An ideal midfield barrier draw for Scales Of Justice has the Australia Stakes winner on track for another win as the punters’ pick for Saturday’s 2020 CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield.
2020 CF Orr Stakes betting favourite Scales Of Justice is drawn in barrier seven of 12 for Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
A dozen weight-for-age hopefuls make-up the field for this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Neds C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) including the veteran of the race, the Lindsey Smith-trained seven-year-old Scales Of Justice.
Jockey Dean Yendall continues associations with the two-time winning Not A Single Doubt gelding who is likely to settle just off the pace from barrier seven.
Scales Of Justice was impressive fresh at The Valley last start when charging home for a three-quarter length victory over the beaten favourite Hey Doc in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m).
Yendall gave the winner a gun ride that day and a repeat of the Australia Stakes effort should see the Perth expat home again.
Stepping-up to 1400m also suits the CF Orr Stakes favourite with Scales Of Justice winning his second Group 1 race, nearly three years after the 2016 Railway Stakes success, in the Memsie Stakes over the CF track and distance in the spring.
Already firming, Scales Of Justice is also the early CF Orr Stakes market mover backed in from $3.30 to $3.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Occupying the second line of CF Orr Stakes betting at $5.50 is then the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Australia Stakes runner-up Hey Doc out to turn the tables.
The Duporth six-year-old is looking to return to winning form having won WA’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) last November before his Australia Stakes loss.
He has an excellent second-up record (6:3-1-0) however and should also be suited to the 1400m with barrier five to help him break his maiden status at Caulfield (5:0-0-2).
Getting the weight advantage off his older rivals is then the $7.50 third favourite, progressive Redoute’s Choice colt Alabama Express.
Trainer Michael Moroney has opted to throw the three-year-old in the deep end with a C.F. Orr Stakes run following the up-and-comer’s two length win carrying 58.5kg at Flemington over 1100m on January 18.
He faces his acid test here but with the lighter weight and boasting plenty of upside, Alabama Express gets the chance to match it with the big boys on Saturday.
A further two other runners in the CF Orr Stakes field are under $10 to win in the latest markets with Group 1 winners Begood Toya Mother ($8) and Fierce Impact ($9) drawn in barriers six and eight respectively.
The Daniel Bowman-trained Begood Toya Mother is looking to atone for his disappointing seventh when beating home just one other runner in the Australia Stakes first-up.
His run there was hampered by the fall of the ill-fated Manuel however and punters have already disregarded it.
He will be fitter for the run and will relish the return to his pet Caulfield track where he boasts three wins from four starts.
The five-year-old carried a lightweight to victory here in September’s Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on the back of a sixth to Scales Of Justice in the Memsie Stakes and is a genuine place chance.
Fierce Impact meanwhile returns to racing following a Group 1 winning double to see out his spring campaign in Melbourne.
The well-bred Deep Impact stallion was nearly two lengths clear of his closest rival in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield from barrier 15 of 18 before franking that form with his Group 1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) victory at Flemington over the Cup Carnival.
Fierce Impact was also drawn wide last time out (14 of 16) and so barrier eight this weekend with Craig Williams in the saddle looks ideal, although the horse could be needing the run before presenting his best.
Click here for the latest 2020 CF Orr Stakes odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2020 CF Orr Stakes Field & Barriers
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 511x42147x | AVILIUS (GB) | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 3 | 59kg | 116 |
| 2 | 1x7x58x312 | HEY DOC | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Currie | 5 | 59kg | 113 |
| 3 | x53x1215x1 | SCALES OF JUSTICE | Lindsey Smith | Dean Yendall | 7 | 59kg | 114 |
| 4 | x6720x211x | FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) | Matthew Smith | Craig Williams | 8 | 59kg | 112 |
| 5 | 36Px58166x | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | Chris Waller | Mark Zahra | 2 | 59kg | 110 |
| 6 | 0x6768256x | FIFTY STARS (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Jye McNeil | 4 | 59kg | 107 |
| 7 | 50x125040x | SO SI BON | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Luke Nolen | 12 | 59kg | 104 |
| 8 | 0x1322x30x | MIRAGE DANCER (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Ben Melham | 9 | 59kg | 110 |
| 9 | 000x59260x | NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damien Oliver | 11 | 59kg | 105 |
| 10 | 1111x161x7 | BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER | Daniel Bowman | Declan Bates | 6 | 59kg | 107 |
| 11 | 047100x6x4 | RINGERDINGDING | Anthony Freedman | John Allen | 1 | 59kg | 98 |
| 12 | 1x2517x1 | ALABAMA EXPRESS | Michael Moroney | Michael Dee | 10 | 55.5kg | 81 |
