Neds C F Orr Stakes (Group 1)

IN a cleverly judged front-running ride, Mark Zahara guided Tofane to victory in the CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield over 1,400 metres, Melbourne’s first Group 1 of the new year. Though the press would have liked to indulge Zahara, he made a beeline for the exit to link up with his flight to America for the Super Bowl.

Home by a length and a half in her fourth Group 1 win, Tofane defeated the American-bred Mizzen Mast mare Lighthouse and the New Approach gelding Cascadian.

The six-year-old mare by Ocean Park has now won eight of 27 races and nearly A$3.4 million in prize money. “She came out this morning and looked really on her game. It was a really good ride by Mark,” said trainer Mike Moroney.

“The three-year-old (Lightsaber) was slow away and it was a good front-running ride. She was never going to be beaten from a long way out.”

Swansong

Moroney indicated Tofane would head to the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1,400 metres) at Caulfield on February 26th with an option to head to Sydney. “Sydney would be her swansong I would say and then she will go through the sales at Magic Millions.”

Earlswood wins on Aussie debut

FOURTH in the Irish Derby last June, Earlswood landed the Group 3 Carlyon Cup over 1,600 metres at his first Australian start at Caulfield on Saturday.

Settling one back on the rail in the run, Damien Lane stoked-up the Pivotal colt on rounding the bend. To the outside of the leading pair, Earlswood chimed in with 200 metres run, as neither he nor Calsign Mav would yield.

In a head-bobbing charge to the line, Earlswood got the nod by a nose ahead of the Atlante gelding Callsign Mav. Charging into third, having tracked Earlswood in the run, was the Melbourne Cup third-placed Spanish Mission.

“We’re over the moon today,” said trainer Maddie Raymond. “We’ve come here without a jump out so he’s got plenty of improvement left in the tank. We’re so lucky to get a horse like this through Jane Davies. We’ve got Wentwood and now a classy colt like this. Super happy with where Damian had him in the run. We did say to be a little bit conservative so it was a perfectly timed ride due to probably not having a whole lot of work under his belt.”

While the All Star Mile remains a possibility, the Australian Cup looks the likely target for Earslwood where he sits on the third line of betting at $10.

Think It Over masters the plan

IN the racetrack return of Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant, it was the Kerry Parker-trained Think It Over who stole the headlines in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

A winner of three straight group races at the end of his previous campaign, the So You Think gelding won in decisive fashion over the 1,400 metres at Randwick to suggest a Group 1 win is not far away.

“I knew he had to chase from a long way out which is always concerning,” said Parker. “I think the others might have got out of their ground, they got a long way back. Like I said last spring, where he is right now I don’t think you can get much better, he’s pretty good. He didn’t have to go to Melbourne to prove it and he can stay here and follow the weight-for-age path to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.”

Verry Elleegant was beaten into seventh, four and a half lengths from the winner who had a nearly three-length margin over the second-placed Hallowed Crown mare Colette, ahead of the Demerit gelding The Special Reward.

Masterly Coventina Bay plugs the Dyke

Herbie Dyke Stakes (Group 1)

RELISHING the damp conditions, Coventina Bay delivered trainer Robbie Patterson’s finest moment on a racecourse. Setting after the O’Reilly gelding Vernanme, Patterson’s Shamexpress mare ran down the race leader to win the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes over Te Rapa’s 2,000 metres by a length as the Savabeel horse The Chosen One ran into third.

“She is just a true professional,” said Patterson. “It was a great ride by Craig (Grylls) who is probably the best jockey in the country at the moment. She got in the tricky part of the track, but she is just so genuine and just a good horse.”

The win erased the ‘what ifs’ of a pair of Group 1 second places for Coventina Bay who becomes the first Group 1 winner for her sire Shamexpress, having been passed-in at the 2017 Karaka Select Yearling Sale on a reserve of NZ$20,000.

“I might be able to go back to Aussie with her now. We might just have a go at the Doomben Cup (Group 1, 2,000 metres) and have a good holiday as well,” added Patterson.

Levante holds off challengers

BCD Group Sprint (Group 1)

AT Te Rapa’s sprint distance of 1,400 metres, Levante underlined her class to make it two wins and a second in New Zealand’s new year Group 1 sprints.

Sent out as second favourite in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint, the Proisir mare was the first to show her cards, moving swiftly into the race on the bend to lead at the top of the straight.

The Jamie Richards-trained Entriviere was up for the challenge trying to peg Levante back, but Ken and Bev Kelso’s five-year-old mare had her covered, winning by a length, with nearly five lengths back to the third-placed Shooting To Win gelding Mascarpone.

Button

“I thought he (Ryan Elliot) had pressed the button too early, but she has held them out and in her career, nothing has ever passed her in the straight when she has been in front,” said Ken Kelso.

“It was just another real good, tough effort.

“This is huge for us and the owners are such great people and have let us do what we wanted to do with her. It’s a big thrill for Bev and I and all the staff at home.”

Kelso indicated that Levante may head to Sydney or Melbourne in the near future as her local options are limited for the remainder of the season.