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Horses to note from a Ratings Perspective

Horses to note from a Ratings Perspective

The highest rating effort last Saturday was handed in by the game kiwi Veyron who ran down Streama and Rain Affair to win the G3 Warwick Stakes over 1400m at Warwick Farm posting his sixth career win at the highest level.

While he will continue to be competitive in coming weeks in Sydney there were several “flashing light” efforts behind him, the one we have singled out is Toydini.

Trained by Guy Walter, Toydini resumed from a spell and clearly has the Epsom Handicap in his sights.

Toydini is a three time winner from 1400m to 1600m, including a devastating victory in the G3 Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick over the Epsom distance defeating subsequent Queensland winter star Hawkspur by almost four lengths running his current peak Timeform rating of 121.

Last Saturday Toydini was not suited by the weight for age conditions but impressed with his finishing effort for fifth around two lengths off the winner. He was never far off the speed in a fast run race and stayed on strongly running to a Timeform rating of 115, some six pounds off his master figure, bur clearly with improvement to come. Toydini comes to hand quickly and will improve again next time out.

Down at Moonee Valley all eyes were glued to the smart kiwi three-year-old Cauthen in the Mitchell McKenzie Stakes over 1200m. Considered unlucky when beaten at his Australian debut, Cauthen made amends this time scoring comfortably from Shamus Award in very fast race time.

But it is clear this colt still has much to learn, again running about in the straight and generally lacking in race experience. Despite this Cauthen ran to a new master Timeform rating of 111p an improvement of several pounds on his last start but he does have more to give in coming runs.

While Cauthen looks the leading contender for the Caulfield Guineas, runner up Shamus Award should not be overlooked.

He resumed here and although a maiden has never been far away from the winner’s circle in six starts that included a close second in the VRC Sires Produce Stakes.

Shamus Award ran to 106p on Saturday but is another young galloper with plenty in hand.

Internationally we saw York’s Ebor, Europe’s richest handicap, run and it has produced plenty of Melbourne Cup form in recent years but the 2013 renewal looks set to have little bearing on the spring down under with the winner, Tiger Cliff setting his sights elsewhere.

That’s not to say Saturday’s racing action in the UK provided nothing for Aussie punters to cast their eye over though with the March Stakes at Goodwood seeing Melbourne Cup aspirant Mount Athos return to form with a second placed effort behind the handy Harris Tweed.

Mount Athos won the race at the weights and returned a figure of 124, in line with his best form to this point, putting him firmly on track for another bold showing on the first Tuesday of November.