Well, there is no other way to say this but I am stunned. Apparently a Melbourne Cup win is all you need to win Stayer of the year, see this article. While the article is about Weekend Hussler winning Horse of the Year, and rightly so, scroll down to the 2nd last line and you will see last years Melbourne Cup Winner Efficient as Stayer of the Year. What the F%6K! The bloody thing runs four times with nothing before the Melbourne Cup and comes in as the best stayer in the country?
Lets review these results:
G2 – Memsie Stakes 1400m came 10th from 13 and beaten by 7 lengths
G2 – Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes 1600m came 4th from 11 and beaten 2.5 lengths (I’ll give this)
G1 – Turnbull Stakes 2000m came 11th from 15 and beaten by 9 lengths
G1 – Cox Plate 2040m came 9th from 13 and beaten by 6.5 lengths
Before these races and a 5 month spell only ran two other times in 2007 for a 5th and a 4th in a G3 and G1, so won one race from 7. Now ok the one was the Melbourne Cup, but come on this is hardly the thing of staying power we are used to. Does anyone recall Makybe Diva already, have we sunk so low that such mediocre performances rate? If they do let me know and I will go back to my high school teachers, ask for my grades to be changed AND should have been Dux!
G1- Melbourne Cup 3200m came 1st from 21 and I am still stunned!
Efficient has been allotted 58kgs for the 2008 Melbourne Cup so at least there should not be a repeat for the 2008/2009 season. To follow on my stunned(ness) (see I should have been dux!) Efficient is still the $8 favouriate for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 4th November on the NSW TAB.
The great news is that we’ll all get an early look at Efficient when he steps out in the G2 Makybe Diva Stakes this Saturday 6th September. Lloyd Williams has also indicated that he’ll run in the Turnbull again this year and maybe the Cox plate if he needs it. Interestingly Zipping may also start in the Makybe, he came 4th in last years cup and only had two runs since with a 1st in the Sandown classic 17th November 2007 and a 9th in the Newmarket 9th March.
Now, a lot of people that read this website don’t like her, but how did Tuesday Joy not win this? Lets review the 2007 season into 2008
SYDNEY UD TRUCKS SURROUND STAKES (G2) 1400m- 2nd from 16 by 3 lengths
COOLMORE CLASSIC (G1) FM 3U QLTY 1500m- 1st from 16
ARROWFIELD STUD STAKES (G1) F 3 OPEN 2000m 4th from 7 & 2.5 lengths
A.J.C. DERBY (G1) 2400m 3rd from 14 & 7 lengths
AUSTRALIAN OAKS (G1) 2400m 3rd from 8 & 5 lengths
3 month spell
WINNING EDGE CLASSIC (G2) 1400m 2nd from 15 & 0.8 lengths
CHIPPING NORTON STAKES (G1) 1600m 2nd from 10 & 0.2L
RANVET STAKES (G1) 1900m 1st from 10
THE B M W (G1) 2400m 1st from 11
QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES (G1) 2000m 3rd from 9 & 3L
Hang on, so 3 x G1 wins, 4 x G1 places and 2 x G2 places and does not win. I guess it will just have to settle for NSW Horse of the Year – article
FULL RESULTS FOR 2007/08
Group One jockey: Corey Brown
Group One trainer: Ross McDonald
International Performer: Takeover Target
Jumper: Some Are Bent
Sire: Encosta de Lago
Two-year-old: Sebring
Three-year-old filly: Heavenly Glow
Three-year-old colt/gelding: Weekend Hussler
Sprinter: Apache Cat
Middle Distance Performer: El Segundo
Stayer: Efficient (Jesus! still stunned and I have had the whole day to accept it)
Australian Racehorse of the Year: Weekend Hussler
Lets just re-live that a real stayer looks like!
Makybe Diva 2003
Makybe Diva 2004
Makybe Diva 2005
September 5th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Can I just say that I agree with you 100%!!
I feel that by naming Efficient as the stayer of the year; that the judges have not only devalued other consistent stayers from last season in Melbourne; but also those who performed consistently in Group One staying races interstate!
I think you could make an equally strong argument against El Segundo… He won the Cox Plate right
Don’t get me wrong I love the horse (and he was far more consistent than efficient)…. but i thought our ‘Australian Racehorse of the Year – Weekend Hussler’ may have fit into that category also. Perhaps it was more of a tribute to an ‘old mate’ more than anything?
Great Post!
Phil
September 12th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Efficient is a great stayer, but i agree that it didnt deserve the stayer of the year for 1 race. It was probly sympathy for 2006 when it won the Victorian Derby but then was scratched in the Melbounre cup because of a knee injury.
Its a 5yr old i think, i would not be suprised if it gave a great show in this melbourne cup or ones to come.
Efficient is already early melbourne cup favourite and will be on target to equal the Divas record if it was to get up this year.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
As good as Tuesday Joy is only 1 staying win, The BMW. Nowhere near a Melbourne cup. The Cox Plate is not a staying race and Efficient got the Diva covered over 3200m.