The Naturalism Stakes 2017 takes place at Caulfield Racecourse on Saturday and a field of potential Caulfield Cup horses are set to do battle in the Group 3.
Samovare is one of four Lindsay Park-trained horses in the 2017 Naturalism Stakes field at Caulfield this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Run this year as the Bendigo Bank East Malvern MRC Foundation Cup, the $150,000 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) has drawn a capacity field of 16 starters.
The bulk of the Naturalism Stakes acceptors are also nominated for the Group 1 $3 million BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21 and are chasing the ballot exemption or the mile and half classic on offer to Saturday’s winner.
Of the Naturalism Stakes runners the shortest-priced in futures Caulfield Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at $26 is the Lindsay Park-trained six-year-old import Harlem.
Harlem sits well down the Caulfield Cup order of entry in 62nd spot with just 51kg and needs to win the Naturalism Stakes on the weekend to make the Group 1 field.
The stallion is second-up for the season after a close fifth when only two lengths off the winner Hell Or Highwater in the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) at Caulfield on September 2.
Sixth in the autumn’s Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) the son of Champs Elysees also caught the eye Flemington with a surprise third to Palentino as a $41 roughie in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on debut down under in March.
Tipped to be a spring improver, Harlem drops from 57kg last start to 56.5kg on the weekend and Dwayne Dunn comes on for the ride from barrier one.
The David Hayes-led stable dominate the Naturalism Stakes field numbers wise with Harlem joined by three stablemates.
The other acceptors for Lindsay Park are Boom Time (barrier five), Harlow Gold (barrier 13) and Samovare (barrier seven) who all hold a Caulfield Cup 2017 nomination.
Boom Time is undefeated at Caulfield (2-2-0-0) and is out to improve on a lead-up ninth under a big weight over the Moonee Valley mile on September 9.
Drawn wide on Saturday, Dean Yendall has the mount on 54kg lightweight Harlow Gold.
The four-year-old daughter of Tavistock ran sixth behind Magnapal over 2040m at Moonee Valley last time out and chases her first win since September last year.
She is best known for her gun staying performance in the 2016 Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington when runner-up to all-the-way winner Lasqueti Spirit.
Harlow Gold also held her own against the boys as a three-year-old in the autumn when fourth to Hey Doc in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
Her three-year-old campaign also included a Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) third at Rosehill and distant fourth to Bonneval at Randwick in the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) so she is tipped to improve the further she gets this time in.
Samovare is also in the Naturalism on 54kg, the super-consistent Savabeel mare having finished out of the money just once in her eight career starts to date.
Saturday the four-year-old races at Caulfield for the first time chasing successive wins after a mile victory carrying 58kg at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago.
The equal Naturalism Stakes top weight this year is the Lloyd Williams-raced Sir Isaac Newton (59kg) who also has the outside barrier (16 of 16) to overcome second-up with Damien Oliver booked for the ride.
The 2016 ATC Derby third placed Tally also carries 59kg in the race from barrier two, the Godolphin-raced four-year-old looking for his first win since the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) in late March.
Darren Weir saddles-up two hopefuls with Big Duke and Articus both having run back-to-back fifths leading to their third-up runs on the weekend.
Other standouts in the mix include Michael Kent’s Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes runner-up Abbey Marie and the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained last start Moonee Valley winner Stampede.
Check out the full Naturalism Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights in the table below before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for all the weekend’s best racing odds and offers.
2017 Naturalism Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 7 (3:35pm) – 23/09/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 114407x5x8 | SIR ISAAC NEWTON (GB) | Robert Hickmott | Damien Oliver | 16 | 59kg | 105 |
| 2 | 3x37710x24 | TALLY | James Cummings | Michael Walker | 2 | 59kg | 105 |
| 3 | 1121113×55 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | Darren Weir | John Allen | 10 | 58.5kg | 104 |
| 4 | 5x0x010x55 | ARTICUS (FR) | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 3 | 58kg | 103 |
| 5 | 9x031x270x | GALLANTE (IRE) | Robert Hickmott | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 12 | 58kg | 103 |
| 6 | 1x212411x1 | STAMPEDE | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Beau Mertens (a) | 9 | 58kg | 103 |
| 7 | 1516510×39 | BOOM TIME | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Cory Parish | 5 | 57.5kg | 102 |
| 8 | 2384x386x5 | HARLEM (GB) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 1 | 56.5kg | 100 |
| 9 | 1x4214x839 | AMELIE’S STAR | Darren Weir | Damian Lane | 14 | 56kg | 103 |
| 10 | 11x8400x72 | ABBEY MARIE | Michael Kent | Luke Nolen | 4 | 55.5kg | 102 |
| 11 | x166214x27 | SECOND BULLET | Danny O’Brien | James Winks | 6 | 54kg | 95 |
| 12 | 2x34340x46 | HARLOW GOLD (NZ) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Dean Yendall | 13 | 54kg | 93 |
| 13 | 2482x542x9 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | Michael Moroney | Patrick Moloney | 11 | 54kg | 93 |
| 14 | 05900×3901 | MAGNAPAL | Daniel Bowman | Ms Nikita Beriman | 8 | 54kg | 90 |
| 15 | 41231x2x21 | SAMOVARE | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Noel Callow | 7 | 54kg | 82 |
| 16 | 5336433×70 | SETTLER’S STONE | Troy Blacker | Craig Newitt | 15 | 54kg | 82 |
