Crown Oaks Day review

Irish get down to Business in VRC Oaks

Irishmen Thomas Carberry and John Allen pulled off a remarkable win in the VRC Oaks, taking the $1 million Group 1 at Flemington with lightly-raced filly Strictly Business.

The daughter of Grunt provided Ballarat-based trainer Carberry with his maiden Group 1 success when she won the 2500-metre event at just her fourth career start.

Carberry turned in one of the great training performances in the history of the race that was first run in 1855 when he got Strictly Business home just 13 days after claiming a 1400m fillies maiden on her home track at her first start since her March debut.

Strictly Business sealed her spot in the Oaks with a fast-finishing second placing to Getta Good Feeling in last Saturday’s Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) and Carberry was thrilled to see his plan come together.

“We had this race in mind for a long time,” he said.

Apulia puts hand up for Perth trip 

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes had to wait until the half-way point of the third day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival to finally celebrate success. 

While the Lindsay Park brothers are having a successful run, including posting a double at Kyneton on Wednesday, Apulia’s win the Listed Chester Manifold (1600m) was a timely victory at the biggest carnival in Australia. 

Apulia is unbeaten in two starts following a long lay-off and is on a potential Perth Cup campaign in early January. 

But the Caulfield meeting at the end of November may determine the path Apulia takes. 

“It's always been an idea to send him that way,” Ben Hayes said. 

“Winning today definitely helps. Look, the 29th (of November) there's some nice races there that we can look at, and then after that maybe we can head up to Perth. 

“It will depend on flights and how we can get him there, but he's an exciting horse. 

“He only got beaten a small margin in a Derby a couple of years ago, and we've had to be very patient, so it's just so exciting to get him back and see him race well.” 

Verona Rose lands Inglis Bracelet 

Verona Rose had already recouped her purchase price many times over, but she cashed in on a lucrative opportunity available only to Inglis graduates in the Inglis Bracelet (1600m). 

The event is open only to fillies and mares who are paid-up members of the Inglis Race Series, which is something trainer Gary Portelli did not hesitate in doing once he bought her for just $40,000 out of the 2023 Classic Sale. 

“It’s nice to pick up $190,000…thanks very much to Inglis for putting on the race,” the Warwick Farm trainer said. 

“It’s a fantastic race. I've had a bit of luck in it. I ran a couple of seconds before today in the race, so it’s good to get a win.” 

Verona Rose, who won the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) the start before finishing fourth in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) earlier this year, has now won four of 11 starts and a tick over $500,000 in stakes. 

“She showed that she's got the potential to be a good mare and, today, whilst this wasn't a Group race, there were some pretty handy mares in the race.” 

First Chorus sings the right tune 

Trainer Lindsey Smith is already looking further afield with after First Chorus took out the TCL Trophy (1700m). 

Smith has the impression First Chorus could develop into a handy stayer and is already looking at next year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival with the mare. 

It won’t be the Carnival’s feature, the Melbourne Cup, but one of the lesser races restricted to mares, the Matriarch Stakes (2000m). 

“No doubt she'll get to 2000 (metres) and maybe this time next year, she might be in a Matriarch or something like that,” Smith said. 

“She keeps improving. She went to Rosemont (Stud) just to have a bit of a reset a couple of times with Elva at the agistment farm there. 

“Most of my horses are starting to do that now and it's a system that works good. It’s a good farm, and Elva and the girls do a great job, so that’s part of their win too.” 

Smith doubles up with Guerite 

Lindsey Smith was back in the winner’s enclosure later in the day courtesy of the victory of Guerite in the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m). 

The Melbourne Cup Carnival Final offered $500,000 in prize money with horses winning their way into the race via victories on the provincial circuit in the lead-up. 

As he did with his earlier victory, Smith attributed the win to Rosemont Stud where Guerite headed for some R & R. 

“We send a few horses there to reset,” Smith said. 

“They spend a day or two in the paddock and go on the treadmill. It just gives you a bit of longevity with horses. 

“She (Guerite) has had a few issues with soundness in her time, but the walls kept stacking up on her and she kept climbing them.” 

Smith made the move from Warrnambool to Geelong late last year to be closer to city racing. 

“It has been a rocky road in the last 12 months. I was feeling like a gypsy,” Smith said. 

“To the staff at home, it has been a bumpy road, but everyone has worked hard and although it isn’t a Group 1, it means a lot to us now being a Geelong boy.” 

Getafix shines in greys race 

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Getafix has relished a return to Victorian racing taking out the Subzero Handicap (1400m), a race restricted to grey gallopers. 

Getafix had raced just once previously in Melbourne, scoring during last year’s Caulfield Cup Carnival on a heavy track. 

O’Shea said Getafix could be in for some more interstate travel from his Randwick stable with a trip north to Brisbane over summer. 

“We’ve always had him pegged to take him back to the Gold Coast, he’s a Magic Millions horse so we’ll probably navigate a path that way,” O’Shea said. 

“We got the ride we were hoping for and whenever he does that, he’s difficult to beat. 

“He put a couple together in Sydney and he didn’t get the rides that he needed to at the last two, so it is all about how you execute on race day, and if you execute well, he runs well. 

“This horse has got a good race in him some day and it is just a matter of when we step him out.” 

Freedman pair find another promising three-year old

The Anthony and Sam Freedman stable have another smart three-year-old sprinter on their hands after Point Barrow scored a thrilling win down the straight at Flemington. 

Point Barrow took out the Group 3 Red Roses Stakes (1200m) on Thursday to follow the stable’s success in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) with Tentyris on Saturday. 

Tentyris returns to Flemington on Saturday where he will step out against the older horses for the first time in the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m). 

Point Barrow, under Daniel Stackhouse, showed a blistering turn of speed to haul in stablemate Inkaruna to score by 1-¼ lengths with Miss Freelove the same margin away third. 

But before correct weight could be declared, Jye McNeil, rider of the fourth placegetter Akaysha, fired in a protest against the first two across the line, but after a stewards hearing, the objection was dismissed. 

Sam Freedman said Point Barrow shows a stack of ability but still does a lot wrong. 

Al Duca gets bob in 

A win during Melbourne Cup week does not immediately signal the end of a campaign 

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Al Duca took out the Good Friday Appeal Trophy (1800m) and will continue his program into the summer. 

The Ballarat Cup (2000m) in early December appeals to Sam Freedman as a potential early summer target after Al Duca, under Damian Lane, showed plenty of courage to hold off Farhh Flung in a head-bobbing finish. 

“The racing calendar doesn’t drop off after Cup Week. There’s plenty of options,” Freedman said. 

“We’ll go to the 2000-metre Ballarat Cup. He’s got great tenacity and that drop in weight today was certainly the key. 

“It is great to have that tactical speed as a racehorse especially in Australia and when you have Craig Williams bearing down and you know Damian Lane, it was always going to be ding dong battle and a great spectacle. 

“It was nice to be on the good end of the photo.” 

Ryan’s crowning moment a Flemington win

Patrick Ryan Jnr made the three-hour trip from Grassmere, north of Warrnambool, with confidence that his five-year-old mare Stokke had the tenacity to perform.

That she delivered him his first win at Flemington in the Listed NYE at Flemington Century Stakes (1000m) will make the trip home a lot more enjoyable.

Ridden by Damian Lane, Stokke took her record to six wins in 13 starts.

“She's always struggled going around corners, so we couldn't wait to get her up the straight. She's got a beautiful galloping action, but often rushes it around the bend and gets on the wrong leg,” Ryan said.

“So we were quietly confident that she'd excel up the straight, but you never know when you've got horses like Rey Magnerio and those sort of proper group quality horses she's got to take a proper step to beat them.”

Damian Lane took out riding honours on the day with a double while Anthony and Sam Freedman led the trainers charge with two winners.