3 minute read
A brief look at some of the races on Caulfield Cup Day.
Gaudray guides River to another Caulfield win
Apprentice Celine Gaudray will head to New Zealand on a hit-and-run mission full of confidence after guiding Buffalo River to victory in the Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m).
It was the second Stakes race win for Gaudray after the Mornington-based apprentice rode Buffalo River to win a Listed race at Caulfield on September 23.
Gaudray has been booked to ride Luberon for Lance Noble in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes at Pukekohe next Saturday, while also taking rides for trans-Tasman trainer Mike Moroney, the trainer of Buffalo River.
It will be Gaudray's first visit to New Zealand on Thursday and she will return on Sunday with the view of securing rides at the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.
Gaudray is yet to have a ride in a Group 2 race.
"It's very exciting to be heading over," Gaudray said.
Doull fights for narrow win
Annabel Neasham and her team had picked out a nice benchmark 78 race in Sydney for Doull as the four-year-old's second start since joining her stable.
A former member of the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable, Doull is now a Group 2 winner of the Caulfield Sprint (1000m) after managing owner Rosemount Stud stepped in and recommended starting the entire on Saturday.
"I have to say full credit to the Rosemont team," Neasham said.
"I had him in a benchmark 78 in Sydney and they said, 'you'd better throw him in this group two'.
"He is just the most beautiful colt. We haven't had him all that long and the Freedmans did a phenomenal job with him.
"He's just so professional and it is great that he got his head in front. Hopefully he can build from here."
Wrote To Arataki and Tristarc prize
Consistent mare Wrote To Arataki found winning form again taking out the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m).
The Matthew Williams-trained mare scored in Stakes company at Sandown during the autumn and was also placed at Flemington in a 'Black Type' race before a spell.
The daughter of Wrote was lining up for the fourth run of her campaign on Saturday that had seen the mare fill two placings, eitherside of a disappointing run behind Amelia's Jewel at Flemington.
Jockey Dean Yendall had Wrote To Arataki quickly out of the barriers and the mare dictated in front.
"Dean was able to rate her perfectly today," Williams said.
"The Caulfield straight is not that long but it seemed a fair way today.
"Through her career she's been very honest, but sometimes she has done a bit too much work early and that has found her out late.
"When you get that early part of the race right, she is very genuine."
Lempicka too slick in Alinghi
The majority of talk before the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) was about the in-form Viviane ($2.15F) who had won her past five but Lempicka ($19) had quietly been racing very well, winning her past two starts and notched up her first black type success.
Under Blaike McDougall, the Ken & Kasey Keys trained five-year-old mare settled in the second half of the small field and ran on strongly to score over Hypothetical ($6) and Viviane.
Co-trainer Ken Keys was thrilled to get the all-important stakes victory with a horse they bred themselves.
"She's a homebred so it is the whole package with the sire and the rest of it," Keys said.
"She's always had massive ability but we've probably got it wrong."
Lempicka was saved up for one last crack in the last on Caulfield Cup day, something McDougall was aware of during the run.
"The key is to ride this mare quiet. Just had to switch her off early and allow her to do her thing and utilise her turn-of-foot and she did it today," McDougall said.
Flemington carnival next for Brave Mead
An inside draw was almost the undoing of Brave Mead in the Lamaro's Hotel Plate (1400m).
Following the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained pair of Kaizad and The Instructor, jockey Mark Zahra had to bide his time to find clear galloping room in the straight.
There were some anxious moments for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, but Brave Mead was able to land the prize, running away at the end to a three-quarter length victory.
"It was a little bit nervous there for a few strides, but the team have done a great job with him, and I thought this was the best he was presented this prep," Maher said.
"He'll probably line up during the Flemington carnival. It'll be interesting to see what Mark (Zahra) thinks whether the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) would be an option.
"He's got exactly that. He does have options."
Quote of the day
"Don't you love it when you've got a live Derby chance" - co-trainer Natalie Young after Sunsets took out the Caulfield Classic.
