Werther made a one act affair of the Group1 Audemars Piguet Q E 11 Cup over 2000 metres at Sha Tin on Sunday.

He made good horses look very ordinary, his rider, Hugh Bowman, gave his mount the run of the race until the home turn was reached, he was the one to beat from there on, he ran away for a very impressive win.

Werther is a winner of three races from his five starts in Hong Kong, he is trained by John Moore, a son of the legendary George Moore, among the greatest jockeys ever to don the pigskin.

After winning the Derby and now the QE11 Cup, Moore said, “ Werther would head to the Champions and Chater Cup to be run next month.”

Adding, “I will talk to the owner Johnson Chen about a possible trip to Melbourne for the Cox Plate”.

Werther joined the Hong Kong stable of John Moore, after the former New Zealand based galloper was purchased by his brother, Gary, in a deal brokered by Magic Millions Sales Director, David Chester.

The talented performer won a Group 2 race against the older horses at three in Brisbane, and was placed in both the Queensland and South Australian Derbies.

Winning rider, Hugh Bowman, wasn’t surprised by the win of Werther in the feature, but was shocked by the ease of the success.

“Today I allowed him to really relax throughout the race, and we’ve seen the best of him,” Bowman said.

“I had a suspicion after the Derby we would see a better horse against the top opposition, but I certainly didn’t expect him to perform to the level he did this afternoon,“ the champion Australian jockey added.

Any thought of banning spurs as a part of a jockey’s gear is quite unnecessary and nothing more than a restriction of trade.

A restrictive on the use of whips was long overdue; no one likes to see horses flogged, particularly as they have little or no chance of winning that is where the cruelty issues should be directed to, it does little to uphold the image of what racing is all about.

Leave the spurs alone they are doing no harm, there are more other issues in need of attention and spurs are not one of them.

Jockeys can do little harm to horses with the use of spurs, the only any time they are affective is at the barrier to help straighten a horse if it tends to be a bit wayward.

While jockeys ride so short these days their kicking power is restricted and with the larger saddle cloths in use, there is not much damage that can be done.

Times have changed and so has racing, however, there is no reason to bans spurs just for the sake of change.

The St Leger, the oldest classic remaining on the Victorian Racing Calender, will be decided on Anzac Day at Flemington tomorrow.

A race that has seen many changes, almost an embarrassment to racing due to the small fields it continued to attract, there was simply no interest in the race or the result.

Previously the race was run in every state of Australia, one by one they began to drop off, leaving it to Flemington to run the race alone.

Formerly the race drew no more than about half a dozen starters at best, it was usually a pretty dull affair, often an odds on favourite, one good reason to end up at the bar.

First run in Victoria in 1857, four years before he Melbourne Cup, and 28 years before the Derby, it was designed as the major staying event for the three year olds in the autumn.

When the autumn carnival was revamped at Flemington, the St Leger, run over 2800 metres, was replaced by the Australian Guineas at a more realistic distance of 1600 metres, a more suitable distance that would attract sprinter-milers, and worthy of a substantial increase in prize money.

The St Leger was in limbo until such time it was slotted into the Anzac Day program at the same distance; it has become a feature and has worked well ever since.

The race has suffered elsewhere, in Ireland four year olds are accepted as starters, due to the lack of response received from trainers of three year olds.

Tulloch was the last horse to win dual St Legers the VRC by 12 lengths, starting at 2-11 favourite, and the AJC version, later starting at 1-12 favourite, by 20 lengths from Prince Darius, with Pin Head a furlong behind in third place.

Doncaster, in Yorkshire, is the home of the St Leger in the U K, a magnificent race course where the horse has been considered first, he is the main criteria and that is how it should he.

The St Leger, run over 2900 metres, named in honour of Colonel Anthony St Leger, the first great horse to win the laurels was Hambletonian in 1795.

The paddock area where the horses parade, before the jockeys mount up, is at least 150 metres in length.

Damian Oliver was seen at his very best, at Royal Randwick on Saturday, riding a winning treble with all the skill and precision that has been the hallmark of his profession.

He has surely stood the test of time, close on three decades now, like a fine matured wine, he only improves with age.

Oliver is worthy of joining the select company of George Moore, Neville Sellwood, or Roy Higgins, all great jockeys of their era.

He carved a passage through, along the rails where angels would fear to tread, in a brilliant ride to win the Group1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes, on the Cairon Maher trained, Azkadellia.

The outside would have been a no no, there were no options, again the punt paid off, the fence got the vote, with his mount coasting to an impressive win, much to the delight of those that supported her.

It was certainly Oliver’s day at Royal Randwick, he landed the rich plum, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, via Lucia Valentina, trained by Kris Lees at Newcastle, where his late father, Max, prepared Luskin Star to win the Golden Slipper Stakes.

Prior knowledge was an advantage to Oliver; he had ridden the mare a few times previously, and was aware that there were a few quirks to her.

A long way out Lucia Valentine looked a spent force, tailing out to last with the entire field ahead of her.

While the mare could not go with them early, Oliver didn’t want to bustle her, she is better suited when she can settle to her natural rhythm.

Once the straight was entered she presented a great sight, storming through the field as if the others were attached to the running rail.

Lucia Valentina increased her stake earnings to $4,140,303, she is by Savabeel from Staryn Glenn, by Montjeu.

In the defence of Oliver, a comment was made that he had Jemeka too far off the pace in the Oaks, she may have been better off if she had dodged the boys, in the Derby, the previous week.

Damian Oliver

Preferment and Awesome Rock may have been suffering the effects of their ding dong battle in the Australian Cup, when the winning margin was no more than a whisker, and the decision had to be verified in the stewards room, as there was an objection raised.

In fairness to Awesome Rock, he led for much of the journey in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, giving in at the turn into the straight; he had had enough by then, finishing last.

Preferment did little better, he beat only two home, but was never a chance at any stage, both will be looking for a break and the jury is surely out as to their future.

The United States was far from disgraced, he was in the thick of things from the outset, he has spring potential, lightly raced as you would expect, Lloyd Williams is not one to over race his horses, he is the most astute owner in Victoria.

Criterion has run his last race, there is nothing left for him, he is rising six, he will go to stud with a few questions to be answered, he has earned $7,268,869 in stake money, his winning strike rate is nothing exceptional, 36 starts for just a mere seven wins.

There is no question, Criterion is a lovely horse, he is now going into a different league, those that have been singing his praises, since he first raced, will surely open their wallets and support him with mares, otherwise talk is cheap when action is required.

Petits Filous fails at 1200, it was no surprise to see her beaten at Randwick, the outside didn’t assist, she was never on the track at any stage of the race.

She is a brilliant filly best suited at 1000 metres, whether she will get much further is doubtful at this stage.

Whilst she was a last start winner at Caulfield over 1100 metres, the second placegetter, Grey Street, was taking ground from her in the straight, the gap between winning and losing was closing quickly .

Her sire, Street Boss, produced a Group 3 in Providencia, winning at Santa Anita earlier yesterday.

Race attendances were down at the Champions, as you would expect, racing has lost its image, for what image it had, that has long gone, there is no turning back now.

The racing has become a non identity, the football codes have taken over, while racing officials have done too little too late.

Crowds are continuing to fall, the days that racing saw 80,000 at the Doncaster Handicap are too far back to even remember.  

Being in the right place at the right time has enabled Simms Davison’s, Mapperley Stud, to double their involvement with a global thoroughbred giant.

The Matamata farm will this year launch the stallion careers of the Group1 winners, Contributor and Complacent.

“It came down to a good relationship with Darley, when I heard Complacent had been retired, I got on a plane to go over and see him the day that Contributor had injured himself, instead of coming home with one horse I came home with two, “ Davison said.

“I was Johnny on the spot, so it’s been a very busy last month getting everything together,” he added.

Contributor will stand in a partnership between Mapperley and Darley and a group of New Zealand breeders, while a partnership between Mapperley and Darley will stand Complacent, Darley will definitely be supporting both horses.

A two time Listed winner in England, High Chaparral’s son, Contributor was a first up winner of the Group 3 Coongy Handicap at Caulfield for John O’Shea.

Last autumn he added the Group 2 Apollo Stakes, the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes, and the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes, to be crowned the champion middle distance galloper of 2014-15.

“He‘s a perfect fit for us after the success we’ve had with the progeny of High Chaparral, with both So You Think and Dundeel being raised and grazed at Mapperley,” said Davison.

Contributor is a lovely looking horse, a real aristocrat, is a great mover with a real presence about him.

Both horses are certain to be well supported by New Zealand breeders, there is a lot of depth in some of those old families, they just continue to press on.

Contributor - The WFA Star