Lion Tamer (NZ) Shares Melbourne Cup Favouritism

The 2010 Group 1 VRC Derby winner Lion Tamer (NZ) added Group 1 victory number two to his impressive record for the kiwis when winning Saturday's Group 1 $350,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

The third leg of New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship, the Group 1 Underwood Stakes was the first Group 1 race of the season in Victoria and saw Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home x Lioness) take a share in the Championship lead.

After jumping on the pace, jockey Michael Rodd settled the four-year-old entire in sixth, taking a sit behind Karaka graduate Precedence (Zabeel) before being stoked up at the 600 metres. Coming into the straight it was Southern Speed (Southern Image) who took up the running in a solid bid, but Lion Tamer was game and ranged up in the final 150 metres, winning by one-and-a-quarter-lengths going away.

Trained by Murray Baker, Lion Tamer's position in the Melbourne Cup market has firmed dramatically and he now shares outright favouritism at $9 with December Draw (Medecis) who Rodd also rode to victory in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes at the Caulfield meeting. Another kiwi was a big mover in the Australian features over the weekend with Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park) now into second favourite for the Cox Plate at $7.50 after a big win in the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate on Saturday.

Baker outlined after the race that Lion Tamer is likely to head to the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 2 in his next start, with the Melbourne Cup his spring target.

Running second and taking home eight points in the Championship was the Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas trained Southern Speed who was game in defeat. Group 1 placed in the Schweppes Oaks behind Lights of Heaven (Zabeel) last season, she holds nominations for the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cups.

Third place went to the Robert Hickmott trained Midas Touch (Galileo) who earned six Championship points. Running a good third in the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes at his last start, he looks to be a horse to watch when he contests the longer trips as he holds nominations for the Cox Plate, Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

With the Championship seeing Whobegotyou (Street Cry), King's Rose (Redoute's Choice) and Lion Tamer all tied for first position on ten points, the heat will be on in the Championship's final leg, the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes on October 8.

To view the current points table and for more information about New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship, click here.