Category: Member News

By Tim Guille @timbguille

The footy scarves and big Winter coats have been put away. Spring is upon us and the first of the big Spring classics, the Caulfield Guineas, is here. Saturday kicks off the start of a mouth watering Caulfield Cup Carnival week where we get to see Group 1 racing at its best. Best of all, this Saturday we get to see arguably Australia’s best horse in the flesh, Winx, hoon around Caulfield. Let’s take a look at the big races and hopefully find you a winner.

R2 – Ladbrokes Herbert Power Stakes (Group 2, 2400m, Quality)

Fast Facts: First held in 1898. Named after a former Chairman who was instrumental in shaping Victorian racing. A Group 2 since 1981 and 2400m since 1920.

History Tells Us:

• Weight a minute – Only two horses have won carrying more than 56.5kgs in last 30 years
• Only four mares have won in last 30 years
• Odd Stat – five of the last seven winners had single word names and last four winners wore predominantly blue
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – Assign

Overview: Assign stuck on pretty well behind a star last start here over 2400m and didn’t seem to tire. He will probably take a lot of benefit out of that run and improve here. Group 1 winner, Howard Be Thy Name is shaping up to be a really impressive staying type while. Big Memory won this race in 2014, so knows how it is done. Pemberley jumps right up in grade but is in great form and Prince Of Penzance is on another Melbourne Cup campaign and has to be considered over this staying trip.

Looking for Value? Master Zephyr was really strong to the line last start over 2050m and has won over this trip before. He could sneak into the placings based on his best form.

Caulfield Call Out Says: Assign 1^st, Bon Amrum 2^nd, Royal Rapture 3^rd.

R6 – Ladbrokes Caulfield Stakes (Group 1 2000m WFA)

Fast Facts: First run in 1886 and always a Group 1. Winner’s list includes many stars such as Naturalism, Northerly, Rough Habit, Might and Power, So You Think and Fawkner.

History Tells Us:

• Step up in distance – only two of last 30 winners had their last starts at 2000m or more
• Know your turf – 9 of last 15 winners had one of their last three starts here
• Only one mare has won the race in 30 years
• Odd stat – The number ‘6’ has won six of the last 11 races
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – He Or She

Overview: We get to sit back and watch super star, Winx, in action here. She is looking to make it 12 straight wins here by winning her ninth Group 1. The star has just toyed with her rivals over the last year or so and will do so again here. Black Heart Bart loves Caulfield winning his three starts here, the last two being Group 1. He is a really good horse and who knows, may cause the boil over. He Or She is off the back of a really strong Group 1 2^nd over 1800m here last start in that Bart race.

Caulfield Call Out Says: Winx to win. Easily.

R7 – Schweppes Thousand Guineas (Group 1 1600m 3YOF)

Fast Facts: First run in 1946 and always Group 1. It was previously held on the Wednesday of Caulfield Cup week (1988 – 2013) and on Caulfield Cup day (1946 – 1988).

History Tells Us:

• Familiarity – 16 of last 17 winners are out of Thousand Guineas Prelude, Manifold or Flight Stakes (Sydney)
• In form – no winners in the last 30 years have finished outside of the top six in their last start
• Odd stat – the number nine hasn’t won for over 30 years
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – Global Glamour

Overview: Foxplay comes into this after two stunning Group 2 wins, deserves to be favourite and looks hard to beat. Harlow Gold shoots right up in grade, but did win strongly here last start over 1600m, so deserves here chance. Global Glamour led the whole way to win a key form race last start, the Flight Stakes. No doubt Gai Waterhouse will be cheering her home. WA runner, Whispering Brook remained undefeated until she came to Victoria where she is yet to taste success. The front-runner could be an improver and will be the one they have to chase. Hard not to like Missrock’s Group 2 run here last start, she really hit the line strongly late and looks well suited to 1600m. La Luna Rossa was another runner out of that Missrock race and was also eye catching late and is right in this. Legless Veuve was the winner of that Group 2 and is sure to have many an omen bet placed on her. 1600m might be the query but her form is hard to knock.

Looking for Value? Leotie nearly took out a strong Group 3 here in August, flying late. She has since gone back in grade to win her last two starts convincingly and gets another go at the top level.

Caulfield Call Out Says: Foxplay 1^st, Missrock 2^nd, Global Glamour 3^rd

R8 – Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m Group 1 3YO)

Fast Facts: First run on a Thursday in 1881 (Wheatear won) and always a Group 1 with set weights (56.5kgs).

History Tells Us:

• Sydney raiders – four of last five winners were from NSW
• In form – none of last 10 winners finished outside the top four last start
• Is the Prelude a preview? Maybe not. Only seven of last 15 winners came via Guineas Prelude
• A little value? – Only five of the last 15 winners were favourite (Ave. $8.75)
• Odd stat – the number six hasn’t won for 30 years and the last four winners have had multi word names
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – Divine Prophet

Overview: NSW runner, Impending, shapes up as the one to beat. He beat a strong field which included a few of these in a 1500m Group 2 last start and looks well suited in this field over 1600m. Divine Prophet was 2^nd behind him last start, just missing late. He boasts a Group 1 placing over 1600m in Autumn and looms as a big danger. Sacred Elixir probably caught a few people by surprise here first up, winning the Prelude strongly. He has won at Group 1 level over 1600m before so knows how it’s done and is right in this. Good Standing was 3^rd in that Impending race and has been racing like he wants further, so he gets that now. Evacuation wasn’t flash behind Sacred Elixir here last start, but is talented so deserves another chance, while Hey Doc has strung three nice wins in a row and continues to impress as he jumps in grade. Saracino and Seaburge are amongst the chances too.  

Looking for Value? Looking for Value? Kaching has been really impressive to the line in his last two starts over this distance and is really well drawn here.

Caulfield Call Out Says: Impending 1^st, Divine Prophet 2^nd, Sacred Elixir 3^rd.

R9 – IG Markets Toorak Hcp (Group 1 1600m HCP)

Fast Facts: First held in 1865 and always Group 1.

History Tells Us:

• Be in form – not one winner of last 14 has finished outside of the top six last start
• Look to Rupert – last 4 winners have come out of Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
• 85% of last 30 winners were male
• Be favoured – only one of last 12 winners started at over $10
• Odd stat – numbers 8,9 and 10 haven’t won in over 30 years
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – Bon Amrum

Overview: Caulfield local Bon Amrum has been somewhat of a sensation this Spring and won the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke here last start, so is right in this. He’s Our Rokki comes into this after two strong wins here. He does jump in grade but is in super form. Ex-Japanese runner Tosen Stardom was eye catching late in his first Aussie run (4^th) and is sure to be an improver. Multiple Group winner Counterattack is also out of the Rupert Clarke and is up to this field on his day, while Sydneysider, and grey, Moral Victory looked superb winning a Group 2 (1500m) last start.  Royal Rapture is remarkably looking to make it six wins in a row here and comes into this after a good win here. Awesome Rock won smartly two starts ago but peaked late on his last run here over 1800m, so might be better suited at 1600m. Miss Rose De Lago returns to the track she loves (won 4 of last 5 here) and has to be considered.

Looking for Value? The ultra consistent Thames Court is out of the strong Rupert Clarke where she only finished 1.3L behind Bon Amrum so certainly isn’t without a hope.

Caulfield Call Out Says: He’s Our Rokki 1^st, Bon Amrum 2^nd, Royal Rapture 3^rd.

R10 – Mitsubishi Electric Schillachi Stakes (Group 2, 1100m, WFA, 3yo+)

Fast Facts: First run in 1970 as the Chirnside Stakes and the name changed in 2000 to honour champion sprinter. Black Caviar won in 2010/11.

History Tells Us:

• Fresh is best – six of last seven winners were ‘first up’ after winter breaks
• One for the girls – nine of last 14 winners were female
• Follow the money – last 11 winners paid under $8
• Odd stat – four of last nine winners were number 6
• The winner based on ‘History Tells Us’ – Ocean Embers

Overview: Star Turn is having a great Spring so far and really looks the stand out here. The 3YO won a strong Group 3 1^st up before just missing behind a star in this grade. Canberra raider, Fell Swoop is ‘1^st up’ here after  a pretty solid Autumn which included a close 2^nd to quality sprinter Chautauqua. He races well fresh so is a big chance. Really loved the way Hucklebuck hit the line here 1^st up with his big weight. He gets some weight relief here and has a fabulous ‘2^nd up’ record. Malaguerra was somewhat of a sensation last Spring and backed it up with a solid Autumn this year. Under the guidance of a new trainer he will certainly be in the mix. Flamberge has never missed the top three ‘1^st up’ and Turn Me Loose did win a Group 1 here in Autumn so has talent. Dothraki isn’t with out a chance and Japonsime is a Group performed runner that has been out of form somewhat but cant be dismissed that easily.

Looking for value? Ocean Embers absolutely love Caulfield and has won her last two starts here, including a Group 3, over similar distance range. She has had a little ‘freshen up’ and certainly looks like great value.

Caulfield Call Out Says: Star Turn 1^st, Fell Swoop 2^nd, Ocean Embers 3^rd.

The sell-out MRC Members’ Tour to Hong Kong returns once again in 2016, providing members with privileged access to one of the most premium racing clubs in the world, Hong Kong Jockey Club.

This seven day tour combines all that is great about Hong Kong – blockbuster racing, premium food and beverages and of course, the many tourist and sightseeing attractions.

Your trip includes:

• 5 nights accommodation at 4½ star Mira Moon Hotel in Hong Kong with full daily English breakfast included
• 1 nights accommodation at 5 star hotel and casino in Macau
• Welcome drinks with a VIP seat on the Symphony of Lights cruise with a window table
• Dinner at award winning Chinese restaurant Hutong whilst on the tour
• Hong Kong city half day guided tour to see all the main sights
• Full VIP hospitality for Longines International Jockey’s Championship at Happy Valley including dinner and drinks
• Full VIP hospitality on Longines Hong Kong International Raceday at Sha Tin including lunch and drinks
• Carbine Club luncheon at Grand Hyatt (Men) and shopping tour and lunch at Michelin Star restaurant (Ladies)
• MRC tour pack, Hong Kong metro rail pass and the services of an experienced tour leader

Twin/Double Share Packages from $4495 per person
Talk to us about return flights. Economy and business class options with Cathay Pacific.

PLUS…
5000 PEGASUS REWARDS bonus points ($50 credit) loaded on to your MRC Membership Card when you book.

To book, simply contact italktravel on (03) 9807 7922 or email racing@hq.italk.travel

For the results of the Annual General Meeting please click here.

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The AGM of the Melbourne Racing Club which is to be held in the Committee Room, 3rd Floor, Rupert Clarke Grandstand, Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street, Caulfield on Thursday, 29 September 2016 at 6:00 pm will include confirmation of the Executive Committee.

The Club has received five (5) nominations for three (3) vacancies on Executive Committee and there is to be an election.

Mr Roger Donazzan, Mr Rod Fenwick and Ms Patricia Faulkner AO as existing Committee Members are seeking re-election. Mr Peter Brown and Mr Peter Selleck have also nominated.

Eligible members have been sent a postal pack on how to vote on 7 September 2016. Please note that in order to be eligible to vote you must be a Full Financial Member or Life Member as at 5:00 pm on 7 September 2016.

Please click here for the Candidate Statements, details on how to vote and submission deadlines.

Dear Members,

The Melbourne Racing Club wishes to advise of the upcoming Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting of members of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club (incorporating the Melbourne Racing Club) will be held in the Committee Room, 3rd Floor, Rupert Clarke Grandstand, Caulfield Racecourse, Station Street, Caulfield on Thursday, 29 September 2016 at 6pm.

The Business of the AGM will include:

1. Confirmation of the minutes of the 2015 Annual General Meeting and the minutes of the 2016 Special General Meeting;
2. To receive a report as to the general activities of the Club;
3. To receive the Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2016;
4. Confirmation of the Executive Committee;
5. To appoint Auditors; and
6. General Business.

The 2016 Annual Report will be made available to members in advance of the Annual General Meeting. It will be posted on the club website on the 20th of September 2016, with printed copies available upon request. Please contact membership@mrc.net.au or 1300 GO RACE (46 7223) to request a printed copy.

The 2016 Annual Report for Melbourne Racing Club can be viewed by clicking here.

Please note that any members wishing to nominate for Executive Committee must contact the Club to request the nomination forms. All nomination forms and associated materials must be returned to the Club by 5pm on 25 August 2016 in order to be eligible.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Membership Team on 1300 GO RACE (46 7223) or membership@mrc.net.au should you have any further queries.

Kind Regards,

Brodie Arnhold
Chief Executive Officer
Returning Officer

Thank you to all MRC Members that attended today’s Special General Meeting at Caulfield Racecourse. The Club would also like to thank all MRC Members who submitted postal votes.

At this Special General Meeting the Executive Committee was seeking the change to the Club Rules.

The proposed change was as follows: 

Clause 14.2 of the Club Rules stated: 
“No Executive Committee Member may hold the office of chairman, vice-chairman or treasurer for more than six terms of twelve months. For the avoidance of doubt, the maximum period of time an Executive Committee Member may hold the office of chairman, vice-chairman or treasurer is six years in aggregate” 

The proposal was to change the reference to “six terms” and “six years” to “twelve terms” and “twelve years”.

The proposed new clause 14.2 of the Club Rules will state: 
“No Executive Committee Member may hold the office of chairman, vice-chairman or treasurer for more than twelve terms of twelve months. For the avoidance of doubt, the maximum period of time an Executive Committee Member may hold the office of chairman, vice-chairman or treasurer is twelve years in aggregate”

The special resolution, facilitated by independent scrutineers, CorpVote, was passed by a majority of 1283 votes in favour of the amendment, among a total of 2522.

The amendment brings the maximum terms of office bearer positions in line with that of general club Committee tenure, and enables incumbent Chairman, Mike Symons, and Vice-Chairman, Peter Le Grand, to remain in those positions, which they have held since 2010. Club Treasurer, Domenic Romanelli, has occupied that office since the club’s most recent Annual General Meeting in October 2015.

MRC Chairman, Mike Symons, thanked the club’s members for their support in carrying the resolution.

“We welcome today’s endorsement by members for this rule change,” Mr Symons said.

“It allows the Committee to continue to position the club for long-term growth and sustainability.”

Office bearer positions will continue to require nomination and support on an annual basis by the full Committee, upon the election of Committee members at the club’s Annual General Meeting. Committee members are elected on a rolling three-year basis.

The club rule change approved by MRC members must also be endorsed by the Victorian Minister for Racing, Martin Pakula, before taking effect. If that formal endorsement is not received before August 1, Mr Le Grand will act in Mr Symons’s stead from that time as necessary.

The Melbourne Racing Club – Annual General Meeting will be held on September 29, 2016.

More details will be released soon.

The club’s resident Japanophiles, Matt Cain and Josh Rodder, have been visiting trainers and owners across the Land of the Rising Sun in an effort to recruit horses to run in races across this year’s BMW Caulfield Cup Carnival.

Matt and Josh’s great relationships throughout Japan have garnered significant representation from the Pacific island nation at Caulfield in recent years. Who could forget Admire Rakti’s famous victory in the 2014 Caulfield Cup (in which compatriot Bande was an unfortunate eleventh-hour scratching), along with Admire Inazuma, who ran in the Moonga Stakes. This was repeated last year, when Fame Game was a popular elect in the Cup, in which he was joined by Hokko Brave.

More importantly, Matt and Josh’s deeds have forged particularly strong relations and high levels of respect between the world-leading Japan Racing Association (JRA), its constituent trainers and owners, and the MRC.

In exciting news for the club, this mutual respect and fortified relationship is set to bear even more fruit in 2016. That is because the Caulfield Cup is set to become one of just a handful of the world’s great races run outside of Japan that the JRA will televise and permit its nation of racing-mad customers to bet on.

The club’s Chairman and CEO, Mike Symons and Brodie Arnhold, were recently in Japan to discuss this Caulfield Cup simulcast arrangement with key representatives from the JRA. This deal also looms as a significant financial windfall for the MRC, given the scale of the Japanese wagering market the club will recoup a percentage of turnover from.

Mike and Brodie were able to conduct these discussions to correspond with the day on which the JRA acknowledges its sister clubs in Australian, of which the MRC is one. In keeping with respect for Japanese culture, it was considered important for the club to be represented by its chairman and CEO, particularly in the context of the burgeoning commercial relationship between the two entities. This was appreciated greatly by our Japanese counterparts.

It is the JRA’s strong preference for the new suite of international races it simulcasts to include runners from Japan, so the club delegates’ contact there this year is particularly crucial for the success of the relationship, hence the club’s concerted efforts.

The simulcast arrangement with the JRA is an important element in a broader international media rights strategy the club is embarking on in 2016. Until now, Sky Channel were afforded the right to distribute vision of the MRC’s races to relevant racing jurisdictions around the world, which it did under a generic ‘Australia’ banner, and of which it retained 50% of generated revenue (based on wagering turnover).

Now, for the first time, the MRC has elected to distribute vision of its racing directly to those jurisdictions abroad. This will see the club recouping all of the revenue generated by people betting on the MRC’s racing product internationally, with the added bonus of being able to grow the renown of its racecourses and racing brand globally.

It’s certainly an exciting time for the club – particularly, the prospect of hosting some Japanese friends at Caulfield this October.