Lindsey Smith’s dual Group 1 winner Scales Of Justice is tipped to secure his third elite level success on Saturday heading all-in markets on the CF Orr Stakes 2020.
Scales Of Justice dominates early 2020 CF Orr Stakes betting for Saturday in Melbourne. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
On Monday Racing Victoria took 17 nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 Neds CF Orr Stakes (1400m) with Not A Single Doubt seven-year-old Scales Of Justice the veteran of the entries.
The $2 million earner has had three previous starts at Caulfield for two wins including his Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) victory over the same track and distance he races over second-up this weekend.
First-up the in-form galloper took out the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) defeating Hey Doc at The Valley on January 24, a run the bookies are tipping him to emulate in the CF Orr.
All-in CF Orr Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au lists Scales Of Justice at $3.60.
The horse he beat home in the Australia Stakes, Hey Doc is the next best in the markets paying $5 currently to turn the tables.
The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Duporth six-year-old was hot favourite in the Australia Stakes first-up having won Perth’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) the start prior last November.
A winner of up to 1600m, the challenge for Hey Doc this weekend will be the Caulfield track where from five starts he has only run two thirds.
He is noted second-up performer however (6:3-1-0) with a 50% winning strike rate two runs in however so should not be discounted.
In a bunched pre-field market, a further four other nominees are also under $10 in the CF Orr Stakes odds including Begood Toya Mother ($6) who won the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes here last September and Michael Moroney’s progressive colt Alabama Express ($7).
Redoute’s Choice three-year-old Alabama Express also holds a nomination for the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) against his own age on CF Orr Day, but Moroney is keen to give the last start Flemington winner a crack at the big one.
“I think he is up to the better three-year-olds, it’s just a matter of whether he’s going to be up to the older weight-for-age horses I suppose,” Moroney told Racenet this week.
“But he is a pretty good horse.
“The Orr normally isn’t a big field. He is a horse that can make his own luck as he can race on the speed and he can race off the speed.
“At this stage we will have a crack at the Group I.
“If I think it has come up too strong there is the option of a three-year-old race on the same day.
“But the preference of the owners, of which I am one, would be to run and take them on in the Group I.
“He is a stallion prospect, if we can increase that by a fair bit that would be good.”
The CF Orr Stakes final acceptances close on Wednesday.
Click here for the latest all-in markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
