October
AprilDerby debate
On its coverage of day one of The Championships, the Seven Network asked its viewers which meeting they regarded as the best on the Australian calendar.
Host Jason Richardson stuck to the traditional view that the answer is Victoria Derby day.
I agree that Victoria Derby day is the greatest occasion on the Australian racing calendar, but I can’t see that it holds the title any longer as our best day when it comes to quality of racing.
Lining it up against last Saturday’s meeting at Randwick, for example, I believe it falls short.
The Australian Derby is a better race than the Victoria Derby — I doubt I’d get much argument in saying that — and the Doncaster Mile is far superior to its Flemington equivalent, the Cantala Stakes.
The Randwick meeting also boasts the T.J. Smith Stakes, which is undoubtedly Australia’s autumn sprint championship.
Flemington’s Empire Rose Stakes is solid enough, and the Coolmore Stud Stakes probably now carries championship status for three-year-old sprinters, but neither is as exciting an event as the T.J.
Both those Flemington races are probably superior to the Inglis Sires’ but that doesn’t make up enough ground in my opinion.
And while the nine-race Flemington card is famously all run at group level, the Randwick meeting has nine group races plus the Country Championship Final, which has been a brilliant innovation and only adds to the day.
For what it’s worth, on racing quality I’d also have Golden Slipper day (five Group 1s) and Caulfield Guineas day ahead of Victoria Derby day.
Cremorne (Vic)