Australian Cup winner Super Cool will take on glamour stable mate Atlantic Jewel in an undersized Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Stablemates Super Cool and Atlantic Jewel, above, to clash in the Caulfield Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Atlantic Jewel will be looking to regain her weight for age crown after having her colours lowered for the first time when second to It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21, her first defeat from ten starts.
While Super Cool needs to find his best form after being well beaten last start when ninth to Happy Trials in the Group 1 $500,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday after being held up for a run in the straight.
The Caulfield Stakes, usually one of the major lead ups for the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26, has only attracted a small field of six.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon, the Chris Waller trained Foreteller, Spacecraft from the David Hayes stable and Irish import Massiyn make up the rest of the field.
The Caulfield Stakes has been a good recent pointer to the Cox Plate with Ocean Park taking out the double last year while international super star So You Think won both races in 2010.
Atlantic Jewel has continued to please trainer Mark Kavanagh since the Underwood Stakes and the mare can cement her place at the top of the Cox Plate market order with a dominant win.
Flemington track watchers reported that the Fastnet Rock mare finished off her work earlier in the week in fine style, running the final 400m in 23.4s.
“The mare is all right, everything is okay,” Kavanagh said.
Glen Boss hops back on Super Cool ($6.50), taking over from Michael Rodd who naturally is sticking with Atlantic Jewel who has been posted the $1.40 favourite.
Boss got a feel for the four year with a slashing third to Atlantic Jewel first up this prep in the Group 1 $350,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31 and the small field will be to his advantage.
The Robert Hickmott trained Green Moon ($9), with Brett Prebble on board, also gets his chance to shine following two unplaced runs from a spell and the extra 200m of the Caulfield Stakes will be in his favour after finishing ninth to It’s A Dundeel in the Underwood Stakes.
While stablemate and Irish import Massiyn ($101) will be all the better for one run on Australian soil and his first start since running second to Royal Diamond in the 2012 Group 1 €200,000 Gain Irish St Leger (1 mile, 6 furlongs) at the Curragh in Ireland.
Foreteller ($9) should run an improved race while $51 chance Spacecraft’s best recent run was two starts back when second at big odds to Fiorente in Group 2 $300,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 14.
