Spring is here!
Four Group 1s on the card make Caulfield Guineas day one of the best race meets of the year.
The feature event of the day is the guineas however we will also enjoy the Ladbrokes Stakes, Toorak Handicap, Thousand Guineas, Herbert Power and Schillaci Stakes.
Boy oh boy. There is plenty to get stuck into.
Here are our 2019 Caulfield Guineas Day Tips and Preview.
My tip for the first would be to sit back and watch however if you are looking to kick start the day early, I’m happy to be with the Lindsay Park team and their Fastnet Rock filly Queen Of Rocks.
Waging War has a run in the Toorak Handicap so I’m happy to now be with the favourite Renewal who is racing very consistently. He showed an incredible turn of foot in his first up run and he will only improve on that.
She swooped over her rivals first up at The Valley to score an impressive win and she looks to have returned a better horse than she was a two year old. That is saying something as she was runner up in both the Sires Produce and the Champagne Stakes in the Autumn. She is a filly with plenty of ability and if she puts it together here she will be too good.
Gift Of Power was excellent in her debut run in Australia. She loomed up to them at Morphettville and went bang only to be run over by Soothing late. They had the rest of the field well and truly covered and if she puts in a similar effort here, she will be tough to beat.
Steel Prince strung together five wins in a row during the Autumn and his two runs in this time have been superb over unsuitable distances. He was doing his best work late last time out at this track and he is ready to peak third up.
Haky is a progressive International horse who looks very much over the odds in this contest. He is a horse that will only improve for this run but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes close.
I think the market has overreacted to the awful luck that Flit ran into in the Tranquil Star last time. She is deserved favourite but you can leave me out of the even money.
Both Lyre and Missile Mantra ran the fastest last 200m and 400m of the race. Both looks like the 1600m will suit and both have a huge amount of ability when they put it all together.
Avilius couldn’t have been much more dominant than he was winning the Group 1 George Main Stakes at Randwick. He heads south here in a tune up before he attacks the Cox Plate and I don’t think there is another horse in this field that will beat him. In a Spring that has had plenty of upset results, I think the favourite prevails here.
I’m a big fan of this chestnut colt and I for one wasn’t one of the ones blowing up when they decided to put Hugh Bowman on top instead of Raquel Clark. He has a fair amount of ability this fella but he can do plenty wrong and can get lost. Raquel Clark is a fantastic rider but this guy needs a strong hand. I love the fact that they are going to add blinkers for the first time and although the barrier is a cause for concern, I think he has the class to beat a Guineas field that lacks a fair amount of depth.
This time last year Night’s Watch was being fancied as a Caulfield Cup hope. Whilst he has failed at that top level, I think this is a perfect race for the horse. His two runs in this prep have been terrific including a fast finishing effort in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Princess Jenni could not have been much more impressive than she was at The Valley last start. She is already a Group 1 winner and if she can overcome a tricky gate, she will be right in this late.
I don’t think there is as much between The Bostonian and Trekking as the market is suggesting. Both were doing there best work late in the Moir Stakes and want further however The Bostonian proved his quality when he won back to back Group 1s in the Winter, beating home Trekking in the Kingsford Smith Cup. Trekking may well be fully wound up to try and get a slot on The Everest whereas The Bostonian will take improvement again from this run but at the price I’m happy to be with the kiwi.