Caulfield Preview – Saturday 9th May

There isn’t a lot of form to study ahead of the first at Caulfield on Saturday and I thought a horse like Natural Fling could make an impact on debut.

The Home Affairs filly has won a couple of public trials impressively ahead of this debut, and she has drawn nice and low under Harry Coffey.

Simurgh is second up and primed to strike at Caulfield.

The Phoenix Of Spain gelding has finished worse than second once in four trips to the races so far and blew off the cobwebs with a fine performance to only just miss at Pakenham a couple of weeks ago.

With natural improvement, down in the weights and out in trip, I think he gets plenty of ticks.

Jett Smash is unbeaten this time and rates as a key winning chance again.

Having returned to action with a fine performance to get up over 1200m at Sale in March, the Brave Smash gelding has since recorded wins in BM64 and BM74 company respectively.

He will need some luck in the run from a wide alley, but he continues to improve as the bar is raised and something like this is the next logical step.

Two To Tango is fit and primed to strike again at Caulfield on Saturday.

She’s yet to miss placing in three runs back this time, after a strong win in maiden company at Pakenham back in March, she was the best of the rest behind a very impressive Concord Connie at Flemington a fortnight ago.

There isn’t a horse of that quality engaged here and Two To Tango is more than capable of going one better.

Everain rates as a key winning chance at Caulfield.

The Manhattan Rain gelding has won two of four runs back from a break, freshened after scoring in BM78 company at Sandown back in early March, while he was far from disgraced returning to action at Flemington a fortnight ago.

That run is sure to have brought him right back on and he’s another one that looks benefitted getting further out in trip this week.

Another open contest with plenty of key chances engaged, including the resuming Bustling.

We haven’t seen Bustling at the races since he finished down the order in the 2024 Run To The Rose, but his form over in Perth prior to that was excellent and included multiple black type victories.

He’ll obviously improve off whatever he does do here off a lengthy spell, but he’s certainly got a class edge over a lot of these rivals, and he’s trialled up well.

I thought Marble Arch was good when resuming a fortnight ago and with improved condition this week, she strikes a winnable race.

She’s always been a good horse for the Lindsay Park team, and Marble Arch turned in several typically strong performances throughout 2025, winning a Blamey Stakes at Group 2 level most notably.

Having returned to action after a somewhat lengthy spell, she hit the line behind Big Swinger at Flemington and is a winner at this point of her preparation previously.

Plymouth looks to get conditions to suit at Caulfield this week.

It has been a short while since we’ve seen the four-year-old gelding win a race, but he has continued to improve with fitness this time in, and he was strong through the line behind Too Darn Discreet and Land Legend at Flemington two weeks ago.

There’s no doubting his condition now, 2000m at Caulfield is ideal and he might not be offered a better opportunity to win in Saturday metro company.

This is a tough way to end the Caulfield program from a betting perspective, but one that I do think represents value at a double-figure quote is Tournelle ($13 at publish).

Tournelle was a model of consistency through a smart spring preparation last year, while she returned to action at Sandown last month with a credible performance to finish on the placegetters’ heels in a BM70 contest.

Barrier 11 might be a little sticky, but with appropriate luck in the run and good ride from Willo, she’s certainly up to winning something of this quality.