On pace runner Sweet Idea is a good chance to give top Melbourne jockey Craig Newitt an early Spring Carnival Group 1 win in the $400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Sweet Idea, brown, to tackle the G1 Memsie Stakes after winning the Missile Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Newitt will be partnering the world’s number one sprinter Lankan Rupee throughout the Spring and the super sprinter will be hard to beat in any of the Group 1 sprints he contests in the next few months.
But an early Spring Carnival Group 1 win is not out of the question with the in-form Gai Waterhouse trained Sweet Idea.
“There will be a lot of horses in the race that will get back but she will put herself on the speed and she’s fit and tough,” Newitt told AAP.
“She’ll give a big sight for a long way.”
Sweet Idea with her early speed should have no trouble taking up a handy position from barrier ten and Newitt is confident the Snitzel mare will have the fitness edge on some of her rivals after leading all of the way first up to win the Group 2 $175,000 McGrath Estate Agents Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 9.
Waterhouse had originally planned to run Sweet Idea in last Saturday’s Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick but decided the mare was ready to tackle Group 1 company again after running a nose second to Steps In Time in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 22.
“Sweet Idea has thrived since her win in the Missile Stakes and I think she deserves her chance at a Group 1,’’ Waterhouse told The Daily Telegraph.
If Sweet Idea continues to hold her form during the Spring Carnival, a run in the Group 1 $500,000 The Star Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 4 is also on the agenda.
“The Epsom Handicap is a race I think will be right up her alley,” Waterhouse said.
“It’s a race I’ve won seven times and Sweet Idea is the perfect type of horse for that race.”
Caulfield 1400m specialist Moment Of Change also has the benefit of a run under his belt with a first up second to Hard Stride in the Listed $120,000 Winslow Group Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 16.
The Peter Moody trained Moment Of Change has four times over the course and distance with three of those victories at Group 1 level.
Moment Of Change is also an on pace runner and it will be interesting to see what tactics Luke Nolen adopts after drawing inside of Sweet Idea at gate eight.
At his two Group 1 wins at Caulfield during the 2014 Melbourne Autumn Carnival Nolen dictated terms from the front for Moment Of Change to take out the $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) and the $500,000 Cathay Pacific Futurity Stakes (1400m).
Moment Of Change has been installed the early $4.80 favourite for the Memsie Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au while Sweet Idea is at the good odds of $9.50.
The Team Hawkes trained Messene is a $5 chance just ahead of Puissance De Lune at $6, Boban at $6.50 and Happy Trails at $8.
