Quality Field for Third Leg of NZB Spring WFA Championship

The third leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Spring WFA Championship at Caulfield Racecourse will be staged on Saturday with the running of the Group 1 A$400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m).

It’s a Dundeel (NZ) narrowly defeats Atlantic Jewel in last year's Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes.

Last year’s renewal of the Underwood Stakes saw It’s a Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) edging out Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) in a titanic battle up the straight.

Another stellar field has been gathered this year with six of the 10 runners Group 1 winners.

Kiwi Silent Achiever (NZ) (O’Reilly) is the only mare in the race and is the highest rated horse in the field. The Roger James trained mare was an encouraging fourth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes when resuming at Caulfield and won a Group 1 race second up at her last preparation. Damien Oliver sticks with the mare that has drawn barrier 3.

Finishing fourth last year in this race, beaten by just a length, was Happy Trails (Good Journey). The Paul Bishara trained galloper went onto win the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at his next start before narrowly being defeated in the Group 1 Cox Plate. Michael Rodd rides him once again on Saturday, starting from barrier 6.

Chris Waller is represented by Foreteller (Dansili) in the Group 1 feature. He looks to have returned in good form running on strongly from the rear in both his starts this campaign. The dual Group 1 winner is a course and distance winner through his victory in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes last year. Jumping from barrier 2, Foreteller will have the services of Glen Boss who rode him at his last start.

Another track and distance winner is Super Cool (Fastnet Rock) for trainer Mark Kavanagh. The son of Fastnet Rock won the Group 2 Autumn Classic last year before winning the Group 1 Australian Cup at his next start. Craig Newitt hops aboard Super Cool for the first time on Saturday and the pair will start from barrier 7.

Group 1 Sydney Cup winner and current Group 1 Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer (Montjeu) resumed with a tidy run at Moonee Valley and will appreciate the step up in distance this weekend as he has never won below 2000m. The Gai Waterhouse trained galloper will start from barrier 8 for stable jockey Tommy Berry.

Crackerjack King (Sharmardal), like The Offer, is an Irish-bred import and will be looking for his first win on Australian soil. Trained by David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Crackerjack King has only had two starts in Australia and is stepping up to a distance that should be more to his liking. Michael Walker has ridden him in his two Australian starts and stays with him, jumping from barrier 5.

Drawing the inside barrier is the Peter Moody trained Lidari (Acclamation). The French import has been close-up in his first two starts this campaign and is a winner on the course. The Group 2 Blamey Stakes winner from earlier this year will be ridden by stable jockey Luke Nolen.

The current co-leader of the NZB Spring WFA Championship is Star Rolling (Starcraft), the winner of the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes. The son of Starcraft, trained by Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison, was fifth at Moonee Valley at his last start but returns to Caulfield where he has won or been placed in three of his four starts on the course. He will start from barrier 4 for regular rider Stephen Baster.

American-bred import Thought Worthy (Dynaformer) came to Australia with an impressive record in Europe winning three of his seven starts including the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York but is yet to reproduce that form. Trained in Australia by Robert Hickmott for Team Williams, Thought Worthy has drawn barrier 9 for Saturday’s race for rider Chad Schofield.

The David Hayes & Tom Dabernig stable is represented by a second runner in the race through last start winner Stipulate (Dansili). In winning the Listed Heatherlie Handicap last start Stipulate beat Brambles (NZ) (Savabeel) who has since won at Flemington last weekend to frank the form. The son of Dansili has drawn the outside barrier for rider Dwayne Dunn.

The current leaders of the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship are Star Rolling and Group 1 Memsie Stakes winner Dissident (Sebring) with 10 points. There is a further 10 points on offer for the winner of the Group 1 Underwood Stakes with points awarded back to eighth placing.

The 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship at Melbourne Racing Club’s Caulfield Racecourse will see the best horses in Australasia compete for A$1.37 million in prizemoney plus trophies to the value of $25,000. The final leg of the Championship is the Group 1 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes on 11 October.

To view the field for the Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes, click here.

To view the race schedule for the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring WFA Championship, click here.