Some of these are seriously rich! The biggest turf races of the year start on 27th of February, which is my birthday with The Metropolitan in Australia.
2023-02-27 #48 Australia The Metropolitan (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 3yo+ $600,000
2023-03-09 #48 Australia Caulfield Cup (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 3yo+ $2,000,000
2023-06-05 #48 England Coronation Cup (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 4yo+ $450,000
2023-06-08 #47 England Epsom Derby Stakes (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 3yo $1,500,000 - second leg of English Triple Crown (first is Two Thousand Guineas, third is St. Leger Stakes)
2023-10-19 #47 Woodbine Canadian International (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 3yo+ $1,500,000
2023-11-27 #50 Japan Japan Cup (Gr. 1) Turf 12 furlongs 3yo+ $3,500,000
2023-12-11 #49 Australia Brisbane Cup (Gr. 1) Turf 14 furlongs 3yo+ $500,000
In 2022 I wrote about Epsom Derby Stakes, in which the winner was Ch. Chortle owned by Black Storm West; they also won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Ch. Autumn Red, and Littlefield won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with Ch. Power Of Love.
Big race day is coming - The Metropolitan in Australia! And also my birthday
In real life it runs in early October, and last year’s winner was 7yo gelding Patrick Erin.
I forgot about the big race! And the winner of this year’s The Metropolitan is 6yo [color=blue]GCh. Never Let Go[/color] who also won Japan Cup three years ago, and Canadian International two years ago. It’s his 2nd win in The Metropolitan; he also won in 2021, and last year he didn’t run.
Looks like he is stud qualified…? Congratulations, Littlefield!
2nd in this race was Landeythan (Gintara Lodge) and Ch. Aristocracy (Coleman Branch) finished 3rd.
Caulfield Cup in Australia comes next; same track and distance.
Thank you, hopefully he will make a great stallion. Unbeaten as a 3yo and didn’t run him in this race last year ?? Think it was the $1.5million Hong Kong race that clouded my judgement lol
Maybe try that next but may come too soon for him
Last moments to enter the Caulfield Cup in Australia; and there are already some great horses entered, including 7yo Breeder’s Cup Turf winner Ch. What An Angel, Ch. Mountain’s Glory with a speed record on turf, and others.
The most recent running of real life Caulfield Cup was four months ago, and the winner was Best Solution (owner: Godolphin), closely followed by The Taj Mahal:
In the Sheema Classic we also have 10 horses entered, but only six of them are not owned by Final Furlong; of which, three belong to Starfish Stables, one to Black Storm West, one to Gintara Lodge, and one is entered by Littlefield. The most accomplished is 6yo NCh. Chunky’s Dream; the 2022 Older Mare of the year, who won Gr. 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile, Highland Raven Breeders’ Stakes and Coronation Stakes.
In the real life Dubai Sheema Classic there is Suave Richard (Heart’s Cry), Cheval Grand (Heart’s Cry) - both from Japan, the recent Dubai City of Gold winner Old Persian (Dubawi), and two horses trained by Aiden O’Brien - Hunting Horn (Camelot) and Magic Wand (Galileo).
And the winner of Dubai Sheema Classic is GCh. Flames of Passion (Littlefield). He earned a speed record today, running without a whip! Ch. Marchioness (Black Storm West) finished 2nd and Ch. Glory Honor&Praise (Starfish Stables) was 3rd.
Victoria Derby in Australia runs very soon, and then Melbourne Cup.
Victoria Derby is tomorrow! The most recent real life winner is Extra Brut (Domesday):
In the game, there are two horses entered by Littlefield, two from Gintara Lodge, one from Black Storm West and one from Gant’s Farm. The most accomplished is San Lorenzo by Candidate. He won once as a 2yo and this year he won Gr. 3 Roman Consul Stakes.
Melbourne Cup is coming soon, and some horses are already entered; including GCh. Power Of Love (Littlefield), a 6yo mare who won this race two years ago; she also won King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that year. This year she ran once, and it was a Grade 2 win.
The most recent real life running of Melbourne Cup was in November 2018, and it was quite unfortunate; Irish colt The CliffsofMoher was euthanised after he suffered a fractured right shoulder; the rider of runner-up Marmelo was fined for careless riding and excessive whip use. There was lowest crowd on Melbourne Cup Day since 1995.
The winner was Cross Counter, a four-year-old gelding ridden by jockey Kerrin McEvoy and trained by Charlie Appleby from Great Britain.
For turf stayers, Irish Derby is coming soon; only two days left to enter. Currently there is one horse entered, Amazing Giant (Littlefield). He only ran on shorter distance so far, but his sire has produced stayers before.
Ch. Kolko (Gant’s Farm) wins the Irish Derby; Littlefield’s Amazing Giant finished 2nd.
Coronation Cup in England, for 4yo and older horses, comes next.
As Hilda mentioned the Coronation Cup I thought I’d share this video of Frankie Dettori riding the course at Epsom. He’s talking about the Derby but it’s the same track and distance for the Coronation Cup and English Oaks. As you can see, it’s quite a testing track for horses.
Interesting! And that he can talk so casually about all the details, while riding at full gallop and controlling his position next to the other horse…
They are amazingly fit! The other jockey is AP McCoy who was champion jump jockey for several years in a row in the UK (he did a similar video to this going round the Grand National course which was also really interesting to watch).
And the winner of Coronation Cup is lightly raced 4yo Knight Enchanter (RC Bee), leased by Black Storm West. It is his first stakes run, and win. He finished 4 1/2 lengths in front of 6yo mare GCh. Power Of Love (Littlefield), a multi-millionaire winner of last year’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Melbourne Cup.
Epsom Derby is this Saturday! It’s the second leg of English Triple Crown. The winner of first leg, Two Thousand Guineas, is Ch. High South (Black Storm West) and he is already entered.
The other horses entered in Epsom Derby, that also ran in Two Thousand Guineas, are: Quote (Generous Bloodstock) who finished 4th, Captain Nemo (Rainee Thoroughbreds) who finished 5th, and Svalbard (Generous Bloodstock) who finished 9th.
The real life Epsom Derby was last Saturday, and the winner was Anthony van Dyck:
And the winner of Epsom Derby is Quote (Generous Bloodstock); Two Thousand Guineas winner, Ch. High South (Black Storm West), finished 5th. Svalbard (Generous Bloodstock) improved and finished 4th. Captain Nemo (Rainee Thoroughbreds) finished 8th this time.
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is coming soon, entries are already open. In real life it’s on July 27th, and Anthony van Dyck may run, as well as Enable, the 2017 Cartier European Horse of the Year and Cartier Three-Year-Old Filly.
with The Metropolitan in Australia.