Racing this Saturday is at Caulfield and the blue jackets of Godolphin look to the fore.
Godolphin are set to throw the saddle on runners in races five, eight and nine. Rillito and Malaise are both set to start favourite in their respective races but it's the three-year-old Kennedy in the last race that interests us most.
Rillito and Malaise may actually be a good pointer to Kennedy's chances. That pair were both first-up a fortnight ago at the Valley and while they both had to settle for minor placings they both ran particularly well.
Rillito had trialled twice in Sydney in readiness for her return, the first time over 750m and then over 1050m. A solid grounding that Kennedy replicates before his fresh run on Saturday.
Kennedy is a three-year-old taking on older horses. Lazy conventional wisdom often points to this being a task for the younger horse but the evidence says that three-year-olds are well treated against their older rivals.
The task in fact seems to lie with the older horses and if Kennedy turns up ready to run to the sort of ratings he was returning last time around they will do well to stop him.
The second is perhaps the most interesting race on the card with a clash of two interesting imports who both left a good impression at their Australian debuts.
They are Al Galayel and Mantastic and both look like winning plenty of races in this country. Third pick in the race, in our view, and one that appeals as an each way gamble against the big two is Lord Tennyson who chased Mantastic home last time.
He was outpointed there but hardly disgraced in a race that rated highly. It looks a good platform not only for Mantastic but for Lord Tennyson who should run well on the back of that and it will be no shock to see him in the finish.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 9 #14 Kennedy @ $4.00
Each Way Play: Race 2 #9 Lord Tennyson @ $14.00
