3 minute read
A look at some of the stories from the undercard on Caulfield Cup Day.
ANDREW TO THE FORE…AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
Andrew Forsman was he lesser-known member of the training team when he was in partnership with Murray Baker, which stands to reason given Baker is the most successful Kiwi trainer in Australian Group 1 history, but Forsman has used this spring to announce himself in his own right.
A Caulfield Cup Day treble continued a brilliant spring with the small team the Cambridge trainer has brought to Victoria.
Aegon made it three wins from as many runners for the day when he won the $200,000 Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at his first start in Australia for the campaign.
He became Forsman's seventh winner from 13 starters in Victoria this season, following wins earlier in the day by stablemates Mr Maestro (Caulfield Classic) and St Bathans (Grand Handicap).
Mr Maestro was the first horse Forsman campaigned in Victoria since Baker retired in May.
He finished fifth at Sandown and fourth a Moonee Valley in August before winning the Victoria Derby Trial and Super Impose Stakes ahead of the $200,000 Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m).
St Bathans had also won in Melbourne before his win in Saturday's $150,000 Lamaro's Hotel Grand Handicap (1700m), winning at Sandown on August 24, before an eighth placing at Sandown and fourth placing in the Listed Seymour Cup at Bendigo.
She's Licketysplit has been Forsman's other winner, taking out the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes in between third placings in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude and last Wednesday's Group 1 Thousand Guineas.
"I didn't really think it would work out like that, it's not easy at this level, but just great to be involved and even better they are winning."
Mr Maestro and She's Licketysplit are now heading to day one of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, for the Victoria Derby and Empire Rose Stakes respectively, while Forsman will add to his team next week with White Noise to tackle the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup next Sunday.
SANDPAPER SETS UP CARBINE CLUB START
Sheikh Mohammed is no stranger to success in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and James Cummings might have unveiled his leading contender for this year's edition in the Gothic Stakes.
Sandpaper put up his hand for a shot at the race with victory in the 1400-metre Group 3 at Caulfield.
It atoned for a luckless performance at The Valley the start prior and was all Cummings needed to see from the son of Snitzel back out to 1400m on a Soft 7 track.
"He looked good before the race like he was about to walk out onto a soft track and be able to deliver with the right setup and getting up in trip," Cummings said.
"He's potentially a Carbine Club (Stakes) horse."
Sheikh Mohammed won his first Carbine Club Stakes with Kidnapped in 2009, followed up two years later with Galah, scored again with Paximadia in 2013 and last tasted success with Ranier in 2018.
FIRST STAKES SUCCESS A VERY FINE RESULT
Josh Parr didn't leave Caulfield with the trophy he was after, but the ever-smiling Sydney jockey claimed the day's riding honours with a winning double.
After seeing the Bjorn Baker-trained Renaissance Woman stamp herself a leading contender for the VRC Oaks with victory in the $200,000 Listed Ethereal Stakes (2000m), Parr partnered A Very Fine Red to a valuable win in the $175,000 Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m)
The Mark Newnham-trained mare outbobbed Shalstar in the 1100-metre event that was her first Black Type success after three Stakes placings.
"She's been unlucky twice at Black Type level so it was very important for her today to win at this level. I'm thrilled to get the job done," Parr said.
It was the third win from 12 starts for the four-year-old daughter of Deep Field, who has now won $318,000 in prizemoney.
Parr was forced to settle for eighth placing aboard Duais in the Caulfield Cup, but the jockey said it was a fine trial for the race that has been her goal all along, the Melbourne Cup.
"She's screaming out for the 3200 (metres)," he said.
LIGHTNING PUTS ANOTHER WIN IN THE CHAIN
Chain Of Lightning got her campaign back on track, and earned a shot at a career-defining win in a fortnight's time, when she returned to the winner's list in Saturday's $300,000 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield.
The Peter Moody-trained four-year-old suffered the first defeat of her career four weeks earlier in the Group 3 How Now Stakes but returned to the form that saw her win her previous five starts with a brilliant 1-3/4-length win over Queensland visitor Palaisipan in the 1400-metre Group 2.
She most likely booked a place in either the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill or $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) a Flemington, which are both run on October 29.
"She's just a remarkable horse to still front up and be willing to do the job, so she could possibly go to the (Golden) Eagle or the Empire Rose," Moody's assistant trainer Katherine Coleman said.
After winning the Tristarc, Chain Of Lightning became eligible for a $1 million bonus if she were able to win the Empire Rose Stakes.
CUP-WINNING JOCKEY SUSPENDED
Group 1 Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Michael Dee has had his celebrations soured with a careless riding suspension.
Dee was suspended for 12 meetings by Racing Victoria Stewards for causing interference aboard Caulfield Cup winner Durston.
Stewards charged Dee with causing interference to Tralee Rose at the 300m mark.
Dee's suspension will commence immediately with the jockey free to return after the Bendigo Cup meeting on October 26.
He was not the only jockey suspended out of the Caulfield Cup with Blake Shinn, who rode Vow And Declare, hit with an eight-meeting ban for causing interference to Craig Newitt aboard No Compromise at the 2000m.
Sydney jockey Tommy Berry was outed for eight meetings on a whip breach aboard Fearless Knight in the Group 3 Caulfield Classic.
