The Simon Miller-trained Amelia’s Jewel is firm favourite to secure a second career Group 1 when the classy mare from WA lines-up in the Group 1 $1 million Toorak Handicap (1600m) on Saturday.
Amelia’s Jewel is dominant favourite to win Melbourne’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Toorak is one of three Group 1 events on the Neds Caulfield Guineas Day card and features a smart line-up of potential Cox Plate-bound horses.
Heading the markets at Ladbrokes is Siyouni four-year-old Amelia’s Jewel at $2.25.
Damian Lane partners the bonny mare from gate 12 as she looks to make it three-from-three in Victoria this prep.
Winner of the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) in Perth as a filly, she continues to impress and comes off good wins in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at The Valley.
She is unbeaten at the distance, is all class and lines-up as a hard to beat top fancy for the punters.
It is a near capacity field but only two rivals are also at single-figure Toorak Handicap odds including the $7 second elect Antino for Brisbane horseman Tony Gollan.
The Redwood five-year-old is also two-from-two at a mile ahead of Saturday’s tough assignment where he will need luck from the outside barrier.
Antino has won nine of his 11 starts however so is putting together a nice record, and was strong through the line with 58kg at the start of the month defeating Here To Shock in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).
He drops to 54.5kg this weekend and with the right run from Blake Shinn this horse can step it up now.
There has been an early move for the John Keys-trained Tassie raider The Inevitable meanwhile who has been heavily backed in from $15 to $9.50 to return to winning form.
The Dundeel eight-year-old has form around the country’s premiere miler Mr Brightside when only a length third to him in the $5 million All-Star Mile during the autumn.
He has had two runs since when runner-up to Golden Mile by a narrow margin in Rosehill’s Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and then eighth with only 2.5 lengths off Rediener carrying 55.5kg in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).
The Inevitable stays at a mile now, but carries 56.5kg in Melbourne with likely improvement to come.
Pride Of Jenni ($12) is the other best in Toorak betting with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained mare drawn a treat in gate five for jockey Declan Bates.
It has been a long time between drinks for the now six-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai with her last victory being in September last year.
She has been competitive in plenty since however including her second to one of Saturday’s $20 million The Everest contenders in Sydney – Espiona – in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) back in March.
Pride Of Jenni comes off back-to-back runs behind Amelia’s Jewel with the latest producing a second in the Stocks Stakes when the winner, who she faces again here, set a new track record.
Natural improvement has her fit and ready to fire dropping right back from 57kg to 52kg so she meets her last start conqueror far betting in the weights for a potentially close rematch.
The 2023 Toorak Handicap is set to run as the last at Caulfield on Saturday jumping as Race 10 at 5:50pm (AEDT).
2023 Toorak Handicap Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x6026x647 | MY OBERON (IRE) | Annabel Neasham | Mark Zahra | 15 | 57kg | 109 | ||
| 2 | 1111113×28 | THE INEVITABLE | John Keys | David Pires | 8 | 56.5kg | 108 | ||
| 3 | 1211x12x11 | AMELIA’S JEWEL | Simon A Miller | Damian Lane | 12 | 56kg | 111 | ||
| 4 | x534113x21 | PINSTRIPED | Enver Jusufovic | Ben Allen | 11 | 56kg | 107 | ||
| 5 | 111263×640 | POUNDING | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Billy Egan | 9 | 55kg | 105 | ||
| 6 | 31x1111x41 | ANTINO (NZ) | Tony Gollan | Blake Shinn | 17 | 54.5kg | 104 | ||
| 7 | 3x1152x520 | ATTRITION | Mitchell Freedman | Beau Mertens | 10 | 54kg | 103 | ||
| 8 | x6362598x7 | BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) | Michael Moroney | Patrick Moloney | 16 | 53.5kg | 102 | ||
| 9 | 3x24120x33 | CORNER POCKET | Lindsey Smith | Craig Newitt | 4 | 53.5kg | 102 | ||
| 10 | 37x4298x62 | PRIDE OF JENNI | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Declan Bates | 5 | 52kg | 101 | ||
| 11 | 402369×901 | IRONCLAD (GB) | Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea | Ms Linda Meech | 1 | 52kg | 99 | ||
| 12 | 111432×142 | SAVANNAH CLOUD (NZ) | Phillip Stokes | Daniel Moor | 14 | 52kg | 99 | ||
| 13 | 731x22x124 | SEE YOU IN HEAVEN | Richard & Chantelle Jolly | Michael Dee | 13 | 52kg | 99 | ||
| 14 | x26111x822 | HERE TO SHOCK (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Dean Yendall | 3 | 52kg | 98 | ||
| 15 | 36x254x156 | AMENABLE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Wiremu Pinn (a) | 6 | 52kg | 97 | ||
| 16 | 91316x32x6 | CHARTERHOUSE (GB) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jye McNeil | 2 | 52kg | 97 | ||
| 17 | 3126114×04 | BELTORO | Robert Hickmott | Teo Nugent | 7 | 52kg | 96 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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