Deep Field Headlines McCarten Stakes Field

Deep Field has been included in the 2015 Maurice McCarten Stakes field and co-trainer Wayne Hawkes is happy with the condition of the talented sprinter heading into the Group 3 event at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Deep Field will have the chance to return to winning form in the McCarten Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart

Deep Field will have the chance to return to winning form in the McCarten Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart

Deep Field was considered one of the most exciting horses in Australia after he started his racing career with five impressive race wins from as many starts and he went into the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) as favourite, but was no match for Lankan Rupee in the final stages of the race and he finished a disappointing third.

Team Hawkes had no excuses for the performance of Deep Field in the Black Caviar Lighting Stakes and Wayne Hawkes told RSN that the Northern Meteor entire would head into the Maurice McCarten Stakes in excellent  condition – a race that will determine what path the four-year-old will follow for the rest of his autumn campaign.

“He has pulled up perfect,” Hawkes said.

“One of our favourite lines to the owners is that next run will determine last run and he is running on Sydney on Saturday in the Maurice McCarten.

“Deep Field’s race will probably be like what Chautauqua ran in at Caulfield (in the Rubiton Stakes), that same sort of race, and it just works in perfectly with the program.

“Then we will take stock from there, but at the moment he has had two runs up the straight and probably hasn’t quite produced.

“If he had of won that we probably would have run him in the Newmarket, but he didn’t and we just had to take stock.”

The 2015 Maurice McCarten Stakes field was released this morning and Deep Field is set to face seven rivals in the $150,000 race.

I’m All The Talk looked like the winner when he kicked clear at the top of the straight in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) before he tired late to finish sixth, but he will face an easier assignment in the McCarten Stakes this weekend.

Kencella led from start to finish to take out the McCarten Stakes last year, but he has been unable to find his best form since he joined the stable of Chris Waller and he was disappointing when he returned to racing with a fifth place finish in the at Rosehill Gardens on February 21.

July Sprint winner Hurrara, the resuming Target In Sight, David Pfieffer-trained Tahitian Black, promising gelding Boss Lane and the inconsistent Ryker round out the McCarten Stakes field.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.