Here’s a few things you might have missed in the wide world of racing over the past week.
QUIRKY (from abroad)
The Golden Slipper … a Group Two?! (South Africa)
We might file this race alongside the ‘Listed Doncaster Mile’ that takes place in March at (funnily enough) Doncaster in the UK.
The cut-price Sydney feature races are spread right around the globe, as we learned this week of the G2 Golden Slipper (1400m) for two-year-old fillies in South Africa.
We believe it was once a G1, but it has been knocked down a peg – and it is a furlong longer than our prized Golden Slipper (for both sexes) at Rosehill in March.
Barend Botes-trained Quid Pro Quo ($3.60) shot clear late in the final furlong to win the Slipper in 2024.
Multi-million dollar colt rolled on debut (Japan)
The prices of some of these horses at sale in Japan are astronomical, with this one no exception.
Two-year-old colt Danon Cima went through the sales ring for a lazy 341m yen, or about AUD$3.1m.
It didn’t translate to immediate success for the horse’s debut at Kokura on Sunday, in what was a seven-horse field over 1800m.
Danon Cima ($1.90 second-fav) settled a distant second-last, loomed around the field at the 600m, but petered out to run third, beaten 5L by Giovanni ($10.80).
Ripping finish to G1 Derby (Germany)
This was an unreal finish to a G1 feature as the German Derby field spread right across the track here in Hamburg.
But (if our rough German translating is right) credit to the racecaller for nailing the call, as Palladium won on the standside rail … and even disappears out of sight crossing the line!
The placegetters, meanwhile, were hugged tight to the inside rail in what made for a racecaller’s nightmare.
QUIRKY (from Australia)
Twelve-year-old marvel banks his 100th placing
The Country Queensland icon Fab’s Cowboy is fast approaching enforced retirement with his 13th birthday just weeks away.
In what was one of his final runs on Saturday, ‘Fab’ was game in finishing second, beaten 3L, in the Les Baker Memorial 2024 (1400m) at Charleville.
Amazingly, he came into the race having been perfect over the track/trip (four-from-four) – however hadn’t raced over the particular track/trip since October 2019!
And it was his first start back at Charleville since November 2020.
His stat-sheet when the career officially wraps up will be one for the ages.
In fact, Saturday’s second-placing was his 100th time running in the top-three (54 wins, 46 minor placings) – sure, aided by some small fields but that is some stat to savour in retirement.
Drought continues for former Waller horse
Seven-year-old gelding Kutayha remains in pursuit of a drought-breaking win.
Now in WA with trainer Tom Pike, the son of Savabeel once belonged to the Chris Waller stable – winning three races, most recently in July 2021 on the Kenso under J-Mac.
But that has been his last, as he then went to the Jollys in SA for a few starts, before heading further west.
He’s now gone 25 starts without success, and has twice ran in the Marble Bar Cup – the picturesque destination meeting in the Pilbara region.
That was where he was on the weekend, but he was beaten 8L in the $30k Cup.
Lova Session loves a placing
The 4YO mare Lova Session appears to be trolling many in her sojourns to the racecourse.
In 21 career starts, she’s finished top-three 14 times – two out of three ain’t bad, right?
However, only one of those 14 was a win – leaving her with the career record of 21: 1-8-5.
She’s been beaten under 1L on eight occasions, including a couple of close-up 4ths in that bracket.
This week, she ran on well for third at Pinjarra as a drifting $2.25F in an 1800m race – disarmed by $21 chance Expelliarmus.
Incidentally, the race prior on the card was won by a horse called He’s Archie, who was having his 15th start in a six-month period.
The prep kicked off on January 21, so the 4YO gelding’s had those 15 starts in 164 days – averaging one every 11 days – and banked two wins in the process.
And no, he’s not a relative of the famous She’s Archie, a mare who once placed in a Melbourne Cup behind Makybe Diva.