A host of potential Newmarket Handicap runners at Flemington next month make-up the Rubiton Stakes 2017 field at Caulfield this weekend including five-time Group 1 champion Chautauqua.
2015 winner of the race Chautauqua is the headline horse in Saturday’s 2017 Rubiton Stakes field at Caulfield Racecourse. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Dual champion of Sydney’s TJ Smith Stakes, the Team Hawkes-trained Encosta De Lago gelding is one of only eight final acceptors for Saturday’s $200,000 Group 2 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m).
Due to run as Caulfield Race 6 at 3:25pm (AEDT) on the CF Orr Stakes Day card, the Rubiton Stakes makes a nice lead-up to the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Group 1 sprints.
Held in a month’s time, the $1.25 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the Flemington straight on March 11 is a possible goal for the best out of the Rubiton Stakes.
The latest all-in Newmarket Handicap odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Chautauqua at $10, with the champ far better fancied to make it a historic three TJ Smith Stakes wins at Randwick in April.
Chautauqua is first-up in the Rubiton Stakes this weekend, a race he won two years ago.
His latest victory was his Hong Kong success in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint (1200m) in May last year and he has had two unplaced spring runs at Moonee Valley since.
The last of those saw him beaten two lengths by Rebel Dane in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m), but Chautauqua is a gun galloper first-up (7-5-1-0) and is the class horse in this weekend’s Group 2.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn has the ride on the $6.5 million earner from barrier five, Chautauqua carrying the 59.5kg top kilos under the set weights plus penalties conditions.
At the other end of the weight scale as a three-year-old filly is the also resuming Shane Nichols-trained I Am A Star.
Craig Williams is aboard the gun daughter of Invincible Star who gets the rails run in the Rubiton from barrier one.
She was last seen beating home the older mares at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) and has trialled once since.
From four Caulfield runs I Am A Star boasts one win and a second to Global Glamour in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m).
This is a filly full of class and potential looking ahead to the autumn majors and fresh the short sprint distance of the Rubiton Stakes shouldn’t be an issue as she has won two-from-three over the metres.
Other potential 2017 Newmarket Handicap runners on ‘Super Saturday’ facing off in the Rubiton Stakes are the Darren Weir-trained duo Hellbent and El Divino who pay $17 and $26 respectively in futures betting for the Group 1.
Four-year-old I Am Invincible stallion Hellbent is second-up on the weekend drawn the outside alley in gate eight with Damian Lane to ride.
Hellbent comes off a first-up third when only a half-length off the winner Tivaci at Flemington in late January’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m).
He has an excellent 1100m record of three wins and a second from five runs and should be improved second-up getting back to Caulfield for the first time since his 2.25 length win over subsequent Winterbottom Stakes runner-up Sheidel in September.
El Divino is also second-up out of the Kensington Stakes, the three-year-old Snitzel colt having run second in the lead-up run ahead of his first start at Caulfield.
See below for the full Rubiton Stakes 2017 field, barriers, jockeys and weights then visit Ladbrokes.com.au for the best weekend racing markets and Group 1 odds on races like the Newmarket Handicap.
2017 Rubiton Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
Caulfield Race 6 (3:25pm) – 11/04/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Br. | Wgt. | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2x1311x47x | CHAUTAUQUA | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Dwayne Dunn | 5 | 59.5kg | 116 |
| 2 | 834623036x | FAST ’N’ ROCKING | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Regan Bayliss | 7 | 56kg | 105 |
| 3 | x0x10113x3 | HELLBENT | Darren Weir | Damian Lane | 8 | 56kg | 96 |
| 4 | 126x11352x | WILD RAIN | Mark Kavanagh | Stephen Baster | 6 | 55.5kg | 106 |
| 5 | 1L0x55402x | MISS PROMISCUITY | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Michael Dee | 2 | 54kg | 99 |
| 6 | 31536x143x | SUPER CASH | Andrew Noblet | Ms Katelyn Mallyon | 4 | 54kg | 92 |
| 7 | 11x477x2 | EL DIVINO | Darren Weir | Damien Oliver | 3 | 54kg | 89 |
| 8 | 11x154231x | I AM A STAR (NZ) | Shane Nichols | Craig Williams | 1 | 53.5kg | 105 |
