10 Gr.1 Winners in Championship Decider

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10 Gr.1 Winners in Championship Decider

The New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship at Caulfield draws to a close on Saturday with 10 Group 1 winners lining up in the Group 1 A$400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes - the final leg of the Championship.

The Championship is up for grabs with four runners still in with a shot at the title. Of the 12 horses entered in the Group 1 feature run at Melbourne Racing Club’s Caulfield Racecourse, all have Group 1 form with 10 horses having won at the highest level already.

Leading the field out will be four-time Group 1 winner Sacred Falls (NZ) (O’Reilly). The kiwi galloper won the Group 1 George Main Stakes at his last start for trainer Chris Waller. The son of O’Reilly is also the victor of two Group 1 Doncaster Handicaps and the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas. Arguably one of his best career runs was a fast finishing second to It’s a Dundeel (NZ) in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m last campaign. Zac Purton once again flies back from Hong Kong to ride Sacred Falls from barrier 12.

Waller has a two-pronged attack in the race with current Championship leader Foreteller(Dansili) also representing the stable. Foreteller capped his strong form this campaign with an authoritative victory in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes last start. Drawn in barrier 10, Glen Boss retains the ride on Saturday.

European raider Side Glance (Passing Glance) adds international interest to the race. No stranger to Australia, Side Glance won last year’s Group 1 Mckinnon Stakes at Flemington for trainer Andrew Balding for owner Pearl Bloodstock. The globe trotter has raced with distinction in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States since winning in Australia last spring. UK-based rider Jamie Spencer travels to Australia to ride from barrier 5.

Last year’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner (Reset) enters the race with only one race under his belt this campaign – a narrow second in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. The Team Williams runner has drawn barrier 4 with regular rider Nicholas Hall aboard.

Backing up from the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes last weekend is Happy Trails (Good Journey) for trainer Nicholas Beshara. A Group 1 winner from last spring, Happy Trails never got a clear run last Saturday, being held up for the entirety of the straight. Leading rider Damien Oliver takes over the reins on Saturday, starting from barrier 6.

While not a Group 1 winner Sertorius (Galileo) has been competitive at the elite level having placed in the Group 1 Sydney Cup earlier this year. Trained by Jamie Edwards & Bruce Elkington, Sertorius has been close up in his two races this season and has the services of leading rider Craig Williams, jumping from barrier 7.

The David Hayes & Tom Dabernig training partnership have the Italian Group 1 winner Crackerjack King(Shamardal) engaged in the feature race. The son of Shamardal was third last start in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes and is a live chance to win the Championship with victory on Saturday. Kiwi rider Michael Walker will once again ride the entire from barrier 11.

The second runner for Team Williams is the lightly tried Massiyn(Zamindar), runner-up in the Group 1 Irish St Leger in 2012 before heading to Australia. Handily placed in barrier 2, Massiyn will be ridden by Steven King.

Kiwi-bred four-year-old Criterion (NZ) (Sebring) enters the race on the back of a stellar three-year-old season which yielded two Group 1 victories in the autumn. The David Payne trained entire finished second at his last start to Junoob who went on to win the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap last weekend. The son of Sebring will be reunited with jockey Hugh Bowman, his rider when he won his two Group 1 races, and starts from barrier 3.

The star of the early spring has been the Peter Moody trained entire Dissident (Sebring) – the winner of two Group 1 races was beaten a nose in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at his last start. Another son of Sebring, Dissident is on 10 points in the Championship thanks to his victory in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes and will be looking to clinch the Championship with victory on Saturday. Ben Melham has ridden him throughout his current campaign and will once again be aboard starting from barrier 8.

Two mares round out the field headed by last start Group 2 Stock Stakes winner Dear Demi (Dehere). Trained by Clarry Conners, the daughter of Dehere won the Group 1 VRC Oaks as a three-year-old and has the inside barrier on Saturday for rider Jim Cassidy.

Last season’s Group 1 VRC Oaks winner, Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa), is also in the field for trainer John Sargent. The New Zealand mare missed the autumn and is having her first run in Melbourne this year. The daughter of Alamosa is stepping up to 2000m for the first time this campaign – the same distance she won the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes over last year. Leading rider Tommy Berry takes the mount from barrier 9.

The current leader of the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship is Foreteller with Dissident, Happy Trails and Crackerjack King all within striking range of the title.Saturday’s winner will earn 10 points in the Championship with points awarded back to eighth placing.

The 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship at Melbourne Racing Club’s Caulfield Racecourse has seen the best horses in Australasia compete for A$1.37 million in prizemoney plus trophies to the value of $25,000.

To view the field for the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes, click here.

To view the current leaderboard for the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship, click here.

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