3 minute read

A check of the time records is required after Super Too broke the sound barrier with her amazing speed over the first 600 metres of the Challenge Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

With all the technology now available to racing authorities and form analysts I’m sure somebody will claim another horse has gone faster – maybe a quarter horse or an unknown thoroughbred - because Super Too was in Black Caviar territory with her brilliant 200m split between the 800m and 600m that set the platform for Redzel’s track record time of 55.73 seconds for the 1000m.

Redzel is back!!

The Everest winner makes his return to in style, coming with that signature late speed to deliver for punters in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes. pic.twitter.com/LCIumBHGJf

— Sky Racing March 10, 2018

The magnificent Black Caviar made history in the 2012 Lightning Stakes over 1000m at Flemington when she became the first horse in an Australian race to be officially timed to run faster than 10 seconds for 200 metres.

She was clocked to run 9.98 seconds between the 600m and 400m on her pet Flemington straight course, a time that equated to 72kmh or 45mph in the old terminology.

Incredibly the flying Super Too went faster on Saturday.

The new and very accurate ATC/Racing NSW intel tracking system timed the Mark Conners-trained speedster to run an amazing 9.96 seconds between the 800m and 600m before she hit the Randwick home turn.

That brilliant 200m split saw her speed over the first 400m of the Challenge Stakes race from a standing start in 22.64 seconds. The race's last 600m sectional was 33.09 seconds (leader to leader).

Obviously Super Too couldn’t sustain her early speed for 1000 metres with Redzel running her down with a split of 10.45 seconds from the 400m to the 200m.

The sheer speed of the race then took its toll on Redzel as the Everest winner slowed to an almost pedestrian 11.25 seconds over the last 200m, understandable given the effort he had made to chase and run down the low flying Super Too.

But all credit to Super Too as her blistering pace over the first 600m certainly made for an exciting race that brought out the best in Redzel!

• Redkirk Warrior’s winning time in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington was also a clock stopper.

Redkirk Warrior flew down the straight 1200m course in 1:08.33 from the front, setting a breakneck pace on the outside rail that gave him a winning break on the runners that split to the more favourable inside rail.

He was obviously spent on the line as the runner-up Brave Smash and third placegetter Merchant Navy both flew to the line in sub-22 second splits for their last 400 metres.