A track record set by Mister Sea Wolf for the 1600m at Kembla Grange should see the form out of Saturday’s inaugural $1 million The Gong hold up.
And in the coming weeks that theory will be tested with a number of those chasing him home headed for the Group 2 Villiers Stakes on December 14 at Randwick.
The obvious take away from The Gong is the run of runner-up Quackerjack who covered more ground than any other horse in the race, an extra 11m, as he sat wide and worked his way up onto the pace before going down narrowly.
While stuck off the track he ran the fastest 1400m-1200m section in 10.88, and the fastest 1200m-1000m in 11.39. He ran a last 600m of 34.99, better than more than half the field, and only just failed to beat 12 seconds for his last 200m (12.02).
Third placed Star Of The Seas was responsible for the fastest last 200m of the race as he made a surge in 11.81.
It wasn’t easy to make ground from the back and out wide at Kembla, particularly in The Gong, so we have to respect the efforts of fourth placed Military Zone and fifth placed El Dorado Dreaming.
To El Dorado Dreaming first, the mare posted the race’s fastest last 600m of 34.26 as she ran on from 14th on the turn and it was a fairly sustained sprint too, 11.26 (600m-400m), 11.16 (400m-200m) and 11.84 (last 200m) – each section was either the fastest or just off it.
Military Zone made his major burst between the 400m and 200m, clocking 11.13 for the best of the race for that split, and he just seemed to knock up late running 11.93 for the last 200m but still managed the second best final 600m of 34.45.
There was a mixture of eye-catchers and forgive runs in the Pages Event Hire Handicap (1200m) for the fillies and mares won narrowly by Kylease.
Godolphin mare Handspun sizzled running 33.18 for her last 600m as he went down by a nose, that section was more than three lengths faster than any recorded in the race (Lucicello’s chip didn’t work).
She ran 11.13 from the 600m-400m (almost a length faster), 10.70 from the 400m-200m (again almost a length) and 11.35 home (over two lengths).
She’s an honest mare and there’s a race for her up to 1400m, preferably on a dry track coming up.
Misteed had plenty of admirers going into the race and she finished off from back right down the outside, not the preferred ground, running 33.80 for her last 600m.
She was tracking along okay into the final 200m running 10.81 from the 400m-200m and whether it was being first-up or the pattern she ran 11.73 for the last 200m.
Two-year-old Mrs Maisel blew her chances at the start when she veered out sharply and had to be dragged back, losing valuable ground.
So her effort to clock 34.23 for her last 600m, just 0.04 slower than the winner Destination, was a promising one. She clocked the fastest 400m-200m of 11.04.
Cinquedea made a nice return to racing in the 1200m Polytrack Handicap producing easily the fastest last 600m of the race of 33.86, about three-quarters of a length faster than anything else.
He was ridden for luck through the field and when he burst into he clear he ran 11.56 to be the quickest for the last 200m to set up what looks a successful summer campaign.
Fastest last 600m: Broken Arrows 32.93.
Most ground covered (to win): Napoleon Solo +10.4m.
Don’t miss Punter’s Intelligence at 7pm on Tuesday on Sky Thoroughbred Central.