Handicap key to success

James Cummings is banking on a return to handicap racing to deliver a maiden Group 1 win for Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) when he runs in the Sir Rupert Clarke S. at Caulfield.

He has finished fourth in both outings at weight-for-age in the G2 PB Lawrence S. and the G1 Memsie S. this preparation.

“I think he has to lift to be competitive here, but I believe he can do that,” Cummings said. “He should be close to peak fitness after two good efforts at weight-for-age and he might have got the knack of Caulfield by now.

“As a handicap, this race should be easier and it might lead the way to a winnable Toorak H.

“He’s a horse who has promised quite a bit and who now has the chance to live up to it.”

Blinkers off

A new look Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock) will step out in the G1 Fujitsu George Main S. at Randwick.

The 8-year-old won the G2 Tramway S. last time out, but will be minus the blinkers when he moves up from 1400 to 1600 metres on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson said he was keen to try Dreamforce without the headgear as he had raced keenly in them and the move may help the gelding to see out a strong mile.

Trainer in bullish mood

Co-trainer Tony McEvoy has confidence in both of his chances in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. contenders.

Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau) won the G2 Let’s Elope S. a week ago while Dollar For Dollar (High Chaparral {Ire}) was fifth in the G2 Bobbie Lewis Quality.

McEvoy was buoyed by both performances and said it was always the stable’s intention to back them up in the Caulfield feature.

Deep Field colt sizzles

A son of Deep Field posted the slickest time in Inglis Ready2Race breeze-up history at Warwick Farm on Friday.

The colt out of Sugar Bay (Can) (Syncline {USA}), Lot 135, stole the show for Blake Ryan Racing, recording a scintillating time of 9.95s.

Others to excel included Lot 35, a Capitalist colt out of Lady Sniper (Snippetson) of Glenn Haven Thoroughbreds (10.17s) and Lot 164, son of Shalaa (Ire) from Zarakiysha (Ire) (Kendor {Fr}) (10.18s).

Ryan, this year’s Ready2Race leading vendor by numbers with 18 lots, was thrilled but not shocked by the speed of his Deep Field colt.

“He is an absolute jet, one of the sharpest horses I’ve ever sat on,’’ he said. “He’s got a great brain, he’ll canter around all day for you, you could nearly go chasing cattle on him, but as soon as you ask him to go, he knows it’s go time and he produces.

“That’s what I like most about him, he knows when to switch off and knows when to switch on.’’

O’Brien pays moving tribute

Aidan O’Brien described Pat Smullen as “irreplaceable” on Thursday, two days after his brother-in-law and nine-time Irish champion jockey lost his battle with pancreatic cancer aged 43.

While Smullen’s and O’Brien’s wives Frances Crowley and Annemarie O’Brien are sisters and highly accomplished horsewomen, Smullen spent much of his career in rivalry with O’Brien as stable jockey to Dermot Weld.

“Pat was one very special person, one of these people you meet once in a lifetime,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing. “He is irreplaceable. He was genuine, tough and consistent – an unbelievable horseman and a brilliant jockey.

“He helped everybody and was very sincere to everybody. Nothing about Pat was false, he was true to everybody. I think that’s why he was so admired and will never be forgotten. We felt privileged to know him and to have worked with him and to be part of our family.”

Hastings milestone on cards

Alchemia (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) could provide Katrina and Simon Alexander with a memorable milestone at Hastings if she lives up to the promise she has shown her Matamata trainers.

The maiden winner is set to take on the colts and geldings in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy, but it would be no surprise to the Alexanders if she provided them with their first win since going into partnership when returning north to Matamata last season.

“We’ve got a high opinion of her,” Katrina Alexander said. “We nominated her for the fillies’ race as well and double accepted with her, but she’s drawn more favourably in the El Roca. "

Alchemia is unbeaten in her three trials and before she cruised away for a 5.5l win at the Taupo trials earlier this month she had finished third on race day on the same course.

“She’s a lovely, relaxed filly that will settle anywhere and she should get at least 1600 metres. She’s not a big filly, but she is developing strength-wise,” Alexander said.

Ruakaka resumption

Group 1 performer Melt (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) will kick-off her spring campaign in the Harcourts Tai Tokerau Trophy at Ruakaka on Saturday.

She hasn’t been seen on race day since her runner-up effort over 1200 metres at Tauranga last November and trainer Nigel Tiley is looking forward to her return.

“Melt had a nice break,” he said. “She came back from Sydney and we gave her one start just to make sure she was happy.

“We put her aside while the tracks were a bit firmer. She was ready to go when we had to go into lockdown with COVID-19, so she just went out to the paddock and then went down to David and Emma-Lee Browne’s to do a bit of work on the hills. She has come back in pretty good nick.”

Melt has a strong first-up record and Tiley is confident she will be able to retain that strike-rate on Saturday.

Owners to return

Owners will be permitted to return to Irish racecourses from Monday in line with the Government’s medium-term COVID-19 plan published earlier this week.

“We are delighted to confirm that for the first time since March 13, owners will be permitted to return to the racecourse from Monday next,” Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said,

“Owners play the most important role in Irish racing and they have had to wait quite some time to return to the racecourse to see their horses run.”