It's a group 1 feature day at Caulfield, so it's entirely appropriate that one of the state's leading trainers, locally based handler Mick Price, should have a powerful hand of strong chances for the major events.
On Saturday Price's former world champion sprinter Lankan Rupee returns in the Schillachi Stakes, while the stable also saddles up well-fancied contenders Ready For Victory and Tarzino in the Caulfield Guineas and Badawiya in the Thousand Guineas, along with outsider Moonovermanhattan in the group 1 Toorak Handicap.
Ready For Victory, fourth in last season's Golden Slipper, has long had the colt's division of the Guineas as his major spring target although Chris Waller's Press Statement looms as the one to beat
It cannot be said that pint-sized Badawiya, the stable representative in the fillies' event, has long been aimed at the Thousand Guineas. The daughter of Al Maher only really loomed as a top prospect when she scored in the group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington last Sunday - just six days before her biggest test.
That was a huge step-up after wins at Murtoa and Pakenham.The Manifold is traditionally the best lead-up to the fillies' classic, although things have changed a lot in recent times. Historically the Manifold was 10 days before the fillies race when the Thousand Guineas was run on the Wednesday. Now it is on the Saturday the back-up time is much shorter.
And even though she proved herself over the 1600-metre trip at Flemington, it is still a gamble running any spring filly on such a quick turnaround, let alone such a diminutive individual, described by Price after her Manifold win as "a little mouse of a thing", albeit one who "has got a great motor".
But, says the trainer, Saturday's Guineas is a group 1 race and for a horse who has just been kept ticking over during the week it is a bet worth taking.
"It has been a hard decision. Normally I would not do it, but it's her home track and it's a group 1 race and there is only 11 runners. She has done really well to win a group 2 race, but the owner [Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum] is a serious breeder and I don't want to miss this opportunity.
"I think there is more against her than for her. At Flemington she was ridden perfectly [by Damien Oliver, who is suspended on Saturday paving the way for Craig Newitt to take the mount] and quietly put to sleep. When she saw the big open spaces she hit the line really well."
In the Guineas, Badawiya has drawn stall 10 of 11, so Newitt will have to produce a top-grade effort to put her in contention. "She will need the speed on to work across to get a spot," said the trainer.
"You can't guarantee it [the back up] is going to work. But if it does, the benefit is difficult to measure. You have to have a go."
