There may be plenty of wet tracks around for this weekend’s racing, but the 2024 Lamaro’s Hotel Caulfield Race Day in Melbourne on Saturday could escape the muddy carnage!
Caulfield comes to life with a bumper 10-race card, and the track is currently in the Good range making a nice change from the testing conditions in other parts of the country.
We’ve done all the Melbourne race form for May 11th and have our insider Caulfield racing tips and complete Saturday preview for you below.
Stanley Express is favourite in the first with Caulfield racing kicking off with a little short-distance sprint for the two-year-olds, and the top elect looks hard to go past.
He is drawn mid-field for jockey Luke Nolen, and the untapped Starspangledbanner gelding is one of just two non-maidens in the mix.
Only debuted on April 27 here over 1200m and was a half-length winner with 58kg in the VOBIS Showdown for $1 million.
Made an immediate impact there defeating a similar field, up a kilo so needs to be good again, but back in distance there’s no reason he can’t remain unbeaten.
Paperboy shapes up as potential value in a wide-open BenchMark 70 event drawn the rails in a small field with Harry Coffey coming aboard.
Gavin Bedggood’s veteran eight-year-old has his 47th start here and has a pretty solid record at this track and trip (11:2-3-0).
Group 3 performed in the summer in a mile race (TS Carlyon Cup) at the course when far from disgraced at big odds.
Two back he was only 2.4 lengths fifth to Jucconi in a similar event at the same track and distance with 61kg.
Last start Flemington sixth also with plenty of weight on ANZAC Day on Softy going.
Gets a bit of weight relief now, has the inside alley, and ticks a few boxes to post his first win in a year.
Watch for him late.
Tropicconi can surprise in the third with the right credentials to take out this BenchMark 78 for the fillies and mares.
Matt Laurie’s progressive four-year-old daughter of Nicconi has Linda Meech coming aboard in gate eight with 56.5kg.
She is yet to win over the 1400m, but was good up to 1300m at Bendigo last time out when carrying 59.5kg to a half-length win on April 21 off an on-speed run boxing on well.
Based on that, I think she’ll get the distance without a worry and the drop to 56.5kg aids her claims.
Elphinstone is deserving favourite in the fourth with this very nice filly set to claim victory in the mile handicap for the three-year-olds.
A nicely-bred daughter of Street Boss, the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained up-and-comer is one of the best tried in the race having her 10th start on Saturday.
A two-time winner to date, she is proven at the 1600m and won at this course and distance saluting by a length in the $500,000 VOBIS Platinum Guineas a fortnight ago making up ground from midfield.
Showed her ability at Black-Type level when second to War Machine the start prior in the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m).
Confident after her good win last time out, right distance now, barrier one will ensure she has plenty left late – can salute again.
Let’sbefrankbaby is the best of the stayers on show in the fifth with the JRA Handicap taking place over the mile and a half.
Ethan Brown gets options from gate nine on this talented daughter of Frankel who is coming into maturity now showing plenty of promise as a four-year-old.
Winning form up to 2500m plays strongly to her advantage after her Group 3 SA Fillies Classic win at Morphettville in the wet this time last year.
Resumed off a lengthy let-up back in March and has been going well bringing in some strong form lines now fourth-up and fit.
Two back she was third behind Coco Sun over the mile at Bendigo with 63kg where the winner had just 54.5kg.
That form has been firmly franked with Coco Sun going on to beat home the boys in Adelaide’s Group 1 SA Derby (2500m) by a good margin last weekend.
Let’sbefrankbaby meanwhile went on to run third to Berkeley Square in the VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) here on April 27 only 1.31 lengths beaten.
Think getting out over a trip now has her improving on that.
Can win.
Moya Lass could prove a nice Each Way play in the sixth to improve on an unplaced run last time out dropping back to a more manageable weight.
Julius Sandhu’s Caravaggio mare struggled with 58kg here over 1800m a fortnight ago when eight lengths beaten 10th, but can atone and improve.
As a three-year-old last autumn she was a close second to Let’sbefrankbaby in the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) in Adelaide, a race that’s form has held up nicely over the past 12 months.
Recent Sandown Lakeside winner fresh with 59kg over 1400m and is third-up now getting up to a suitable trip.
Has won over the 2000m previously, better weighted here with 55.5kg, and Dean Yendall aboard.
Each Way chance for value.
Miss Aria is a hard to knock favourite in the meeting’s namesake race for the three-year-old fillies.
The Danny O’Brien-trained daughter of Zoustar is nicely-bred and living up to her pedigree now with two wins from nine starts.
Officially hasn’t won over the 1400m from three attempts, but has winning form up to 1347m so don’t think the distance is outside of her reach.
Ms Tatum Bull rides and gets an apprentice claim giving a bit of weight relief to the top elect who is a dual place-getter at Caulfield on the course proper.
Won on the Heath track back in mid-March carrying a big weight.
Two more top three runs have followed, the latest in Black-Type company beaten a nostril flare by Material Dreams in Adelaide’s Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) on April 20.
More weight now, but back in Melbourne she can salute for the punters having fought right to the line in a brave effort last time out.
Shock ‘Em Ova fresh is at a backable price in this BenchMark 100 handicap full of familiar names.
Plenty of Group performers in the mix, but think Alex Rae’s five-year-old son of Shocking can surprise a few first-up at his pet track.
Two-from-two at Caulfield, has a good first-up strike-rate (3:1-1-0), and he was going great last prep.
Back-to-back winner here over 1600m and 2000m respectively with heavy weights in the spring before losing few admirers when only a nose back third to Wild Planet in November’s Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) with 52kg.
First run since and no official trial, but right in it with 53kg over the 1400m with Dean Yendall aboard.
Somewhat forgotten in the markets and the kilos will help him slay the giants here.
Frigid is another favourite I’m finding it hard to go past on a day that could be dominated by the best in betting.
John Leek Jnr’s talented Frosted mare is eye-catching in appearance and form.
The five-year-old grey is building a nice record and has an affinity for the Caulfield course (3:1-1-1).
Form over the distance is solid (5:1-1-1) and she is ultra-consistent.
Third here at the track and trip two back before carrying 56kg to salute at Mornington on April 20 by 1.5 lengths.
Stays at the mile, more weight but Ms Tatum Bull can claim, and is drawn to get the run of the race from gate six.
Expect her to settle mid-field and close hard giving a good show for favourite backers.
Semillion presents nice value in a capacity field of sprinters to close the Caulfield card on Saturday.
The Hawkes Racing-trained Shalaa four-year-old has been showing glimpses of being a good horse over his career especially as a two-year-old when fifth in the 2022 Blue Diamond Stakes behind Daumier.
Won the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes in Sydney after that, but is winless since then putting nearly two lengths between his time in the winners’ stall and now.
More recently caught the eye when a close third here in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m) back in early December.
VOBIS Gold Comet run first-up in mid-March crossing two lengths fifth fresh over the short distance.
Improved at Bendigo second-up on April 13 with a month between runs, and was not far off them when fourth carrying 59.5kg over the 1100m.
Third-up and fit now, can be competitive at the 1200m even from the wide draw with Jordon Childs coming back aboard.
If you can look past the lengthy winning drought, Semillion with his runs spaced makes a nice end-of-card bet.