WEEKEND RACING RECAP – SATURDAY 11TH APRIL
Gai Waterhouse has long been considered the “first lady of Australian racing” and it is very rare that a major racing carnival does not feature her winning a race and so was the case on the second day of The Championships when her luckless horse Sir Delius caused an upset when he proved too strong for the unbeaten mare Autumn Glow.
Last spring the bay son of Frankel (GB) was considered the star of the Melbourne Carnival after he won the Underwood and Turnbull Stakes in succession and he was rightfully installed as a short priced favourite for both the W.S.Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup but Stewards had the final say and he was ruled out of the spring and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott immediately put him away for the Sydney Carnival.
There was a caution about him leading into the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. especially as the unbeaten Autumn Glow was being sent out at $1.30 favourite and trying to extend her unbeaten record, but there was a doubt at the mare going out to 2000m for the first time and thus Sir Delius was kept safe at $6 second favourite.
It was a masterclass ride by Craig Williams who put the pressure on early and made it a true staying test and his mount was much too strong holding off a fast finishing Lindermann ($31) coming from the back and beating a tiring Autumn Glow to grab second spot.
The ladies took centre stage for the time honoured Australian Oaks and once again it was the Waller/McDonald combination that triumphed with the favourite Ohope Wins ($2.60) just out-staying her rivals over the last 200m to beat Profoundly ($3.20) with the Dominic Sutton trained After Summer ($9.50) fighting the race out tenaciously for minor placing.
The Group 1 Sydney Cup produced the biggest upset during The Championships. Lloyd Williams and his team have won many a Melbourne Cups and a couple of Sydney Cups but his charge in Changingoftheguard was sent out as one of the despised outsiders at $51, but a change of gear with blinkers being added and a firmer surface saw a return to form.
The son of Galileo was sent to the front by Jason Collett and although he was challenged on multiple occasions from the 800m he fought them all off and held on to beat a fast finishing Soul Of Spain and a grinding Highland Bling hitting the line hard into minor placing.
The three-year-old middle distance fillies featured in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes and Zac Lloyd continued his breakout carnival with a win on the Matthew Smith trained Idle Flyer ($6).