The returning Chase The Rainbow and consistent Vatican will carry the top-weight of 60kg in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Vatican is chasing his first win at Listed level in the Doveton Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy is still yet to confirm whether Chase The Rainbow will take his place in the Doveton Stakes but the injury-plagued entire was included in the final acceptances and is set to return to racing for the first time since his dominant victory in the National Jockey’s Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on September 1 last year.
The son of Dash For Cash has suffered a litany of injuries, including tendon problems and a cracked shoulder, but Hore-Lacy is confident that he has the five-year-old is fully fit; with the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival already in the sights of the veteran trainer.
Byron Cozamanis-trained Vatican has also been allocated 60kg by Racing Victoria Handicappers and the God’s Own gelding has shown during his spring campaign that he is good enough to lump heavy weights to victory.
Vatican started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a dominant two lengths victory, carrying 60kg, in the Mazda 55 Second Challenge Heat 1 (955m) at Moonee Valley on September 27 and he was far from disgraced when stepped to Group 2 level in the Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 12.
The five-year-old was caught wide in the 1Print.Com.Au Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day but still managed to finish second before lumping 60 kilos to another second place finish behind Esprit De Bullet in the City Jeep Compass Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on November 23.
Vatican has accumulated almost $400,000 for connections in his 33 career starts but is still chasing his first black type victory after going close on a number of occasions; finishing third in the 2011 Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m), second in the 2011 Listed Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) and second in the 2012 Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m).
Chase The Rainbow will not be the only horse returning to the races in the Doveton Stakes; with Zedi Knight, Loveyadmadly, Rescue Mission and Vicario all resuming in the $120,000 race at Caulfield on Saturday.
If Chase The Rainbow or Vatican is able to win the Doveton Stakes they will join champion sprinter Apache Cat (61kg in 2007) and Mark Kavanagh-trained Catapulted (60.5kg) as the only horses to have carried 60kg or more to victory in the Listed race in the past fifteen years.
