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Monday Racebook: Gilbert Gardiner’s horses to follow, forgive at Flemington on 2025 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Day

Gilbert Gardiner analyses 2025 Black Caviar Lighting Stakes Day at Flemington, presenting his horses to follow and forgive.

Gilbert GardinerGilbert Gardiner
@gilbertgardiner
3 min read
February 17, 2025 - 6:00AM
Benedetta on the way to the barriers prior to the running of the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Picture: George Sal / Racing Photos
Benedetta on the way to the barriers prior to the running of the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Picture: George Sal / Racing Photos

Gilbert Gardiner analyses 2025 Black Caviar Lighting Stakes Day at Flemington, presenting his horses to follow and forgive.

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FIVE TO FOLLOW

BENEDETTA (2.8-length 3rd, Race 8): The Newmarket Handicap cannot come quick enough for the Jason Warren-trained Group 1 Goodwood winner. Only got into the clear late, tracked GROWING EMPIRE (7th, beaten 4.7 lengths) until jockey Daniel Stackhouse identified the second favourite was going backwards and finished off strongly with a 12.02 sec last 200m sectional. Lightning winner SKYBIRD posted the fastest last 200m on the card (11.62 sec). Flemington specialist Benedetta (6: 2-0-3) has won two of three second-up starts previously.

GOLDRUSH GURU (4.9-length 4th, Race 7): The Victoria Derby winner rode a solid tempo, raced wide early and settled outside leader, and stuck on to hold fourth. Could be hard to hold out in a Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) next month. NDOLA (2nd, beaten 3.3 lengths) was the eye-catcher from the back to run behind smart winner SEPALS. Caulfield Guineas runner-up FEROCE (3rd, beaten 3.6 lengths) has returned in good order.

BRAVE DESIGN (3-length 3rd, Race 2): Meat in a sandwich at the start – MINERAL RESOURCES (8th, beaten 7.5 lengths) cannoned into Brave Design and shoved the colt into favourite BLETHYN (9th, beaten 9.8 lengths) at the start. All three settled quickly thereafter but Brave Design and Blethyn in particular raced in close quarters for the best part of 800m. Brave Design got going late once in clear air to run third on debut behind joint winners SHINING SMILE and TENTYRIS. NOSTRA BELLA (7th, beaten 5.5 lengths) was solid from the back as a $201 rank outsider.

SNEAKY SUNRISE (1-length 3rd, Race 9): Settled back in the field inside eventual winner CILACAP and defied an interrupted passage in the straight to run third – beaten a length. Sneaky Sunrise tried to get to the outside of ANOTHER PROPHET (6th, beaten 3.7 lengths) at the top of the straight but disappointed for a run and forced to hunt for gaps closer to the fence whereas Cilacap was able to unwind in clear air. Big effort actually to run down the leader HUSK (2nd, beaten 0.2 lengths), who walked in front through the early and middle stages.

HE’S OUR BONNEVAL (3-length 5th, Race 5): Nice return after a four-month break. Travelled comfortably at the back of a compact field and worked off heels late to finish widest down the grandstand side. Beaten for speed when the field sprinted from about the 250m but best work late. He’s Our Bonneval has won and placed three times in five second-up starts previously.

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FORGIVE

• Expect form to fluctuate out of the meeting given the tough conditions — intermittent rain, often just before or during a race, headwind in the straight and the deteriorating surface. Could pay to be forgiving of many going forward.

SWITZERLAND (2.8-length 4th, Race 8): Travelled outside comfort zone throughout – wet track and headwind factors maybe – then lost momentum trying to get around tiring leader MAZU (6th, beaten 4.3 lengths) at the 300m. Found clear air but only briefly as winner SKYBIRD exploded out of the pack for an emphatic result. Switzerland solid enough and happy to reserve judgment until the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes winner strikes fast ground and 1200m. Bring on the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 8 – alternatively the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1200m) in Sydney on the same day. Pass mark for Newmarket-bound TRAFFIC WARDEN (5th, beaten 3.5 lengths) but GROWING EMPIRE (7th, beaten 4.7 lengths) disappointed. Track conditions?

ROYAL INSIGNIA (6-length 7th, Race 7): Slow into stride and raced three-wide without cover. Champion jockey Craig Williams told stewards the Written Tycoon colt, trained by Grahame Begg, failed to handle the soft conditions. HENLEIN (9th, beaten 8.5 lengths) also struggled on the wet surface.

FANCIFY (6.4-length 6th, Race 3): Resented the conditions – driving rain, soft track and strong headwind. Led and dictated at an even tempo but dropped out quickly in the straight. Much better than what she displayed last Saturday. MIRAVAL ROSE (3rd, beaten 2.8 lengths) settled at the rear of the field and ridden for luck only to be held up from the 500m to 300m.

LE ZEBRA (5.7-length 9th, Race 1): Slow into stride and settled too far back behind a snail pace – field was 15 lengths slower than standard time to the 800m. Impossible task to make any impression on the race. Only third-up so expect Le Zebra to bounce back quickly in similar company next start.

ATTRITION (4.1-length 8th, Race 6) and BERKELEY SQUARE (9.1-length 10th, Race 6): Fitness benefit only for the pair of them. Attrition needed dry ground to be a factor while Berkeley Square is not sharp enough to figure at 1400m despite a suitably wet track and solid early tempo. Attrition is on a potential Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) path, so should need another run at least to hit top gear. Berkeley Square won second-up last spring at 1700m.

Originally published as Monday Racebook: Gilbert Gardiner’s horses to follow, forgive at Flemington on 2025 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Day

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/horse-racing/vic-racing/monday-racebook-gilbert-gardiners-horses-to-follow-forgive-at-flemington-on-2025-black-caviar-lightning-stakes-day/news-story/392db007f7ddaa14141f8cadbbdb6aea