Humidor and Almandin set stage for spring feast

If Saturday is an example, we are in for a truly magnificent example of spring racing.

The Australian content was remarkable — class everywhere.

If you weren’t turned upside down by ex-New Zealander Humidor’s runaway A$750,000 Makybe Diva victory, check your pulse. The sprint he produced from the 250m not only earned him Caulfield Cup favouritism, it would seem only a matter of time before it claims the Cup for him.

“I thought he’d let down,” said trainer Darren Weir, “but not like that!”

If there was another potential Caulfield Cup, and particularly Melbourne Cup, performance it was last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Almandin taking the 2500m JRA Trophy. He lumped 61kg topweight and when Damien Oliver found him an inside gap at the 400m he dashed away with a sprint that would have won any of the 1400m on the day.

“It’s a long time since I’ve had my feet on the dashboard on a stayer like I did on him today,” said Oliver. He missed out on the winning Cup ride last November to Kerrin McEvoy because he couldn’t make the 52kg. He goes up to 56.5kg this time, which you would normally say is a prohibitive increase, but Saturday indicated that may not be the case.

There was an indication he may even take on the Caulfield Cup on the way through because of the new condition that a horse handicapped at 56kg or above in the Melbourne Cup will not be re-handicapped for winning the Caulfield Cup.

And what about Royal Symphony’s effort to keep his unbeaten record intact when overcoming an impossible run in the Exford Plate. The class 3-year-old was “smashed” at the start, according to rider Dwayne Dunn, which resulted in the hot favourite being back on the rail at the tail of the big field.

A small gap appeared out wide at the 300m and somehow Dunn managed to keep Royal Symphony balanced as he negotiated a passage while going almost sideways for 50m.

Even when in the clear, the colt was five lengths away but somehow

And no summation would be complete without three cheers for the pocket rocket Prom Queen.

found a remarkable sprint to get up in the last two strides. Only bad luck can cost him the Caulfield Guineas.

Nothing was ever going to surpass Winx in Sydney, but class was the call through the programme. Redzel’s win in the Shorts Plate against a hot field was superseded only by Chautaqua’s sixth placing 2.2 lengths away. The winner broke the Randwick 1100m record and what Chautaqua ran his last 400m and last 200m in would be close to record as well. What a race the A$10m Everest is shaping as.

There was a big New Zealand presence. Bjorn Baker won early at Randwick with the New Zealand-bred High Chaparral, ridden by former Pukekohe apprentice Jason Collett. Kiwis Chris Waller and Michael Walker combined to take one of the features with the Sir Owen Glenn-owned Comin’ Through.

It was a strange ride of Blake Shinn’s on Cambridge stayer Chocante, well fancied to take the A$150,000 Kingston Town Stakes after his fine third to Winx at weightfor-age in his lead-up race.

Shinn got Chocante into the perfect one-one and stunned everyone when he took off at the 600m and attacked the lead. Not surprisingly, Chocante was all out at the 200m and weakened to mid-field. The error became obvious when the winner Libran sprinted from near last very late in the race.

Wonderful to end the Randwick card with victory by former NZ apprentice Lee Magorian, who was at his best to land outsider Isorich home in a tight finish.

And no summation would be complete without three cheers for the pocket rocket Prom Queen putting them away in style at Ruakaka.

Everyone would love to see Kenny Rae and the team win a Group One with her. Tie yourself down — there is excitement ahead.