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May 25, 2005

Racing News

A few very handy horses have been retired just recently.

Regimental Gal (a daughter of top sprinter General Nediym) won the 2004 Lightning Stakes and Australia Stakes, both Group One. Overall she had 17 starts for seven wins and $1.61 million in prizemoney. She will be sold at the Magic Millions broodmare sale next month.

Star of Florida was never quite able to crack it at Group One level, mainly due to the fact that there were no G1 races at that distance apart from down the Flemington straight. As good a horse over the kilometre as you will see, he broke the 1000m track record at Warwick Farm, and the 1010m and 1110m track records at Doomben, not to mention being the world record holder for 800m, which he set at Dalby. Both of his victories at Group 2 level came at the Challenge Stakes at Warwick Farm. He is set for a nice retirement in the dressage and show jumping circuit.

Special Harmony utterly dominated the three year old fillies in the 2003/04 season, bolting in both the Thousand Guineas and VRC Derby, and racking five Group wins in early 2004, before striking rain affected ground in the AJC Derby where she came sixth (and good on connections for having the courage to take on the boys). Unfortunately she was never able to recapture the form of that year subsequently, although she put in a fine run to come fourth in this years Newmarket. She already has a date with Encosta De Lago lined up.

In other news, the MRC will change the distance of the Futurity Stakes from 1400m to 1600m to become part of the Asian Mile Challenge - a good move, seeing as there is little need for Caulfield to have two 1400m WFA races in Autumn. Hopefully it will attract some top class foreign runners down here, but I'm not holding my breath.

Posted by Tim in Gallop News at May 25, 2005 09:31 PM

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