Danny O’Brien’s star Russian Camelot takes on only five rivals in his Cox Plate lead in run in the Caulfield Stakes, including four he beat at his last start.
Russian Camelot To Take On Familiar Faces
Trainer Danny O’Brien believes Russian Camelot will be better suited as he steps out to 2000 metres in the Caulfield Stakes.
Australia’s boom horse is a $1.55 favourite with TAB fixed odds and will have only five rivals in the Group One race on Saturday.
The field contains four horses who followed him home in the Underwood Stakes over 1800m – Humidor (second), Arcadia Queen (third), Gailo Chop (fourth) and Harbour Views (sixth).
The only fresh opponent is the Peter Gelagotis-trained Levendi.
“I’m very happy with him. It looks a nice test again for him and 2000 metres will be more to his advantage,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien wasn’t buying into any discussion that Russian Camelot had scared off his opposition.
“You’d have to ask the other trainers about that. The Caulfield Stakes though is a race which historically attracts small fields,” he said.
Russian Camelot will be having only his eighth start and he has already won four races, two of them at the highest level.
O’Brien said it would be on to the Cox Plate after Saturday for Russian Camelot.
O’Brien will also have Orderofthegarter in the Herbert Power Stakes, a race in which the winner gains an automatic entry into the Caulfield Cup.
As Orderofthegarter won the Naturalism Stakes, he already has a start in the Caulfield staying feature but O’Brien says he will need to win again on Saturday to be regarded as a genuine chance in that race.
Stablemate Miami Bound will also contest the Herbert Power and is guaranteed a start in the Caulfield Cup but O’Brien wants to see her run well to press on to the Group One race.