Australia's Autumn Racing Carnival
The highlights of the Australian Autumn Racing Carnivals in Melbourne were the performances of Intergaze to take the Australian Cup, Pins in winning the Victorian Triple Crown and Testa Rossa for his Lightning-Futurity Stakes Group 1 double. An honorary mention goes to the recently retired Redoute's Choice, who added another Group 1 victory to his tally before his premature retirement to stud. When the carnival moved to Sydney, the highlights were undoubtedly the brilliant mare Sunline, who once again captured the hearts of Australian racegoers, the filly Belle du Jour for her win in the Golden Slipper, Tie the Knot's second successive Mercedes Classic and the wins of Fairway in the AJC Derby and Over in the Doncaster Handicap.
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Intergaze winning the Australian Cup
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Intergaze capped a brilliant career with his astonishing all the way win in the Group 1 Australian Cup, run over 2000m at WFA. He surprised his connections and jockey Craig Carmody by bolting early in the race to about a 6 lengths lead, and ran on magnificently in the final stages to win by an easy 2½ lengths, even with Carmody losing his whip over the concluding stages. Intergaze has been retired to the historic Widden Stud, home of many champion Australian sires, and we wish him well.
Apart from Intergaze, there was a dearth of top class older horses racing in Melbourne. However the 3yos were entertaining and there were some top class efforts. Pins raced with distinction against his own age, winning the Victorian Triple Crown. This game little colt, by Champion Australian bred sire Snippets, was retired to stud the next month to stand in New Zealand, after he injured a tendon in the George Ryder in Sydney. Testa Rossa was another 3yo who delighted the big Melbourne crowds. The Perugino 3yo produced a dazzling turn of foot first up to win the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (over 1000m), then won the Futurity Stakes, over 1400m at WFA with another brilliant display of acceleration, beating his old foe Redoute's Choice (by Danehill) and the filly Miss Pennymoney (by yet another shuttle stallion, Brocco).
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Belle du Jour in her amazing win
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When the carnival action shifted to Sydney, Belle du Jour sparked incredible scenes at Rosehill Gardens with her amazing win in the Golden Slipper. The filly, the first Group 1 winner for her sire Dehere, now relocated to Japan, reared at the start and tailed the field by some 4 lengths, with her jockey Lenny Beasley lucky to stay in the saddle. Beasley somehow managed to weave a path through the capacity field over the 1200m dash, and the filly stormed home down the centre of the track to win by a neck. Her owner John Singleton had promised, and was true to his word, free beer for the public (not members), which was provided until "stumps". 'Singo', as he's affectionately known, had given a 25% share in the filly to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke as a 70th birthday present, who was another colourful figure in the mounting yard after the race. It was trainer Clarry Conners 4th win in the Slipper, following Tierce, Burst and then Prowl in 1998, and the first for jockey Len Beasley.
