Eight races will take place this Australia Day at Caulfield.
Four contests on the card are of black type, including the Neds Blue Diamond Preview races early on the card.
Our best bets for this year’s Australia Day Races can be viewed below.
Preview brought to you by Ladbrokes. Learn more about Ladbrokes HERE.
Race 1 – 1:20pm – Neds Blue Diamond Preview (1000m)
Just the six to choose from in this year’s Blue Diamond Preview with four facing the starter for the first time.
Philosopher went all the way on debut at Caulfield and showed plenty in the finish to suggest he can go on with it now.
Rampant Lion was impressive on debut against similar company when third in the Maribyrnong Trial at Flemington during the spring.
The son of Frankel looked like the winner before Get In The Spirit kicked clear out wide to win comfortably. The Peter Moody-trained colt won his trial well at Pakenham a couple of weeks ago, and the class of Jamie Kah should make him tough to beat.
Race 2 – 1:55pm – Neds Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) (1000m)
Jewellery presents fitter second-up after debuting at Caulfield two weeks ago as a narrow runner-up to Philosopher.
The Godolphin-trained filly was strong through the line, and I’m confident she would have won with another 100m to spare.
She made up enormous ground from the tail of the field after racing out wide, so the awkward gate might suit if Damian Lane looks to get back and run on.
Godolphin is a leading stable when it comes to two-year-olds and this filly rates as one of the top chances in the Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies).
Race 3 – 2:30pm – Evergreen Turf Handicap (1100m)
Tricky race with a case to be made for most.
For Real Life has been up for a while, but she has held her form nicely and appears to be building towards another win.
The filly by Capitalist won her maiden first-up at Ballarat last November and has since gone on to miss out only narrowly in two starts at Geelong and Moonee Valley.
She lost in a head-bob last month to Danny’s St Darcy, a form line that reads well with that horse going on to win again two weeks ago at Caulfield.
Off a freshen-up and back in trip, she should run well.
Race 4 – 3:05pm – IVE > Print W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m)
Looks a race in two between Streetcar Stranger and Enthaar.
The latter got the upper hand when the pair met in the Listed Doveton Stakes over the same track and trip back in November, and I think she can claim the spoils again in her return to the races.
The daughter of Written Tycoon meets her rival better off at the weights, and her first-up 3:2-0-1 record is very tough to fault.
She’s two-from-three at Caulfield, and with Jye McNeil steering from an ideal gate, I think they’ll be hard to hold out late.
Race 5 – 3:40pm – McCafe Handicap (2000m)
It’s been over a year since Chantrea last won a race, but she’s in with a shout here based on her first-up performance.
The Lindsey Smith-trained mare was only a half-length second to Swiss Hero in the Camperdown Cup, and this race doesn’t look that much tougher on paper.
Out to 2000m is a big tick at this stage of her prep, and she does have soft track form to suit if there’s rain about.
The draw is the only query, but with a strong second-up record to her name, I’m happy to put her on top.
Race 6 – 4:20pm – John Dillon Stakes (1400m)
Lighthouse brings winning form into her Caulfield debut on Wednesday.
The Maher and Eustace-trained mare made it four wins on the trot three weeks ago when she took out the Listed Chester Manifold by a big margin over the same trip.
The American raider is now a three-time winner over 1400m, and she appeared to have plenty left to give last time out at Flemington. With Jye McNeil sticking, I can’t find any reason why she won’t win again.
Race 7 – 5:00pm – The Importer Handicap (1400m)
So Risque strips fitter for two runs back and appears to have found another very winnable race.
The Lindsay Park-trained four-year-old resumed at Bendigo last month a clear 1.5L winner ahead of Wednesday’s rival Thunder Point, and then went on with it at Sandown three weeks ago to win by three-quarters of a length.
The form behind him from that race reads well with second place-getter Logan Street Lion going on to win at Sandown last week, and if Josh Richards can offset the awkward gate, the pair should be fighting out the finish from a forward position.
Race 8 – 5:40pm – The Mary Bell (1400m)
Yonce looks a very impressive type out of the leading Maher and Eustace stable.
The Praiser mare put the writing on the wall with a big win on debut at Mornington last month before returning off a three-week break to demolish the field at Sandown second-up over 1400m.
She’s had a similar gap between runs, and if she finds the clear under John Allen down the straight, her explosive turn of foot should do the rest.
