Blue Diamond winner Miracles Of Life will have to overcome a wide barrier draw if she is to maintain her unbeaten record in the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Miracles Of LIfe winning the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in the Autumn. Photo by Bruno Cannatelli.
The Adelaide trained filly will jump from gate eight, one from the outside of the nine horse field and regular rider Lauren Stojakovic will be busy in the first 200m deciding if she will cross or try and slot in behind the leaders.
Miracles Of Life has the ability to race on the pace or take a sit as she did before exploding away to win the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23.
Miracles Of Life will arrive in Melbourne still carrying her winter coat, but trainer Daniel Clarken is warning punters not to be put off and the Not A Single Doubt filly is ready to produce her best.
“She’s still a little wintry in her coat, but that’s to be expected. It’s bloody cold over here,” Clarken told Racing Network.
“I really couldn’t be happier with her.”
The David Hayes trained Fast ‘N’ Rocking has come up with barrier five and Brett Prebble will be looking for better luck than last start when he was held up for run in the straight before going down to Safeguard by the shortest of margins in the Group 3 $135,000 Legacy 90th Anniversary Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 17.
Prebble couldn’t find a run all the way down the straight until the last 100m when he pushed Fast ‘N’ Rocking through to make a late dive and would have won with any clear running earlier in the straight.
Top Caulfield Guineas fancy Prince Harada is having his first run for the Spring and jockey Steven Arnold is certain to give him a dream run from barrier three.
Trainer Tony Vasil put Prince Harada away after scoring his second win from two starts over 1200m at Moonee Valley in June and believes he has a genuine Spring Carnival contender.
The Peter Moody trained Thermal Current, with the blinkers on for the first time has drawn next to Prince Harada at four while stablemate Il Cavallo, who will be racing with a Norton bit and a tongue tie, will jump from the outside.
Last season’s premier jockey Glen Boss has taken the ride on Pyrrolic (barrier 7) for Mick Kent and showed he was above average with a three length win over 1200m at Sandown at his only start in May.
