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Historical Analysis of the San Domenico Stakes
Many a starting point for a spring 3yos campaign comes in the San Domenico Stks. G1 winners, stallion prospects or brilliantly bred fillies have taken out this race, a speed test which had been dominated in recent seasons by the fillies before the last couple.
Check out other facts about a sprint which used to be run solely at Randwick but has been moved around for various reasons and now sits at Rosehill.
PROFILING THE RACE
o Was a very good race to draw inside at the Randwick 1000m, especially the speed machines. Now at Rosehill things might change.
o Favourites have not had a good recent run with Sliding Cube and Foxwedge the only ones since 2002 before Nostradamus.
o Most come off the end of their 2yo campaigns rather than Winter racing - Shellscrape and Japonisme the only ones recently to come in race fit.
o Haven’t been big fields so barriers not too consequential.
o Last 10 Winners Average Price of winner - $5.40
o Breakdown of winners - 3 fillies, 6 colts & 1 gelding.
o Races that the winner ran in prior - Australia Post Stks (1), 3yo BM72 (1), Spell (8)
RECENT WINNERS
Barrier: 6, Weight: 56.0kg, Gross Time: 1:04.39
Margin: 1.3L, Track: Soft 7, Starters: 62nd: Tango Rain (56.0kg), 3rd: Kentucky Miss (54.0kg)
Review: For the second year in the row the Golden Slipper winner returned and was beaten out of the placings. Capitalist got all the attention albeit easy in the betting.
Tommy Berry had the more mature Star Turn in the controlling position and at the 300m he went for home.
Admitting he may have had to go earlier than wished, Berry put the race over quickly and the colt held the margin to the post. The favourite was only fair at best.
Barrier: 5, Weight: 56.0kg, Gross Time: 1:02.75
Margin: 0.5L, Track: Good (3), Starters: 82nd: King’s Troop (56.0kg), 3rd: Haptic (57.0kg)
Review: In what was a fast running of the San Domenico, we might have seen some decent 3yos here. It did include the Slipper winner Vancouver and yet he wasn’t able to run a placing, albeit still a nice run.
After contesting some weaker races through the winter, Japonisme was not regarded as good as some others but had fitness and form on his side.
Angland sat him back in the field and he rounded up the middle in the fashion of a top horse. It is always hard to beat Waller any time at Rosehill.
Barrier: 4, Weight: 56.0kg, Gross Time: 1:03.63
Margin: 0.8L, Track: Good (3), Starters: 92nd: Washington Heights (56.0kg), 3rd: Law (57.0kg)
Review: Who would have predicted Nostradamus winning? Well this colt could be very good and his progeny in years to come will have some great names.
The Hawkes team had had a great Autumn and this was the start of the Spring for their new 3yos. This sire was starting to get some lovely horses and the colt got a top run off a hot speed.
McDonald pulled him into the clear and while it wasn’t a dominant win, he did have to chase from a long way out. Off that run there was a top future in store.
