Latest News

Masked Crusader couldn’t have done a lot more to press his TAB Everest claims in winning the Group 2 Premiere Stakes as he gave his rivals a start and a beating in good time for the 1200m.

Whether he can give the Everest field the same start and run them down remains to be seen.

The gelding ran 1:08.33 for the 1200m (Classique Legend’s Everest winning time last year was 1:08.27) and of course Punter’s Intelligence sectional data shows his last 600m of 33.18 was clearly the race’s best.

The runner-up Standout clocked the fastest 600m-400m of 10.86 (33.65 last 600m) and from there it was all Masked Crusader, his 400m-200m of 10.79 was half a length faster than the next best while his last 200m of 11.50 was a clear two lengths superior.

Away from the winner, the return of I Am Superman would have pleased the Snowden camp. He clocked the third fastest last 600m of 33.81 in finishing fifth and he’s a lot more at home around 1400m to a mile.

In a couple of weeks it’s likely Standout will tackle the Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) and in that race he’ll meet Big Parade who won the Benchmark 94 Cleanaway Handicap over the same course.

There was just under a full second, about six lengths, difference between the two races as Big Parade stopped the clock at 1:09.30.

The first 600m in the Benchmark race was 35.32 compared to the Premiere’s 34.16 so they were entitled to sprint home.

Big Parade ran 33.27 for his last 600m. He did carry 61kg under the handicap conditions and it’ll be interesting to see how he measures up at his second shot at Group company, he was placed in the Group 2 Theo Marks at his previous start.

Gravina posted easily the fastest last 600m of that race, his 32.97 was almost two lengths faster than Big Parade but he unfortunately gave away more head start than that margin.

The booming finish of Private Eye to win the TAB Epsom saw him clock 34.28 for his last 600m which was a length and a half faster than the next best.

He ran 11.12 from the 400m-200m and a last 200m of 11.71 and is off to the $7.5m Golden Eagle at the end of the month.

Next best in the Epsom was Rock, in seventh placing, who ran a last 600m of 34.50 while it’s worth a look at the effort of Icebath, who ran ninth, in posting 34.89 for her last 600m.

She was badly held up for a lot of the straight, a couple of horses inside Private Eye, and to clock the second best 400m-200m of 11.29 while being impeded was excellent while her last 200m of 12.13 is a result of a check just inside the 200m. To the eye she kept finding the line.

A race like the $2m The Invitation (1400m) is well and truly within her reach.

The fillies in the Group 1 Darley Flight Stakes held their own time-wise against the Epsom, with that race being run just 0.26 seconds slower and off a significantly slower first half of the race.

The first 800m in the Flight was run in 47.14 while the Epsom a much faster 46.01 so the fillies made up plenty of ground in the run home.

The runner-up Hinged was fastest in that Group 1, her last 600m of 34.54 a length and a half quicker than the next best Startantes (34.75) while Hinged’s last 200m of 11.76 was also clearly a race best.

Never Been Kissed ran 34.90 for her last 600m in winning the race but her last 200m was second best at 11.92 suggesting if she backs up in the Spring Champion Stakes this weekend the 2000m may just suit her.

There’s always plenty of interest in the early two-year-olds and on Saturday it was a unanimous decision in favour of the fillies.

Coolangatta stopped the clock at 56.78 in the Group 3 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) while Sejardan ran 57.99 in the Group 3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate, that’s around eight lengths slower.

Interestingly, the first 600m was only faster by 0.05 to the fillies so they really sprinted home.

A last 600m of 32.95 was recorded by Coolangatta but that wasn’t the fastest of the race, fourth placed Wild Calm ran 32.88 in her eye-catching effort. That said, the winner ran 11.28 for the last 200m which was the race’s best.

Fastest last 600m: Fox Fighter 32.17

Watch Punter’s Intelligence with Ben Way, Brad Davidson and Brad Gray at 7pm on Tuesday on Sky Thoroughbred Central.

Click here to download the Punter's Intelligence app.