Co-trainer David Hayes has confirmed plans to head down the 2014 Caulfield Cup path with progressive stayer Stipulate who came back at Caulfield on Memsie Stakes Day with a tidy Slickpix Stakes win.
Stipulate (outside) heads towards a 2014 Caulfield Cup campaign this spring. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
Traditionally known as the Heatherlie Handicap and ed this year as the $120,000 Listed Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock Stakes (1700m), the handicap clash made the ideal kickoff point for Dansili gelding Stipulate ($7.50).
Prepared by Hayes and training partner Tom Dabernig, the British import broke their maiden status down under today with an impressive one and three quarter length victory over the Peter Moody-trained former Queensland Derby winner Brambles ($8).
In third was then the $5 favourite Marksmanship for Ciaron Maher who was a further length away to finish off the trifecta in a race that could produce some nice form going ahead to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival majors.
First Course led the strung out field today with Mr O’Ceirin settling into second while Stipulate, ridden by Dwayne Dunn, was worse than midfield throughout.
On the turn for home Brambles, who had sat on the outside about sixth, started a run as did Marksmanship who was sitting third earlier.
Finishing hard though was Stipulate full of momentum to race away and beat them home in an encouraging run to atone for Hayes’ loss of Jet Away to injury earlier in the week.
The one spring major Hayes is now particularly interested in for the winner is the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) back at the track on October 18.
“We were very frustrated we thought we were really on track with Jet Away,” Hayes said after the victory.
“But he (Stipulate) won like a weight-for-age horse today.
“He was great, the pace was on and he relaxed.
“He really put them away and was terrific.
“He’s in for an exciting spring.”
Sure to feature prominently in the futures Caulfield Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au after today’s result, Stipulate was racing for the first time since a solid third behind Our Voodoo Prince in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at the track back on April 19.
“I’ve actually liked him for a while,” Hayes said.
“Ollie (jockey Damien Oliver) rode him in a trial the other day and only good horses do what he did.
“He’s just been an unlucky horse that I think will keep stepping up.”
His run today was good and now Hayes will play a waiting game to see if the horse is penalised for the win by Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter for the Caulfield Cup.
If a big enough penalty is received then it will be next-up in the $400,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on September 20.
However half the battle with a Caulfield Cup bid now is making the field and so if there is doubt over Stipulate’s position on the order of entry, Hayes will instead run him in the $150,000 Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) on Underwood Stakes Day.
Stay tuned to Races.com.au for all the latest Caulfield Cup news and betting updates, the best odds on all the elite levels found online at the country’s fastest growing bookie Ladbrokes.com.au!
2014 Slickpix Stakes Results & Finishing Order
Caulfield Race 9 – 30/08/2014
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | STIPULATE (GB) | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | – | 4 | 56.5kg | $7.50 |
| 2 | 4 | BRAMBLES (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 1.75L | 5 | 57kg | $8 |
| 3 | 10 | MARKSMANSHIP (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Michelle Payne | 2.75L | 3 | 54kg | $5F |
| 4 | 12 | SINGLE | Craig Carmody | Dean Yendall | 4.5L | 7 | 54kg | $10 |
| 5 | 3 | MR O’CEIRIN (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Mark Zahra | 4.6L | 8 | 58.5kg | $10 |
| 6 | 8 | LET’S MAKE ADEAL | Nigel Blackiston | James Winks | 4.8L | 12 | 54kg | $16 |
| 7 | 7 | ARALDO (GB) | Michael Moroney | Glen Boss | 6.3L | 10 | 56kg | $13 |
| 8 | 1 | IBICENCO (GER) | Peter G Moody | Ben Melham | 6.5L | 14 | 59kg | $20 |
| 9 | 15 | ROAD TRIPPIN’ | Stephen Theodore | Daniel Moor | 6.6L | 11 | 54kg | $16 |
| 10 | 9 | TRADE COMMISSIONER (IRE) | Chris Waller | Craig Newitt | 6.8L | 9 | 54kg | $11 |
| 11 | 14 | CORREGGIO (NZ) | Murray Johnson | Vlad Duric | 7.8L | 15 | 54kg (cd 54.5kg) | $8 |
| 12 | 2 | MASKED MARVEL (GB) | Robert Hickmott | Craig Williams | 9.05L | 13 | 59kg | $19 |
| 13 | 19e | FIRST COURSE | Ken Keys | Stephen Baster | 10.3L | 6 | 54kg | $26 |
| 14 | 5 | KINCAPLE (NZ) | Mark Webb | Brad Rawiller | 13.3L | 2 | 56.5kg | $81 |
| 15 | 18e | GOLDONI (IRE) | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Michael Walker | 13.7L | 1 | 54kg | $81 |
| – | 11 | LORD DURANTE | Simone Ferchie | Steven King | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 17e | BEST CASE (NZ) | Anthony Cummings | Nicholas Hall | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 13 | FULGUR (GB) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 16 | ZEVADA (NZ) | Tony Noonan | Jake Noonan | – | 0 | – | – |
