| What | Caulfield Races |
| Where | Caulfield Racecourse – Gate 22, Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 |
| When | Friday, January 26, 2024 |
| First Race | 1:20pm AEDT |
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Visit Dabble |
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A bumper day of feature racing awaits punters at Caulfield on Friday afternoon, with the Group 3 Manfred Stakes headlining a stacked eight-race card. The Blue Diamond Preview’s, WJ Adams Stakes and John Dillon Stakes look to be cracking support races for the Australia Day meeting, set to be run on a Good 4. The rail will stick in the true position, with public holiday racing set to get underway at 1:20pm AEDT.
Keep reading for our free race-by-race preview and quaddie selections for Caulfield
Race 1: BM64 Handicap (2400m)
We have been with Speranzoso at his last two starts, and despite being overhauled late at Geelong, we’re confident the Clayton Douglas-trained stayer can return to the winners stall. A repeat of his win two back in BM64 grade at Cranbourne, the Siyouni progeny would put a decent gap on his rivals in this. Damian Lane will have no issue in find the front, having drawn out wide in barrier 12, and with little to no early speed drawn underneath them, the pair can dictate terms at their own leisure. Caulfield should suit Speranzoso perfecly, and we expect he will prove too hard to run down in the opener.
2
SPERANZOSO
1
PITTSBURGH PIRATE
5
NORTHERN BARRAGE
9
KENTUCKY NICK
Next Best
Race 1 – #2 Speranzoso (12)
5yo Gelding | T: Clayton Douglas | J: Damian Lane (61kg)
+380 with Playup
Race 2: BM70 Handicap (1400m)
Stepping back from Listed grade, the Mick Kent-trained Eternal Flame looks to have found the perfect race to win second-up from a spell. The four-year-old mare was hitting the line nicely behind Va Via at Geelong and a repeat of that performance should be good enough to salute here. Barrier six looks ideal for the Sacred Falls mare and if Damian Lane can have her in clear air when the whips are cracking, we expect Eternal Flame to thunder home and blouse her rivals. The $2.50 on offer with top horse racing bookmakers looks an absolute steal.
3
ETERNAL FLAME
1
FRENCHMANS BAY
8
SHE’S NOTORIOUS
6
VERSILIA
Best Bet
Race 2 – #3 Eternal Flame (6)
4yo Mare | T: Michael Kent | J: Damian Lane (59.5kg)
+150 with Picklebet
Race 3: Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (F) (1000m)
The Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) and considering race experience is massive in early juvenile races, we’re siding with Hayasugi. The two-year-old filly is first-up from a spell, and considering she chased home the likes of Bold Bastile, Eneeza and Arabian Summer during her initial campaign, and based on her recent Cranbourne jumpout success, she looks primed for this. We expect Jamie Kah will have her outside lead throughout the 1000m scamper, and when asked for the ultimate effort, prove too hard to run down.
1
HAYASUGI
5
MATISSE
2
BELLA CORAZON
6
MIND SHIFT
Blue Diamond Preview (F)
Race 3 – #1 Hayasugi (8)
2yo Filly | T: Clinton McDonald | J: Jamie Kah (56kg)
+250 with Neds
Race 4: Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (1000m)
Much like with the Blue Diamond Preview for the girls, we’re siding with the raceday experience of Blue Stratum in the boys’ race. He threw away a win in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) on debut when going down to Dublin Down after taking his mind off the job when it mattered most. The two-year-old Blue Point colt was an impressive jumpout winner over 800m at Caulfield on January 16, and from barrier nine, if he can find the rail, the race may be over within the first two furlongs. As long as he does not get caught wide, we’re confident Blue Stratum can run his rivals ragged.
1
BLUE STRATUM
4
HIGH OCTANE
8
LIMAHULI
6
INNERVISIONS
Blue Diamond Preview (C&G)
Race 4 – #1 Blue Stratum (9)
2yo Colt | T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | J: Harry Coffey (56kg)
+320 with Bet365
Race 5: Listed WJ Adams Stakes (1000m)
Katsu could not have been anymore impressive when winning in Listed company at Flemington on December 20 and on his return to the Sandown 1000m, he looks hard to go past. He has two wins second-up from a campaign in as many attempts and from barrier one under Jordan Childs will be given every opportunity to keep that record intact. Najem Suhail will be the perfect ‘bunny’ for Katsu to get into the race. Despite rising 3.5kg in the weights, Katsu clearly has the most upside in the field that lines up in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes, and a repeat effort of his Flemington, should be more than good enough for Katsu to get the better of race favourite Va Via and other rivals.
2
KATSU
- 6
VA VIA
1
NAJEM SUHAIL
7
FOXICON
WJ Adams Stakes
Race 5 – #2 Katsu (1)
4yo Gelding | T: Grahame Begg | J: Jordan Childs (58.5kg)
+320 with Dabble
Race 6: Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m)
The 2024 edition of the Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) is one of the best editions of the race we have seen in some time. With a majority of these looking to claim Group 1 glory over a touch further, we’re hoping Scentify can cause a bit of an upset at a nice price. He found the 1600m a touch too much for him in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at the end of last prep, but with two wins and a runner-up finish to his name at the 1200m, he looks a great each-way play in Friday’s feature. Barrier one is a touch concerning considering he will be settled towards the rear of the field. However, if the Justify colt can get a genuinely run affair, Scentify has a strong turn of foot and can prove to be the superior three-year-old in the Manfred.
5
SCENTIFY
2
STEPARTY
- 4
CARBONADOS
1
KING COLORADO
Best Value
Race 6 – #5 Scentify (1)
3yo Colt | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Ben Allen (57kg)
+1100 with Betfair
Race 7: Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m)
Buffalo River strung together a couple of nice Stakes wins at the Caulfield 1400m during the spring, and on his return from a brief spell, the evergreen eight-year-old gelding can return a winner. Having won twice, and finished second on four occasions when fresh into a campaign, we know the occasion will not be a daunting one for the son of Noble Mission. Celine Gaudray sticks on board and from barrier two, the pair draw to do no work in an attempt to find the front. With no other speed influences in the event, Buffalo River will get it as he pleases out in front, and he looks to hard to run down in the Listed John Dillon Stakes.
2
BUFFALO RIVER
6
YONCE
- 5
UNUSUAL CULTURE
1
AYRTON
John Dillon Stakes
Race 7 – #2 Buffalo River (2)
8yo Gelding | T: Mike Moroney | J: Celine Gaudray (57kg)
+450 with Unibet
Race 8: BM78 Handicap (1400m)
Races do not get any harder then the BM78 that ends the Australia Day program. We’ve taken the field in the quaddie, considering it is $7 the field. It’s a genuine dartboard job, we have sided with Fortunate Kiss but with zero confidence. If you are alive heading into the quaddie finale, sit back and relax. Too tough.
7
FORTUNATE KISS
11
JENNY JEROME
14
MARBLE ARCH
15
TASMAN PARK
Caulfield quaddie tips – Australia Day 2024
Caulfield quadrella selections
Friday, January 26, 2024
- 2-6
- 2-3-4-5
- 1-2-5-6
- Field
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