However, the capital of Argentina feels more like Melbourne to this Melbournian and the track at Palermo is – like Flemington – close to the heart of the city; nestled loosely between the bay, beautiful public gardens and a Fitzroy-Carlton like neighbourhood.
There’s 16 sand-dirt races on the card between 2pm and 9.15pm with the Clasico Ines Victorica Roca (Gr 3, 1600m) the day’s highlight. The ‘we’ is me and Sky Channel’s Mark Guest who, of course, also manages champion jockey Craig Williams.
We decide a late afternoon arrival will be ideal – just before the Group Three race. By this time, we know that Beau Mertens has ridden two winners at Caulfield, wresting the metropolitan premiership lead from Williams who’s been suspended.
A suspended jockey earns no money for himself or his manager but Guest is unperturbed. “I’m secretly barracking for Beau (Mertens) in the premiership. In fact, it’s not even a secret. I told Craig. It’s better for the game if Mertens wins it,” he said.
A taxi ferries us to the front gate where are we greeted, personally it seems, by a valet-cum-doorman. That perhaps speaks to the size of the crowd…. which is modest. The entrance is quite ornate, the stand just grand and the general facilities of a very good standard including the front concourse from which many watch the races. Entry is free.
I’m immediately struck by ‘downstairs’ for slots (poker machines) and ‘upstairs’ for dining. The payment of about $2 will give you access to an upstairs dining area directly opposite the winning post. It’s not quite Flemington’s Chairmans Club but it’s as well located, reasonably appointed and ridiculously cheap.
We watch the five-year-old mare Key Dance (Orpen) convincingly win the Group Three. She’s the best mare, now with a record of 11 wins from 20 starts, and favourite and enjoys the best ride from Gustavo Calvente. She snares a winner’s purse of around $18,000.
Like punters all around the world who are unfamiliar with the form, we decide the only course of action is to look at them in the parade ring for the next race. Guesty settles on the seven-year-old mare The Good Wife (Halo Sunshine) which he assures me is based on his keen eye rather than the catchy name or some channelling of Larry Collmus calling the The Wife Doesn’t Know versus the My Wife Knows Everything at Monmouth Park.
The Good Wife duly bolts up at 11/2 ($6.50) which, of course, immediately has us lamenting that we’re betting in pesos not dollars but we’re keen to check them out for the next. The ‘two horse’ Arlequina (Musical Kit) is an absolute standout but at $1.50 we decide to let it ride and of course it wins.
The atmosphere is a touch subdued but nevertheless it’s a pleasant enough interlude for a couple of hours. As was the case in Santiago, there’s enough links to the past which are quaint and engaging. The numbers of the placegetters are manually displayed next to the judge’s box with the the finishing order presented in roman numerals.
We adjourn to a renowned restaurant called Don Julio in Palermo, Soho. It’s superb and for about half what you’d pay in Sydney or Melbourne. Argentina certainly lives up to its reputation for steak.
People are happy to wait outside for a late sitting, anytime from 10pm to 11.30pm. But they’re not queueing (the only word I know with five consecutive vowels by the way) as such, given that they’re given a complimentary glass of champagne (sorry, sparkling wine) and happily chat away as they patiently wait.
And this week’s South American wine tip: the 2015 Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon.