Saturday afternoon saw the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival turn the action up a notch, with many top Australian runners taking to the $200,000 Group Two Memsie Stakes (1400m).
Punters who wagered with Ladbrokes.com.au would have seen some great rewards, with So You Think ($7.50) taking the crucial victory.
The son of High Chaparral has not run since last year’s Emirates Stakes, and so, many ruled out the four-year-old as a potential winner. But the 2009 Cox Plate winner proved why it is he is regarded as one of Australia’s best gallopers.
Steven Arnold took to the champion’s hot seat for the first time, and was impressed with the ease in which his mount responded to what was being asked of him.
So You Think defeated runner up Whobegotyou by half a length, with Ladbrokes.com.au’s pre race favourite Shoot Out back in third after a solid finish.
The result saw the Bart Cummings-trained runner surge to the top of the early market odds for the 2010 Cox Plate with Ladbrokes.com.au. So You Think is now at $4.20 for the win, with Shoot Out at $6.50 and Whobegotyou at $13.
Stathi Katsidis, the hoop of the 2010 JJ Liston Stakes winner Shoot Out, said he thought the High Chaparral gelding was slightly over raced and resulted in the pair having to make up the ground.
Peter Moody’s Typhoon Tracy headed into the 2010 Memsie Stakes as a favourite among punters at Ladbrokes.com.au, but the champion mare didn’t deliver. The five-year-old finished fourth, with Randwick Guineas winner Zabrasive solid in fifth.
Cummings has announced the potential dominant force of the spring So You Think will next jump in the $500,000 Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) on September 11.
If you want to follow the champions’ spring campaign then head to Ladbrokes.com.au, that way you can make the most of the early market 2010 Cox Plate odds too!
2010 Memsie Stakes Results
| Place | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | So You Think (NZ) | Bart Cummings | Steven Arnold |
| 2 | Whobegotyou | Mark Kavanagh | Michael Rodd |
| 3 | Shoot Out | John Wallace | Stathi Katsidis |
| 4 | Typhoon Tracy | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen |
| 5 | Zabrasive (NZ) | John O’Shea | Craig Newitt |
| 6 | Valdemoro | Tony Vasil | Glen Boss |
| 7 | Brightnight (NZ) | Bart Cummings | James Winks |
| 8 | Faint Perfume | Bart Cummings | Michelle Payne |
| 9 | Sirmione | Bart Cummings | Mark Zahra |
| 10 | Moatize | Bart Cummings | Chris Symons |
| 11 | Buccellati (GB) | Tony Noonan | Brad Rawiller |
| Scratched | Littorio | Nigel Blackiston | Craig Williams |
| Scratched | Master O’Reilly (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Dwayne Dunn |
| Scratched | Red Ruler (NZ) | John Sargent | Steven King |
