Anthony Freedman’s dual Kensington Stakes champ First Command has opened favourite to win this Saturday’s WJ Adams Stakes 2013 at Caulfield Racecourse but an up-and-coming mare from South Australia is hot on their heels in the markets.

First Command is the early top fancy to win the WJ Adams Stakes 2013 this weekend

Seven-year-old Commands gelding First Command enjoyed their second consecutive win of the summer when they successfully defended their title in the Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on January 19.

Now they will look to make it three on the trot and keep the good times coming for connections in the $120,000 Listed WJ Adams Stakes (1000m) which is set to run as Caulfield Race 4 at 2:45pm (AEST) on Saturday.

Drawn in gate seven with Glen Boss to ride First Command’s tidy recent record has seen them installed at the top of the WJ Adams Stakes odds at a quote of $2.70 despite having to carry the hefty 60.5kg topweight.

At the opposite end of the weight scale with the 54kg minimum punters will find the WJ Adams Stakes second favourite Avoid Lightning at $3.20.

A Craig Williams’ mount, David Jolly’s four-year-old Blevic mare has won five of her eight starts to date but is yet to taste success outside of Adelaide.

Her most recent win was a 2.5 length effort in the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) in the wet at Morphettville back in July, after which she made her interstate debut at Caulfield finishing a credible fourth in the Group 3 WW Cockram Stakes (1200m) on a Heavy (10) track.

After a four month break she returned at Moonee Valley to run second in a 1000m handicap at Moonee Valley and she will relish the drop back from 58kg there to her 54kg on Saturday, Avoid Lightning looking to earn a run in the $1 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in early March.

Punters are then having a hard time separating the best of the rest in this field with three other horses under $10 in the betting with:

• #5 Eight Bills ($6) – Early market mover from Gary Portelli’s stables this Octagonal seven-year-old won first-up at Mornington breaking a winning drought that went back to December of 2011 before an eye catching third over the 1000m here carrying 59.5kg (drop back to 54kg on Saturday) last weekend – need to handle the seven day back-up but
• #2 Canali ($7) – Nice gate two draw, the 57kg second top-weight from Stephen Brown’s recent Flemington base hasn’t won since December two years ago but they do have good form at this track including a second to Howmuchdoyoulove me in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint in October
• #6 Light Express ($7.50) – Cranbourne galloper ran a close second to First Command first-up in the Kensington Stakes, if they get the right run they can improve on that and meet their last start conqueror even better in the weights here

The David Payne-trained Cardinal Virtue ($31) and Anthony Cummings’ former spruik juvenile Diamond Earth ($41) then round out the Manfred Stakes 2013 field and betting markets.

Get behind your favourites for all the Caulfield races this weekend and beyond online now at bookmaker.com.au and access the country’s best range of Fixed Win markets as well as their exclusive Pick Your Own Odds option on all the metro majors!

2013 WJ Adams Stakes Odds

Caulfield Race 4 – 2:45pm (AEST) – 02/02/2013

*Fixed Win odds provided by bookmaker.com.au and subject to change