The Chipping Norton Stakes meeting will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with showers forecast for Sydney on Friday & Saturday, Randwick will be racing on a Soft track on raceday.
The Blue Diamond Stakes meeting will be held at Caulfield this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 3 on Thursday. With overcast weather & low rain prediction for Melbourne over the next couple of days, Caulfield is likely to be racing on a Good track on raceday.
Sydney visitor Farson has been in terrific form and he is the top pick in the Caulfield Autumn Classic (Melbourne Race 3, 1800m). The Team Waterhouse-trained gelding has won 3 of his 4 starts this preparation including his last two in a row. Two starts back, Farson won his only start at Caulfield over the mile. And it looks ideal stepping up to 1800m 5th up on Saturday. There will be lots of pace in this race so from barrier 9, Stephen Baster is likely to take a sit mid-field before finishing strongly in the straight.
The first of three Group 1 races at Caulfield on Saturday is the Futurity Stakes and Black Heart Bart looks to have a mortgage on the race (Melbourne Race 5, 1400m). The 6YO star has been racing competitively against horses like Winx and Hartnell and he has a class edge against this field at weight-for-age. Last start, Black Heart Bart won the Group 1 Orr Stakes over this track & trip. Matter of fact, he loves Caulfield having won 4 times with a 2nd placing from 5 starts at the venue, and he has only ever missed a place once at 1400m from 12 attempts. Nicely drawn in barrier 6, Rawiller will settle the gelding mid-field and Black Heart Bart will simply run over the top of this lot.
Although trainer Ciaron Maher has only got one runner, Jukebox, in the Blue Diamond Stakes, he could well be the horse to beat in this 2YO race (Melbourne Race 7, 1200m). The unbeaten Jukebox took up a position and showed good acceleration in the straight to run away from his oppositions in both career starts. Having drawn nicely in barrier 4, Luke Nolen will make good use of the gate to park the colt just behind the pace and he will be hard to hold out in the run home. Jukebox is currently at pretty good odds at $7.50 in the fixed odds market.
Fell Swoop is a class horse having finished 2nd in three Group 1 races in the last 12 months including a nose 2nd in last year’s Oakleigh Plate and he is ready to make amend on Saturday (Melbourne Race 8, 1100m). Last prep, the Matthew Dale-trained 5YO ran great placings in the Manikato Stakes & the Darley Classic, beaten less than half a length in both races. And he likes the Caulfield track as he has never missed a place from 3 starts at the venue. Fell Swoop isn’t harshly treated at the weight with only 56kg in the Plate after being placed in 4 Group 1 sprints. The gelding has won a 900m trial 3 weeks ago and he is ready for a strong 1st up showing. Currently at $7.00 in the fixed odds market, Fell Swoop is a pretty good value bet.
By Owens Wong, Editor
