It was All Quiet on the Western Front last week with most of my cash Gone with the Wind but I'm hoping The Greatest Show on Earth will win me enough this week to take me From Here to Eternity and Around the World in 80 Days.
As tipsters go I'm clearly not A Man for All Seasons but I'm hoping this weekend I can pull off The Sting and though I'm no Braveheart with my selections hopefully tomorrow I can come up with a Titanic result and put the bookies in The Hurt Locker.
Who's hot?
Blake Shinn has had a remarkable fortnight. He bagged a Sydney metro double two weeks ago before riding a treble at Newcastle on the following Tuesday.
Last Saturday he had just five rides for two wins and seconds aboard Voilier and Pornichet. Not content with that he travelled to Nowra the next day for one ride and one win. Oh yeah... and he rode a double at Warwick Farm two days ago.
He has flown to Melbourne this weekend and has a good book at Caulfield tomorrow.
CAULFIELD
*** At time of publication the track was rated a Soft 6. The forecast is for a cloudy day with a high chance of showers. ***
Memsie Stakes (Group 1, 1400m, w-f-a)
*** Fawkner is an early scratching ***
Boban won the G1 Doomben 10,000 (below) when first-up last campaign so going straight to 1400m fresh holds no fears. He followed that with a strong second to Srikandi in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap when he gave her 5kg and a big start in a moderately run race. He's had two goes at the Caulfield 1400m for a fifth in this race last year and a win two years ago in the G3 Moonga Stakes with 59.5kg. This is clearly his best trip with five wins (three at stakes level) and three seconds from 13 starts.
Volkstok'n'barrel won the G1 Rosehill Guineas (below) and even though that was over 2000m he can still be competitive here. He won his first three starts last prep over distances from 1300m to 1600m and he's unbeaten in two goes at the 1400m. He's actually never missed a place in 10 career starts and he races on speed which looks to be an advantage here in a race seemingly devoid of any real pace. A soft track won't hurt.
Hi World is facing a quantum leap in class here but he has the ability to race on the pace and he's drawn to take advantage of that tactical speed. He's won four from seven and his last three on end but they were at distances of 1600m to 2000m. When produced fresh back in March he was a half length second to Orient Line and that horse races earlier in the day to give us some sort of guide. Unbeaten in three starts on wet tracks.
Entirely Platinum is probably our leader unless Charmed Harmony gets a run. His last three fresh runs have all been at 1400m and he has notched two victories and a second (below) in the G1 Orr Stakes back in February when he split Dissident and Mourinho. His overall record at the trip (7:4-1-0) is great and in his only two other runs here he was a narrow second in the G3 Naturalism Stakes and fourth behind Suavito, Smokin' Joey and Dissident in the G1 Futurity Stakes.
Weary resumed three weeks ago with a flashing second in the G2 Missile Stakes. That was his first run since chasing home Pornichet (below) in the G1 Doomben Cup. Given how well that horse returned last weekend this guy has to be in the mix somewhere. Chris Waller is the premier G1 trainer in this country and he's only brought two horses south for this race. This bloke is one of the few who will handle a wet track.
Stratum Star has firmed in the market ($15 to $10) since the scratching of Fawkner as prior to that he wasn't guaranteed a start. He hasn't won for more than 10 months but his last victory did come here in a 1400m race on Caulfield Cup Day last year. He caught the eye with his closing seventh first-up and he is just so consistent - that was the first time he'd missed a place since March last year.
They are the only ones at $11 or less (like the last 20 winners) but I give place chances to Smokin' Joey because you have to forgive one bad run and his form prior was rock solid. Five wins at 1400m but lack of tempo is a concern. Rising Romance is a class mare having won a G1 Australian Oaks and placed in a G1 Caulfield Cup. She's got bigger fish to fry down the track but she did win first-up over 1500m last campaign and she has 16 top four finishes from 18 career starts. Temple Of Boom always seems to be thereabouts in these G1's but the fact can't be ignored that he's won just one race in his last 31 starts. Happy Trails has contested the last three renewals of this race second-up and seems to do worse every time - a two length second in 2012, a three and a half length seventh in 2013 and a five length eighth last year. Sertorius has been placed in seven of 10 fresh appearances including a good second to Suavito in the G2 Blamey Stakes back in March. He loves Caulfield too with three wins and two seconds from seven starts.
11. Volkstok'n'barrell
3. Boban
8. Weary
10. Entirely Platinum
10. Entirely Platinum
AND THE OSCAR GOES TOO...
Rain Man
Soviet Courage (Rosehill Race 1 No. 1) loves a good downpour. He's won his last three starts and they've all been on a surface rated Heavy 8 or worse and all have been at 2400m or beyond so the journey (gotta fly QANTAS, QANTAS never crashed) won't be a concern. He's had two runs here at Rosehill - both over the 2400m - and has won them both. In the four metro Sydney meetings since the start of the season Chris Waller has trained two doubles and two trebles.
The French Connection
Under The Louvre (Caulfield Race 5 No.4) flies fresh with four starts for two wins and a narrow second (below) in the G1 Oakleigh Plate last campaign at this track and distance. He hasn't been out of the placings since May last year and he hasn't missed a top two finish at this venue in five starts. Look for him storming late when things get serious - he certainly won't be running up the white flag and surrendering.
The Godfather
Madam Gangster (Caulfield Race 7 No. 8) resumes in Melbourne and clearly Blake Shinn has been made "an offer he can't refuse" by his stepfather and stepbrother Lee and Shannon Hope because he travels south to link-up with this mare. He must be "a great disappointment to the family" because he's only ridden for them nine times in the last 12 months but he has managed three wins and three placings. The barrier is a concern but she did win well first-up last time in work.
No Country For Old Men
Inz'n'out (Rosehill Race 8 No.8) is a lightly raced, newly turned four-year-old on the way up in a race full of older horses who, if they were going to get better, would have done it by now quite frankly. Last start he put his rivals to the sword (or should that be bolt pistol?) and prior to that he was second to subsequent winner Fell Swoop, beating home Bold Circle who ran well last weekend and Dupe 'Em (5th) who has since won too.
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