The Simon Miller-trained Amelia’s Jewel is firm favourite to secure a second career Group 1 when the classy mare from WA lines-up in the Group 1 $1 million Toorak Handicap (1600m) on Saturday.

Amelia's Jewel

Amelia’s Jewel is dominant favourite to win Melbourne’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Toorak is one of three Group 1 events on the Neds Caulfield Guineas Day card and features a smart line-up of potential Cox Plate-bound horses.

Heading the markets at Ladbrokes is Siyouni four-year-old Amelia’s Jewel at $2.25.

Damian Lane partners the bonny mare from gate 12 as she looks to make it three-from-three in Victoria this prep.

Winner of the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) in Perth as a filly, she continues to impress and comes off good wins in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington and Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at The Valley.

She is unbeaten at the distance, is all class and lines-up as a hard to beat top fancy for the punters.

It is a near capacity field but only two rivals are also at single-figure Toorak Handicap odds including the $7 second elect Antino for Brisbane horseman Tony Gollan.

The Redwood five-year-old is also two-from-two at a mile ahead of Saturday’s tough assignment where he will need luck from the outside barrier.

Antino has won nine of his 11 starts however so is putting together a nice record, and was strong through the line with 58kg at the start of the month defeating Here To Shock in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).

He drops to 54.5kg this weekend and with the right run from Blake Shinn this horse can step it up now.

There has been an early move for the John Keys-trained Tassie raider The Inevitable meanwhile who has been heavily backed in from $15 to $9.50 to return to winning form.

The Dundeel eight-year-old has form around the country’s premiere miler Mr Brightside when only a length third to him in the $5 million All-Star Mile during the autumn.

He has had two runs since when runner-up to Golden Mile by a narrow margin in Rosehill’s Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and then eighth with only 2.5 lengths off Rediener carrying 55.5kg in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m).

The Inevitable stays at a mile now, but carries 56.5kg in Melbourne with likely improvement to come.

Pride Of Jenni ($12) is the other best in Toorak betting with the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained mare drawn a treat in gate five for jockey Declan Bates.

It has been a long time between drinks for the now six-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai with her last victory being in September last year.

She has been competitive in plenty since however including her second to one of Saturday’s $20 million The Everest contenders in Sydney – Espiona – in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) back in March.

Pride Of Jenni comes off back-to-back runs behind Amelia’s Jewel with the latest producing a second in the Stocks Stakes when the winner, who she faces again here, set a new track record.

Natural improvement has her fit and ready to fire dropping right back from 57kg to 52kg so she meets her last start conqueror far betting in the weights for a potentially close rematch.

The 2023 Toorak Handicap is set to run as the last at Caulfield on Saturday jumping as Race 10 at 5:50pm (AEDT).

2023 Toorak Handicap Field & Barriers

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 6x6026x647 MY OBERON (IRE) Annabel Neasham Mark Zahra 15 57kg 109
2 1111113×28 THE INEVITABLE John Keys David Pires 8 56.5kg 108
3 1211x12x11 AMELIA’S JEWEL Simon A Miller Damian Lane 12 56kg 111
4 x534113x21 PINSTRIPED Enver Jusufovic Ben Allen 11 56kg 107
5 111263×640 POUNDING Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman Billy Egan 9 55kg 105
6 31x1111x41 ANTINO (NZ) Tony Gollan Blake Shinn 17 54.5kg 104
7 3x1152x520 ATTRITION Mitchell Freedman Beau Mertens 10 54kg 103
8 x6362598x7 BANKERS CHOICE (NZ) Michael Moroney Patrick Moloney 16 53.5kg 102
9 3x24120x33 CORNER POCKET Lindsey Smith Craig Newitt 4 53.5kg 102
10 37x4298x62 PRIDE OF JENNI Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Declan Bates 5 52kg 101
11 402369×901 IRONCLAD (GB) Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea Ms Linda Meech 1 52kg 99
12 111432×142 SAVANNAH CLOUD (NZ) Phillip Stokes Daniel Moor 14 52kg 99
13 731x22x124 SEE YOU IN HEAVEN Richard & Chantelle Jolly Michael Dee 13 52kg 99
14 x26111x822 HERE TO SHOCK (NZ) Ben, Will & JD Hayes Dean Yendall 3 52kg 98
15 36x254x156 AMENABLE Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Wiremu Pinn (a) 6 52kg 97
16 91316x32x6 CHARTERHOUSE (GB) Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jye McNeil 2 52kg 97
17 3126114×04 BELTORO Robert Hickmott Teo Nugent 7 52kg 96

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.