The Melbourne Autumn Carnival includes three top level feature races at Caulfield on Saturday and the reappearance of Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.
The Peter Young Stakes sees the return of last season’s Flemington hero as he makes his first start for Kris Lees. He stormed to a four-length success in November under Ryan Moore when trained in Germany by Andreas Wohler and this race is well short of his best trip.
Fiorente managed to win this race before going on to take the Group 1 Australian Cup and that is the route sketched out for Protectionist. Lees has also drawn up a Plan B if the five-year-old proves ineffective at middle-distances with the $1millon Sydney Cup in April as an alternative target. The horse most likely to beat him for speed on Saturday is Paul Beshara’s Happy Trails, three times a Group 1 winner at or around Saturday’s distance.
He won the Mackinnon Stakes and will be sharper for his run earlier this month when staying on into sixth in the CF Orr Stakes. He has reportedly been working brilliantly since and carries maximum stable confidence this weekend.
Atmospherical could provide Craig Williams with a victory in the Oakleigh Plate after being drawn in barrier 4. The well-fancied Vain Queen and Earthquake are feared most and should be competitive from barriers ten and eleven respectively. Earthquake is unbeaten in three starts at Caulfield and usually runs well fresh.
Atmospherical is a daughter of Northern Meteor and was last seen finishing third to Chautauqua in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes. That was her first at this distance in five starts and she can reverse the form with runner-up Flamerge who has a nightmare draw in barrier 17.
Fontiton is all the rage for the $1million Blue Diamond Stakes after being drawn in barrier one. Robert Smerdon’s filly will be trying to become the fourth consecutive filly to win this race on Saturday and will be difficult to peg back.
The one that could give her a run for her money is Pride Of Dubai, supplemented at the cost of $55,000 after finishing second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude. He was beaten by Of The Brave (drawn 9) with Sampeah in behind in third place. The son of Street Cry looks to have every chance from barrier five.
Caulfield Saturday
Happy Trails (race 6) @6.0 Bet365
Atmospherical (race 7) @10.0 Bet365*
Pride Of Dubai (race 8) @5.50 Sportsbet
*Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4
