NZB Sponsors New WFA Series at Caulfield

New Zealand Bloodstock has stepped up its involvement across the Tasman, becoming the sponsor of the Melbourne Racing Club's inaugural '2011 Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship'.

Encompassing four of Caulfield's premier weight-for-age races during the spring, the new Championship Series will include the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m), the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m), the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) and the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Stakes (2000m).

With A$1.15 million in stakes up for grabs over the four-race series, New Zealand Bloodstock's Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela is excited to see the inaugural Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship get underway.

"We're very proud to be supporting this new initiative by the Melbourne Racing Club for the benefit of our Australian clients. Every year we get enormous support from so many Australian owners and trainers and this is an opportunity for us to support them in return as they chase top level success with their purchases.

So You Think (NZ) wins the Group 1 Underwood Stakes

"Last year So You Think won three of the four races that now form the Series, so it already has a kiwi flavour that we'd love to see continue. But in any event, we're very happy to be a part of the new Series and look forward to supporting its success."

The first race in New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Spring Weight-for-Age Championship is this Saturday's Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m). Attracting a quality field of 12 runners, the race sees the return of three Group 1 winners to the track in Whobegotyou, Lights of Heaven and Absolutely.

A dual Group 1 winner and prolific performer, Whobegotyou (Street Cry x Temple Of Peace) has opened the heavy favourite for the P.B. Lawrence as he makes his return to the track.

His trainer Mark Kavanagh is looking to have a big spring with the horse and has had the Cox Plate as his principal target for some time. The six-year-old has never won over 1400 metres and only once fresh up, and that was on debut, but he looks well-placed with jockey Damien Oliver aboard and is the punters pick for the race.

Another Group 1 winner resuming is the lightly raced and unbeaten Lights of Heaven (Zabeel x I'm in Heaven). Trained by Peter Moody, she comes into the race with only four starts under her belt including the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks last season and represents the unknown quantity in the field.

According to regular stable jockey Luke Nolen, the mare's turn of foot in her most recent hit-out over 900 metres left him "flabbergasted". She will be ridden by Ben Melham on Saturday and is considered a rising talent who has the makings of an outstanding racehorse. All eyes will be on the four-year-old at her first attempt at weight-for-age to see just what she is capable of.

The Group 1 AJC Oaks winner Absolutely (Redoute's Choice x Catshaan) has been kept safe in the market and is proving to be a highly consistent mare, only missing one placing in her seven starts. Trained by Michael Kent, she will be ridden by Brad Rawiller and has been competitive over 1200 metres earlier in her career.

TheDarren Weir trained Time Matters (Gilded Time x Maat) and the ex-kiwi raced Cellarmaster (Dubawi x Oenology) from the Patrick Payne yard both come into the race after recent starts on the Caulfield track on July 30. Both have been successful over 1400 metres during their respective careers.

The Jason Clifford trained Prince Obama (Clangalang x Angelika) and the Peter White trained Jungle Ruler (Lion Hunter x Calista) also have the benefits of recent starts with Prince Obama winning a rating 72 race over 1200 metres just ten days ago.

The famous colours of Lloyd Williams will have three runners in the race including the Zabeel five-year-old Vesper (ex Sylvaner) who has been making his way through the grades with four wins from 13 starts, I'm Imposing (Danehill Dancer x On Fair Stage), the lightly raced English import, and the Irish import Mourayan (Alhaarth x Mouramara) who ran in this race last year at just his second Australian start. All three are trained by Robert Hickmott and are coming into the race fresh up.

Also coming into the race off the back of a spell is the German bred Budai (Dai Jin x Bejaria) from the David Hayes yard who is having his first Australian start, and the Shane Edwards trained Guest Wing (Right Wing x Lacienne) who has been successful over the 1400 metres on two occasions.

The winner of the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) will earn 10 points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Caulfield Spring WFA Championship, with the ultimate winner of the Championship receiving a magnificent emerald and diamond clasp pearl necklace to the value of $25,000 courtesy of Catanach's Jewellers. A perpetual trophy has also been commissioned.

 The points available for the Championship are as follows:

An up-to-date points table will be available on the New Zealand Bloodstock website at http://www.nzb.co.nz/.