Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2016: Back to back and it’s potentially goodbye for Criterion
CRITERION, the most versatile racehorse of the modern era, could be competing for the final time at Royal Randwick on Saturday, writes Ray Thomas.
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CRITERION, the most versatile racehorse of the modern era, could be competing for the final time at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Trainer David Hayes said it was likely Criterion would be retired if he can score a second successive win in the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
“This could be Criterion’s last run,’’ Hayes said.
“I will have to check with his owner, Sir Owen Glenn, but if Criterion did win the Queen Elizabeth again, it would be a good time to quit ahead of the stud season.’’
Criterion can become only the fourth multiple Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner after the legendary Tulloch (1958, 1960-61), Intergaze (1997.1999), and Grand Armee (2004-05).
The powerfully built chestnut five-year-old will go to stud as the highest prizemoney earner of any Australian-trained entire win, lose or draw on Saturday.
Criterion is already sixth on the all-time list with $7.268 million in earnings. In front of him are three mares with Makybe Diva at the top of the rankings on $14.1 million, the stallion So You Think ($10.7 million) and gelding Northerly ($9.3 million).
So You Think earned nearly half of his stake money when trained by Aidan O’Brien in Europe while Criterion has accumulated his prizemoney being prepared by local trainers — Hayes in partnership with Tom Dabernig, and the horse’s former trainer David Payne.
If Criterion does win the Queen Elizabeth, he will take his earnings over $9.6 million and move to fourth on the all-time prizemoney list.
This will be a significant achievement for a very underrated galloper who during a remarkable race career has demonstrated a rare versatility to compete at the highest level over an extreme range of distances.
With the refining of bloodlines and the influx of northern hemisphere stallions and broodmares over the last three decades, the modern thoroughbred is bred primarily to be a specialist at a specific distance range.
But Criterion is a throwback to a bygone era when elite racehorses could compete at a high level over all distances.
“Criterion is up there with the most versatile horses I’ve trained,’’ Hayes said.
“He reminds me so much of Jeune who won the (1994) Melbourne Cup at 3200m and returned to win the Orr Stakes first-up at 1400m in the autumn.
“They look so much alike in their physical appearance and I said from the moment I had Criterion that he had a very similar action to Jeune.
“Criterion was placed in the Melbourne Cup (third to Prince Of Penzance last spring) but he is also an exceptionally high class sprinter.
“I think we could set him for a Newmarket Handicap and he would run very well.’’
Criterion is lining up for his 36th start on Saturday — but that is doesn’t tell the real story of his race record, longevity and durability.
A precocious two-year-old, Criterion won on debut over 1100m, defeating another subsequent topliner in Sweet Idea.
Criterion trained on to win the Black Opal Stakes and Todman Stakes before running sixth in the 2013 Golden Slipper behind Overreach.
During his classic season, Criterion was second in the Spring Champion Stakes and fourth in the Victoria Derby but he broke through at Group 1 level during the autumn when he won the Rosehill Guineas and the ATC Australian Derby.
Criterion then raced well without winning during the spring of his four-year-old season before his first overseas campaign when a gallant third in the 2014 Hong Kong International Cup.
The striking chestnut went third-up into the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick last year and was magnificent romping home more than two lengths clear of Red Cadeaux before travelling to Hong Kong again for a third in the QEII Cup at Sha Tin.
Criterion had a two-race English summer campaign when he failed to place but was competitive at Group 1 level before returning to Melbourne last spring to win the Caulfield Sakes first-up, running second to Winx in the Cox Plate before his Melbourne Cup third placing before another Hong Kong campaign where he failed in the International Cup.
This autumn Criterion has again had two lead-up runs including his third in the Ranvet Stakes last start to prepare for his Queen Elizabeth Stakes defence.
Hayes admitted Criterion is one of the few horses who could cope with racing over such varying distances combined with three trips to Hong Kong and a European campaign and still be competitive at the top level.
“For a stallion who is rising six Criterion he is very enthusiastic,’’ Hayes said. “He loves racing, he loves competing.
“To handle and ride, he has a fantastic, lovely nature and very gentle.
“But to approach in his box, he’s a bit feisty. He can bite and kick better than anything.
“Jeune was the opposite as he was a much more difficult ride but was a lot quieter when in his box.’’
Hayes said he is optimistic Criterion can go back-to-back in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.
“I remember last year we were very confident of winning,’’ Hayes said.
“But he didn’t have a Melbourne Cup campaign under his belt of trips to Europe and Hong Kong.
“He looks great and he has definitely improved since he ran in the Ranvet Stakes.
“I feel Michael (Walker) pressed the button a bit early that day and he just knocked up late — but that won’t be happening in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.’’
Hayes also has imported galloper Dibayani and talented mare Rising Romance in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Dibayani has had a solid, consistent lead-up with a second to Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes then a fourth in the Ranvet where he finished alongside Criterion.
“The 2000m saw Dibayani out the other day but it will be different (tomorrow),’’ Hayes said.
“I has purposely not drilled him right down for that race as he had that hard run against Winx the start before. He will run well.’’
Rising Romance ran third in the Australian Cup then a competitive fifth in The BMW with both races won by Queen Elizabeth Stakes rival Preferment.
“She is going great,’’ Hayes said of Rising Romance. “She will be up there on the pace making her own luck and she has the class to be in the finish.’’
AUSTRALIA’S TOP 10 PRIZEMONEY EARNERS
1 Makybe Diva $14,148,775 36: 15-4-3
2 Sunline $11,351,607 48:32-9-3
3 So You Think $10,749,800 23: 14-4-1
4 Northerly $9,341,850 37: 19-7-2
5 Black Caviar $7,953,936 25: 25-0-0
6 Criterion $7,268,869 35:7-7-7
7 Buffering $7,235,447 52: 20-9-8
8 Winx $6,648,425 19:13-3-0
9 Fields Of Omagh $6,496,240 45: 13-8-7
10 Tie The Knot $6,212,835 62:21-9-8
THE VERSATILE CHAMPS
MALUA
Malua raced in the 1880s but is still regarded as the most versatile champion of them all. Malua was fast enough to win an Oakleigh Plate and the stamina to win a Melbourne Cup. For good measure, he also won a Grand National Hurdle. There will never be another like him.
WAKEFUL
This mighty mare began her race career in 1900 winning the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap, then won a Doncaster Mile before training on to win the Sydney Cup. She also ran a great second in the Melbourne Cup.
PHAR LAP
Phar Lap is still regarded as the greatest of them all and for good reason — he could do anything. Take his feats during the 1930 Melbourne Cup Carnival as an example. On Derby Day, Phar Lap wins the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), then wins a famous Melbourne Cup on the Tuesday, takes the Linlithgow Stakes (1600m on the Thursday, and C.B. Fisher Plate (2500m) on the last Saturday.
KINGSTON TOWN
A freakish talent, Kingston Town was able to do what few horses could during his 1980 autumn three-year-old season — win the weight-for-age Expressway Stakes over 1200m first-up then train on to win Sydney Cup at 3200m, while claiming two Derbys at Randwick and Eagle Farm, Tancred Stakes and Rosehill Guineas.
HAYES AIMING AT GRAND SLAM
HALL of Fame trainer David Hayes, who passed the 150-win barrier for the season earlier this week, has a real opportunity for a Group 1 “grand slam” of sorts at Royal Randwick.
Hayes and co-trainer Tom Dabernig have leading chances in all four majors, including Criterion, Rising Romance and Dibayani in the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
The stable has tough import Almoonqith in the $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m), Sacred Eye lines up in the $1 million ATC Australian Oaks (2400m), while Risque and Pasadena Girl contest the $1 million Coolmore Legacy Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m).
Hayes is very upbeat about the chances of Almoonqith in the Sydney Cup after his solid sixth to stayer of the moment Preferment in Group 1 The BMW last start.
“Almoonqith has been set for the Sydney Cup,’’ Hayes said this week.
“He’s had a very good preparation and I’m pretty bullish about him. As long as the track is not too wet then he will be very hard to beat.’’
Hayes won the Sydney Cup back in 1993 with Azzaam, also an imported stayer raced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum.
“Almoonqith is a lot better horse than Azzaam,’’ Hayes declared.
“We’ve got Hugh Bowman to ride him so I’m happy about that and the horse is ready to run a big race.’’
Hayes maintains Sacred Eye is way over the odds at $26 for the ATC Australian Oaks, one of the few majors the trainer hasn’t won.
Sacred Eye ran well when fourth behind Diamond Made in the Adrian Knox Stakes last start when shouldering 59kg and she drops back to level weights (56kg) for the Oaks.
“She had to give her rivals up to 5kg last week and I thought she ran very well,’’ Hayes added.
“Importantly, she has come through that race in great order and she is going to present well on Saturday.’’
Hayes warned punters not to overlook Risque’s last start flop when eighth to Single Gaze in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
“Risque came out of that race with a foot issue, that was the reason she ran below par,’’ Hayes revealed.
“We have fixed that and this filly is a proven Group 1 miler.
“If the track is wet then Pasadena Girl comes right into it as she loves those conditions.
“Overall, we have a good team going to Randwick with runners in the four Group 1 races and I think they are all chances.’’
Originally published as Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2016: Back to back and it’s potentially goodbye for Criterion
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