A field of 14 three-year-olds has been released for Saturday’s Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2016 in Melbourne including the in-form Kiwi raider Sacred Elixir.
Prelude winner Sacred Elixir is one of the headline 2016 Caulfield Guineas acceptors for Saturday’s Group 1 clash in Melbourne. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Running as one of four elite level features at Caulfield Racecourse on the weekend, this season’s $1 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) attracted a below capacity line-up of young milers when Racing Victoria took final acceptances on Monday morning.
Heading the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas field is the Tony Pike-trained Pour Moi gelding Sacred Elixir coming off a first-up win in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) a fortnight back.
Winner of the winter’s Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm as a two-year-old, the New Zealander now chases the Prelude – Guineas double last achieved by Helmet (2011).
The other best out of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude in Saturday’s Group 1 field over the mile are the Clinton McDonald-trained runner-up Revolving Door who Corey Brown stays on and Stuart Webb’s third placed Wanted colt Wazzenme.
Dual Caulfield Guineas winning jockey Luke Nolen retains the ride on Wazzenme this weekend looking to add a third win in the classic to his record after previous victories aboard Wonderful World (2006) and Anacheeva (2010).
The other headline Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas acceptor coming off a win in Sydney’s Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) is the progressive John O’Shea-trained Lonhro colt Impending.
Third to his stablemate Astern in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) two back, Impeding relished the extra meters in the Stan Fox on September 24 at Rosehill for a narrow but gutsy win.
He now lines-up in Melbourne for the first time and is looking to become the third horse in as many years to win the Stan Fox – Caulfield Guineas double after the success of Shooting To Win (2014) and Press Statement (2015).
In the Sydney lead-up Impending beat home Divine Prophet (2nd) and Good Standing (3rd), and both placegetters are also accepted for the rematch in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2016.
Team Hawkes saddle-up Choisir colt Divine Prophet, winner of the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) and fourth in the Golden Rose in his other two runs this campaign.
He also has his maiden run outside of Sydney this Saturday and will be ridden by Dwayne Dunn who won aboard the stable’s 2012 Caulfield Guineas winner All Too Hard four years ago.
Good Standing represents James Cummings and last year’s winning jockey Hugh Bowman (Press Statement) chases back-to-back Caulfield Guineas victories on the son of Artie Schiller.
The third last start winning three-year-old in the mix is the Tony McEvoy-trained Hey Doc chasing four wins on the trot.
He raced only last Friday night at Moonee Valley to win the Group 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) over the distance by an impressive 1.5 lengths.
The last Caulfield Guineas winner to back directly up off a Stutt Stakes victory was Whobegotyou (2008).
Other notable chances include the other Kiwi in the mix Saracino who won the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) before finishing a length back for fifth in the Prelude, the Mick Price-trained Stutt Stakes runner-up Land Of Plenty and the Ciaron Maher-trained third placed So You Think colt on the same quick back-up Kaching.
See below for the full Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas 2016 final field of acceptances, the barrier draw to take place at 10:45am (AEDT).
Make sure you’re ready for the weekend’s top racing odds and offers by signing up now with Ladbrokes.com.au!
2016 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Final Field
Caulfield Racecourse – 08/10/2016
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Wgt. | Hcp. Ratingm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 216x161x1 | SACRED ELIXIR (NZ) | Tony Pike | Damian Lane | 56.5kg | 99 |
| 2 | 13×331 | IMPENDING | John O’Shea | James McDonald | 56.5kg | 89 |
| 3 | 2x105x953 | GOOD STANDING | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman | 56.5kg | 83 |
| 4 | 5x13x142 | DIVINE PROPHET | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 56.5kg | 86 |
| 5 | 1240×111 | HEY DOC | Tony McEvoy | Luke Currie | 56.5kg | 84 |
| 6 | 253×115 | SARACINO (NZ) | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Damien Oliver | 56.5kg | 95 |
| 7 | 1216×454 | SEABURGE | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Mark Zahra | 56.5kg | 80 |
| 8 | 413×6562 | REVOLVING DOOR | Clinton McDonald | Corey Brown | 56.5kg | 75 |
| 9 | 1225343 | WAZZENME | Stuart Webb | Luke Nolen | 56.5kg | 74 |
| 10 | 1×17 | EVACUATION | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Kerrin McEvoy | 56.5kg | 69 |
| 11 | 5142 | LAND OF PLENTY | Mick Price | Craig Newitt | 56.5kg | 69 |
| 12 | 2133 | KACHING | Ciaron Maher | Nicholas Hall | 56.5kg | 67 |
| 13 | 26×16 | SO SI BON | Robbie Laing | Michael Dee (a) | 56.5kg | 65 |
| 14 | 3×13 | BARBIE’S BOY | Louise Bonella | TBA | 56.5kg | 63 |
