G1 Caulfield Guineas - history making
Always one of the year's most intriguing contests, the G1 Caulfield Guineas is a race which has provided some of racing's moments - think of Redoute's Choice's stirring battle with Testa Rossa, the way Lonhro rounded up his rivals, Starspangledbanner kicking with 200 metres to go and God's Own overcoming all sorts of trouble.
This year's edition sees several runners boasting interesting links to Caulfield Guineas of the past.
Lonhro makes his mark as the sire of Amenable, the grandsire of Osipenko (whose sire Pierro was second in 2012) and Sir Bailey whose sire Impending was fourth in 2016 and whose second damsire General Nediym was third in 1997 - and who is bred on a 5 X 5 cross of My Tricia (NZ) (Hermes {GB}).
Lonhro is also the damsire of Golden Mile (Astern) and the second damsire of The Fortune Teller (Caravaggio {USA}) whose second damsire Commands ran third behind Redoute's Choice in 1999... and he is a descendant of Medmenham (Ire) (Prince Galahad {GB}) whose star son Ajax won this in 1937.
Redoute's Choice meanwhile is the damsire of the Maurice (Jpn) pair Bank Maur and Foujita San and the male-line ancestor of Meridius (Extreme Choice) who also hails from Redoute's Choice's family - boasting a 4 X 4 cross of Shantha's Choice (Canny Lad). He is also the damsire of Zoustar who is represented by Millane, son of a Snitzel mare; hence bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Redoute's Choice.
The 2012 Guineas winner All Too Hard also has a runner - Elkington Road - whilst the 1999 memorable runner-up Testa Rossa is the damsire of Elliptical whose sire Dundeel (NZ) sired the 2019 winner Super Seth. And Lethal Thoughts' sire So You Think (NZ) was fifth in 2009 en route to the first of his G1 Cox Plate victories.
Meanwhile, of interest in regards to pedigrees are the three runners line-bred to their own families - Meridius already mentioned whilst Skyphios is 4 X 4 his sire Fiorente's (Ire) G1 Yorkshire Oaks-winning third dam Hellenic (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) and Foujita San is 5 X 5 Derna (Fr) (Sunny Boy {Fr}), grandam of his sire Maurice's damsire Carnegie (Ire).
G1 Might And Power S. - a race worthy of its name
Since its inception in 1886 run as the Caulfield S., this 2000-metre weight-for-age contest was last year renamed to honour one of its best winners; Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who put 2.4l on his rivals in the 1998 edition.
This is a race won by some of the greats of the turf, members of its honour roll including such greats as Wakeful (Trenton {NZ}), Eurythmic (Eudorus {GB}), Heroic, Ajax, Manfred, Hall Mark, Rising Fast (NZ) (Alonzo {GB}), Gunsynd, Kingston Town (Bletchingly), Northerly (Serheed {USA}), Lonhro, So You Think and Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).
Might And Power had just six rivals the year he won and it is not much bigger of a field this year - but they are eight quality performers, six of whom have won 16 Group 1 races between them.
Anamoe, the current favourite for the G1 Might And Power S. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The most prolific at that level (five wins) is the exciting 4-year-old Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) who has had good exposure to Caulfield; at this meeting last year winning the G1 Caulfield Guineas. He went onto win the G1 Rosehill Guineas over this trip and was unlucky when protesting unsuccessfully over the same journey in the G1 Cox Plate.
Another two runners - Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) are triple Group 1 winners; the former third in this race last year and at his most recent start third to the latter in the G1 Underwood S. run at Sandown two weeks ago.
Second in that race was Mo'unga (NZ) (Savabeel) who, along with I'm Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), fourth in the G1 Underwood S., is a dual Group 1 winner. Leaving Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), fifth in the G1 Underwood S. as the other big-race winner.
G1 Toorak H. - I Wish I Win again?
Considered to be one of the most exciting horses in the country, I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) - the horse born with the crooked pins whose proud owner/breeder Mark Chittick has repeatedly knocked back offers for - makes his Australian Group 1 debut in this Group 1 handicap mile.
Twice placed at this elite level in New Zealand, the Peter Moody-trained 4-year-old has created a big impression at his two local outings - recording convincing victories in a Caulfield handicap and the Listed Testa Rossa S. at the same track.
Another New Zealander may prove to be the hardest to beat with the topweight Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) looking to secure his fifth Group 1 victory. Should he do so he will be the first horse since Trust In A Gust to take out the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S./ G1 Toorak H. double.
I Wish I Win (NZ) looks to add a Group 1 to his CV in the Toorak H. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Another six of Saturday's runners come through that race including Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) who ran on well after striking trouble, Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) who was on the heels of the placegetters, Buffalo River (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}) who worked hard on pace and Tuvalu (Kermadec {NZ}) who fought on gamely.
Or could the winner come via the G3 Sandown S. with the trifecta from that race again taking each other on - Gentleman Roy (So You Think {NZ}) the all-the-way winner of that lead-up having previously proven no match for I Wish I Win whilst Military Expert (Redoute's Choice) and Pinstriped (Street Boss {USA}) were game in defeat.
G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate - take two
Originally due to be run last Saturday, this Group 1 feature was postponed due to the weather. Fortunately, conditions look to be more favourable this time around which is good news for connections of La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) who have the Melbourne spring carnival in sight.
Held up turning before getting clear with 350 metres to go and finishing off well when resuming in the G1 Tarzino Trophy, La Crique has built up an imposing record having won five of her nine starts. And the form around her looks good for a trip to Victoria with her G1 NZ Derby second seeing her finish in front of Regal Lion (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}) - the subsequent G2 Tulloch S. runner-up who won so impressively at Sandown recently.
Before that recording easy wins in the G2 Avondale Guineas and the G3 Desert Gold S., La Crique is deserving of a Group 1 breakthrough though it won't come easily with the terrific mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) - who was not in last week's field - taking her place having also contested the Tarzino, finding the Heavy conditions a tad testing though she was still close up.
La Crique (NZ) is hoping for Group 1 success in New Zealand before heading across the Tasman for the Melbourne spring carnvial | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
The two 4-year-old mares have several nice rivals including the impressive last start G3 Metric Mile winner Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) who can count the champion Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) amongst her relations.
Twice placed at Group 1 level, the Victorian-owned Spring Tide (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) was a tough second in the G1 Tarzino Trophy when resuming - beating La Crique home whilst the ever reliable Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) can once again finish in the thick of things.
G2 Roman Consul and G3 Gloaming S. - Sydney's 3-year-olds
Within a couple of hours at Randwick on Saturday we get to see some of the country's most promising 3-year-olds in action; firstly the sprinting types in the G2 Roman Consul S. and then those stretching over more ground in the G3 Gloaming S.
With another Heavy track on the card, those with wet track experience look to have a decent advantage and the G1 Golden Slipper S. runner-up Best Of Bordeaux (Snitzel) is one of those terrific horses who seems to handle any condition. Nicely primed on the back of two good lead-up runs, he can lead and prove hard to run down.
His G2 Run To The Rose form should hold up here with that race's third placegetter Sweet Ride (Deep Field) ready to run his usual honest race as does the Queenslander Nettuno (I Am Invincible) who had little luck in the run home that day.
Gallery: The current favourites in the G2 Roman Consul and G3 Gloaming S. at Randwick on Saturday, images courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
It is always interesting to see up-and-comers being tried over a bit more ground for the first time which makes the Gloaming contested over 1800 metres worth watching. A local and a visitor are fighting out favouritism at this stage - the well-related Williamsburg, a Snitzel son of the Group 1 mare Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}), earning admirers with his barnstorming Listed Dulcify S. victory whilst Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) showed good fight to win first-up in New Zealand having run two very nice races in Brisbane over the winter.
Matcha Latte (Maurice {Jpn}) has been kept up to the mark with a trial since trying hard behind Golden Mile in the G3 Ming Dynasty S., a race in which Flag Of Honour (American Pharoah {USA}) was close up, since then running another honest race in the Listed Dulcify S. And nothing in the all blue can be underestimated at the moment - Godolphin's only runner Stylised (Kermadec {NZ}), a three-quarter brother to Character (Teofilo {Ire}) looking good saluting at only his second outing.
G3 Northwood Plume S. and G3 The Nivison - the sprinting mares
There are some talented short-course mares lining up in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday; connections of those contesting the G3 Northwood Plume S. at Caulfield and the G3 The Nivison at Randwick keen to secure that always valuable black type for their girls.
It's the last race on the Caulfield card but the Northwood Plume is a race worth waiting for with many keen to see the in-form Zapateo (Brazen Beau) in action again - James Cummings aiming to win this feature for the first time with a mare who already has the G3 Toy Show Quality and the G3 How Now S. already on her impressive resume.
Seradess (Astern) was below best on Heavy going when resuming but boasts a good second-up record whilst Another Award (Shamus Award) handled those conditions when very good first-up in the G3 How Now S.
Gallery: The current favourites in the G3 Northwood Plume S. at Randwick and G3 The Nivison on Saturday
G3 The Nivison is an even contest with early markets having six of the 11 runners at single-figure odds. Promise Of Success (GB) (Dansili {GB}) ran very well behind Snapdancer (Choisir) first-up last time in and she just doesn't know how to run a bad race.
Her trainer John O'Shea won this race last year with Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel) and has a two-pronged attack this year with Charleise (Foxwedge) making her debut for the stable off good trial form.
Also honest is Heresy (Street Boss {USA}) who strips fitter for her solid first-up performance whilst the strike rate of Expat (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) is hard to fault - and she loves the wet.
