Date posted February 28, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Racing and BreedingMelbourne, Vic (Feb 28th, 2010) - Super Saturday, widely regarded as one of the best racedays on the Australian
calendar, is shaping to be the most anticipated edition in recent years.
The March 6 racemeet features three Group 1s - the $750,000 Crown Guineas, $1million Darley Australian Cup and $1 million Newmarket Handicap, with each showdown offering the potential to create true superstars of the turf.
And none more so than the 1600m Crown Guineas for 3YOs featuring the exciting Denman, touted by many as the next superstar of the Australian turf, against Linton from the Lloyd Williams stable. Whilst Linton is not currently nominated, Williams has indicated that he is likely to pay the $41,250 late fee, due Monday (March 1st), to take up the Denman challenge.
Denman
The grey, who has been drawing comparisons to Williams’ Emirates Melbourne Cup winning Efficient, dominated the field in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley recently in only his third outing. Should Linton be able to account for Denman in the Crown Guineas, the comparisons to Efficient would begin to take credence. Darley will be hoping for a win to bolster the worth of their already valuable colt.
The Crown Guineas is far from a two horse race with Peter Moody’s in-form filly Set for Fame (by Reset). Moody will be looking to get one up on the colts with his flying filly, who has only been out of the top two once from six starts, including a recent win over 1400m in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes.
Australia’s richest open sprint race, the million dollar Newmarket Handicap, is a wide open affair that has established sprinters pitched against a stellar crop of 3YOs. Representing the aged horses is likely top weight and early favourite All Silent, 2007 Cox Plate hero El Segundo, Eagle Falls and two recent Group 1 victors in Turffontein (William Reid Stakes) and Nicconi (Lightning Stakes).
Second favourite Starspangledbanner, a recent $10 million Coolmore acquisition, leads the 3YO charge alongside Headway and Wanted. The Newmarket is likely to be the last Australian run for Starspangledbanner, who
heads to England to join the stable of Aidan O’Brien, and All Silent whose itinerary is likely to include Dubai and Royal Ascot.
With Denman likely to be relocated to Darley’s Dubai base after the autumn, Super Saturday offers racegoers a fleeting last chance to see some of the turf’s brightest stars.
The Newmarket Handicap isn’t Super Saturday’s only spring board onto the world stage. Last year’s Australian Cup winner Nicconero journeyed to the Dubai World Cup meeting and 2010’s early equal favourite Heart of Dreams has been nominated for three races in the UAE including the Dubai World Cup. A win at Flemington on Saturday would secure his ticket abroad.
Shocking winning the Melbourne Cup
The Darley Australian Cup will see the return of 2009 Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Shocking to Flemington, as the gutsy entire seeks to make the transition to the weight-for-age stage.
“Super Saturday is the pinnacle of the Flemington Festival of Racing and our biggest day of racing outside the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, with three Group 1 races headlining an all black-type race card,” said Victoria Racing Club CEO, Dale Monteith.
“Punters will have the opportunity to enjoy one of the greatest racedays on the Australian calendar, featuring one of the best line-ups we have seen for many years.”
One of Australia’s most loved horses, champion sprinter Takeover Target will make a special appearance as part of the rags-to-riches superstar’s farewell tour of Australia, before retiring to Living Legends. Takeover Target will say farewell to Flemington by leading out the field for the Newmarket Handicap, a race the gelding won in 2006, and
performing an exhibition canter down the Flemington straight.
