The picture surrounding the Spring Carnival’s two premier Group 1 Classics was significantly altered on Saturday with the emergence of two key new contenders at Caulfield.
King Snitz has propelled himself into Victoria Derby contention with a thrilling last-stride victory in the Caulfield Classic, while Quick Finish has surged up the Oaks betting charts after outstaying her rivals in the Ethereal Stakes.
Quick Finish, prepared by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, notched her third successive win. Sent off at $15, she battled tenaciously to score a tough half-length win over Your Colour ($9) in the $240,000 Group 3 over 2000 metres.
Jye McNeil, who has ridden the daughter of Grunt at all four of her career starts, beginning with a fifth at Bendigo on July 30, followed by a maiden win at Ballarat Synthetic and an 1800m victory at Caulfield, has been astounded by her rapid improvement.
“Crazy to think we’ve come from a Ballarat Synthetic maiden to where we are today,” McNeil revealed. “She’s a free-rolling horse who enjoys that role up in front and I was stoked with her performance.”
“She obviously stays. As the races have gotten longer, she’s really come into her own, each time the team has raised the bar she’s up for the challenge and hopefully we’re on the way to the Oaks.”
Quick Finish has now firmed into $8 in the betting for the Oaks on November 5, a 2500m race, sitting behind Sydney filly Proxima Dea ($4.50) and Your Colour ($6), who impressed with her fast-finishing run in the Ethereal.
Miss Waititi, previously a strong Oaks favourite, is now out to $15, while Fringilla – who started as the $2.90 favourite in the Ethereal Stakes – is now $11 after finishing fifth, beaten just under two lengths.
Fewer reputations were dented in the Caulfield Classic, also a Group 3 race over 2000m worth $240,000, with Vallice and Cignetti not losing many admirers in defeat.
They were forced to settle for minor placings, but both were beaten less than a head behind the Shane Jackson-trained King Snitz, a colt who has enjoyed a similar progression to Quick Finish.
King Snitz did not debut until August 28, finishing third-last in a 1347m maiden at Geelong. He was then placed at the same track over 1700m before a dominant 2000m maiden win at Warrnambool leading into the Caulfield Classic.
He is now a genuine chance to give Snitzel, a champion sire best known for his deeds with sprinters, a Derby win, and Jackson stated that the colt would be aimed at Flemington on October 31, provided he pulls up well.
“The horse comes first rather than putting on the black and white suit, which I’d love to, and I’m sure Tony would too, but that’s the aim,” Jackson declared. “We’ll just see how he pulls up from this back down to the beach and wrap him in cotton wool and on to the next step.”
King Snitz and Vallice now share the $8 line in Derby betting, alongside Diameter, behind only True Rebel ($6). Cignetti is available at $11.
Consider the betting markets for the race with these leading Australian bookmakers.