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Saturday's $140,000 Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield looms as a defining race for a host of sprinters heading towards the Group 1 TAB Classic and Group 1 Goodwood in Adelaide next month.
Matt Laurie's Alfa Oro is marked a $4.60 favourite for the feature after chasing home Sword Of Mercy first-up at Caulfield. The five-year-old is marked a $17 Goodwood chance in a market that is headed by star South Australian's Behemoth ($6 favourite) and Gytrash, who sits on the second line of betting at $8.
Phillip Stokes' Ancestry is another who is the Goodwood frame at $17, while a host of mares will press their claims for an Adelaide trip for the TAB Classic (Sangster Stakes).
Patrick Payne's Rubisaki and the Freedman-trained mare Prophet's Thumb are both $26 chances in pre-nomination markets with tab.com.au where Libertini holds favouritism at $6 ahead of Instant Celebrity ($8), who resumes in Saturday's Redelva Stakes at Morphettville.
John McArdle has to decide between Melbourne and Adelaide with Humma Humma (a $15 Sangster chance), while 2019 Magic Millions winner Exhilarates is a second favourite in Saturday's Irwin and looms as a likely TAB Classic runner.