A quality field of 14 will contest Saturday’s $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, with Alligator Blood and Western Empire sharing favouritism in early markets.
In its nine editions since holding Group 1 status, just one mare has won the race, while only one four-year-old has reigned supreme, with the other seven winners all being older geldings.
The weight-for-age event has attracted eight individual Group 1 winners this year, while boom four-year-old Illation has also secured a start in his maiden Group 1 challenge.
The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained gelding is unbeaten from three starts, and while those wins were at Listed level in South Australia, there has been plenty of early market support, even with the wide barrier (13).
Illation’s stablemate I’m Thunderstruck will also have to overcome a wide alley, with the 113 rater coming from barrier nine.
The current favourites have drawn opposite gates, with Alligator Blood set to jump from the inside alley, while Western Empire will exit from barrier 12.
READ: Alligator Blood cleared to run in Memsie Stakes
After finishing fourth in 2020, James Cummings’ eight-year-old gelding Cascadian will be out for redemption.
Blake Shinn is booked to ride the flashy chestnut, with the Memsie Stakes set to be the jockey’s first Group 1 ride in Australia for a number of years.
Cascadian is a $9 chance and he’s set to come from barrier seven, alongside Melbourne Cup hopefuls Zeyrek (8) and Duais (10).
Duais is one of three mares in the race, with both Tofane (3) and Snapdancer (5) looking to add to their Group 1 tallies.
Tofane finished third in last year’s Memsie Stakes upon resuming, and she will be out to give Michael Moroney his first win in this race, while Snapdancer will be trying to do the same for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.
READ: Grahame Begg assesses Nonconformist’s Memsie Stakes chances
Lightsaber (6) was successful at this course and distance 12 months ago, winning the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, so he will be out to add to his record at the track.
Should Lightsaber win on Saturday, he would become the second four-year-old to win the race since it became a Group 1 in 2013, with the only other horse to do so being Dissident, who Peter Moody also trained.
One horse who also has a terrific record at Caulfield is Nonconformist (4), who has missed out on the minor money just three times from 12 starts at the track.
The six-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing second in last year’s Caulfield Cup (2400m), but a recent barrier trial suggests he will be forward enough to be competitive first-up.
Elephant (11), Callsign Mav (14) and Dragon Leap (2) will all be out to represent New Zealand, with both Elephant and Callsign Mav expected to inject the pace into the race – the same way their compatriot Sunline did in 2000 and 2001 when winning back-to-back editions of the Memsie Stakes.
More horse racing news