Sydney sprinter I’m All The Talk is one of the headline final acceptors for Saturday’s Caulfield Sprint 2014 field on Caulfield Cup Day after having also been nominated for a lower key race at Randwick on the weekend.
I’m All The Talk races in Melbourne over Sydney on Saturday with Craig Williams to ride. Photo: Steve Hart.
Originally the Gary Portelli-trained Stratum four-year-old was to run in the Listed Lighting Handicap at home in Sydney, but jockey Craig Williams’ racing manager swayed the in-form galloper’s connections to tackle the $200,000 Group 2 Perri Cutten Caulfield Sprint (1100m) in Melbourne instead.
Race 8 on the Caulfield program for Saturday jumping at 4:55pm (AEDT), this year’s Caulfield Sprint field features 13 hopefuls and is worth double the prize money to that of the Lightning Handicap.
Williams rides I’m All The Talk from barrier nine on 54.5kg after Portelli’s booking of Brenton Avdulla for the Sydney race fell through when the jockey opted to ride rival Deep Field.
“Basically Craig Williams’s manager rang me once the nominations came out and talked me into going to Melbourne,” Portelli told AAP.
“I’ve always thought he might be a chance in the Oakleigh Plate with a light weight so this will give us a chance to get around Caulfield while he is at his peak fitness.”
I’m All The Talk comes off two second place finishes in Sydney, the first behind Terravista in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on September 20 and then most recently in a non black-type carrying a hefty 60kg on October 6 at Kembla Grange behind That’s A Good Idea who backs up in the Lightning Handicap.
Dually accepted for both races meanwhile is the Rodney Northam-trained Big Money, the Choisir five-year-old first-up having last been seen winning the Group 3 WJ Healy Stakes (1200m) in Brisbane and the Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton in the winter.
Big Money is allocated 56.5kg and the outside gate for the $100,000 City Tattersalls Club Lightning (1100m) and 55.5kg in gate six for the Caulfield Sprint which is ‘Plan B’ if Sydney becomes too wet for his liking by race day.
“I wouldn’t want to run him on a real heavy track first-up over 1100 (metres) and bottom him out,” Northam said this week.
Top weight of the Caulfield Sprint this year with 59kg is the Jason Warren-trained Bel Sprinter in gate five with Ben Melham to ride.
The veteran seven-year-old was out of form last season with five unplaced runs for the autumn and hasn’t won a race since his three and a half length effort first-up, when carrying just 53.5kg to victory over Snitzerland in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) in March last year.
Following in the Caulfield Sprint weights are then the Gai Waterhouse-trained Robert Sangster Stakes winner Driefontein (57.5kg) with the outside barrier 13 draw to overcome, William Reid Stakes third placed Unpretentious (56.5kg) drawn better in gate three and Miracles Of Life (56kg).
Now prepared by Peter & Paul Snowden, 2013 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Miracles Of Life was scratched from Sydney’s Lightning Handicap in favour of her first-up run here.
The four-year-old daughter of Not A Single Doubt hasn’t raced since a disappointing 16th to Smokin’ Joey in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 10, before which she won the Group 2 Euclase Stakes (1200m) at the same track.
Other resuming runners include the Jason McLachlan-trained Facile Tigre in barrier two for Glen Boss and stable mate Phelan Ready out wide in 11 who won his first race since the 2009 Golden Slipper last time out at Eagle Farm on August 2.
Coming off good lead-up runs from this season meanwhile are the likes of the Robert Smerdon-trained Shamal Wind third in her two lead-ups including behind Griante in the Group 3 Sprint Series Final last Saturday and last start Adelaide winner Whitlam with the rails run from barrier one.
See below for the full Caulfield Sprint 2014 field, barriers, jockeys and weights.
Then when you’re ready to back your favourties at Caulfield on Saturday head over to Ladbrokes.com.au – the bookie turning your $3 punt into $3 million with the spring MEGAPICK this weekend!
2014 Caulfield Sprint Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 8 (4:55pm) – 18/10/2014
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 668x94800x | BEL SPRINTER | Jason Warren | Ben Melham | 5 | 59kg | 106 |
| 2 | 165110720x | DRIEFONTEIN | Gai Waterhouse | Vlad Duric | 13 | 57.5kg | 107 |
| 3 | 19x5937x75 | UNPRETENTIOUS | Nikki Burke | Damien Oliver | 3 | 56.5kg | 101 |
| 4 | 427x62210x | MIRACLES OF LIFE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Hugh Bowman | 4 | 56kg | 104 |
| 5 | 122x11211x | BIG MONEY | Rodney Northam | – | 6 | 55.5kg | 99 |
| 6 | 286108×905 | PAGO ROCK | David Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Douglas Whyte | 7 | 55.5kg | 99 |
| 7 | 2x1715x433 | SHAMAL WIND | Robert Smerdon | Nicholas Hall | 8 | 55kg | 102 |
| 8 | 410x46x522 | I’M ALL THE TALK | Gary Portelli | Craig Williams | 9 | 54.5kg | 97 |
| 9 | 718526×352 | KARACATIS | Richard Jolly | Damian Lane | 12 | 54.5kg | 97 |
| 10 | 84080x650x | FACILE TIGRE | Jason McLachlan | Glen Boss | 2 | 53.5kg | 95 |
| 11 | 0232x207x1 | WHITLAM | Danielle Wilson | – | 1 | 53kg | 94 |
| 12 | 6020x0941x | PHELAN READY | Jason McLachlan | Craig Newitt | 11 | 53kg | 92 |
| 13 | 13715x378x | THERMAL CURRENT | Peter G Moody | Chad Schofield | 10 | 53kg | 86 |
