Last year’s winner Humidor is among the nominations for the 2019 Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Humidor will step out for the first time this weekend for co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace after disqualified trainer Darren Weir prepared the Teofilo gelding to score a narrow win in the 2018 Memsie Stakes.
Humidor is one of seventeen nominations for the weight for age Memsie Stakes which also includes his stablemate Cliff’s Edge and Kenedna.
The seven year old is returning from an injury induced layoff and will be having his first run back since finishing third to Winx in the 2018 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley last October.
Maher has given Humidor a solid grounding for his return to the racetrack and the gelding was able to score a narrow win in a recent 990m Cranbourne Barrier trial.
“He’s had three trials now and he’s ready to go, but will be improved by the run,” Maher told AAP.
“He’s a quirky bugger but he seems free and happy and Damian Lane knows him very well and he’s happy with him.”
“He’s shown me enough but I haven’t squeezed him that hard yet.”
Cliff’s Edge has had two runs back from a spell for a third in the Group 3 $160,000 The Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on July 27 followed by a second to Mystic Journey in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 17 and Maher is happy with his progress.
Doomben Cup winner Kenedna is also among the nominations for the Memsie Stakes but Maher said the mare is unlikely to take her place in the field and be kept for the Group 2 $250,000 John F. Feehan (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday week.
James Cummings has nominated his Group 1 winning mare Alizee along with veteran galloper Hartnell for the Memsie Stakes while former Perth trainer Lindsey Smith has entered his new stable acquisition Black Heart Bart as well his top stable performer Scales Of Justice.
Nominations for the 2019 Memsie Stakes (1400m)
# | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1x111306x1 | ALIZEE | M | 5 | James Cummings | 116 |
2 | 3002x7509x | ALOISIA (NZ) | M | 5 | Anthony Freedman | 99 |
3 | 48x11111x1 | BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER | G | 5 | Daniel Bowman | 94 |
4 | 29x496870x | BLACK HEART BART | G | 9 | Lindsey Smith | 109 |
5 | x071516x32 | CLIFF’S EDGE | H | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 107 |
6 | 50x11110x4 | DESPATCH | G | 5 | Tony McEvoy | 107 |
7 | 3x432200x3 | FUNDAMENTALIST | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 102 |
8 | 20x53233x3 | HARTNELL (GB) | G | 9 | James Cummings | 116 |
9 | 84x817333x | HUMIDOR (NZ) | G | 7 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 116 |
10 | 1x931911x7 | KENEDNA | M | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 110 |
11 | x32x6900x6 | MATERIAL MAN | G | 8 | Pat Carey | 107 |
12 | 44130x08x7 | OOHOOD | M | 4 | Tony McEvoy | 103 |
13 | 425x14941x | QAFILA | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 102 |
14 | 2730x53x12 | SCALES OF JUSTICE | G | 7 | Lindsey Smith | 109 |
15 | 154x17x163 | SESAR | H | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 100 |
16 | 41292450×1 | SO SI BON | G | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 104 |
17 | 77027x90x7 | VASSILATOR (NZ) | G | 4 | Colin Little | 95 |