Royal Descent Highlights Myer Classic Nominations

Consistent mare Royal Descent has been included in the 2015 Myer Classic nominations and she is set to return to mares’ company for the first time since she contested the 2014 edition of the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).

Royal Descent will have the chance to record a second win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Myer Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Royal Descent will have the chance to record a second win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Myer Classic. Photo by: Steve Hart

Royal Descent ended her lengthy losing streak, which included six placings at Group 1 level, when she returned to the races with a tough performance in the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and she was far from disgraced when she finished third in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at the same venue on September 5 and second in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) on September 19.

Trainer Chris Waller elected to send Royal Descent to Melbourne instead of running her in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) in Sydney and she was only narrowly denied by Preferment in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4, but she was caught three wide in the early stages of the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and she was pulled up by jockey Glen Boss in the final stages of the race.

A post-race veterinary examination did not find any abnormalities with Royal Descent and she is now likely to drop right back to 1600 metres and take on her own sex in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m).

Royal Descent will is joined in the Myer Classic nominations by stablemate Amicus, who started her campaign with wins in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1300m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 12, but failed to fire in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 26 and the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m).

Another Group 1 winning mare that will be given the chance to return to her best form is Fenway, who upset First Seal to take out the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

Fenway returned to winning form with a smart win in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on October 2, but she was one of the first horses beaten in the Group 3 David Jones Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 17 and connections blamed the fact that she was in season.

One of the most interesting runners in the 2015 Myer Classic nomination is talented three-year-old Stay With Me, who will be given the opportunity to take on the older mares.

Stay With Me stamped herself as a horse to follow when she took out the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 5 and she failed to fire in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 26, but she returned to winning form with an outstanding effort in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) on October 10.

 La Passe scored upset wins in the Blazer Stakes and the Tristarc Stakes and she will also take winning form in the Myer Classic along with Ladies Vase winner Miss Rose De Lago, talented mare Politeness and Fillies Classic winner My Poppette.

You can score the best odds for every horse in the Myer Classic field with Ladbrokes, who will offer Best Tote or Starting Price +20% for every single race at Flemington on Saturday.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.