A mammoth day of racing bestows us tomorrow and I’ve got six runners for this week’s edition of the Blackbook.
We’ll kick off in Melbourne where it’s Caulfield Cup Day –
ICARIAN DREAM ($11 at time of publish) will step out in the opener at Caulfield and it just looks an ideal race for her.
The Blue Point filly finished off well from the tail when resuming over 1100m down the Flemington straight in the Listed Cat D’antibes.
Second up in the Champagne Stakes, she again got back but hit the line strongly in restricted room to get within 1.5 lengths of the winner.
We’ve seen the form franked out of that race with third placegetter Point Barrow saluting last week.
The way she’s finding the line suggests she’ll relish the rise to 1400m, and she presents at peak fitness.
HALF YOURS ($2.90 at time of publish) was doing his best work late last start in the Turnbull Stakes and there’s so much to like about him as he takes his place in the Caulfield Cup.
The five-year-old has worked through his grades with relative ease and he’s just continued to impress each time the bar has been raised.
He recorded his first stakes win back in July with an empathic victory in the Caloundra Cup and given a short break he’s returned in fine order.
Second up in the Naturalism Stakes, he produced a dominant performance and at his first crack at Group 1 level last start in the Turnbull, he got back and hit the line strongly to show he’s ready for the 2400m.
He gets in beautifully with just 52.5kg and with gate two, he’s set to enjoy a cosy run throughout.
It’s Everest day at Royal Randwick and I also have two to keep an eye on there –
MORE FELONS ($4.20 at time of publish) looks ready to peak after a strong finish in The Metropolitan last start.
The Churchill gelding needed the run in the Heatherlie when resuming off a long layoff, he then made late ground from well back in the Kingston Town.
Third-up over 2400m, he was last in a field of eighteen but stormed home to finish fourth, beaten just 1.3 lengths.
He’ll appreciate the rise to 2500m, and from a low draw, Tommy Berry can have him within striking range.
We haven’t seen the best of CEOLWULF ($9.50 at time of publish) this preparation, but Joe Pride’s decision to apply blinkers could be the turning point.
He kicked off with an eye-catching run in the Winx Stakes and followed up with solid efforts in both the Chelmsford Stakes and 7 Stakes.
His Epsom Handicap performance was more workmanlike, settling in the second half of the field and holding ground to the line without threatening.
The Tavistock gelding won this race last year off an Epsom triumph and has consistently held his own at the elite level.
We’ve seen it so many times with a Pride runner getting the shades on at the right time, Joe just seems to nail it more often than not and a prime example of that was Attica, who recorded a dominant win in the Dulficy two weeks ago on the back of a Class 1 defeat at Kembla Grange.
With a return to WFA conditions and Pride of Jenni expected to set a hot tempo, I think Ceolwulf can bounce back and take out the $5 million King Charles III Stakes.
Short and sweet –
I just have to throw in JIMMYSSTAR once again. He’s low-flying and looks on track to peak in The Everest. I expect the race to pan out perfectly for him and he’ll be powering home late.