The Caulfield Cup meeting will be held at Caulfield this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with showers forecast for Melbourne over the next couple of days, Caulfield is likely to border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
Sydney visitor Spending To Win has been freshened up for the Caulfield Sprint (Melbourne Race 3, 1000m). The Team Snowden-trained gelding won brilliantly when 1st up over 1100m at this track on the 22nd September. Dropping back to 1000m with 4 weeks between runs looks perfect and this 5YO has never missed a place from 4 starts over this trip. Spending To Win can handle any track conditions and Regan Bayliss will once again be aboard. From barrier 7, Bayliss will settle just behind the likely leaders Super Too and Eduardo and Spending To Win will be ready to pounce in the straight.
Team Waterhouse-trained Thinkin’ Big is the class horse in the Ladbrokes Classic and he is very much in form (Melbourne Race 6, 2000m). The High Chaparral colt won the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes 1st up before finishing 3rd behind Maid of Heaven in the Spring Champion Stakes on a shifty track. The 3YO will be at peak fitness after the two strong performances this campaign. Thinkin’ Big can handle the wet tracks and the set weight condition will suit. Drawn out in barrier 11, Tim Clark will take the 3YO straight to the lead and Thinkin’ Big will be hard to catch.
Reigning Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar will have conditions to suit in the Caulfield Cup (Melbourne Race 8, 2400m). Youngstar had come of age during the Winter Carnival where she won 4 straight races culminating to her victory in the Queensland Oaks on a Soft 6 track. First up in the Tramway Stakes over the unsuitable 1400m, the now 4YO was only beaten 1.5 lengths by stablemate Comin’ Through. She then finished 3rd in the Shannon Quality before her mighty 2nd, getting within a length to Winx last start in the Turnbull Stakes under weight-for-age. And there is no better form than the Winx form. Under the handicap condition in the Caulfield Cup, Youngstar will drop considerably in weight with only 51.5kg on her back. The in-form Kerrin McEvoy, who won The Everest last weekend, will be aboard the mare on Saturday. From barrier 10 (into barrier 9 after taken out the emergencies), McEvoy will settle somewhere mid-field and with her light weight and her great turn of foot, Youngstar will be hard to hold out in the run home.
By Owens Wong, Editor
