Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023

Ladbrokes Tip: The Caulfield Guineas Prelude – Caulfield Guineas double is a popular spring bet!

Held on a weekend in mid to late September during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Caulfield Racecourse, the Caulfield Guineas Prelude is a Group 3 race open to three-year-old colts and geldings.

2022 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Aft Cabin. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The set weights plus penalties race is one of three Group races at the meeting that is headlined by the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m). The other key event on the program is the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) offering a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption.

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude is obviously the traditional preparatory run for fillies heading into the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) back at the track the following month. The last horse to complete the Caulfield Guineas Prelude – Caulfield Guineas double was Helmet (2011).

The latest edition of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude ran on Saturday September 23, 2023 as part of Caulfield’s Underwood Stakes Day 2023 card and saw the undefeated favourite Steparty ($2.60F) come from nowhere at the top of the straight to fly home late and salute.

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Results

The official Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023 results & finishing order will be published below once the race is run and won on Saturday September 23, 2023.

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Steparty was huge late to retain his unbeaten status. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

• 1st: #3 Steparty
• 2nd: #10 Southport Tycoon
• 3rd: #6 Scentify

The Paul Preusker-trained Artie Schiller colt Steparty ($2.60F) retained his flawless career start making it five wins from as many starts having looked gone at the top of the straight before unleashing late to charge home and narrowly salute for the punters in a thrilling 2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude result.

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Odds

The latest Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023 betting odds and links to our Caulfield racing markets will be open below as soon as released so stay tuned for the top odds on the Caulfield Guineas-bound three-year-olds this spring.

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Race Info

• Date: Saturday September 23, 2023
• Track: Caulfield Racecourse
• Distance: 1400m
• Conditions: 3YO Colts & Geldings – Set Weights + Penalties
• Status: Group 3
• Prize Money: $300,000
• First Run: 1985

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Betting

Caulfield Guineas Prelude odds are led each spring by in-form colts and geldings coming off good lead-up form in earlier races against similar class.

Last start winners sit high up the Caulfield Guineas Prelude betting markets with the likes of Alligator Blood (2019), Crosshaven (2020), and Steparty (2023) all coming off lead-up wins to take out the Group 3.

Horses that performed well in Flemington’s Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) also often get attention in betting on the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and Native Soldier (5th in 2018) was the last Prelude winner to come out of that race.

Aft Cabin ($2.15 in 2022) and Steparty ($2.60 in 2023) are the latest favourites in Caulfield Guineas Prelude betting to win.

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Tips

Good Caulfield Guineas Prelude tips to take to the bookies during the spring include looking for colts and geldings coming off a lead-up win in Melbourne, runners with ability over 1400m and those drawn near the rails at Caulfield.

Previous Group 1 performed youngsters at the track from the autumn out of races like the Blue Diamond Stakes also make a good tip in Caulfield Guineas Prelude betting each spring.

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Tips

Our Ladbrokes’ insider Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023 betting tips and Group 3 racing picks for the Caulfield Guineas lead-up race will be detailed below the week of the race so stay tuned for the horses to lock-in for the win and to take in Group 1 futures markets on the mile feature next race.

• To Win: #2 Veight ($4 at time of publish) – BET NOW

Plenty of in-form three-year-olds facing off in the Prelude with varying form lines to consider. Taking on the undefeated favourite and have Veight on top for Tony & Calvin McEvoy. The Grunt colt is a Group 2 winner from last time in (VRC Sires’) before a brave fourth in Sydney’s Group 1 Inglis Sires’ on Heavy going. He was back in winning form first-up at this track on September 2 saluting in the Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil (1200m) in style and will relish the 1400m second-up here. Previous second-up winning form, drawn a treat in gate two with Ben Melham aboard and can win again.

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Field

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude race field attracts a line-up of the season’s most promising middle-distance horses heading towards a run over the mile in the Caulfield Guineas.

Youngsters in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude field can come off a number of possible runs including the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington, a double last completed by Crosshaven (2020).

Another lead-up race is the Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m), a double last achieved by Native Soldier (2018).

In 2022 Aft Cabin improved on a second in the HDF McNeil Stakes to win the Prelude next start.

The likely next-up option for Caulfield Guineas Prelude graduates is the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). While the double hasn’t been completed since 2011, in recent times the 2020 Prelude winner Crosshaven ran a good fourth next-up in the Caulfield Guineas results. The year before, Alligator Blood missed out on a run in the Caulfield Guineas but franked the form with a win in the next autumn’s 2020 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Field

The official Caulfield Guineas 2023 Prelude Final Field & Barriers are released the Wednesday of race week and will be published below.

The Caulfield Guineas 2023 final field features a smart line-up of Group 1 hopefuls led in betting by the undefeated Paul Preusker-trained Steparty in his Group race debut.

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Nominations

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023 Nominations are taken the Monday of race week and the list of early entries will be provided below once announced.

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Form Guide

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude form guide details to punters all the need-to-know information from trainers and jockeys to barriers and lead-up runs.

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude form has also stacked up in tougher spring races in recent years including in 2021 with the winner Lightsaber running fourth in that year’s Caulfield Guineas results and second the following autumn in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).

2023 Caulfield Guineas Prelude Form Guide

A link to our detailed Caulfield Guineas Prelude 2023 Form Guide will be provided for punters below the week of the race.

Caulfield Guineas Prelude Results

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude race results have been dominated by single-figure chances in the past decade.

Notable recent Caulfield Guineas Prelude winners include Alligator Blood (2019), Sacred Elixir (2016), Epaulette (2012), Helmet (2011), Anacheeva (2010), Apache Cat (2005), Elvstroem (2003), Strategic (1995). and Unspoken Word (1990).

Helmet holds the current Caulfield Guineas Prelude race record winning over 1400m on a Firm (2) track in 2011 in 1 minute 21:40 seconds.

Past Caulfield Guineas Prelude Winners

Recent Caulfield Guineas Prelude winners, trainers, jockeys and times dating back to the year 2000 are detailed in the below table.