Fields for the nine Caulfield races in Melbourne this weekend are now out including that for the Underwood Stakes 2014 which is missing the Peter Moody-trained Dissident.
Flying four-year-old Dissident will miss Saturday's Underwood Stakes 2014 and be saved for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
The triple Group 1 winning four-year-old was a chance of backing-up on the seven day turnaround in Saturday’s $400,000 Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) after making it two elite levels on the trot last weekend in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Moody however has opted not to run Dissident again in the Underwood and will instead save the 2014 Cox Plate hopeful for a run in the $400,000 Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) back at the track on September 28.
It is still shaping up as a cracker edition of the Underwood Stakes however with 10 gallopers making up the final field, which punters at Ladbrokes.com.au can back at Best Tote + 20%, including Roger James’s star Kiwi mare Silent Achiever.
Drawn nicely in barrier three with Damien Oliver booked for the ride the O’Reilly six-year-old is the shortest priced of the Underwood Stakes field in the futures markets at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) on October 25.
She pays $13 to win the weight-for-age classic and will be among the top fancies in Underwood Stakes betting too after an eye-catching first-up fourth to Dissident in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at the track on August 30.
A four-time Group 1 winner, including two down under during the autumn at Rosehill, Silent Achiever also boasts a good second-up record with three wins from five starts but is yet to win at Randwick from four starts at the track.
With Chris Waller opting to run the bulk of his Underwood Stakes nominees in Sydney’s Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) instead this weekend he will be represented by just one runner in Melbourne’s feature with Foreteller in barrier two.
Glen Boss retains the ride on the Dansili eight-year-old whose two runs this time in have been promising including a close third when beaten just over a length by The Cleaner in the Group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago.
A 44-start veteran Forteller has won over $1.6 million in prize money but hasn’t won a race since the Makybe Diva Stakes last September.
He enjoyed a good spring last season including a fourth to Shamus Award in the Cox Plate and pays $34 to improve on that and take out the race this year.
Also a $34 chance in futures Cox Plate betting at Ladbrokes and first four in the classic last year is then fellow Underwood Stakes hope Happy Trails.
Paul Beshara’s Good Journey gelding won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m0 last year on the back of a fourth to It’s A Dundeel in the Underwood and then crossed just a nose away second in the Cox Plate.
This season his form has been nearly exactly the same as last spring with a Spring Stakes fifth first-up in Adelaide followed by an eighth, one further back than last year, in the Memsie.
There is just one last start winner in this year’s Underwood Stakes field meanwhile with the David Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained Stipulate jumping from the outside gate with Dwayne Dunn in the saddle.
The imported galloper won the Group 3 Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) at the track on August 30 and is looking to make it two on the trot with an upset here.
Also of note is the Gai Waterhouse-trained The Offer, $13 favourite to take out the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November and hand Waterhouse with back-to-back wins in the ‘race that stops a nation’ following Fiorente’s victory last year.
Montjeu gelding The Offer won the Sydney Cup last season by an easy four lengths and put in a solid effort first-up in the Dato when fifth in a run he’ll be fitter for here getting out over more distance.
See below for the full Underwood Stakes 2014 field, barriers and jockeys.
Then to back your favourites and get paid Best Tote + 20% if successful visit the spring’s leading bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au!
2014 Underwood Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 7 (4:00pm) – 20/09/2014
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3x57412x58 | HAPPY TRAILS | Paul Beshara | Michael Rodd | 6 | 59kg | 113 |
| 2 | 0x45389x43 | FORETELLER (GB) | Chris Waller | Glen Boss | 2 | 59kg | 112 |
| 3 | x349359x08 | SUPER COOL | Mark Kavanagh | Craig Newitt | 7 | 59kg | 108 |
| 4 | 21x63111x5 | THE OFFER (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse | Tommy Berry | 8 | 59kg | 110 |
| 5 | x1x1155x08 | CRACKERJACK KING (IRE) | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Michael Walker | 5 | 59kg | 101 |
| 6 | 13x7190x54 | LIDARI (FR) | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 1 | 59kg | 103 |
| 7 | 15x5239x16 | STAR ROLLING | Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison | Stephen Baster | 4 | 59kg | 105 |
| 8 | 143x16x09x | THOUGHT WORTHY (USA) | Robert Hickmott | Chad Schofield | 9 | 59kg | 98 |
| 9 | x2x0x623x1 | STIPULATE (GB) | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn | 10 | 59kg | 104 |
| 10 | 68x11114x4 | SILENT ACHIEVER (NZ) | Roger James | Damien Oliver | 3 | 57kg | 116 |
