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eHorseracing.com’s Official Online News Source

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Sim Magic – 3yo Turf Classics

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Welcome to this week of Sim Magic, today I wanna take a look at a part of the Racing world, that many US Racing Fans, may either not note, or not care much about, but with the new travel restrictions and introduction of an extended Graded Racing Calendar, the Turf Classics will become even more important. While Turf racing is kind of a by-product in the US, in Europe, Australia and Japan, it’s simply all of the racing calendar. So in contrary to the US Classic Triple Crown, the Turf Classics include several races. First of all, there are three main kinds of Classics, the Guineas races, the Oaks, the Derbys and the St. Ledger.

First of all forget the St. Ledger part, it’s not only a classic, but in most countries an almost forgotten race meanwhile, so the two parts I wanna concentrate on are the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, as well as the Derbys and Oaks.

While the Guineas are mainly run in May, the Derbys and Oaks in the sim stretch from Feruary to July. Forst the main difference, the Guineas races are traditionally run over 8f, with Japan making an exception. The Derbys and Oaks over 12f, with some of the Oaks ranging from 10.5f to 11f. In real life the big challenge is a Guineas winner to make a Derby winner and see if he’s got stamina, in the sim, this seems impossible.

But, the tricky part is, with the first Derby being raced in week 3875 in New Zealand, most turfers haven’t run such a long distance before, so you basically enter 8-9f horses into the race hoping they stay. Unlike the real world, where a horse from England would never enter a Stakes race in Australia, the sim will produce a big challenge for those on the EAAA side of the globe. If you have a turfer, that either can run 90+ at 8f or seems to have lots of stamina, now would be the ideal time to transfer him to the EAAA side and let him take part in those classics.

Here is a list of the Guineas and Derby/Oaks races worked into the sim.

 

Derbys (12f colts)

3875 (4)  NZ G1 3yo 12 T M $1,650,000 0  Name : New Zealand Darby

3931 (12)  A1 G1 3yo 12 T M $1,600,000 0  Name : Sydney Derby

3931 (12)  SA G2 3yo 12 T M $100,000 0  Name : South African Derby

3952 (15)  IY G1 3yo 12 T M $500,000 0  Name : The Italian Derby

3966 (17)  E2 G1 3yo 12 T M $1,000,000 0  Name : Derby de English

3966 (17)  JP G1 3yo 12 T M $3,250,000 0  Name : The Japanese Derby

3973 (18)  A3 G1 3yo 12 T M $500,000 0  Name : Adelaide Derby

3994 (21)  IR G1 3yo 12 T M $500,000 0  Name : The Irish Derby

 

Oaks (10-12f fillies)

3889 (6)  NZ G2 3yo 12 T F $300,000 0  Name : New Zealand Oaks

3931 (12)  A1 G1 3yo 12 T F $500,000 0  Name : Sydney Oaks

3959 (16)  JP G1 3yo 12 T F $2,150,000 0  Name : Japanese Oaks

3966 (17)  E2 G1 3yo 12 T F $500,000 0  Name : Oaks de English

3966 (17)  GE G1 3yo 11 T F $500,000 0  Name : The Diana Grand Prix

3973 (18)  A3 G1 3yo 12 T F $500,000 0  Name : Adelaide Oaks

3973 (18)  FR G1 3yo 10.5 T F $500,000 0  Name : The French Diana

3980 (19)  IY G2 3yo 11 T F $250,000 0  Name : The Italian Oaks

4008 (23)  IR G1 3yo 12 T F $500,000 0  Name : The Irish Oaks

 

2000 Guineas (8f-10f colts)

3875 (4)  SA G2 3yo 8 T M $100,000 0  Name : South African Guineas

3917 (10)  JP G1 3yo 10 T M $2,000,000 0  Name : The Japanese 2000 Guineas

3938 (13)  E5 G1 3yo 8 T M $500,000 0  Name : The 2000 Guineas

3938 (13)  GE G2 3yo 8 T M $250,000 0  Name : The German 2000 Guineas

3945 (14)  E3 G1 3yo 8 T M $500,000 0  Name : The French 2000 Guineas

3959 (16)  IR G1 3yo 8 T M $500,000 0  Name : The Irish 2000 Guineas

 

1000 Guineas (8f fillies)

3910 (9)  JP G1 3yo 8 T F $2,000,000 0  Name : The Japanese 1000 Guineas

3931 (12)  GE G2 3yo 8 T F $250,000 0  Name : Germany 1000 Guineas

3938 (13)  E5 G1 3yo 8 T F $500,000 0  Name : The 1000 Guineas

3945 (14)  E3 G1 3yo 8 T F $500,000 0  Name : The French 1000 Guineas

3945 (14)  IY G2 3yo 8 T F $250,000 0  Name : The Regina Elena

3959 (16)  IR G1 3yo 8 T F $500,000 0  Name : The Irish 1000 Guineas

 

While a Guineas horse is likely to only run 2 at max 3 of the Guineas races, a Derby horse could run 4 races, beginning in New Zealand, than going to Australia or South Africa, continuing with England or Japan, and then heading for Ireland. It would be a major success to win 4 Turf Derby titles in 4 countries, something impossible IRL, where the English-Irish Double makes a highlight at 12f.

 

With making an outlook to this season tough at this stage, as most turf stars are running at 8-9f, I wanna take you on a trip to memory lane, and review some of the races, that have already been run last year(but attention, most are run a sim first time this season.)

 

Of course the highlight is the Derby d’English:

 

2008:

  1. Portman’s Perfect(KY)
  2. The Gun Went Off(KY)
  3. Spartiate(ENG)

 

Portman’s perfect a Pleasently Perfect x Sadler’s Slew Colt made a big step to Sim Glory, when completing the Sydney – English Derby double, he handled the Gun Went Off by 4 ½ lengths and scored a huge win, he later went on to win Grade 1 races against older horses in the Coxless Stakes and the Coalminer Cup, mainly racing in Australia.

 

Sydney Derby:

 

2008:

  1. Portman’s Perfect(KY)
  2. Septic Squall(ENG)
  3. Ziggy Rules(IRE)

 

As noted before, Portman’s perfect already won the Sydney Derby, here he struck by just ½ length on an off-track.

 

Irish Derby:

 

2008:

  1. Galiesis(IRE)
  2. Wrecking Crew(IRE)
  3. Muggsy(AUS)

 

Being a player sponsored race in 2008, the Irish Derby was a Grade 1 with 500,000$ purse, and Galiesis a Galileo x Diesis Colt won it by 3 lengths.

 

Adelaide Derby:

 

2008:

  1. Musical Cat(KY)
  2. The Gun Went Off(KY)
  3. Metis(AUS)

 

Musical Cat a Bluegrass Cat x Unbridled’s Song colt won the race 2 ¾ lengths ahead of The Gun Went Off, with the race bein run early May both went to the Derby d’English later, and while The Gun Went Off repeated his 2nd place, Musical Cat was down in 6th.

 

Oaks  Races:

 

Sydney Oaks:

 

2008:

  1. Day of Triumph(AUS)
  2. Cavalier Chant(KY)
  3. Polyamorous(JPN)

 

Homebred Horse Day of Triumph by Elvstroem x Manila stormed to triumph, winning by 2 ½ lengths, and 6 weeks later:

 

Oaks de English:

 

2008:

  1. Day of Triumph(AUS)
  2. Pelennor Fields(KY)
  3. Flammen Sehen(GER)

 

Day of Triumph stormed to a Oaks Triumph in England, capturing the same Double, that portman’s Perfect did for the Colts.

 

Adelaide Oaks:

 

2008:

  1. Pelennor Fields(KY)
  2. Famous Indy(KY)
  3. Vaanda(KY)

 

The Adelaide Oaks run early May just a week after the Sydney Oaks saw Pelennor Fields win, it was a 3 length win for the Aragorn x Galileo cross. Going to loose to Day of Triumph 5 weeks later, like we know now.

 

The Guineas races only have been run as a sim based race in England in 2008, and the race saw a thrilling win by Yasutora, an Eckelson colt, that later also won the traditional Guineas Revenge, the St.James Tavern.

 

The fillies race in England, was won by Otto Tribute a maria’s Mon filly, that struggled later in the year, and only managed to win a Grade 3 afterwards. As a sponsored race, the Irish 1000 Guineas had been run in 2008, winner of that race was Algodon de Acuzar, a Tapit filly, she was 3rd in the Equinics later, but failed to win another Graded race.

 

As you can see, the Turf Classics, really had been under represented in 2008, with the 2009 calendar staging far more Turf Classics for 3yos, get your horses in position, either for the 8f Guineas dashes, or the longer Derby or Oaks experience.

 

Sim Magic will follow this races very closely, and bring you highlights and updates for all races in the next weeks.

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