Racing at Caulfield on Saturday will see a double header of Group 1 action, with the running of the Underwood Stakes over 1800m at weight-for-age and the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m under handicap conditions.

Both races feature plenty of quality gallopers and will help shape some of the big spring features in the following weeks.

The Underwood features Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius headlining and other leading spring hopefuls Buckaroo and Moira, while the Rupert Clarke Stakes is bolstered by exciting four-year olds Angel Capital and Sepals.

The day also features the MRC Foundation Cup, which holds ‘win-and-you’re-in’ status for the Caulfield Cup and leading trainers Ciaron Maher and Chris Waller will be well represented in the G3 feature with big teams of runners.

Craig Williams has been confirmed to ride Sir Delius in the Underwood, which will be the rising star’s first racetrack appearance in Melbourne.

Waller will run a few of his topliners, including last year’s winner Buckaroo and imported mares Moira and Anisette. Maher will also have good representation with recruit Zardozi, Middle Earth and Smokin’ Romans all expected in the nominations.

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr could back up Saturday’s Flemington winner Golden Path and he may be joined by the horse he defeated, Cranbourne Cup winner Globe.

UNDERWOOD STAKES 1800m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age

KNIGHT’S CHOICE (J Symons & S Laxon) R Dolan

BUCKAROO (C Waller)

SIR DELIUS (G Waterhouse & A Bott) C Williams

MIDDLE EARTH (C Maher) M Zahra

SMOKIN’ ROMANS (C Maher) J Allen

ATTRITION (M Freedman) B Mertens

GOLDEN PATH (M Price & M Kent Jnr)

GLOBE (M Price & M Kent Jnr)

MOIRA (C Waller)

ZARDOZI (C Maher) J Melham

ANISETTE (C Waller)

POSITIVITY (A Forsman)

 

The Rupert Clarke has moved back to its traditional timeslot this year and has attracted a quality field with a host of live hopes. C.F. Orr Stakes winner Another Wil is set to be topweight at 59kg with a domestic handicap rating of 114 and he will be joined by Royal Patronage at the head of the weights.

Angel Capital was given a ratings boost of eight points for his win in the Chautauqua Stakes at The Valley last week, taking his rating from 95 to 103. This will see him land 1.5kg above the minimum weight of 52kg and secure a spot in the field.

Michael Dee has been booked to ride gun Kiwi mare Damask Rose, after her slashing run in the Cockram first-up, while Beau Mertens picks up the mount on Miss Roumbini.

Lindsay Park may back up Saturday’s winners Arkansaw Kid and Cafe Millenium, leading to a potential four runners in the contest, with Here To Shock and Evaporate heading there also.

Lazzura and Abounding may also be in the nominations on Monday after running on the weekend.

Leading all-in market fancy Sepals is only rated at 98 and may be in danger of missing a spot in the field if a few of those runners mentioned above do accept, with 16 runners being the field limit.

We are expecting the weights when announced on Monday to look as follows:

59kg – Another Wil, Royal Patronage (114 Handicap Rating)

58.5kg – Here To Shock (113)

56.5kg – Desert Lightning, Pinstriped (109)

56kg – Feroce (108)

55kg – Evaporate (106)

54kg – Lazzura (108* before Saturday’s win)

53.5kg – Angel Capital (103)

100 (104 Mares) minimum

52kg – Damask Rose, Abounding, Miss Roumbini, Is It Me, Sepals, Zou Sensation, Another Prophet, Jennilala, Chorlton Lane.

* Arkansaw Kid and Cafe Millennium are yet to be rerated after Saturday’s wins. Expecting Arkansaw Kid to sit between 55.5-57kg and Cafe Millenium on 53kg.

SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES 1400m, Group 1, Handicap

ANOTHER WIL (C Maher) J Melham

ROYAL PATRONAGE (G Waterhouse & A Bott)

HERE TO SHOCK (B, W & JD Hayes)

ARKANSAW KID (B, W & JD Hayes)

DESERT LIGHTNING (P Moody & K Coleman)

PINSTRIPED (E Jusufovic)

FEROCE (D Sutton)

LAZZURA (C Waller)

EVAPORATE (B, W & JD Hayes)

ABOUNDING (R Heathcote)

DAMASK ROSE (M Walker) M Dee

ANGEL CAPITAL (C Waller) D Lane

CAFE MILLENNIUM (B, W & JD Hayes) C Gaudray

IS IT ME (D Bowman) P Moloney

ANOTHER PROPHET (C Maher) D Bates

JENNILALA (G Bedggood) H Coffey

MISS ROUMBINI (M Price & M Kent Jnr) B Mertens

CHORLTON LANE (C Maher)

SEPALS (C Brown) C Williams

ZOU SENSATION (L & T Corstens & W Larkin)

 

The MRC Foundation Cup will see the likes of Half Yours, Berkshire Breeze, Future History, Smokin’ Romans, Kings Valley, Birdman, River Of Stars, Too Darn Discreet, Okita Soushi, Brayden Star, Statuario, River Of Stars and Whisky On The Hill in the nominations for the Caulfield Cup golden-ticket race.

The race does align on the same weekend as the Kingston Town Stakes in Sydney on Saturday and Newcastle Cup on Friday, so expect plenty of these horses to be nominated in a mixture of the three races, including popular Caulfield Cup fancies Birdman and Half Yours, who will be in both 2000-metre races across the two states.

MRC FOUNDATION CUP, 2000m, Group 3, Handicap

SMOKIN ROMANS (C Maher) B Melham

OKITA SOUSHI (C Maher)

KINGS VALLEY (C Maher)

BERKSHIRE BREEZE (C Maher)

FUTURE HISTORY (C Maher) M Zahra

HERMAN HESSE (C Maher)

ADELAIDE RIVER (K Lees)

BERKELEY SQUARE (D O’Sullivan) D Bates

BRAYDEN STAR (T Busuttin & N Young)

THEDOCTOROFLOVE (T Busuttin & N Young)

HALF YOURS (T & C McEvoy) H Coffey

TORRANZINO (P Preusker)

RIVER OF STARS (C Waller) C Williams

ASTERIX (C Waller) J Childs

BIRDMAN (C Waller)

STATUARIO (D & E Browne)

 

Speaking of Sydney, there is a cracking card of racing, headlined by The Shorts at 1100m, which is a key lead-up to next month’s $20 million The Everest. Current confirmed slot-holders Briasa, Private Harry and Joliestar are all expected to return here, as is Golden Slipper winner Marhoona. Concorde winner Headwall will also contest the rich sprint.

THE SHORTS, 1100m, Group 2

BRIASA (M, W & J Hawkes)

JEDIBEEL (B Widdup) K McEvoy

MAZU (J Pride) J Collett

PRIVATE HARRY (N Doyle) A Morgan

HEADWALL (M Smith) Z Lloyd

IN FLIGHT (J Pride) J Ford

JOLIESTAR (C Waller) J McDonald

GENEROSITY (C Waller) T Berry

MARHOONA (M Freedman)

 

Also on Saturday is the running of the weight-for-age 7 Stakes at 1600m, a pop-up race designed by Racing NSW to fill the void of moving the George Main Stakes (now King Charles Stakes) to deeper in the Spring Carnival.

The race as expected will see a good field with the likes of Lindermann, Light Infantry Man, Gringotts, Ceolwulf, Private Eye and Fangirl expected in the nominations.

THE 7 STAKES, 1600m, Weight-For-Age

PRIVATE EYE (J Pride)

CEOLWULF (J Pride)

LINDERMANN (C Waller)

MILITARIZE (C Waller)

KOVALICA (C Waller)

GRINGOTTS (C Maher)

LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (C Maher) E Brown

FANGIRL (C Waller) J McDonald

 

*All Likely Fields are indicative only and subject to change.