Godolphin’s England based jockey James Doyle will make a flying visit to Melbourne to ride the Charlie Appleby trained Jungle Cat in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Home Of The Brave, above, is one of three runners to carry the Godolphin royal blue colours in the 2018 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Home Of The Brave, above, is one of three runners to carry the Godolphin royal blue colours in the 2018 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Steve Hart.

Doyle has been aboard Jungle Cat for two of his recent three wins at Meydan in Dubai and includes his last start victory in the Group 1 US$1m Al Quoz Sprint (1200m)  on March 31.

Appleby and Doyle are no strangers to Australian racing with both visiting the winner’s stall on numerous occasions in previous visits and have a great chance to team up for a Group 1 win at Caulfield on Saturday.

“We are fortunate at Godolphin to retain two world-class jockeys, who we can send to any country when required,” Appleby told the Godolphin website.

“James knows Australian racing well and he has won a Group One on Jungle Cat.”

Jungle Cat will start as one of the top fancies for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes after drawing barrier seven in the capacity field of fifteen plus four emergencies.

The Godolphin royal blue colours will also be carried by the James Cummings trained Home Of The Brave and Osborne Bulls in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

Home Of The Brave has drawn barrier ten with Mark Zahra taking over the reins from Glyn Schofield who rode the English import to an all the way win in the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on September 8.

Craig Williams will stick with Osborne Bulls (barrier 8) who is coming off a first up win in the Listed $120,000 Lister Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 18.

Darren Weir’s three acceptors weren’t given any favours at the barrier draw with Land Of Plenty coming up with the fifteen marble, Peaceful State wasn’t much better with fourteen while the second emergency Ozi Choice also has a double digit number with barrier twelve.

Damian Lane finds himself back aboard Land Of Plenty who is a winner of three of his last four starts, including a last start win for Mark Zahra over his stablemate Peaceful State in the Listed $120,000 Bendigo Bank Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on September 8.

Lane was aboard Land Of Plenty three starts back for his win in the Group 3 $250,000 Robert & Fay Gerard R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 19 while Ben Allen held the reins when second to Osborne Bulls at Caulfield. Dean Yendall takes over from John Allen on Peaceful State.

The Team Hawkes trained Showtime has drawn the rails with Dwayne Dunn in the saddle again while Mr Sneaky was out of luck at the barrier draw, ending up with gate seventeen for Jye McNeil.

Final field for the 2018 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m)

No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Hcp Rating
1 22106x111x JUNGLE CAT (IRE) Charlie Appleby James Doyle 7 58kg 112
2 x1x1230x21 HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE) James Cummings Mark Zahra 10 57kg 110
3 x23723x510 SHOWTIME Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Dwayne Dunn 1 56.5kg 109
4 21x13121x1 OSBORNE BULLS James Cummings Craig Williams 8 55kg 106
5 2511131902 LITE’N IN MY VEINS Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Regan Bayliss 18 54.5kg 105
6 1131271232 WIDGEE TURF Patrick Payne 19 54.5kg 105
7 1223113x3x HELLOVA STREET Scott Brunton Dean Holland 4 54kg 104
8 4x51311x21 LAND OF PLENTY Darren Weir Damian Lane 15 54kg 104
9 4270x0172x SOVEREIGN NATION David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Beau Mertens 3 54kg 104
10 111329×102 DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR Tony McEvoy Luke Currie 16 53kg 102
11 821x0918x4 FASTNET TEMPEST (IRE) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Michael Walker 11 53kg 102
12 0x28693x34 MR SNEAKY Anthony Freedman Jye McNeil 17 53kg 102
13 x222415x55 OREGON’S DAY Mick Price Michael Dee 13 53kg 106
14 7010033104 MISS GUNPOWDER David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Ben Thompson 6 52kg 100
15 x1720110x2 PEACEFUL STATE Darren Weir Dean Yendall 14 52kg 100
16e 39x15233x6 HOLY SNOW Mick Price Chris Parnham 9 52kg 97
17e 18×5812459 OZI CHOICE Darren Weir 12 52kg 97
18e 118x1214x3 WAGING WAR Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas Ben Thompson 5 52kg 92
19e 0x41500x25 TULIP David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 2 52kg 91

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.