2020 Chairman’s Stakes Day Preview

Thousand Wishes has returned to the races in excellent order and looks tough to beat in the first on Chairman’s Stakes Day. The Lope De Vega mare stripped fitter with a fair effort to finish fourth at Ballarat when resuming and recorded consecutive wins at Ladbrokes Park and Flemington at her second and third-up appearances. She only just missed when a short nose second in BM84 company at Flemington last time out and with even luck, she can return to winning form.

4 Units Thousand Wishes

Cassius will take winning form into Race 2 and can continue his rise through the grades. The Sebring gelding has continued to improve with each effort since resuming; tiring late to finish fifth in the Eureka Stockade at Ballarat first-up before finishing a nose second over a mile at The Valley. He recorded a well-deserved win in BM78 company last time out and I can’t find a reason he won’t be able to emulate that performance in this race.

Cassius

High Bridge returned to winning form with a dominant effort at Flemington a fortnight ago and looks well placed to make it two in a row at Caulfield. The Monsun gelding is another horse that he enjoyed good improvement each time he has stepped out this preparation, and he was far too good for a decent field of stayers fourth-up. This race is no harder and the horse will retain the services of Dwayne Dunn.

High Bridge

Elite Legacy enjoyed sharp improvement into her second campaign target, and I think she can run another bold race in the fourth on Chairman’s Stakes Day. The Tony Noonan-trained gelding clearly needed the run when he finished towards the tail of the field here first-up, but he hit the line well to finish a length third behind the talented Messerschmitt last time out.

Elite Legacy

The Chairman’s Stakes is always an excellent contest and typically produces a couple of leading contenders for next month’s Neds Blue Diamond Stakes.

Four of the 11 juveniles confirmed for a start will be making their competitive debuts and on exposed form, the resuming Aryaaf looks the one to beat. The Lindsay Park-trained filly has only made one appearance at the races so far but was an easy winner of the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes on Cup Day and looks capable of going on with the job.

2 Units Aryaaf

This is easily one of the weakest races on Chairman’s Stakes Day and a pretty open field has been taken. I can’t find an angle that I am confident in and I am happy to watch and wait for the proceeding Group 3 contest.

No Bet

Dalasan hasn’t been seen at the races since Derby Day, but he is yet to taste anything but success when fresh and can made a winning return in the Neds Manfred Stakes. The Dalakhani colt hasn’t run a bad race since debuting, recording five wins and two minors from only eight starts, and he was a standout in a good crop of three-year-olds during the spring. There are a few good ones engaged for a start in this race, but I simply cannot look past this horse’s first-up record.

4 Units Dalasan

This is an outstanding edition of the Neds W.J. Adams Stakes and there is a case to be made for more than half of the fourteen confirmed starters.

1000m will suit the resuming Humma Humma right down to the ground and she looks a lovely bet at around the $8.50 mark. The Denman mare has been a strong and consistent performer for the McArdle stable throughout her racing career and resumed last time for consecutive wins in decent sprints, including one at Listed level. With even luck from gate 9, she’ll be tough to run down.

2 Units E/W Humma Humma

Fabric will take good improvement into her second campaign start at Caulfield on Saturday and can win the last. The Danny O’Brien-trained mare returned several pleasing efforts last time in and hit the line well to finish fourth when resuming over this trip at Flemington a fortnight ago. Craig Williams stays in the saddle and the horse will carry only 55kgs.

2 Units Fabric