Lucrative purses are the order of the day at Caulfield on 2025 Victorian Owners & Breeders Day!
Included below are a full list of Jared Timms’ Caulfield best bets, including The Showdown tips where he’s uncovered a big value runner paying $26 with Ladbrokes at time of publish!
The Group 2 Peter Young Stakes also takes place where the favourite Zardozi, fourth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, looks hard to beat!
The rail will be set out six metres around the entire course, and we’ll be racing on a Good (4) surface (at publish).
Read on for all of Timms’ Caulfield tips in Melbourne on Saturday.
Race 1 - 12:15pm AEDT
DCE Handicap (2400m)
Revelare just keeps on winning and is clearly the one to beat again in the first at Caulfield on Saturday.
Having returned to winning form in a 0-64 at Seymour back in December, the So You Think gelding has continued to improve with each start, as the bar has been raised, winning a pair of midweek metro races before adding a pair of Saturday metro races to his CV.
He’s hard fit, a mile and a half looks ideal at this point of his prep, and he can continue on his way this weekend.
3 Units Revelare
Race 2 - 12:45pm AEDT
VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m)
There’s a case to be made for a few of them here, but I’ve put Paradise City on top of my VOBIS Gold Distaff selections.
Paradise City took a few starts to blow out the cobwebs when resuming this time, but she was given a soft kill out at Seymour two starts back and franked that by winning again at the midweeks.
She’s hard fit and this looks an ideal feature target for her.
2 Units Paradise City
Race 3 - 1:20pm AEDT
The Donovan + Co Mystic Journey (1100m)
Miss Aria was a substantially better performer second up from a spell and steps out this weekend in peak order.
The Danny O’Brien-trained mare settled off the pace here a fortnight ago but mustered a nice turn of foot to finish second behind Samangu.
With Blake Shinn retaining the ride from a good draw this week, I’m confident the horse can turn the tables on that rival and win.
2 Units Miss Aria
Race 4 - 1:55pm AEDT
Barastoc Handicap (1200m)
Several horses put unbeaten records on the line in this race and it shapes as an interesting contest as a result.
One of those gallopers is Proved from the Enver Jusufovic yard, and I’ve got her on top.
Having stamped herself as one to watch by winning each of her first two starts back in summer, the Time Test mare returned to action with an eye-catching performance in BM64 company at Sale.
There’s no doubt that this is the hardest task she’s been set, but she’s got plenty of upside and looks to have a very bright future.
This is another stepping stone into something bigger and better.
2 Units Proved
Race 5 - 2:30pm AEDT
VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m)
Another quality contest looms when twelve three-year-olds contest this lucrative VOBIS race, and I’m keen to stick with Athanatos.
Athanatos has been a model of consistency through ten career starts, missing the placings just once and finding form around some classy opposition.
He doesn’t win out of turn, but he was unlucky not to get there at Sandown second-up from a spell and at this point of his preparation, he gets a lot of ticks under these conditions.
2 Units Athanatos
Race 6 - 3:05pm AEDT
Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m)
Just six horses make up the 2025 Peter Young Stakes field including Pride Of Jenni, who makes her return from retirement, but I think it profiles as a perfect race for the third-up Zardozi.
A Group 1 winner, Zardozi was excellent during the recent Spring Carnival, fighting out the finish of races like The Metropolitan, the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup, while she has improved for two starts back this campaign.
Fitter third-up and further out in trip this week, she’s actually my best bet on the program.
4 Units Zardozi
Race 7 - 3:40pm AEDT
VOBIS Gold Dash (1200m)
I was with Peridot Star when he turned in a rare flat performance a fortnight ago, and I am inclined to give him another chance third-up in the VOBIS Gold Dash.
Peridot Star didn’t appear to enjoy racing down the straight at Flemington and got lost in the rabble, but his form prior to that was excellent, and included three wins from his first five career starts.
Fitter third-up, back onto a course with a turn and dropping in the weights, I’m confident he can bounce back.
2 Units E/W Peridot Star
Race 8 - 4:15pm AEDT
The VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m)
Cloisters is yet to turn in a poor performance and The Showdown is a lovely race for him.
Cloisters debuted to racing for consecutive second placings in races at Cranbourne and Pakenham, while he stripped fitter into a lovely performance to break his maiden out at Bendigo last month.
I love that he has been kept up to the mark with a trial since that race, while he’s drawn perfectly this week under Jamie Melham.
2 Units Cloisters
Race 9 - 4:55pm AEDT
VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m)
I can’t wait to see Hedged back at the races in Race 9 on Victorian Owners & Breeders Day.
Hedged enjoyed a quality three-year-old preparation through the autumn and winter of last year, while three starts in summer saw him find form around horses like Headwall and Zarastro.
His fresh record is very good, and he has trialled well ahead of Saturday’s return.
2 Units Hedged
Race 10 - 5:35pm AEDT
Southport Tycoon Country Mile Series Final (1600m)
Mixxit has returned in outstanding form this time and can record another win in the last at Caulfield on Saturday.
Mixxit went for a short break after winning three in a race during December, and after trialling well, he was too good for them in BM64 company at Bendigo when resuming earlier this month.
He’s a winner at this point of his preparation previously and something like this looks an ideal opportunity to transition into Saturday metro company.
2 Units Mixxit