Colette stakes G1 Oaks claims with Randwick Stakes success

A classic bid is on the agenda for Colette after the filly demolished her opposition to win Saturday’s G3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick. Colette’s success followed her progression through the restricted grades where she had won her previous two starts and has left her as the leading contender for next weekend’s G1 Australian Oaks.

With only seven days to recover from her career-best effort, Colette is not a confirmed Oaks runner, but trainer James Cumming is keen to run should she make a good recovery from her latest run.

“We’ve treated her with kid gloves with a long-range plan to target an Adrian Knox which can suit a filly on the way through like her,” Cummings said.

“She might just set up nicely and be an interesting addition to the Oaks next week if we’re very, very pleased with the way she is in the next seven days.”

“The gap between her last couple of runs has been important and she has enjoyed that but now she’s into the serious end. But she looks like she’s got the constitution to handle it.”

Colette responded to a patient and gentle ride from James McDonald, weaving through the pack at the 300m before producing a blistering turn of foot to run down second place getter Toffee Tongue.

In the run to the line she was untroubled to score by 2.75 lengths.

While McDonald offered suitable admiration for Colette he took a slightly cautious approach to the Oaks.

“She’s going to have to lift again, but she’s filly on an upward curve and she’s shown tremendous improvement at each of her past three runs,” he said.

On the same Randwick card, the Exceed And Excel colt Jerle, ran the best race of his short career to finish second in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes.

Murray Baker completed his his fifth Australian Derby win after Quick Thinker prevailed in a thrilling battle at Randwick.

Baker won three on his own but Quick Thinker gave him his second success in the Sydney blue riband in partnership with Andrew Forsman.

“It’s a phenomenal effort and I’m just thrilled for him,” Bjorn Baker said. “I know Andrew and Murray haven’t had the best of seasons so they’ve been hankering to do well here, keen to get a lot of new horses in the stable and have a good go for next season.”

Cheltenham defends decision

Meanwhile, Cheltenham Festival organisers have defended their decision to go ahead with the event after fears were raised that the mass gathering helped spread coronavirus around Britain.

More than 250,000 racegoers attended the four-day National Hunt event last month even though other large sporting events were cancelled shortly afterwards.

A number of people reported on social media that they attended the festival, only to go on and develop symptoms of COVID-19.

However, organisers said they had complied with the government guidance at the time.

A spokesman for Cheltenham Racecourse said: “The festival concluded three weeks ago and went ahead under the government’s ongoing guidance throughout, like other popular sports events at Twickenham, Murrayfield, 10 Premier League matches and the UEFA Champions League at Anfield that same week.

“We promoted the latest public health advice and introduced a range of additional hygiene measures at the event, including hundreds of hand sanitiser dispensers and extra washbasins.”

A government spokesman said on Friday that “Cheltenham Festival was operating within clear Public Health England guidance at the time”.

At the time of Cheltenham, which ran from March 10-13, the government had not put any social distancing measures in place.

The day before it started, the government said there was “no rationale” to postponing events.

Figures on the opening day of the festival showed that six people had died in Britain from the virus, with more than 370 confirmed cases.

The Premier League and other leagues suspended fixtures on March 13 as part of a rapid shutdown of sport across the world.

The following Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres and stop all non-essential travel.