There is a vast difference between horses competing at this time of the year and those waiting in their stables for the sunny days of spring when the big money races are about.

By the time that spring has come around the horses currently racing are either spelling or have moved on.

Of course there will always be exceptions, and that exception maybe Petits Filous, she could be the exception if Ciaron Maher can keep her up until the early races in the spring.

She made a one act affair of the Telstra Phonewords Handicap at Moonee Valley on Wednesday, winning by six lengths and running two seconds better than the colts in the following race over the same distance.

Ciaron Maher didn’t bother to try her early, he always had a high opinion of the filly, giving her that little additional time has payed off, she is a very exciting filly with a great future.

Damian Oliver had walked the track earlier, he was sure where he wanted to be with the rail out 7 metres, and with the wide draw he was not going to get caught napping, he quickly found the fence and the issue never in doubt thereafter.

Maher is in no hurry to try Petits Filous over further ground, the distances of her immediate future are likely to be over the shorter trips.

Petits Filous with Damian Oliver up

Pat Hyland was the front runner in the popularity stakes at Warrnambool, on Sunday, after Gredington won the opening race on the card.

And for good reason, the Magnus colt is raced by a syndicate known as the “Racing Women”, with at least a dozen members and could be a few more.

Whilst it was the first win for Gredington, from a limited number of starts, he is showing promise of better things to come, with possible spring aspirations.

Pat is even talking about the Caulfield Guineas, he has spring thoughts in mind and in his step, time will tell.

Brazen Beau was no match for his English counterparts at Newmarket, finishing unplaced in the Group 1 July Cup.

Whilst there will obviously be excuses made in the defence of the favourite, Brazen Beau, that he didn’t handle the downhill run, much could be said of the winner, Muhaarar, there were some concerns in that camp as well.

Pre post had Brazen Beau and the winner, Muhaarar, as joint favourites; however, strong late support for the visiting colt saw him start a pronounced favourite at post time.

The race was run free of incident Astaire, Tropics and Muhaarar all commenced well with Brazen Beau coming quickly from his wide berth to join the leading group, whilst early in the race he looked a definite threat.

There was nothing running on really, with the exception of Eastern Impact, who ultimately filled third placing.

Brazen Beau was giving ground at the half way stage, the best he could expect was a minor placing, the time for the race of 6 furlongs, or 1200 metres, was 1.09.34.

The winner, Muhaara, is by Oasis Dream, among his four wins included the July Cup, Nunthorpe Stakes at York, and the Middle Park Stakes, all Group 1 races.

His dam, Tahrir, is a grey mare by Linamix, her dam is by Last Tycoon, her only race win was over 1000 metres, she is a full sister to Mister Charm, a winner of 12 races in France.  

Time has not dimmed the skills of Darren Gauci, as was shown with a winning double on Saturday at Caulfield.

Renowned as a superb judge of pace he was in his element giving the gelding, Rich Jack, the run of the race in the Jockeys Trust Final, he was in supreme control of the issue from the outset.

While Gauci received some of the accolades, there were some left over for a remarkable lady in Carole Heffernan, trainer of the winner, Rich Jack.

She raised her eyes to the sky in remembrance of her late father, Kevin, a committeeman of the VATC, and later the MRC, it was her first winner at Caulfield.

“My dad was my best friend, I often look to sky and say thanks dads,” Kevin was a great character, larger than life with a army of friends

Rich Jack ridden by Darren Gauci

Winners have not been that frequent for Carole, it was her first city Saturday winner, and what a thrill, at her late father’s course, Caulfield.

She is restricted to having six horses in work at any one time, the truck only holds six and she has to travel from Yarra Glen to Cranbourne to work them each day.

When she commenced training she was pregnant with Paige, a pregnancy she remembers for all the wrong reasons, a dramatic accident.

“I was riding a horse at the time and got run over by a car that was 21 years ago, we were both lucky, “she said.

Rich Jack is by Danerich, he has sired a lot of winners with little recognition, and he made a lot of ordinary mares improved for the experience.

A winning partnership - Darren Gauci and Carole Heffernan

Those that supported Lord Of The Sky, in the Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield with their hard earned, won’t be rushing back in a hurry for a repeat serve.

No excuses tendered, just one of those things that can happen in racing, he looked a picture in the paddock with two attendants restraining him in case his mind began to wonder in other directions.

He simply fell out of the starting gate to the disgust of those that had supported him; he never gave a yelp at any stage of the 1100 metre trip.

The race was won in great fashion by the mare, Miss Promiscuity; she just strolled in and won as if she had just joined in from the top of the straight.

She is a pretty handy mare with a definite liking for Caulfield; her five wins from 14 starts have returned $340,000 in prize money.

Rayan Moore, sole representative for Hayes – Dabernig stable, described the win as a great result for the owner, Robert Crabtree, and the Black Type was a bonus.

Miss Promiscuity under Dwayne Dunn