The Matchem and Diana Stakes were run over the same distance at Durbanville half an hour apart yet could not have been more different in terms of their race shapes. The winner of the former, Seeking the Stars ran extremely hard early and was decelerating at the finish whilst the field merely jogged along in the early stages of the Diana before sprinting down the straight, with none speedier when it counted than Captain’s Ransom.
Seeking the Stars merited an excellent speed score of 110 based on his adjusted final time, taking the track conditions into account. His final 600m to finish was run in a drawn out 37 seconds though, and the way he hung near the line showed the toll taken by his early exertions. This son of Vercingetorix is one very game horse who is at his absolute best over 1400m.
Silver Operator (s/s 109) performed with distinction to only succumb by half a length. He mixes his form given soundness issues but is very smart when in the mood.
The performance of the only three-year-old in the race, Cosmic Highway was worth a speed score of 105. He too was slugging it out gamely towards the finish after chasing that torrid pace around the turn. He remains a genuine Classic contender with this notable triple digit speed figure earned the hard way.
Multiple G1 heroine, Captain’s Ransom is very special. Trainer Chris Snaith says her best attribute is her speed and ability to accelerate – she can really turn it on when pushed. Her 600m sectional was 35 seconds a full two seconds quicker than Seeking the Stars, admittedly off a milk-wagon slow early tempo.
“They were just walking,’ bemoaned Marina’s jockey, Aldo Domeyer making reference to the gentle fractions which compromised the chances of his mount who is best over middle distances. “Pace makes the race” is an old racing maxim and the outcomes of the Matchem and Diana Stakes again illustrated how important sectional analysis can be when interpreting results.
The trick is to anticipate beforehand how the race will be run and bet those best favored by the circumstances. That can be difficult to forecast but jockeyship, positioning, pace and speed at a crucial stage of the race nearly always play a decisive role in the outcome.