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Horse racing is much more than an excuse for gambling. It is a love for the beauty, grace and speed of the horse. It can also be an intellectual battle of examining competing facts and trying to formulate the future from results of the past. In some ways it is an investigation, as performed by an eager detective. And in other ways it can be the thrill of a crossword puzzle, with multiple possible responses, but ultimately only one correct answer. It is a thing of beauty as much as it is a matter of commerce. I have been involved with horse racing in both practical and intellectual ways. From time spent as an apprentice jockey, to later the research of bloodlines in the multimillion dollar world of thoroughbred breeding and sales. And for the past twelve years I have provided speedrating information to the racing industry and public through my company: Speedratings (www.speedratings.com.au).

Chateau D’Yquem

March 21st 2010 23:14
Chateau D’Yquem.

A three year old filly by Pins out of Miss Distinction (by Bletchencore).


Chateau D’yquem (in her new nose roll) getting the upper hand
Chateau D’yquem (in her new nose roll) getting the upper hand



(photo: Neil Murray) click image for enlargement

Trained by Victoria’s leading trainer, Peter Moody, this impressive bay/brown filly cost $420000 and was purchased at the 2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale by Robert Roulston Bloodstock.

Chateau D’Yquem is a half-sister to multiple Group One Winner Gee I Jane - winner of the 2006 Telegraph Handicap and 2006 BTC Cup - both at 1200 metres. In addition she was 5 times placed at Group One. Other notable relations are Miss Jessie Jay, a Group Three winner.

At Caulfield on Saturday this impressive filly notched up her second win from four career starts when she won the Toltrice Handicap over 1400 metres. After being erratic early in her career a nose roll was added to her gear (see photograph) for the first time to improve her carriage through the race.

She is blessed with a fine pedigree - and tons of ability - and will no doubt win better races over time.


The name - Chateau D’Yquem - is difficult to pronounce or fathom unless you are something of a wine connoisseur (I’m not - but I did some research in Wikipedia).



Chateau D’Yquem is a highly regarded wine from France, emanating from the Sauternes, Gironde region of the Bordeaux vineyards.

It is a wine with an extremely long life, bottles of 100 years and older may be found in excellent condition if properly kept.

There are many notable references to Chateau D’yquem in literature and film:

Château d'Yquem is a favourite of Hannibal Lecter. In the novel Hannibal, he tracked down and purchased a bottle of Château d'Yquem that was bottled in the year of Clarice Starling's birth as a 33rd birthday gift for her.

Fyodor Dostoevsky mentions Château d'Yquem in part II of The Possessed (also known as The Devils or Demons) as the last wine drunk by a young man in a hotel who commits suicide after having squandered 400 roubles given to him by his family to make purchases for his sister's wedding.
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Denman

March 20th 2010 00:10
Darley Australia has announced that Denman will leave the Australian stable of Peter Snowden and be transferred to the UK where he will join the Godolphin stable at Newmarket. His initial target is to be the July Cup - this would then again most likely see him race against his Caulfield Guineas nemesis, and now Aidan O’Brien trained, Starspangledbanner.

Denman to leave Australia
Denman to leave Australia


(photo: Neil Murray) click to enlarge

Denman would prove a fine advertisement in the northern hemisphere for champion Australian Sire Lonhro. As long as Denman is kept to sprinting distances and not stretched out to a mile he will prove very competitive on the world stage. His only two unplaced performances have been in the 1600 metre (G1) Caulfield Guineas and the 1600 metre (G1) Australian Guineas.

Naturally our Australian Denman would need a change of name when racing in the UK to defer to the champion jumper of the same name. The Australian Denman was named after the New South Wales town - and not in homage to the steeplechasing great, who finished second overnight in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Denman is the most high profile of a now long list of Darley Australia horses - their top tier 3 year olds - who have left our shores to campaign in the Northern Hemisphere, mostly in Dubai, with mixed (or disappointing) results.

Across the country the list of our top 3 year olds from last season who are missing, relocated, or retired, grows quite long:

Manhattan Rain (retired), Starspangledbanner (in Ireland), Viking Legend (retired), Onemorenomore (retired), Trusting (out with injury) - and in my opinion (with best speedfigures) the best of them all, So You Think, ‘rested’ until the Spring after not coming up for an Autumn campaign. Wanted is also most likely to be retired to stud - or campaign in Europe.


Since Bob Ingham sold his racing operation to Darley we have been well aware of the dynamic of the situation where Darley will wish to take the cream of their Australian outpost and redirect them to their northern hemisphere Goldolphin banner. So far this has not been a successful venture for Darley. Perhaps Denman - or whomsoever he shall be named in Europe - will provide the success that has previously eluded.
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Zipping by a nose

March 15th 2010 07:43
The two Group One feature races that were postponed on Super Saturday were finally run at Flemington last weekend.

Zipping (centre) defeats Sirmione (outside) with Heart Of Dreams (inside) 3rd
Zipping (centre) defeats Sirmione (outside) with Heart Of Dreams (inside) 3rd


(photo: Neil Murray) Click to enlarge

Veteran galloper Zipping prevailed in a tight finish ahead of the Bart Cummings trained Sirmione - who would have secured a second Australian Cup for himself (having won in 2008) - on top of making it an even better day for veteran Bart who secured another Group One victory earlier in the day with his 3 year old Rock Classic in the Crown Australian Guineas over 1600m.

It did appear that Bart had pulled off the big double when Sirmione raced up to Zipping in the closing stages and narrowly headed him - but Zipping responded to the riding of Nick Hall and came back to oust Sirmione right on the line.

Zipping finally won at Group One at his fifteenth attempt - and this victory even more meritorious because the 8 year old Danehill gelding raced 3 wide for the trip. In third place was another Bart Cummings stayer on the comeback trail in Moatize who came home powerfully from well back.

The Crown Guineas was expected to provide yet another win for star colt Denman - but just as he did in the Caulfield Guineas last Spring he once again failed to conclusively run the 1600 metre trip. The runner-up Set For Fame (one of two fillies in the race) was following Denman on the home turn - only for jockey Luke Nolen to discover that she had run into a dead end when Denman stopped in front of her. She was switched to the inside and was very unlucky.


Rock Classic defeating Set For Fame in Australian Guineas
Rock Classic defeating Set For Fame in Australian Guineas


(photo: Neil Murray) Click to enlarge

And just as Bart missed out to team Williams in the Australian Cup with Zipping, the Williams owned (Robert Hickmott trained) Galileo colt Linton ran home impressively for 3rd in the Crown Australian Guineas.
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When trainer John Shirreffs entered Zardana at Fair Grounds to race against her stablemate Zenyatta’s arch rival, Rachel Alexandra, it was more of a fact finding mission to estimate the difference between his stable star and Rachel Alexandra. Shirreffs would know only too well the difference between his two mares. This race the opportunity to shed more light on the split opinions of the racing public.

Zenyatta, right, ridden by Mike Smith, won the Santa Margarita Invitational, improving to 15-0.
Zenyatta, right, ridden by Mike Smith, won the Santa Margarita Invitational, improving to 15-0.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Vodka to Sea The Stars

March 8th 2010 11:03
Plans for Champion Japanese Mare Vodka to become thoroughbred racing’s all-time-leading stakeswinner have now ended after she bled (for a second time) during the running of the (Group Two) Al Maktoum Challenge - Round 3 last Thursday at Meydan racecourse in Dubai. Vodka finished in eighth placing. If all had progressed as expected she would have used that race as a lead up to the $US 10 million Dubai World Cup (Group One). As it stands Vodka will retire as the all-time leading Female earner with prizemoney of $US13,147,826. A World Cup victory would have seen her pass T.M. Opera, who on $US16,200,337 is the all-time leading money earner.

Vodka retires with 7 Group One victories


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Wanted - a Group One victory

March 6th 2010 22:44
It was a day when one of the most intense storms ever to hit Melbourne unfolded across the city. The Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200 metres - $1 million) - race 6 on a 9 race program - would be the last race run on ‘Super Saturday’ as thunder clapped, lightning forked, and large hailstones pelted down and settled as a slippery white carpet over the racecourse and surrounds.

Wanted wins a dramatic Newmarket Handicap
Wanted wins a dramatic Newmarket Handicap

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Yea picnic races

March 3rd 2010 06:48
Yea racetrack is one of many country racetracks to host picnic racemeetings.


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Typhoon Tracy was an emphatic winner on Saturday of the Group One Futurity Stakes (1600m). The Futurity Stakes is the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge and Typhoon Tracy would seem an ideal prospect to win one of the remaining legs (and claim a substantial bonus of $US 1 million for two wins - or $US 2 million for three wins). The logic of this assumption rests on the merit of her easy defeat of Dao Dao who was narrowly beaten after a slow getaway in the Champions Mile at Sha Tin in 2009 - finishing 3rd and beaten by a nose and a nose. Given her adaptability this race (at least) would have appeared to be at her mercy.

Typhoon Tracy moving clear at 150 metres in the Futurity
Typhoon Tracy moving clear at 150 metres in the Futurity

[ Click here to read more ]
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Solchow

February 26th 2010 04:46
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Star Witness and star jumps

February 23rd 2010 05:19
Jockey Nick Hall was fined $500 for his ‘celebratory gesture prior to the winning post’ when winning the Group One $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes on Star Witness at Caulfield on Saturday.

Star Witness - Blue Diamond Stake winner with Nick Hall aboard
Star Witness - Blue Diamond Stake winner with Nick Hall aboard

[ Click here to read more ]
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