Alexandra Stakes – Grade II [KYO]
1 1/16 Mile Dirt Stake Purse $300.000 Filly 3 Year Olds.

1st Tall And Fast Arindel Saez G

This winner showed us just how hard it is to read anything into form and past performances at HRP in general but specifically in races like this. Beaten by Story To Tell in The Golden Rod when holding the perfect draw she was well beaten on seasonal debut so it was understandable that she wasn’t one of the favorites today. However with a potentially sticky draw she managed to get onto a fairly sedate early pace without too much effort and when she kicked clear just after halfway she managed to get enough of a break to hold on by a head. This was a gutsy win by a horse that was claimed for $20 at the end of last year and to be far to her she couldn’t do more than win despite the slower early pace not suiting many of the runners.

2nd Modesta Patterson Stables Beschizza A

Stayed close enough to the modest pace to give herself a chance and was running the winner down as they raced to the line. This was a very good run for a filly that has only just broken maidens and with this sort of rapid improvement i expect her to be competitive moving towards the KYO.

3rd Intolerable Mb Stables Gaffalione T

Not the stable runner we expected to be in the finish having been a turf sprinter for most of her career but the rather random nature of this race saw her right there. Leading out of the gate she may have been better trying to stay there as she was steadied even when the pace slowed even more around half way. By the time she thought about getting going again the winner had already built up a cushion and she couldn’t run it down. Turf sprinter or dirt router?

4th One Awesome Night High Voltage Rosario J

Ran far better than i expected staying on for fourth. This may have been an odd sort of race but she ran a cracker and will have given the trainer something to smile about going forward.

Footnote:

Rather surprisingly the top three for this race in the betting all went back off a very slow pace and never had a chance. I was surprised that despite HRP saying we shouldn’t be using heavily restraining instructions the likes of Secret Eyes, Top Billing and Story To Tell were really only going a fast walk early on. I am sure the form for this race will be turned upside down more than once before we get to the KYD.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES