New Caulfield Guineas favourite Rich Enuff has been compared to 2008 winner Whobegotyou by Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd.
Rich Enuff is the new favourite for the Caulfield Guineas at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Rodd rode Whobegotyou to a three and a quarter lengths victory in the Caulfield Guineas six years ago and he says that Rich Enuff has the same devastating turn of foot as the Mark Kavanagh trained colt possessed.
“They are different in the fact of their racing pattern, but have a similar turn of foot,” Rodd told AAP.
“He’s got that awesome turn of foot and that’s what you need to win big Group One races.”
While Whobegotyou was a backmarker, Rich Enuff has early pace and can race on the speed and still have that electric acceleration when needed in the straight.
Rich Enuff is now the new $3.20 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11 after careering away in the straight to record a soft two and a half lengths win in the Group 3 $175,000 BECK Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Sunday.
“That was breathtaking,” Rodd said after the win.
“It was great to see him do that and the next two weeks will be a bit on edge to make sure we get him there.”
After beginning quickly from the outside of the field at gate thirteen, Rodd let Rich Enuff slide forward and took up a position just behind the Gai Waterhouse trained Liberation.
But even after doing it a bit tough in the early stages, Rich Enuff found an extra three gears when Rodd said go at the 300m mark and the Written Tycoon colt bounded away to set up a commanding break.
Queensland trained three year old Looks Like The Cat made up plenty ground from back in the field but he was never going to test Rich Enuff as Rodd let him coast to the line over the final fifty metres.
Cranbourne trainer Ken Keys has been waiting a long time to get a horse as smart as Rich Enuff, declaring him the best horse he has had since taking up training in the mid 1980s.
Keys was astounded by the dominance of his win but said that there is still more improvement to come from the three year three old.
“I think he’s still not there yet as a race horse. He’s still a big baby,” Keys said.
The Gai Waterhouse trained Almalad has claimed the second spot in the Caulfield Guineas market order at $4.80 after winning the Group 2 $200,000 Jeep Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley last Friday night while Looks Like The Cat has slipped back to $5.
Shooting To Win from the Peter and Paul Snowden stable is also in the betting at $7 following his win in the Group 2 $200,000 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last Saturday.
