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Butter Chicken on the menu at Caulfield; Kiwi crowned Australian Horse of the Year; Crowds set to return to the Cup; Thompson tipped for Hiflyer;

Butter Chicken on the menu at Caulfield

Group Two performer Butter Chicken  will be out for a serving of stakes success when she lines-up at Caulfield on Wednesday.

The daughter of Savabeel will contest the Gr.3 Ladies Day Vase (1600m) at just her sixth start, having already finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at the Melbourne track in February.

Trainer Grahame Begg was pleased with the four-year-old's first-up eighth placing in the Gr.2 Let's Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last month before she found the track a bit too firm when ninth in the Gr.2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

She pulled-up lame after the race but Begg said she has fully recovered and is spot-on ahead of her Wednesday test where he hopes she will meet more forgiving ground.

"I want to make sure the ground is right for her," Begg said. "It was pretty firm on Saturday, and I know there is rain forecast.

"She didn't get around The Valley and the track was so firm, and she pulled up only fair after that run.

"We think she's going well, and her runs have been better than they look on paper, but she just needs a bit of juice in the ground."

Butter Chicken was purchased by bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne out of Pencarrow Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $800,000.

Kiwi crowned Australian Horse of the Year

Australia's darling of the turf, Verry Elleegant, was crowned the country's Racehorse of the Year following her outstanding season, which included five elite-level victories.

Edging towards A$10 million in lifetime earnings, the New Zealand-bred mare's season was highlighted by her wins in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m), Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m), Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), and Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m).

As well as her Horse of the Year title, the daughter of Zed was also bestowed the accolades of Champion Middle Distance hose and Champion Stayer.

Verry Elleegant was initially trained in New Zealand by part-owner Nicholas Bishara for whom she won two of her three starts, and placed in the other.

Crowds set to return to the Cup

The Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) is once again set to take place in front of spectactors next month with the Victorian State Government giving the green light for a crowd of up to 10,000 people to be on course at Flemington.

The same number of spectators will also be allowed for the Oaks meeting on November 4 as well as Mackinnon Stakes Day on November 6.

While it is a tenth of the usual number of participants Victoria Racing Club chairman Neil Wilson is delighted to have the time-honoured race become one of the marquee events included in the reopening of events in the state.

"The VRC sincerely thanks the Victorian Government, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula, Racing Victoria and the broader industry for their support of our event plan and their endorsement of the Melbourne Cup Carnival as a major event for Victoria and Australia," Wilson said. 

VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said the Club was ready to host a COVID-safe event across the three days which will utilise the Club's numerous hospitality venues and expansive grounds. 

"We will now work with the Victorian Government to fully understand the event requirements for the VRC and attendees, and we will execute our plans accordingly," Rosich said. 

"We will share further information with our members, partners, owners and the public as soon as possible and by October 15 at the latest."

Thompson tipped for Hiflyer

Te Aroha trainer Peter Lock has resisted the urge to send his topflight galloper Hiflyer to Hastings this weekend in favour of a Trentham test later this month.

The Gr.3 Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) was an enticing prospect, but the race had attracted a strong set of nominations and Lock has elected to head to the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) with his pride and joy instead, a race the nine-year-old gelding won in 2017.

"I was going to look at running him on Saturday in the Group Three 1400m at Hastings but I am just a little bit worried that we will get a little bit of a classier field and they might go a bit too quick for him over 1400m," Lock said.

"The only other real option for us is the Thompson in three weeks time. He likes Wellington and he has won the Thompson before. I think he is going to be hard to beat in a mile next start."

The son of Tavistock made his raceday return in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa last month after more than two years on the sidelines as a result of a tendon injury.

He failed to beat a runner home in the classy line-up but showed signs of his past brilliance when running second over 1400m earlier this month at Te Aroha with a 59kg impost.

"He went absolutely super with a big weight on his back, there was a five-kilogram weight difference (with the rest of the field) and it was a huge effort for him to do what he did to race wide and he hit the line well," Lock said.

"We have had him scanned and everything has come back clear. We are over the moon with him.

"He has pulled up 100 percent sound and we are really happy with him. He has improved out of sight."

While Hiflyer's return has been a boost for Lock, it has also been a tonic for co-breeder and part-owner Sir Patrick Hogan as well as Lock's local town of Te Aroha.

"Everybody in Te Aroha puts $1 each way on him. They all follow him and it is great for the town," Lock said.

"It's great for Patrick too, he was over the moon after the race. He watched him in the birdcage and thought he looked outstanding, so it's pleasing all around."

Prior to his two-year hiatus, Hiflyer had won nine of his 29 starts, including the Thompson Handicap, Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m), and placed in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Gr.2 Easter Stakes (1600m).