Saturday was a day of exceptional racing - we recap the best of it

There were multiple Group 1 contests on Saturday, and the racing did not disappoint with some incredible winning performances.

Horse racing has always been full of where were you moments. Saturday provided a number of those with a couple of bubbles burst and several reputations added to in style. Three horses dominated an afternoon filled with quality.

The Spring Carnival is hitting top stride now, and on Saturday afternoon, there was a string of stars on show across the country. Some shone brighter than others, and in a couple of cases, Mr Brightside and Amelia's Jewel, connections will have to go back to the drawing board as the pair were defeated. Horse racing bookmakers and punters shared the spoils.  

Think About It

With nine wins in a row and 11 from 12 in his career, Think About It is undoubtedly the undisputed best sprinter on the planet. The excellent news for racing is that the five-year-old is a gelding, so he has no value at stud. As such, we are set to enjoy him on the track for some time.

These sprinters can race on until deep into the veteran stages, and given that he is lightly raced for his age, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that there will still be improvement from him. That is a scary thought for connections of rivals. 

It will be interesting to see what plans they have with him now. Could they take him to Hong Kong or Royal Ascot to cement a worldwide reputation? The latter meeting especially has been a happy hunting ground for Australian sprinters down the years.

Alligator Blood

The 7-year-old produced the seventh Group 1 win of his career when saluting in the Might And Power. He was breaking new ground in doing so, this being his first win over the 2000m trip. His cruising speed was the difference - he kept track of runaway leader Deny Knowledge and got the first run on the field.

A heavily eased two-length winner at the line, this opens up a vast string of extra options now that he has proved his stamina. In fact, he won so easily that he might remain over this trip to take in the Cox Plate in two weeks at The Valley.

That track has not been lucky for him in two prior visits, which is a bit of a surprise. His prominent racing style should be well suited to The Valley. There would not be many 7yos to win the race, just two since 1975 by the names of Makybe Diva and Winx! 

Fangirl

In some ways, it is painful to write this as she got the better of Mr Brightside, who had looked better than ever this preparation. She beat the boys fair and square here, with the race mapping out far better for her than when beaten in the 7 Stakes.

Helped when the pace is strong, and the field is stretched out as they were in the inaugural King Charles III - this was her third Group 1 win. She does need things to fall right for her, but once more, she shows herself to be one of the top mares in the country when she has a race run to suit.

Trying to find contests where the pace will be strong will be essential to her, with a big field helping her cause. There will be more Group 1 wins for her this spring when the pace will be hard.

The quality of the horses on show on Saturday afternoon was off the scale. On paper, it looked like an exceptional afternoon in prospect and lived up to expectations on the track. We are blessed to have these stars to watch - let's do it again next week!