Saturday preview: six things to keep an eye on

Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix

G1 Winterbottom S. - one of Perth's big ones

This year sees the 13th running of this sprinting test at Group 1 level, the Winterbottom S. run as a Group 2 race since the introduction of the Pattern system, before then considered to be a 'principal race' - for its first 40 years run over 1400 metres.

It boasts a proud record of having been won by high-class speedsters, those on its honour roll including Placid Ark (Arkenstone), Takeover Target (Celtic Swing {GB}), Ortensia (Testa Rossa), Buffering (Mossman), Viddora (I Am Invincible), Miss Andretti (Ihtiram {Ire}) and Hey Doc (Duporth) as well as Starglow (Comet {GB}), Marjoleo (Indian Conquest {Ire}) and Ellicorsam (Fimiston) who all went onto Group 1 success in other states.

The sire of the latter - Fimiston - is one of the eight entires to have won the race en route to careers siring stakes winners and he also sired the 2001 winner Fair Alert.

Of the 11 female Winterbottom winners to have produced foals, three have been represented by stakes winners - the 1954 winner Chestnut Lady (Great Britain) producing the multiple Group winner Chestillion, the 1957 winner Fairflow (Filipino) the dam of the Group winners Fair Dollar (Copper Year) and Fair's Print (Carbon Copy) and the 2004 winner Ellicorsam (Fimiston) dam of the Group 3 mare Ellicazoom (Testa Rossa).

The race has been won by a good mixture of locals and interstate visitors and both are in the market this year.

Good representatives for Western Australia include Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man), Hot Zed (Red Hot Choice), Snowdome (Rommel) and My Bella Mae (Deep Field) as well as the exciting 3-year-olds Oscar's Fortune (Rich Enuff) and Ripcord (Written By).

Overpass (Vancouver) heads over from New South Wales and Savatoxl (Kuroshio) from Alice Springs whilst Triple Missile (Smart Missile) is back in Perth off consistent Melbourne Form. He gives Damien Oliver one of his last chances to win a big one - in a race which he won in 2018 aboard Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible) and in 2006 on Marasco (Scenic {Ire}).

Three of last year's runner make a reappearance with the last start G3 Colonel Reeves S. winner Hot Zed faring the best 12 months ago, finishing an honest fourth.

Favourite this year is Overpass who tired after being attacked in front in The Everest at his most recent outing. He has already enjoyed success at the track - back in April beating home Amelia's Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) and Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) in the rich The Quokka and at his next two starts finishing second to Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) and Private Eye (Al Maher) in feature races.

G2 Sandown Guineas - a Classic with history

First run in 1957 at, as its name suggests, Sandown, the now Caulfield feature for late spring 3-year-olds gained Group 2 status when the Pattern system came into being in the late 1970s.

It has on several occasions been won by horses who had already enjoyed elite-level success but is more often than not contested by horses on the up - won 15 times by horses who have gone onto win Group 1 races, such as So Called (NZ), Light Fingers (NZ) (Le Filou {Fr}), Over, Baryshnikov and Durbridge.

Thirteen Sandown Guineas winners have gone onto to sire stakes winners though only two of those were represented by Group 1 winners, the most successful being the 1973 winner Taj Rossi who sired three big-race winners - Merimbula Bay (1989 Doncaster H.), Taj Quillo (1986 Gadsden S.) and Taj Eclipse (1983 VRC Oaks).

Taj Rossi's Sandown Guineas win was part of a big year for the tough and classy colt who had kicked off his campaign back in April - progressing through the classes taking out the G2 Ascot Vale S., the G2 Moonee Valley S., the G1 WS Cox Plate, the G1 VRC Derby and the G1 George Adams S.

By the time he got to Sandown he had already raced 14 times and it would be his final win.

There have been 16 female Sandown Guineas winners to have produced foals and seven of those had stakes winners. Taking out the fourth running in 1960, Lady Sybil (NZ) (Count Rendered {GB}) ventured to the US where her first born daughter Amerigo Lady (USA) (Amerigo {GB}) won two Group 1 features on the way to a successful breeding career whilst her Group 2-winning son Brigand (USA) made his way back to Australia where he sired 12 stakes winners.

The 1961 Sandown Guineas winner Indian Summer (Edmundo {GB}) had the G1 Adelaide Cup winner Gnapur (Faubourg II {Fr}) whilst the oh so popular 1964 winner Light Fingers produced the G3 Canterbury Cup winner Nimble Touch (NZ) (Smuggler {GB}). And the 1966 winner Hialeah (Arctic Explorer {GB}) did a good job with two big-race winners - the G1 AJC Champagne S. winner Charity (Vain) and the G1 Epsom H. and George Main S.-winning successful stallion Imposing.

The 1975 winner Better Draw (Better Boy {Ire}) produced the triple Group 1-winning juvenile Fall On Aces (Golden Slipper S., VRC Sires' Produce S., AJC Sires' Produce S.) whilst the 2002 winner Dextrous (Quest For Fame {GB}) made an excellent contribution via her two Group 1 winners Skilled and Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}) and her Group 2 sons Ambidexter and Sidestep.

It has been a while since the race has been won by a Group 1 horse but last year's victor See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet) has continued to race well - and special mention goes to the 2016 winner Morton's Fork (Ad Valorem {USA}) who, at the age of 10 is still racing - due to contest Sunday's Jericho Cup at Warrnambool!

Favourite to take out this year's running is Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) who has been finding the line well in shorter races. Modown (Toronado {Ire}) brings the form of the exciting Schwarz (Zoustar) to the race whilst the best of the female chances looks to be Vivy Air (Hellbent) who ended up a bit too far back from a wide gate in the G1 Thousand Guineas.

Morton's Fork was the most recent Sydney galloper to win the race and there is just one NSW contender this year, the consistent Power Of The Brave (Brave Smash {Jpn}).

G2 Zipping Classic - for the tough stayers

Renamed in 2011 to honour the horse who won this race four years in a row from 2007 to 2010, the race formerly known as the Sandown Classic began its life as the Williamstown Cup before moving to Sandown - Caulfield its third home.

Until 1999 run as a handicap and since then as a weight-for-age contest, it tends to be won by tough horses, the evergreen Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) successful last year, Sound (Ger) taking out the two previous runnings.

Vow And Declare again takes his place, attempting to join Sound, The Taj Mahal (Ire), Zipping (Danehill {USA}), Morse Code (St Magnus {GB}) and Second Wind (NZ) (Grandcourt {GB}) as multiple winners of this race.

Sound's trainer Michael Moroney hopes to add a third Zipping Classic to his trophy cabinet with Bankers Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) looking nicely placed up in distance with a decent drop in weight.

With seven of the last 10 runnings been won by Northern Hemisphere-bred gallopers, they have to be respected and they make up much of the field on Saturday - six of the 10 runners including Amade (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) who is proven at the trip, Military Mission (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) who contested the G1 Melbourne Cup and Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who again takes on the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. winner Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

That horse has been in great form over the spring as has the gallant mare Deny Knowledge (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) who carried the excellent Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) G1 Empire Rose S. form into the G3 Matriarch S.

G3 Summoned S. - a great matriarch remembered

The Redoute's Choice branch of the Danehill (USA) sireline certainly makes its mark on this mares' feature this year with Russian Revolution (Revolutionary Miss), Snitzel (Zennzella), Not A Single Doubt (Thalassophile), Extreme Choice (Wollombi) and Barbados (The Maggstar) all represented.

The 2017 winner Long Time Ago (Redoute's Choice) was the most recent success for this sireline which looks to be a big chance to end up in the winner's circle this Saturday with Revolutionary Miss back in winning form last weekend, Thalassophile suited back in trip and Wollombi ready for the mile.

The latter is trained by Wollombi who are enjoying a good run in this race, training two of the last three winners - My Whisper (Frankel {GB}) last year and Missile Mantra (Smart Missile) in 2020.

The other horse in the market is Picaroon (Fiorente {Ire}) who has struck a purple patch of form winning her last couple including a country trainer's final at Flemington on Oaks Day.

First run as a Listed race in 1995 and upgraded to its current Group 3 status in 2013, this race was named in appreciation of one of the state's most successful broodmares.

The unraced Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}) certainly made her mark with all 16 of her foals making it to the track, 13 of those being winners including the multiple Group 1-winning sprinter and successful stallion Zeditave, Falvelon's G3 Rubiton S.-winning sire Alannon who sadly died with just one crop on the ground and the Group 3-winning mares Pampas Fire (Prince True {USA}), Square Deal (The Judge) and Zedagal (The Judge).

Five of Summoned's descendants are Group 1 winners - Zeditave, Greys Inn (USA), Melito (Redoute's Choice), Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World {USA}) and Norzita (NZ) (Thorn Park) whilst another 30 are stakes winners.

Listed Merson Cooper S. - early juvenile action

It is straight into black-type action at Caulfield on Saturday with this Listed event for the 2-year-olds being the first race on the card.

Two seven-figure purchases are amongst the nine runners, one of those a newcomer, the other seen once.

Making his debut on the back of a Rosehill trial second and a Flemington jump-out fourth is the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Media World (Written Tycoon), a Mystery Downs-bred colt who was sold by Fairview Park Stud to Yulong for $1.4 million at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

His dam was a decent 2-year-old - Meryl (Epaulette) at just her second start taking out the G3 BJ McLachlan S. The other expensive contender is Eneeza (Exceed And Excel), a Grand Bloodstock-bred filly who was sold by Silverdale Farm to Kia Ora Stud for $1.1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

She started equal favourite at her debut in the G3 Ottawa S. at Flemington, finishing a game second to the unbeaten Karavas (Alabama Express). And she is also out of a mare who showed early form - Sweet Sherry (Bel Esprit) at her debut winning the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S.

Eneeza and Media World are fighting out early favouritism for this race with the other highly fancied youngster being Voile (Exceed And Excel), a Godolphin homebred first starter who has been placed in a Randwick trial and a Flemington jump-out.

Whilst the horses already mentioned are all by proven stallions, there are also a number of first-season horses represented by runners here - Rosemont Stud's Strasbourg by the smart Ballarat debut winner Stormbourg, Darley's Blue Point (Ire) by Centre Square, Yulong's Alabama Express by the Mornington jump-out winner Express Yo'Self and Coolmore Stud's Yes Yes Yes by the Benalla trial winner Flattered.

Stakes races in Sydney and Brisbane - Rosehill and Doomben

Carnival action may be winding down but there is still plenty happening across the country with both Rosehill and Doomben hosting a Group 3 and a couple of Listed races each.

The G3 Festival S. is the highlight in Sydney, the 1500-metre contest a very even one in which five horses have opened up at 10-1 or under... Rustic Steel (Deep Field) looking nicely primed at his third run in whilst Finepoint (Pins) was very good off a wide run when resuming in the G2 Hot Danish S.

And Acquitted (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Grebeni (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Phearson (Exosphere) have intertwining form lines.

The next race on the Rosehill card is the Listed Starlight S. for the sprinters and it is another open contest with the leading contenders including Dragonstone (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) who just does not know how to run a bad race and the versatile Quick Tempo (Rubick).

And creating interest are Malkovich (Choisir) and Sneaky Paige (Deep Field) who are both resuming off good trial form.

The Listed Christmas Cup makes it three black-type races in a row on the card, the 2400-metre contest yet another race with a number of chances including the 2020 G1 Epsom Derby winner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who drops in class off his G1 Melbourne Cup run, Sky Lab (Real Impact {Jpn}) who tried so hard last time out, Stockman (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who will be hoping for some rain and Little Mix (Mahisara) who seeks to make it three in a row off wins in Brisbane and Melbourne.

The G3 George Moore S. is the main race at Doomben, a 1200-metre race which sees the return of the Group 1 galloper Rothfire (Rothesay) who is fighting out favouritism with Nettuno (I Am Invincible) who is putting together such a great record.

The Listed Mode S. sees 3-year-old fillies vying for valuable black-type with Abounding (Rich Enuff) strongly fancied on the back of her dominant Doomben victory in late October.

She is one of a number of promising types here with Party For Two (Sidestep), Miss Coota (Spirit Of Boom), Tiger Shark (Rich Enuff), Taormina (Written Tycoon) and Mishani Royale (Kobayashi) also looking to have good upside.

Acquitted, who has also accepted for the Festival S. in Sydney, is a leading contender in the Listed Tails S. in which his main rivals look to be Dune Forty Five (Americain {USA}), Ocean Treaty (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Tojaki (Zoustar).