Gris Caro has Jake fizzing at Caulfield
Trainer of 2012 Cup runner-up Alcopop has chance to go one better next month
Jake Stephens, the trainer who was propelled into the spring carnival spotlight with popular galloper Alcopop, will get another Caulfield Cup chance after the Naturalism Stakes victory of Gris Caro.
The Stephens-trained Gris Caro ($16) earned a ballot exemption into this year’s A$3 million Caulfield Cup with a determined on-speed win in Saturday’s group three race.
Stephens, who trains at Victor Harbour in South Australia, has experienced spring carnival success with now-retired Alcopop who won the Mackinnon Stakes in 2012 and was second in that year’s Caulfield Cup behind Dunaden.
Alcopop had shot to prominence in the spring of 2009 when he started favourite in the Melbourne Cup.
Gris Caro was bought from France in the hope of being the new stable star for Stephens after the retirement of Alcopop, and he claimed his biggest win on Saturday in his third start from a long spell. Stephens was thrilled with the victory and the Caulfield Cup exemption.
“That’s exciting, to have another crack at it,” Stephens said.
“Hopefully, there’s no Dunaden to run over the top of us.”
Gris Caro sat outside the leader Bonfire in the 2000m race and appeared a bit keen under jockey Ben Melham. The 6-year-old entire kept finding in the straight after kicking strongly to defeat Entirely Platinum ($7.50) by a short head with a length to Bonfire ($5) third.
“I think he has got more improvement in him,” Stephens said. “I was only rating him about 95 per cent for this one.”
Favourite Spillway ($2.70) was an unlucky runner, held up for a run in the straight under jockey Damien Oliver before finishing seventh.
Spillway is expected to head to the Turnbull Stakes next in an attempt to qualify for the Caulfield Cup.
Foreteller has capped another big day for the all-conquering Chris Waller stable by helping the trainer to his double.
Foreteller’s half-head win in the following event, the Underwood Stakes, gave Sydney’s premier trainer a second group one for the day after Sacred Falls defeated stablemate Royal Descent in the George Main Stakes at Randwick.
The win also announced rider Glen Boss’s return to the spotlight, giving the three-time Melbourne Cupwinning rider his first group one success in a year.
One of the elder statesmen of Chris Waller’s team, 8-year-old Foreteller ($6.50) produced a finishing sprint he is renowned for to defeat last year’s Cox Plate runner-up Happy Trails ($10) to claim his third victory at
first interstate Group One racing’s elite level. “He’s come through the grades and he’s part of the furniture,” Waller said of the Cox Plate-bound Foreteller after watching the race from Randwick.
Import Crackerjack King ($51) took up the running in the 1800m race and jockey Michael Walker was happy to sit four or five horses off the fence throughout and was even wider into the straight.
He kicked strongly in his third run back from a two-year injury absence but was collared late by Happy Trails and Foreteller.
Foreteller burst through to claim his first group one since last year’s Makybe Diva Stakes and Boss’s first since Rebel Dane in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last spring.
“This is an important race for the spring and it’s an important one for me, too,” said Boss.
“I’m here. I’m fit. I’m riding well. I feel as enthusiastic as ever and just need opportunities,” he said.
“I know I can do the job just as well as anyone out there. I’ve been doing it a long time. It’s just a matter of getting on horses like this and the results will be there.”
Trainer Paul Beshara insists Happy Trails is on track for his Turnbull Stakes defence next start and an attempt to go one better in the Cox Plate.
“I was hoping he would run in the first four but for him to nearly win, it’s onwards and upwards,” he said.