A small field has accepted for the first of three Group 1’s this Saturday at Caulfield, the Futurity Stakes.
Mr Brightside has been installed at skinny odds in the small field, a surprise to none on the back of last fortnight’s success at a similar quote in the C.F. Orr Stakes.
Out of the same race comes third place-getter Buffalo River, while last-start Toorak Handicap winner Attrition rates the main danger in his first run back.
For our best bets ahead of this year’s Futurity Stakes, continue reading below!
Futurity Stakes – 1st
Not that there were many, but Mr Brightside succeeded in silencing his doubters a fortnight ago when winning the C.F. Orr Stakes at equally short odds in his first run back.
Now a five-time Group 1 winner, the Team Hayes-trained six-year-old has firmly etched himself in Australian racing folklore, but the job looks far from over with revenge in mind for last year’s runner-up performance to Alligator Blood in this same race.
We know that 1400m is short of his best, but this does look another ideal lead up heading toward his All-Star Mile defence in a few weeks’ time.
To be fair, it was a slightly tough watch for those who backed him at short odds on return in the Orr, getting away slowly and only charging late down the outside to prevail right on the line.
That said, there’s still big improvement to come, and as the skinny odds suggest, he’ll be almost impossible to beat in this small field.
Suggested Bet: No. 1 Mr Brightside
Futurity Stakes – 2nd
Nugget is one of Mr Brightside’s long-time rivals, one that has given the favourite more than a scare on a couple of occasions in the past.
The pair notably clashed in last year’s Doncaster Mile, a race that saw Nugget get right back in the run before charging down the outside to put up a serious challenge for third.
Ciaron Maher’s seven-year-old hasn’t won a race in over a year now, but as we also saw in the King Charles Stakes last year when fourth, he’s capable of running well on his day.
Proven fresh and likely to land on the speed, he should be right there at the pointy end.
Suggested Bet: No. 5 Nugget
Futurity Stakes – 3rd
Buffalo River can work his way into the money again based on what we’ve seen so far.
Michael Moroney’s old boy is prone to a bad race here and there, but he’s been super honest this time in work, running a place fresh over the track and distance at Stakes level before holding on for third in the CF Orr a fortnight ago.
I thought he looked the winner at one point on the outside of Pride Of Jenni, only to be gunned down by Mr Brightside right before the line.
He’d appreciate a genuine tempo once again, but in all likelihood, he’ll roll forward and run his usual race on the speed, and hopefully prove tough to run down.
Suggested Bet: No. 6 Buffalo River