We move one step closer to the major Spring Cup races this weekend with Caulfield host to a key lead-up, and we’ve got some genuine stayers to go through in our 2025 Underwood Stakes Preview.
The Group 1 $1 million Underwood Stakes (1800m) is the first elite level of the spring over further than a mile, and the event has drawn a crack field of Caulfield and Melbourne Cup hopes putting their credentials on the line in the weight-for-age classic.
Won by many of the greats over the years including Phar Lap, triple champ Ajax, Rain Lover, Bonecrusher, Octagonal and So You Think – the Underwood is a race for distance stars not ponies.
So, will the Waterhouse/Bott import Sir Delius win and continue to firm in futures Caulfield Cup markets?
Can the defending champ Buckaroo go back-to-back?
All will be revealed on Saturday.
Read on for our expert runner-by-runner guide to the 2025 Underwood Stakes!
Top 3 – No. 2 Buckaroo
Top 3 – No. 9 Sir Delius
Top 3 – No. 10 Moira
| 9. Sir Delius (10) J: Craig Williams 59kg 8x1x2T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | ||
| 2. Buckaroo (7) J: Blake Shinn 59kg 970×3T: Chris Waller | ||
| 10. Moira (4) J: Damian Lane 57kg x0x42T: Chris Waller |
1. KNIGHT’S CHOICE (6) – Scratched
2. BUCKAROO (8) – Chris Waller
Odds: $5.50 (at time of publish)
Waller saddles-up the defending champion Buckaroo who looks a genuine shot at becoming the 15th horse to win multiple editions of the Underwood with Alligator Blood the last in 2022-23.
This imported seven-year-old son of Fastnet Rock has really come into his own over the past season racing competitively against the best in the biz.
He won this event in a huge 3.5 length romp home over Huetor third-up last September with the ‘Magic Man’ Joao Moreira in the saddle.
Buckaroo went on to frank the form with a very close second, only a neck off the stable’s subsequent Cox Plate queen in the Turnbull, then ran out of his skin for a Caulfield Cup second.
Even his Melbourne Cup performance when drawn barrier 20 to come within 3.5 lengths when ninth wasn’t without merit.
Put a line through his autumn when things went astray, he looks much more polished this prep.
Fresh in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes he was totally ignored by punters but was excellent over the 1400m here when third behind boom mare Treasurethe Moment.
The Memsie form was firmly franked last Saturday when the runner-up, Mr Brightside, did something no other horse before him had done winning the Makybe Diva Stakes for the third time.
That bodes well for Buckaroo on Saturday with the gelding set to enjoy the 1800m, a small field, and good gate eight draw for Blake Shinn.
Peaking and can show-up in the Top 3.
3. SMOKIN’ ROMANS (2) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $34 (at time of publish)
Ciaron Maher has never won this race but launches a three-pronged attack this year including his veteran nine-year-old Smokin’ Romans with the ageing galloper having his 51st start on the weekend.
He may be a six-time Group 1 performer, but he hasn’t been in a Group 1 race field since running 13th to Gold Trip in the 2023 Turnbull Stakes when failing to defend his title.
Maher has thrown him back in with the big boys after some promising runs over the past year, and this is a horseman who knows his stuff so there could be something to the acceptance.
After winning the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) last Melbourne Cup Carnival in a dominant all-the-way display, Smokin’ Romans had his last Group start when second to subsequent Sydney Cup champ Arapaho in the Sandown Classic on Heavy going on November 30.
Since then, the toughest he’s faced is Listed grade, but he did cart 59kg to a Warrnambool Cup win this May so he can still find the winning post on his best form.
Didn’t do much first-up over 2040m in a BM100 at The Valley but showed sharp improvement carting a hefty 60.5kg to go down only a quarter-length to Revelare in a handicap over 2000m at Caulfield on August 30.
Robert Hickmott’s Revelare booked his ticket into the Melbourne Cup field winning last weekend’s Group 3 Archer Stakes at HQ so Smokin’ Romans does bring in some strong form lines and could be a smokey chance in the exotics.
4. DESERT LIGHTNING (3) – Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman
Odds: $9.50 (at time of publish)
The early Underwood Stakes market mover is Desert Lightning from the Moody/Coleman camp who has been well supported by the punters since the field came out.
Drawn a treat in barrier three for Luke Nolen, this consistent Pride Of Dubai six-year-old is racing very well of late which explains the money that’s coming for him.
He rounded out his winter prep with an eye-catching fourth only two lengths off War Machine in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm at big odds and he’s come back in outstanding fashion so far for the spring.
First-up he was second here to Private Eye, a dual The Everest placegetter, in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes in mid-August.
He then defeated Waller’s Canadian import Moira home in the So You Think Stakes with that Moonee Valley race looking one to follow into the tougher events.
A tricky one to unpack at the 1800m as he’s not been over further than a mile in Australia.
The Kiwi expat has won up to 2100m however across the Tasman when winning the Group 2 Avondale Guineas as a three-year-old in 2023.
As a younger horse in New Zealand, he also ran 3.4 lengths off Sharp ‘N’ Smart in a NZ Derby and placed second under a length away over 2000m in a Group 3.
He’s not been tested over those kinds of metres down under and that would be a query for me especially at the price.
Has class and could relish the trip but I’d prefer to sit back and watch first.
5. CASINO SEVENTEEN (9) – Gavin Bedggood
Odds: $101 (at time of publish)
From the horse they’re coming for to the one they’re leaving well alone, Casino Seventeen is the rank outsider in Underwood betting out to 1001/ at time of publish and is potentially just a numbers filler.
The eight-year-old son of Casino Prince runs for Cranbourne’s Gavin Bedggood but looks outclassed.
He’s had 51 career starts for 10 wins, including one from eight over 1800m, but he’s not a Group 1 horse.
This horse has moved and raced all around the country including in the Top End, Perth, Morphettville and Melbourne.
In WA he bagged a couple of Group 2 wins including the 2024 Perth Cup and his latest turf triumph in the Lee Steere Stakes last November.
He transferred from Grant & Alana Williams to Bedggood earlier this year and he’s had four starts since for just the one top four performance.
Tenth is his best finish in a Group 1 so far and, while he can stay, I cannot see him running any better than that here.
6. LAND LEGEND (12) – Chris Waller
Odds: $23 (at time of publish)
The second of the four Waller runners in the field, Land Legend is the longest priced of his stablemates racing third-up from the outside barrier with Michael Dee aboard.
The Galileo gelding has his 20th career start but just his second at the Caulfield track following his third as a lightweight in the 2024 Caulfield Cup trifecta.
That came on the back of his nostril-flare Group 1 The Metrop win at Randwick last spring where he beat home Zardozi – a mare that went on to run fourth in the Melbourne Cup results.
Since his own Melbourne Cup performance when eighth only 3.32 lengths off Knight’s Choice he has raced exclusively in Sydney.
His autumn was disappointing to say the least as was his latest start when eased back to run ninth to stablemate Lindermann in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 6.
While he’s shown with no weight on his back he can run a good race in good company, the WFA will find him out here.
A dual acceptor he’s also in the mix for the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick and I expect that would be a better target.
7. MIDDLE EARTH (1) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $15 (at time of publish)
Spruiked as the best of the Maher trained Melbourne Cup hopes, UK import Middle Earth is one of the shorter double-figure runners in the Underwood drawn the rails with big race specialist Mark Zahra in the saddle.
A true stayer, this six-year-old son of Roaring Lion is yet to win over less than 2000m and actually comes back in distance from his resuming run which is a bit of a red flag for mine.
After winning his down under debut in the Australian Cup Prelude, he has been outside the first four in his three subsequent runs so hasn’t shown us what he’s capable of yet.
The form from his first-up run was franked with Revelare winning the Archer Stakes, and the fact he ran fifth only three lengths away in that handicap with a huge 62kg weight allocation is encouraging.
Back in the kilos at WFA he’s fitter for the run, and he did look slick in a recent Caulfield gallop so potentially looms as a value contender here.
That said, I think the distance is too short and I would much rather see him over more metres to back with any confidence.
8. GOLDEN PATH (7) – Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
Odds: $17 (at time of publish)
One of only two last start winners in the field, Belardo gelding Golden Path is not without support to rise in grade and run competitively.
He’s at his sweet spot distance-wise and shows up fit three runs in having shown a little something already this prep.
Carrying plenty of weight in a BM100 here in mid-August first-up he ran just a length off El Rocko third before saluting at Flemington from the outside alley with 61kg over 1700m to beat home Kingswood last Saturday.
The stable is striking while the iron is hot and have him on the quick back-up returning to Group 1 grade for the first time since he beat home just one in a six-horse Ranvet Stakes field at Rosehill back in March.
He did catch the eye at HQ last weekend, but this is much tougher.
Consider him in the exotics as he’s got ability, but I do like quite a few others at this level.
9. SIR DELIUS (11) – Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Odds: $2.25 (at time of publish)
Waterhouse & Bott saddle-up the clear Underwood favourite this year with exciting import Sir Delius.
This beautifully bred Frankel entire is an emerging stayer having just his ninth start and he’s already put together an impressive record of four wins and a further three placings.
In France he was right up there form wise including his third to Sosie in the Group 1 GP De Paris (2400m) last July on the back of winning his opening three career starts.
He continued to show plenty of promise debuting in Australia with an odds-on win carrying 60kg to victory in Doomben’s Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m) on Heavy going in a fighting finish showing plenty of grit.
The team has kept him lightly raced so far and I really liked how he showed up fresh in the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick.
Despite it being over a mile he was outstanding, going down narrowly to Lindermann after making up ground from midfield late to just miss out.
Screams untapped potential and I think he’ll win some very good races from here on perhaps including the Underwood for the punters this weekend.
10. MOIRA (4) – Chris Waller
Odds: $5.50 (at time of publish)
Waller’s dual Group 1 winning Canadian import, Ghostzapper mare Moira, is another being kept safe in the markets with this Yu Long Investments raced seven-year-old oozing class.
She won the prestigious Group 1 Breeders Cup Fillies & Mares Turf (2213m) at Del Mar in the US last November before a flop first-up in Australia where a bad gate (18 of 20) saw her beaten 4.9 lengths when 14th to Stefi Magnetica in the Doncaster.
Improving now she was fourth in the PB Lawrence running on strong the closing stages and second in the So You Think when only a long-neck off Desert Lightning – two form races I think will hold up in the Group 1 events now.
She’s got the stamina to see out the 1800m and further, is adapting to conditions down under now and is drawn to get the run of the race from gate four with Damian Lane retaining the ride.
Fitter now and ready to fire. Looks an Each Way danger.
11. ZARDOZI (10) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $16 (at time of publish)
Zardozi has been such a great mare for the Godolphin team and she’s under Maher’s care now.
She is always thereabouts and, while she doesn’t win all that often these days, her top three strike-rate is excellent.
The five-year-old daughter of Kingman won a VRC Oaks as a filly back in 2023 but has been first past the post just once since in last year’s Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes.
Placings in the Vinery Stud Stakes (3rd) and ATC Oaks (2nd) followed and, since she’s raced as a more mature mare, she has been very solid.
Last spring she was denied by the barest of margins in The Metrop before running fourth in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Her autumn highlight had her third in the Australian Cup behind Light Infantry Man, so she continues to impress without bagging a trophy.
She comes out of the So You Think Stakes like most of these when fifth debuting for Maher and will only improve over further.
Mares rarely win the Underwood, and I don’t think she’s a challenge for the outright title but I can see her running well late into the Top 4 yet again.
12. ANISETTE (5) – Chris Waller
Odds: $21 (at time of publish)
Rounding out the field and the last of the Waller contingent is Ben Melham’s mount Anisette midfield in gate five.
This striking black Awtaad mare is a beautiful type to look at who has done most of her racing in the US.
She’s won seven from 15 to date including dominating the Oaks scene in the States as a filly claiming the 2023 Del Mar Oaks – American Oaks double.
A triple Group 1 winner all-up, her form over the past year has gone somewhat south including a ninth to now stablemate Moira in the Breeders Cup.
Like Moira, she was also disappointing first-up in Australia running dead last in the Doncaster from a wide gate.
Her only other start for Waller was a sixth in the PB Lawrence when 3.2 lengths away at 40/1 after finding herself back in the field with too much to do.
Her subsequent Flemington jump out when beating Positivity home over 1000m on September 12 showed more promise and I expect her to be a sharp improver getting out to a more suitable trip.
Sometimes it just takes these runners a little time to get used to the Aussie way and I wouldn’t discount her just yet.
Good luck punters!
Don’t forget to check out our The Punters’ Playbook: Caulfield Spring Carnival Deep Dive for the inside word on the jockeys, trainers and races to watch over the following months!