MyRacehorse February Runners
Whilst it was a bit of a lean month in terms of winners, there were a plethora of exciting horses who headed to the racetrack and performed well.
Track Triumphs
Willydoit Stepped Up Again - 1600m BM75 01/02/2025 - 2.5L win
This was an incredible win, given that he was quite vulnerable after not racing for a few weeks. The best thing about this run was his tactical versatility. He was able to settle in the first 4 runners throughout the race, yet still displayed the turn of foot to completely dominate his rivals and prove why he is the short priced favourite for the Derby. This race was run at a manic tempo, which easily could’ve disadvantaged a slightly vulnerable Willydoit, however, Kevin Stott was able to find a run along the inside rail to salute for owners.
Pyrois Relishes The Move Up North - 1200m BM62 28/02/2025 - 0.2L win
The “feel good” story of the month. After struggling to remain consistent in the Victorian jurisdiction of racing, a decision was made to move Pyrois up north and have him trained by Lee Freedman. In his first start at the Sunshine Coast, he was able to fly down the outside to pinch victory from his rivals over the 1200m. He rattled home a 34.12 last 600m, which was the quickest for the meeting and showed that the “Pyrois of old” was back in a big way! We are excited to see where he can get to in March in the Sunshine state.
Hard Luck Heroes
Willydoit’s “Snails Pace” Avondale Guineas - 2100m 22/02/2025
In what was the slowest edition of The Avondale Guineas EVER, Willydoit was given no chance, settling near the rear of the field. Given the way the race was run, it was impossible for him to make up the margin on the leaders, thus resulting in a 10th placed finish in the Derby lead up. He was the hard luck story of the day, with him overracing for majority of the run, not being able to stride out to his fullest extent, and then rattling home in the 2nd quickest 800, 600 and 400 of the race. The race was run a mere 7 seconds slower than Orchestral’s winning edition last year, which equates to roughly 42 lengths… Absurd. It’s never nice seeing the $1.45 favourite lose in this fashion, but there were plenty of excuses to be had.
Sneaky Sunrise - Just Misses Fresh - Desirable Stakes - 1400m 15/02/2025
She returned in super fashion, finishing 3rd in the Listed Desirable Stakes behind Cilacap and Husk. It is crucial to note that the Flemington meeting was an impossible day to judge, given the tremendous head wind in the straight and sporadic rainfall throughout the meeting. This race ran 12 lengths slower than standard, and the common theme of the meeting was that cover was imperative. Sneaky Sunrise was absolutely charging to the line, until she was slightly held up with roughly 80m to go. Whilst it may not have been the difference between winning and running 3rd, I’m happy enough to say that the unpredictable conditions, coupled with being held up, is grounds for a hard luck hero.
Crystal Ball
Arguably, the most exciting month in MyRacehorse history is approaching. We kick off the excitement very early, with Bur Dubai showing his ability at Flemington on the first day of March. He will be very hard to beat wherever he goes next. March 8th is set to be the most exciting day for MyRacehorse since Just Fine’s Melbourne Cup, with WIllydoit tackling the Group 1 NZ Derby, where he currently sits as the market’s most favoured runner.
Couple that race with Sneaky Sunrise’s second up run in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes, and we are set for a jam-packed Saturday. Speaking of Just Fine, he will head back to the races this month, and no doubt he will be as honest as ever. Last, but certainly not least, we might get to see the excitement machine in Katsumi Orochi attempt to knock off that stakes win as a 2yo colt. My mouth is watering just thinking about this month.
