Hartnell Faces New Rivals in Third Leg of NZB Caulfield WFA Championship
26 September 2019
Joint table-topper Hartnell (Authorized) will attempt to take control of the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Caulfield WFA Championship when he lines up in Sunday’s third leg, the A$750,000 Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m).
The Godolphin star won the NZB Caulfield WFA Championship two years ago, and he has made a strong start again this year with a third placing in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and a fourth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).
That has earned him a total of 10 points from the first two legs, giving him an equal share of the lead alongside Lawrence Stakes winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further) and Memsie Stakes winner Scales of Justice (Not a Single Doubt).
Neither of those rivals will contest Sunday’s Underwood, but Hartnell will instead face a quality cast of Series newcomers – including Group 1 winners Gailo Chop (Deportivo), Gatting (Hard Spun), and last year’s Underwood winner Homesman (War Front).
Meanwhile, Group 1 winners Kenedna (Not a Single Doubt) and Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) have each collected 1 point through the Series so far and could move up the table with a strong performance on Sunday.
The Underwood Stakes is worth 10 points to the winner, with 8 points for second, 6 for third, 4 for fourth, 3 for fifth and 1 each for sixth, seventh and eighth.
The Underwood Stakes will be run as Race 7 on Sunday with a start time of 4:00pm (6:00pm NZT).
View the leaderboard and roll of honour here.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Hartnell | 1 | Godolphin star Hartnell (Authorized) has a record that speaks for itself - 13 wins including four at Group 1 level, plus another 12 Group 1 placings and more than A$7 million in stakes. A former winner of the NZB Caulfield WFA Championship, he currently shares the top spot on this year's leader board with 10 points. | James Cummings | Hugh Bowman |
| 2 | Gailo Chop | 12 | Another 13-race winner, Gailo Chop (Deportivo) has earned more than A$4 million and scored Group 1 victories in the Ranvet Stakes (2000m), Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and Mackinnon Stakes (2000m). After more than a year on the sidelines, he resumed with an unplaced run in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). | Matthew Williams | Damien Oliver |
| 3 | Black Heart Bart | 6 | Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) won the NZB Caulfield WFA Championship in 2016 and has proven his Group 1 qualities with wins in the Goodwood Handicap (1200m), Memsie Stakes (1400m), Underwood Stakes (1800m), C F Orr Stakes (1400m) and Futurity Stakes (1400m). Like Gailo Chop, he spent more than a year away from the racetrack before returning this spring. His two starts back have produced an eighth in the Memsie Stakes and an 11th in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m). | Lindsey Smith | Brad Rawiller |
| 4 | Humidor | 9 | New Zealand-bred Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo) is another proven Group 1 star. The winner of the Australian Cup (2000m), Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Memsie Stakes (1400m), he has also finished second and third behind the champion Winx (Street Cry) in the last two editions of the prestigious Cox Plate (2040m). He won the Caulfield WFA Championship in 2018. He has finished 10th in both the Memsie Stakes and the Makybe Diva Stakes so far this spring. | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Kerrin McEvoy |
| 5 | Harlem | 10 | Harlem (Champs Elysees) is best known for winning the last two runnings of the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m). He has finished at the tail of the field in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) in his two runs so far in this campaign. | David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Dwayne Dunn |
| 6 | Trap For Fools | 2 | 2018-19 was a breakthrough season for Trap For Fools (Poet's Voice), who won the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Australian Cup. He has returned to action this spring with unplaced finishes in the P B Lawrence Stakes and Feehan Stakes. | Jarrod McLean | Peter Hall |
| 7 | Gatting | 7 | Western Australian raider Gatting (Hard Spun) scored a stunning last-start win in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), beating the superstar Mystic Journey (Needs Further). It was a new high point in Gatting's career, which features a total of 11 wins from 38 starts and A$1.89 million in prize-money. | Darren Mcauliffe | Jamie Kah |
| 8 | Homesman | 13 | Homesman (War Front) won this race last year on his way to a second placing in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). He began his spring campaign on a winning note earlier this month, impressively winning the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m). | Liam Howley | Ben Melham |
| 9 | Yucatan | 11 | Yucatan (Galileo) showed spectacular ability around this time last year, winning the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) with breathtaking ease on his Australian debut. He then finished midfield in the Melbourne Cup (3200m). He finished 12th in his first-up run in the Makybe Diva Stakes. | Liam Howley | Michael Walker |
| 10 | Yulong Prince | 5 | A Group 1 winner in South Africa, Yulong Prince (Gimmethegreenlight) has recorded six wins and four second placings from his 15 starts. He has run seventh and ninth in his two Australian appearances. | Chris Waller | Mark Zahra |
| 11 | Super Titus | 8 | Super Titus (Dansili) made a big impression with a Listed victory in the Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) on August 31, then finished a close eighth in the Group 3 Foundation Cup (2000m) last Saturday. | David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig | Jye McNeil |
| 12 | The Chosen One | 3 | Highly rated and beautifully bred, The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) scored two stakes wins in New Zealand last season and added the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) in Sydney. He also produced a huge finish for fourth in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m). He finished fifth first-up in the Feehan Stakes. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Damian Lane |
| 13 | Kenedna | 4 | Kenedna (Not a Single Doubt) was a multiple Group 1 winner last season in the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) and Doomben Cup (2000m). She has lined up in two races so far in 2019-20, finishing seventh in the P B Lawrence Stakes and eighth in the Feehan Stakes. | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | John Allen |