A monster day’s racing at Caulfield on Saturday with the running of two Group 1 races, the $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) and the Group 1 $400,000 Anthea Crawford Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m).
The three year olds are also in action with the fillies contesting the Group 2 $200,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) and the colts and geldings will do battle in the Group 3 $175,000 BECK Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).
Having a bet in the Underwood Stakes at Ladbrokes.? If your first fixed odds win bet runs 2nd, 3rd or 4th, you will get your CASH BACK up to a $100.
The weight for age Underwood Stakes is the first of the two Group 1s and another blanket finish is on the cards after six horses crossed the line with less than a length separating them with Fawkner prevailing to win the Group 1 $400,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 12.
Fawkner was ridden a treat by leading jockey Damien Oliver and he will give the grey another perfect ride from barrier two in the twelve horse field.
The Robert Hickmott trained Fawkner has firmed in the betting since the final field was released on Wednesday and after opening up at $3.70, is now the $3.40 favourite with Ladbrokes on the back of some solid support.
On the second line of betting is the John O’Shea trained Contributer at $4.50 and the Godolphin import will strip fitter after his first up fifth to The Cleaner in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 5.
The Cleaner is solid in the betting at $6.50 and will set the pace again from the inside gate and like every time he goes around, will make it hard for any of the other runners to get past him.
Noel Callow was aboard in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes and will be rating the eight year old out in front again in the Underwood Stakes.
Kiwi four year old Mongolian Khan is next in the market order at $11 and will be better suited stepping up to the 1800m following his first up seventh to Fawkner in the Makybe Diva Stakes while fellow New Zealander Volkstok’N’Barrell is marked at $14 after finishing last of the fourteen runners.
The Chris Waller trained Weary has had no luck at the barrier draw at his last few starts and was out of favour again in the Underwood Stakes coming up with the outside gate and has been marked at $12 alongside of the Irish import Dibayani.
Dibayani has had two runs for the Lindsay Park Team of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig for two thirds in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15 and in the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes.
P.B. Lawrence Stakes winner Mourinho is marked at $17 along with Darren Weir’s English import Dandino who hasn’t made any impression at his two Spring Carnival runs over unsuitable shorter distances.
The Peter Moody trained Hi World ran a promising first up fifth to Boban in the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29 but failed to fire when tenth in the Makybe Diva Stakes and has been marked at $21.
Mark Kavanagh’s Queensland Derby winner Magicool at $34 and the Jamie Edwards trained Sertorius at $41 are the two outsiders of the field.