The lead-up to the Melbourne Festival of Racing Group 1s heats up at Caulfield today, Saturday February 1, with MRC Chairman’s Stakes Day 2020 and below are the latest scratchings and track report for the dual Group 3 meeting.

Caulfield Track Report – 01/02/2020

• Rail: Out 10m Entire Circuit
• Weather: Raining
• Track Type: Turf
• Track Rating: Good (4)
• Irrigation: 10mm last 24 hours; 48mm last 7 days
• Rainfall: 1mm last 24 hours and week

It is raining trackside at Caulfield for Chairman’s Stakes Day and the forecast is for heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the afternoon.

The Caulfield course was rated a Good (4) before being downgraded to a Soft (5) at 11:30am on race morning.

Track manager Jason Kerr said they had done everything to prepare for the possibility of up to 30mm of rainfall between 11am and 3pm (AEDT) on race day.

“The track is ready to go as far as preparation goes,” Kerr told AAP on Friday afternoon.

“We watered today and have been watering all week with the warm weather.

“We put on 10ml today and it will be spot-on in the morning and then we’ll just see how the day plays out.

“They’re saying it’s going to be a reasonably stormy day, so I think we’re going to get some rain.

“How much, depending on which forecast you look at, but I think we’re going to get somewhere between 10 and 25 (mm).

“he track’s in fantastic condition. It’s got a really dense cover of grass on it.

“The rail is out at 10 metres so it is clean ground right across.

“Although it’s probably going to get into the soft range if the forecast is right, it’s going to be a soft track but with a good base on it.”

Caulfield racing kicks off at 12:35pm (AEDT) with the nine-race program closing at 5:30pm (AEDT).

The first of the two feature races on the line-up runs as Race 5 at 2:55pm (AEDT) with just eight Blue Diamond Stakes hopefuls left to contest the Group 3 $160,000 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m).

Out of the 2020 Chairman’s Stakes field are Letzbeglam (87), Clean Machine (1) and Drone Strike (11).

Lindsay Park’s Group 3 Melbourne Cup Day winning filly Aryaaf is the $2.80 favourite through Ladbrokes.com.au to return with a win in the Chairman’s ahead of next month’s Group 1 $1.5 million Neds Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).

It is an even smaller field left for the Group 3 $160,000 Neds Manfred Stakes (1200m) two races later with the scratching of Express Pass (2) leaving just six hopefuls.

Despite the diminutive number of three-year-olds in the Australian Guineas lead-up, the Manfred is shaping up as a class affair featuring the return of Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth and the $2.40 favourite through Ladbrokes.com.au Dalasan.

See below for the latest Caulfield race scratchings and jump times before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au for the top Saturday racing odds and offers.

Caulfield Scratchings – 01/02/2020

Race 1 (12:35pm) – $125,000 IVE > Print Handicap (1600m)

• No current scratchings

Race 2 (1:10pm) – $135,000 John Moule Handicap (1600m)

• #4 Iscariot (3)

Race 3 (1:45pm) – $135,000 All Star Mile @ MRC March 14 Hcp (2407m)

• No current scratchings

Race 4 (2:20pm) – $75,000 Robert Hunter Handicap (1100m)

• #8 Milord (6)
• #11 El Magnificence (5)

Race 5 (2:55pm) – $160,000 Lamaro’s Hotel Sth Melbourne Chairman’s Stakes (1000m)

• #8 Letzbeglam (7)
• #9 Clean Machine (1)
• #10 Drone Strike (11)

Race 6 (3:30pm) – $125,000 Mal Seccull Handicap (1800m)

• No current scratchings

Race 7 (4:10pm) – Group 3 $160,000 Neds Manfred Stakes (1200m)

• #7 Express Pass (2)

Race 8 (4:50pm) – Listed $14,000 Neds W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m)

• #13 Sartorial Splendor (14)

Race 9 (5:30pm) – $125,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (1400m)

• #3 Onslaught (10)

*All times quoted are local (AEDT) and subject to change