Inside Running Pop-up races may keep NSW raiders away

Victorians are used to strong NSW raiding parties plundering the spring carnival’s riches, although the vast prizemoney on offer in the so-called “pop-up” races up north might mean some of Sydney’s biggest stars now stay in their home state.

But, on the evidence of the entries at Caulfield on Saturday, the “secondary” racing states of South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and even Western Australia are prepared to step into the breach should the NSW racing fraternity find it more lucrative to stay in their backyard.

DEMISE EXAGGERATED?

Much has been said about the decline of racing in South Australia over the past 20 years, but any one looking at the Caulfield card might wonder if that is really the case.

Adelaide’s trainers (and those, such as David Jolly, who are based at the seaside town of Goolwa) have crossed the border in numbers and look to have a strong hand in several of the major events.

ON THE DOUBLE

The headline act is, of course, Behemoth, who is looking to post a group 1 “double-double” by winning the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes for the second year in a row having already won the Memsie Stakes two years in succession.

Behemoth and jockey Brett Prebble en route to Memsie Stakes victory last month. Credit:Getty Images

Craig Williams partnered the muscular sprinter when he won the two races last year, and he is back in the saddle on Saturday: Brett Prebble was the beneficiary of Jamie Kah’s costly suspension in the Memsie when he stepped in at short notice to take the ride that day. On Saturday, he takes the mount on Behemoth’s market rival, the top Kiwi mare Probabeel.

BORDER RAIDERS

Behemoth faces stiff opposition from another SA challenger Beau Rossa, who went down to the top-weight narrowly in the Memsie under Linda Meech, who partners him again at Caulfield.

And the SA flavour does not end there: Dalasan, the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained galloper is one of Adelaide’s best-performed horses. A multiple group and listed race winner, he will be chasing his first group 1 success in the Sir Rupert Clarke.

BACK IN THE GROOVE

Meech, who took time out to have a baby earlier this year, also teamed up with Beau Rossa’s trainer Will Clarken to score with He’s A Balter on Memsie day and the duo unite with the same horse again when he will look for another interstate victory in Caulfield’s second race.

Other SA challengers are Mick Huxtable’s good mare Ecumenical in the Living Legends Handicap and Scott Westover’s Enchantingly, who is stepping up in class in the group 3 How Now Stakes.

ALL POINTS NORTH, SOUTH AND WEST

Not to be outdone, Tasmanian trainer Scott Brunton sends over his mare Hela for Caulfield’s opening event, while WA sprinter Samizdat is an entry in the Sir Rupert Clarke. Queensland trainer Tony Gollan adds to the interstate flavour with his former NZ mare Bonham in the How Now, in which Kiwi trainer Jamie Richards runs Kahma Lass.

Michael Lynch is The Age's chief soccer reporter and also reports on motor sport and horseracingConnect via Twitter or email.

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