P.B. Lawrence Stakes draws capacity field

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Mr Brightside wins 2023 All-Star Mile
Mr Brightside will return in Saturday’s Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)

A capacity field of 15 runners will contest Saturday’s Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield Racecourse.

Mr Brightside will be looking to defend his crown in Saturday’s $300,000 feature, having defeated I Am Superman and Buffalo River last year.

Online bookmakers are taking no risks upon Mr Brightside’s return, with the 2022 All-Star Mile winner opening as a $2 favourite to kick off his spring campaign.

Saturday’s Group 2 will be the first time the Ben, Will & JD Hayes training partnership will have a Group runner, with Will Hayes joining the partnership just days before the commencement of the 2023/24 racing season.

Just one other horse is under a double-figure quote, with 2022 Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) winner Tuvalu holding the second line of betting at $7.50.

The Lawrence Stakes will be the first time the Lindsey Smith-trained runner has been back at the races since finishing ninth in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 4 earlier this year.

With a first-up record of three wins and two minor placings from six starts, punters clearly believe Tuvalu is the biggest danger to Mr Brightside.

New-season four-year-old Attrition has accepted for Saturday’s Group 2 at Caulfield, despite being third emergency in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.

This will be the first time Attrition steps up to weight-for-age class at Group level, having last been seen finishing second in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) when narrowly beaten by Legarto.

Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young duo Uncle Bryn and Forgot You are another pair set to have their first run this campaign and will be looking to hand their trainers a second win in the race, following Siera Sue’s triumph in the race back in 2021.

The Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes is the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race program at Caulfield, with the race set to be run at 4:40pm AEST.

2023 P.B. Lawrence Stakes final field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 Silks
Mr Brightside
Ben, Will & JD Hayes
Craig Williams
10
59kg
2 Silks
Regal Power
John Leek (Jnr)
Beau Mertens
4
59kg
3 Silks
Tuvalu
Lindsey Smith
Blake Shinn
16
59kg
4 Silks
Aegon
Andrew Forsman
Michael Dee
17
59kg
5 Silks
Western Empire
John Leek (Jnr)
Ethan Brown
6
59kg
6 Silks
El Bodegon
Chris Waller
Damian Lane
8
59kg
7 Silks
Francesco Guardi
Chris Waller
Damian Lane
3
59kg
8 Silks
King Magnus
Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock
Jamie Mott
15
59kg
9 Silks
Pounding
Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman
Luke Nolen
9
59kg
10 Silks
Buffalo River
Mike Moroney
Damien Oliver
1
59kg
11 Silks
Pinstriped
Enver Jusufovic
Ben Allen
5
59kg
12 Silks
Uncle Bryn
Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
Mark Zahra
7
59kg
13 Silks
Forgot You
Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young
Daniel Moor
18
59kg
14 Silks
Golden Mile
James Cummings
TBC
14
58.5kg
15 Silks
Attrition
Mitchell Freedman
Ben Melham
12
58.5kg
16 Silks
Chassis (1E)
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
TBC
2
57kg
17 Silks
Deny Knowledge (2E)
Michael Kent
TBC
13
57kg
18 Silks
Edison (3E)
Nick Ryan
Craig Newitt
11
59kg

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