Last year’s winner Humidor is among the nominations for the 2019 Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Humidor, above, is among the nominations for the 2019 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Humidor, above, is among the nominations for the 2019 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Humidor will step out for the first time this weekend for co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace after disqualified trainer Darren Weir prepared the Teofilo gelding to score a narrow win in the 2018 Memsie Stakes.

Humidor is one of seventeen nominations for the weight for age Memsie Stakes which also includes his stablemate Cliff’s Edge and Kenedna.

The seven year old is returning from an injury induced layoff and will be having his first run back since finishing third to Winx in the 2018 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley last October.

Maher has given Humidor a solid grounding for his return to the racetrack and the gelding was able to score a narrow win in a recent 990m Cranbourne Barrier trial.

“He’s had three trials now and he’s ready to go, but will be improved by the run,” Maher told AAP.

“He’s a quirky bugger but he seems free and happy and Damian Lane knows him very well and he’s happy with him.”

“He’s shown me enough but I haven’t squeezed him that hard yet.”

Cliff’s Edge has had two runs back from a spell for a third in the Group 3 $160,000 The Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 27 followed by a second to Mystic Journey in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 17 and Maher is happy with his progress.

Doomben Cup winner Kenedna is also among the nominations for the Memsie Stakes but Maher said the mare is unlikely to take her place in the field and be kept for the Group 2 $250,000 John F. Feehan (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday week.

James Cummings has nominated his Group 1 winning mare Alizee along with veteran galloper Hartnell for the Memsie Stakes while former Perth trainer Lindsey Smith has entered his new stable acquisition Black Heart Bart as well his top stable performer Scales Of Justice.

Nominations for the 2019 Memsie Stakes (1400m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 1x111306x1 ALIZEE M 5 James Cummings 116
2 3002x7509x ALOISIA (NZ) M 5 Anthony Freedman 99
3 48x11111x1 BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER G 5 Daniel Bowman 94
4 29x496870x BLACK HEART BART G 9 Lindsey Smith 109
5 x071516x32 CLIFF’S EDGE H 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 107
6 50x11110x4 DESPATCH G 5 Tony McEvoy 107
7 3x432200x3 FUNDAMENTALIST M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 102
8 20x53233x3 HARTNELL (GB) G 9 James Cummings 116
9 84x817333x HUMIDOR (NZ) G 7 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 116
10 1x931911x7 KENEDNA M 6 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 110
11 x32x6900x6 MATERIAL MAN G 8 Pat Carey 107
12 44130x08x7 OOHOOD M 4 Tony McEvoy 103
13 425x14941x QAFILA M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 102
14 2730x53x12 SCALES OF JUSTICE G 7 Lindsey Smith 109
15 154x17x163 SESAR H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 100
16 41292450×1 SO SI BON G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 104
17 77027x90x7 VASSILATOR (NZ) G 4 Colin Little 95

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.