Following All Too Hard’s first-up success in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at
Caulfield two weeks ago, the team of Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes indicated
that they were inclined to wait for the Group 1 Australian Guineas March 2. They
called an audible about a week ago, and, much to the chagrin of his rivals, the
half-brother to Black Caviar was pointed for Saturday’s Group 1 Futurity over
the same course and seven-furlong distance. All Too Hard proved easily best in
the weight-for-age event, conjuring up thoughts of how he might handle the Group
1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot in June.
All Too Hard returned a whopping 10-1 when upsetting Triple Crown winner
Pierro in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas October 13. The striking bay colt
stretched out to 2,000 meters for the first time and gave an excellent account
of himself in the Group 1 Cox Plate October 27, finishing a neck behind Ocean
Park while finishing 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Pierro. He was spelled off that
effort, but showed little rust in winning the Orr by a half-length. He was
sharper still Saturday.
All Too Hard won the break, but came back nicely to Dwayne Dunn and settled
in midpack, as Glass Harmonium cleared and crossed and led from defending
champion Mufhasa. Green Moon, having his first run since taking the Group 1
Melbourne Cup last November, was a handy third. Given his cue with about 500
meters to race, All Too Hard accelerated notably into the stretch, swooped past
Glass Harmonium at the furlong grounds and quickened clear. Mufhasa held for
third ahead of Green Moon, who was momentarily blocked for a run in deep stretch
and finished fourth.
“I put a label on him early and said he was one of the best I’ve ridden, and
I’ve been waiting 20 years to find something like this and it’s finally coming
to fruition,” Dunn said.
According to the colt’s trainers, the 2011 Easter sales-topper is “99% sure”
of running in the Guineas at Flemington next Saturday.
There was hardly a dry eye in the house when Miracles of Life ran away with
Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond, in a feel-good finish to the richest
two-year-old race on the Victorian racing calendar.
Her rider-cum-caretaker Lauren Stojakovic is better known for breaking her
pelvis in four places in a trackwork accident and a slew of other injuries. She
didn’t have all that much time to celebrate her biggest career win, for she had
five rides Sunday at Adelaide’s Balaklava races, where total purse money for the
program was A$80,000. That’s a shade more than what she picked up for her single
victorious ride on a much bigger stage in Melbourne.
Trainer Daniel Clarken paid tribute to Stojakovic’s devotion to Miracles of
Life.
“Lauren has hardly left the filly’s side since she came into the stable,” he
told AAP. “She rides her in all her work, feeds her, cleans up after her. They
love each other.”
Stojakovic’s father openly wept as his daughter and her filly raced to
victory.
“They underestimated her, the filly, and Dan, and they won’t any more,” he
told Melbourne’s The Age.
The rider told Australia’s Channel Seven that she held it together well
enough, that is until she caught sight of her father and mother, who could
barely bring herself to words. Stojakovic remained cool, calm and collected —
at least pre-race. She even sang to her mount to calm her nerves — the filly’s,
not her own.
“In the gates I said to ‘Barbie’ (the jockey’s nickname for Miracles of Life)
there was about a minute between us being good or great, and after the run, I
told her she was just brilliant,” she told The Age. “I didn’t realize how
good it could feel to cross the line in a Group 1.”
Miracles of Life, a diminutive chestnut with a broad white blaze, validated
those who backed her down to 9-5 for her December 22 debut at Morphettville
Park, streaking home by 5 3/4 lengths and demolished a field by nine lengths at
Morphettville 14 days later as the 1-2 chalk. She ventured to this track for the
first time for the fillies’ division of the listed Blue Diamond Preview January
26, coming from midpack before drawing off late to take it by 4 1/4 lengths.
There were rumors that Stojakovic would be sacked in favor of a
higher-profile jockey, but Clarken remained in her corner and she put a
masterful ride on the filly to complete a fairy tale story.
Drawn inside in a bulky field, Miracles of Life jumped fairly and settled in
about sixth position as Metastasio, one of three runners in the race for Sheikh
Mohammed, showed the way. Stojakovic sensed a chance to get her mount off the
fence and pulled her out three wide to launch her bid as they left the side of
the course. She soon had the frontrunner in her sights, rolled up to take
command easily at midstretch and held sway late as Fast ‘n’ Rocking and Godiva
Rock ran on at longshot odds.
Clarken, a horse whisperer of sorts who has been under the radar his entire
career while based at Morphettville, could have at any point opted for jockeys
named Nolen, Boss or Williams, but stuck with his instincts, and was full of
praise for the ride Stojakovic put on Miracles of Life.
“That ride was 10 out of 10,” he told The Age. “I think it’s changed
my life and it will change Lauren’s career big time. That ride was amazing.
She’s struggling to get a ride in Adelaide, I said, ‘You are more of a chance to
get a ride in Melbourne,’ and she is, after today.”
In the day’s other Group 1 at Caulfield, Mrs. Onassis sprang a 15-1 upset in
the 5 1/2-furlong Oakleigh Plate. Under Kerrin McEvoy, the Gerald Ryan mare
bested Facile Tigre by a length, with Spirit of Boom back in third. Race
favorite Barakey was a last-minute scratch after acting up in the gate.
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