The first Group 1 race of the Melbourne Spring Carnival is the highlight, and we are set for an enormous Memsie Stakes Day at Caulfield on Saturday!
A whopping ten races will be contested, with the Neds Heath, Neds Heatherlie and the Cockram Stakes also on the program.
I’ve run the rule over the lot, and you can find all of my thoughts and Memsie Stakes Day tips below.
Persan wasn’t quite able to make it four in a row last start, but I think that he can bouncer back in the Neds Same Race Multi Handicap.
The Pierro entire has always hinted at above-average talented, but he really has gone to another level this time and won three decent staying races before finishing second to High Emocean last time out.
He’s rock-hard fit, will relish a nice 6kg drop in the weights and he can fight out the finish.
Windstorm doesn’t know how to run a bad race and until he gives me a reason not to, I’m going to stick with him.
The talented West Aussie stripped fitter with a fine run for second when resuming at Belmont and has progressed to two wins in Perth and one since arriving in Melbourne.
He gets some relief in the weights with Liam Riordan in the saddle and with even luck, I can’t find a reason why he can’t win again.
This is an outstanding BM90 race and there is a case to be made for a few, but I’ll be happy to have something on Acting.
Acting won a Group 2 race last spring and while she wasn’t able to add the that tally during her autumn prep, she resumed this time for a credible over 1100m here at Caulfield.
She’ll enjoy good improvement for that effort and has a slight fitness edge over several key rivals in this contest, while the step up to 1400m will also suit.
There are some outstanding horses in this race, but several will need the run to tune up and I’m going to take a similar approach in this race to what I did in the third, and back the second-up Yulong January.
Yulong January was a strong and consistent performer last time in and won four in a row before ending his prep second in a Listed race here at Caulfield.
He hit the line well to finish fifth in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star when resuming, and this looks a lovely second point of call for him.
Dabiyr returned a pleasing effort to fill the minors over a mile at HQ in July and I think he’ll be tough to beat in the Neds Price Boost Handicap.
The Redoute’s Choice gelding was an excellent horse in decent staying races last time in, and won the Torney Night Cup at The Valley before finishing second to King Of Leogrance in the Roy Higgins Quality most notably.
The rise in trip suits, the wide barrier isn’t too much of a concern in something like this and he should be right there in the finish.
Just can’t wait for this one!
Some truly excellent horses will step out in the Neds Heath, and I’m going to have a crack at a couple.
Firstly, the resuming West Australian Superstorm.
Superstorm won the Listed Challenge Stakes at Ascot when resuming in February, arriving in Melbourne for second behind the Gator in the Australian Guineas and second behind stable mate Regal Power in the All-Star Mile.
He was the Neds-allocated horse in that race, so we certainly have a soft spot for him.
The other is South Australian Garner, who didn’t run a bad race last time in and won the Redelva Stakes before finishing second in the Group 2 Euclase most notably.
The Neds Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa goes around in Race 7 and I simply cannot wait.
He showed promise from the first moment he stepped out on course, and realised it when he led home a strong field in February’s Group 1 feature.
His trial at Cranbourne last week was simply outstanding, I can’t wait to see what he does as a three-year-old and he is just the best horse in this field for mine.
I’ll be loading up.
Steel Prince hasn’t been seen at the races since last year’s Melbourne Cup, but he is a very talented horse and can win something like the Neds Heatherlie Stakes fresh.
The Nathaniel gelding has four starts last spring, launching in this race and finishing fourth.
He wasn’t far from the winner in any of his three subsequent appearances and was just two lengths behind Vow And Declare in the Cup.
The fact that the Freedmans are having him resume over the 1700m suggests that he is forward, and he has a class edge over plenty of these.
This is an intriguing edition of the Memsie Stakes and a lot of these horses have live claims on winning.
I’m backing a couple, but I have Behemoth on top. CLICK THROUGH TO OUR 2020 MEMSIE STAKES TIPS for a full race preview, and where else I’m looking in the Group 1 feature.
Rubisaki recorded six wins from as many starts last prep and hopefully, she can pick up where she left off and send us home a winner.
The Rubick mare won the Inglis Sprint at Warwick Farm in February and only continued to improve, picking up all of the Kewney Stakes, PJ Bell and JHB Carr in the wake.
If she’s at all near her best form, she’ll be winning.