Fawkner among huge nominations for 2015 Memsie Stakes

Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner is among the twenty-six horses listed in the nominations for the Group 1 $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner is among the nominations for the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner is among the nominations for the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Fawkner hit the headlines when he beat Dandino in the 2013 Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield and collected his second Group 1 win when he beat Criterion in the $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield during the 2014 Melbourne Spring Carnival.

The Reset gelding then went down narrowly to brilliant Irish galloper Adelaide in the Group 1 $3m William Hill Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley before running tenth to Protectionist in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.

C0-owner Nick Williams said that the stable is happy with Fawkner’s lead up preparation and is expecting a bold first up showing.

“He is really good,” Williams said.

“He is a horse that is very predictable in his work and Eddie Cassar, who has ridden him in almost every gallop since he was two, thinks that he is in as good a shape if not better shape than he was this time last year.

“We are exactly the same position as were last year, but this year we will kick him off in the Memsie.

“He will do his last piece of work on Tuesday and then we will lock it in stone, but the odds are that he will run in the Memsie and I think that he will run well.”

New stable acquisition, 2014 Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance, is another high profile Spring contender from the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig stables and will kick off her Caulfield Cup campaign in the Memsie Stakes.

The Lindsay Park team have also nominated the promising Petrology who will be stepping up to Group 1 company again following his second up eighth to Mourinho in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15.

Leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller has nominated two of his stable stars in four times Group 1 winner Boban and Weary who is still chasing his first Group 1 win.

Boban will be having his first run since running second to Srikandi in the Group 1 $2m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 6 which came on the back of a near last to first win in the Group 1 $750,000 Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben two weeks earlier.

Weary arrives in Melbourne with a run under his belt following his second to Burbero in the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 8.

Top Melbourne trainer Peter Moody has nominated the well performed former Kiwi galloper Abidewithme and Hi World who performed well during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Carnival with two Group 3 wins at Randwick in the $200,000 The Daily Telegraph Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) and in the $150,000 Johnnie Walker Frank Packer Plate (2000m).

Other high profile nominations for the Memsie Stakes are the Rosehill Guineas winner Volkstok’N’Barrell, multiple Group 1 winner Happy Trails, Crown Oaks winner Set Square, Queensland Derby winner Magicool, English import Dandino, Queensland sprinter Temple Of Boom and the exciting in-form front runner Charmed Harmony.

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.