2025 Caulfield Guineas Day Preview

HOT TO GO rates as a genuine lightweight chance in the first on Caulfield Guineas Day, in my opinion.

There’s no doubt that this is the toughest task he’s been set so far, but the Too Darn Hot gelding has returned to action in consistent form, and after breaking his maiden easily at Ladbrokes Geelong, I liked the way he hit the line to fill the minors in BM62 company last time.

Under Craig Williams, he can settle back from the rails draw and he’ll be coming late with clear air.

There are some talented horses engaged in the second and while several bring sharp formlines, those of POINT BARROW look ideally suited to a race like this one, in my opinion.

In just four career starts so far, Point Barrow has won two times (first and second up this campaign), while she was caught in traffic before letting down with a strong turn of speed to fill the minors at Group 3 level last time out.

She steps out this week in peak order, the wide draw suits and with better luck in the run, I think she’s going to take beating this time.

The Herbert Power has often proven to be a key form indicator for races like the Melbourne Cup throughout the last decade and PLYMOUTH is one that I thought could run well this year.

Plymouth has improved noticeably with each of three runs back from a break and was good late through the line behind the likes of Golden Path over 1700m at Flemington two back, who subsequently came up and placed in Group 1 company.

Given that this bloke progressed to a sharp victory in the Benalla Cup, he’s open to further improvement this week in getting out to the mile and a half, and with only 53kgs in tow, he gets plenty of ticks once more.

I’m going to give OH TOO GOOD another chance when she takes her place in the 2025 Vase field.

She is a horse that has been known to drop her form a little second up from a spell and that looked to be the case again in the Stocks Stakes last time out, but Oh Too Good was eye-catching behind Lazzura at her only other start this time.

Fitter third-up and out to the mile this week, she’s yet to miss placing here at Caulfield, and she’s drawn for a lovely run under Damian Lane.

KING ZEPHYR returned to his winning ways second up from a spell and the Weekend Hussler is a great opportunity for him to go on with it at black type level.

He was sensational last time in and won four of five starts most notably, and while he clearly needed his first run back this time to dust off the cobwebs at The Valley, he was dominant in BM84 company at Sandown last time out.

With further improvement this week and sticking at the 1400m, he’ll carry jut 54kgs and launches from a perfect draw, and he simply won’t get a better opportunity to win a feature race than this, in my opinion.

Just five horses make up the 2025 Might And Power Stakes field and what we’re lacking in size, we’re certainly making up for in quality.

The big story here is BUCKAROO vs TREASURETHE MOMENT and the Might And Power betting market certainly suggests that’s the case, but I could also make a case for LIGHT INFANTRY MAN if he improved.

Treasurethe Moment suffered her first defeat for more than a year when she chases home Pride Of Jenni in the Feehan Stakes, but she certainly didn’t lose any admirers that night, and she’ll only be better third up and out to 2000m this week.

She is fitting of her position on the top line of Might And Power Stakes betting.

This is an excellent edition of the Toorak Handicap and while there is a case to be made for many of them, I’ve ultimately landed on EVAPORATE.

He’s always been a good horse and Evaporate ended his 2024 campaign with a run in a Ladbrokes Cox Plate, albeit well beaten by the star that is Via Sistina.

In the autumn of this year, he really did start to go to another level, only just missing in the lucrative The Kiwi over at Ellerslie before recording a dominant victory in the Carbine Club Stakes.

Having finished midfield in the PB Lawrence here fresh this time, he returned to winning form in the Sandown Stakes a fortnight ago and gets back to pet conditions this week, with the benefit of that run under his belt as well.

Blake Shinn rides from a good draw, and this really does look a perfect Group 1 target for him in my opinion.

Some of the better three-year-olds of this crop will take their place in the 2025 Caulfield Guineas field and it subsequently looms as a terrific betting race.

I’m going to have a couple of bets, beginning with WODETON, who I have put on top.

He’s always been an above-average performer, and Wodeton was unlucky not to break through for a maiden win at the highest level when he charged home in April’s Golden Slipper.

He’s yet to strike in three runs back this time but produced a similarly strong effort to finish the runner up in the Golden Rose last time out, and after James McDonald dismounted and proclaimed that a Group 1 isn’t far away for him, I’m confident he can break through this week.

Another one that I thought represented value in Caulfield Guineas betting was the lightly raced PLANET RED ($20 a publish).

There is no doubt that this is the hardest task he’s been set at just his fifth career start, but Planet Red has certainly stamped himself as one to watch, winning his first two impressively, while he was last seen filling the minors of the Prelude.

At full fitness this week, I think he can run another cheeky race.

Several of the horses in this Schillaci Stakes field would not look out of place in The Everest up at Randwick next week including GIGA KICK, who I’ve got on top.

The 2022 Everest winner has been plagued by injury throughout his career, but he is an excellent fresh horse, and he filled the minors at Group 1 level when resuming earlier this year.

He’s had a nice trial ahead of this return and in my opinion, still just has an ability edge over most of these rivals.

SHE’S BULLETPROOF returns from a freshen up in the Northwood Plume Stakes.

The Shooting To Win mare was excellent last time in and recorded some deserved black type in the Bellmaine Stakes most notably.

Having finished down the order when resuming in The Heath 1100 back in August, she was tipped back out briefly and sent back to the trials, and she looks to be in far better order after winning that.