The Lindsay Park team had a big day with a treble at Caulfield on Saturday but not everything went the way of trainers David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.
WELL-BACKED FUHRYK MISSES THE GREEN
Like most punters, Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig expected Fuhryk to be hard to beat in the Group III Cockram Stakes (1200m) but the mare was unable to raise the hopes of her backers.
Fuhryk firmed from $2.25 to $1.80 but after getting back to the second half of the field under jockey Craig Williams, she worked home fairly to finish two lengths from the winner Savanna Amour in seventh spot.
"She was first-up and she needs smoother-run races and she can utilise her strength, which is her galloping action, and I think she’ll improve with the run as well,” Williams said.
"They didn’t go fast enough and they probably drew too well for her but I think her run was good first-up.”
David Hayes said Williams was "a bit negative” on Fuhryk but the pair combined for wins on Vega Magic in the Group I Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Grande Rosso in the last race of the day.
ROYAL SYMPHONY BETTER FOR LOOK AT CAULFIELD
Jockey Dwayne Dunn said Caulfield Guineas favourite Royal Symphony needed the outing at his first look at the Caulfield circuit in an exhibition gallop on Saturday.
Royal Symphony has raced on the Pakenham Synthetic track and Flemington (twice) in his three impressive winter wins catapulting him to the top of Caulfield Guineas betting.
Dunn, whose wife Amanda part-owns Royal Symphony, said the clock was a minor consideration behind giving the son of Domesday experience around Caulfield.
"He just had to work to get around the corner and it wasn’t until the straight that he did flatten out,” Dunn said.
"It’s just the first time here and the partner he had (Illumicon) isn’t a bad horse either so he was here to do a searching gallop and he put him to bed late.
"It was good to get around here under a bit of pressure and the corner is a bit different to what he’s used to.”
Dunn said Royal Symphony was likely to gallop again at Moonee Valley next Saturday.”
SYMPHONY’S WORKMATE WORTH FOLLOWING
Group I-winning jockey Luke Currie suggests a keen eye be kept on Royal Symphony’s gallop partner Illumicon.
Currie said Illumicon went well in enough in the Caulfield hit-out to be worth considering in a 1500m race at Moonee Valley next Saturday.
Illumicon has had two starts for a fourth at Morphettville and a win at Bendigo on August 13.
"He’s only had a couple of starts but his win at Bendigo was good and he’s an improving sort of horse,” Currie said of the Tony McEvoy-trained galloper.
LATE SCRATCHING FORCES MEMSIE MAP RESHUFFLE
Those who swear by speed maps had to do a quick recalculation once trainer John Sadler scratched Charmed Harmony from the Group I Memsie Stakes.
Charmed Harmony was the obvious leader in pre-race reckoning but Sadler scratched the Lawrence Stakes runner-up from the $1 million event, and his stablemate Divine Chills from the Group III Cockram Stakes, once the stewards upgraded the track from a good (4) to a good (3) early in the day.
Sadler said the track was "perfect for racing” but not for Charmed Harmony and Divine Chills, who both have superior rain-affected track form.
"Charmed Harmony couldn’t win on a track that firm,” Sadler said.
"It’s not a problem with the track. I’ve got no problem with the track at all but it just makes it hard for those two horses.”
Craig Williams was always in control in front aboard Vega Magic before he was too good in the Memsie Stakes as a short-priced favourite.
MAGIC HAPPENS! Vega Magic dominates out in front to land the first Group 1 of the season, the @karakachat Memsie Stakes. pic.twitter.com/j7Y0KeXzyq
— Racing.com (@Racing) September 2, 2017
NO LUCK FOR McCARTHY AND ARTIE
Taking Divine Mr Artie to the races has been a difficult job for Caulfield trainer Brendan McCarthy.
Divine Mr Artie was narrowly beaten at his last start at Flemington on August 5 but a bout of colic forced the gelding to be a late scratching at the Caulfield meeting on August 19.
Missing a run left Divine Mr Artie well and truly on the fresh side for his race at Caulfield on Saturday but the veteran of 25 starts played up in the gates before stewards withdrew the horse on vet’s advice.
McCarthy hopes it will be a case of third time lucky for Divine Mr Artie next time out.
