StableTalk

hartnel for ted....not sure of breeding ..will he stay

He has won over 3200.

Yep - he won the 3-y-o stayers race at the Royal Ascot meeting three years ago. Oddly enough I recall his trainer Mark Johnston being doubtful he had seen out the trip and had been lucky in a race of non stayers.

$5 Lead-up Win Bets Sponsored by Black Caviar
Week 1 (3 Sep) - TracKing - Trip To Paris (@ $41) - Withdrawn
Week 2 (10 Sep) - Gringo - Big Orange (@ $21)
Week 3 (17 Sep) - terralee - Signoff (@ $18) - Withdrawn
Week 4 (24 Sep) - Black Caviar - Grey Lion (@ $81)
Week 5 (1 Oct) - terralee - Big Orange (@ $14)
Week 6 (8 Oct) - no1plumber - Jameka (@ $10)
Week 7 (15 Oct) - barley - Heartbreak City (@ $14)
Week 8 (22 Oct) - Paulus - Wicklow Brave (@ $16)
Week 9 (29 Oct) - no1plumber - Jameka (FF@ $8)

Race 7 - 17:00 - EMIRATES MELBOURNE CUP (Flemington R7) 3200m
17 Almandin Kerrin McEvoy 11.80 4.40
13 Heartbreak City Joao Moreira 6.20
6 Hartnell James McDonald 2.80

I got to watch the race this evening on the At The Races recording from early Tuesday morning (UK).

Looked like a typical Melbourne Cup with a quick start, a slower middle and the finishers looking for track position off the home turn. ALMANDIN has been in Australia for some while but raced in Europe in 2014 and in April of that year ran second beaten three lengths over 2000m at Longchamp. The horse that beat him that day - SOLOW, who would the following year win the Queen Anne, the Sussex and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and be crowned top older miler.

Back to ALMANDIN who in June 2014 ended his European campaign by beating PROTECTIONIST over 2100m in a Group 2 at Baden and of course PROTECTIONIST would go on to that year's Melbourne Cup.

For all that, I didn't fancy him for the Cup this year but plaudits to Robert Hickmott who seems to know what he's doing.

Yet another second place for the Europeans with HEARTBREAK CITY and what a blinder this horse ran from the car park draw but I think that helped as Joao Moreira was forced to drop in and wait but he produced a really good turn of foot from off the bend and once again it's clear to this observer the Ebor Handicap at York over 3000m is the nearest thing we have to the Melbourne Cup but he's picked up more from coming second at Flemington than from winning the Galway Hurdle or the Ebor. Will they be tempted to try again next year ?

The front two drew well clear which surprised me from HARTNELL who doesn't really get 3200m even though he's won over it. He couldn't live with WINX (no disgrace there) but he's not a stayer either, 2400m is his trip and I think he'd run well in the Arc.

QEWY was a bit further back in fourth and he's another dual purpose galloper up here but he's had an excellent campaign in Australia.

BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE was seventh and BIG ORANGE, who was up with the pace most of the way, never quickened and finished tenth. BONDI BEACH was a disappointing thirteenth and never showed.

It's interesting the dual purpose horses get it (perhaps because jumps races can be run more akin to Australian flat races) but the European stayers don't. Perhaps it's the variability of pace I don't know though WICKLOW BRAVE never featured either. It wasn't a day to be up the front either but again you have a 2800m dual purpose galloper who has the speed while a 3200m flat horse doesn't.

very much the winner a classy animal who was placed to sneek in at light weight and certainly was a great chance looking at it now
very nice run second horse and has more upside than given credit maybe and i would expect him to maybe even stay in oz
agree hartnell...anabaa stops alot stayers but class there and can continue win big races
beautful romance came from along way back so very good run to me as was who shot bar man..but think he past best so maybe rest of veiw didnt go well or wasnt a strong race espically with length from first 2