The landscape of the Spring Carnival’s two premier Group 1 Classics saw significant shifts on Saturday as two new contenders emerged at Caulfield.
King Snitz solidified his claim for the Victoria Derby with a dramatic last-stride victory in the Caulfield Classic, while Quick Finish ascended the Oaks betting ladder following a tenacious win over her rivals in the Ethereal Stakes.
Quick Finish, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, secured her third consecutive win. Sent off as a $15 outsider, she battled hard to claim a half-length victory over Your Colour ($9) in the $240,000 Group 3 event contested over 2000 metres.
Jye McNeil, who has partnered the Grunt filly in all four of her starts, from a fifth at Bendigo on July 30 to a maiden win at Ballarat Synthetic, an 1800m success 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 remarked. “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 is now priced at $8 for the Oaks on November 5, a 2500m race, trailing Sydney filly Proxima Dea ($4.50) and Your Colour ($6), whose late surge in the Ethereal was notable.
Former Oaks favourite Miss Waititi has drifted to $15, and Fringilla, the $2.90 favourite in the Ethereal Stakes, is now $11 after finishing fifth, less than two lengths off the winner.
Fewer reputations were challenged in the Caulfield Classic, also a $240,000 Group 3 over 2000m, with Vallice and Cignetti performing admirably in defeat.
They finished in the placings, both beaten by less than a head behind the Shane Jackson-trained King Snitz, a colt whose development mirrors that of Quick Finish.
King Snitz, who debuted on August 28 finishing third-last in a 1347m Geelong maiden, was subsequently placed at the same track over 1700m before a decisive 2000m maiden victory at Warrnambool leading into the Caulfield Classic.
He now presents an opportunity for Snitzel, a renowned sire celebrated for his sprinters, to claim a Derby title, and Jackson indicated the colt would head to Flemington on October 31 if his preparation remained smooth.
“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 stated. “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 are currently sharing the $8 quote in Derby betting, alongside Diameter, trailing only True Rebel ($6). Cignetti is available at $11.
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