Atlantic Jewel draws midfield in Memsie Stakes

Comeback queen Atlantic Jewel has drawn midfield for her return to racing in the Group 1 $350,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Atlantic Jewel

Atlantic Jewel will jump from gate 8 in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield . Photo by Steve Hart.

The Memsie Stakes, the first Group 1 of the season has been slotted in as the last race of the day on the eight event Caulfield program with a star studded field of fourteen to line up.

Atlantic Jewel is having her first run for sixteen months after suffering a tendon injury and trainer Mark Kavanagh has brought her along steadily for her racetrack reappearance.

The Melbourne Cup winning trainer would love to see Atlantic Jewel maintain her unbeaten record, seven from seven, but said his main priority will be to get the dual Group 1 winner back on the track safe and sound.

“She’s not screwed right down for this. I want to keep her intact as her main goal is in October,” Kavanagh told the Herald Sun.

“Where I sit right now she doesn’t have to win to please me. She could still run a big race and finish close-up.”

Kavanagh has set Atlantic Jewel for the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 and the Fastnet Rock mare is currently the $6.50 favourite.

From barrier eight Michael Rodd will be able to give Atlantic Jewel a sweet run before easing her into the clear in the straight for the dash home.

Nine individual Group 1 winners will line up in the Memsie Stakes which is going to prove to be one of the highlights of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Atlantic Jewels’ stablemate Super Cool (barrier 12) is having his first run back after winning the Group 1 $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in March while last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon (10) is also making his Spring Carnival debut.

Punters have stuck to Atlantic Jewel in early betting and she is around the $2 mark while last season’s top three year old and multiple Group 1 winner It’s A Dundeel, from the inside gate is the second pick for the Memsie Stakes at $5.

Fellow Kiwis King Mufhasa (barrier 2) and Silent Achiever (4) have both drawn well while Happy Trials with apprentice Chad Schofield on board will jump from gate seven.

The Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente from gate five with Nash Rawiller up, is certain to run a bold first up race following two slashing barrier trial performances at Randwick over the last couple of months.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.