The Futurity Stakes is something of a problem child on the Victorian racing calendar. In recent years, it has attracted small fields, and this year is no exception. The problem is much to do with timing. For horses being set for the Australian Cup it comes along too late, but for the horses heading towards, say, a Doncaster Handicap, it generally comes along too early.
The lack of depth at Weight for Age in this country has been exposed with Niconero winning the race the last two years. A good galloper, Niconero was unable to win a Group 1 on this side of the Nullabor until the age of six, which tells you where he sat in the general score of things.
Ultimately, the programming of the autumn carnival is problematic. With Sydney’s carnival culminating Easter, there is a limited time frame in which the Melbourne races can be run whilst allowing horses enough time to recover from the spring. My personal view is that there is that administrators shouldn’t worry too much about the carnivals overlapping. The Sydney spring and Melbourne spring are both in full flight during September, yet we usually seem to have plenty of horses around then.
What should also be looked at is running fewer three year old races in the autumn so that horses who can and should be racing against older gallopers (i.e Denman) are doing that, rather than picking up easy prizemoney in races that as often as not are just plain boring.
The field for the Futurity Stakes is below.
|
Horse
|
Trainer
|
Jockey
|
Barrier
|
Odds
|
|
Sniper’s Bullet
|
Tracey Bartley
|
Damien Oliver
|
4
|
$6
|
|
Dao Dao
|
M,W&J Hawkes
|
Brett Prebble
|
3
|
$4.60
|
|
Barbaricus
|
Danny O’Brien
|
James Winks
|
2
|
$121
|
|
Joku
|
Gai Waterhouse
|
Brad Rawiller
|
1
|
$12
|
|
Lord Tavistock
|
Andrew R Campbell
|
Jason Waddell
|
5
|
$21
|
|
Typhoon Tracy
|
Peter G Moody
|
Luke Nolen
|
6
|
$1.60
|
The Moonee Valley Racing Club has issued a press release with regards to their feature race, the Moonee Valley Fillies Classic, a Group 2 race which will be run on Friday night.
Night racing continues at Moonee Valley this Friday 26th February and will feature the $200,000 Group 2 MV Fillies Classic (1600metres).
The Peter Moody trained Speedy Natalie, a last start winner at the Valley and the Anthony Cummings trained Tallow who won the Group 3 Vanity Stakes last start look to be favoured candidates to win the race.
Challengers include Group 3 winner My Emotion and last start Listed winner Tio Rossa. Other chances include Absolute Faith who ran a 1.5 length third to Tallow in the Vanity and Aloha who ran a gallant second to star filly Set for Fame in the Kevin Hayes Stakes.
The winner of the 2009 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic was Romneya, followed by Lamarr second with Turquia coming in third.
Other previous winners of the Group 2 MV Fillies Classic include Special Harmony, Elegant Fashion, Sunline, and there was a dead-heat in 1998 between Champagne and Kensington Palace.
In 2009, the MV Fillies Classic, the set weight race for three year old fillies, was run over 1500 metres and was held on William Reid Stakes Day. It is the first time that the race has been run at night and has reverted back to the mile.
The meeting will also feature the $100,000 Moonee Valley Night Cup and the $100,000 Tour of Victoria Final. Prize money for the night totals $710,000.
Admission into Moonee Valley race course for Adults is $10, Concession is $6 and Children 17 years and under are free. Plenty of free public parking is available in the centre of the racetrack. Gates open at 5.15pm with the first race at 6.45pm and the last run at 10.15pm.
There is limited dining still available including a three course set menu in the Dining Boxes for $85 or a three course carvery for $37 (includes racecourse admission and racebook).
For bookings, please call customer service on 1300 79 79 59.
The field for the Moonee Valley Fillies Classic is below.
|
Horse
|
Trainer
|
Jockey
|
Barrier
|
Odds
|
|
Tallow
|
Anthony Cummings
|
Corey Brown
|
8
|
$3.70
|
|
Tio Rossa
|
C&C Alderson
|
|
6
|
$7.50
|
|
My Emotion
|
Mick Kent
|
Craig Williams
|
4
|
$6.50
|
|
Absolute Faith
|
John McArdle
|
Brad Rawiller
|
3
|
$13
|
|
Speedy Natalie
|
Peter G Moody
|
Luke Nolen
|
1
|
$4
|
|
Azwa
|
David Hayes
|
Steven Arnold
|
2
|
$16
|
|
Aloha
|
Mick Price
|
Damien Oliver
|
9
|
$3.60
|
|
New Venture
|
Dean Binaisse
|
Michael McDonald
|
5
|
$15
|
|
Exceptionally
|
T&K O’Sullivan
|
Danny Nikolic
|
7
|
$51
|
