A full field of three-year-old fillies face off on Caulfield Cup Day this weekend in the 2015 Ethereal Stakes, betting tips for the staying showdown found below.
Flight Stakes runner-up Honesta is the Races.com.au tip to win the 2015 Ethereal Stakes in Melbourne over 2000m this weekend. Photo: Daniel Costello.
First emergency Princess Aria comes into the 16-starter line-up for this year’s $150,000 Group 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m) in place of the scratched Ashlee Marie so the event is still run at capacity.
Due to jump as Caulfield Race 4 at 2:35pm (AEST), the Ethereal Stakes is one of the first five races on the card that Ladbrokes.com.au are offering an Extra 50% on for your very first Fixed Odds winner!
Clear favourite in Ethereal Stakes betting at $2.40 and firming is the John O’Shea-trained Ambience, the Street Cry filly drawn a treat in gate two and coming off a black-type win in Sydney.
Saturday is her maiden Melbourne run, but she’s got good form to bring down south with two wins, a second and a third from her four starts so far including the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m) win over the Randwick mile a fortnight ago.
Also at single figures in the Ethereal Stakes odds are the in-form Flight Stakes runner-up in Group 1 company last start Honesta ($3.40) and Lindsay Park’s last start winner Dawn Of Hope ($6.50) in her black-type debut.
So will the first three in the markets be the first three in the Ethereal Stakes results on Saturday or is there value to be found further down the odds from the likes of Michael Kent’s promising last start Ballarat winner over the mile Alittle Loose ($12) or the Chris Waller-trained Bannatyne ($19) who ran fourth at the track at the start of the month?
1st
#3 Honesta ($3.40)
While the favourite Ambience has the better barrier, gate seven for Honesta is still good and she’s got the Group 1 form last time out to trump. Comes off five top two runs on the trot including a 1600m winning double at Doomben in August. Her Sydney form at her past two starts has been outstanding when a quarter length off Pearls in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and then a nose second to Speak Fondly in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 3. She drops right back in class for her first look at 2000m on the weekend, and if she handles the metres and the Melbourne way of going she’s the one to beat.
2nd
#2 Ambience ($2.40)
Lots to like about the deserving favourite who is drawn to salute for the punters in gate two with James McDonald riding the Godolphin-raced flying who is looking for her third on the trot. Yet to race in Melbourne or over 2000m, but she had two and a half lengths to spare over the boys in the Dulcify last time out and based on that will appreciate the extra metres back against her own kind here where she is only expected to improve.
3rd
#5 Bannatyne ($19)
One of the value chances in the markets is another Sydney raider from the star stables of Waller, Rothesay filly Bannatyne drawn wide for this but coming off a good fourth to Amarela over the Caulfield mile last time out. A dual winner up in distance and class but could surprise with a cross-over run from the gate by jockey Tommy Berry.
Enjoy access to Best Tote or SP + 20% on EVERY Caulfield race this Saturday including the Ethereal Stakes and the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) online only at Ladbrokes.com.au!
