Race Against Time – Or Is It?

Tara Madgwick - Thursday February 16

In the past week we’ve seen two cracking colts make outstanding winning debuts in non-Black Type races which has everyone wondering if they have time to get into the big races this autumn and in particularly the Golden Slipper, so we’ve gone looking to see how it can be done.

When the John O’Shea trained Not a Single Doubt colt Café Millenium went to Randwick last Saturday the talk was all about Don Corleone, but coming out of the race there was only one colt to follow and it’s the winner Café Millenium.

Cafe Millenium wins at Randwick - image Steve Hart

Gary Portelli unearthed an exciting debut winner at Randwick on Wednesday in Extreme Spirit and straight away the pundits were questioning what next for the Extreme Choice colt and is it possible for him to get to a Golden Slipper?

The answer to that is yes as She’s Extreme proved last year.

By the same sire in Extreme Choice, She’s Extreme made her debut at the corresponding meeting last year on February 16th, although she didn’t win and came in fourth.

It was a good fourth though and enough for Anthony Cummings to aim high so she ran second in the Sweet Embrace, won the Magic Night and then earned a shot at the Golden Slipper to finish seventh.

That wasn’t the end for She’s Extreme as she was second in the Group I Sires Produce and then spoiled the Fireburn party when winning the Group I ATC Champagne Stakes.

She's Extreme wins the G1 Champagne stakes - image Steve Hart

Just for good measure she came back in the spring and won the Group I VRC Oaks over 2500m, so that does make you wonder if some trainers don’t aim high enough!

Extreme Choice had the Golden Slipper winner in 2021 when Stay Inside beat Anamoe. He made a winning debut on January 23 at Randwick, then won the Pierro Plate before finishing an unlucky fourth in the Todman Stakes and when he won the Golden Slipper it was his first stakes win.

It was also his last win as he started only two more times finishing unplaced on both occasions at three.

Snitzel filly Estijaab was another to win the Golden Slipper on one preparation winning on debut at Randwick on January 20 before finishing second in the Silver Slipper. She then won the Reisling and the Golden Slipper.

Advertisement

She defeated Oohood and Sunlight that day and while both went on to win Group I races at three, Estijaab never won another race.

Looking back a little further, Forensics was another high class filly to win the Golden Slipper on a short preparation. She won her debut at Canterbury on February 9, then beat I Am Invincible in the Kindergarten Stakes and finished fourth in the Reisling Stakes before winning her Slipper.

Manhattan Rain, who won the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes made his debut on January31 and finished second at Rosehill and then was second again in the Canonbury Stakes before winning the Skyline.

He contested all three legs of the Triple Crown placing in the Golden Slipper and Champagne Stakes and winning the Sires. While he never won again, Manhattan Rain was second to So You Think in the Cox Plate and was probably a lot better horse than he got credit for being.

Yosei ended her career as a triple Group I winner, but started her Group I tally in the Sires’ Produce Stakes and she arrived there off an interesting path. She won a Benalla maiden on February 16 and then placed in the SA Breeders Stakes and VRC Sires Produce Stakes before coming to Sydney where she ran fourth in the Reisling.

She was a long shot when she won her Sires Produce Stakes but wins in the Thousand Guineas and Tatts Tiara at three proved she was seriously top class!

The Group I ATC Champagne Stakes is often a good race for a late arrival on the juvenile scene and Pasadena Girl was one of those winning the Talindert Stakes in Melbourne on debut on February 21. She won her next start in the Thoroughbred Breeder Stakes and was fourth in the Sires Produce Stakes before winning the Champagne at start four.

Go Indy Go kicked off even later making her debut on March 10 with a second in the Cinderella Stakes and then a second in the SA Breeders Stakes before winning the SA Sires Produce Stakes and again the Champagne Stakes at start four.

If you’re a fan of either Café Millenium or Extreme Spirit there is no reason to think they can’t get to where they would like to be, but it’s a question of ability and constitution.

The first attribute they appear to have, the second remains to be seen.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Zoustar 5YO Showing Promise
Promising gelding Have A Crack retained his unbeaten New Zealand record with a gritty performance to take out the Rich Hill Stud (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Exciting Stakes-Winner for Yes Yes Yes
Relocated to Gooree Park Stud this year, Everest hero Yes Yes Yes produced an exciting stakes-winner in New Zealand on Saturday with promising three year-old Affirmative Action taking out the $100,000 Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at his second race start.
Extremely Good Filly Wins G2 Furious for Myracehorse
There has always been a big boom on Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic following her flashing second on debut last December and we finally saw her back at the races at Randwick on Saturday and it proved well worth the wait!
G1 Spring Ahead As Angel Capital Remains Unbeaten First Up
A winner of the Listed McKenzie Stakes on this day last year, outstanding Harry Angel 4yo Angel Capital remained unbeaten first-up, winning the Listed MVRC Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) in dominant fashion.
El Roca Filly Wins G3 Gold Trail
Lollapalooza went into Saturday’s Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie as a maiden, but she came out of it as one of the leaders of her generation and the clear favourite for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
Front Runner Lindermann Wins Chelmsford Stakes
Capitalising on his outstanding second up form, Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning Lonhro gelding Lindermann held on to win the Group 2 ATC Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Catch Me If You Can Tactics Sees Changingoftheguard Break Aussie Duck
Having not won since June 2024 at Group 2 level at Ascot, a front running ride by James McDonald aboard the Kris Lees trained Changingoftheguard (IRE) saw the son of Galileo win the $200,000 Listed ATC City Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m).
G1 Shamus Award - Quintessa Wins Proisir Plate
The early spring has tended to bring the very best out of Quintessa, and that trend continued at Ellerslie on Saturday with a spectacular last-to-first performance at $36 odds in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate.
$750,000 Deep Field Colt a SW on Debut
Nearly all of the good colts and geldings by now pensioned sire Deep Field find their way to Hong Kong, but astute trainer Clinton McDonald was determined to keep Rosberg paying $750,000 for the colt at the Inglis Ready 2Race Sale last year and he was rewarded at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Aussie Connection with Impressive St Mark’s Basilica Debut Winner
2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) is at Coolmore Australia this spring and had an impressive debut winner at Ascot overnight with El Vamos powering clear of her rivals to win as she pleased.