Caulfield: Saturday 16th March Preview by Dean McHugh

Race 1: Sportsbet Victoria Gold Cup (2000m)

Saturday’s card will kick off with the Sportsbet Victoria Gold Cup. A field of seven will head down to post where Carini will jump off as the red hot favourite. 

A winner of four of his eleven career starts, he has run poorly in his last three starts and will be hoping to bounce back here. A regular winner at this sort of grade, a big run can be expected, and he could take all of the beating.

Race 2: VOBIS Gold Reef (1600m)

Another small field will head down to post for the second race of the day, and the betting looks wide open.

Socks Nation, Ambassadorial and Fistsofffury will all start with a live chance. Of the three it could be worth taking a chance with Ambassadorial who looks the least exposed of the trio.

A winner of two of his first seven career races, he ran a big race when last seen and was only just denied in second. His connections will be hoping he can go one place better this time around.

Race 3: Sharp EIT Solutions (1200m)

A field of eleven have been declared for the day’s third race and an exciting race lies in prospect. 

White Bear is likely to be the pick of the paddock, and his connections will be hopeful of another bold showing. Easily one of the least exposed horses in the field, he has two wins from his four career starts and looks to be a horse going places. 

Boasting a similar record is Furious. Set to start at almost triple the price, he could be one of the best value angles of the entire day.

Race 4: Reward Hospitality VOBIS Gold Comet (1000m)

The first sprint race of the card comes in the fourth race of the day. Once again another short field is set to gather but there is no shortage of contenders.

Viviane will head into the race as one of the form horses. Having won five of her last seven races, she is a regular winner at this level and should give yet another good account. 

Jigsaw is another prolific winner and has been handed the plum inside draw. Having won four of his last eight starts, he should give his backers a decent run for their money.

Lempicka and General Beau are two others who should warrant major consideration.

Race 5: Quayclean Anniversary Vase (1600m)

The competitive action keeps on coming, and the Quayclean Anniversary Vase stands to be one of the best races of the day. 

First Immortal and Nugget will battle it out for favouritism, and of the two, a chance could be taken with Nugget. 

Having raced predominantly in Group 1 company over his last few races, this represents a huge step down in class, and he could take all of the stopping. 

First Immortal has placed in Group 3 races, and if his rival should fail to fire, he could pick up the pieces. 

Race 6: Rightsize 365 Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m)

According to the oddsmakers the sixth race of the day should be a walk in the park for Bold Bastille. 

Having won two of her first three starts, she looks a horse of real quality, and she could take this race at a canter. 

If, for some reason, the favourite fails to deliver, Sky Cap could be the answer. Yet to win, he has hit the crossbar twice, but he could land a blow.

Race 7: Catanach’s 150 Years The Mystic Journey (1200m)

One of the biggest races of the day comes in the seventh race of the day. An open handicap, Peace Treaty has been drawn on the wide outside but looks the one to beat. 

A winner of three of her first four starts, she could have too much class for this field and looks like a Group horse in the making.

At the other end of the field will be My Bella Mae. An experienced runner, she has won five of her sixteen starts but will be looking to win her first race in nine starts.

Race 8: The Sharp EIT All-Star Mile (1600m)

With $2,000,000 on offer for the winner of the Sharp EIT All-Star Mile, it is one of the most lucrative races on the Australian racing calendar.

Mr Brightside will head into the race as one of the bankers of the day. Having won five of his last eight starts, he is a multiple Group 1 winner and, without a doubt, is the classiest horse in the contest. Likely to start at a short price, he looks hard to oppose.

If you are looking to find an alternative, Pride of Jenni is another Group 1 winner and due to Mr Brightside’s presence in the race will jump off at a very backable price. 

Race 9: Xtreme Freight Country Mile Series (1600m)

The penultimate race of the day is a competitive handicap where sixteen horses will line up for a shot at glory. 

Dashing Duchess looks like a talented horse having won three of her five starts. A good winner last time out, she looks destined for greater things, and she is likely to take some serious stopping.

Sir Atlas certainly can’t be discounted and he has racked up four wins in six starts. Handed a great draw in gate 1 he should be well placed to challenge throughout. Jucconi and Actaeon are two others who could play a part.

Race 10: Sportsbet Bel Esprit Stakes (1200m)

The card closes with an interesting sprint contest. Eleven horses will head down to post, but much of the pre-race betting looks set to focus on Rey Magnerio. A prolific winner, he can boast a 60% strike rate and looks ideally placed to land yet another victory.

One of the most fascinating racers of the day looks to be Grand Impact. Having won three of his first four races, he won a trial race a few weeks ago, which was his first run in over a year and a half. 

A former Group 3 winner, if race ready, he has to be one for the shortlist.