Racing
Blue Diamond Stakes Day briefs
A look at the undercard on Blue Diamond Stakes Day at Caulfield.
Pallaton bounces back, Newmarket next?
He was once favourite for the Golden Slipper and was one of the hype two-year-olds of his generation, but Pallaton broke new ground in the Zeditave Stakes.
The son of Wootton Bassett landed the maiden Stakes success of his career when he emphatically ticked the 1200m box in the $200,000 Group 3 contest.
The Michael Freedman-trained three-year-old made the most of a rails-hugging ride from Craig Williams to bounce back from an unplaced first-up run in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes, which has connections now keen to see the colt aimed at loftier goals.
"Two weeks ago, in the Rubiton, (we were) disappointed, we were hoping he would fare much better and this was the test of that," breeder and owner Anthony Gow-Gates said.
"Michael's the driver, but after today hopefully he goes into the Newmarket."
The $2 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) will be run at Flemington, where Pallaton was a winner on Melbourne Cup Day last year, on March 7.
Pallaton ($3.50) was not the only colt to run an improved race in the Zeditave Stakes with Devil Night ($4.80) finishing second, beaten 1-1/4 lengths, in his first top-three finish since last year's Blue Diamond success.
Conversely, boom colt Rosberg failed to justify strong market support ($2.40 fav) and ran on only fairly from the tail to finish fifth, 4-½ lengths from Pallaton.
Cumani on Derby hunt
With three Group 1 Derbies still to be decided in Australia for the 2025-26 season, trainer Matt Cumani has his eye on each of them with Single Choice after his win in the Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m).
The Australian Derby (2400m) comes up first at Randwick in April followed by the South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville in May with the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm winding them up in June.
Single Choice had been untried beyond 1600m prior to this preparation which saw him resume over Saturday's trip, finishing second, on February 9.
Cumani was taken with that performance and immediately elected to concentrate on Saturday's Stakes race, where he also had Victoria Derby placegetter Deal Done Fast resuming.
Both horses could be on the Derby path this campaign, although Cumani thinks Single Choice may be the hardier of the pair.
"He can handle more races, more often," Cumani said.
"He's a horse that's going to go to Derbies, hopefully. We might need him for all three Derbies, so I want to space it out and I don't want to back him up.
"Two weeks between races for me is a short back-up and he's just a big, heavy horse.
"I think racing sparingly will work for him."
While delighted with the victory of Single Choice, Cumani was equally taken with the fifth place performance of the stablemate.
"Deal Done Fast, first race of the preparation, huge finish, and he'll clearly improve for further," Cumani said.
Sheza Alibi overcomes difficulties
Backers of the $1.50 favourite Seza Alibi in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Plate held their breath well into the straight before the filly saw some daylight.
In the end the filly's class shone through with Sheza Alibi racing to a 2-¼ length win from the $5 second favourite Salty Pearl.
Saturday's victory was Sheza Alibi's first run since taking out the Sandown Guineas in November, giving the former Queenslander her third Victorian win from four starts.
Sheza Alibi had been scheduled to commence her campaign last week at Flemington, but co-trainer Peter Moody felt the filly would benefit from an extra week's work.
Moody, who trains in partnership with Katherine Coleman, has an ambitious program for Sheza Alibi in the spring and is keen to give her a light autumn campaign.
"There won't be a deep campaign, that's why we were keen to run her down here twice, because she had a long year last year," Moody said.
"You dream of her, could she be a Cox Plate filly? But at worst, well it's a terrible thing to say 'at worst' you've got a race like the Golden Eagle, you've got the Empire Rose.
"There's a lot of options, so we just need to make sure we look after her."
Moody said the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 7 or the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) at Randwick the same day, could be next options for the filly.
"If she needs another week, we can look at something in Sydney beyond that, so no rush.
"We'll enjoy today."
Bossy Benita rebounds
Trainer Michael Mehegan blamed himself for the first-up defeat of Bossy Benita, but the mare was back to her front-running best with an all-the-way in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m).
The Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on January 31 was the race Mehegan had been keen on collecting having won the race twice previously with Prussian Vixen.
Mehegan usually gives Bossy Benita two trials prior to starting her campaign but added an extra this time around ahead of the Bellmaine Stakes.
"I was bitterly disappointed not to win the Bellmaine," Mehegan said.
"Normally I've given her two trials and I gave her three, she's probably raced a bit flat second up, but today, if you go on that view, she's third up, she was always going to be pretty hard to beat.
"She's very strong and I always thought she was up to this class. It's pretty rewarding when a plan comes off."
Mehegan said there was a suitable race back at Caulfield on VOBIS Day, March 14, but said he may consider going higher with the mare and travel interstate.
"We'll see what happens," Mehegan said.
Three for Corstens, Larkin and Allen
The 2000m journey at Caulfield is gelling with Magnaspin after he collected a second win over the course and distance in his past three starts.
Success in the Listed Victoria Gold Cup was Magnaspin's first at Stakes level and came after the Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained galloper scored over the track and trip on January 31.
Sandwiched in-between that victory and Saturday's success was a second-place finish in the VOBIS Gold Heath on February 7.
"Before this preparation Caulfield had been a bit of a bogey track for him," Larkin said.
"Now he's got three here. It just goes to show, he's an older gelding and he's still learning.
"He was very good."
Magnaspin ($5.50) held off a late challenge from Sun Gift ($6) to score by three-quarters-of-a-length, giving the stable the middle leg of a city treble.
The trainers and Allen bookended Blue Diamond Stakes Day after winning the opening race, the Whispering Angel Handicap (1100m) with Verdoux then taking the final event on the 10-race card, the Lamaro's Hotel Handicap (1400m) with Harry's Yacht.
Check out our FREE full form, ratings for meetings in nine countries each and every day.