Saturday’s Best Bets: Caulfield, Rosehill, Eagle Farm

MR MILLER (2) returned in magnificent order last start with a dominant win at Warwick Farm.

The Chris Waller-trained gelding let down powerfully to win the 1400m contest by 2.72 lengths, signalling that he is ready for this level.

He will strip fitter second-up and has plenty of upside, given he has had only four starts and finished in the top two in each of them.

There is no speed drawn to his inside, which should allow Tommy Berry to find a prominent position.

NAVAL SEAL (6) resumed in much better order than the seventh placing shown in the form guide.

The Chris Waller-trained gelding settled a long way back before saving ground around the turn and finding the line strongly along the rail.

Unfortunately, he was held up behind tiring leaders and went to the line with more to give, finishing 2.37 lengths behind the winner.

He will appreciate the rise to a mile and is a previous winner over this course and distance, having scored last preparation.

He should enjoy an economical run from the inside barrier.

WAR MACHINE (1) looks ready to return to the form that saw him win the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

Unfortunately, not a lot went right for him last preparation. He was found to be lame when resuming with a third in the Group 2 Australia Stakes before finishing 11th, beaten 3.99 lengths, in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.

His last win came two preparations ago when he resumed in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes over 1200m at Flemington with 60kg on his back.

He was set to resume in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap but burst through the barriers and charged around, looking super fit.

He has since returned to the jump-outs and produced another pleasing piece of work to win. It was his third-up jump-out this preparation, so he should be tuned right up to fire fresh.

Mark Zahra takes the ride and should be able to stalk the speed.

I just don’t think ANGEL CAPITAL (5) is suited to 1200m at this stage of his career, and he gives every indication that he will appreciate the rise to 1400m in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes.

The Chris Waller-trained entire settled at the tail when resuming in the Group 2 Missile Stakes before picking up nicely late to finish third, beaten just under two lengths.

The last time he raced over this distance was in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at the end of last preparation. That run was riddled with bad luck, with the son of Harry Angel held up for most of the straight and going to the line untested to finish sixth, beaten 2.52 lengths, behind Beiwacht.

He has a good record over this course and distance, having won two of four Group-level races, as well as finishing second, beaten a length, in the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes.

There looks to be good speed in the race, which should give Ben Melham the chance to find clear air.

BLUE DOOR (6) impressed on debut in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes, racing outside the lead over this course and distance before finding the line strongly to beat The Next Episode by a head.

The Bjorn Baker-trained filly recently returned in the Listed Rosebud, where she gave a terrific sight over this course and distance before being picked off late by Chilly Girl.

She only had one trial leading into that race, so she should have come on nicely.

Tommy Berry will look to utilise her speed advantage and lead the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes all the way from the inside barrier.

GRAND IMPACT (2) is third up and primed to strike in the last at Rosehill this week.

While yet to get up in two runs back from a break, the Satono Aladdin gelding couldn’t have done much more without winning either race.

He has drawn perfectly into this race under Zac Lloyd and with even luck in the run, this looks his opportunity.

While she’ll undoubtedly improve off what she does produce here, I thought SALTY PEARL (2) could run a race at odds first up on Saturday and the $19 about her earlier this week was over the odds, in my opinion.

Salty Pearl returns to the track for the first time since April, having put together a solid campaign last preparation in a series of strong black type races, where she held her own against some quality opposition.

She has finished outside the placings just once from four previous first-up runs and she certainly has the ability and class to take out something of this quality.

This is a high-quality sprint with plenty of talented speedsters engaged, but I’m happy to side with the resuming favourite, OLIVEANOTHERDAY (3).

Oliveanotherday enjoyed a terrific preparation last time in, winning all four of his starts and taking another step forward with each run before producing a dominant performance in the Wangoom Handicap at the ‘Bool.

Two recent trials indicate he’s returned in excellent order and, with some significant targets likely to be on the agenda this preparation, he looks capable of making an immediate impact fresh.

The Memsie Stakes is invariably one of the most intriguing Group 1 races on the calendar, but with genuine claims right across this year’s field, Saturday’s edition at Caulfield promises to be a particularly competitive affair.

For mine, ANGEL CAPITAL (5) has his best opportunity yet to finally land that elusive Group 1 victory, and with natural improvement from his first-up effort, I’m not convinced he’ll get a better chance than this.

He has threatened to break through at the highest level on several occasions, and although he couldn’t secure a Group 1 win during his autumn campaign, he produced excellent efforts to finish in the placings in both the Newmarket and William Reid.

I thought he was arguably the run of the race behind the winner in the Missile Stakes when resuming a fortnight ago, closing strongly late and really finding the line, and he should be much better suited second up and stepping out to 1400m.

Ben Melham knows the horse extremely well and retains the ride from what looks an ideal barrier, adding further confidence to Angel Capital as my selection.

WARWOVEN (4) makes his highly anticipated return in the San Domenico Stakes.

The talented colt has been away from the races since March, but he produced plenty of promise as a two-year-old, winning three of his five starts, including the Pago Pago Stakes, before finishing sixth in the Golden Slipper at his final appearance.

His two recent trials have been encouraging and he appears to have returned a bigger and stronger horse this time in, which should hold him in good stead for his campaign ahead.

There’s plenty of quality engaged in this year’s San Domenico Stakes, but Warwoven ticks plenty of boxes and I’m expecting him to make a winning return.

In a field this size I expect there to be a pre-race scratching (hopefully not this guy at the gates again) to bring the well-supported CRUISERWEIGHT (19) into the frame with strong winning claims.

The consistent Lindsay Park-trained gelding has won three from four to date and prepares for his delayed four-year-old debut in a winnable BM84 in on a nice 55kg allocation.

Two back he won at the track and trip by a length over Celtics, who has continued to race well, when coming round them late in slick time.

Went on to suffer his sole defeat when the beaten odds-on fancy here on July 25 with 58.5kg.

Willo had him on speed and the youngster did well to box on and stick with the task despite finishing out of the money.

Things went amiss when he was scratched at the barriers last weekend, but I don’t think that has done much harm to his chances here.

His trio of wins have been on Soft going so he gets conditions to suit again.

Will relish the drop back in weight, has been kept fit with an impressive Flemington jumpout a fortnight ago and Ethan Brown comes aboard from a favourable alley giving him options.

Can bounce back and win.

HARRY’S YACHT (5) returns in a compact but class The Heath 1100 field and I think he’s been overlooked by the markets presenting as a lovely each way chance at $14 (at time of publish).

The Corstens / Larkin-trained Harry Angel five-year-old arrives fresh at his pet track boasting a very good Caulfield strike rate (4:3-0-1) and he’s two-from three over the short distance.

Has raced first-up four times for two wins in the past and has been trialling well at HQ ahead of his spring campaign kickoff.

Runs for the first time since a game fourth with 58.5kg behind War Eternal at Eagle Farm in the Listed Spear Chief in early June over 1500m, which I think had him stretched distance wise coming to the end of a solid prep.

Run prior he was narrowly beaten for third only 0.36 lengths off Abounding in the Group 3 BRC Sprint when doing plenty of work from a nasty gate.

Coming back to this course is the big tick and he’s well weighted with 57kg for Ben Allen who rode him to victory here on 60.5kg over 1400m in a BM84 back in the autumn.

He’ll need to stay in touch with them and not get too far back, but if he can land a good spot I believe he can surprise a few at odds.

Sticking with this potential early The Everest lead-up and, I might be silly tipping against the hot favourite Oliveanotherday, but at the price I’m finding it hard not to have a go on WAR MACHINE (1).

It’s been a while between drinks for the now six-year-old for the Hayes boys, but when he did last win it was with 60kg from gate 15 of 15 down the Straight Six at HQ when putting two lengths on Bridal Waltz, who is shorter than him in The Heath betting this weekend, in last October’s Group 2 Gilgai Stakes.

His run in The Everest behind Hong Kong hero Ka Ying Rising was better than it reads on paper, yes, he was 10^th, but he was only 3.5 lengths beaten.

Hit and miss form since, including a Newmarket Handicap 11^th on March 7 during a short and disappointing prep, but he’s a good sprinter on his day who has most of these covered class-wise as a former Group 1 Straddie winner.

Capable of carrying the kilos, he’s got previous first-up winning form at the track and has been trialling huge with back-to-back Flemington winning jump outs.

One of those was made mandatory when he broke through the gates at HQ, but I expect him to be on his best behaviour now.

Mark Zahra comes aboard, don’t discount.

Where to look in this outstanding edition of the San Domenico?

A case can be made for every one of these, even MUSIC TIME (5) who I think could be a genuine roughie danger fresh, but with improvement pending and speed on her side I’m sticking with BLUE DOOR (6) for the win.

Bjorn Baker’s untapped Stay Inside filly has just her third career start and should take lovely improvement from her game run fresh when doing plenty of work in the lead only to get run down late by Chilly Girl.

She lost few admirers however sticking on for second with a big gap back to the third placed Central Europe over this same track and trip.

Was a Group 3 winner on debut in the Kindergarten Stakes as a juvenile and has come back well.

Plenty of upside, inside alley has her land on speed and leading again and love Tommy Berry coming on.

Will take some catching fitter and ready to fire.

DARKBONEE (10) is racing in terrific form and still has plenty of upside for Symon Wilde.

The lightly raced five-year-old was given an excellent ride by Jamie Melham over a mile two weeks ago, settling third-last before unleashing a powerful finish down the outside to score by nearly two lengths.

He powered past quality opposition, including Light Infantry Man, and appeared to have plenty left in reserve through the line. Now third-up and stepping up in distance, he remains a runner to stick with.

BUTTERNUT PRINCESS (5) looks to be hitting peak form for the Moody and Coleman team.

The daughter of Capitalist settled a long way back over this track and distance two weeks ago in a similar fillies and mares event, but worked home strongly after angling four-wide into the straight to finish third.

She is now third-up and has previously won at this stage of her preparation. The addition of blinkers should sharpen her early speed, while barrier six gives her a good chance to settle with cover.

WAR MACHINE (1) has yet to race over 1100m but appears to boast a clear class advantage over most of his key rivals.

The past six months have not gone to plan, including a four-length defeat in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap earlier in the autumn.

However, he has an excellent first-up record and has impressed in the lead-up trials, giving him every chance to return to the winner’s list.

BEIWACHT (10) is likely to attract plenty of support after dominating over 1400m at Randwick last start to claim the Group 1 All Aged Stakes.

He has also impressed in the lead-up to his first spring campaign, and this race looks well suited with plenty of early speed expected from runners such as Treasurethe Moment and Mr Brightside.

Nash Rawiller retains the ride, and with a perfect two-from-two record over this distance, Beiwacht only needs to handle his first look at Caulfield to prove very hard to beat.

GUEST HOUSE (1) resumes for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in the San Domenico Stakes.

The 1100m may test him fresh, but the son of Home Affairs clearly brings the strongest class credentials into this field. His two lead-up trials have been only fair, although his last-start Golden Slipper victory was full of authority.

If he returns anywhere near that level, he should prove extremely difficult to beat.