14/9/20 Saturday Racing Review at Flemington

Ride Of The Day 

MARK ZAHRA - FIERCE IMPACT

Under-rated jockey Mark Zahra comes to the fore at this time of the year and he kicked off his Spring campaign in style with a peach of a ride in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

He positioned Fierce Impact close to the speed in a slowly run race and then took the right gap with 400 metres to go to get him into the clear.

He then had to outride Damien Oliver on Russian Camelot to get him to win.

You could also nominate his other winning ride on Zoutori to win the Bobbie Lewis, where he had to use his strength and vigour to get him home.

Horses to Follow 

SCHABAU

Good return out to 2500 metres.

He became a little unbalanced when Persan got to his outside and wanted to lay in.

His jockey, Willie Pike, told RV stewards that he raced too keenly in the early stages of the race.

 

CHERRY TORTONI

He suffered his first defeat, but lost no admirers.

His last 200 metres was in 11.40 seconds and it was a run of a horse on target for the VRC Derby mission, rather than the Caulfield Guineas.

 

ARCADIA QUEEN

She finished off in the sixth fastest last 400 metres for the day, coming home in 21.96 seconds.

She reeled off a 10.62 seconds split between the 400 metre and 200 metre mark, which was the second fastest for the meeting. That was only her second run this year and she’s on track for a race such as the Toorak Handicap.

 

BANQUO

A good sprint awaits this galloper.

He was just beaten by Zoutori in the Bobbie Lewis, and finished in front of some quality sprinters such as Tofane and The Inevitable.

 

RUSSIAN CAMELOT

What a return with the run of the day!

He was keen from the outset, which is no surprise seeing he was first-up at only his sixth start.

He sat wide and only went down narrowly to a top miler in Fierce Impact and he was measured to have run 11 metres further.

 

Sectional Stars 

BOLD STAR

Finished sixth in the Bobbie Lewis Stakes after recording his last 200 metres in an amazing 10.92 seconds, which was the fastest of the meeting.

 

SEPTEMBER RUN

She reeled off the fastest last 400 metres for the meeting, running home in a sizzling 21.42 seconds.

 

Cups Watch

OCEANEX

Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior would have been satisfied with her run, as she stretched out nicely over the last 200 metres even though she finished eleventh.

 

AKTAU

Looked quite dour.

His best work was over the last 50 metres to finish ninth in the 1700 metres race.

He’s crying out for more ground.

 

MASTER OF WINE

He’s on track for the Caulfield Cup. 

He kept going to the line strongly for fourth in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

 

WARNING

Really nice return to racing from the Victoria Derby.

He strode out nicely to finish seventh.

 

VOW AND DECLARE

Put his hand up to say he’s on track for a Melbourne Cup title defence.

He recorded the equal fastest last 200 metres with Fierce Impact of 11.34 seconds to finish ninth.

 

From the trainers

Danny O’Brien on Vow And Declare: 

“He was impacted by Gatting breaking down but he did what we wanted to see otherwise. Really happy that he was finding the line.”

Danny O’Brien on Russian Camelot: 

“Got caught deep with the same midrace incident. Was kept out of trouble but a great effort to run second to a three-time G1 winner.”

Mike Moroney on Tofane: 

“Oli said that he didn’t have any excuses, he got a good enough run. They really ran home the last 600 (metres) very, very fast. He just wondered if it was a bit more truly run throughout that he might’ve gone a bit better.”

Dave Eustace on Prague: 

“We were delighted with his run. He still hasn’t quite come (along) in his coat. He’s one of those horses (to say) lazy would be unfair but he just doesn’t really know what he’s here for yet. He’s had a bit of racing but he’s going to learn a lot from today.”