The intensity is about to go up a notch in the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield WFA Championship, with all three of the remaining races run at Group 1 level – starting with Saturday's A$1 million New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m).
The current Championship leader, the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes winner Mystic Journey(Needs Further), is bypassing the first Group 1 of the Melbourne spring. But an outstanding Memsie Stakes field has been assembled, with the potential for major moves up the points table.
P.B. Lawrence Stakes placegetters Cliff's Edge(Canford Cliffs) and Hartnell(Authorized) are back again on Saturday. They are currently sitting in second and third positions on the table with 8 and 6 points respectively, and they are poised to pounce. A top-five finish by either horse would move them ahead of Mystic Journey in the standings.
There are also some spectacular newcomers to this year's Series, such as last year's Memsie Stakes winner Humidor(NZ) (Teofilo), three-time Group 1 winner Alizee(Sepoy), and the up-and-comer Begood Toya Mother(Myboycharlie), an impressive winner of his last six in a row.
With Humidor, Hartnell and Black Heart Bart(Blackfriars) all among the 13-horse line-up, the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes will feature all of the last three Caulfield WFA Championship winners.
The winner of the New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes will receive 10 points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield WFA Championship, with 8 points for second and 6 for third. The fourth placegetter will earn 4 points, with 3 points for fifth and 1 point for the sixth, seventh and eighth placegetters.
The remaining two races in the Series are the A$750,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on September 29 and the A$1 million Caulfield Stakes (2000m) on October 12.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes will be run as Race 8 at Caulfield on Saturday with a start time of 4:50pm (6:50pm NZT).
