Melbourne: Comprehensive preview of every race at Caulfield

A COMPREHENSIVE preview of every race for Saturday’s meet at Caulfield with Ray Hickson

Longeron. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

NOTE: Numbers in brackets are the official handicap ratings for each horse. Track rated Soft 5 at time of writing, expecting about that.

RACE 1

2. TENAPPY LADIES (63) was far from disgraced on debut behind what could be a handy one in Artie Dee Too at the Valley. Drawn to get a nice run and an interesting jockey change as well to the premiership front runner who, as you’ll see, I hope rides several winners on the card. He should be hard to beat. 4. YU LONG SHENG HUI (63) worries me a little as it’s hard to tell how good he is having beat up on moderate opposition at Wodonga at his only start. The margin dictates that he deserves some respect. 8. DUNAMITE (NR) was a trial winner on the synthetic recently but I don’t think that is significant. That said she’s from the Ciaron Maher yard and is well bred - her dam is a half-sister to Zizou and is from the family of Not A Single Doubt. 1. GIMLET (67) hasn’t done a lot wrong in four starts and comes through the Swan Hill Classic which is usually a strong race. Would only have to hold her form to be somewhere in the finish.

RACE 2

I don’t see any reason to sway from 3. LONGERON (95) after breaking through at the Valley a couple of weeks ago. He’s not meeting anything overly scary among the new horses, bar one I’ll get to in a moment, and he’s a make your own luck type who will be up in the first three before hitting the lead on the turn, or soon after, and hard to run down. 8. BONDEIGER (85) isn’t a horse I thought I’d describe as scary but his presence worries me a bit now he is with Darren Weir. We all know how he can coax improvement out of them. This fellow did show glimpses of form, particularly second-up at Mornington, in the autumn and it would not surprise me to see him jump out of the ground. 6. SELF SENSE (90) has placed in the Echuca and Swan Hill Cups in two runs back from a long spell and gets to a trip he’s proven at over this course. Versatile type of galloper and he should be competitive at least. 4. ALCOHOL (92) chased Longeron home at Moonee Valley in his best performance this time in. I thought he had his chance to run him down but a repeat of that effort has him in the mix again.

RACE 3

5. SCHERSOZO (81) is driving me nuts but he’s a big chance here back to Melbourne with Dunn on board. He probably didn’t love the heavy at Sandown and he was hard up against the fence at Rosehill last start when the winners were right down the outside. He’s probably the type that needs a good ride, particularly from gate one, and he should go close. 8. YULONG BABY (80) always improves second-up and she ran a nice race against the mares when resuming where she found the line nicely. Down 5.5kg and she’ll relish the extra trip. Just hoping she’s non one run away from a peak. 1. ROYAL RAPTURE (88) is on the back up after a game win at Flemington last week where he left it pretty late but was strong at the finish. Couldn’t knock him as this is certainly no harder and he’s a definite chance. 9. SPANISH LOVE (71) proved her first-up effort was no fluke with another closing effort at Sandown over a mile. She might be looking for 2000m but given she is still on the up and racing well I’d have to include her in the hopes.

RACE 4

14. REWARDING EFFORT (62) is a promising type up in class but on what he has shown in two runs back it’d be a surprise if he didn’t measure up. Resumed with a ‘run of the day’ fourth from the back at Mornington on an on-pacers day then smashed inferior opposition on the synthetic at Pakenham with a big turn of foot from last. Drawing out hasn’t worried him yet and he’s a big chance. 10. BIG KNIGHT (63) wasn’t disgraced against older horses when he resumed on a heavy track at Sale and the 1400m is going to be much more to his liking, as would the current conditions. Expect him to run well and if he does he’ll be even better next time. 2. STORMCRAFT (71) is coming through the grades well out of town and was too strong on the synthetic in a small field last start. Unbeaten for Weir and while this is harder he races like the trip will suit and can’t be overlooked. 8. MAKATITI (64) has been racing very well this time in and got a lot further back than usual when he was narrowly beaten at Sandown last time. Another coming back to 3yo grade here and he’s drawn well so he will probably race closer. Each-way claims.

RACE 5

10. MAGICUS (73) is the most promising horse in the race and he just might start a bit better price than he should because of the wide gate. But the 1200m start isn’t a bad one for drawing wide. He’s already been competitive in a BM78 and has reportedly come back a lot stronger. If that’s the case he will be hard to beat. 12. CAMDUS (72) is another lightly raced type back for his second campaign. Won three of his first four starts in good style and wasn’t himself in two subsequent defeats. I’d like to see a little bit of support for him but I’d expect him to run very well fresh. 6. CAPRESE (75) has been racing very well without a great deal of luck in his last couple. Left it far too late both at Sandown and at Flemington and may well do so again here but he has to be included in the each-way hopes. 18. HEZA RIPPER (71) won the race at Sale featuring Big Knight and it was a solid effort up on the pace all the way. He needs the sting out of the ground and he should get it here so if he gains a start then he’s one of the chances. 14. MICK’S HUSTLER (72) comes into contention if they are running on. He’s been very good in both starts back and hit the line well at Sandown last time.

Yulong Baby. Picture: Colleen Petch.

RACE 6

We all might be suckers but 6. DUKE OF BRUNSWICK (85) has to go on top, though I’ll admit I spent a bit of time trying to find one to get keen on away from him. Kept coming back to him on the score of consistency and being the ‘devil you know’. He chased hard behind Voodoo Lad at the Valley, 1400m from barrier one should hold no fears and he does get a good chance. 8. ULMANN (85) is the big watch. He didn’t really come up last time in though his first-up fourth to Fell Swoop at Caulfield would give some of these something to worry about. Now with the Weir stable and now a gelding, if he produces near his best he should take beating. 15. MARWOOD (76) was always well back with 59kg on the heavy at Ballarat last time and the run should be forgiven. He was racing well prior with nice efforts at Warrnambool and Sandown and look for him to be charging home late with a massive weight drop. 4. SADAQA (88) is more than handy on his day and 1400m fresh suits him. While his second-up record is superior he comes out of open class and Group racing into this. Keep in mind. 14. BRADMAN (77) posted a rare win at Flemington last start and while he doesn’t ring up 1s regularly he’s not been far away of late and is in the mix.

RACE 7

8. ANATOLA (67) showed a great deal of talent in her first preparation for Peter Moody and she’s now with Mick Price. No real excuses for her defeat at the Valley before a break but she did run third so it wasn’t a flop. She looked good in a jump out recently running a place behind Tapestry Vision, who won last week, and should feature. 12. OCEAN EMBERS (63) was scratched from Wednesday to run here and this race isn’t any harder that what she would have faced there and certainly no harder than her last couple of starts in G3 company. Bears close watching back in winter open class. 4. CERTAIN ELLIE (69) ran quite a nice race when resuming at the Valley, finishing off strongly from well back when, of course, that was something that was hard to do on the day. Fitter and generally holds her form when she finds it. Each-way. 7. LADY ESPRIT (68) was a second-up winner last time in and there was nothing wrong with her fourth at Flemington against the boys on June 11. The form has stood up well with the runner-up chasing home Spieth last week. One of the better hopes here.

RACE 8

1. HURSLEY (69) is not really one of my horses but two things suggest to me that he gets a good chance to break a run of outs here. First his eye-catching third at Flemington last week and, second, backing up out to 2000m having had some jumping practice during the week. So long as the sting stays out of the track he’s entitled to be in the finish. 11. SHE’S GOT SPEED (64) was forced to make a long run in a race that was a battle of attrition over 2000m at Flemington a few weeks back so her effort to run into third was sound. You wouldn’t expect this to be run quite as fast and the three week break is probably a good thing. Definite chance. 5. FOUR BY FOUR (65) comes through the same race where he finished right behind She’s Got Speed. The sprint was taken right out of him in that event but he stuck on well and there were some long beaten margins behind him. 4. PLYMOUTH ROAD (66) lived up to expectation with an easy all the way win at Mornington on the long weekend, easily accounting for older horses. Back against his own age and he should control his own fate up on the pace. Go well.

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Not a huge amount of confidence but I’m happy to stick with 3. A LOTTA LOVE (83) who has been racing in career best form this time in. A month between runs since a close second in unsuitably heavy ground at Sandown and before that was G3 placed and luckless in a similar event here back in mid-May. No good thing but she’ll run well. 7. SHADES OF BELLA (82) hasn’t raced since she won that race here on May 14 where A Lotta Love was very stiff. Drawn to get every chance and if she turns up in similar form then she will be hard to beat. 18. JERSEY GIRL (67) is eligible for easier races and was beaten in a BM70 last start but she can measure up here on an each-way basis if we’re still talking soft ground at the end of the day. Gets up on the pace and can give some cheek. 2. FORGERESS (85) is a better wet tracker than A Lotta Love and that shone through when she won at Sandown in the heavy. Back to 1200m and on a better track are minuses but she rarely puts a bad one and can’t be left out. Keep an eye on 9. FAST APPROACHING (79) who took a couple of runs to get going last time in but does have a liking for Caulfield and if she shows up she could be in for a good prep.