Thursday, September 16, 2010

2010 Spring Racing Season - week 8 – Underwood Stakes Day

So You Think
The feature race this coming Saturday is the Group One Underwood Stakes, run at Caulfield over 1800 metres. Once again a top field has accepted and includes potential star of the spring So You Think, Sydney’s star performer Metal Bender as well as Makybe Diva Stakes winner Shocking, and Heart of Dreams who has returned this spring in very good form and was the Underwood winner last year. What a race it will be!

So You Think looks the one to beat, though Metal Bender is sure to be very competitive. His former trainer Jack Denham declared Metal Bender to be as good as Might & Power, so that’s something to consider. Shocking has already been declared by some pundits the 2010 Melbourne Cup winner, so cannot be taken lightly in this race. Flemington is his favourite track, but who knows Caulfield may suit him just as well at the longer distance.

As well as the Underwood, the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is also on the program and has attracted another class field. The super Peter Moody runner Doubtful Jack will most likely start favourite, but he has stiff competition with the likes of Rightfully Yours (full brother to Heart of Dreams). The South Australian Derby winner Kidnapped begins his spring campaign in this race and classy Sydney filly Sister Madly will be having her first run in Melbourne. She has good form against More Joyous who stunned everyone with her win in the Theo Marks last Saturday. The beautifully bred La Rocket beat a handy field of middle distance runners in the autumn, though it is unlikely that he’ll succeed in doing that again here.

The Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Preludes, one for colts and geldings, and one for fillies are of interest as well. Toorak Toff looks the one to beat in the colts’ race, with Anacheeva, Skilled and Kudakulari being the other likely goers. The fillies’ race is a more open affair with smart fillies like Yosei, Willow Creek, Panipique, Ringa Ringa Rosie, Divorces and Pinker Pinker all in with a chance.

I’ve been following a colt called Altius who is running in the first race at Caulfield this Saturday. He’s a half brother to Elvstroem and Haradasun, being out of Circles of Gold by Redoute’s Choice, and has shown he has inherited some of the family ability by winning his first two races on rural race tracks and running second to the smart Hollowlea at his last start at Flemington.

Speaking of famous racehorse families, Sunline’s last foal, a filly by Hussonet called Sunsett, is due to debut on a racetrack shortly, after a promising trial.

Rosehill this weekend features the Tea Rose Stakes a Group Two race for three year old fillies over 1500 metres. It has a super field of Sydney’s top fillies – More Strawberries, Parables, Amber’s Waltz, Gybe to name the prime candidates. Another interesting runner is Fibrillation, a grey filly by Diatribe who, earlier this month, won her debut race in heavy going by 6½ lengths.

Also this weekend at Rosehill, Sydney’s favourite mare Hot Danish makes her first appearance for the spring in the Group Two Premier Stakes. It’s a small field, so she should easily win this one.

So yet another excellent day’s racing to look forward to this weekend. What a super spring racing season it has been so far! It’s nice to know that it will get even better as the big rich races come round and competition gets stiffer.

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