Boxing Day Racing

Boxing Day racing at Caulfield didn’t throw up too many surprises, with the biggest winner of the day only paying $8.60 on the tote.

In the 1200m feature, The Christmas Stakes, Cocinero and First Drinks set a fairly strong tempo early but by around the 300m mark they were both well and truly gone. Mind Your Head (left) was pulled out 3 wide at the turn and was given an excellent ride by in-form jockey Mark Pegus to win. Orbit Express didn’t get a split until the 100m mark but flew home and probably should have won the race, making significant inroads into Mind Your Head’s lead but it was just a little too late, Mind Your Head held on to win by about a neck, finally giving his connections some reward for their patience. Itsamonty battled on for 3rd.

In other races at Caulfield top-weight Rapid Sensation scored impressively in the Joe Brown 3YO fillies hcp (race 3) leading all the way for Michelle Payne to make it 3 wins in a row with the Peter Snowden trained Chameleon in 2nd. In The Lord Stakes the bottom-weight Just Look won well but favourite Ulysses disappointed, finishing unplaced.

Over in Sydney the in-form Ready To Lift also made it 3 in a row, winning the Group 3 Summer Cup. The Mare had the box seat in the race and battled out the finish with Bellagio Wynn but just went home the better, ending up victorious by half a length.

Also at Randwick Damien Oliver might well have earned a ride in the 2YO Magic Millions up on the Gold Coast after guiding the Gai Waterhouse trained Shadow Assassin to victory in the Magic Millions 2YO prelude. It was the Geldings 3rd win from 3 starts.