Caulfield Guineas day

Saturday is Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas Day and we are thrilled to saddling up a runner in the $1 million feature – the exciting up-and-comer Quarterbar.

One of the outsiders of the 16-strong field, the handsome son of Oratorio faces a big task at only his third outing but he has shown promise and, being a colt, Gr.1 black type is well worth chasing.

“We are having a bit of a throw at the stumps,” Moroney said, “but he has drawn well and the three-year-old form is a bit mixed this year.”

With just the one Gr.1 winner – Toorak Toff – contesting the race – it looks a particularly even edition of the Guineas and Quarterbar, as he showed when storming home from last at Geelong second up, is a horse with a turn of foot.

“He has one less run under his belt than we’d ideally wish for,” Moroney conceded, “but he is a horse with good ability.”

Nicely drawn in barrier five, Quarterbar will be ridden by James Winks who enjoyed his biggest moment when winning the Gr.1 Yalumba Stakes aboard Douro Valley on this day two years ago.

Across The Moon is our other Caulfield runner, the promising filly taking her place in the Gr.3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes.

Coming off an impressively easy maiden victory at Geelong where she started a hot odds on favourite, the well related Stratum filly – a half sister to Melito – will attempt to increase her value.

“It is a strong field,” Moroney said, “but she is already stakes place and we decided to have another crack at black type.”

Just the one runner on Sunday – Our Tigress, having drawn badly at Cranbourne, will be saved for Caulfield on Wednesday. But Balmoral will run in the Hume Leader Cup, a 1600m maiden at Kilmore.

“He has drawn out too (15),” Moroney said, “but he has improved since his good first up run and we think he can be right in this.”

Lisa Cropp, attempting to re-establish herself in Australia, takes the ride.