Big Finish to NZB Caulfield WFA Championship

11 October 2018

Current series leader Humidor (NZ) winning the first leg in the NZB Memsie Stakes.
Current series leader Humidor (NZ) winning the second leg in the NZB Memsie Stakes.

The stage is set for an exciting finale to the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield Spring WFA Championship.

The fourth and final race in the Series is Saturday’s A$1 million Group 1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m), featuring series leader Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo) and his closest challenger Homesman (War Front).

With a win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and placing in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), Humidor has earned 17 points. A top-four finish in Saturday’s race will be enough to cement his title.

But Homesman picked up 10 points with his Underwood Stakes victory two weeks ago, and if he repeats that result on Saturday with Humidor out of the placings, he will top the table.

Tosen Basil (Harbinger) is also within striking range with 8 points, but he would need both Humidor and Homesman to finish well outside the placings.

The Caulfield Stakes also features some interesting newcomers to the Series, including the recent Sydney Group 1 performers D’Argento (So You Think) and Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock), well-performed Irish raider The Cliffsofmoher (Galileo) and Melbourne spring star Night’s Watch (NZ) (Redwood).

Brisbane Cup winner Sedanzer (Sebring) will represent co-trainer Gai Waterhouse, who has been announced as an inductee in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The Caulfield Stakes will be run as Race 8 on Saturday with a start time of 4.35pm (6.35pm NZ time).

# Horse Draw Comments Trainer Jockey
1 Benbatl 1 Godolphin's Benbatl (Dubawi) has won six of his 14 starts and more than A$5.4 million in stakes, headed by Group 1 victories in the Dubai Turf (1800m) and Grosser Dallmayr Preis (2000m). Saeed bin Suroor Pat Cosgrave
2 Humidor 7 Star Kiwi-bred galloper Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo) has won eight races and more than A$3.5 million in stakes, with three of those wins coming at Group 1 level. He won the Memsie Stakes in early September, and he was a last-start third behind Homesman in the Underwood Stakes. Darren Weir Damian Lane
3 Tosen Basil 2 Imported Japanese entire Tosen Basil (Harbinger) has won five races and more than A$2 million. He was a close last-start second in the Underwood Stakes. Darren Weir John Allen
4 Harlem 6 Harlem (Champs Elysees) won the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in March, but has been outside the placings in five subsequent appearances. David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig Regan Bayliss
5 The Cliffsofmoher 8 From the world-renowned stable of Aidan O'Brien, Thecliffsofmoher (Galileo) is a dual stakes winner who has placed in the Group 1 Epsom Derby (2400m), Tattersalls Gold Cup (2100m) and Eclipse Stakes (2000m). Aidan O'Brien Mark Zahra
6 Homesman 10 In his short Australian career to date, Homesman (War Front) has picked up a Group 1 win, a Listed win and a Group 2 placing. He was an outstanding last-start winner of the Underwood Stakes. Liam Howley Jordan Childs
7 Blair House 11 Another Group 1-winning galloper in the Godolphin blue, Blair House (Pivotal) was a close fourth on Australian debut in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on September 30. He finished 2.6 lengths from the winner. Charlie Appleby James Doyle
8 Night's Watch 3 New Zealand-bred Night's Watch (NZ) (Redwood) has had 17 starts for eight wins and four placings. He has won two of his last three starts, including the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) over this course and distance. Darren Weir Ben Allen
9 Invictus Prince 4 He may have won only two races, but Invictus Prince (Dansili) produced a career-best performance in August to finish second in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m). Matthew Smith  
10 D'Argento 12 D'Argento (So You Think) won the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) earlier this year and has placed in all three starts this spring - the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m), Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m). Chris Waller James McDonald
11 Sedanzer 9 Sedanzer (Sebring) won the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2200m) in June. She has been unplaced in three starts this spring, but was a close fourth in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m). Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Stephen Baster
12 Unforgotten 5 Karaka graduate Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) won the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) in the autumn and added the Chelmsford Stakes two starts back. She was a fast-finishing third in the Epsom Handicap last start. Chris Waller Michael Walker