The first Group 1 feature race of the year has arrived!
Owing to its position on the calendar, the CF Orr Stakes always draws an excellent field and builds as one of the most highly anticipated races of the season.
Weight for Age superstar Mr Brightside returns alongside an all-star cast, also featuring names like Another Wil, Pinstriped, Schwarz and Southport Tycoon.
You can find my selections for that race, and my remaining Caulfield tips below!
Race 1 - 12:15pm AEDT
Premier Signs Handicap (1600m)
Rock The Bar was good in his first run back from a break and can continue his journey through the grades on CF Orr Stakes Day.
Rock The Bar was freshened after finishing down the order behind Capricorn Star on the Heath course here in December, and he returned to action for an easy win at Geelong.
He’s open to plenty of improvement, while getting out to the mile also looks ideal.
1 Unit Rock The Bar
Race 2 - 12:45pm AEDT
Benchmark 70 Handicap (2000m)
Emphasize was a late scratching at Sandown last weekend and will instead step out in Race 2 on CF Orr Stakes Day.
The Embellish gelding finished third, beaten only a length by Zorro’s Flight at Sale on debut and got rid of his maiden with a dominant effort last time out.
Another rise in trip looks very suitable for him this week and he has plenty of upside.
2 Units Emphasize
Race 3 - 1:20pm AEDT
The BD Hoof Hustler (2000m)
There are some talented stayers engaged in this contest, including the resuming Berkshire Breeze.
Berkshire Breeze turned in some outstanding performances during his 2024 campaign, winning three races in succession, including the Banjo Patterson Final, while he ended his preparation with some credible performances in black type company.
I love that his campaign is being launched over 2000m, and with some lofty targets set this time, I’m confident he can hit the ground running.
2 Units Berkshire Breeze
Race 4 - 1:55pm AEDT
Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude C&G (1100m)
Typically, both Blue Diamond Prelude races boast plenty of winning chances, but I’m keen to have something on Aleppo Pine in the colts & geldings contest.
Aleppo Pine has only made the one appearance at the races so far, but simply could not have been more impressive on his way to a dominant win at Ballarat.
This is obviously harder, but he has plenty of upside, while the booking of Jamie Melham adds further confidence.
2 Units Aleppo Pine
Race 5 - 2:30pm AEDT
Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude F (1100m)
My Gladiola can affirm herself as a leading Blue Diamond contender by winning the fillies Prelude.
My Gladiola showed promise at the trials prior to debuting and put the writing on the wall in the fillies Preview a couple of weeks ago.
With natural improvement, I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again.
4 Units My Gladiola
Race 6 - 3:05pm AEDT
Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m)
The Rubiton Stakes is always a great race and Saturday’s edition is no exception.
With one eye on the Oakleigh Plate in a couple of weeks, I thought that Maharba looked a key winning chance on Saturday.
Maharba didn’t miss placing in three starts during the late spring and summer, winning the Group 3 Rising Fast Stakes on Derby Day before only just missing behind Overpass in Perth’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.
Jordan Childs sticks in the saddle and the horse has trialled well ahead of his return.
2 Units Maharba
Race 7 - 3:40pm AEDT
Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m)
Some talented three-year-old will step out in Saturday’s Autumn Stakes including Angel Capital, who I have on top.
Angel Capital returned to action in the spring for consecutive victories in the McKenzie Stakes and the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, while he’d clearly had enough by the time that the Caulfield Guineas itself rolled around,
The horse is unbeaten at this point of his preparation and has drawn ideally into the Autumn Stakes field under Ben Melham.
3 Units Angel Capital
Race 8 - 4:15pm AEDT
Group 3 JRA Plate (1600m)
This is an interesting race featuring some in-form gallopers, and some resuming stayers that are targeting Autumn Carnival staying riches.
One horse that boasts a fitness edge and should relish the conditions of this race is Munhamek.
The veteran gelding has improved for three runs back from a break, and he was last seen filling the minors in BM100 company at Flemington.
The mile suits and with even luck in running, something like this remain more than within his abilities.
1 Unit Munhamek
Race 9 - 4:55pm AEDT
Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m)
The first Group 1 of the year is always an exciting contest and features the return of the champion galloper Mr Brightside.
Mr Brightside hasn’t been seen at the races since a typically strong Spring Carnival preparation, but we know how good this horse is, particularly over 1400m at Caulfield.
I’ve found it impossible to tip against him, but there are some excellent horses in this field, so I have instead elected to include him in a boxed trifecta alongside Pinstriped, Another Wil and Steparty.
Boxed Trifecta: 1/3/4/5
Race 10 - 5:35pm AEDT
Group 3 Peter Le Grand Stakes (1100m)
Arabian Summer looks well placed in the last on CF Orr Stakes Day in my opinion.
The talented three-year-old has recorded four wins from her eight career starts so far, placing a further three times and finding form around some of her age group’s best.
She won at the Gold Coast when resuming in December and was last seen filling the minors of the Sunlight Plate, and I like that she has been kept up to the mark with a trial since that contest.
2 Units Arabian Summer