Black Caviar 1/05/09

MRC hosts metropolitan double-header
Melbourne Racing Club
The Victorian metropolitan racing focus turns to the Melbourne Racing Club’s double-header this weekend with the Blue Sapphire Stakes meeting at Caulfield on Saturday coupled with the annual Greater Dandenong Race Day at Betfair Park on Sunday.
The $100,500 Listed Blue Sapphire Stakes, being run for the fifth year and the second year as a Listed race, will see Peter Moody’s promising two-year-old, Black Caviar, return to the track after an impressive debut at Flemington.
Black Caviar, a daughter of Bel Esprit, won her maiden race by 5 lengths down the straight course at Flemington two weeks ago and on Saturday, has the chance to add some valuable black-type to her record, at only her second start, in this Listed event.
Previous winners of the Blue Sapphire Classic have been Readyforcatherine (2005), Green Birdie (2006), Emjay Hussey (2007) and Gold in Dubai (2008).
Green Birdie, then trained by Brian Jenkins, has since been transferred the Casper Fownes stable in Hong Kong where he has competed at the highest level and his best result to date was running second, beaten by only a nose, in the Group One Hong Kong International Sprint last December. The winner of that race was Inspiration, trained by ex-patriot Australian John Moore and the third place-getter was Australia’s champion sprinter, Apache Cat.
Sunday’s meeting at Betfair Park highlights the Melbourne Racing Club’s close association with the City of Greater Dandenong with the running of this years Greater Dandenong Race Day.
Growing in stature each year, the sixth annual Greater Dandenong Race Day promises to be another wonderful day with lots of children’s activities and entertainment in addition to two race course tours and a race book competition, where patrons could win a scenic helicopter flight over Melbourne.
Caulfield racecourse Manager, Jason Kerr and Betfair Park’s racecourse manager, Tim Bailey, have issued track reports this morning.
Caulfield is currently rated a Dead 5, with the rail in the rail in the 7 metre position.
There has been 26 mm of rainfall for the week and no irrigation has been applied.
The Hillside circuit at Betfair Park is currently rated a Slow 7, with the rail in the 4 metre position. Betfair Park has received 36.8 mm of rainfall for the week and again, no irrigation has been applied.