It has become quite common for the imports to win our middle distance and staying races, as was the case at Flemington on Super Saturday, with former Luca Cumani trained Manighar taking out the Australian Cup by the slenderest of margins, from the Caulfield Cup winner, Southern Speed.

Whilst the field numbered just eight runners after the scratching of Lucas Cranach, the race developed into the best weight for age race we have seen all season.

Glass Harmonium, who was expected to lead, blew the start and was last into stride with the result Kerrin McEvoy had no other option but to let Illo stride to the role of pacemaker, Glass Harmonium sat in second, three lengths away Manighar was always handy, with the $2.40 favourite, Americain, at the rear of the field.

Positions hardly altered until the straight was entered, it was then down to business, Manighar moved up along the fence with Southern Speed joining in, Americain was some distance away but was beginning to finish stoutly.

Peter Moody paid a compliment to Luca Cumani, saying he sent the horse over in excellent condition and Moody hasn’t miss a beat either, the winner was a credit to all concerned.

While Moody admitted he is still working the horse out, the B M W, at Rosehill over 2400 metres, is the race that he is targeting as David Hayes is with Americain, who will be much harder to beat in Sydney with a run under his belt.

Manighar and Southern Speed fighting out the finish of the Australian Cup

Empress Rock became the third three year old filly by the premier sire, Fastnet Rock, to earn Black Type this season, whilst that may not be any claim to a record, it is certainly quite an achievement.

The Bart Cummings trained filly was impressive in winning the time honoured Group 3 Kewney Stakes, her second win after five starts and will now return to Sydney for the Coolmore Classic, over the same distance as the Kewney 1400 metres.

This was her second run this time in, after a break of 10 months, when she finished last in the Golden Slipper Stakes, won by Sepoy.

Punters narrowed the Kewney down to two genuine chances, Shopaholic, a winner at her previous three starts, was the slight favourite at $3.20, and Soft Sand, considered unlucky at her last start at Caulfield, and was at $3.40.

Shopaholic and Soft Sand were never in the hunt at any stage, the former may have trained off after a tough campaign, while Soft Sand finished fairly, and she didn’t flatter her supporters.

Empress Rock wins Kewney Stakes

All Too Hard does not have to live in the image of his half sister Black Caviar, he can do it all on his own as was shown at Flemington in, winning the VRC Sires Produce Stakes in brilliant fashion.

The Sire’s has lost a lot of its former glamour, many of the previous winners have failed to go on, that could all change with the authoritative win of All Too Hard, who looks the real deal.

The superlatives were flowing; he has taken the next step from winning down the straight in the Listed Talindert Stakes, to the Group 2 Sires Produce, as if it was merely a walk in the park.

John Hawkes, representing his sons Wayne and Michael, is keeping his feet on the ground, but it is not hard to get carried away with a colt like this fellow.

Potentially All To Hard is the most impressive Sires Produce winner since Grosvenor, who won the race 30 years ago, he wins his races with ease, there are no ifs and buts about him.

Whether he will run in the Golden Slipper Stakes is about 50-50, there are no plans set in concrete at this stage, “We are not going to rule out anything yet, maybe the Sires or Champagne could be the better option,” said John Hawkes.

“I have won the Slipper only once and been unlucky four or five times with runners, it is a funny race, if you don’t draw the right gate you don’t win,” he added.  

“He is a super racehorse, a lovely laid back type of colt, he is doing everything on raw material, he will be a much better three year old.”

All Too Hard - Looks the goods

Dwayne Dunn, currently riding on the crest of a wave, described the win as “awesome, he settle in well in the centre of the field, travelling well all the way, when I went for him, within a few strides he was there, we had the race won a long way from home, he is a very exciting colt, with a great turn of foot when called upon,” said Dunn

Dwayne Dunn riding on the crest of a wave.

The Williams training camp are in no hurry to rush Green Moon, the imported entire was returned to the paddock 24 hours after winning the Blamey Stakes at Flemington.

Nick Williams, who shares ownership in the exciting entire with his father, Lloyd and mother Sue , said “we are going nowhere, Sydney is not on, it’s the paddock now, I am convinced we have a serious racehorse and with the spring ahead we will wait.”

The Blamey was his first up run since his second to Southern Speed in the Caulfield Cup, now that he is fully acclimatised that is a bonus, he is likely to become a strong spring contender, he can take up a handy position in a race, plus can sprint quickly when called upon.

He will be set for the early weight for age races and whilst there is not a lot of depth at present in that division, he would he would certainly make his presence felt.

Jockey, Craig Williams, was impressed with the run “ he gave me a great feel, I had to work him a bit hard to take up the position we had, from then he travelled well in running and once we entered the straight and we found the gap, he outsprinted them and really won well”

Green Moon has a touch of class

Snitzerland, a comfortable winner of the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes will return home to Sydney where she is yet to race, her mission, the Golden Slipper Stakes in four weeks time.

In between she will have her first start in her home state in the Reisling Slipper Stakes, which is two weeks off, a win would ensure her of a start in the Golden Slipper.

She has had quite an unusual race program, trainer, Gerald Ryan, brought her to Melbourne in the spring as there were no early two year old races for fillies available for her in Sydney.

A second, on Melbourne Cup Day, was sufficient for a return trip to Mornington for graduates of the Inglis Sales, a race she won without much effort.

Her win at Flemington on Saturday was convincing, however, the quality of those she defeated is questionable, and much will depend on her next start, if she is up Golden Slipper standard.

“She has good gate speed, she can switch off and relaxes and quickens when required, plus a good doer at home in the stable”, said Ryan

Snitzerland is by the Oakleigh Plate winner Snitzel, a prolific sire of winners and no one has had more success with the progeny than Gerald Ryan.

Snitzerland winning with ease

The filly had the services of leading Sydney horseman, Corey Brown, who has never ridden in better form, he had the situation under complete control from the outset, it was just a matter of pressing the buttons to achieve the result.

Corey Brown had an easy ride