By Brad Kingsbury
CRANBOURNE-trained horses were thinly represented at Caulfield on the opening day of the Melbourne Racing Club’s spring carnival on Saturday, with only three locally prepared runners competing.
The best result was achieved by Colin Alderson’s four-year-old gelding Flash Trick, which was grabbed on the line by favourite Amerryking to finish second in the $70,000 Hayman Classic.
Alderson’s second starter on the afternoon, classy miler Cargo Cult, ran on late to finish an impressive sixth in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, indicating that there will likely be a race for him in the spring mix, particularly when he gets back to the wide spaces of his favoured Flemington track.
The other Cranbourne-trained runner on the day was Robbie Laing’s dour money-spinner Roman Arch, which battled on to finish only three-and-a-half lengths behind Yalumba Stakes winner Casual Pass.
Laing was rapt with the performance, saying that it was the perfect trial for this Saturday’s Caulfield Cup in which the reigning Australian Cup holder will carry only 55 kilograms and be ridden by Berwick jockey Noel Callow.
Callow had a frustrating day at Caulfield, finishing a nose second in the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes on Pompei Ruler and then again being runner-up on Excites in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.
To top off his frustration, Callow was told on Monday that he had lost the ride on Pompei Ruler in the W.S. Cox Plate to be run on 28 October.
Cranbourne-bred jockey Craig Williams had better fortune on Saturday, kicking home two winners, including Growl in the Group 2 Winning Edge Presentations Stakes.
Despite predictions of rain, a record crowd of more than 23,000 attended the meeting.
