An absolutely sensational field of stars take to the Caulfield track on Blue Diamond Stakes Day this Saturday for the 2021 Futurity Stakes, betting for which is led by multiple Group 1 winner at the track and distance Behemoth.
In what is shaping-up as one of the best editions of the weight-for-age event in recent history, Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) field features 10 runners including a host of proven elite level performers.
The standout of those is the David Jolly-trained All Too Hard five-year-old from Goolwa who completed the Group 1 Memsie Stakes – Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes double over the 1400m at Caulfield last campaign.
He did that off a lead-up win at home at Morphettville and comes via the same form line this autumn having saluted fresh in Adelaide on January 30 by three lengths in a Listed 1100m sprint.
Second-up and fitter for the run, the gun gelding will relish the step-up to 1400m and sits top of the latest Futurity Stakes odds at $3.20 through Ladbrokes.com.au after drawing gate two.
The danger occupying the second line of Futurity Stakes betting at a close $3.60 is another fit runner coming off a lead-up win in Jamie Richards’ New Zealand-trained mare Probabeel.
Jumping wider from barrier nine with Damian Lane in the saddle, the talented Savabeel four-year-old carried 60kg to victory with the same hoop aboard on February 6 in the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
She comes back to 57kg for the Futurity with a run at the track under her belt, and is another with a gun 1400m record (5:3-1-0) and a spring Group 1 success on the record with her win in Randwick’s Epsom Handicap (1600m) last October.
The early Futurity Stakes market mover into $6 to salute fresh is another star mare in the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Arcadia Queen.
She jumps one on the inside of Probabeel with brilliant Perth hoop William Pike aboard, the Pierro five-year-old having her first start since taking out Flemington’s Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Arcadia Queen is definitely a genuine 2000m mare having also won the Group 1 Caulfield Stakes here over that distance in the spring, but she looked strong in a recent trial at home and is an excellent first-up performer with claims.
The last of the single-figure hopefuls in the Futurity this season at $7 is the youngster in the mix, the rails-drawn Ole Kirk for Hawkes Racing.
The three-year-old Written Tycoon colt won Sydney’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) as well as the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne in the spring and presents second-up and ready to fire on the weekend.
First-up at the start of the month at Randwick he was under a length beaten for third in the $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m) and he presents as a livewire chance south of the border at WFA.
The other horse of note chasing a hat-trick of wins is the reigning Futurity Stakes champion Streets Of Avalon at $11 to go back-to-back in the race for the first time since Niconero (2008-09).
Shane Nichols’ smart Magnus six-year-old has his 55th career start on Saturday and comes off a sensational start to the year having won the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) first-up at The Valley and then the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
Click here for the latest 2021 Futurity Stakes betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2021 Futurity Stakes Field & Barriers
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | x14x1110x1 | BEHEMOTH | David Jolly | Damien Oliver | 2 | 59kg | 114 | |
2 | 7050984×11 | STREETS OF AVALON | Shane Nichols | Zac Spain | 7 | 59kg | 110 | |
3 | 902x27106x | MR QUICKIE | Phillip Stokes | Ms Jamie Kah | 4 | 59kg | 111 | |
4 | 453973410x | SO SI BON | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Luke Nolen | 5 | 59kg | 107 | |
5 | 1110x2124x | TOO CLOSE THE SUN | Lindsey Smith | Declan Bates | 3 | 59kg | 101 | |
6 | 05x523151x | ARCADIA QUEEN | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 8 | 57kg | 115 | |
7 | 228x2117x1 | PROBABEEL (NZ) | Jamie Richards | D Lane | 9 | 57kg | 112 | |
8 | 343x2211x3 | OLE KIRK | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Kerrin McEvoy | 1 | 55.5kg | 109 | |
9 | 13x226x822 | AMISH BOY | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jye McNeil | 10 | 55.5kg | 88 | |
10 | 11x61141x3 | CROSSHAVEN | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Daniel Stackhouse | 6 | 55.5kg | 102 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.