Yulong Newmarket Handicap (Group 1)

THERE were moments of redemption, remembrance and revelry following the win of the three-year-old colt Cylinder in Saturday’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

Twelve months earlier on the same card, Jamie Kah and Craig Williams were hospitalised following falls in the Sires’ Produce Stakes. With Kah injured, James Cummings turned to natural lightweight Dean Holland to guide In Secret to Group 1 glory in the Newmarket.

Sadly six weeks later Holland had suffered a fatal fall on a country Victoria racecourse, leaving behind a wife and four young children.

With a touch of synchronicity Kah, who one race earlier had vanquished some demons of her own in winning the Sires’ Produce on Traffic Warden, rode Cylinder to victory, to complete a race-to-race double in the Godolphin blue for James Cummings.

Fittingly Holland’s wife and children were present to share in the win with Kah, who was in the same colours Holland wore to victory 12 months earlier.

“I thought I was a tough person but I’m not today,” said Jamie Kah. “Even (winning) the last race (Sires’) was massive for me, to get through that and have it behind me. This is for Dean Holland. I couldn’t imagine anyone riding that horse as well as he did last year, and I felt so happy that I gave him the opportunity to win the Newmarket.

Amazing person

“Hopefully he is watching down on us today. I can’t believe that happened. Obviously, it was a horrible day for me last year but I’m so happy that Dean got to win on that horse. He was an amazing person.”

Drawn out wide, Cylinder’s 6.5kg weight advantage at handicap level over the race favourite Imperatriz proved decisive.

The I Am Invincible mare could only manage second, a length in arrears, as the Zoustar gelding The Astrologist took third.

Cylinder’s win was apt considering his sire Exceed And Excel, who made his name winning this race in 2004, was retired from stud duties a week earlier.

“It is an important race to us, really,” said James Cummings. “It is with great sadness that we retired Exceed And Excel from the roster this week and amazing that in the same week one champion exits the stage and potentially the next potential champion stallion joins the roster.”

The Agency Randwick Guineas (Group 1)

IN a classic ‘ding dong’ battle, the Les Bridge-trained Celestial Legend prevailed by a nose over the Chris Waller-trained Militarize, after the pair of Dundeel colts fought the length of the straight for the Group 1 Randwick Guineas.

A further head back, the Not A Single Doubt colt Cafe Millennium, with Tom Marquand aboard, took third.

“This has been my home since I was 15 and I am going on 86 so it is special,” said Bridge in reference to his time at Randwick. “He never got on the track (today). It was amazing.

“I think he’s the best horse I’ve had, and I’ve thought so for a while, but I’ve been frightened to admit it even to myself. But he’s fantastic. A mile will do me. If he pulls up well, I’ll run him in the (April 6th) Doncaster.”

Owned by Hong Kong-based Bon Ho, Bridge and jockey Kerrin McEvoy had combined to win The Everest in 2020 with brilliant sprinter Classique Legend. “Bon Ho has been marvellous to me, he’s kept me going,” added Bridge.

“He has given me beautifully bred yearlings to train and I just hope this repays him in some small way.”

While Bridge hadn’t won a Group 1 for 14 years, the win also ended a lean trot for Kerrin McEvoy.

“Les has really loved this horse for a while,” said McEvoy. “It’s been well documented and he did a great job, the horse. It’s great to get another big race, I’ve been fortunate enough to win some nice ones, it’s been a little bit of a drought since my last one so it’s nice to get it done here for Les.”

James Squire Canterbury Stakes (Group 1)

THE Annabel Neasham-trained Lady Laguna with Tyler Schiller up has broken through for a maiden Group 1 win, saluting in the 1,300 metre Canterbury Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

“Does someone want to give us a slot (in the Everest) for next year? They’re a great bunch of owners. Wow. Amazing,” quipped Neasham post-race after her Overshare filly had taken down the 2023 Everest winner Think About It and the 2023 Coolmore Classic winner Espiona, the equal favourites filling second and third in the seven-horse field.

“No horse deserves it more than her. She’s an iron-woman,” added Neasham. “She’s so tough. We were a little bit further back than I wanted to be, but it was a beautiful ride by Tyler and I’m just so over the moon that she’s a Group 1 winner. And to win for OTI (Racing) and the team is just so special.”

THE Coolmore-owned colt Switzerland extended his unbeaten run to three and shapes as a serious threat to Storm Boy in the Golden Slipper.

With work to do at the top of the Randwick straight in the Group 2 Todman Stakes, the Snitzel colt ran through his gears to win by a length from the Waterhouse/Bott stablemates, Straight Charge, a colt by Written By, and the Alabama Express colt Shangri La Express.

“It makes the next two weeks that little bit easier to know you’re on target,” said trainer Chris Waller who won the Slipper’s 2023 edition with Shinzo, also by Snitzel and managed by Coolmore.

“If you’re running second and third you’re scratching your head and wondering, what do I have to do to get a bit of improvement out of a horse. What I will be doing for the next two weeks is keeping things simple.”

Purchased for A$1.5 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling sale by Tom Magnier, Switzerland is now the clear second favourite for the March 23rd Golden Slipper behind Storm Boy who was bought into by Coolmore in February.

With James McDonald having ridden both colts at their previous starts, Coolmore revealed mid-week that Ryan Moore will ride Storm Boy and McDonald remain on Switzerland.

The fillies’ division, the Group 2 Reisling Stakes, also over Randwick’s 1,200 metres, was won by the Rubrick filly Erno’s Cube trained by Ciaron Maher. She is quoted at $34 for the Golden Slipper.

New Zealand

Sistema Stakes (Group 1)

THE Australian-bred Velocious has completed the 2YO Karaka Million/Sistema Stakes double at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Trained by Stephen Marsh, the Written Tycoon filly emulated another Marsh-trained filly, Ruud Awakening, who completed the same double in 2013.

Settled on the hip of the leader in the 1,200 metre Sistema Stakes, Velocious, the hot favourite, took control in the straight to win by a length from the Saxon Warrior filly Archaic Smile with another Written Tycoon filly Captured By Love in third, to complete an Australian-bred trifecta in New Zealand’s feature 2YO Group 1 event.

“That feels great. She’s a great filly, a Karaka Million winner, and now she’s a Group 1 winner. That just tops it all off,” said Marsh.

“I was nervous coming into today, a lot more gee’d up than for the Karaka Million, but I’m just happy it’s done and dusted and she’s got it.”

Ridden by Sam Spratt, Velocious has now won four from five, her only blemish coming on a heavy track.

RIDING the Stephen Marsh-trained El Vencedor, Joe Doyle was party to an ambush that delivered Marsh the second leg of a Group 1 training double at Ellerslie in the Bonecrusher Stakes over 2,000 metres.

Aboard the five-year-old by Shocking, rated a $20 chance, El Vencedor was allowed to roll forward and control the race at his first test beyond 1,600 metres.

Leading into the home straight, El Vencedor had a three-length break as the $1.20 favourite Legarto set chase. With inch perfect timing, Doyle managed to get El Vencedor home by a neck from the hot-favourite, the Proisir filly Legarto, as the Zed gelding Ladies Man was five lengths away in third.

“That is just fantastic, and this is a race with a lot of history,” said Doyle. “Stephen’s horse was so tenacious, and I’m absolutely thrilled.

“We agreed before the race that the only chance we had was if we could get relaxed in front, so I let him slide forward and when we hit the rise, I let him fill his lungs and he was as tough as anything and got me home.”