Crown Witness kept her unbeaten record intact in winning the Group 3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield.

The market suggested it would be a duel between the two favoured horses, Crown Witness and the Blue Diamond Stakes success, Catchy, who started the preferred favourite

Trainer, Stuart Webb, was full of praise for his filly Crown Witness, and why not? She has earned Black Type at her third start; she is now a very valuable filly.

“She beat a very good filly today, she gave a good kick on the home turn, it was class that got us there,” he said.

Catchy is likely to be the improver once the distance of the fillies races leading into the Thousand Guineas are extended.

However, nothing can be taken away from the winning ride of Ben Melham; it was a gem of a ride.  

Catchy will certainly he improved by with run, she will be harder to beat next time out when the fillies races get longer.

Her mission is the Thousand Guineas, she would have little trouble getting the mile, where as Crown Witness looks more the typical sprinter.

Crown Witness defeating Catchy

Jukebox returned to racing with a barn storming performance winning the Vain Stakes.  

He hasn’t been sighted since winning back at Caulfield in February; however, after a rousing gallop on Tuesday morning it didn’t take long for tongues to begin wagging.

The race developed into a two horse war once heads were turned for home, and it didn’t conclude until the post was reached, the winning margin was a half neck.

The deciding factor was the strength of Craig Williams, he threw everything at the winner as he could see Plutocracy was beginning to weaken, it was a punishing finish, the result could have gone either way, it was close.

“Jukebox has had a good long break, he spelled well around the stable, he has had a smooth campaign, he put the writing on the wall after that great gallop on Tuesday morning,” said Ciaron Maher.

For once no one mentioned the Caulfield Guineas that was not on the agenda at this stage; no doubt it will be repeated as the spring presses on, and another three year colt pops up and wins to make the race an interesting puzzle.

Jukebox is by Snitzel, the current leading sire, he was simply a sprinter himself yet he is getting winners that can run a mile, and he will possibly get them again.

Cairon Maher said all along, “ you like to see a horse that has come on as he has, we will take our races as they come, he will now go the Danehill Stakes, there are a lot of options open to him, ” he added. 

Jukebox winning the Vain Stakes 

Patience was rewarded when Hartnell, who so often has been the bridesmaid, was rewarded in winning the P B Lawrence Stakes.

After Saturday ‘s win he has now squared the ledger, with 11 wins and 11 placing ,had Winx not been about his stake earning would at least doubled, had the great mare not been on the scene, as he ran so many placeings to her.

Hartnell really looked good in the Lawrence Stakes; Charmed Harmony led them down the railway side of the track with Hartnell a couple of lengths away hard up against fence, as if Craig Williams was dusting the running rail.

The race developed into a procession, once he made his move on the home turn it was all over red rover, he won like a really good horse.

There are no firm decisions where Hartnell goes next, maybe the Caulfield Cup? Or it could be a weight for age campaign.  

Black Hard Bart was the best of Darren Weir’s seven runners; he finished third, the remaining six drifted in at long intervals.

Hartnell is by Authorized, the champion three year old in Europe of his year, he only ventured out seven times, winning four times including the Derby and the Juddmonte International Stakes, both Group 1 races.

Hartnell wins in a breeze    

Winx gave her most ardent supporters a touch of the swannie rivers (the shakes), when she emerged from the starting gate, four lengths behind the rest of the field in the Group2 Warwick Stakes.

To the credit of Hughie Bowman he put no pressure on the mare in the early running of the race, he simply allowed her to work herself into the race that was to be her 19th win in succession, and possibly the narrowness of margins in her marvellous career.

It was foreign for her to leave the gates so slowly; she will need to correct that before she faces up to her third Cox Plate.

Yes, she got there, but only by the skin of her teeth, Bowman played it cool, he didn’t knock her about.

The record of 19 straight wins was established in 1918 by Desert Gold, a New Zealand bred mare, in 1918, equalled four years later, by Gloaming, bred in Victoria and raced in New Zealand in1921

Ajax went close with 18 wins, as did Mainbrace; however, there was a span of 91 years before a new record was established by Black Caviar, who never tasted defeat, winning 25 races.

Winx needs to win seven races to create a new record; they could be her hardest metres, they certainly won’t get any easier.

Winx just gets there in the Warwick Stakes