Melbourne metropolitan meeting will be held at Caulfield this Saturday. With fine weather forecast, the Caulfield track should be in the Good 3/Dead 4 range on raceday.
Sydney’s meeting will be held at Rosehill. The track was rated a Slow 7 on Thursday and with showers forecast for the next couple of days, the track should remain in the Slow range on raceday.
In the Listed Supports National Jockeys’ Trust Manfred Stakes (Caulfield Race 3, 1200m), top weight Albrecht is the class runner here. The Peter Snowden-trained 3YO won the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes in the Spring, before finishing 2nd to stablemate Epaulette in the Group 1 Golden Rose. None of his oppositions in the race boost the same credentials. With 58.5kg on a 56kg limit, Albrecht certainly isn’t harshly treated. And the colt had a successfully jump-out at Flemington last week. Albrecht will be odds-on but is ready to win 1st up.
In the Listed Monjon Security W.J. Adams Stakes (Caulfield Race 4,1000m), the Anthony Freedman-trained First Command is looking to complete a hat-trick of wins on Saturday. The 7YO has won the last two starts over 1000m with big weights so the 60.5kg impost shouldn’t worry him. He has won 6 out of 10 starts over 1000m and he is a Caulfield specialist. His regular jockey Glen Boss will stay on board on Saturday. I think his current fixed odds of $2.70 still represents value.
In the Listed National Jockeys’ Trust Mornington Cup Prelude (Caulfield Race 5, 2000m), the favourite Elusive King has been racing consistently lately. And he has a good record over 2000m at Caulfield. However he has not been winning for over a year. I have selected another form horse in Tuscan Fire. The 6YO gelding has won his past 2 starts and has a tremendous record over 2000m, having won and placed 7 out of 8 starts. The form jockey Glen Boss will be on board and from barrier 5, Boss will take him forward and could prove hard to run down.
By Owens Wong, Editor
