The James Cummings trained Kementari and Best Of Days fared well at the barrier draw for the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Kementari, above, has drawn a nice barrier in the 2019 C.F. Orr Stales at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Kementari, above, has drawn a nice barrier in the 2019 C.F. Orr Stales at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

The first Group 1 of the calendar year has drawn together a capacity field of sixteen with Kementari coming up with barrier two with James McDonald to ride while Best Of Days will jump from gate for Craig Williams.

Kementari is having his first run back since finishing ninth in the Group 1 $1m VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10 and is coming off a second in a recent 900m Randwick barrier trial while Best Of Days hasn’t raced since winning the Group 1 $1m Kennedy Mile (1600m) at Flemington on November 3.

Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller will saddle up two runners in the C.F. Orr Stakes with mixed results at the barrier draw.

Rosehill Guineas winner D’Argento drew the rails with Kerrin McEvoy booked to ride while Group 1 winning mare Shillelagh drew out wide at fourteen for Ben Melham.

Caulfield trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will also have two runners with recent stable acquisition Land Of Plenty drawing awkwardly at eleven with Damian Lane in the saddle while Jordan Childs takes the mount on Mask Of Time who has drawn a nice gate at five.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will saddle up three runners in the C.F. Orr Stakes, Redkirk Warrior (Regan Bayliss, barrier 10), So Si Bon (Luke Nolen, barrier 15) and Fifty Stars (Ben Allen, barrier 9).

Western Australian trainer Simon Miller finds himself as the trainer of Whispering Brook again following the disqualification of Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir and the high class mare has drawn in the middle at barrier eight for Mark Zahra.

Whispering Brook completed a hat trick of wins for Weir with a last start victory in the Group 2 $200,000 Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on January 25.

Final field for the 2019 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 0x332818x9 BRAVE SMASH (JPN) Kris Lees Michael Walker 7 59kg 113
2 x11x00x0x5 REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Regan Bayliss 10 59kg 116
3 0x598x5132 FELL SWOOP Matthew Dale Damien Oliver 13 59kg 106
4 30x242439x KEMENTARI James Cummings James McDonald 2 59kg 110
5 21x111x32x MATERIAL MAN Justin Warwick Ms Lucy Warwick 6 59kg 110
6 714x32256x D’ARGENTO Chris Waller Kerrin McEvoy 1 59kg 107
7 11x21314x3 LAND OF PLENTY Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Damian Lane 11 59kg 110
8 38x713211x BEST OF DAYS (GB) James Cummings Craig Williams 4 59kg 108
9 716243111x MOSS ’N’ DALE (NZ) Peter Gelagotis Jack Martin (a) 12 59kg 108
10 93×5386412 SO SI BON David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Luke Nolen 15 59kg 98
11 1x361221x7 MANUEL Tony McEvoy Luke Currie 3 59kg 95
12 479741240x MASK OF TIME (IRE) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jordan Childs 5 59kg 97
13 x316936420 HOLBIEN Steve Richards Patrick Moloney 16 59kg 86
14 111x2211x6 FIFTY STARS (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Ben Allen (a) 9 58.5kg 98
15 462x44415x SHILLELAGH (NZ) Chris Waller Ben Melham 14 57kg 110
16 0x1415x111 WHISPERING BROOK Simon A Miller Mark Zahra 8 57kg 109

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.